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IN THE NAME OF HIM WHO IS THE SUPREME RULER OVER ALL THAT HATH BEEN AND ALL THAT IS TO BE

The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.

They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth away from them is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O men of understanding! They that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and have turned back on their heels, these have erred grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.

O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord of Revelation. Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the Dayspring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness.

Say: From My laws the sweet-smelling savour of My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the standards of Victory will be planted upon the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: “Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.” Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe. By My life! He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favour will circle around My commandments that shine above the Dayspring of My creation.

Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!

We have enjoined obligatory prayer upon you, with nine rak’ahs, to be offered at noon and in the morning and the evening unto God, the Revealer of Verses. We have relieved you of a greater number, as a command in the Book of God. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omnipotent, the Unrestrained. When ye desire to perform this prayer, turn ye towards the Court of My Most Holy Presence, this Hallowed Spot that God hath made the Centre round which circle the Concourse on High, and which He hath decreed to be the Point of Adoration for the denizens of the Cities of Eternity, and the Source of Command unto all that are in heaven and on earth; and when the Sun of Truth and Utterance shall set, turn your faces towards the Spot that We have ordained for you. He, verily, is Almighty and Omniscient.

Everything that is hath come to be through His irresistible decree. Whenever My laws appear like the sun in the heaven of Mine utterance, they must be faithfully obeyed by all, though My decree be such as to cause the heaven of every religion to be cleft asunder. He doeth what He pleaseth. He chooseth, and none may question His choice. Whatsoever He, the Well-Beloved, ordaineth, the same is, verily, beloved. To this He Who is the Lord of all creation beareth Me witness. Whoso hath inhaled the sweet fragrance of the All-Merciful, and recognized the Source of this utterance, will welcome with his own eyes the shafts of the enemy, that he may establish the truth of the laws of God amongst men. Well is it with him that hath turned thereunto, and apprehended the meaning of His decisive decree.

We have set forth the details of obligatory prayer in another Tablet. Blessed is he who observeth that whereunto he hath been bidden by Him Who ruleth over all mankind. In the Prayer for the Dead six specific passages have been sent down by God, the Revealer of Verses. Let one who is able to read recite that which hath been revealed to precede these passages; and as for him who is unable, God hath relieved him of this requirement. He, of a truth, is the Mighty, the Pardoner.

Hair doth not invalidate your prayer, nor aught from which the spirit hath departed, such as bones and the like. Ye are free to wear the fur of the sable as ye would that of the beaver, the squirrel, and other animals; the prohibition of its use hath stemmed, not from the Qur’an, but from the misconceptions of the divines. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.

We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He hath exempted from this those who are weak from illness or age, as a bounty from His Presence, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous. God hath granted you leave to prostrate yourselves on any surface that is clean, for We have removed in this regard the limitation that had been laid down in the Book; God, indeed, hath knowledge of that whereof ye know naught. Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words “In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure”, and then proceed to his devotions. Such is the command of the Lord of all worlds. In regions where the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the passage of the hours. He, verily, is the Expounder, the Wise.

We have absolved you from the requirement of performing the Prayer of the Signs. On the appearance of fearful natural events call ye to mind the might and majesty of your Lord, He Who heareth and seeth all, and say “Dominion is God’s, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of creation”.

It hath been ordained that obligatory prayer is to be performed by each of you individually. Save in the Prayer for the Dead, the practice of congregational prayer hath been annulled. He, of a truth, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

God hath exempted women who are in their courses from obligatory prayer and fasting. Let them, instead, after performance of their ablutions, give praise unto God, repeating ninety-five times between the noon of one day and the next “Glorified be God, the Lord of Splendour and Beauty”. Thus hath it been decreed in the Book, if ye be of them that comprehend.

When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye–men and women alike–a single prostration in place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer, and while prostrating say “Glorified be God, the Lord of Might and Majesty, of Grace and Bounty”. Whoso is unable to do this, let him say only “Glorified be God”; this shall assuredly suffice him. He is, of a truth, the all-sufficing, the ever-abiding, the forgiving, compassionate God. Upon completing your prostrations, seat yourselves cross-legged–men and women alike–and eighteen times repeat “Glorified be God, the Lord of the kingdoms of earth and heaven”. Thus doth the Lord make plain the ways of truth and guidance, ways that lead to one way, which is this Straight Path. Render thanks unto God for this most gracious favour; offer praise unto Him for this bounty that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth; extol Him for this mercy that hath pervaded all creation.

Say: God hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure; would that ye might perceive it! But for the key, the Treasure would to all eternity have remained concealed; would that ye might believe it! Say: This is the Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place of Splendour, Whose brightness hath illumined the horizons of the world. Would that ye might understand! This is, verily, that fixed Decree through which every irrevocable decree hath been established.

O Pen of the Most High! Say: O people of the world! We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period, and at its close have designated for you Naw-Ruz as a feast. Thus hath the Day-Star of Utterance shone forth above the horizon of the Book as decreed by Him Who is the Lord of the beginning and the end. Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Ha, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name; and when they end –these days of giving that precede the season of restraint–let them enter upon the Fast. Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind. The traveller, the ailing, those who are with child or giving suck, are not bound by the Fast; they have been exempted by God as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Generous.

These are the ordinances of God that have been set down in the Books and Tablets by His Most Exalted Pen. Hold ye fast unto His statutes and commandments, and be not of those who, following their idle fancies and vain imaginings, have clung to the standards fixed by their own selves, and cast behind their backs the standards laid down by God. Abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the Book.

It hath been ordained that every believer in God, the Lord of Judgement, shall, each day, having washed his hands and then his face, seat himself and, turning unto God, repeat “Allah-u-Abha” ninety-five times. Such was the decree of the Maker of the Heavens when, with majesty and power, He established Himself upon the thrones of His Names. Perform ye, likewise, ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer; this is the command of God, the Incomparable, the Unrestrained.@@@

Ye have been forbidden to commit murder or adultery, or to engage in backbiting or calumny; shun ye, then, what hath been prohibited in the holy Books and Tablets.

We have divided inheritance into seven categories: to the children, We have allotted nine parts comprising five hundred and forty shares; to the wife, eight parts comprising four hundred and eighty shares; to the father, seven parts comprising four hundred and twenty shares; to the mother, six parts comprising three hundred and sixty shares; to the brothers, five parts or three hundred shares; to the sisters, four parts or two hundred and forty shares; and to the teachers, three parts or one hundred and eighty shares. Such was the ordinance of My Forerunner, He Who extolleth My Name in the night season and at the break of day. When We heard the clamour of the children as yet unborn, We doubled their share and decreased those of the rest. He, of a truth, hath power to ordain whatsoever He desireth, and He doeth as He pleaseth by virtue of His sovereign might.

Should the deceased leave no offspring, their share shall revert to the House of Justice, to be expended by the Trustees of the All-Merciful on the orphaned and widowed, and on whatsoever will bring benefit to the generality of the people, that all may give thanks unto their Lord, the All-Gracious, the Pardoner.

Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the other categories of heirs that have been specified in the Book, they shall receive two thirds of the inheritance and the remaining third shall revert to the House of Justice. Such is the command which hath been given, in majesty and glory, by Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High.

If the deceased should leave none of the specified heirs, but have among his relatives nephews and nieces, whether on his brother’s or his sister’s side, two thirds of the inheritance shall pass to them; or, lacking these, to his uncles and aunts on both his father’s and his mother’s side, and after them to their sons and daughters. The remaining third of the inheritance shall, in any case, revert to the Seat of Justice. Thus hath it been laid down in the Book by Him Who ruleth over all men.

Should the deceased be survived by none of those whose names have been recorded by the Pen of the Most High, his estate shall, in its entirety, revert to the aforementioned Seat that it may be expended on that which is prescribed by God. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omnipotent.

We have assigned the residence and personal clothing of the deceased to the male, not female, offspring, nor to the other heirs. He, verily, is the Munificent, the All-Bountiful.

Should the son of the deceased have passed away in the days of his father and have left children, they will inherit their father’s share, as prescribed in the Book of God. Divide ye their share amongst them with perfect justice. Thus have the billows of the Ocean of Utterance surged, casting forth the pearls of the laws decreed by the Lord of all mankind.

If the deceased should leave children who are under age, their share of the inheritance must be entrusted to a reliable individual, or to a company, that it may be invested on their behalf in trade and business until they come of age. The trustee should be assigned a due share of the profit that hath accrued to it from being thus employed.

Division of the estate should take place only after the Huququ’llah hath been paid, any debts have been settled, the expenses of the funeral and burial defrayed, and such provision made that the deceased may be carried to his resting-place with dignity and honour. Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is Lord of the beginning and the end.

Say: This is that hidden knowledge which shall never change, since its beginning is with nine, the symbol that betokeneth the concealed and manifest, the inviolable and unapproachably exalted Name. As for what We have appropriated to the children, this is a bounty conferred on them by God, that they may render thanks unto their Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful. These, verily, are the Laws of God; transgress them not at the prompting of your base and selfish desires. Observe ye the injunctions laid upon you by Him Who is the Dawning-place of Utterance. The sincere among His servants will regard the precepts set forth by God as the Water of Life to the followers of every faith, and the Lamp of wisdom and loving providence to all the denizens of earth and heaven.

The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Baha, and should it exceed this number it doth not matter. They should consider themselves as entering the Court of the presence of God, the Exalted, the Most High, and as beholding Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive.

O people of the world! Build ye houses of worship throughout the lands in the name of Him Who is the Lord of all religions. Make them as perfect as is possible in the world of being, and adorn them with that which befitteth them, not with images and effigies. Then, with radiance and joy, celebrate therein the praise of your Lord, the Most Compassionate. Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.

The Lord hath ordained that those of you who are able shall make pilgrimage to the sacred House, and from this He hath exempted women as a mercy on His part. He, of a truth, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O people of Baha! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation–such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the day-star of wisdom and utterance. The most despised of men in the sight of God are they who sit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your trust in God, the Provider of all means.

The kissing of hands hath been forbidden in the Book. This practice is prohibited by God, the Lord of glory and command. To none is it permitted to seek absolution from another soul; let repentance be between yourselves and God. He, verily, is the Pardoner, the Bounteous, the Gracious, the One Who absolveth the repentant.

O ye servants of the Merciful One! Arise to serve the Cause of God, in such wise that the cares and sorrows caused by them that have disbelieved in the Dayspring of the Signs of God may not afflict you. At the time when the Promise was fulfilled and the Promised One made manifest, differences have appeared amongst the kindreds of the earth and each people hath followed its own fancy and idle imaginings.

Amongst the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. Say: What manner of man art thou, O vain and heedless one, who wouldst appear as other than thou art? And among the people is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge, and still deeper knowledge concealed within this knowledge. Say: Thou speakest false! By God! What thou dost possess is naught but husks which We have left to thee as bones are left to dogs. By the righteousness of the one true God! Were anyone to wash the feet of all mankind, and were he to worship God in the forests, valleys, and mountains, upon high hills and lofty peaks, to leave no rock or tree, no clod of earth, but was a witness to his worship–yet, should the fragrance of My good pleasure not be inhaled from him, his works would never be acceptable unto God. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Lord of all. How many a man hath secluded himself in the climes of India, denied himself the things that God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon himself austerities and mortifications, and hath not been remembered by God, the Revealer of Verses. Make not your deeds as snares wherewith to entrap the object of your aspiration, and deprive not yourselves of this Ultimate Objective for which have ever yearned all such as have drawn nigh unto God. Say: The very life of all deeds is My good pleasure, and all things depend upon Mine acceptance. Read ye the Tablets that ye may know what hath been purposed in the Books of God, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Bounteous. He who attaineth to My love hath title to a throne of gold, to sit thereon in honour over all the world; he who is deprived thereof, though he sit upon the dust, that dust would seek refuge with God, the Lord of all Religions.

Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God will, no doubt, forgive him. If, however, he persisteth in his error, God will, assuredly, send down one who will deal mercilessly with him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things. Fear God, and follow not your idle fancies. Nay, rather, follow the bidding of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Erelong shall clamorous voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, O My people, and follow not the iniquitous and evil-hearted. This is that of which We gave you forewarning when We were dwelling in Iraq, then later while in the Land of Mystery, and now from this Resplendent Spot.

Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose.

The peoples of the world are fast asleep. Were they to wake from their slumber, they would hasten with eagerness unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. They would cast away everything they possess, be it all the treasures of the earth, that their Lord may remember them to the extent of addressing to them but one word. Such is the instruction given you by Him Who holdeth the knowledge of things hidden, in a Tablet which the eye of creation hath not seen, and which is revealed to none except His own Self, the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. So bewildered are they in the drunkenness of their evil desires, that they are powerless to recognize the Lord of all being, Whose voice calleth aloud from every direction: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Wise.”

Say: Rejoice not in the things ye possess; tonight they are yours, tomorrow others will possess them. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Can ye claim that what ye own is lasting or secure? Nay! By Myself, the All-Merciful, ye cannot, if ye be of them who judge fairly. The days of your life flee away as a breath of wind, and all your pomp and glory shall be folded up as were the pomp and glory of those gone before you. Reflect, O people! What hath become of your bygone days, your lost centuries? Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise. By My life! Neither the pomp of the mighty, nor the wealth of the rich, nor even the ascendancy of the ungodly will endure. All will perish, at a word from Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. What advantage is there in the earthly things which men possess? That which shall profit them, they have utterly neglected. Erelong, they will awake from their slumber, and find themselves unable to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Did they but know it, they would renounce their all, that their names may be mentioned before His throne. They, verily, are accounted among the dead.

Amongst the people is he whose learning hath made him proud, and who hath been debarred thereby from recognizing My Name, the Self-Subsisting; who, when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth greater in his own esteem than Nimrod. Say: O rejected one! Where now is his abode? By God, it is the nethermost fire. Say: O concourse of divines! Hear ye not the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen? See ye not this Sun that shineth in refulgent splendour above the All-Glorious Horizon? For how long will ye worship the idols of your evil passions? Forsake your vain imaginings, and turn yourselves unto God, your Everlasting Lord.

Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall pass to the Aghsan, and after them to the House of Justice–should it be established in the world by then–that they may use these endowments for the benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power. Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people of Baha who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in this Tablet–lo, they are the champions of victory betwixt heaven and earth–that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Lament not in your hours of trial, neither rejoice therein; seek ye the Middle Way which is the remembrance of Me in your afflictions and reflection over that which may befall you in future. Thus informeth you He Who is the Omniscient, He Who is aware.

Shave not your heads; God hath adorned them with hair, and in this there are signs from the Lord of creation to those who reflect upon the requirements of nature. He, verily, is the God of strength and wisdom. Notwithstanding, it is not seemly to let the hair pass beyond the limit of the ears. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds.

Exile and imprisonment are decreed for the thief, and, on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus identified, he may not be accepted in the cities of God and His countries. Beware lest, through compassion, ye neglect to carry out the statutes of the religion of God; do that which hath been bidden you by Him Who is compassionate and merciful. We school you with the rod of wisdom and laws, like unto the father who educateth his son, and this for naught but the protection of your own selves and the elevation of your stations. By My life, were ye to discover what We have desired for you in revealing Our holy laws, ye would offer up your very souls for this sacred, this mighty, and most exalted Faith.

Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at liberty to do so. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into the contents of bowls and platters. Adopt ye such usages as are most in keeping with refinement. He, verily, desireth to see in you the manners of the inmates of Paradise in His mighty and most sublime Kingdom. Hold ye fast unto refinement under all conditions, that your eyes may be preserved from beholding what is repugnant both to your own selves and to the dwellers of Paradise. Should anyone depart therefrom, his deed shall at that moment be rendered vain; yet should he have good reason, God will excuse him. He, in truth, is the Gracious, the Most Bountiful.

He Who is the Dawning-place of God’s Cause hath no partner in the Most Great Infallibility. He it is Who, in the kingdom of creation, is the Manifestation of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth”. God hath reserved this distinction unto His own Self, and ordained for none a share in so sublime and transcendent a station. This is the Decree of God, concealed ere now within the veil of impenetrable mystery. We have disclosed it in this Revelation, and have thereby rent asunder the veils of such as have failed to recognize that which the Book of God set forth and who were numbered with the heedless.

Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and daughter in the art of reading and writing and in all that hath been laid down in the Holy Tablet. He that putteth away that which is commanded unto him, the Trustees are then to take from him that which is required for their instruction if he be wealthy and, if not, the matter devolveth upon the House of Justice. Verily have We made it a shelter for the poor and needy. He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as though he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon him rest My glory, My loving-kindness, My mercy, that have compassed the world.

God hath imposed a fine on every adulterer and adulteress, to be paid to the House of Justice: nine mithqals of gold, to be doubled if they should repeat the offence. Such is the penalty which He Who is the Lord of Names hath assigned them in this world; and in the world to come He hath ordained for them a humiliating torment. Should anyone be afflicted by a sin, it behoveth him to repent thereof and return unto his Lord. He, verily, granteth forgiveness unto whomsoever He willeth, and none may question that which it pleaseth Him to ordain. He is, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

Beware lest ye be hindered by the veils of glory from partaking of the crystal waters of this living Fountain. Seize ye the chalice of salvation at this dawntide in the name of Him Who causeth the day to break, and drink your fill in praise of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Incomparable.

We have made it lawful for you to listen to music and singing. Take heed, however, lest listening thereto should cause you to overstep the bounds of propriety and dignity. Let your joy be the joy born of My Most Great Name, a Name that bringeth rapture to the heart, and filleth with ecstasy the minds of all who have drawn nigh unto God. We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self and passion. Truly, We are loath to see you numbered with the foolish.

We have decreed that a third part of all fines shall go to the Seat of Justice, and We admonish its men to observe pure justice, that they may expend what is thus accumulated for such purposes as have been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O ye Men of Justice! Be ye, in the realm of God, shepherds unto His sheep and guard them from the ravening wolves that have appeared in disguise, even as ye would guard your own sons. Thus exhorteth you the Counsellor, the Faithful.

Should differences arise amongst you over any matter, refer it to God while the Sun still shineth above the horizon of this Heaven and, when it hath set, refer ye to whatsoever hath been sent down by Him. This, verily, is sufficient unto the peoples of the world. Say: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.

O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed from the rocks through the sweetness of the words uttered by your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.

Know ye from what heights your Lord, the All-Glorious, is calling? Think ye that ye have recognized the Pen wherewith your Lord, the Lord of all names, commandeth you? Nay, by My life! Did ye but know it, ye would renounce the world, and would hasten with your whole hearts to the presence of the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be so transported by His Word as to throw into commotion the Greater World–how much more this small and petty one! Thus have the showers of My bounty been poured down from the heaven of My loving-kindness, as a token of My grace, that ye may be of the thankful.

The penalties for wounding or striking a person depend upon the severity of the injury; for each degree the Lord of Judgement hath prescribed a certain indemnity. He is, in truth, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Most Exalted. We shall, if it be Our Will, set forth these payments in their just degrees–this is a promise on Our part, and He, verily, is the Keeper of His pledge, the Knower of all things.

Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month, though only water be served; for God hath purposed to bind hearts together, albeit through both earthly and heavenly means.

Beware lest the desires of the flesh and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand, the members of one body. Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them that believe.

Consider the mercy of God and His gifts. He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you, though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures. Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us. We summon you wholly for the sake of God. To this every man of understanding and insight will testify.

If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey, invoke ye the Name of God when ye send them to pursue their quarry; for then whatever they catch shall be lawful unto you, even should ye find it to have died. He, verily, is the Omniscient, the All-Informed. Take heed, however, that ye hunt not to excess. Tread ye the path of justice and equity in all things. Thus biddeth you He Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation, would that ye might comprehend.

God hath bidden you to show forth kindliness towards My kindred, but He hath granted them no right to the property of others. He, verily, is self-sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye burn; should anyone deliberately take another’s life, him also shall ye put to death. Take ye hold of the precepts of God with all your strength and power, and abandon the ways of the ignorant. Should ye condemn the arsonist and the murderer to life imprisonment, it would be permissible according to the provisions of the Book. He, verily, hath power to ordain whatsoever He pleaseth.

God hath prescribed matrimony unto you. Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two. Whoso contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of God, both he and she shall live in tranquillity. And he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety. Such is the ordinance which, in truth and justice, hath been recorded by the Pen of Revelation. Enter into wedlock, O people, that ye may bring forth one who will make mention of Me amid My servants. This is My bidding unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves.

O people of the world! Follow not the promptings of the self, for it summoneth insistently to wickedness and lust; follow, rather, Him Who is the Possessor of all created things, Who biddeth you to show forth piety, and manifest the fear of God. He, verily, is independent of all His creatures. Take heed not to stir up mischief in the land after it hath been set in order. Whoso acteth in this way is not of Us, and We are quit of him. Such is the command which hath, through the power of truth, been made manifest from the heaven of Revelation.

It hath been laid down in the Bayan that marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties. Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple’s wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them. And in this We have yet other purposes. Thus hath Our commandment been ordained.

No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqals of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver. Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqals. Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power. If he content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the Book. God, verily, enricheth whomsoever He willeth through both heavenly and earthly means, and He, in truth, hath power over all things.

It hath been decreed by God that, should any one of His servants intend to travel, he must fix for his wife a time when he will return home. If he return by the promised time, he will have obeyed the bidding of his Lord and shall be numbered by the Pen of His behest among the righteous; otherwise, if there be good reason for delay, he must inform his wife and make the utmost endeavour to return to her. Should neither of these eventualities occur, it behoveth her to wait for a period of nine months, after which there is no impediment to her taking another husband; but should she wait longer, God, verily, loveth those women and men who show forth patience. Obey ye My commandments, and follow not the ungodly, they who have been reckoned as sinners in God’s Holy Tablet. If, during the period of her waiting, word should reach her from her husband, she should choose the course that is praiseworthy. He, of a truth, desireth that His servants and His handmaids should be at peace with one another; take heed lest ye do aught that may provoke intransigence amongst you. Thus hath the decree been fixed and the promise come to pass. If, however, news should reach her of her husband’s death or murder, and be confirmed by general report, or by the testimony of two just witnesses, it behoveth her to remain single; then, upon completion of the fixed number of months, she is free to adopt the course of her choosing. Such is the bidding of Him Who is mighty and powerful in His command.

Should resentment or antipathy arise between husband and wife, he is not to divorce her but to bide in patience throughout the course of one whole year, that perchance the fragrance of affection may be renewed between them. If, upon the completion of this period, their love hath not returned, it is permissible for divorce to take place. God’s wisdom, verily, hath encompassed all things. The Lord hath prohibited, in a Tablet inscribed by the Pen of His command, the practice to which ye formerly had recourse when thrice ye had divorced a woman. This He hath done as a favour on His part, that ye may be accounted among the thankful. He who hath divorced his wife may choose, upon the passing of each month, to remarry her when there is mutual affection and consent, so long as she hath not taken another husband. Should she have wed again, then, by this other union, the separation is confirmed and the matter is concluded unless, clearly, her circumstances change. Thus hath the decree been inscribed with majesty in this glorious Tablet by Him Who is the Dawning-place of Beauty.

If the wife accompany her husband on a journey, and differences arise between them on the way, he is required to provide her with her expenses for one whole year, and either to return her whence she came or to entrust her, together with the necessaries for her journey, to a dependable person who is to escort her home. Thy Lord, verily, ordaineth as He pleaseth, by virtue of a sovereignty that overshadoweth the peoples of the earth.

Should a woman be divorced in consequence of a proven act of infidelity, she shall receive no maintenance during her period of waiting. Thus hath the day-star of Our commandment shone forth resplendent from the firmament of justice. Truly, the Lord loveth union and harmony and abhorreth separation and divorce. Live ye one with another, O people, in radiance and joy. By My life! All that are on earth shall pass away, while good deeds alone shall endure; to the truth of My words God doth Himself bear witness. Compose your differences, O My servants; then heed ye the admonition of Our Pen of Glory and follow not the arrogant and wayward.

Take heed lest the world beguile you as it beguiled the people who went before you! Observe ye the statutes and precepts of your Lord, and walk ye in this Way which hath been laid out before you in righteousness and truth. They who eschew iniquity and error, who adhere to virtue, are, in the sight of the one true God, among the choicest of His creatures; their names are extolled by the Concourse of the realms above, and by those who dwell in this Tabernacle which hath been raised in the name of God.

It is forbidden you to trade in slaves, be they men or women. It is not for him who is himself a servant to buy another of God’s servants, and this hath been prohibited in His Holy Tablet. Thus, by His mercy, hath the commandment been recorded by the Pen of justice. Let no man exalt himself above another; all are but bondslaves before the Lord, and all exemplify the truth that there is none other God but Him. He, verily, is the All-Wise, Whose wisdom encompasseth all things.

Adorn yourselves with the raiment of goodly deeds. He whose deeds attain unto God’s good pleasure is assuredly of the people of Baha and is remembered before His throne. Assist ye the Lord of all creation with works of righteousness, and also through wisdom and utterance. Thus, indeed, have ye been commanded in most of the Tablets by Him Who is the All-Merciful. He, truly, is cognizant of what I say. Let none contend with another, and let no soul slay another; this, verily, is that which was forbidden you in a Book that hath lain concealed within the Tabernacle of glory. What! Would ye kill him whom God hath quickened, whom He hath endowed with spirit through a breath from Him? Grievous then would be your trespass before His throne! Fear God, and lift not the hand of injustice and oppression to destroy what He hath Himself raised up; nay, walk ye in the way of God, the True One. No sooner did the hosts of true knowledge appear, bearing the standards of Divine utterance, than the tribes of the religions were put to flight, save only those who willed to drink from the stream of everlasting life in a Paradise created by the breath of the All-Glorious.

God hath decreed, in token of His mercy unto His creatures, that semen is not unclean. Yield thanks unto Him with joy and radiance, and follow not such as are remote from the Dawning-place of His nearness. Arise ye, under all conditions, to render service to the Cause, for God will assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty which overshadoweth the worlds. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement with such tenacity as to allow no trace of dirt to be seen upon your garments. Such is the injunction of One Who is sanctified above all refinement. Whoso falleth short of this standard with good reason shall incur no blame. God, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no alteration in any one of the three respects; take heed not to use water that hath been altered through exposure to the air or to some other agent. Be ye the very essence of cleanliness amongst mankind. This, truly, is what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth for you.

God hath, likewise, as a bounty from His presence, abolished the concept of “uncleanness”, whereby divers things and peoples have been held to be impure. He, of a certainty, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridvan, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of Our most excellent Names and Our most exalted Attributes. This, verily, is a token of My loving providence, which hath encompassed all the worlds. Consort ye then with the followers of all religions, and proclaim ye the Cause of your Lord, the Most Compassionate; this is the very crown of deeds, if ye be of them who understand.

God hath enjoined upon you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt and similar defilement. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure. Should the garb of anyone be visibly sullied, his prayers shall not ascend to God, and the celestial Concourse will turn away from him. Make use of rose-water, and of pure perfume; this, indeed, is that which God hath loved from the beginning that hath no beginning, in order that there may be diffused from you what your Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Wise, desireth.

God hath relieved you of the ordinance laid down in the Bayan concerning the destruction of books. We have permitted you to read such sciences as are profitable unto you, not such as end in idle disputation; better is this for you, if ye be of them that comprehend.

O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God’s, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it.

We see you rejoicing in that which ye have amassed for others and shutting out yourselves from the worlds which naught except My guarded Tablet can reckon. The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective. This ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it. Wash from your hearts all earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, Who caused the world to tremble and all its peoples to wail, except them that have renounced all things and clung to that which the Hidden Tablet hath ordained.

This is the Day in which He Who held converse with God hath attained the light of the Ancient of Days, and quaffed the pure waters of reunion from this Cup that hath caused the seas to swell. Say: By the one true God! Sinai is circling round the Dayspring of Revelation, while from the heights of the Kingdom the Voice of the Spirit of God is heard proclaiming: “Bestir yourselves, ye proud ones of the earth, and hasten ye unto Him.” Carmel hath, in this Day, hastened in longing adoration to attain His court, whilst from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry: “The promise is fulfilled. That which had been announced in the holy Writ of God, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved, is made manifest.”

O kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot, this scene of transcendent splendour. Every hidden thing hath been brought to light by virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the Moon hath been cleft, and every irrevocable decree expounded.

Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation, lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty.

By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Baha are fastened. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his Lord will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it.

How great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My kingdom, who will detach himself from all else but Me! Such a king is numbered with the companions of the Crimson Ark–the Ark which God hath prepared for the people of Baha. All must glorify his name, must reverence his station, and aid him to unlock the cities with the keys of My Name, the omnipotent Protector of all that inhabit the visible and invisible kingdoms. Such a king is the very eye of mankind, the luminous ornament on the brow of creation, the fountainhead of blessings unto the whole world. Offer up, O people of Baha, your substance, nay your very lives, for his assistance.

O Emperor of Austria! He Who is the Dayspring of God’s Light dwelt in the prison of Akka at the time when thou didst set forth to visit the Aqsa Mosque. Thou passed Him by, and inquired not about Him by Whom every house is exalted and every lofty gate unlocked. We, verily, made it a place whereunto the world should turn, that they might remember Me, and yet thou hast rejected Him Who is the Object of this remembrance, when He appeared with the Kingdom of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. We have been with thee at all times, and found thee clinging unto the Branch and heedless of the Root. Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say. We grieved to see thee circle round Our Name, whilst unaware of Us, though We were before thy face. Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold this glorious Vision, and recognize Him Whom thou invokest in the daytime and in the night season, and gaze on the Light that shineth above this luminous Horizon.

Say: O King of Berlin! Give ear unto the Voice calling from this manifest Temple: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Everlasting, the Peerless, the Ancient of Days.” Take heed lest pride debar thee from recognizing the Dayspring of Divine Revelation, lest earthly desires shut thee out, as by a veil, from the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth below. Thus counselleth thee the Pen of the Most High. He, verily, is the Most Gracious, the All-Bountiful. Do thou remember the one [Napoleon III] whose power transcended thy power, and whose station excelled thy station. Where is he? Whither are gone the things he possessed? Take warning, and be not of them that are fast asleep. He it was who cast the Tablet of God behind him when We made known unto him what the hosts of tyranny had caused Us to suffer. Wherefore, disgrace assailed him from all sides, and he went down to dust in great loss. Think deeply, O King, concerning him, and concerning them who, like unto thee, have conquered cities and ruled over men. The All-Merciful brought them down from their palaces to their graves. Be warned, be of them who reflect.

We have asked nothing from you. For the sake of God We, verily, exhort you, and will be patient as We have been patient in that which hath befallen Us at your hands, O concourse of kings!

Hearken ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: “There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.” Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing.” Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

O people of Constantinople! Lo, from your midst We hear the baleful hooting of the owl. Hath the drunkenness of passion laid hold upon you, or is it that ye are sunk in heedlessness? O Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas! The throne of tyranny hath, verily, been established upon thee, and the flame of hatred hath been kindled within thy bosom, in such wise that the Concourse on high and they who circle around the Exalted Throne have wailed and lamented. We behold in thee the foolish ruling over the wise, and darkness vaunting itself against the light. Thou art indeed filled with manifest pride. Hath thine outward splendour made thee vainglorious? By Him Who is the Lord of mankind! It shall soon perish, and thy daughters and thy widows and all the kindreds that dwell within thee shall lament. Thus informeth thee the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore, inasmuch as the swords of retribution were drawn against you; and you shall have another turn. And We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be today in conspicuous glory.

Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Ta [Tihran], for God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favours unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight of God as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God and the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation.

Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee “the Dayspring of His light”, inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His Glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee–a name through which the Day-Star of grace hath shed its splendour, through which both earth and heaven have been illumined.

Erelong will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou assured in the gracious favour of thy Lord. The eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy agitation will have been transmuted into peace and quiet calm. Thus hath it been decreed in the wondrous Book.

O Land of Kha [Khurasan]! We hear from thee the voice of heroes, raised in glorification of thy Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted. Blessed the day on which the banners of the divine Names shall be upraised in the kingdom of creation in My Name, the All-Glorious. On that day the faithful shall rejoice in the victory of God, and the disbelievers shall lament.

None must contend with those who wield authority over the people; leave unto them that which is theirs, and direct your attention to men’s hearts.

O Most Mighty Ocean! Sprinkle upon the nations that with which Thou hast been charged by Him Who is the Sovereign of Eternity, and adorn the temples of all the dwellers of the earth with the vesture of His laws through which all hearts will rejoice and all eyes be brightened.

Should anyone acquire one hundred mithqals of gold, nineteen mithqals thereof are God’s and to be rendered unto Him, the Fashioner of earth and heaven. Take heed, O people, lest ye deprive yourselves of so great a bounty. This We have commanded you, though We are well able to dispense with you and with all who are in the heavens and on earth; in it there are benefits and wisdoms beyond the ken of anyone but God, the Omniscient, the All-Informed. Say: By this means He hath desired to purify what ye possess and to enable you to draw nigh unto such stations as none can comprehend save those whom God hath willed. He, in truth, is the Beneficent, the Gracious, the Bountiful. O people! Deal not faithlessly with the Right of God, nor, without His leave, make free with its disposal. Thus hath His commandment been established in the holy Tablets, and in this exalted Book. He who dealeth faithlessly with God shall in justice meet with faithlessness himself; he, however, who acteth in accordance with God’s bidding shall receive a blessing from the heaven of the bounty of his Lord, the Gracious, the Bestower, the Generous, the Ancient of Days. He, verily, hath willed for you that which is yet beyond your knowledge, but which shall be known to you when, after this fleeting life, your souls soar heavenwards and the trappings of your earthly joys are folded up. Thus admonisheth you He in Whose possession is the Guarded Tablet.

Various petitions have come before Our throne from the believers, concerning laws from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of all worlds. We have, in consequence, revealed this Holy Tablet and arrayed it with the mantle of His Law that haply the people may keep the commandments of their Lord. Similar requests had been made of Us over several previous years but We had, in Our wisdom, withheld Our Pen until, in recent days, letters arrived from a number of the friends, and We have therefore responded, through the power of truth, with that which shall quicken the hearts of men.

Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it.

The eye of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch as ye have failed to recognize the One upon Whom ye have been calling in the daytime and in the night season, at even and at morn. Advance, O people, with snow-white faces and radiant hearts, unto the blest and crimson Spot, wherein the Sadratu’l-Muntaha is calling: “Verily, there is none other God beside Me, the Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting!”

O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved.

We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge; and yet, behold how ye have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed. Could ye but discover the source whence the splendour of this utterance is diffused, ye would cast away the peoples of the world and all that they possess, and would draw nigh unto this most blessed Seat of glory.

Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend it. He it is Who hath caused the Rock to shout, and the Burning Bush to lift up its voice, upon the Mount rising above the Holy Land, and proclaim: “The Kingdom is God’s, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Powerful, the Loving!”

We have not entered any school, nor read any of your dissertations. Incline your ears to the words of this unlettered One, wherewith He summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding. Better is this for you than all the treasures of the earth, could ye but comprehend it.

Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.

It hath been enjoined upon you to pare your nails, to bathe yourselves each week in water that covereth your bodies, and to clean yourselves with whatsoever ye have formerly employed. Take heed lest through negligence ye fail to observe that which hath been prescribed unto you by Him Who is the Incomparable, the Gracious. Immerse yourselves in clean water; it is not permissible to bathe yourselves in water that hath already been used. See that ye approach not the public pools of Persian baths; whoso maketh his way toward such baths will smell their fetid odour ere he entereth therein. Shun them, O people, and be not of those who ignominiously accept such vileness. In truth, they are as sinks of foulness and contamination, if ye be of them that apprehend. Avoid ye likewise the malodorous pools in the courtyards of Persian homes, and be ye of the pure and sanctified. Truly, We desire to behold you as manifestations of paradise on earth, that there may be diffused from you such fragrance as shall rejoice the hearts of the favoured of God. If the bather, instead of entering the water, wash himself by pouring it upon his body, it shall be better for him and shall absolve him of the need for bodily immersion. The Lord, verily, hath willed, as a bounty from His presence, to make life easier for you that ye may be of those who are truly thankful.

It is forbidden you to wed your fathers’ wives. We shrink, for very shame, from treating of the subject of boys. Fear ye the Merciful, O peoples of the world! Commit not that which is forbidden you in Our Holy Tablet, and be not of those who rove distractedly in the wilderness of their desires.

To none is it permitted to mutter sacred verses before the public gaze as he walketh in the street or marketplace; nay rather, if he wish to magnify the Lord, it behoveth him to do so in such places as have been erected for this purpose, or in his own home. This is more in keeping with sincerity and godliness. Thus hath the sun of Our commandment shone forth above the horizon of Our utterance. Blessed, then, be those who do Our bidding.

Unto everyone hath been enjoined the writing of a will. The testator should head this document with the adornment of the Most Great Name, bear witness therein unto the oneness of God in the Dayspring of His Revelation, and make mention, as he may wish, of that which is praiseworthy, so that it may be a testimony for him in the kingdoms of Revelation and Creation and a treasure with his Lord, the Supreme Protector, the Faithful.

All Feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great Festivals, and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days–the first of the Most Great Festivals being those days whereon the All-Merciful shed upon the whole of creation the effulgent glory of His most excellent Names and His most exalted Attributes, and the second being that day on which We raised up the One Who announced unto mankind the glad tidings of this Name, through which the dead have been resurrected and all who are in the heavens and on earth have been gathered together. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Ordainer, the Omniscient.

Happy the one who entereth upon the first day of the month of Baha, the day which God hath consecrated to this Great Name. And blessed be he who evidenceth on this day the bounties that God hath bestowed upon him; he, verily, is of those who show forth thanks to God through actions betokening the Lord’s munificence which hath encompassed all the worlds. Say: This day, verily, is the crown of all the months and the source thereof, the day on which the breath of life is wafted over all created things. Great is the blessedness of him who greeteth it with radiance and joy. We testify that he is, in truth, among those who are blissful.

Say: The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King of Festivals. Call ye to mind, O people, the bounty which God hath conferred upon you. Ye were sunk in slumber, and lo! He aroused you by the reviving breezes of His Revelation, and made known unto you His manifest and undeviating Path.

Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and glorious Cause.

God had formerly laid upon each one of the believers the duty of offering before Our throne priceless gifts from among his possessions. Now, in token of Our gracious favour, We have absolved them of this obligation. He, of a truth, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful.

Blessed is he who, at the hour of dawn, centring his thoughts on God, occupied with His remembrance, and supplicating His forgiveness, directeth his steps to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar and, entering therein, seateth himself in silence to listen to the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: The Mashriqu’l-Adhkar is each and every building which hath been erected in cities and villages for the celebration of My praise. Such is the name by which it hath been designated before the throne of glory, were ye of those who understand.

They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in the most melodious of tones will perceive in them that with which the sovereignty of earth and heaven can never be compared. From them they will inhale the divine fragrance of My worlds–worlds which today none can discern save those who have been endowed with vision through this sublime, this beauteous Revelation. Say: These verses draw hearts that are pure unto those spiritual worlds that can neither be expressed in words nor intimated by allusion. Blessed be those who hearken.

Assist ye, O My people, My chosen servants who have arisen to make mention of Me among My creatures and to exalt My Word throughout My realm. These, truly, are the stars of the heaven of My loving providence and the lamps of My guidance unto all mankind. But he whose words conflict with that which hath been sent down in My Holy Tablets is not of Me. Beware lest ye follow any impious pretender. These Tablets are embellished with the seal of Him Who causeth the dawn to appear, Who lifteth up His voice between the heavens and the earth. Lay hold on this Sure Handle and on the Cord of My mighty and unassailable Cause.

The Lord hath granted leave to whosoever desireth it that he be instructed in the divers tongues of the world that he may deliver the Message of the Cause of God throughout the East and throughout the West, that he make mention of Him amidst the kindreds and peoples of the world in such wise that hearts may revive and the mouldering bone be quickened.

It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason, should consume that which stealeth it away. Nay, rather it behoveth him to comport himself in a manner worthy of the human station, and not in accordance with the misdeeds of every heedless and wavering soul.

Adorn your heads with the garlands of trustworthiness and fidelity, your hearts with the attire of the fear of God, your tongues with absolute truthfulness, your bodies with the vesture of courtesy. These are in truth seemly adornings unto the temple of man, if ye be of them that reflect. Cling, O ye people of Baha, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True One, for thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet. Beware lest the dwellers on earth hinder you from this glorious and exalted station. Thus have We exhorted you in most of Our Epistles and now in this, Our Holy Tablet, above which hath beamed the Day-Star of the Laws of the Lord, your God, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.

Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They ask for that which injureth them, and cast away the thing that profiteth them. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray. We find some men desiring liberty, and priding themselves therein. Such men are in the depths of ignorance.

Liberty must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench. Thus warneth you He Who is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal. That which beseemeth man is submission unto such restraints as will protect him from his own ignorance, and guard him against the harm of the mischief-maker. Liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity of his station. It debaseth him to the level of extreme depravity and wickedness.

Regard men as a flock of sheep that need a shepherd for their protection. This, verily, is the truth, the certain truth. We approve of liberty in certain circumstances, and refuse to sanction it in others. We, verily, are the All-Knowing.

Say: True liberty consisteth in man’s submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it. Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty. Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will that pervadeth all created things. Say: The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth. Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it for all the dominion of earth and heaven.

In the Bayan it had been forbidden you to ask Us questions. The Lord hath now relieved you of this prohibition, that ye may be free to ask what you need to ask, but not such idle questions as those on which the men of former times were wont to dwell. Fear God, and be ye of the righteous! Ask ye that which shall be of profit to you in the Cause of God and His dominion, for the portals of His tender compassion have been opened before all who dwell in heaven and on earth.

The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is nineteen. Of these the first hath been adorned with this Name which overshadoweth the whole of creation.

The Lord hath decreed that the dead should be interred in coffins made of crystal, of hard, resistant stone, or of wood that is both fine and durable, and that graven rings should be placed upon their fingers. He, verily, is the Supreme Ordainer, the One apprised of all.

The inscription on these rings should read, for men: “Unto God belongeth all that is in the heavens and on the earth and whatsoever is between them, and He, in truth, hath knowledge of all things”; and for women: “Unto God belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, and He, in truth, is potent over all things”. These are the verses that were revealed aforetime, but lo, the Point of the Bayan now calleth out, exclaiming, “O Best-Beloved of the worlds! Reveal Thou in their stead such words as will waft the fragrance of Thy gracious favours over all mankind. We have announced unto everyone that one single word from Thee excelleth all that hath been sent down in the Bayan. Thou, indeed, hast power to do what pleaseth Thee. Deprive not Thy servants of the overflowing bounties of the ocean of Thy mercy! Thou, in truth, art He Whose grace is infinite.” Behold, We have hearkened to His call, and now fulfil His wish. He, verily, is the Best-Beloved, the Answerer of prayers. If the following verse, which hath at this moment been sent down by God, be engraved upon the burial-rings of both men and women, it shall be better for them; We, of a certainty, are the Supreme Ordainer: “I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” Thus doth the Lord single out whomsoever He desireth for a bounty from His presence. He is, in very truth, the God of might and power.

The Lord hath decreed, moreover, that the deceased should be enfolded in five sheets of silk or cotton. For those whose means are limited a single sheet of either fabric will suffice. Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is forbidden you to transport the body of the deceased a greater distance than one hour’s journey from the city; rather should it be interred, with radiance and serenity, in a nearby place.

God hath removed the restrictions on travel that had been imposed in the Bayan. He, verily, is the Unconstrained; He doeth as He pleaseth and ordaineth whatsoever He willeth.

O peoples of the world! Give ear unto the call of Him Who is the Lord of Names, Who proclaimeth unto you from His habitation in the Most Great Prison: “Verily, no God is there but Me, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Most Exalted, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.” In truth, there is no God but Him, the Omnipotent Ruler of the worlds. Were it His Will, He would, through but a single word proceeding from His presence, lay hold on all mankind. Beware lest ye hesitate in your acceptance of this Cause–a Cause before which the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the Cities of Names have bowed down. Fear God, and be not of those who are shut out as by a veil. Burn ye away the veils with the fire of My love, and dispel ye the mists of vain imaginings by the power of this Name through which We have subdued the entire creation.

Raise up and exalt the two Houses in the Twin Hallowed Spots, and the other sites wherein the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus commandeth you the Lord of every understanding heart.

Be watchful lest the concerns and preoccupations of this world prevent you from observing that which hath been enjoined upon you by Him Who is the Mighty, the Faithful. Be ye the embodiments of such steadfastness amidst mankind that ye will not be kept back from God by the doubts of those who disbelieved in Him when He manifested Himself, invested with a mighty sovereignty. Take heed lest ye be prevented by aught that hath been recorded in the Book from hearkening unto this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth the truth: “Verily, there is no God but Me, the Most Excellent, the All-Praised.” Look ye with the eye of equity upon Him Who hath descended from the heaven of Divine will and power, and be not of those who act unjustly.

Call then to mind these words which have streamed forth, in tribute to this Revelation, from the Pen of Him Who was My Herald, and consider what the hands of the oppressors have wrought throughout My days. Truly they are numbered with the lost. He said: “Should ye attain the presence of Him Whom We shall make manifest, beseech ye God, in His bounty, to grant that He might deign to seat Himself upon your couches, for that act in itself would confer upon you matchless and surpassing honour. Should He drink a cup of water in your homes, this would be of greater consequence for you than your proffering unto every soul, nay unto every created thing, the water of its very life. Know this, O ye My servants!”

Such are the words with which My Forerunner hath extolled My Being, could ye but understand. Whoso reflecteth upon these verses, and realizeth what hidden pearls have been enshrined within them, will, by the righteousness of God, perceive the fragrance of the All-Merciful wafting from the direction of this Prison and will, with his whole heart, hasten unto Him with such ardent longing that the hosts of earth and heaven would be powerless to deter him. Say: This is a Revelation around which every proof and testimony doth circle. Thus hath it been sent down by your Lord, the God of Mercy, if ye be of them that judge aright. Say: This is the very soul of all Scriptures which hath been breathed into the Pen of the Most High, causing all created beings to be dumbfounded, save only those who have been enraptured by the gentle breezes of My loving-kindness and the sweet savours of My bounties which have pervaded the whole of creation.

O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the Most Merciful and consider what He hath revealed in another passage. He said: “The Qiblih is indeed He Whom God will make manifest; whenever He moveth, it moveth, until He shall come to rest.” Thus was it set down by the Supreme Ordainer when He desired to make mention of this Most Great Beauty. Meditate on this, O people, and be not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. If ye reject Him at the bidding of your idle fancies, where then is the Qiblih to which ye will turn, O assemblage of the heedless? Ponder ye this verse, and judge equitably before God, that haply ye may glean the pearls of mysteries from the ocean that surgeth in My Name, the All-Glorious, the Most High.

Let none, in this Day, hold fast to aught save that which hath been manifested in this Revelation. Such is the decree of God, aforetime and hereafter–a decree wherewith the Scriptures of the Messengers of old have been adorned. Such is the admonition of the Lord, aforetime and hereafter–an admonition wherewith the preamble to the Book of Life hath been embellished, did ye but perceive it. Such is the commandment of the Lord, aforetime and hereafter; beware lest ye choose instead the part of ignominy and abasement. Naught shall avail you in this Day but God, nor is there any refuge to flee to save Him, the Omniscient, the All-Wise. Whoso hath known Me hath known the Goal of all desire, and whoso hath turned unto Me hath turned unto the Object of all adoration. Thus hath it been set forth in the Book, and thus hath it been decreed by God, the Lord of all worlds. To read but one of the verses of My Revelation is better than to peruse the Scriptures of both the former and latter generations. This is the Utterance of the All-Merciful, would that ye had ears to hear! Say: This is the essence of knowledge, did ye but understand.

And now consider what hath been revealed in yet another passage, that perchance ye may forsake your own concepts and set your faces towards God, the Lord of being. He [the Bab] hath said: “It is unlawful to enter into marriage save with a believer in the Bayan. Should only one party to a marriage embrace this Cause, his or her possessions will become unlawful to the other, until such time as the latter hath converted. This law, however, will only take effect after the exaltation of the Cause of Him Whom We shall manifest in truth, or of that which hath already been made manifest in justice. Ere this, ye are at liberty to enter into wedlock as ye wish, that haply by this means ye may exalt the Cause of God.” Thus hath the Nightingale sung with sweet melody upon the celestial bough, in praise of its Lord, the All-Merciful. Well is it with them that hearken.

O people of the Bayan, I adjure you by your Lord, the God of mercy, to look with the eye of fairness upon this utterance which hath been sent down through the power of truth, and not to be of those who see the testimony of God yet reject and deny it. They, in truth, are of those who will assuredly perish. The Point of the Bayan hath explicitly made mention in this verse of the exaltation of My Cause before His own Cause; unto this will testify every just and understanding mind. As ye can readily witness in this day, its exaltation is such as none can deny save those whose eyes are drunken in this mortal life and whom a humiliating chastisement awaiteth in the life to come.

Say: By the righteousness of God! I, verily, am His Best-Beloved; and at this moment He listeneth to these verses descending from the Heaven of Revelation and bewaileth the wrongs ye have committed in these days. Fear God, and join not with the aggressor. Say: O people, should ye choose to disbelieve in Him, refrain at least from rising up against Him. By God! Sufficient are the hosts of tyranny that are leagued against Him!

Verily, He revealed certain laws so that, in this Dispensation, the Pen of the Most High might have no need to move in aught but the glorification of His own transcendent Station and His most effulgent Beauty. Since, however, We have wished to evidence Our bounty unto you, We have, through the power of truth, set forth these laws with clarity and mitigated what We desire you to observe. He, verily, is the Munificent, the Generous.

He hath previously made known unto you that which would be uttered by this Dayspring of Divine wisdom. He said, and He speaketh the truth: “He is the One Who will under all conditions proclaim: ‘Verily, there is none other God besides Me, the One, the Incomparable, the Omniscient, the All-Informed.’” This is a station which God hath assigned exclusively to this sublime, this unique and wondrous Revelation. This is a token of His bounteous favour, if ye be of them who comprehend, and a sign of His irresistible decree. This is His Most Great Name, His Most Exalted Word, and the Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles, if ye could understand. Nay more, through Him every Fountainhead, every Dawning-place of Divine guidance is made manifest. Reflect, O people, on that which hath been sent down in truth; ponder thereon, and be not of the transgressors.

Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God. Beware lest amidst men the flame of foolish ignorance overpower you. All things proceed from God and unto Him they return. He is the source of all things and in Him all things are ended.

Take heed that ye enter no house in the absence of its owner, except with his permission. Comport yourselves with propriety under all conditions, and be not numbered with the wayward.

It hath been enjoined upon you to purify your means of sustenance and other such things through payment of Zakat. Thus hath it been prescribed in this exalted Tablet by Him Who is the Revealer of verses. We shall, if it be God’s will and purpose, set forth erelong the measure of its assessment. He, verily, expoundeth whatsoever He desireth by virtue of His own knowledge, and He, of a truth, is Omniscient and All-Wise.

It is unlawful to beg, and it is forbidden to give to him who beggeth. All have been enjoined to earn a living, and as for those who are incapable of doing so, it is incumbent on the Deputies of God and on the wealthy to make adequate provision for them. Keep ye the statutes and commandments of God; nay, guard them as ye would your very eyes, and be not of those who suffer grievous loss.

Ye have been forbidden in the Book of God to engage in contention and conflict, to strike another, or to commit similar acts whereby hearts and souls may be saddened. A fine of nineteen mithqals of gold had formerly been prescribed by Him Who is the Lord of all mankind for anyone who was the cause of sadness to another; in this Dispensation, however, He hath absolved you thereof and exhorteth you to show forth righteousness and piety. Such is the commandment which He hath enjoined upon you in this resplendent Tablet. Wish not for others what ye wish not for yourselves; fear God, and be not of the prideful. Ye are all created out of water, and unto dust shall ye return. Reflect upon the end that awaiteth you, and walk not in the ways of the oppressor. Give ear unto the verses of God which He Who is the sacred Lote-Tree reciteth unto you. They are assuredly the infallible balance, established by God, the Lord of this world and the next. Through them the soul of man is caused to wing its flight towards the Dayspring of Revelation, and the heart of every true believer is suffused with light. Such are the laws which God hath enjoined upon you, such His commandments prescribed unto you in His Holy Tablet; obey them with joy and gladness, for this is best for you, did ye but know.

Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned away from God. Fear ye God, O My servants, one and all. Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend.

Teach your children the verses revealed from the heaven of majesty and power, so that, in most melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of the All-Merciful in the alcoves within the Mashriqu’l-Adhkars. Whoever hath been transported by the rapture born of adoration for My Name, the Most Compassionate, will recite the verses of God in such wise as to captivate the hearts of those yet wrapped in slumber. Well is it with him who hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the utterance of his merciful Lord in My Name–a Name through which every lofty and majestic mountain hath been reduced to dust.

Ye have been enjoined to renew the furnishings of your homes after the passing of each nineteen years; thus hath it been ordained by One Who is Omniscient and All-Perceiving. He, verily, is desirous of refinement, both for you yourselves and for all that ye possess; lay not aside the fear of God and be not of the negligent. Whoso findeth that his means are insufficient to this purpose hath been excused by God, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bounteous.

Wash your feet once every day in summer, and once every three days during winter.

Should anyone wax angry with you, respond to him with gentleness; and should anyone upbraid you, forbear to upbraid him in return, but leave him to himself and put your trust in God, the omnipotent Avenger, the Lord of might and justice.

Ye have been prohibited from making use of pulpits. Whoso wisheth to recite unto you the verses of his Lord, let him sit on a chair placed upon a dais, that he may make mention of God, his Lord, and the Lord of all mankind. It is pleasing to God that ye should seat yourselves on chairs and benches as a mark of honour for the love ye bear for Him and for the Manifestation of His glorious and resplendent Cause.

Gambling and the use of opium have been forbidden unto you. Eschew them both, O people, and be not of those who transgress. Beware of using any substance that induceth sluggishness and torpor in the human temple and inflicteth harm upon the body. We, verily, desire for you naught save what shall profit you, and to this bear witness all created things, had ye but ears to hear.

Whensoever ye be invited to a banquet or festive occasion, respond with joy and gladness, and whoever fulfilleth his promise will be safe from reproof. This is a Day on which each of God’s wise decrees hath been expounded.

Behold, the “mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the Sovereign” hath now been made manifest. Well is it with him whom God hath aided to recognize the “Six” raised up by virtue of this “Upright Alif”; he, verily, is of those whose faith is true. How many the outwardly pious who have turned away, and how many the wayward who have drawn nigh, exclaiming: “All praise be to Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds!” In truth, it is in the hand of God to give what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and to withhold what He pleaseth from whomsoever He may wish. He knoweth the inner secrets of the hearts and the meaning hidden in a mocker’s wink. How many an embodiment of heedlessness who came unto Us with purity of heart have We established upon the seat of Our acceptance; and how many an exponent of wisdom have We in all justice consigned to the fire. We are, in truth, the One to judge. He it is Who is the manifestation of “God doeth whatsoever He pleaseth”, and abideth upon the throne of “He ordaineth whatsoever He chooseth”.

Blessed is the one who discovereth the fragrance of inner meanings from the traces of this Pen through whose movement the breezes of God are wafted over the entire creation, and through whose stillness the very essence of tranquillity appeareth in the realm of being. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of so inestimable a bounty. Say: Because He bore injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted abasement, the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind.

It hath been forbidden you to carry arms unless essential, and permitted you to attire yourselves in silk. The Lord hath relieved you, as a bounty on His part, of the restrictions that formerly applied to clothing and to the trim of the beard. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the Omniscient. Let there be naught in your demeanour of which sound and upright minds would disapprove, and make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant. Well is it with him who hath adorned himself with the vesture of seemly conduct and a praiseworthy character. He is assuredly reckoned with those who aid their Lord through distinctive and outstanding deeds.

Promote ye the development of the cities of God and His countries, and glorify Him therein in the joyous accents of His well-favoured ones. In truth, the hearts of men are edified through the power of the tongue, even as houses and cities are built up by the hand and other means. We have assigned to every end a means for its accomplishment; avail yourselves thereof, and place your trust and confidence in God, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs, and recognized that “He shall not be asked of His doings”. Such a recognition hath been made by God the ornament of every belief and its very foundation. Upon it must depend the acceptance of every goodly deed. Fasten your eyes upon it, that haply the whisperings of the rebellious may not cause you to slip.

Were He to decree as lawful the thing which from time immemorial had been forbidden, and forbid that which had, at all times, been regarded as lawful, to none is given the right to question His authority. Whoso will hesitate, though it be for less than a moment, should be regarded as a transgressor.

. Whoso hath not recognized this sublime and fundamental verity, and hath failed to attain this most exalted station, the winds of doubt will agitate him, and the sayings of the infidels will distract his soul. He that hath acknowledged this principle will be endowed with the most perfect constancy. All honour to this all-glorious station, the remembrance of which adorneth every exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching which God bestoweth on you, a teaching that will deliver you from all manner of doubt and perplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in both this world and in the next. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. He it is Who hath sent forth the Messengers, and sent down the Books to proclaim “There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise”.

O Land of Kaf and Ra! We, verily, behold thee in a state displeasing unto God, and see proceeding from thee that which is inscrutable to anyone save Him, the Omniscient, the All-Informed; and We perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from thee. With Us is the knowledge of all things, inscribed in a lucid Tablet. Sorrow not for that which hath befallen thee. Erelong will God raise up within thee men endued with mighty valour, who will magnify My Name with such constancy that neither will they be deterred by the evil suggestions of the divines, nor will they be kept back by the insinuations of the sowers of doubt. With their own eyes will they behold God, and with their own lives will they render Him victorious. These, truly, are of those who are steadfast.

O concourse of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear tokens were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is a strange thing. Ye glory in My Name, yet ye recognized Me not at the time your Lord, the All-Merciful, appeared amongst you with proof and testimony. We have rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the people by yet another veil. Pluck asunder the chains of vain imaginings, in the name of the Lord of all men, and be not of the deceitful. Should ye turn unto God and embrace His Cause, spread not disorder within it, and measure not the Book of God with your selfish desires. This, verily, is the counsel of God aforetime and hereafter, and to this God’s witnesses and chosen ones, yea, each and every one of Us, do solemnly attest.

Call ye to mind the shaykh whose name was Muhammad-Hasan, who ranked among the most learned divines of his day. When the True One was made manifest, this shaykh, along with others of his calling, rejected Him, while a sifter of wheat and barley accepted Him and turned unto the Lord. Though he was occupied both night and day in setting down what he conceived to be the laws and ordinances of God, yet when He Who is the Unconstrained appeared, not one letter thereof availed him, or he would not have turned away from a Countenance that hath illumined the faces of the well-favoured of the Lord. Had ye believed in God when He revealed Himself, the people would not have turned aside from Him, nor would the things ye witness today have befallen Us. Fear God, and be not of the heedless.

Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the Possessor of all names, or any word shut you out from this Remembrance of God, this Source of Wisdom amongst you. Turn unto God and seek His protection, O concourse of divines, and make not of yourselves a veil between Me and My creatures. Thus doth your Lord admonish you, and command you to be just, lest your works should come to naught and ye yourselves be oblivious of your plight. Shall he who denieth this Cause be able to vindicate the truth of any cause throughout creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Fashioner of the universe! Yet the people are wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: Through this Cause the day-star of testimony hath dawned, and the luminary of proof hath shed its radiance upon all that dwell on earth. Fear God, O men of insight, and be not of those who disbelieve in Me. Take heed lest the word “Prophet” withhold you from this Most Great Announcement, or any reference to “Vicegerency” debar you from the sovereignty of Him Who is the Vicegerent of God, which overshadoweth all the worlds. Every name hath been created by His Word, and every cause is dependent on His irresistible, His mighty and wondrous Cause. Say: This is the Day of God, the Day on which naught shall be mentioned save His own Self, the omnipotent Protector of all worlds. This is the Cause that hath made all your superstitions and idols to tremble.

We, verily, see amongst you him who taketh hold of the Book of God and citeth from it proofs and arguments wherewith to repudiate his Lord, even as the followers of every other Faith sought reasons in their Holy Books for refuting Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: God, the True One, is My witness that neither the Scriptures of the world, nor all the books and writings in existence, shall, in this Day, avail you aught without this, the Living Book, Who proclaimeth in the midmost heart of creation: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O concourse of divines! Beware lest ye be the cause of strife in the land, even as ye were the cause of the repudiation of the Faith in its early days. Gather the people around this Word that hath made the pebbles to cry out: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Dawning-place of all signs!” Thus doth your Lord admonish you, as a bounty on His part; He, of a truth, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Call ye to mind Karim, and how, when We summoned him unto God, he waxed disdainful, prompted by his own desires; yet We had sent him that which was a solace to the eye of proof in the world of being and the fulfilment of God’s testimony to all the denizens of earth and heaven. As a token of the grace of Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High, We bade him embrace the Truth. But he turned away until, as an act of justice from God, angels of wrath laid hold upon him. Unto this We truly were a witness.

Tear the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of the Kingdom will hear them being rent. This is the command of God, in days gone by and for those to come. Blessed the man that observeth that whereunto he was bidden, and woe betide the negligent.

We, of a certainty, have had no purpose in this earthly realm save to make God manifest and to reveal His sovereignty; sufficient unto Me is God for a witness. We, of a certainty, have had no intent in the celestial Kingdom but to exalt His Cause and glorify His praise; sufficient unto Me is God for a protector. We, of a certainty, have had no desire in the Dominion on high except to extol God and what hath been sent down by Him; sufficient unto Me is God for a helper.

Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Baha. By the Lord! Ye are the billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the standards of triumph waving betwixt earth and heaven. Ye are the manifestations of steadfastness amidst men and the daysprings of Divine Utterance to all that dwell on earth. Well is it with him that turneth unto you, and woe betide the froward. This day, it behoveth whoso hath quaffed the Mystic Wine of everlasting life from the Hands of the loving-kindness of the Lord his God, the Merciful, to pulsate even as the throbbing artery in the body of mankind, that through him may be quickened the world and every crumbling bone.

O people of the world! When the Mystic Dove will have winged its flight from its Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.

O Pen of the Most High! Move Thou upon the Tablet at the bidding of Thy Lord, the Creator of the Heavens, and tell of the time when He Who is the Dayspring of Divine Unity purposed to direct His steps towards the School of Transcendent Oneness; haply the pure in heart may gain thereby a glimpse, be it as small as a needle’s eye, of the mysteries of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Omniscient, that lie concealed behind the veils. Say: We, indeed, set foot within the School of inner meaning and explanation when all created things were unaware. We saw the words sent down by Him Who is the All-Merciful, and We accepted the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, which He presented unto Us, and hearkened unto that which He had solemnly affirmed in the Tablet. This we assuredly did behold. And We assented to His wish through Our behest, for truly We are potent to command.

O people of the Bayan! We, verily, set foot within the School of God when ye lay slumbering; and We perused the Tablet while ye were fast asleep. By the one true God! We read the Tablet ere it was revealed, while ye were unaware, and We had perfect knowledge of the Book when ye were yet unborn. These words are to your measure, not to God’s. To this testifieth that which is enshrined within His knowledge, if ye be of them that comprehend; and to this the tongue of the Almighty doth bear witness, if ye be of those who understand. I swear by God, were We to lift the veil, ye would be dumbfounded.

Take heed that ye dispute not idly concerning the Almighty and His Cause, for lo! He hath appeared amongst you invested with a Revelation so great as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the future. Were We to address Our theme by speaking in the language of the inmates of the Kingdom, We would say: “In truth, God created that School ere He created heaven and earth, and We entered it before the letters B and E were joined and knit together.” Such is the language of Our servants in Our Kingdom; consider what the tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted Dominion would utter, for We have taught them Our knowledge and have revealed to them whatever had lain hidden in God’s wisdom. Imagine then what the Tongue of Might and Grandeur would utter in His All-Glorious Abode!

This is not a Cause which may be made a plaything for your idle fancies, nor is it a field for the foolish and faint of heart. By God, this is the arena of insight and detachment, of vision and upliftment, where none may spur on their chargers save the valiant horsemen of the Merciful, who have severed all attachment to the world of being. These, truly, are they that render God victorious on earth, and are the dawning-places of His sovereign might amidst mankind.

Beware lest aught that hath been revealed in the Bayan should keep you from your Lord, the Most Compassionate. God is My witness that the Bayan was sent down for no other purpose than to celebrate My praise, did ye but know! In it the pure in heart will find only the fragrance of My love, only My Name that overshadoweth all that seeth and is seen. Say: Turn ye, O people, unto that which hath proceeded from My Most Exalted Pen. Should ye inhale therefrom the fragrance of God, set not yourselves against Him, nor deny yourselves a portion of His gracious favour and His manifold bestowals. Thus doth your Lord admonish you; He, verily, is the Counsellor, the Omniscient.

Whatsoever ye understand not in the Bayan, ask it of God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Should He so desire, He will expound for you that which is revealed therein, and disclose to you the pearls of Divine knowledge and wisdom that lie concealed within the ocean of its words. He, verily, is supreme over all names; no God is there but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System–the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause–a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it–verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

Say: This is the infallible Balance which the Hand of God is holding, in which all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth are weighed, and their fate determined, if ye be of them that believe and recognize this truth. Say: This is the Most Great Testimony, by which the validity of every proof throughout the ages hath been established, would that ye might be assured thereof. Say: Through it the poor have been enriched, the learned enlightened, and the seekers enabled to ascend unto the presence of God. Beware lest ye make it a cause of dissension amongst you. Be ye as firmly settled as the immovable mountain in the Cause of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

Say: O source of perversion! Abandon thy wilful blindness, and speak forth the truth amidst the people. I swear by God that I have wept for thee to see thee following thy selfish passions and renouncing Him Who fashioned thee and brought thee into being. Call to mind the tender mercy of thy Lord, and remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for service to the Cause. Fear God, and be thou of the truly repentant. Granted that the people were confused about thy station, is it conceivable that thou thyself art similarly confused? Tremble before thy Lord and recall the days when thou didst stand before Our throne, and didst write down the verses that We dictated unto thee–verses sent down by God, the Omnipotent Protector, the Lord of might and power. Beware lest the fire of thy presumptuousness debar thee from attaining to God’s Holy Court. Turn unto Him, and fear not because of thy deeds. He, in truth, forgiveth whomsoever He desireth as a bounty on His part; no God is there but Him, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bounteous. We admonish thee solely for the sake of God. Shouldst thou accept this counsel, thou wilt have acted to thine own behoof; and shouldst thou reject it, thy Lord, verily, can well dispense with thee, and with all those who, in manifest delusion, have followed thee. Behold! God hath laid hold on him who led thee astray. Return unto God, humble, submissive and lowly; verily, He will put away from thee thy sins, for thy Lord, of a certainty, is the Forgiving, the Mighty, the All-Merciful.

This is the Counsel of God; would that thou mightest heed it! This is the Bounty of God; would that thou mightest receive it! This is the Utterance of God; if only thou wouldst apprehend it! This is the Treasure of God; if only thou couldst understand!

This is a Book which hath become the Lamp of the Eternal unto the world, and His straight, undeviating Path amidst the peoples of the earth. Say: This is the Dayspring of Divine knowledge, if ye be of them that understand, and the Dawning-place of God’s commandments, if ye be of those who comprehend.

Burden not an animal with more than it can bear. We, truly, have prohibited such treatment through a most binding interdiction in the Book. Be ye the embodiments of justice and fairness amidst all creation.

Should anyone unintentionally take another’s life, it is incumbent upon him to render to the family of the deceased an indemnity of one hundred mithqals of gold. Observe ye that which hath been enjoined upon you in this Tablet, and be not of those who overstep its limits.

O members of parliaments throughout the world! Select ye a single language for the use of all on earth, and adopt ye likewise a common script. God, verily, maketh plain for you that which shall profit you and enable you to be independent of others. He, of a truth, is the Most Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This will be the cause of unity, could ye but comprehend it, and the greatest instrument for promoting harmony and civilization, would that ye might understand! We have appointed two signs for the coming of age of the human race: the first, which is the most firm foundation, We have set down in other of Our Tablets, while the second hath been revealed in this wondrous Book.

It hath been forbidden you to smoke opium. We, truly, have prohibited this practice through a most binding interdiction in the Book. Should anyone partake thereof, assuredly he is not of Me. Fear God, O ye endued with understanding!

=== END BH00001 ===

=== START BH00002 ===

Part One

IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH.

No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayan.

The essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse themselves of all that is earthly–their ears from idle talk, their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly affections, their eyes from that which perisheth. They should put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in His way. Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent glories of the sun of divine knowledge and understanding, and become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and unseen, inasmuch as man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and favor, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets.

Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face–the face of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that which hath been recorded in every sacred Book.

Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been the cause of such denial on the part of those who have searched with such earnestness and longing. Their attack hath been more fierce than tongue or pen can describe. Not one single Manifestation of Holiness hath appeared but He was afflicted by the denials, the repudiation, and the vehement opposition of the people around Him. Thus it hath been revealed: “O the misery of men! No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn.”1 Again He saith: “Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the truth.”2

In like manner, those words that have streamed forth from the source of power and descended from the heaven of glory are innumerable and beyond the ordinary comprehension of man. To them that are possessed of true understanding and insight the Súrah of Húd surely sufficeth. Ponder a while those holy words in your heart, and, with utter detachment, strive to grasp their meaning. Examine the wondrous behavior of the Prophets, and recall the defamations and denials uttered by the children of negation and falsehood, perchance you may cause the bird of the human heart to wing its flight away from the abodes of heedlessness and doubt unto the nest of faith and certainty, and drink deep from the pure waters of ancient wisdom, and partake of the fruit of the tree of divine knowledge. Such is the share of the pure in heart of the bread that hath descended from the realms of eternity and holiness.

Should you acquaint yourself with the indignities heaped upon the Prophets of God, and apprehend the true causes of the objections voiced by their oppressors, you will surely appreciate the significance of their position. Moreover, the more closely you observe the denials of those who have opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be your faith in the Cause of God. Accordingly, a brief mention will be made in this Tablet of divers accounts relative to the Prophets of God, that they may demonstrate the truth that throughout all ages and centuries the Manifestations of power and glory have been subjected to such heinous cruelties that no pen dare describe them. Perchance this may enable a few to cease to be perturbed by the clamor and protestations of the divines and the foolish of this age, and cause them to strengthen their confidence and certainty.

Among the Prophets was Noah. For nine hundred and fifty years He prayerfully exhorted His people and summoned them to the haven of security and peace. None, however, heeded His call. Each day they inflicted on His blessed person such pain and suffering that no one believed He could survive. How frequently they denied Him, how malevolently they hinted their suspicion against Him! Thus it hath been revealed: “And as often as a company of His people passed by Him, they derided Him. To them He said: ‘Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter even as ye scoff at us. In the end ye shall know.’”3 Long afterward, He several times promised victory to His companions and fixed the hour thereof. But when the hour struck, the divine promise was not fulfilled. This caused a few among the small number of His followers to turn away from Him, and to this testify the records of the best-known books. These you must certainly have perused; if not, undoubtedly you will. Finally, as stated in books and traditions, there remained with Him only forty or seventy-two of His followers. At last from the depth of His being He cried aloud: “Lord! Leave not upon the land a single dweller from among the unbelievers.”4

And now, consider and reflect a moment upon the waywardness of this people. What could have been the reason for such denial and avoidance on their part? What could have induced them to refuse to put off the garment of denial, and to adorn themselves with the robe of acceptance? Moreover, what could have caused the nonfulfillment of the divine promise which led the seekers to reject that which they had accepted? Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns. Even as He hath revealed: “Do men think when they say ‘We believe’ they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?”5

And after Noah the light of the countenance of Húd shone forth above the horizon of creation. For well-nigh seven hundred years, according to the sayings of men, He exhorted the people to turn their faces and draw nearer unto the Ria��van of the divine presence. What showers of afflictions rained upon Him, until at last His adjurations bore the fruit of increased rebelliousness, and His assiduous endeavors resulted in the willful blindness of His people. “And their unbelief shall only increase for the unbelievers their own perdition.”6

And after Him there appeared from the Ria��van of the Eternal, the Invisible, the holy person of a��alia��, Who again summoned the people to the river of everlasting life. For over a hundred years He admonished them to hold fast unto the commandments of God and eschew that which is forbidden. His admonitions, however, yielded no fruit, and His pleading proved of no avail. Several times He retired and lived in seclusion. All this, although that eternal Beauty was summoning the people to no other than the city of God. Even as it is revealed: “And unto the tribe of Thamúd We sent their brother a��alia��. ‘O my people,’ said He, ‘Worship God, ye have none other God beside Him.…’ They made reply: ‘O a��alia��, our hopes were fixed on thee until now; forbiddest thou us to worship that which our fathers worshipped? Truly we misdoubt that whereunto thou callest us as suspicious.’”7 All this proved fruitless, until at last there went up a great cry, and all fell into utter perdition.

Later, the beauty of the countenance of the Friend of God8 appeared from behind the veil, and another standard of divine guidance was hoisted. He invited the people of the earth to the light of righteousness. The more passionately He exhorted them, the fiercer waxed the envy and waywardness of the people, except those who wholly detached themselves from all save God, and ascended on the wings of certainty to the station which God hath exalted beyond the comprehension of men. It is well known what a host of enemies besieged Him, until at last the fires of envy and rebellion were kindled against Him. And after the episode of the fire came to pass, He, the lamp of God amongst men, was, as recorded in all books and chronicles, expelled from His city.

And when His day was ended, there came the turn of Moses. Armed with the rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the white hand of divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Paran of the love of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited them to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are aware of the fierce opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the stones of idle fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed Tree. So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no earthly water can quench the flame of divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay, rather, such water cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such blasts cannot but ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of discernment, and walk in the way of God’s holy will and pleasure. How well hath a believer of the kindred of Pharaoh, whose story is recounted by the All-Glorious in His Book revealed unto His beloved One, observed: “And a man of the family of Pharaoh who was a believer and concealed his faith said: ‘Will ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is God, when He hath already come to you with signs from your Lord? If he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth, part of what he threateneth will fall upon you. In truth God guideth not him who is a transgressor, a liar.’”9 Finally, so great was their iniquity that this selfsame believer was put to a shameful death. “The curse of God be upon the people of tyranny.”10

And now, ponder upon these things. What could have caused such contention and conflict? Why is it that the advent of every true Manifestation of God hath been accompanied by such strife and tumult, by such tyranny and upheaval? This notwithstanding the fact that all the Prophets of God, whenever made manifest unto the peoples of the world, have invariably foretold the coming of yet another Prophet after them, and have established such signs as would herald the advent of the future Dispensation. To this the records of all sacred books bear witness. Why then is it that despite the expectation of men in their quest of the Manifestations of Holiness, and in spite of the signs recorded in the sacred books, such acts of violence, of oppression and cruelty, should have been perpetrated in every age and cycle against all the Prophets and chosen Ones of God? Even as He hath revealed: “As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being impostors and slaying others.”11

Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have prompted such behavior towards the Revealers of the beauty of the All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His divine Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind. Consequently, such behavior can be attributed to naught save the petty-mindedness of such souls as tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle fancy, and follow the dictates of the leaders of their faith. Their chief concern is mere opposition; their sole desire is to ignore the truth. Unto every discerning observer it is evident and manifest that had these people in the days of each of the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth sanctified their eyes, their ears, and their hearts from whatever they had seen, heard, and felt, they surely would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of God, nor strayed far from the habitations of glory. But having weighed the testimony of God by the standard of their own knowledge, gleaned from the teachings of the leaders of their faith, and found it at variance with their limited understanding, they arose to perpetrate such unseemly acts.

Leaders of religion, in every age, have hindered their people from attaining the shores of eternal salvation, inasmuch as they held the reins of authority in their mighty grasp. Some for the lust of leadership, others through want of knowledge and understanding, have been the cause of the deprivation of the people. By their sanction and authority, every Prophet of God hath drunk from the chalice of sacrifice, and winged His flight unto the heights of glory. What unspeakable cruelties they that have occupied the seats of authority and learning have inflicted upon the true Monarchs of the world, those Gems of divine virtue! Content with a transitory dominion, they have deprived themselves of an everlasting sovereignty. Thus, their eyes beheld not the light of the countenance of the Well-Beloved, nor did their ears hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Bird of Desire. For this reason, in all sacred books mention hath been made of the divines of every age. Thus He saith: “O people of the Book! Why disbelieve the signs of God to which ye yourselves have been witnesses?”12 And also He saith: “O people of the Book! Why clothe ye the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?”13 Again, He saith: “Say, O people of the Book! Why repel believers from the way of God?”14 It is evident that by the “people of the Book,” who have repelled their fellowmen from the straight path of God, is meant none other than the divines of that age, whose names and character have been revealed in the sacred books, and alluded to in the verses and traditions recorded therein, were you to observe with the eye of God.

With fixed and steady gaze, born of the unerring eye of God, scan for a while the horizon of divine knowledge, and contemplate those words of perfection which the Eternal hath revealed, that haply the mysteries of divine wisdom, hidden ere now beneath the veil of glory and treasured within the tabernacle of His grace, may be made manifest unto you. The denials and protestations of these leaders of religion have, in the main, been due to their lack of knowledge and understanding. Those words uttered by the Revealers of the beauty of the one true God, setting forth the signs that should herald the advent of the Manifestation to come, they never understood nor fathomed. Hence they raised the standard of revolt, and stirred up mischief and sedition. It is obvious and manifest that the true meaning of the utterances of the Birds of Eternity is revealed to none except those that manifest the Eternal Being, and the melodies of the Nightingale of Holiness can reach no ear save that of the denizens of the everlasting realm. The Copt of tyranny can never partake of the cup touched by the lips of the Sept of justice, and the Pharaoh of unbelief can never hope to recognize the hand of the Moses of truth. Even as He saith: “None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are well-grounded in knowledge.”15 And yet, they have sought the interpretation of the Book from those that are wrapt in veils, and have refused to seek enlightenment from the fountainhead of knowledge.

And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus, shining forth from the dayspring of the Spirit, encompassed the world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamored that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfill the laws of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the law of divorce and of the sabbath day–the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of the signs of the Manifestation yet to come? These people of Israel are even unto the present day still expecting that Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived! Thus hath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in them the spirit of faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true significance, and, to outward seeming, such events never came to pass, she, therefore, remained deprived of recognizing the beauty of Jesus and of beholding the face of God. And they still await His coming! From time immemorial even unto this day, all the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such fanciful and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived themselves of the clear waters streaming from the springs of purity and holiness.

In unfolding these mysteries, We have, in Our former Tablets which were addressed to a friend in the melodious language of a��ijaz, cited a few of the verses revealed unto the Prophets of old. And now, responding to your request, We again shall cite, in these pages, those same verses, uttered this time in the wondrous accents of ’Iraq, that haply the sore athirst in the wilds of remoteness may attain unto the ocean of the divine presence, and they that languish in the wastes of separation be led unto the home of eternal reunion. Thus the mists of error may be dispelled, and the all-resplendent light of divine guidance dawn forth above the horizon of human hearts. In God We put Our trust, and to Him We cry for help, that haply there may flow from this pen that which shall quicken the souls of men, that they may all arise from their beds of heedlessness and hearken unto the rustling of the leaves of Paradise, from the tree which the hand of divine power hath, by the permission of God, planted in the Ria��van of the All-Glorious.

To them that are endowed with understanding, it is clear and manifest that when the fire of the love of Jesus consumed the veils of Jewish limitations, and His authority was made apparent and partially enforced, He, the Revealer of the unseen Beauty, addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto them: “I go away and come again unto you.” And in another place He said: “I go and another will come Who will tell you all that I have not told you, and will fulfill all that I have said.” Both these sayings have but one meaning, were you to ponder upon the Manifestations of the Unity of God with divine insight.

Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of the Qur’an both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed. As to the matter of names, Mua��ammad, Himself, declared: “I am Jesus.” He recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person of Jesus nor His writings hath differed from that of Mua��ammad and of His holy Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God, uttered His praise, and revealed His commandments. Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: “I go away and come again unto you.” Consider the sun. Were it to say now, “I am the sun of yesterday,” it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character. Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the Creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.

Afterwards, the companions and disciples of Jesus asked Him concerning those signs that must needs signalize the return of His manifestation. When, they asked, shall these things be? Several times they questioned that peerless Beauty, and, every time He made reply, He set forth a special sign that should herald the advent of the promised Dispensation. To this testify the records of the four Gospels.

This wronged One will cite but one of these instances, thus conferring upon mankind, for the sake of God, such bounties as are yet concealed within the treasury of the hidden and sacred Tree, that haply mortal men may not remain deprived of their share of the immortal fruit, and attain to a dewdrop of the waters of everlasting life which, from Baghdad, the “Abode of Peace,” are being vouchsafed unto all mankind. We ask for neither meed nor reward. “We nourish your souls for the sake of God; we seek from you neither recompense nor thanks.”16 This is the food that conferreth everlasting life upon the pure in heart and the illumined in spirit. This is the bread of which it is said: “Lord, send down upon us Thy bread from heaven.”17 This bread shall never be withheld from them that deserve it, nor can it ever be exhausted. It groweth everlastingly from the tree of grace; it descendeth at all seasons from the heavens of justice and mercy. Even as He saith: “Seest thou not to what God likeneth a good word? To a good tree; its root firmly fixed, and its branches reaching unto heaven: yielding its fruit in all seasons.”18

O the pity! that man should deprive himself of this goodly gift, this imperishable bounty, this everlasting life. It behooveth him to prize this food that cometh from heaven, that perchance, through the wondrous favors of the Sun of Truth, the dead may be brought to life, and withered souls be quickened by the infinite Spirit. Make haste, O my brother, that while there is yet time our lips may taste of the immortal draft, for the breeze of life, now blowing from the city of the Well-Beloved, cannot last, and the streaming river of holy utterance must needs be stilled, and the portals of the Ria��van cannot forever remain open. The day will surely come when the Nightingale of Paradise will have winged its flight away from its earthly abode unto its heavenly nest. Then will its melody be heard no more, and the beauty of the rose cease to shine. Seize the time, therefore, ere the glory of the divine springtime hath spent itself, and the Bird of Eternity ceased to warble its melody, that thy inner hearing may not be deprived of hearkening unto its call. This is My counsel unto thee and unto the beloved of God. Whosoever wisheth, let him turn thereunto; whosoever wisheth, let him turn away. God, verily, is independent of him and of that which he may see and witness.

These are the melodies, sung by Jesus, Son of Mary, in accents of majestic power in the Ria��van of the Gospel, revealing those signs that must needs herald the advent of the Manifestation after Him. In the first Gospel according to Matthew it is recorded: And when they asked Jesus concerning the signs of His coming, He said unto them: “Immediately after the oppression19 of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.”20 Rendered into the Persian tongue,21 the purport of these words is as follows: When the oppression and afflictions that are to befall mankind will have come to pass, then shall the sun be withheld from shining, the moon from giving light, the stars of heaven shall fall upon the earth, and the pillars of the earth shall quake. At that time, the signs of the Son of man shall appear in heaven, that is, the promised Beauty and Substance of life shall, when these signs have appeared, step forth out of the realm of the invisible into the visible world. And He saith: at that time, all the peoples and kindreds that dwell on earth shall bewail and lament, and they shall see that divine Beauty coming from heaven, riding upon the clouds with power, grandeur, and magnificence, sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. Similarly, in the three other Gospels, according to Luke, Mark, and John, the same statements are recorded. As We have referred at length to these in Our Tablets revealed in the Arabic tongue, We have made no mention of them in these pages, and have confined Ourselves to but one reference.

Inasmuch as the Christian divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of these words, and did not recognize their object and purpose, and have clung to the literal interpretation of the words of Jesus, they therefore became deprived of the streaming grace of the Mua��ammadan Revelation and its showering bounties. The ignorant among the Christian community, following the example of the leaders of their faith, were likewise prevented from beholding the beauty of the King of glory, inasmuch as those signs which were to accompany the dawn of the sun of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation did not actually come to pass. Thus, ages have passed and centuries rolled away, and that most pure Spirit hath repaired unto the retreats of its ancient sovereignty. Once more hath the eternal Spirit breathed into the mystic trumpet, and caused the dead to speed out of their sepulchers of heedlessness and error unto the realm of guidance and grace. And yet, that expectant community still crieth out: When shall these things be? When shall the promised One, the object of our expectation, be made manifest, that we may arise for the triumph of His Cause, that we may sacrifice our substance for His sake, that we may offer up our lives in His path? In like manner, have such false imaginings caused other communities to stray from the Kawthar of the infinite mercy of Providence, and to be busied with their own idle thoughts.

Beside this passage, there is yet another verse in the Gospel wherein He saith: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away.”22 Thus it is that the adherents of Jesus maintained that the law of the Gospel shall never be annulled, and that whensoever the promised Beauty is made manifest and all the signs are revealed, He must needs reaffirm and establish the law proclaimed in the Gospel, so that there may remain in the world no faith but His faith. This is their fundamental belief. And their conviction is such that were a person to be made manifest with all the promised signs and to promulgate that which is contrary to the letter of the law of the Gospel, they must assuredly renounce him, refuse to submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and laugh him to scorn. This is proved by that which came to pass when the sun of the Mua��ammadan Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a humble mind from the Manifestations of God in every Dispensation the true meaning of these words revealed in the sacred books–words the misapprehension of which hath caused men to be deprived of the recognition of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha, the ultimate Purpose–they surely would have been guided to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom.

This servant will now share with thee a dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of the truths treasured in these holy words, that haply discerning hearts may comprehend all the allusions and the implications of the utterances of the Manifestations of Holiness, so that the overpowering majesty of the Word of God may not prevent them from attaining unto the ocean of His names and attributes, nor deprive them of recognizing the Lamp of God which is the seat of the revelation of His glorified Essence.

As to the words–“Immediately after the oppression of those days”–they refer to the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted, the time when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men, when the reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and ignorant, when the portals of divine unity and understanding–the essential and highest purpose in creation–will have been closed, when certain knowledge will have given way to idle fancy, and corruption will have usurped the station of righteousness. Such a condition as this is witnessed in this day when the reins of every community have fallen into the grasp of foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire. On their tongue the mention of God hath become an empty name; in their midst His holy Word a dead letter. Such is the sway of their desires, that the lamp of conscience and reason hath been quenched in their hearts, and this although the fingers of divine power have unlocked the portals of the knowledge of God, and the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace hath illumined and inspired the essence of all created things, in such wise that in each and every thing a door of knowledge hath been opened, and within every atom traces of the sun have been made manifest. And yet, in spite of all these manifold revelations of divine knowledge, which have encompassed the world, they still vainly imagine the door of knowledge to be closed, and the showers of mercy to be stilled. Clinging unto idle fancy, they have strayed far from the ’Urvatu’l-Vuthqa of divine knowledge. Their hearts seem not to be inclined to knowledge and the door thereof, neither think they of its manifestations, inasmuch as in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter. Though they recognize in their hearts the Law of God to be one and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new command, and in every season proclaim a fresh decree. No two are found to agree on one and the same law, for they seek no God but their own desire, and tread no path but the path of error. In leadership they have recognized the ultimate object of their endeavor, and account pride and haughtiness as the highest attainments of their heart’s desire. They have placed their sordid machinations above the divine decree, have renounced resignation unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and walked in the way of the hypocrite. With all their power and strength they strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their magnificence. Were the eye to be anointed and illumined with the collyrium of the knowledge of God, it would surely discover that a number of voracious beasts have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of men.

What “oppression” is greater than that which hath been recounted? What “oppression” is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied. This “oppression” is the essential feature of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest. For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error. For this reason, in all chronicles and traditions reference hath been made unto these things, namely that iniquity shall cover the surface of the earth and darkness shall envelop mankind. As the traditions referred to are well known, and as the purpose of this servant is to be brief, He will refrain from quoting the text of these traditions.

Were this “oppression” (which literally meaneth pressure) to be interpreted that the earth is to become contracted, or were men’s idle fancy to conceive similar calamities to befall mankind, it is clear and manifest that no such happenings can ever come to pass. They will assuredly protest that this prerequisite of divine revelation hath not been made manifest. Such hath been and still is their contention. Whereas, by “oppression” is meant the want of capacity to acquire spiritual knowledge and apprehend the Word of God. By it is meant that when the Daystar of Truth hath set, and the mirrors that reflect His light have departed, mankind will become afflicted with “oppression” and hardship, knowing not whither to turn for guidance. Thus We instruct thee in the interpretation of the traditions, and reveal unto thee the mysteries of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest comprehend the meaning thereof, and be of them that have quaffed the cup of divine knowledge and understanding.

And now, concerning His words–“The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” By the terms “sun” and “moon,” mentioned in the writings of the Prophets of God, is not meant solely the sun and moon of the visible universe. Nay rather, manifold are the meanings they have intended for these terms. In every instance they have attached to them a particular significance. Thus, by the “sun” in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal effusion of grace from on high. These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations of God in the worlds of His attributes and names. Even as the visible sun that assisteth, as decreed by God, the true One, the Adored, in the development of all earthly things, such as the trees, the fruits, and colors thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed in the world of creation, so do the divine Luminaries, by their loving care and educative influence, cause the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance, to exist and be made manifest. Thus it is that through the rise of these Luminaries of God the world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things. It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity. It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the dead. Assuredly the visible sun is but a sign of the splendor of that Daystar of Truth, that Sun Which can never have a peer, a likeness, or rival. Through Him all things live, move, and have their being. Through His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return. From Him all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all have repaired. From Him all created things did proceed, and to the depositories of His law they did revert.

That these divine Luminaries seem to be confined at times to specific designations and attributes, as you have observed and are now observing, is due solely to the imperfect and limited comprehension of certain minds. Otherwise, they have been at all times, and will through eternity continue to be, exalted above every praising name, and sanctified from every descriptive attribute. The quintessence of every name can hope for no access unto their court of holiness, and the highest and purest of all attributes can never approach their kingdom of glory. Immeasurably high are the Prophets of God exalted above the comprehension of men, who can never know them except by their own Selves. Far be it from His glory that His chosen Ones should be magnified by any other than their own persons. Glorified are they above the praise of men; exalted are they above human understanding!

The term “suns” hath many a time been applied in the writings of the “immaculate Souls” unto the Prophets of God, those luminous Emblems of Detachment. Among those writings are the following words recorded in the “Prayer of Nudbih”:23 “Whither are gone the resplendent Suns? Whereunto have departed those shining Moons and sparkling Stars?” Thus, it hath become evident that the terms “sun,” “moon,” and “stars” primarily signify the Prophets of God, the saints, and their companions, those Luminaries, the light of Whose knowledge hath shed illumination upon the worlds of the visible and the invisible.

In another sense, by these terms is intended the divines of the former Dispensation, who live in the days of the subsequent Revelations, and who hold the reins of religion in their grasp. If these divines be illumined by the light of the latter Revelation, they will be acceptable unto God, and will shine with a light everlasting. Otherwise, they will be declared as darkened, even though to outward seeming they be leaders of men, inasmuch as belief and unbelief, guidance and error, felicity and misery, light and darkness, are all dependent upon the sanction of Him Who is the Daystar of Truth. Whosoever among the divines of every age receiveth, in the Day of Reckoning, the testimony of faith from the Source of true knowledge, he verily becometh the recipient of learning, of divine favor, and of the light of true understanding. Otherwise, he is branded as guilty of folly, denial, blasphemy, and oppression.

It is evident and manifest unto every discerning observer that even as the light of the star fadeth before the effulgent splendor of the sun, so doth the luminary of earthly knowledge, of wisdom, and understanding vanish into nothingness when brought face to face with the resplendent glories of the Sun of Truth, the Daystar of divine enlightenment.

That the term “sun” hath been applied to the leaders of religion is due to their lofty position, their fame, and renown. Such are the universally recognized divines of every age, who speak with authority, and whose fame is securely established. If they be in the likeness of the Sun of Truth, they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries; otherwise, they are to be recognized as the focal centers of hellish fire. Even as He saith: “Verily, the sun and the moon are both condemned to the torment of infernal fire.”24 You are no doubt familiar with the interpretation of the term “sun” and “moon” mentioned in this verse; no need therefore to refer unto it. And whosoever is of the element of this “sun” and “moon,” that is, followeth the example of these leaders in setting his face towards falsehood and in turning away from the truth, he undoubtedly cometh out of infernal gloom and returneth thereunto.

And now, O seeker, it behooveth us firmly to cling unto the ’Urvatu’l-Vuthqa, that perchance we may leave behind the darksome night of error, and embrace the dawning light of divine guidance. Shall we not flee from the face of denial, and seek the sheltering shadow of certitude? Shall we not free ourselves from the horror of satanic gloom, and hasten towards the rising light of the heavenly Beauty? In such wise, we bestow upon you the fruit of the Tree of divine knowledge, that ye may gladly and joyously abide in the Ria��van of divine wisdom.

In another sense, by the terms “sun,” “moon,” and “stars” are meant such laws and teachings as have been established and proclaimed in every Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting. These have, according to the law of the Qur’an, been regarded, when the beauty of the Prophet Mua��ammad had passed beyond the veil, as the most fundamental and binding laws of His dispensation. To this testify the texts of the traditions and chronicles, which, on account of their being widely known, need not be referred to here. Nay rather, in every Dispensation the law concerning prayer hath been emphasized and universally enforced. To this testify the recorded traditions ascribed to the lights that have emanated from the Daystar of Truth, the essence of the Prophet Mua��ammad.

The traditions established the fact that in all Dispensations the law of prayer hath constituted a fundamental element of the Revelation of all the Prophets of God–a law the form and the manner of which hath been adapted to the varying requirements of every age. Inasmuch as every subsequent Revelation hath abolished the manners, habits, and teachings that have been clearly, specifically, and firmly established by the former Dispensation, these have accordingly been symbolically expressed in terms of “sun” and “moon.” “That He might prove you, which of you excel in deeds.”25

Moreover, in the traditions the terms “sun” and “moon” have been applied to prayer and fasting, even as it is said: “Fasting is illumination, prayer is light.” One day, a well-known divine came to visit Us. While We were conversing with him, he referred to the above-quoted tradition. He said: “Inasmuch as fasting causeth the heat of the body to increase, it hath therefore been likened unto the light of the sun; and as the prayer of the night-season refresheth man, it hath been compared unto the radiance of the moon.” Thereupon We realized that that poor man had not been favored with a single drop of the ocean of true understanding, and had strayed far from the Burning Bush of divine wisdom. We then politely observed to him saying: “The interpretation your honor hath given to this tradition is the one current amongst the people. Could it not be interpreted differently?” He asked Us: “What could it be?” We made reply: “Mua��ammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and the most distinguished of God’s chosen Ones, hath likened the Dispensation of the Qur’an unto heaven, by reason of its loftiness, its paramount influence, its majesty, and the fact that it comprehendeth all religions. And as the sun and moon constitute the brightest and most prominent luminaries in the heavens, similarly in the heaven of the religion of God two shining orbs have been ordained–fasting and prayer. ‘Islam is heaven; fasting is its sun, prayer, its moon.’”

This is the purpose underlying the symbolic words of the Manifestations of God. Consequently, the application of the terms “sun” and “moon” to the things already mentioned hath been demonstrated and justified by the text of the sacred verses and the recorded traditions. Hence, it is clear and manifest that by the words “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven” is intended the waywardness of the divines, and the annulment of laws firmly established by divine Revelation, all of which, in symbolic language, have been foreshadowed by the Manifestation of God. None except the righteous shall partake of this cup, none but the godly can share therein. “The righteous shall drink of a cup tempered at the camphor fountain.”26

It is unquestionable that in every succeeding Revelation the “sun” and “moon” of the teachings, laws, commandments, and prohibitions which have been established in the preceding Dispensation, and which have overshadowed the people of that age, become darkened, that is, are exhausted, and cease to exert their influence. Consider now, had the people of the Gospel recognized the meaning of the symbolic terms “sun” and “moon,” had they sought, unlike the froward and perverse, enlightenment from Him Who is the Revealer of divine knowledge, they would have surely comprehended the purpose of these terms, and would not have become afflicted and oppressed by the darkness of their selfish desires. Yea, but since they have failed to acquire true knowledge from its very Source, they have perished in the perilous vale of waywardness and misbelief. They still have not awakened to perceive that all the signs foretold have been made manifest, that the promised Sun hath risen above the horizon of divine Revelation, and that the “sun” and “moon” of the teachings, the laws, and learning of a former Dispensation have darkened and set.

And now, with fixed gaze and steady wings enter thou the way of certitude and truth. “Say: It is God; then leave them to entertain themselves with their cavilings.”27 Thus, wilt thou be accounted of those companions of whom He saith: “They that say ‘Our Lord is God,’ and continue steadfast in His way, upon them, verily, shall the angels descend.”28 Then shalt thou witness all these mysteries with thine own eyes.

O my brother! Take thou the step of the spirit, so that, swift as the twinkling of an eye, thou mayest flash through the wilds of remoteness and bereavement, attain the Ria��van of everlasting reunion, and in one breath commune with the heavenly Spirits. For with human feet thou canst never hope to traverse these immeasurable distances, nor attain thy goal. Peace be upon him whom the light of truth guideth unto all truth, and who, in the name of God, standeth in the path of His Cause, upon the shore of true understanding.

This is the meaning of the sacred verse: “But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests,”29 inasmuch as the “Suns” referred to have each their own particular rising and setting place. And as the commentators of the Qur’an have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of these “Suns,” they therefore were at pains to interpret the above-quoted verse. Some of them maintained that owing to the fact that the sun each day rises from a different point, the terms “easts” and “wests” have been mentioned in the plural. Others have written that by this verse the four seasons of the year are intended, inasmuch as the dawning and setting points of the sun vary with the change of the seasons. Such is the depth of their understanding! Nonetheless, they persist in imputing error and folly to those Gems of knowledge, those irreproachable and purest Symbols of wisdom.

In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid, these powerful, conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the “cleaving of the heaven”–one of the signs that must needs herald the coming of the last Hour, the Day of Resurrection. As He hath said: “When the heaven shall be cloven asunder.”30 By “heaven” is meant the heaven of divine Revelation, which is elevated with every Manifestation, and rent asunder with every subsequent one. By “cloven asunder” is meant that the former Dispensation is superseded and annulled. I swear by God! That this heaven being cloven asunder is, to the discerning, an act mightier than the cleaving of the skies! Ponder a while. That a divine Revelation which for years hath been securely established; beneath whose shadow all who have embraced it have been reared and nurtured; by the light of whose law generations of men have been disciplined; the excellency of whose word men have heard recounted by their fathers; in such wise that human eye hath beheld naught but the pervading influence of its grace, and mortal ear hath heard naught but the resounding majesty of its command–what act is mightier than that such a Revelation should, by the power of God, be “cloven asunder” and be abolished at the appearance of one soul? Reflect, is this a mightier act than that which these abject and foolish men have imagined the “cleaving of the heaven” to mean?

Moreover, consider the hardships and the bitterness of the lives of those Revealers of the divine Beauty. Reflect, how single-handed and alone they faced the world and all its peoples, and promulgated the Law of God! No matter how severe the persecutions inflicted upon those holy, those precious, and tender Souls, they still remained, in the plenitude of their power, patient, and, despite their ascendancy, they suffered and endured.

In like manner, endeavor to comprehend the meaning of the “changing of the earth.” Know thou, that upon whatever hearts the bountiful showers of mercy, raining from the “heaven” of divine Revelation, have fallen, the earth of those hearts hath verily been changed into the earth of divine knowledge and wisdom. What myrtles of unity hath the soil of their hearts produced! What blossoms of true knowledge and wisdom hath their illumined bosoms yielded! Were the earth of their hearts to remain unchanged, how could such souls who have not been taught one letter, have seen no teacher, and entered no school, utter such words and display such knowledge as none can apprehend? Methinks they have been molded from the clay of infinite knowledge, and kneaded with the water of divine wisdom. Therefore, hath it been said: “Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.” It is this kind of knowledge which is and hath ever been praiseworthy, and not the limited knowledge that hath sprung forth from veiled and obscured minds. This limited knowledge they even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly pride themselves therein!

Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these manmade limitations and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be illumined by the light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the mysteries of divine wisdom. Consider now, were the parched and barren soil of these hearts to remain unchanged, how could they ever become the recipients of the revelation of the mysteries of God, and the revealers of the divine Essence? Thus hath He said: “On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth.”31

The breeze of the bounty of the King of creation hath caused even the physical earth to be changed, were ye to ponder in your hearts the mysteries of divine Revelation.

And now, comprehend the meaning of this verse: “The whole earth shall on the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall the heavens be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with him!”32 And now, be fair in thy judgment. Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it to have, of what profit, one may ask, could it be to man? Moreover, it is evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen by human eye could accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to the exalted Essence of the one true God. Nay, to acknowledge such a thing is naught but sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth. And should it be supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations of God, Who will be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform such deeds, this too seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no profit. On the contrary, by the term “earth” is meant the earth of understanding and knowledge, and by “heavens” the heavens of divine Revelation. Reflect thou, how, in one hand, He hath, by His mighty grasp, turned the earth of knowledge and understanding, previously unfolded, into a mere handful, and, on the other, spread out a new and highly exalted earth in the hearts of men, thus causing the freshest and loveliest blossoms, and the mightiest and loftiest trees to spring forth from the illumined bosom of man.

In like manner, reflect how the elevated heavens of the Dispensations of the past have, in the right hand of power, been folded together, how the heavens of divine Revelation have been raised by the command of God, and been adorned by the sun, the moon, and stars of His wondrous commandments. Such are the mysteries of the Word of God, which have been unveiled and made manifest, that haply thou mayest apprehend the morning light of divine guidance, mayest quench, by the power of reliance and renunciation, the lamp of idle fancy, of vain imaginings, of hesitation, and doubt, and mayest kindle, in the inmost chamber of thine heart, the newborn light of divine knowledge and certitude.

Know verily that the purpose underlying all these symbolic terms and abstruse allusions, which emanate from the Revealers of God’s holy Cause, hath been to test and prove the peoples of the world; that thereby the earth of the pure and illuminated hearts may be known from the perishable and barren soil. From time immemorial such hath been the way of God amidst His creatures, and to this testify the records of the sacred books.

And likewise, reflect upon the revealed verse concerning the “Qiblih.”33 When Mua��ammad, the Sun of Prophethood, had fled from the dayspring of Baa��a��a34 unto Yathrib,35 He continued to turn His face, while praying, unto Jerusalem, the holy city, until the time when the Jews began to utter unseemly words against Him–words which if mentioned would ill befit these pages and would weary the reader. Mua��ammad strongly resented these words. Whilst, wrapt in meditation and wonder, He was gazing toward heaven, He heard the kindly Voice of Gabriel, saying: “We behold Thee from above, turning Thy face to heaven; but We will have Thee turn to a Qiblih which shall please Thee.”⁠36 On a subsequent day, when the Prophet, together with His companions, was offering the noontide prayer, and had already performed two of the prescribed Rak’ats,⁠37 the Voice of Gabriel was heard again: “Turn Thou Thy face towards the sacred Mosque.”38⁠39 In the midst of that same prayer, Mua��ammad suddenly turned His face away from Jerusalem and faced the Ka’bih. Whereupon, a profound dismay seized suddenly the companions of the Prophet. Their faith was shaken severely. So great was their alarm, that many of them, discontinuing their prayer, apostatized their faith. Verily, God caused not this turmoil but to test and prove His servants. Otherwise, He, the ideal King, could easily have left the Qiblih unchanged, and could have caused Jerusalem to remain the Point of Adoration unto His Dispensation, thereby withholding not from that holy city the distinction of acceptance which had been conferred upon it.

None of the many Prophets sent down, since Moses was made manifest, as Messengers of the Word of God, such as David, Jesus, and others among the more exalted Manifestations who have appeared during the intervening period between the Revelations of Moses and Mua��ammad, ever altered the law of the Qiblih. These Messengers of the Lord of creation have, one and all, directed their peoples to turn unto the same direction. In the eyes of God, the ideal King, all the places of the earth are one and the same, excepting that place which, in the days of His Manifestations, He doth appoint for a particular purpose. Even as He hath revealed: “The East and West are God’s: therefore whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God.”40 Notwithstanding the truth of these facts, why should the Qiblih have been changed, thus casting such dismay amongst the people, causing the companions of the Prophet to waver, and throwing so great a confusion into their midst? Yea, such things as throw consternation into the hearts of all men come to pass only that each soul may be tested by the touchstone of God, that the true may be known and distinguished from the false. Thus hath He revealed after the breach amongst the people: “We did not appoint that which Thou wouldst have to be the Qiblih, but that We might know him who followeth the Apostle from him who turneth on his heels.”41 “Affrighted asses fleeing from a lion.”42

Were you to ponder, but for a while, these utterances in your heart, you would surely find the portals of understanding unlocked before your face, and would behold all knowledge and the mysteries thereof unveiled before your eyes. Such things take place only that the souls of men may develop and be delivered from the prison-cage of self and desire. Otherwise, that ideal King hath, throughout eternity, been in His Essence independent of the comprehension of all beings, and will continue, forever, in His own Being to be exalted above the adoration of every soul. A single breeze of His affluence doth suffice to adorn all mankind with the robe of wealth; and one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting life. But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath decreed that the true should be known from the false, and the sun from the shadow, He hath, therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the showers of tests from His realm of glory.

Were men to meditate upon the lives of the Prophets of old, so easily would they come to know and understand the ways of these Prophets that they would cease to be veiled by such deeds and words as are contrary to their own worldly desires, and thus consume every intervening veil with the fire burning in the Bush of divine knowledge, and abide secure upon the throne of peace and certitude. For instance, consider Moses, son of ’Imran, one of the exalted Prophets and Author of a divinely revealed Book. Whilst passing, one day, through the market, in His early days, ere His ministry was proclaimed, He saw two men engaged in fighting. One of them asked the help of Moses against his opponent. Whereupon, Moses intervened and slew him. To this testifieth the record of the sacred Book. Should the details be cited, they will lengthen and interrupt the course of the argument. The report of this incident spread throughout the city, and Moses was full of fear, as is witnessed by the text of the Book. And when the warning: “O Moses! of a truth, the chiefs take counsel to slay Thee”43 reached His ears, He went forth from the city, and sojourned in Midian in the service of Shoeb. While returning, Moses entered the holy vale, situate in the wilderness of Sinai, and there beheld the vision of the King of glory from the “Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West.”44 There He heard the soul-stirring Voice of the Spirit speaking from out of the kindled Fire, bidding Him to shed upon Pharaonic souls the light of divine guidance; so that, liberating them from the shadows of the valley of self and desire, He might enable them to attain the meads of heavenly delight, and delivering them, through the Salsabíl of renunciation, from the bewilderment of remoteness, cause them to enter the peaceful city of the divine presence. When Moses came unto Pharaoh and delivered unto him, as bidden by God, the divine Message, Pharaoh spoke insultingly saying: “Art thou not he that committed murder, and became an infidel?” Thus recounted the Lord of majesty as having been said by Pharaoh unto Moses: “What a deed is that which Thou hast done! Thou art one of the ungrateful. He said: ‘I did it indeed, and I was one of those who erred. And I fled from you when I feared you, but My Lord hath given Me wisdom, and hath made Me one of His Apostles.’”45

And now ponder in thy heart the commotion which God stirreth up. Reflect upon the strange and manifold trials with which He doth test His servants. Consider how He hath suddenly chosen from among His servants, and entrusted with the exalted mission of divine guidance Him Who was known as guilty of homicide, Who, Himself, had acknowledged His cruelty, and Who for well-nigh thirty years had, in the eyes of the world, been reared in the home of Pharaoh and been nourished at his table. Was not God, the omnipotent King, able to withhold the hand of Moses from murder, so that manslaughter should not be attributed unto Him, causing bewilderment and aversion among the people?

Likewise, reflect upon the state and condition of Mary. So deep was the perplexity of that most beauteous countenance, so grievous her case, that she bitterly regretted she had ever been born. To this beareth witness the text of the sacred verse wherein it is mentioned that after Mary had given birth to Jesus, she bemoaned her plight and cried out: “O would that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!”46 I swear by God! Such lamenting consumeth the heart and shaketh the being. Such consternation of soul, such despondency, could have been caused by no other than the censure of the enemy and the cavilings of the infidel and perverse. Reflect, what answer could Mary have given to the people around her? How could she claim that a Babe Whose father was unknown had been conceived of the Holy Ghost? Therefore did Mary, that veiled and immortal Countenance, take up her Child and return unto her home. No sooner had the eyes of the people fallen upon her than they raised their voice saying: “O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother.”47

And now, meditate upon this most great convulsion, this grievous test. Notwithstanding all these things, God conferred upon that essence of the Spirit, Who was known amongst the people as fatherless, the glory of Prophethood, and made Him His testimony unto all that are in heaven and on earth.

Behold how contrary are the ways of the Manifestations of God, as ordained by the King of creation, to the ways and desires of men! As thou comest to comprehend the essence of these divine mysteries, thou wilt grasp the purpose of God, the divine Charmer, the Best-Beloved. Thou wilt regard the words and the deeds of that almighty Sovereign as one and the same; in such wise that whatsoever thou dost behold in His deeds, the same wilt thou find in His sayings, and whatsoever thou dost read in His sayings, that wilt thou recognize in His deeds. Thus it is that outwardly such deeds and words are the fire of vengeance unto the wicked, and inwardly the waters of mercy unto the righteous. Were the eye of the heart to open, it would surely perceive that the words revealed from the heaven of the will of God are at one with, and the same as, the deeds that have emanated from the Kingdom of divine power.

And now, take heed, O brother! If such things be revealed in this Dispensation, and such incidents come to pass, at the present time, what would the people do? I swear by Him Who is the true Educator of mankind and the Revealer of the Word of God that the people would instantly and unquestionably pronounce Him an infidel and would sentence Him to death. How far are they from hearkening unto the voice that declareth: Lo! a Jesus hath appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost, and a Moses summoned to a divinely appointed task! Were a myriad voices to be raised, no ear would listen if We said that upon a fatherless Child hath been conferred the mission of Prophethood, or that a murderer hath brought from the flame of the Burning Bush the message of “Verily, verily, I am God!”

If the eye of justice be opened, it will readily recognize, in the light of that which hath been mentioned, that He, Who is the Cause and ultimate Purpose of all these things, is made manifest in this day. Though similar events have not occurred in this Dispensation, yet the people still cling to such vain imaginings as are cherished by the reprobate. How grievous the charges brought against Him! How severe the persecutions inflicted upon Him–charges and persecutions the like of which men have neither seen nor heard!

Great God! When the stream of utterance reached this stage, We beheld, and lo! the sweet savors of God were being wafted from the dayspring of Revelation, and the morning breeze was blowing out of the Sheba of the Eternal. Its tidings rejoiced anew the heart, and imparted immeasurable gladness to the soul. It made all things new, and brought unnumbered and inestimable gifts from the unknowable Friend. The robe of human praise can never hope to match Its noble stature, and Its shining figure the mantle of utterance can never fit. Without word It unfoldeth the inner mysteries, and without speech It revealeth the secrets of the divine sayings. It teacheth lamentation and moaning to the nightingales warbling upon the bough of remoteness and bereavement, instructeth them in the art of love’s ways, and showeth them the secret of heart-surrender. To the flowers of the Ria��van of heavenly reunion It revealeth the endearments of the impassioned lover, and unveileth the charm of the fair. Upon the anemones of the garden of love It bestoweth the mysteries of truth, and within the breasts of lovers It entrusteth the symbols of the innermost subtleties. At this hour, so liberal is the outpouring of Its grace that the holy Spirit itself is envious! It hath imparted to the drop the waves of the sea, and endowed the mote with the splendor of the sun. So great are the overflowings of Its bounty that the foulest beetle hath sought the perfume of the musk, and the bat the light of the sun. It hath quickened the dead with the breath of life, and caused them to speed out of the sepulchers of their mortal bodies. It hath established the ignorant upon the seats of learning, and elevated the oppressor to the throne of justice.

The universe is pregnant with these manifold bounties, awaiting the hour when the effects of Its unseen gifts will be made manifest in this world, when the languishing and sore athirst will attain the living Kawthar of their Well-Beloved, and the erring wanderer, lost in the wilds of remoteness and nothingness, will enter the tabernacle of life, and attain reunion with his heart’s desire. In the soil of whose heart will these holy seeds germinate? From the garden of whose soul will the blossoms of the invisible realities spring forth? Verily, I say, so fierce is the blaze of the Bush of love, burning in the Sinai of the heart, that the streaming waters of holy utterance can never quench its flame. Oceans can never allay this Leviathan’s burning thirst, and this Phoenix of the undying fire can abide nowhere save in the glow of the countenance of the Well-Beloved. Therefore, O brother! kindle with the oil of wisdom the lamp of the spirit within the innermost chamber of thy heart, and guard it with the globe of understanding, that the breath of the infidel may extinguish not its flame nor dim its brightness. Thus have We illuminated the heavens of utterance with the splendors of the Sun of divine wisdom and understanding, that thy heart may find peace, that thou mayest be of those who, on the wings of certitude, have soared unto the heaven of the love of their Lord, the All-Merciful.

And now, concerning His words: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” By these words it is meant that when the sun of the heavenly teachings hath been eclipsed, the stars of the divinely established laws have fallen, and the moon of true knowledge–the educator of mankind–hath been obscured; when the standards of guidance and felicity have been reversed, and the morn of truth and righteousness hath sunk in night, then shall the sign of the Son of man appear in heaven. By “heaven” is meant the visible heaven, inasmuch as when the hour draweth nigh on which the Daystar of the heaven of justice shall be made manifest, and the Ark of divine guidance shall sail upon the sea of glory, a star will appear in the heaven, heralding unto its people the advent of that most great light. In like manner, in the invisible heaven a star shall be made manifest who, unto the peoples of the earth, shall act as a harbinger of the break of that true and exalted Morn. These twofold signs, in the visible and the invisible heaven, have announced the Revelation of each of the Prophets of God, as is commonly believed.

Among the Prophets was Abraham, the Friend of God. Ere He manifested Himself, Nimrod dreamed a dream. Thereupon, he summoned the soothsayers, who informed him of the rise of a star in the heaven. Likewise, there appeared a herald who announced throughout the land the coming of Abraham.

After Him came Moses, He Who held converse with God. The soothsayers of His time warned Pharaoh in these terms: “A star hath risen in the heaven, and lo! it foreshadoweth the conception of a Child Who holdeth your fate and the fate of your people in His hand.” In like manner, there appeared a sage who, in the darkness of the night, brought tidings of joy unto the people of Israel, imparting consolation to their souls, and assurance to their hearts. To this testify the records of the sacred books. Were the details to be mentioned, this epistle would swell into a book. Moreover, it is not Our wish to relate the stories of the days that are past. God is Our witness that what We even now mention is due solely to Our tender affection for thee, that haply the poor of the earth may attain the shores of the sea of wealth, the ignorant be led unto the ocean of divine knowledge, and they that thirst for understanding partake of the Salsabíl of divine wisdom. Otherwise, this servant regardeth the consideration of such records a grave mistake and a grievous transgression.

In like manner, when the hour of the Revelation of Jesus drew nigh, a few of the Magi, aware that the star of Jesus had appeared in heaven, sought and followed it, till they came unto the city which was the seat of the Kingdom of Herod. The sway of his sovereignty in those days embraced the whole of that land.

These Magi said: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!”48 When they had searched, they found out that in Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, the Child had been born. This was the sign that was manifested in the visible heaven. As to the sign in the invisible heaven–the heaven of divine knowledge and understanding–it was Yaa��ya, son of Zachariah, who gave unto the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus. Even as He hath revealed: “God announceth Yaa��ya to thee, who shall bear witness unto the Word from God, and a great one and chaste.”49 By the term “Word” is meant Jesus, Whose coming Yaa��ya foretold. Moreover, in the heavenly Scriptures it is written: “John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”50 By John is meant Yaa��ya.

Likewise, ere the beauty of Mua��ammad was unveiled, the signs of the visible heaven were made manifest. As to the signs of the invisible heaven, there appeared four men who successively announced unto the people the joyful tidings of the rise of that divine Luminary. Rúz-bih, later named Salman, was honored by being in their service. As the end of one of these approached, he would send Rúz-bih unto the other, until the fourth who, feeling his death to be nigh, addressed Rúz-bih saying: “O Rúz-bih! when thou hast taken up my body and buried it, go to a��ijaz for there the Daystar of Mua��ammad will arise. Happy art thou, for thou shalt behold His face!”

And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause. Know thou verily that many an astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the visible heaven. Likewise, there appeared on earth Aa��mad and Kaa��im,51 those twin resplendent lights–may God sanctify their resting-place!

From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before the revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the signs heralding their advent must needs be revealed in the visible heaven as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge, of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance. The sign of the invisible heaven must needs be revealed in the person of that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, and prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the Light of the unity of God amongst men.

And now, with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of the human temple. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Daysprings of ancient glory. These ancient Beings, though delivered from the womb of their mother, have in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. Though they be dwelling on this earth, yet their true habitations are the retreats of glory in the realms above. Whilst walking amongst mortals, they soar in the heaven of the divine presence. Without feet they tread the path of the spirit, and without wings they rise unto the exalted heights of divine unity. With every fleeting breath they cover the immensity of space, and at every moment traverse the kingdoms of the visible and the invisible. Upon their thrones is written: “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing”; and on their seats is inscribed: “Verily, His ways differ every day.”52 They are sent forth through the transcendent power of the Ancient of Days, and are raised up by the exalted will of God, the most mighty King. This is what is meant by the words: “coming in the clouds of heaven.”

In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term “heaven” hath been applied to many and divers things; such as the “heaven of Command,” the “heaven of Will,” the “heaven of the divine Purpose,” the “heaven of divine Knowledge,” the “heaven of Certitude,” the “heaven of Utterance,” the “heaven of Revelation,” the “heaven of Concealment,” and the like. In every instance, He hath given the term “heaven” a special meaning, the significance of which is revealed to none save those that have been initiated into the divine mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of immortal life. For example, He saith: “The heaven hath sustenance for you, and it containeth that which you are promised”;53 whereas it is the earth that yieldeth such sustenance. Likewise, it hath been said: “The names come down from heaven”; whereas they proceed out of the mouth of men. Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by the all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst discover the mysteries of divine knowledge. Not, however, until thou consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of idle learning that are current amongst men, canst thou behold the resplendent morn of true knowledge.

Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire. The one is guided by the principle: “Fear ye God; God will teach you”;54 the other is but a confirmation of the truth: “Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator.” The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit. From the sayings of those Masters of holy utterance, Who have expounded the meaning of true knowledge, the odor of these dark teachings, which have obscured the world, can in no wise be detected. The tree of such teachings can yield no result except iniquity and rebellion, and beareth no fruit but hatred and envy. Its fruit is deadly poison; its shadow a consuming fire. How well hath it been said: “Cling unto the robe of the Desire of thy heart, and put thou away all shame; bid the worldly wise be gone, however great their name.”

The heart must needs therefore be cleansed from the idle sayings of men, and sanctified from every earthly affection, so that it may discover the hidden meaning of divine inspiration, and become the treasury of the mysteries of divine knowledge. Thus hath it been said: “He that treadeth the snow-white Path, and followeth in the footsteps of the Crimson Pillar, shall never attain unto his abode unless his hands are empty of those worldly things cherished by men.” This is the prime requisite of whosoever treadeth this path. Ponder thereon, that, with eyes unveiled, thou mayest perceive the truth of these words.

We have digressed from the purpose of Our argument, although whatsoever is mentioned serveth only to confirm Our purpose. By God! however great Our desire to be brief, yet We feel We cannot restrain Our pen. Notwithstanding all that We have mentioned, how innumerable are the pearls which have remained unpierced in the shell of Our heart! How many the a��úrís of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom! None hath yet approached them;–a��úrís, “whom no man nor spirit hath touched before.”55 Notwithstanding all that hath been said, it seemeth as if not one letter of Our purpose hath been uttered, nor a single sign divulged concerning Our object. When will a faithful seeker be found who will don the garb of pilgrimage, attain the Ka’bih of the heart’s desire, and, without ear or tongue, discover the mysteries of divine utterance?

By these luminous, these conclusive, and lucid statements, the meaning of “heaven” in the aforementioned verse hath thus been made clear and evident. And now regarding His words, that the Son of man shall “come in the clouds of heaven.” By the term “clouds” is meant those things that are contrary to the ways and desires of men. Even as He hath revealed in the verse already quoted: “As oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye swell with pride, accusing some of being impostors and slaying others.”56 These “clouds” signify, in one sense, the annulment of laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal of rituals and customs current amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith. In another sense, they mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and such other things as cast doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away. All such veils are symbolically referred to as “clouds.”

These are the “clouds” that cause the heavens of the knowledge and understanding of all that dwell on earth to be cloven asunder. Even as He hath revealed: “On that day shall the heaven be cloven by the clouds.”57 Even as the clouds prevent the eyes of men from beholding the sun, so do these things hinder the souls of men from recognizing the light of the divine Luminary. To this beareth witness that which hath proceeded out of the mouth of the unbelievers as revealed in the sacred Book: “And they have said: ‘What manner of apostle is this? He eateth food, and walketh the streets. Unless an angel be sent down and take part in His warnings, we will not believe.’”58 Other Prophets, similarly, have been subject to poverty and afflictions, to hunger, and to the ills and chances of this world. As these holy Persons were subject to such needs and wants, the people were, consequently, lost in the wilds of misgivings and doubts, and were afflicted with bewilderment and perplexity. How, they wondered, could such a person be sent down from God, assert His ascendancy over all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and claim Himself to be the goal of all creation–even as He hath said: “But for Thee, I would not have created all that are in heaven and on earth”–and yet be subject to such trivial things? You must undoubtedly have been informed of the tribulations, the poverty, the ills, and the degradation that have befallen every Prophet of God and His companions. You must have heard how the heads of their followers were sent as presents unto different cities, how grievously they were hindered from that whereunto they were commanded. Each and every one of them fell a prey to the hands of the enemies of His Cause, and had to suffer whatsoever they decreed.

It is evident that the changes brought about in every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man’s understanding and the divine Luminary which shineth forth from the dayspring of the divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have been blindly imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. Were these men, therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their midst, Who, with respect to every human limitation, hath been their equal, had risen to abolish every established principle imposed by their Faith–principles by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier of which they have come to regard as infidel, profligate and wicked–they would of a certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth. Such things are as “clouds” that veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not tasted the Salsabíl of detachment, nor drunk from the Kawthar of the knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted with these circumstances, become so veiled that without the least question, they pronounce the Manifestation of God an infidel, and sentence Him to death. You must have heard of such things taking place all down the ages, and are now observing them in these days.

It behooveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God’s invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self. And should we ask for a testimony of His truth, we should content ourselves with one, and only one, that thereby we may attain unto Him Who is the Fountainhead of infinite grace, and in Whose presence all the world’s abundance fadeth into nothingness, that we may cease to cavil at Him every day and to cleave unto our own idle fancy.

Gracious God! Notwithstanding the warning which, in marvelously symbolic language and subtle allusions, hath been uttered in days past, and which was intended to awaken the peoples of the world and to prevent them from being deprived of their share of the billowing ocean of God’s grace, yet such things as have already been witnessed have come to pass! Reference to these things hath also been made in the Qur’an, as witnessed by this verse: “What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds?”59 A number of the divines, who hold firmly to the letter of the Word of God, have come to regard this verse as one of the signs of that expected resurrection which is born of their idle fancy. This, notwithstanding the fact that similar references have been made in most of the heavenly Books, and have been recorded in all the passages connected with the signs of the coming Manifestation.

Likewise, He saith: “On the day when the heaven shall give out a palpable smoke, which shall enshroud mankind: this will be an afflictive torment.”60 The All-Glorious hath decreed these very things that are contrary to the desires of wicked men to be the touchstone and standard whereby He proveth His servants, that the just may be known from the wicked, and the faithful distinguished from the infidel. The symbolic term “smoke” denotes grave dissensions, the abrogation and demolition of recognized standards, and the utter destruction of their narrow-minded exponents. What smoke more dense and overpowering than the one which hath now enshrouded all the peoples of the world, which hath become a torment unto them, and from which they hopelessly fail to deliver themselves, however much they strive? So fierce is this fire of self burning within them, that at every moment they seem to be afflicted with fresh torments. The more they are told that this wondrous Cause of God, this Revelation from the Most High, hath been made manifest to all mankind, and is waxing greater and stronger every day, the fiercer groweth the blaze of the fire in their hearts. The more they observe the indomitable strength, the sublime renunciation, the unwavering constancy of God’s holy companions, who, by the aid of God, are growing nobler and more glorious every day, the deeper the dismay which ravageth their souls. In these days, praise be to God, the power of His Word hath obtained such ascendancy over men, that they dare breathe no word. Were they to encounter one of the companions of God who, if he could, would, freely and joyously, offer up ten thousand lives as a sacrifice for his Beloved, so great would be their fear, that they forthwith would profess their faith in Him, whilst privily they would vilify and execrate His name! Even as He hath revealed: “And when they meet you, they say, ‘We believe’; but when they are apart, they bite their fingers’ ends at you, out of wrath. Say: ‘Die in your wrath!’ God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts.”61

Ere long, thine eyes will behold the standards of divine power unfurled throughout all regions, and the signs of His triumphant might and sovereignty manifest in every land. As most of the divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of these verses, and have not grasped the significance of the Day of Resurrection, they therefore have foolishly interpreted these verses according to their idle and faulty conception. The one true God is My witness! Little perception is required to enable them to gather from the symbolic language of these two verses all that We have purposed to propound, and thus to attain, through the grace of the All-Merciful, the resplendent morn of certitude. Such are the strains of celestial melody which the immortal Bird of Heaven, warbling upon the Sadrih of Baha, poureth out upon thee, that, by the permission of God, thou mayest tread the path of divine knowledge and wisdom.

And now, concerning His words: “And He shall send His angels.…” By “angels” is meant those who, reinforced by the power of the spirit, have consumed, with the fire of the love of God, all human traits and limitations, and have clothed themselves with the attributes of the most exalted Beings and of the Cherubim. That holy man, a��adiq,62 in his eulogy of the Cherubim, saith: “There stand a company of our fellow-Shí’ihs behind the Throne.” Divers and manifold are the interpretations of the words “behind the Throne.” In one sense, they indicate that no true Shí’ihs exist. Even as he hath said in another passage: “A true believer is likened unto the philosopher’s stone.” Addressing subsequently his listener, he saith: “Hast thou ever seen the philosopher’s stone?” Reflect, how this symbolic language, more eloquent than any speech, however direct, testifieth to the nonexistence of a true believer. Such is the testimony of a��adiq. And now consider, how unfair and numerous are those who, although they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of belief, have condemned as infidels those by whose word belief itself is recognized and established.

And now, inasmuch as these holy beings have sanctified themselves from every human limitation, have become endowed with the attributes of the spiritual, and have been adorned with the noble traits of the blessed, they therefore have been designated as “angels.” Such is the meaning of these verses, every word of which hath been expounded by the aid of the most lucid texts, the most convincing arguments, and the best established evidences.

As the adherents of Jesus have never understood the hidden meaning of these words, and as the signs which they and the leaders of their Faith have expected have failed to appear, they therefore refused to acknowledge, even until now, the truth of those Manifestations of Holiness that have since the days of Jesus been made manifest. They have thus deprived themselves of the outpourings of God’s holy grace, and of the wonders of His divine utterance. Such is their low estate in this, the Day of Resurrection! They have even failed to perceive that were the signs of the Manifestation of God in every age to appear in the visible realm in accordance with the text of established traditions, none could possibly deny or turn away, nor would the blessed be distinguished from the miserable, and the transgressor from the God-fearing. Judge fairly: Were the prophecies recorded in the Gospel to be literally fulfilled; were Jesus, Son of Mary, accompanied by angels, to descend from the visible heaven upon the clouds; who would dare to disbelieve, who would dare to reject the truth, and wax disdainful? Nay, such consternation would immediately seize all the dwellers of the earth that no soul would feel able to utter a word, much less to reject or accept the truth. It was owing to their misunderstanding of these truths that many a Christian divine hath objected to Mua��ammad, and voiced his protest in such words: “If Thou art in truth the promised Prophet, why then art Thou not accompanied by those angels our sacred Books foretold, and which must needs descend with the promised Beauty to assist Him in His Revelation and act as warners unto His people?” Even as the All-Glorious hath recorded their statement: “Why hath not an angel been sent down to Him, so that he should have been a warner with Him?”63

Such objections and differences have persisted in every age and century. The people have always busied themselves with such specious discourses, vainly protesting: “Wherefore hath not this or that sign appeared?” Such ills befell them only because they have clung to the ways of the divines of the age in which they lived, and blindly imitated them in accepting or denying these Essences of Detachment, these holy and divine Beings. These leaders, owing to their immersion in selfish desires, and their pursuit of transitory and sordid things, have regarded these divine Luminaries as being opposed to the standards of their knowledge and understanding, and the opponents of their ways and judgments. As they have literally interpreted the Word of God, and the sayings and traditions of the Letters of Unity, and expounded them according to their own deficient understanding, they have therefore deprived themselves and all their people of the bountiful showers of the grace and mercies of God. And yet they bear witness to this well-known tradition: “Verily Our Word is abstruse, bewilderingly abstruse.” In another instance, it is said: “Our Cause is sorely trying, highly perplexing; none can bear it except a favorite of heaven, or an inspired Prophet, or he whose faith God hath tested.” These leaders of religion admit that none of these three specified conditions is applicable to them. The first two conditions are manifestly beyond their reach; as to the third, it is evident that at no time have they been proof against those tests that have been sent by God, and that when the divine Touchstone appeared, they have shown themselves to be naught but dross.

Great God! Notwithstanding their acceptance of the truth of this tradition, these divines who are still doubtful of, and dispute about, the theological obscurities of their faith, yet claim to be the exponents of the subtleties of the law of God, and the expounders of the essential mysteries of His holy Word. They confidently assert that such traditions as indicate the advent of the expected Qa’im have not yet been fulfilled, whilst they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of the meaning of these traditions, and are still oblivious of the fact that all the signs foretold have come to pass, that the way of God’s holy Cause hath been revealed, and the concourse of the faithful, swift as lightning, are, even now, passing upon that way, whilst these foolish divines wait expecting to witness the signs foretold. Say, O ye foolish ones! Wait ye even as those before you are waiting!

Were they to be questioned concerning those signs that must needs herald the revelation and rise of the sun of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation, to which We have already referred, none of which have been literally fulfilled, and were it to be said to them: “Wherefore have ye rejected the claims advanced by Christians and the peoples of other faiths and regard them as infidels,” knowing not what answer to give, they will reply: “These Books have been corrupted and are not, and never have been, of God.” Reflect: the words of the verses themselves eloquently testify to the truth that they are of God. A similar verse hath been also revealed in the Qur’an, were ye of them that comprehend. Verily I say, throughout all this period they have utterly failed to comprehend what is meant by corrupting the text.

Yea, in the writings and utterances of the Mirrors reflecting the sun of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation mention hath been made of “Modification by the exalted beings” and “alteration by the disdainful.” Such passages, however, refer only to particular cases. Among them is the story of Ibn-i-a��úríya. When the people of Khaybar asked the focal center of the Mua��ammadan Revelation concerning the penalty of adultery committed between a married man and a married woman, Mua��ammad answered and said: “The law of God is death by stoning.” Whereupon they protested saying: “No such law hath been revealed in the Pentateuch.” Mua��ammad answered and said: “Whom do ye regard among your rabbis as being a recognized authority and having a sure knowledge of the truth?” They agreed upon Ibn-i-Súríya. Thereupon Mua��ammad summoned him and said: “I adjure thee by God Who clove the sea for you, caused manna to descend upon you, and the cloud to overshadow you, Who delivered you from Pharaoh and his people, and exalted you above all human beings, to tell us what Moses hath decreed concerning adultery between a married man and a married woman.” He made reply: “O Mua��ammad! death by stoning is the law.” Mua��ammad observed: “Why is it then that this law is annulled and hath ceased to operate among the Jews?” He answered and said: “When Nebuchadnezzar delivered Jerusalem to the flames, and put the Jews to death, only a few survived. The divines of that age, considering the extremely limited number of the Jews, and the multitude of the Amalekites, took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that were they to enforce the law of the Pentateuch, every survivor who hath been delivered from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar would have to be put to death according to the verdict of the Book. Owing to such considerations, they totally repealed the penalty of death.” Meanwhile Gabriel inspired Mua��ammad’s illumined heart with these words: “They pervert the text of the Word of God.”64

This is one of the instances that have been referred to. Verily by “perverting” the text is not meant that which these foolish and abject souls have fancied, even as some maintain that Jewish and Christian divines have effaced from the Book such verses as extol and magnify the countenance of Mua��ammad, and instead thereof have inserted the contrary. How utterly vain and false are these words! Can a man who believeth in a book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it? Moreover, the Pentateuch had been spread over the surface of the earth, and was not confined to Mecca and Medina, so that they could privily corrupt and pervert its text. Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of God’s holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires. And as the Jews, in the time of Mua��ammad, interpreted those verses of the Pentateuch that referred to His Manifestation after their own fancy, and refused to be satisfied with His holy utterance, the charge of “perverting” the text was therefore pronounced against them. Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur’an have perverted the text of God’s holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and desires.

In yet another instance, He saith: “A part of them heard the Word of God, and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they did so.”65 This verse, too, doth indicate that the meaning of the Word of God hath been perverted, not that the actual words have been effaced. To the truth of this testify they that are sound of mind.

Again in another instance, He saith: “Woe unto those who, with their own hands, transcribe the Book corruptly, and then say: ‘This is from God,’ that they may sell it for some mean price.”66 This verse was revealed with reference to the divines and leaders of the Jewish Faith. These divines, in order to please the rich, acquire worldly emoluments, and give vent to their envy and misbelief, wrote a number of treatises, refuting the claims of Mua��ammad, supporting their arguments with such evidences as it would be improper to mention, and claimed that these arguments were derived from the text of the Pentateuch.

The same may be witnessed today. Consider how abundant are the denunciations written by the foolish divines of this age against this most wondrous Cause! How vain their imaginings that these calumnies are in conformity with the verses of God’s sacred Book, and in consonance with the utterances of men of discernment!

Our purpose in relating these things is to warn you that were they to maintain that those verses wherein the signs referred to in the Gospel are mentioned have been perverted, were they to reject them, and cling instead to other verses and traditions, you should know that their words were utter falsehood and sheer calumny. Yea “corruption” of the text, in the sense We have referred to, hath been actually effected in particular instances. A few of these We have mentioned, that it may become manifest to every discerning observer that unto a few untutored holy Men hath been given the mastery of human learning, so that the malevolent opposer may cease to contend that a certain verse doth indicate “corruption” of the text, and insinuate that We, through lack of knowledge, have made mention of such things. Moreover, most of the verses that indicate “corruption” of the text have been revealed with reference to the Jewish people, were ye to explore the isles of Qur’anic Revelation.

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Daystar of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the daystar of Jesus until the rise of the sun of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation? What law could be their stay and guide? How could such people be made the victims of the avenging wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the ocean of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their comprehension!

Dear friend! Now when the light of God’s everlasting Morn is breaking; when the radiance of His holy words: “God is the light of the heavens and of the earth”67 is shedding illumination upon all mankind; when the inviolability of His tabernacle is being proclaimed by His sacred utterance: “God hath willed to perfect His light”;68 and the Hand of omnipotence, bearing His testimony: “In His grasp He holdeth the kingdom of all things,” is being outstretched unto all the peoples and kindreds of the earth; it behooveth us to gird up the loins of endeavor, that haply, by the grace and bounty of God, we may enter the celestial City: “Verily, we are God’s,” and abide within the exalted habitation: “And unto Him we do return.” It is incumbent upon thee, by the permission of God, to cleanse the eye of thine heart from the things of the world, that thou mayest realize the infinitude of divine knowledge, and mayest behold Truth so clearly that thou wilt need no proof to demonstrate His reality, nor any evidence to bear witness unto His testimony.

O affectionate seeker! Shouldst thou soar in the holy realm of the spirit, thou wouldst recognize God manifest and exalted above all things, in such wise that thine eyes would behold none else but Him. “God was alone; there was none else besides Him.” So lofty is this station that no testimony can bear it witness, neither evidence do justice to its truth. Wert thou to explore the sacred domain of truth, thou wilt find that all things are known only by the light of His recognition, that He hath ever been, and will continue forever to be, known through Himself. And if thou dwellest in the land of testimony, content thyself with that which He, Himself, hath revealed: “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto Thee the Book?”69 This is the testimony which He, Himself, hath ordained; greater proof than this there is none, nor ever will be: “This proof is His Word; His own Self, the testimony of His truth.”

And now, We beseech the people of the Bayan, all the learned, the sages, the divines, and witnesses amongst them, not to forget the wishes and admonitions revealed in their Book. Let them, at all times, fix their gaze upon the essentials of His Cause, lest when He, Who is the Quintessence of truth, the inmost Reality of all things, the Source of all light, is made manifest, they cling unto certain passages of the Book, and inflict upon Him that which was inflicted in the Dispensation of the Qur’an. For, verily, powerful is He, the King of divine might, to extinguish with one letter of His wondrous words, the breath of life in the whole of the Bayan and the people thereof, and with one letter bestow upon them a new and everlasting life, and cause them to arise and speed out of the sepulchers of their vain and selfish desires. Take heed, and be watchful; and remember that all things have their consummation in belief in Him, in attainment unto His day, and in the realization of His divine presence. “There is no piety in turning your faces toward the east or toward the west, but he is pious who believeth in God and the Last Day.”70 Give ear, O people of the Bayan, unto the truth whereunto We have admonished you, that haply ye may seek the shelter of the shadow extended, in the Day of God, upon all mankind.

END OF PART ONE

Part Two

Verily He Who is the Daystar of Truth and Revealer of the Supreme Being holdeth, for all time, undisputed sovereignty over all that is in heaven and on earth, though no man be found on earth to obey Him. He verily is independent of all earthly dominion, though He be utterly destitute. Thus We reveal unto thee the mysteries of the Cause of God, and bestow upon thee the gems of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings of renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men.

The significance and essential purpose underlying these words is to reveal and demonstrate unto the pure in heart and the sanctified in spirit that they Who are the Luminaries of truth and the Mirrors reflecting the light of divine Unity, in whatever age and cycle they are sent down from their invisible habitations of ancient glory unto this world, to educate the souls of men and endue with grace all created things, are invariably endowed with an all-compelling power, and invested with invincible sovereignty. For these hidden Gems, these concealed and invisible Treasures, in themselves manifest and vindicate the reality of these holy words: “Verily God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.”

To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is and hath ever been veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving.”71 No tie of direct intercourse can possibly bind Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and above all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can indicate His presence or His absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command all that are in heaven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish, which is the Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the realm of being, the world of the visible.

Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The verse: “God would have you beware of Himself”72 unmistakably beareth witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: “God was alone; there was none else besides Him” are a sure testimony of its truth. All the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all things.

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying: “His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath encompassed them all” hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence. These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory are one and all the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the light that can never fade. Even as He hath said: “There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and them; except that they are Thy servants, and are created of Thee.” This is the significance of the tradition: “I am He, Himself, and He is I, myself.”

The traditions and sayings that bear direct reference to Our theme are divers and manifold; We have refrained from quoting them for the sake of brevity. Nay, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of that most great Light. Methinks, but for the potency of that revelation, no being could ever exist. How resplendent the luminaries of knowledge that shine in an atom, and how vast the oceans of wisdom that surge within a drop! To a supreme degree is this true of man, who, among all created things, hath been invested with the robe of such gifts, and hath been singled out for the glory of such distinction. For in him are potentially revealed all the attributes and names of God to a degree that no other created being hath excelled or surpassed. All these names and attributes are applicable to him. Even as He hath said: “Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.” Manifold are the verses that have been repeatedly revealed in all the heavenly Books and the holy Scriptures, expressive of this most subtle and lofty theme. Even as He hath revealed: “We will surely show them Our signs in the world and within themselves.”73 Again He saith: “And also in your own selves: will ye not then behold the signs of God?”74 And yet again He revealeth: “And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore caused to forget their own selves.”75 In this connection, He Who is the eternal King–may the souls of all that dwell within the mystic Tabernacle be a sacrifice unto Him–hath spoken: “He hath known God who hath known himself.”

I swear by God, O esteemed and honored friend! Shouldst thou ponder these words in thine heart, thou wilt of a certainty find the doors of divine wisdom and infinite knowledge flung open before thy face.

From that which hath been said it becometh evident that all things, in their inmost reality, testify to the revelation of the names and attributes of God within them. Each according to its capacity, indicateth, and is expressive of, the knowledge of God. So potent and universal is this revelation, that it hath encompassed all things, visible and invisible. Thus hath He revealed: “Hath aught else save Thee a power of revelation which is not possessed by Thee, that it could have manifested Thee? Blind is the eye which doth not perceive Thee.” Likewise, hath the eternal King spoken: “No thing have I perceived, except that I perceived God within it, God before it, or God after it.” Also in the tradition of Kumayl it is written: “Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the Morn of eternity, and lo! its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all men.” Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression of its glory. And of all men, the most accomplished, the most distinguished and the most excellent are the Manifestations of the Sun of Truth. Nay, all else besides these Manifestations live by the operation of their Will, and move and have their being through the outpourings of their grace. “But for Thee, I would have not created the heavens.” Nay, all in their holy presence fade into utter nothingness, and are a thing forgotten. Human tongue can never befittingly sing their praise, and human speech can never unfold their mystery. These Tabernacles of holiness, these primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these gems of divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty and grace, are made manifest.

These attributes of God are not and have never been vouchsafed specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His well-favored, His holy, and chosen Messengers, are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the comparative potency of their light. Even as He hath revealed: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others.”76 It hath therefore become manifest and evident that within the tabernacles of these Prophets and chosen Ones of God the light of His infinite names and exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the light of some of these attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed from these luminous Temples to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute of God hath not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise imply that they Who are the Daysprings of God’s attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these beauteous Countenances have, each and every one of them, been endowed with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion, and the like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty. To every discerning eye this is evident and manifest; it requireth neither proof nor evidence.

Yea, inasmuch as the peoples of the world have failed to seek from the luminous and crystal Springs of divine knowledge the inner meaning of God’s holy words, they therefore have languished, stricken and sore athirst, in the vale of idle fancy and waywardness. They have strayed far from the fresh and thirst-subduing waters, and gathered round the salt that burneth bitterly. Concerning them, the Dove of Eternity hath spoken: “And if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it for their path; but if they see the path of error, for their path will they take it. This, because they treated Our signs as lies, and were heedless of them.”77

To this testifieth that which hath been witnessed in this wondrous and exalted Dispensation. Myriads of holy verses have descended from the heaven of might and grace, yet no one hath turned thereunto, nor ceased to cling to those words of men, not one letter of which they that have spoken them comprehend. For this reason the people have doubted incontestable truths, such as these, and caused themselves to be deprived of the Ria��van of divine knowledge, and the eternal meads of celestial wisdom.

And now, to resume Our argument concerning the question: Why is it that the sovereignty of the Qa’im, affirmed in the text of recorded traditions, and handed down by the shining stars of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation, hath not in the least been made manifest? Nay, the contrary hath come to pass. Have not His disciples and companions been afflicted of men? Are they not still the victims of the fierce opposition of their enemies? Are they not today leading the life of abased and impotent mortals? Yea, the sovereignty attributed to the Qa’im and spoken of in the scriptures is a reality, the truth of which none can doubt. This sovereignty, however, is not the sovereignty which the minds of men have falsely imagined. Moreover, the Prophets of old, each and every one, whenever announcing to the people of their day the advent of the coming Revelation, have invariably and specifically referred to that sovereignty with which the promised Manifestation must needs be invested. This is attested by the records of the scriptures of the past. This sovereignty hath not been solely and exclusively attributed to the Qa’im. Nay rather, the attribute of sovereignty and all other names and attributes of God have been and will ever be vouchsafed unto all the Manifestations of God, before and after Him, inasmuch as these Manifestations, as it hath already been explained, are the Embodiments of the attributes of God, the Invisible, and the Revealers of the divine mysteries.

Furthermore, by sovereignty is meant the all-encompassing, all-pervading power which is inherently exercised by the Qa’im whether or not He appear to the world clothed in the majesty of earthly dominion. This is solely dependent upon the will and pleasure of the Qa’im Himself. You will readily recognize that the terms sovereignty, wealth, life, death, judgment and resurrection, spoken of by the scriptures of old, are not what this generation hath conceived and vainly imagined. Nay, by sovereignty is meant that sovereignty which in every dispensation resideth within, and is exercised by, the person of the Manifestation, the Daystar of Truth. That sovereignty is the spiritual ascendancy which He exerciseth to the fullest degree over all that is in heaven and on earth, and which in due time revealeth itself to the world in direct proportion to its capacity and spiritual receptiveness, even as the sovereignty of Mua��ammad, the Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest amongst the people. You are well aware of what befell His Faith in the early days of His dispensation. What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel and erring, the divines of that age and their associates, inflict upon that spiritual Essence, that most pure and holy Being! How abundant the thorns and briars which they have strewn over His path! It is evident that wretched generation, in their wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every injury to that immortal Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that age, such as ’Abdu’llah-i-Ubayy, Abú-’amir, the hermit, Ka’b-Ibn-i-Ashraf, and Naa��r-Ibn-i-a��arith, all treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore accusations they brought against Him that in recounting them God forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move, or the page to bear them. These malicious imputations provoked the people to arise and torment Him. And how fierce that torment if the divines of the age be its chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers, cast Him out from their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the same befallen this Servant, and been witnessed by all?

For this reason did Mua��ammad cry out: “No Prophet of God hath suffered such harm as I have suffered.” And in the Qur’an are recorded all the calumnies and reproaches uttered against Him, as well as all the afflictions which He suffered. Refer ye thereunto, that haply ye may be informed of that which hath befallen His Revelation. So grievous was His plight, that for a time all ceased to hold intercourse with Him and His companions. Whoever associated with Him fell a victim to the relentless cruelty of His enemies.

We shall cite in this connection only one verse of that Book. Shouldst thou observe it with a discerning eye, thou wilt, all the remaining days of thy life, lament and bewail the injury of Mua��ammad, that wronged and oppressed Messenger of God. That verse was revealed at a time when Mua��ammad languished weary and sorrowful beneath the weight of the opposition of the people, and of their unceasing torture. In the midst of His agony, the Voice of Gabriel, calling from the Sadratu’l-Muntaha, was heard saying: “But if their opposition be grievous to Thee–if Thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven.”78 The implication of this utterance is that His case had no remedy, that they would not withhold their hands from Him unless He should hide Himself beneath the depths of the earth, or take His flight unto heaven.

Consider, how great is the change today! Behold, how many are the Sovereigns who bow the knee before His name! How numerous the nations and kingdoms who have sought the shelter of His shadow, who bear allegiance to His Faith, and pride themselves therein! From the pulpit-top there ascendeth today the words of praise which, in utter lowliness, glorify His blessed name; and from the heights of minarets there resoundeth the call that summoneth the concourse of His people to adore Him. Even those Kings of the earth who have refused to embrace His Faith and to put off the garment of unbelief, nonetheless confess and acknowledge the greatness and overpowering majesty of that Daystar of loving-kindness. Such is His earthly sovereignty, the evidences of which thou dost on every side behold. This sovereignty must needs be revealed and established either in the lifetime of every Manifestation of God or after His ascension unto His true habitation in the realms above. What thou dost witness today is but a confirmation of this truth. That spiritual ascendancy, however, which is primarily intended, resideth within, and revolveth around Them from eternity even unto eternity. It can never for a moment be divorced from Them. Its dominion hath encompassed all that is in heaven and on earth.

The following is an evidence of the sovereignty exercised by Mua��ammad, the Daystar of Truth. Hast thou not heard how with one single verse He hath sundered light from darkness, the righteous from the ungodly, and the believing from the infidel? All the signs and allusions concerning the Day of Judgment, which thou hast heard, such as the raising of the dead, the Day of Reckoning, the Last Judgment, and others have been made manifest through the revelation of that verse. These revealed words were a blessing to the righteous who on hearing them exclaimed: “O God our Lord, we have heard, and obeyed.” They were a curse to the people of iniquity who, on hearing them, affirmed: “We have heard and rebelled.” Those words, sharp as the sword of God, have separated the faithful from the infidel, and severed father from son. Thou hast surely witnessed how they that have confessed their faith in Him and they that rejected Him have warred against each other, and sought one another’s property. How many fathers have turned away from their sons; how many lovers have shunned their beloved! So mercilessly trenchant was this wondrous sword of God that it cleft asunder every relationship! On the other hand, consider the welding power of His Word. Observe, how those in whose midst the Satan of self had for years sown the seeds of malice and hate became so fused and blended through their allegiance to this wondrous and transcendent Revelation that it seemed as if they had sprung from the same loins. Such is the binding force of the Word of God, which uniteth the hearts of them that have renounced all else but Him, who have believed in His signs, and quaffed from the Hand of glory the Kawthar of God’s holy grace. Furthermore, how numerous are those peoples of divers beliefs, of conflicting creeds, and opposing temperaments, who, through the reviving fragrance of the Divine springtime, breathing from the Ria��van of God, have been arrayed with the new robe of divine Unity, and have drunk from the cup of His singleness!

This is the significance of the well-known words: “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together.”79 Behold the ignorance and folly of those who, like the nations of old, are still expecting to witness the time when these beasts will feed together in one pasture! Such is their low estate. Methinks, never have their lips touched the cup of understanding, neither have their feet trodden the path of justice. Besides, of what profit would it be to the world were such a thing to take place? How well hath He spoken concerning them: “Hearts have they, with which they understand not, and eyes have they with which they see not!”80

Consider how with this one verse which hath descended from the heaven of the Will of God, the world and all that is therein have been brought to a reckoning with Him. Whosoever acknowledged His truth and turned unto Him, his good works outweighed his misdeeds, and all his sins were remitted and forgiven. Thereby is the truth of these words concerning Him made manifest: “Swift is He in reckoning.” Thus God turneth iniquity into righteousness, were ye to explore the realms of divine knowledge, and fathom the mysteries of His wisdom. In like manner, whosoever partook of the cup of love, obtained his portion of the ocean of eternal grace and of the showers of everlasting mercy, and entered into the life of faith–the heavenly and everlasting life. But he that turned away from that cup was condemned to eternal death. By the terms “life” and “death,” spoken of in the scriptures, is intended the life of faith and the death of unbelief. The generality of the people, owing to their failure to grasp the meaning of these words, rejected and despised the person of the Manifestation, deprived themselves of the light of His divine guidance, and refused to follow the example of that immortal Beauty.

When the light of Qur’anic Revelation was kindled within the chamber of Mua��ammad’s holy heart, He passed upon the people the verdict of the Last Day, the verdict of resurrection, of judgment, of life, and of death. Thereupon the standards of revolt were hoisted, and the doors of derision opened. Thus hath He, the Spirit of God, recorded, as spoken by the infidels: “And if thou shouldst say, ‘After death ye shall surely be raised again,’ the infidels will certainly exclaim, ‘This is nothing but manifest sorcery.’”81 Again He speaketh: “If ever thou dost marvel, marvelous surely is their saying, ‘What! When we have become dust, shall we be restored in a new creation?’”82 Thus, in another passage, He wrathfully exclaimeth: “Are We wearied out with the first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard to a new creation!”83

As the commentators of the Qur’an and they that follow the letter thereof misapprehended the inner meaning of the words of God and failed to grasp their essential purpose, they sought to demonstrate that, according to the rules of grammar, whenever the term “idha” (meaning “if” or “when”) precedeth the past tense, it invariably hath reference to the future. Later, they were sore perplexed in attempting to explain those verses of the Book wherein that term did not actually occur. Even as He hath revealed: “And there was a blast on the trumpet–lo! it is the threatened Day! And every soul is summoned to a reckoning–with him an impeller and a witness.”84 In explaining this and similar verses, they have in some cases argued that the term “idha” is implied. In other instances, they have idly contended that whereas the Day of Judgment is inevitable, it hath therefore been referred to as an event not of the future but of the past. How vain their sophistry! How grievous their blindness! They refuse to recognize the trumpet-blast which so explicitly in this text was sounded through the revelation of Mua��ammad. They deprive themselves of the regenerating Spirit of God that breathed into it, and foolishly expect to hear the trumpet-sound of the Seraph of God who is but one of His servants! Hath not the Seraph himself, the angel of the Judgment Day, and his like been ordained by Mua��ammad’s own utterance? Say: What! Will ye give that which is for your good in exchange for that which is evil? Wretched is that which ye have falsely exchanged! Surely ye are a people, evil, in grievous loss.

Nay, by “trumpet” is meant the trumpet-call of Mua��ammad’s Revelation, which was sounded in the heart of the universe, and by “resurrection” is meant His own rise to proclaim the Cause of God. He bade the erring and wayward arise and speed out of the sepulchers of their bodies, arrayed them with the beauteous robe of faith, and quickened them with the breath of a new and wondrous life. Thus at the hour when Mua��ammad, that divine Beauty, purposed to unveil one of the mysteries hidden in the symbolic terms “resurrection,” “judgment,” “paradise,” and “hell,” Gabriel, the Voice of Inspiration, was heard saying: “Erelong will they wag their heads at Thee, and say, ‘When shall this be?’ Say: ‘Perchance it is nigh.’”85 The implications of this verse alone suffice the peoples of the world, were they to ponder it in their hearts.

Gracious God! How far have that people strayed from the way of God! Although the Day of Resurrection was ushered in through the Revelation of Mua��ammad, although His light and tokens had encompassed the earth and all that is therein, yet that people derided Him, gave themselves up to those idols which the divines of that age, in their vain and idle fancy, had conceived, and deprived themselves of the light of heavenly grace and of the showers of divine mercy. Yea, the abject beetle can never scent the fragrance of holiness, and the bat of darkness can never face the splendor of the sun.

Such things have come to pass in the days of every Manifestation of God. Even as Jesus said: “Ye must be born again.”86 Again He saith: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”87 The purport of these words is that whosoever in every dispensation is born of the Spirit and is quickened by the breath of the Manifestation of Holiness, he verily is of those that have attained unto “life” and “resurrection” and have entered into the “paradise” of the love of God. And whosoever is not of them, is condemned to “death” and “deprivation,” to the “fire” of unbelief, and to the “wrath” of God. In all the scriptures, the books and chronicles, the sentence of death, of fire, of blindness, of want of understanding and hearing, hath been pronounced against those whose lips have tasted not the ethereal cup of true knowledge, and whose hearts have been deprived of the grace of the holy Spirit in their day. Even as it hath been previously recorded: “Hearts have they with which they understand not.”88

In another passage of the Gospel it is written: “And it came to pass that on a certain day the father of one of the disciples of Jesus had died.” That disciple reporting the death of his father unto Jesus, asked for leave to go and bury him. Whereupon, Jesus, that Essence of Detachment, answered and said: “Let the dead bury their dead.”89

In like manner, two of the people of Kúfih went to ’Alí, the Commander of the Faithful. One owned a house and wished to sell it; the other was to be the purchaser. They had agreed that this transaction should be effected and the contract be written with the knowledge of ’Alí. He, the exponent of the law of God, addressing the scribe, said: “Write thou: ‘A dead man hath bought from another dead man a house. That house is bounded by four limits. One extendeth toward the tomb, the other to the vault of the grave, the third to the a��iraa��, the fourth to either Paradise or hell.’” Reflect, had these two souls been quickened by the trumpet-call of ’Alí, had they risen from the grave of error by the power of his love, the judgment of death would certainly not have been pronounced against them.

In every age and century, the purpose of the Prophets of God and their chosen ones hath been no other but to affirm the spiritual significance of the terms “life,” “resurrection,” and “judgment.” If one will ponder but for a while this utterance of ’Alí in his heart, one will surely discover all mysteries hidden in the terms “grave,” “tomb,” “a��iraa��,” “paradise” and “hell.” But oh! how strange and pitiful! Behold, all the people are imprisoned within the tomb of self, and lie buried beneath the nethermost depths of worldly desire! Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit. For the life of the flesh is common to both men and animals, whereas the life of the spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart who have quaffed from the ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of certitude. This life knoweth no death, and this existence is crowned by immortality. Even as it hath been said: “He who is a true believer liveth both in this world and in the world to come.” If by “life” be meant this earthly life, it is evident that death must needs overtake it.

Similarly, the records of all the scriptures bear witness to this lofty truth and this most exalted word. Moreover, this verse of the Qur’an, revealed concerning a��amzih, the “Prince of Martyrs,”90 and Abú-Jahl, is a luminous evidence and sure testimony of the truth of Our saying: “Shall the dead, whom We have quickened, and for whom We have ordained a light whereby he may walk among men, be like him, whose likeness is in the darkness, whence he will not come forth?”91 This verse descended from the heaven of the Primal Will at a time when a��amzih had already been invested with the sacred mantle of faith, and Abú-Jahl had waxed relentless in his opposition and unbelief. From the Wellspring of omnipotence and the Source of eternal holiness, there came the judgment that conferred everlasting life upon a��amzih, and condemned Abú-Jahl to eternal damnation. This was the signal that caused the fires of unbelief to glow with the hottest flame in the heart of the infidels, and provoked them openly to repudiate His truth. They loudly clamored: “When did a��amzih die? When was he risen? At what hour was such a life conferred upon him?” As they understood not the significance of these noble sayings, nor sought enlightenment from the recognized expounders of the Faith, that these might confer a sprinkling of the Kawthar of divine knowledge upon them, therefore such fires of mischief were kindled amongst men.

Thou dost witness today how, notwithstanding the radiant splendor of the Sun of divine knowledge, all the people, whether high or low, have clung to the ways of those abject manifestations of the Prince of Darkness. They continually appeal to them for aid in unraveling the intricacies of their Faith, and, owing to lack of knowledge, they make such replies as can in no wise damage their fame and fortune. It is evident that these souls, vile and miserable as the beetle itself, have had no portion of the musk-laden breeze of eternity, and have never entered the Ria��van of heavenly delight. How, therefore, can they impart unto others the imperishable fragrance of holiness? Such is their way, and such will it remain forever. Only those will attain to the knowledge of the Word of God that have turned unto Him, and repudiated the manifestations of Satan. Thus God hath reaffirmed the law of the day of His Revelation, and inscribed it with the pen of power upon the mystic Tablet hidden beneath the veil of celestial glory. Wert thou to heed these words, wert thou to ponder their outward and inner meaning in thy heart, thou wouldst seize the significance of all the abstruse problems which, in this day, have become insuperable barriers between men and the knowledge of the Day of Judgment. Then wilt thou have no more questions to perplex thee. We fain would hope that, God willing, thou wilt not return, deprived and still athirst, from the shores of the ocean of divine mercy, nor come back destitute from the imperishable Sanctuary of thy heart’s desire. Let it now be seen what thy search and endeavors will achieve.

To resume: Our purpose in setting forth these truths hath been to demonstrate the sovereignty of Him Who is the King of kings. Be fair: Is this sovereignty which, through the utterance of one Word, hath manifested such pervading influence, ascendancy, and awful majesty, is this sovereignty superior, or is the worldly dominion of these kings of the earth who, despite their solicitude for their subjects and their help of the poor, are assured only of an outward and fleeting allegiance, while in the hearts of men they inspire neither affection nor respect? Hath not that sovereignty, through the potency of one word, subdued, quickened, and revitalized the whole world? What! Can the lowly dust compare with Him Who is the Lord of Lords? What tongue dare utter the immensity of difference that lieth between them? Nay, all comparison falleth short in attaining the hallowed sanctuary of His sovereignty. Were man to reflect, he would surely perceive that even the servant of His threshold ruleth over all created things! This hath already been witnessed, and will in future be made manifest.

This is but one of the meanings of the spiritual sovereignty which We have set forth in accordance with the capacity and receptiveness of the people. For He, the Mover of all beings, that glorified Countenance, is the source of such potencies as neither this wronged One can reveal, nor this unworthy people comprehend. Immensely exalted is He above men’s praise of His sovereignty; glorified is He beyond that which they attribute unto Him!

And now, ponder this in thine heart: Were sovereignty to mean earthly sovereignty and worldly dominion, were it to imply the subjection and external allegiance of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth–whereby His loved ones should be exalted and be made to live in peace, and His enemies be abased and tormented–such form of sovereignty would not be true of God Himself, the Source of all dominion, Whose majesty and power all things testify. For, dost thou not witness how the generality of mankind is under the sway of His enemies? Have they not all turned away from the path of His good-pleasure? Have they not done that which He hath forbidden, and left undone, nay repudiated and opposed, those things which He hath commanded? Have not His friends ever been the victims of the tyranny of His foes? All these things are more obvious than even the splendor of the noontide sun.

Know, therefore, O questioning seeker, that earthly sovereignty is of no worth, nor will it ever be, in the eyes of God and His chosen Ones. Moreover, if ascendancy and dominion be interpreted to mean earthly supremacy and temporal power, how impossible will it be for thee to explain these verses: “And verily Our host shall conquer.”92 “Fain would they put out God’s light with their mouths: But God hath willed to perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it.”93 “He is the Dominant, above all things.” Similarly, most of the Qur’an testifieth to this truth.

Were the idle contention of these foolish and despicable souls to be true, they would have none other alternative than to reject all these holy utterances and heavenly allusions. For no warrior could be found on earth more excellent and nearer to God than a��usayn, son of ’Alí, so peerless and incomparable was he. “There was none to equal or to match him in the world.” Yet, thou must have heard what befell him. “God’s malison on the head of the people of tyranny!”94

Were the verse “And verily Our host shall conquer” to be literally interpreted, it is evident that it would in no wise be applicable to the chosen Ones of God and His hosts, inasmuch as a��usayn, whose heroism was manifest as the sun, crushed and subjugated, quaffed at last the cup of martyrdom in Karbila, the land of a��aff. Similarly, the sacred verse “Fain would they put out God’s light with their mouths: But God hath willed to perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it.” Were it to be literally interpreted it would never correspond with the truth. For in every age the light of God hath, to outward seeming, been quenched by the peoples of the earth, and the Lamps of God extinguished by them. How then could the ascendancy of the sovereignty of these Lamps be explained? What could the potency of God’s will to “perfect His light” signify? As hath already been witnessed, so great was the enmity of the infidels, that none of these divine Luminaries ever found a place for shelter, or tasted of the cup of tranquillity. So heavily were they oppressed, that the least of men inflicted upon these Essences of being whatsoever he listed. These sufferings have been observed and measured by the people. How, therefore, can such people be capable of understanding and expounding these words of God, these verses of everlasting glory?

But the purpose of these verses is not what they have imagined. Nay, the terms “ascendancy,” “power,” and “authority” imply a totally different station and meaning. For instance, consider the pervading power of those drops of the blood of a��usayn which besprinkled the earth. What ascendancy and influence hath the dust itself, through the sacredness and potency of that blood, exercised over the bodies and souls of men! So much so, that he who sought deliverance from his ills, was healed by touching the dust of that holy ground, and whosoever, wishing to protect his property, treasured with absolute faith and understanding, a little of that holy earth within his house, safeguarded all his possessions. These are the outward manifestations of its potency. And were We to recount its hidden virtues they would assuredly say: “He verily hath considered the dust to be the Lord of Lords, and hath utterly forsaken the Faith of God.”

Furthermore, call to mind the shameful circumstances that have attended the martyrdom of a��usayn. Reflect upon his loneliness, how, to outer seeming, none could be found to aid him, none to take up his body and bury it. And yet, behold how numerous, in this day, are those who from the uttermost corners of the earth don the garb of pilgrimage, seeking the site of his martyrdom, that there they may lay their heads upon the threshold of his shrine! Such is the ascendancy and power of God! Such is the glory of His dominion and majesty!

Think not that because these things have come to pass after a��usayn’s martyrdom, therefore all this glory hath been of no profit unto him. For that holy soul is immortal, liveth the life of God, and abideth within the retreats of celestial glory upon the Sadrih of heavenly reunion. These Essences of being are the shining Exemplars of sacrifice. They have offered, and will continue to offer up their lives, their substance, their souls, their spirit, their all, in the path of the Well-Beloved. By them, no station, however exalted, could be more dearly cherished. For lovers have no desire but the good-pleasure of their Beloved, and have no aim except reunion with Him.

Should We wish to impart unto thee a glimmer of the mysteries of a��usayn’s martyrdom, and reveal unto thee the fruits thereof, these pages could never suffice, nor exhaust their meaning. Our hope is that, God willing, the breeze of mercy may blow, and the divine Springtime clothe the tree of being with the robe of a new life; so that we may discover the mysteries of divine Wisdom, and, through His providence, be made independent of the knowledge of all things. We have, as yet, descried none but a handful of souls, destitute of all renown, who have attained unto this station. Let the future disclose what the Judgment of God will ordain, and the Tabernacle of His decree reveal. In such wise We recount unto thee the wonders of the Cause of God, and pour out into thine ears the strains of heavenly melody, that haply thou mayest attain unto the station of true knowledge, and partake of the fruit thereof. Therefore, know thou of a certainty that these Luminaries of heavenly majesty, though their dwelling be in the dust, yet their true habitation is the seat of glory in the realms above. Though bereft of all earthly possessions, yet they soar in the realms of immeasurable riches. And whilst sore tried in the grip of the enemy, they are seated on the right hand of power and celestial dominion. Amidst the darkness of their abasement there shineth upon them the light of unfading glory, and upon their helplessness are showered the tokens of an invincible sovereignty.

Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: “O people! My food is the grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold, who on earth is richer than I?” By the righteousness of God! Thousands of treasures circle round this poverty, and a myriad kingdoms of glory yearn for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and all that is therein, and, as the Phoenix, wouldst consume thyself in the flames of the undying Fire.

In like manner, it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions of a��adiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, a��adiq, that immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the draft of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I who stand in need of a single coin?” a��adiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the Prophet of God!” And a��adiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it, though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then a��adiq remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”

This poverty and these riches, this abasement and glory, this dominion, power, and the like, upon which the eyes and hearts of these vain and foolish souls are set–all these things fade into utter nothingness in that Court! Even as He hath said: “O men! Ye are but paupers in need of God; but God is the Rich, the Self-Sufficing.”95 By “riches” therefore is meant independence of all else but God, and by “poverty” the lack of things that are of God.

Similarly, call thou to mind the day when the Jews, who had surrounded Jesus, Son of Mary, were pressing Him to confess His claim of being the Messiah and Prophet of God, so that they might declare Him an infidel and sentence Him to death. Then they led Him away, He Who was the Daystar of the heaven of divine Revelation, unto Pilate and Caiaphas, who was the leading divine of that age. The chief priests were all assembled in the palace, also a multitude of people who had gathered to witness His sufferings, to deride and injure Him. Though they repeatedly questioned Him, hoping that He would confess His claim, yet Jesus held His peace and spake not. Finally, an accursed of God arose and, approaching Jesus, adjured Him saying: “Didst thou not claim to be the Divine Messiah? Didst thou not say, ‘I am the King of Kings, My word is the Word of God, and I am the breaker of the Sabbath day’?” Thereupon Jesus lifted up His head and said: “Beholdest thou not the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and might?” These were His words, and yet consider how to outward seeming He was devoid of all power except that inner power which was of God and which had encompassed all that is in heaven and on earth. How can I relate all that befell Him after He spoke these words? How shall I describe their heinous behavior towards Him? They at last heaped on His blessed Person such woes that He took His flight unto the fourth Heaven.

It is also recorded in the Gospel according to St. Luke, that on a certain day Jesus passed by a Jew who was sick of the palsy, and lay upon a couch. When the Jew saw Him, he recognized Him, and cried out for His help. Jesus said unto him: “Arise from thy bed; thy sins are forgiven thee.” Certain of the Jews, standing by, protested saying: “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” And immediately He perceived their thoughts, Jesus answering said unto them: “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, arise, and take up thy bed, and walk; or to say, thy sins are forgiven thee? that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”96 This is the real sovereignty, and such is the power of God’s chosen Ones! All these things which We have repeatedly mentioned, and the details which We have cited from divers sources, have no other purpose but to enable thee to grasp the meaning of the allusions in the utterances of the chosen Ones of God, lest certain of these utterances cause thy feet to falter and thy heart to be dismayed.

Thus with steadfast steps we may tread the Path of certitude, that perchance the breeze that bloweth from the meads of the good-pleasure of God may waft upon us the sweet savors of divine acceptance, and cause us, vanishing mortals that we are, to attain unto the Kingdom of everlasting glory. Then wilt thou comprehend the inner meaning of sovereignty and the like, spoken of in the traditions and scriptures. Furthermore, it is already evident and known unto thee that those things to which the Jews and the Christians have clung, and the cavilings which they heaped upon the Beauty of Mua��ammad, the same have in this day been upheld by the people of the Qur’an, and been witnessed in their denunciations of the “Point of the Bayan”–may the souls of all that dwell within the kingdom of divine Revelations be a sacrifice unto Him! Behold their folly: they utter the selfsame words, uttered by the Jews of old, and know it not! How well and true are His words concerning them: “Leave them to entertain themselves with their cavilings!”97 “As Thou livest, O Mua��ammad! they are seized by the frenzy of their vain fancies.”98

When the Unseen, the Eternal, the divine Essence, caused the Daystar of Mua��ammad to rise above the horizon of knowledge, among the cavils which the Jewish divines raised against Him was that after Moses no Prophet should be sent of God. Yea, mention hath been made in the scriptures of a Soul Who must needs be made manifest and Who will advance the Faith, and promote the interests of the people, of Moses, so that the Law of the Mosaic Dispensation may encompass the whole earth. Thus hath the King of eternal glory referred in His Book to the words uttered by those wanderers in the vale of remoteness and error: “‘The hand of God,’ say the Jews, ‘is chained up.’ Chained up be their own hands! And for that which they have said, they were accursed. Nay, outstretched are both His hands!”99 “The hand of God is above their hands.”100

Although the commentators of the Qur’an have related in divers manners the circumstances attending the revelation of this verse, yet thou shouldst endeavor to apprehend the purpose thereof. He saith: How false is that which the Jews have imagined! How can the hand of Him Who is the King in truth, Who caused the countenance of Moses to be made manifest, and conferred upon Him the robe of Prophethood–how can the hand of such a One be chained and fettered? How can He be conceived as powerless to raise up yet another Messenger after Moses? Behold the absurdity of their saying; how far it hath strayed from the path of knowledge and understanding! Observe how in this day also, all these people have occupied themselves with such foolish absurdities. For over a thousand years they have been reciting this verse, and unwittingly pronouncing their censure against the Jews, utterly unaware that they themselves, openly and privily, are voicing the sentiments and belief of the Jewish people! Thou art surely aware of their idle contention, that all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the Ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest. Such is the measure of the understanding of these small-minded, contemptible people. These people have imagined that the flow of God’s all-encompassing grace and plenteous mercies, the cessation of which no mind can contemplate, has been halted. From every side they have risen and girded up the loins of tyranny, and exerted the utmost endeavor to quench with the bitter waters of their vain fancy the flame of God’s Burning Bush, oblivious that the globe of power shall within its own mighty stronghold protect the Lamp of God. The utter destitution into which this people have fallen doth surely suffice them, inasmuch as they have been deprived of the recognition of the essential Purpose and the knowledge of the Mystery and Substance of the Cause of God. For the highest and most excelling grace bestowed upon men is the grace of “attaining unto the Presence of God” and of His recognition, which has been promised unto all people. This is the utmost degree of grace vouchsafed unto man by the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days, and the fullness of His absolute bounty upon His creatures. Of this grace and bounty none of this people hath partaken, neither have they been honored with this most exalted distinction. How numerous are those revealed verses which explicitly bear witness unto this most weighty truth and exalted Theme! And yet they have rejected it, and, after their own desire, misconstrued its meaning. Even as He hath revealed: “As for those who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair, and for them doth a grievous chastisement await.”101 Also He saith: “They who bear in mind that they shall attain unto the Presence of their Lord, and that unto Him shall they return.”102 Also in another instance He saith: “They who held it as certain that they must meet God, said, ‘How oft, by God’s will, hath a small host vanquished a numerous host!’”103 In yet another instance He revealeth: “Let him then who hopeth to attain the presence of his Lord work a righteous work.”104 And also He saith: “He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear, that ye may have firm faith in attaining the presence of your Lord.”105

This people have repudiated all these verses, that unmistakably testify to the reality of “attainment unto the Divine Presence.” No theme hath been more emphatically asserted in the holy scriptures. Notwithstanding, they have deprived themselves of this lofty and most exalted rank, this supreme and glorious station. Some have contended that by “attainment unto the Divine Presence” is meant the “Revelation” of God in the Day of Resurrection. Should they assert that the “Revelation” of God signifieth a “Universal Revelation,” it is clear and evident that such revelation already existeth in all things. The truth of this We have already established, inasmuch as We have demonstrated that all things are the recipients and revealers of the splendors of that ideal King, and that the signs of the revelation of that Sun, the Source of all splendor, exist and are manifest in the mirrors of beings. Nay, were man to gaze with the eye of divine and spiritual discernment, he will readily recognize that nothing whatsoever can exist without the revelation of the splendor of God, the ideal King. Consider how all created things eloquently testify to the revelation of that inner Light within them. Behold how within all things the portals of the Ria��van of God are opened, that seekers may attain the cities of understanding and wisdom, and enter the gardens of knowledge and power. Within every garden they will behold the mystic bride of inner meaning enshrined within the chambers of utterance in the utmost grace and fullest adornment. Most of the verses of the Qur’an indicate, and bear witness to, this spiritual theme. The verse: “Neither is there aught which doth not celebrate His praise”106 is eloquent testimony thereto; and “We noted all things and wrote them down,”107 a faithful witness thereof. Now, if by “attainment unto the Presence of God” is meant attainment unto the knowledge of such revelation, it is evident that all men have already attained unto the presence of the unchangeable Countenance of that peerless King. Why, then, restrict such revelation to the Day of Resurrection?

And were they to maintain that by “divine Presence” is meant the “Specific Revelation of God,” expressed by certain a��úfís as the “Most Holy Outpouring,” if this be in the Essence Itself, it is evident that it hath been eternally in the divine Knowledge. Assuming the truth of this hypothesis, “attainment unto the divine Presence” is in this sense obviously possible to no one, inasmuch as this revelation is confined to the innermost Essence, unto which no man can attain. “The way is barred, and all seeking rejected.” The minds of the favorites of heaven, however high they soar, can never attain this station, how much less the understanding of obscured and limited minds.

And were they to say that by “divine Presence” is meant the “Secondary Revelation of God,” interpreted as the “Holy Outpouring,” this is admittedly applicable to the world of creation, that is, in the realm of the primal and original manifestation of God. Such revelation is confined to His Prophets and chosen Ones, inasmuch as none mightier than they hath come to exist in the world of being. This truth all recognize, and bear witness thereto. These Prophets and chosen Ones of God are the recipients and revealers of all the unchangeable attributes and names of God. They are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the light of God. Whatsoever is applicable to them is in reality applicable to God, Himself, Who is both the Visible and the Invisible. The knowledge of Him, Who is the Origin of all things, and attainment unto Him, are impossible save through knowledge of, and attainment unto, these luminous Beings who proceed from the Sun of Truth. By attaining, therefore, to the presence of these holy Luminaries, the “Presence of God” Himself is attained. From their knowledge, the knowledge of God is revealed, and from the light of their countenance, the splendor of the Face of God is made manifest. Through the manifold attributes of these Essences of Detachment, Who are both the first and the last, the seen and the hidden, it is made evident that He Who is the Sun of Truth is “the First and the Last, the Seen, and the Hidden.”108 Likewise the other lofty names and exalted attributes of God. Therefore, whosoever, and in whatever Dispensation, hath recognized and attained unto the presence of these glorious, these resplendent and most excellent Luminaries, hath verily attained unto the “Presence of God” Himself, and entered the city of eternal and immortal life. Attainment unto such presence is possible only in the Day of Resurrection, which is the Day of the rise of God Himself through His all-embracing Revelation.

This is the meaning of the “Day of Resurrection,” spoken of in all the scriptures, and announced unto all people. Reflect, can a more precious, a mightier, and more glorious day than this be conceived, so that man should willingly forego its grace, and deprive himself of its bounties, which like unto vernal showers are raining from the heaven of mercy upon all mankind? Having thus conclusively demonstrated that no day is greater than this Day, and no revelation more glorious than this Revelation, and having set forth all these weighty and infallible proofs which no understanding mind can question, and no man of learning overlook, how can man possibly, through the idle contention of the people of doubt and fancy, deprive himself of such a bountiful grace? Have they not heard the well-known tradition: “When the Qa’im riseth, that day is the Day of Resurrection”? In like manner, the Imams, those unquenchable lights of divine guidance, have interpreted the verse: “What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds,”109–a sign which they have unquestionably regarded as one of the features of the Day of Resurrection–as referring to the Qa’im and His manifestation.

Strive, therefore, O my brother, to grasp the meaning of “Resurrection,” and cleanse thine ears from the idle sayings of these rejected people. Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete detachment, thou wilt readily testify that no day is mightier than this Day, and that no resurrection more awful than this Resurrection can ever be conceived. One righteous work performed in this Day, equaleth all the virtuous acts which for myriads of centuries men have practiced–nay, We ask forgiveness of God for such a comparison! For verily the reward which such a deed deserveth is immensely beyond and above the estimate of men. Inasmuch as these undiscerning and wretched souls have failed to apprehend the true meaning of “Resurrection” and of the “attainment unto the divine Presence,” they therefore have remained utterly deprived of the grace thereof. Although the sole and fundamental purpose of all learning, and the toil and labor thereof, is attainment unto, and the recognition of, this station, yet they are all immersed in the pursuit of their material studies. They deny themselves every moment of leisure, and utterly ignore Him, Who is the Essence of all learning, and the one Object of their quest! Methinks, their lips have never touched the cup of divine Knowledge, nor do they seem to have attained even a dewdrop of the showers of heavenly grace.

Consider, how can he that faileth in the day of God’s Revelation to attain unto the grace of the “Divine Presence” and to recognize His Manifestation, be justly called learned, though he may have spent aeons in the pursuit of knowledge, and acquired all the limited and material learning of men? It is surely evident that he can in no wise be regarded as possessed of true knowledge. Whereas, the most unlettered of all men, if he be honored with this supreme distinction, he verily is accounted as one of those divinely learned men whose knowledge is of God; for such a man hath attained the acme of knowledge, and hath reached the furthermost summit of learning.

This station is also one of the signs of the Day of Revelation; even as it is said: “The abased amongst you, He shall exalt; and they that are exalted, He shall abase.” And likewise, He hath revealed in the Qur’an: “And We desire to show favor to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make of them Our heirs.”110 It hath been witnessed in this day how many of the divines, owing to their rejection of the Truth, have fallen into, and abide within, the uttermost depths of ignorance, and whose names have been effaced from the scroll of the glorious and learned. And how many of the ignorant who, by reason of their acceptance of the Faith, have soared aloft and attained the high summit of knowledge, and whose names have been inscribed by the Pen of Power upon the Tablet of divine Knowledge. Thus, “What He pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm: for with Him is the Source of Revelation.”111 Therefore, it hath been said: “To seek evidence, when the Proof hath been established is but an unseemly act, and to be busied with the pursuit of knowledge when the Object of all learning hath been attained is truly blameworthy.” Say: O people of the earth! Behold this flamelike Youth that speedeth across the limitless profound of the Spirit, heralding unto you the tidings: “Lo: the Lamp of God is shining,” and summoning you to heed His Cause which, though hidden beneath the veils of ancient splendor, shineth in the land of ’Iraq above the dayspring of eternal holiness.

O my friend, were the bird of thy mind to explore the heavens of the Revelation of the Qur’an, were it to contemplate the realm of divine knowledge unfolded therein, thou wouldst assuredly find unnumbered doors of knowledge set open before thee. Thou wouldst certainly recognize that all these things which have in this day hindered this people from attaining the shores of the ocean of eternal grace, the same things in the Mua��ammadan Dispensation prevented the people of that age from recognizing that divine Luminary, and from testifying to His truth. Thou wilt also apprehend the mysteries of “return” and “revelation,” and wilt securely abide within the loftiest chambers of certitude and assurance.

And it came to pass that on a certain day a number of the opponents of that peerless Beauty, those that had strayed far from God’s imperishable Sanctuary, scornfully spoke these words unto Mua��ammad: “Verily, God hath entered into a covenant with us that we are not to credit an apostle until he present us a sacrifice which fire out of heaven shall devour.”112 The purport of this verse is that God hath covenanted with them that they should not believe in any messenger unless he work the miracle of Abel and Cain, that is, offer a sacrifice, and the fire from heaven consume it; even as they had heard it recounted in the story of Abel, which story is recorded in the scriptures. To this, Mua��ammad, answering, said: “Already have Apostles before me come to you with sure testimonies, and with that of which ye speak. Wherefore slew ye them? Tell me, if ye are men of truth.”113 And now, be fair; How could those people living in the days of Mua��ammad have existed, thousands of years before, in the age of Adam or other Prophets? Why should Mua��ammad, that Essence of truthfulness, have charged the people of His day with the murder of Abel or other Prophets? Thou hast none other alternative except to regard Mua��ammad as an impostor or a fool–which God forbid!–or to maintain that those people of wickedness were the selfsame people who in every age opposed and caviled at the Prophets and Messengers of God, till they finally caused them all to suffer martyrdom.

Ponder this in thine heart, that the sweet gales of divine knowledge, blowing from the meads of mercy, may waft upon thee the fragrance of the Beloved’s utterance, and cause thy soul to attain the Ria��van of understanding. As the wayward of every age have failed to fathom the deeper import of these weighty and pregnant utterances, and imagined the answer of the Prophets of God to be irrelevant to the questions they asked them, they therefore have attributed ignorance and folly to those Essences of knowledge and understanding.

Likewise, Mua��ammad, in another verse, uttereth His protest against the people of that age. He saith: “Although they had before prayed for victory over those who believed not, yet when there came unto them He of Whom they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the infidels!”114 Reflect how this verse also implieth that the people living in the days of Mua��ammad were the same people who in the days of the Prophets of old contended and fought in order to promote the Faith, and teach the Cause, of God. And yet, how could the generations living at the time of Jesus and Moses, and those who lived in the days of Mua��ammad, be regarded as being actually one and the same people? Moreover, those whom they had formerly known were Moses, the Revealer of the Pentateuch, and Jesus, the Author of the Gospel. Notwithstanding, why did Mua��ammad say: “When He of Whom they had knowledge came unto them”–that is Jesus or Moses–“they disbelieved in Him”? Was not Mua��ammad to outward seeming called by a different name? Did He not come forth out of a different city? Did He not speak a different language, and reveal a different Law? How then can the truth of this verse be established, and its meaning be made clear?

Strive therefore to comprehend the meaning of “return” which hath been so explicitly revealed in the Qur’an itself, and which none hath as yet understood. What sayest thou? If thou sayest that Mua��ammad was the “return” of the Prophets of old, as is witnessed by this verse, His Companions must likewise be the “return” of the bygone Companions, even as the “return” of the former people is clearly attested by the text of the above-mentioned verses. And if thou deniest this, thou hast surely repudiated the truth of the Qur’an, the surest testimony of God unto men. In like manner, endeavor to grasp the significance of “return,” “revelation,” and “resurrection,” as witnessed in the days of the Manifestations of the divine Essence, that thou mayest behold with thine own eyes the “return” of the holy souls into sanctified and illumined bodies, and mayest wash away the dust of ignorance, and cleanse the darkened self with the waters of mercy flowing from the Source of divine Knowledge; that perchance thou mayest, through the power of God and the light of divine guidance, distinguish the Morn of everlasting splendor from the darksome night of error.

Furthermore, it is evident to thee that the Bearers of the trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Bearers of a new Message. Inasmuch as these Birds of the Celestial Throne are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith, they therefore are regarded as one soul and the same person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness. These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if thou callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same attribute, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed: “No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers!”115 For they one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the Unity of God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of an infinite grace and bounty. They are all invested with the robe of Prophethood, and honored with the mantle of glory. Thus hath Mua��ammad, the Point of the Qur’an, revealed: “I am all the Prophets.” Likewise, He saith: “I am the first Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus.” Similar statements have been made by ’Alí. Sayings such as this, which indicate the essential unity of those Exponents of Oneness, have also emanated from the Channels of God’s immortal utterance, and the Treasuries of the gems of divine knowledge, and have been recorded in the scriptures. These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine Command, and the daysprings of His Revelation. This Revelation is exalted above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith: “Our Cause is but one.”116 Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the Exponents thereof also must needs be one and the same. Likewise, the Imams of the Mua��ammadan Faith, those lamps of certitude, have said: “Mua��ammad is our first, Mua��ammad our last, Mua��ammad our all.”

It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold them all abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the unity of those Essences of being, those Luminaries of infinite and immeasurable splendor. Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: “I am the return of all the Prophets,” He verily speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact, the truth of which is firmly established. Inasmuch as the return of the Prophets of God, as attested by verses and traditions, hath been conclusively demonstrated, the return of their chosen ones also is therefore definitely proven. This return is too manifest in itself to require any evidence or proof. For instance, consider that among the Prophets was Noah. When He was invested with the robe of Prophethood, and was moved by the Spirit of God to arise and proclaim His Cause, whoever believed in Him and acknowledged His Faith was endowed with the grace of a new life. Of him it could be truly said that he was reborn and revived, inasmuch as previous to his belief in God and his acceptance of His Manifestation, he had set his affections on the things of the world, such as attachment to earthly goods, to wife, children, food, drink, and the like, so much so that in the daytime and in the night-season his one concern had been to amass riches and procure for himself the means of enjoyment and pleasure. Aside from these things, before his partaking of the reviving waters of faith, he had been so wedded to the traditions of his forefathers, and so passionately devoted to the observance of their customs and laws, that he would have preferred to suffer death rather than violate one letter of those superstitious forms and manners current amongst his people. Even as the people have cried: “Verily we found our fathers with a faith, and verily, in their footsteps we follow.”117

These same people, though wrapt in all these veils of limitation, and despite the restraint of such observances, as soon as they drank the immortal draft of faith, from the cup of certitude, at the hand of the Manifestation of the All-Glorious, were so transformed that they would renounce for His sake their kindred, their substance, their lives, their beliefs, yea, all else save God! So overpowering was their yearning for God, so uplifting their transports of ecstatic delight, that the world and all that is therein faded before their eyes into nothingness. Have not this people exemplified the mysteries of “rebirth” and “return”? Hath it not been witnessed that these same people, ere they were endued with the new and wondrous grace of God, sought through innumerable devices to ensure the protection of their lives against destruction? Would not a thorn fill them with terror, and the sight of a fox put them to flight? But once having been honored with God’s supreme distinction, and having been vouchsafed His bountiful grace, they would, if they were able, have freely offered up ten thousand lives in His path! Nay, their blessed souls, contemptuous of the cage of their bodies, would yearn for deliverance. A single warrior of that host would face and fight a multitude! And yet, how could they, but for the transformation wrought in their lives, be capable of manifesting such deeds which are contrary to the ways of men and incompatible with their worldly desires?

It is evident that nothing short of this mystic transformation could cause such spirit and behavior, so utterly unlike their previous habits and manners, to be made manifest in the world of being. For their agitation was turned into peace, their doubt into certitude, their timidity into courage. Such is the potency of the Divine Elixir, which, swift as the twinkling of an eye, transmuteth the souls of men!

For instance, consider the substance of copper. Were it to be protected in its own mine from becoming solidified, it would, within the space of seventy years, attain to the state of gold. There are some, however, who maintain that copper itself is gold, which by becoming solidified is in a diseased condition, and hath not therefore reached its own state.

Be that as it may, the real elixir will, in one instant, cause the substance of copper to attain the state of gold, and will traverse the seventy-year stages in a single moment. Could this gold be called copper? Could it be claimed that it hath not attained the state of gold, whilst the touchstone is at hand to assay it and distinguish it from copper?

Likewise, these souls, through the potency of the Divine Elixir, traverse, in the twinkling of an eye, the world of dust and advance into the realm of holiness; and with one step cover the earth of limitations and reach the domain of the Placeless. It behooveth thee to exert thine utmost to attain unto this Elixir which, in one fleeting breath, causeth the west of ignorance to reach the east of knowledge, illuminateth the darkness of night with the resplendence of the morn, guideth the wanderer in the wilderness of doubt to the wellspring of the Divine Presence and Fount of certitude, and conferreth upon mortal souls the honor of acceptance into the Ria��van of immortality. Now, could this gold be thought to be copper, these people could likewise be thought to be the same as before they were endowed with faith.

O brother, behold how the inner mysteries of “rebirth,” of “return,” and of “resurrection” have each, through these all-sufficing, these unanswerable, and conclusive utterances, been unveiled and unraveled before thine eyes. God grant that through His gracious and invisible assistance, thou mayest divest thy body and soul of the old garment, and array thyself with the new and imperishable attire.

Therefore, those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the rest of mankind in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of knowledge at the hand of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest summits of faith and certitude, these can be regarded, in name, in reality, in deeds, in words, and in rank, as the “return” of those who in a former Dispensation had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever the people of a former Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been shown by the people of this latter generation. Consider the rose: whether it blossometh in the East or in the West, it is nonetheless a rose. For what mattereth in this respect is not the outward shape and form of the rose, but rather the smell and fragrance which it doth impart.

Purge thy sight, therefore, from all earthly limitations, that thou mayest behold them all as the bearers of one Name, the exponents of one Cause, the manifestations of one Self, and the revealers of one Truth, and that thou mayest apprehend the mystic “return” of the Words of God as unfolded by these utterances. Reflect for a while upon the behavior of the companions of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation. Consider how, through the reviving breath of Mua��ammad, they were cleansed from the defilements of earthly vanities, were delivered from selfish desires, and were detached from all else but Him. Behold how they preceded all the peoples of the earth in attaining unto His holy Presence–the Presence of God Himself–how they renounced the world and all that is therein, and sacrificed freely and joyously their lives at the feet of that Manifestation of the All-Glorious. And now, observe the “return” of the selfsame determination, the selfsame constancy and renunciation, manifested by the companions of the Point of the Bayan.118 Thou hast witnessed how these companions have, through the wonders of the grace of the Lord of Lords, hoisted the standards of sublime renunciation upon the inaccessible heights of glory. These Lights have proceeded from but one Source, and these fruits are the fruits of one Tree. Thou canst discern neither difference nor distinction among them. All this is by the grace of God! On whom He will, He bestoweth His grace. Please God, that we avoid the land of denial, and advance into the ocean of acceptance, so that we may perceive, with an eye purged from all conflicting elements, the worlds of unity and diversity, of variation and oneness, of limitation and detachment, and wing our flight unto the highest and innermost sanctuary of the inner meaning of the Word of God.

From these statements therefore it hath been made evident and manifest that should a Soul in the “End that knoweth no end” be made manifest, and arise to proclaim and uphold a Cause which in “the Beginning that hath no beginning” another Soul had proclaimed and upheld, it can be truly declared of Him Who is the Last and of Him Who was the First that they are one and the same, inasmuch as both are the Exponents of one and the same Cause. For this reason, hath the Point of the Bayan–may the life of all else but Him be His sacrifice!–likened the Manifestations of God unto the sun which, though it rise from the “Beginning that hath no beginning” until the “End that knoweth no end,” is nonetheless the same sun. Now, wert thou to say that this sun is the former sun, thou speakest the truth; and if thou sayest that this sun is the “return” of that sun, thou also speakest the truth. Likewise, from this statement it is made evident that the term “last” is applicable to the “first,” and the term “first” applicable to the “last”; inasmuch as both the “first” and the “last” have risen to proclaim one and the same Faith.

Notwithstanding the obviousness of this theme, in the eyes of those that have quaffed the wine of knowledge and certitude, yet how many are those who, through failure to understand its meaning, have allowed the term “Seal of the Prophets” to obscure their understanding, and deprive them of the grace of all His manifold bounties! Hath not Mua��ammad, Himself, declared: “I am all the Prophets”? Hath He not said as We have already mentioned: “I am Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus”? Why should Mua��ammad, that immortal Beauty, Who hath said: “I am the first Adam” be incapable of saying also: “I am the last Adam”? For even as He regarded Himself to be the “First of the Prophets”–that is Adam–in like manner, the “Seal of the Prophets” is also applicable unto that Divine Beauty. It is admittedly obvious that being the “First of the Prophets,” He likewise is their “Seal.”

The mystery of this theme hath, in this Dispensation, been a sore test unto all mankind. Behold, how many are those who, clinging unto these words, have disbelieved Him Who is their true Revealer. What, We ask, could this people presume the terms “first” and “last”–when referring to God–glorified be His Name!–to mean? If they maintain that these terms bear reference to this material universe, how could it be possible, when the visible order of things is still manifestly existing? Nay, in this instance, by “first” is meant no other than the “last” and by “last” no other than the “first.”

Even as in the “Beginning that hath no beginnings” the term “last” is truly applicable unto Him who is the Educator of the visible and of the invisible, in like manner, are the terms “first” and “last” applicable unto His Manifestations. They are at the same time the Exponents of both the “first” and the “last.” Whilst established upon the seat of the “first,” they occupy the throne of the “last.” Were a discerning eye to be found, it will readily perceive that the exponents of the “first” and the “last,” of the “manifest” and the “hidden,” of the “beginning” and the “seal” are none other than these holy Beings, these Essences of Detachment, these divine Souls. And wert thou to soar in the holy realm of “God was alone, there was none else besides Him,” thou wilt find in that Court all these names utterly non-existent and completely forgotten. Then will thine eyes no longer be obscured by these veils, these terms, and allusions. How ethereal and lofty is this station, unto which even Gabriel, unshepherded, can never attain, and the Bird of Heaven, unassisted, can never reach!

And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of this saying of ’Alí, the Commander of the Faithful: “Piercing the veils of glory, unaided.” Among these “veils of glory” are the divines and doctors living in the days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their ears.”119 And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Notwithstanding the divinely inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the Messengers of God,”120 they would, greatly surprised at such a statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations of Holiness were revealed, the divines of their day have hindered the people from attaining unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of all the scriptures and heavenly books. Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and execration of the clerics of His day! Woe unto them for the iniquities their hands have formerly wrought! Woe unto them for that which they are now doing! What veils of glory more grievous than these embodiments of error! By the righteousness of God! to pierce such veils is the mightiest of all acts, and to rend them asunder the most meritorious of all deeds! May God assist us and assist you, O concourse of the Spirit! that perchance ye may in the time of His Manifestation be graciously aided to perform such deeds, and may in His days attain unto the Presence of God.

Furthermore, among the “veils of glory” are such terms as the “Seal of the Prophets” and the like, the removal of which is a supreme achievement in the sight of these baseborn and erring souls. All, by reason of these mysterious sayings, these grievous “veils of glory,” have been hindered from beholding the light of truth. Have they not heard the melody of that bird of Heaven,121 uttering this mystery: “A thousand Faa��imihs I have espoused, all of whom were the daughters of Mua��ammad, Son of ‘Abdu’llah, the ’Seal of the Prophets’”? Behold, how many are the mysteries that lie as yet unraveled within the tabernacle of the knowledge of God, and how numerous the gems of His wisdom that are still concealed in His inviolable treasuries! Shouldest thou ponder this in thine heart, thou wouldst realize that His handiwork knoweth neither beginning nor end. The domain of His decree is too vast for the tongue of mortals to describe, or for the bird of the human mind to traverse; and the dispensations of His providence are too mysterious for the mind of man to comprehend. His creation no end hath overtaken, and it hath ever existed from the “Beginning that hath no beginning”; and the Manifestations of His Beauty no beginning hath beheld, and they will continue to the “End that knoweth no end.” Ponder this utterance in thine heart, and reflect how it is applicable unto all these holy Souls.

Likewise, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of the melody of that eternal beauty, a��usayn, son of ’Alí, who, addressing Salman, spoke words such as these: “I was with a thousand Adams, the interval between each and the next Adam was fifty thousand years, and to each one of these I declared the Successorship conferred upon my father.” He then recounteth certain details, until he saith: “I have fought one thousand battles in the path of God, the least and most insignificant of which was like the battle of Khaybar, in which battle my father fought and contended against the infidels.” Endeavor now to apprehend from these two traditions the mysteries of “end,” “return,” and “creation without beginning or end.”

O my beloved! Immeasurably exalted is the celestial Melody above the strivings of human ear to hear or mind to grasp its mystery! How can the helpless ant step into the court of the All-Glorious? And yet, feeble souls, through lack of understanding, reject these abstruse utterances, and question the truth of such traditions. Nay, none can comprehend them save those that are possessed of an understanding heart. Say, He is that End for Whom no end in all the universe can be imagined, and for Whom no beginning in the world of creation can be conceived. Behold, O concourse of the earth, the splendors of the End, revealed in the Manifestations of the Beginning!

How strange! These people with one hand cling to those verses of the Qur’an and those traditions of the people of certitude which they have found to accord with their inclinations and interests, and with the other reject those which are contrary to their selfish desires. “Believe ye then part of the Book, and deny part?”122 How could ye judge that which ye understand not? Even as the Lord of being hath in His unerring Book, after speaking of the “Seal” in His exalted utterance: “Mua��ammad is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets,”123 hath revealed unto all people the promise of “attainment unto the divine Presence.” To this attainment to the presence of the immortal King testify the verses of the Book, some of which We have already mentioned. The one true God is My witness! Nothing more exalted or more explicit than “attainment unto the divine Presence” hath been revealed in the Qur’an. Well is it with him that hath attained thereunto, in the day wherein most of the people, even as ye witness, have turned away therefrom.

And yet, through the mystery of the former verse, they have turned away from the grace promised by the latter, despite the fact that “attainment unto the divine Presence” in the “Day of Resurrection” is explicitly stated in the Book. It hath been demonstrated and definitely established, through clear evidences, that by “Resurrection” is meant the rise of the Manifestation of God to proclaim His Cause, and by “attainment unto the divine Presence” is meant attainment unto the presence of His Beauty in the person of His Manifestation. For verily, “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision.”124 Notwithstanding all these indubitable facts and lucid statements, they have foolishly clung to the term “seal,” and remained utterly deprived of the recognition of Him Who is the Revealer of both the Seal and the Beginning, in the day of His presence. “If God should chastise men for their perverse doings, He would not leave upon the earth a moving thing! But to an appointed time doth He respite them.”125 But apart from all these things, had this people attained unto a drop of the crystal streams flowing from the words: “God doeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth,” they would not have raised any unseemly cavils, such as these, against the focal Center of His Revelation. The Cause of God, all deeds and words, are held within the grasp of His power. “All things lie imprisoned within the hollow of His mighty Hand; all things are easy and possible unto Him.” He accomplisheth whatsoever He willeth, and doeth all that He desireth. “Whoso sayeth ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’ hath spoken blasphemy!” Were these people to shake off the slumber of negligence and realize that which their hands have wrought, they would surely perish, and would of their own accord cast themselves into fire–their end and real abode. Have they not heard that which He hath revealed: “He shall not be asked of His doings”?126 In the light of these utterances, how can man be so bold as to question Him, and busy himself with idle sayings?

Gracious God! So great is the folly and perversity of the people, that they have turned their face toward their own thoughts and desires, and have turned their back upon the knowledge and will of God–hallowed and glorified be His name!

Be fair: Were these people to acknowledge the truth of these luminous words and holy allusions, and recognize God as “Him that doeth whatsoever He pleaseth,” how could they continue to cleave unto these glaring absurdities? Nay, with all their soul, they would accept and submit to whatsoever He saith. I swear by God! But for the divine Decree, and the inscrutable dispensations of Providence, the earth itself would have utterly destroyed all this people! “He will, however, respite them until the appointed time of a known day.”

Twelve hundred and eighty years have passed since the dawn of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation, and with every break of day, these blind and ignoble people have recited their Qur’an, and yet have failed to grasp one letter of that Book! Again and again they read those verses which clearly testify to the reality of these holy themes, and bear witness to the truth of the Manifestations of eternal Glory, and still apprehend not their purpose. They have even failed to realize, all this time, that, in every age, the reading of the scriptures and holy books is for no other purpose except to enable the reader to apprehend their meaning and unravel their innermost mysteries. Otherwise reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit unto man.

And it came to pass that on a certain day a needy man came to visit this Soul, craving for the ocean of His knowledge. While conversing with him, mention was made concerning the signs of the Day of Judgment, Resurrection, Revival, and Reckoning. He urged Us to explain how, in this wondrous Dispensation, the peoples of the world were brought to a reckoning, when none were made aware of it. Thereupon, We imparted unto him, according to the measure of his capacity and understanding, certain truths of Science and ancient Wisdom. We then asked him saying: “Hast thou not read the Qur’an, and art thou not aware of this blessed verse: ‘On that day shall neither man nor spirit be asked of his sin’?127 Dost thou not realize that by ‘asking’ is not meant asking by tongue or speech, even as the verse itself doth indicate and prove? For afterward it is said: ‘By their countenance shall the sinners be known, and they shall be seized by their forelocks and their feet.’”128

Thus the peoples of the world are judged by their countenance. By it, their misbelief, their faith, and their iniquity are all made manifest. Even as it is evident in this day how the people of error are, by their countenance, known and distinguished from the followers of divine Guidance. Were these people, wholly for the sake of God and with no desire but His good-pleasure, to ponder the verses of the Book in their heart, they would of a certainty find whatsoever they seek. In its verses would they find revealed and manifest all the things, be they great or small, that have come to pass in this Dispensation. They would even recognize in them references unto the departure of the Manifestations of the names and attributes of God from out their native land; to the opposition and disdainful arrogance of government and people; and to the dwelling and establishment of the Universal Manifestation in an appointed and specially designated land. No man, however, can comprehend this except he who is possessed of an understanding heart.

We seal Our theme with that which was formerly revealed unto Mua��ammad that the seal thereof may shed the fragrance of that holy musk which leadeth men unto the Ria��van of unfading splendor. He said, and His Word is the truth: “And God calleth to the Abode of Peace;129 and He guideth whom He will into the right way.”130 “For them is an Abode of Peace with their Lord! and He shall be their Protector because of their works.”131 This He hath revealed that His grace may encompass the world. Praise be to God, the Lord of all being!

We have variously and repeatedly set forth the meaning of every theme, that perchance every soul, whether high or low, may obtain, according to his measure and capacity, his share and portion thereof. Should he be unable to comprehend a certain argument, he may, thus, by referring unto another, attain his purpose. “That all sorts of men may know where to quench their thirst.”

By God! This Bird of Heaven, now dwelling upon the dust, can, besides these melodies, utter a myriad songs, and is able, apart from these utterances, to unfold innumerable mysteries. Every single note of its unpronounced utterances is immeasurably exalted above all that hath already been revealed, and immensely glorified beyond that which hath streamed from this Pen. Let the future disclose the hour when the Brides of inner meaning will, as decreed by the Will of God, hasten forth, unveiled, out of their mystic mansions, and manifest themselves in the ancient realm of being. Nothing whatsoever is possible without His permission; no power can endure save through His power, and there is none other God but He. His is the world of creation, and His the Cause of God. All proclaim His Revelation, and all unfold the mysteries of His Spirit.

We have already in the foregoing pages assigned two stations unto each of the Luminaries arising from the Daysprings of eternal holiness. One of these stations, the station of essential unity, We have already explained. “No distinction do We make between any of them.”132 The other is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined Revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfills a definite Mission, and is entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: “Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.”133

It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Wellsprings of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in reality but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they therefore feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same.

It hath ever been evident that all these divergences of utterance are attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the standpoint of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead, Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been and are applicable to those Essences of being, inasmuch as they all abide on the throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these Manifestations of the divine Being.

Viewed in the light of their second station–the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards–they manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: “I am the servant of God.134 I am but a man like you.”135

From these incontrovertible and fully demonstrated statements strive thou to apprehend the meaning of the questions thou hast asked, that thou mayest become steadfast in the Faith of God, and not be dismayed by the divergences in the utterances of His Prophets and Chosen Ones.

Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: “I am God!” He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His name and His attributes, are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: “Those shafts were God’s, not Thine!”136 And also He saith: “In truth, they who plighted fealty unto thee, really plighted that fealty unto God.”137 And were any of them to voice the utterance: “I am the Messenger of God,” He also speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth. Even as He saith: “Mua��ammad is not the father of any man among you, but He is the Messenger of God.”138 Viewed in this light, they are all but Messengers of that ideal King, that unchangeable Essence. And were they all to proclaim: “I am the Seal of the Prophets,” they verily utter but the truth, beyond the faintest shadow of doubt. For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being, one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the “Beginning” and the “End,” the “First” and the “Last,” the “Seen” and “Hidden”–all of which pertain to Him Who is the innermost Spirit of Spirits and eternal Essence of Essences. And were they to say: “We are the servants of God,” this also is a manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been made manifest in the uttermost state of servitude, a servitude the like of which no man can possibly attain. Thus in moments in which these Essences of being were deeply immersed beneath the oceans of ancient and everlasting holiness, or when they soared to the loftiest summits of divine mysteries, they claimed their utterance to be the Voice of divinity, the Call of God Himself. Were the eye of discernment to be opened, it would recognize that in this very state, they have considered themselves utterly effaced and nonexistent in the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading, the Incorruptible. Methinks they have regarded themselves as utter nothingness, and deemed their mention in that Court an act of blasphemy. For the slightest whispering of self, within such a Court, is an evidence of self-assertion and independent existence. In the eyes of them that have attained unto that Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous transgression. How much more grievous would it be, were aught else to be mentioned in that Presence, were man’s heart, his tongue, his mind, or his soul, to be busied with anyone but the Well-Beloved, were his eyes to behold any countenance other than His beauty, were his ear to be inclined to any melody but His voice, and were his feet to tread any way but His way.

In this day the breeze of God is wafted, and His Spirit hath pervaded all things. Such is the outpouring of His grace that the pen is stilled and the tongue is speechless.

By virtue of this station, they have claimed for themselves the Voice of Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of Messengership, they have declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every instance they have voiced an utterance that would conform to the requirements of the occasion, and have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves, declarations ranging from the realm of divine Revelation to the realm of creation, and from the domain of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship or Servitude, all is true, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Therefore, these sayings which We have quoted in support of Our argument must be attentively considered, that the divergent utterances of the Manifestations of the Unseen and Daysprings of Holiness may cease to agitate the soul and perplex the mind.

Those words uttered by the Luminaries of Truth must needs be pondered, and should their significance be not grasped, enlightenment should be sought from the Trustees of the depositories of Knowledge, that these may expound their meaning, and unravel their mystery. For it behooveth no man to interpret the holy words according to his own imperfect understanding, nor, having found them to be contrary to his inclination and desires, to reject and repudiate their truth. For such, today, is the manner of the divines and doctors of the age, who occupy the seats of knowledge and learning, and who have named ignorance knowledge, and called oppression justice. Were these to ask the Light of Truth concerning those images which their idle fancy hath carved, and were they to find His answer inconsistent with their own conceptions and their own understanding of the Book, they would assuredly denounce Him Who is the Mine and Wellhead of all Knowledge as the very negation of understanding. Such things have happened in every age.

For instance, when Mua��ammad, the Lord of being, was questioned concerning the new moons, He, as bidden by God, made reply: “They are periods appointed unto men.”139 Thereupon, they that heard Him denounced Him as an ignorant man.

Likewise, in the verse concerning the “Spirit,” He saith: “And they will ask Thee of the Spirit. Say, ‘the Spirit proceedeth at My Lord’s command.’”140 As soon as Mua��ammad’s answer was given, they all clamorously protested, saying: “Lo! an ignorant man who knoweth not what the Spirit is, calleth Himself the Revealer of divine Knowledge!” And now behold the divines of the age who, because of their being honored by His name, and finding that their fathers have acknowledged His Revelation, have blindly submitted to His truth. Observe, were this people today to receive such answers in reply to such questionings, they would unhesitatingly reject and denounce them–nay, they would again utter the selfsame cavils, even as they have uttered them in this day. All this, notwithstanding the fact that these Essences of being are immensely exalted above such fanciful images, and are immeasurably glorified beyond all these vain sayings and above the comprehension of every understanding heart. Their so-called learning, when compared with that Knowledge, is utter falsehood, and all their understanding naught but blatant error. Nay, whatsoever proceedeth from these Mines of divine Wisdom and these Treasuries of eternal knowledge is truth, and naught else but the truth. The saying: “Knowledge is one point, which the foolish have multiplied” is a proof of Our argument, and the tradition: “Knowledge is a light which God sheddeth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth” a confirmation of Our statement.

Inasmuch as they have not apprehended the meaning of Knowledge, and have called by that name those images fashioned by their own fancy and which have sprung from the embodiments of ignorance, they therefore have inflicted upon the Source of Knowledge that which thou hast heard and witnessed.

For instance, a certain man,141 reputed for his learning and attainments, and accounting himself as one of the preeminent leaders of his people, hath in his book denounced and vilified all the exponents of true learning. This is made abundantly clear by his explicit statements as well as by his allusions throughout his book. As We had frequently heard about him, We purposed to read some of his works. Although We never felt disposed to peruse other peoples’ writings, yet as some had questioned Us concerning him, We felt it necessary to refer to his books, in order that We might answer Our questioners with knowledge and understanding. His works, in the Arabic tongue, were, however, not available, until one day a certain man informed Us that one of his compositions, entitled Irshadu’l-’Avam,142 could be found in this city. From this title We perceived the odor of conceit and vainglory, inasmuch as he hath imagined himself a learned man and regarded the rest of the people ignorant. His worth was in fact made known by the very title he had chosen for his book. It became evident that its author was following the path of self and desire, and was lost in the wilderness of ignorance and folly. Methinks he had forgotten the well-known tradition which sayeth: “Knowledge is all that is knowable; and might and power, all creation.” Notwithstanding, We sent for the book, and kept it with Us a few days. It was probably referred to twice. The second time, We accidentally came upon the story of the “Mi’raj”143 of Mua��ammad, of whom was spoken: “But for Thee, I would not have created the spheres.” We noticed that he had enumerated some twenty or more sciences, the knowledge of which he considered to be essential for the comprehension of the mystery of the “Mi’raj.” We gathered from his statements that unless a man be deeply versed in them all, he can never attain to a proper understanding of this transcendent and exalted theme. Among the specified sciences were the science of metaphysical abstractions, of alchemy, and natural magic. Such vain and discarded learnings, this man hath regarded as the prerequisites of the understanding of the sacred and abiding mysteries of divine Knowledge.

Gracious God! Such is the measure of his understanding. And yet, behold what cavils and calumnies he hath heaped upon those Embodiments of God’s infinite knowledge! How well and true is the saying: “Flingest thou thy calumnies unto the face of Them Whom the one true God hath made the Trustees of the treasures of His seventh sphere?” Not one understanding heart or mind, not one among the wise and learned, hath taken notice of these preposterous statements. And yet, how clear and evident it is to every discerning heart that this so-called learning is and hath ever been rejected by Him Who is the one true God. How can the knowledge of these sciences, which are so contemptible in the eyes of the truly learned, be regarded as essential to the apprehension of the mysteries of the “Mi’raj,” whilst the Lord of the “Mi’raj” Himself was never burdened with a single letter of these limited and obscure learnings, and never defiled His radiant heart with any of these fanciful illusions? How truly hath he said: “All human attainment moveth upon a lame ass, whilst Truth, riding upon the wind, darteth across space.” By the righteousness of God! Whoso desireth to fathom the mystery of this “Mi’raj,” and craveth a drop from this ocean, if the mirror of his heart be already obscured by the dust of these learnings, he must needs cleanse and purify it ere the light of this mystery can be reflected therein.

In this day, they that are submerged beneath the ocean of ancient Knowledge, and dwell within the ark of divine wisdom, forbid the people such idle pursuits. Their shining breasts are, praise be to God, sanctified from every trace of such learning, and are exalted above such grievous veils. We have consumed this densest of all veils with the fire of the love of the Beloved–the veil referred to in the saying: “The most grievous of all veils is the veil of knowledge.” Upon its ashes, We have reared the tabernacle of divine knowledge. We have, praise be to God, burned the “veils of glory” with the fire of the beauty of the Best-Beloved. We have driven from the human heart all else but Him Who is the Desire of the world, and glory therein. We cleave to no knowledge but His Knowledge, and set our hearts on naught save the effulgent glories of His light.

We were surprised exceedingly when We observed that his one purpose was to make the people realize that all these learnings were possessed by him. And yet, I swear by God that not one breath, blowing from the meads of divine knowledge, hath ever been wafted upon his soul, nor hath he ever unraveled a single mystery of ancient wisdom. Nay, were the meaning of Knowledge ever to be expounded unto him, dismay would fill his heart, and his whole being would shake to its foundation. Notwithstanding his base and senseless statements, behold to what heights of extravagance his claims have reached!

Gracious God! How great is Our amazement at the way the people have gathered around him, and have borne allegiance to his person! Content with transient dust, these people have turned their face unto it, and cast behind their backs Him Who is the Lord of Lords. Satisfied with the croaking of the crow and enamored with the visage of the raven, they have renounced the melody of the nightingale and the charm of the rose. What unspeakable fallacies the perusal of this pretentious book hath revealed! They are too unworthy for any pen to describe, and too base for one moment’s attention. Should a touchstone be found, however, it would instantly distinguish truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and sun from shadow.

Among the sciences which this pretender hath professed is that of alchemy. We cherish the hope that either a king or a man of preeminent power may call upon him to translate this science from the realm of fancy to the domain of fact and from the plane of mere pretension to that of actual achievement. Would that this unlearned and humble Servant, who never laid any pretension to such things, nor even regarded them as the criterion of true knowledge, might undertake the same task, that thereby the truth might be known and distinguished from falsehood. But of what avail! All this generation could offer Us were wounds from its darts, and the only cup it proffered to Our lips was the cup of its venom. On our neck We still bear the scar of chains, and upon Our body are imprinted the evidences of an unyielding cruelty.

And as to this man’s attainments, his ignorance, understanding and belief, behold what the Book which embraceth all things hath revealed; “Verily, the tree of Zaqqúm144 shall be the food of the Athím.”145 And then follow certain verses, until He saith: “Taste this, for thou forsooth art the mighty Karím!”146 Consider how clearly and explicitly he hath been described in God’s incorruptible Book! This man, moreover, feigning humility, hath in his own book referred to himself as the “athím servant”: “Athím” in the Book of God, mighty among the common herd, “Karím” in name!

Ponder the blessed verse, so that the meaning of the words “There is neither a thing green nor sere but it is noted in the unerring Book”147 may be imprinted upon the tablet of thy heart. Notwithstanding, a multitude bear him allegiance. They have rejected the Moses of knowledge and justice, and clung to the Samirí148 of ignorance. They have turned away their eyes from the Daystar of truth which shineth in the divine and everlasting heaven, and have utterly ignored its splendor.

O my brother! A divine Mine only can yield the gems of divine knowledge, and the fragrance of the mystic Flower can be inhaled only in the ideal Garden, and the lilies of ancient wisdom can blossom nowhere except in the city of a stainless heart. “In a rich soil, its plants spring forth abundantly by permission of its Lord, and in that soil which is bad, they spring forth but scantily.”149

Inasmuch as it hath been clearly shown that only those who are initiated into the divine mysteries can comprehend the melodies uttered by the Bird of Heaven, it is therefore incumbent upon every one to seek enlightenment from the illumined in heart and from the Treasuries of divine mysteries regarding the intricacies of God’s Faith and the abstruse allusions in the utterances of the Daysprings of Holiness. Thus will these mysteries be unraveled, not by the aid of acquired learning, but solely through the assistance of God and the outpourings of His grace. “Ask ye, therefore, of them that have the custody of the Scriptures, if ye know it not.”150

But, O my brother, when a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error. That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century.

That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. He should treasure the companionship of those that have renounced the world, and regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved. He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellowman, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure of the people to turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill. With all his heart should the seeker avoid fellowship with evildoers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner, at the hour of death, attained to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draft, hath taken his flight unto the celestial Concourse. And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire. Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.

These are among the attributes of the exalted, and constitute the hallmark of the spiritually minded. They have already been mentioned in connection with the requirements of the wayfarers that tread the Path of Positive Knowledge. When the detached wayfarer and sincere seeker hath fulfilled these essential conditions, then and only then can he be called a true seeker. Whensoever he hath fulfilled the conditions implied in the verse: “Whoso maketh efforts for Us,”151 he shall enjoy the blessing conferred by the words: “In Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.”152

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of negligence. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude. He will discover in all things the mysteries of divine Revelation and the evidences of an everlasting manifestation.

I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and supreme station, he would inhale at a distance of a thousand leagues the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a divine Guidance rising above the dayspring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will likewise clearly distinguish all the signs of God–His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds–from the doings, words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude. Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree–which flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and his outer ear he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of “return” and “revival.” How unspeakably glorious are the signs, the tokens, the revelations, and splendors which He Who is the King of names and attributes hath destined for that City! The attainment of this City quencheth thirst without water, and kindleth the love of God without fire. Within every blade of grass are enshrined the mysteries of an inscrutable wisdom, and upon every rosebush a myriad nightingales pour out, in blissful rapture, their melody. Its wondrous tulips unfold the mystery of the undying Fire in the Burning Bush, and its sweet savors of holiness breathe the perfume of the Messianic Spirit. It bestoweth wealth without gold, and conferreth immortality without death. In every leaf ineffable delights are treasured, and within every chamber unnumbered mysteries lie hidden.

They that valiantly labor in quest of God will, when once they have renounced all else but Him, be so attached and wedded to that City that a moment’s separation from it would to them be unthinkable. They will hearken unto infallible proofs from the Hyacinth of that assembly, and receive the surest testimonies from the beauty of its Rose and the melody of its Nightingale. Once in about a thousand years shall this City be renewed and readorned.

Wherefore, O my friend, it behooveth us to exert the highest endeavor to attain unto that City, and, by the grace of God and His loving-kindness, rend asunder the “veils of glory”; so that, with inflexible steadfastness, we may sacrifice our drooping souls in the path of the New Beloved. We should with tearful eyes, fervently and repeatedly, implore Him to grant us the favor of that grace. That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Mua��ammad the Messenger of God the Qur’an; in this day the Bayan; and in the dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book–the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book which standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme. In these Cities spiritual sustenance is bountifully provided, and incorruptible delights have been ordained. The food they bestow is the bread of heaven, and the Spirit they impart is God’s imperishable blessing. Upon detached souls they bestow the gift of Unity, enrich the destitute, and offer the cup of knowledge unto them who wander in the wilderness of ignorance. All the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith, and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are hidden and treasured within these Cities.

For instance, the Qur’an was an impregnable stronghold unto the people of Mua��ammad. In His days, whosoever entered therein was shielded from the devilish assaults, the menacing darts, the soul-devouring doubts, and blasphemous whisperings of the enemy. Upon him was also bestowed a portion of the everlasting and goodly fruits–the fruits of wisdom from the divine Tree. To him was given to drink the incorruptible waters of the river of knowledge and to taste the wine of the mysteries of divine Unity.

All the things that people required in connection with the Revelation of Mua��ammad and His laws were to be found revealed and manifest in that Ria��van of resplendent glory. That Book constitutes an abiding testimony to its people after Mua��ammad, inasmuch as its decrees are indisputable, and its promise unfailing. All have been enjoined to follow the precepts of that Book until “the year sixty”153–the year of the advent of God’s wondrous Manifestation. That Book is the Book which unfailingly leadeth the seeker unto the Ria��van of the divine Presence, and causeth him that hath forsaken his country and is treading the seeker’s path to enter the Tabernacle of everlasting reunion. Its guidance can never err, its testimony no other testimony can excel. All other traditions, all other books and records, are bereft of such distinction, inasmuch as both the traditions and they that have spoken them are confirmed and proven solely by the text of that Book. Moreover, the traditions themselves grievously differ, and their obscurities are manifold.

Mua��ammad, Himself, as the end of His mission drew nigh, spoke these words: “Verily, I leave amongst you My twin weighty testimonies: The Book of God and My Family.” Although many traditions had been revealed by that Source of Prophethood and Mine of divine Guidance, yet He mentioned only that Book, thereby appointing it as the mightiest instrument and surest testimony for the seekers; a guide for the people until the Day of Resurrection.

With unswerving vision, with pure heart, and sanctified spirit, consider attentively what God hath established as the testimony of guidance for His people in His Book, which is recognized as authentic by both the high and lowly. To this testimony we both, as well as all the peoples of the world, must cling, that through its light we may know and distinguish between truth and falsehood, guidance and error. Inasmuch as Mua��ammad hath confined His testimonies to His Book and to His Family, and whereas the latter hath passed away, there remaineth His Book only as His one testimony amongst the people.

In the beginning of His Book He saith: “Alif. Lam. Mím. No doubt is there about this Book: It is a guidance unto the God-fearing.”154 In the disconnected letters of the Qur’an the mysteries of the divine Essence are enshrined, and within their shells the pearls of His Unity are treasured. For lack of space We do not dwell upon them at this moment. Outwardly they signify Mua��ammad Himself, Whom God addresseth saying: “O Mua��ammad, there is no doubt nor uncertainty about this Book which hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Unity. In it is guidance unto them that fear God.” Consider, how He hath appointed and decreed this selfsame Book, the Qur’an, as a guidance unto all that are in heaven and on earth. He, the divine Being, and unknowable Essence, hath, Himself, testified that this Book is, beyond all doubt and uncertainty, the guide of all mankind until the Day of Resurrection. And now, We ask, is it fair for this people to view with doubt and misgiving this most weighty Testimony, the divine origin of which God hath proclaimed, and pronounced to be the embodiment of truth? Is it fair for them to turn away from the thing which He hath appointed as the supreme Instrument of guidance for attainment unto the loftiest summits of knowledge, and to seek aught else but that Book? How can they allow men’s absurd and foolish sayings to sow the seeds of distrust in their minds? How can they any longer idly contend that a certain person hath spoken this or that way, or that a certain thing did not come to pass? Had there been anything conceivable besides the Book of God which could prove a more potent instrument and a surer guide to mankind, would He have failed to reveal it in that verse?

It is incumbent upon us not to depart from God’s irresistible injunction and fixed decree, as revealed in the above-mentioned verse. We should acknowledge the holy and wondrous Scriptures, for failing to do this we have failed to acknowledge the truth of this blessed verse. For it is evident that whoso hath failed to acknowledge the truth of the Qur’an hath in reality failed to acknowledge the truth of the preceding Scriptures. This is but the manifest implication of the verse. Were We to expound its inner meanings and unfold its hidden mysteries, eternity would never suffice to exhaust their import, nor would the universe be capable of bearing them! God verily testifieth to the truth of Our saying!

In another passage He likewise saith: “And if ye be in doubt as to that which We have sent down to Our Servant, then produce a Súrah like it, and summon your witnesses, beside God, if ye are men of truth.”155 Behold, how lofty is the station, and how consummate the virtue, of these verses which He hath declared to be His surest testimony, His infallible proof, the evidence of His all-subduing power, and a revelation of the potency of His will. He, the divine King, hath proclaimed the undisputed supremacy of the verses of His Book over all things that testify to His truth. For compared with all other proofs and tokens, the divinely revealed verses shine as the sun, whilst all others are as stars. To the peoples of the world they are the abiding testimony, the incontrovertible proof, the shining light of the ideal King. Their excellence is unrivaled, their virtue nothing can surpass. They are the treasury of the divine pearls and the depository of the divine mysteries. They constitute the indissoluble Bond, the firm Cord, the ’Urvatu’l-Vuthqa, the inextinguishable Light. Through them floweth the river of divine knowledge, and gloweth the fire of His ancient and consummate wisdom. This is the fire which, in one and the same moment, kindleth the flame of love in the breasts of the faithful, and induceth the chill of heedlessness in the heart of the enemy.

O friend! It behooveth us not to waive the injunction of God, but rather acquiesce and submit to that which He hath ordained as His divine Testimony. This verse is too weighty and pregnant an utterance for this afflicted Soul to demonstrate and expound. God speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He, verily, is supreme over all His people; He is the Mighty, the Beneficent.

Likewise, He saith: “Such are the verses of God: with truth do We recite them to thee. But in what revelation will they believe, if they reject God and His verses?”156 If thou wilt grasp the implication of this verse, thou wilt recognize the truth that no manifestation greater than the Prophets of God hath ever been revealed, and no testimony mightier than the testimony of their revealed verses hath ever appeared upon the earth. Nay, this testimony no other testimony can ever excel, except that which the Lord thy God willeth.

In another passage He saith: “Woe to every lying sinner, who heareth the verses of God recited to him, and then, as though he heard them not, persisteth in proud disdain! Apprise him of a painful punishment.”157 The implications of this verse, alone, suffice all that is in heaven and on earth, were the people to ponder the verses of their Lord. For thou hearest how in this day the people disdainfully ignore the divinely revealed verses, as though they were the meanest of all things. And yet, nothing greater than these verses hath ever appeared, nor will ever be made manifest in the world! Say unto them: “O heedless people! Ye repeat what your fathers, in a bygone age, have said. Whatever fruits they have gathered from the tree of their faithlessness, the same shall ye gather also. Ere long shall ye be gathered unto your fathers, and with them shall ye dwell in hellish fire. An ill abode! the abode of the people of tyranny.”

In yet another passage He saith: “And when he becometh acquainted with any of Our verses he turneth them to ridicule. There is a shameful punishment for them!”158 The people derisively observed saying: “Work thou another miracle, and give us another sign!” One would say: “Make now a part of the heaven to fall down upon us”;159 and another: “If this be the very truth from before Thee, rain down stones upon us from heaven.”160 Even as the people of Israel, in the time of Moses, bartered away the bread of heaven for the sordid things of the earth, these people, likewise, sought to exchange the divinely revealed verses for their foul, their vile, and idle desires. In like manner, thou beholdest in this day that although spiritual sustenance hath descended from the heaven of divine mercy, and been showered from the clouds of His loving-kindness, and although the seas of life, at the behest of the Lord of all being, are surging within the Ria��van of the heart, yet these people, ravenous as the dogs, have gathered around carrion, and contented themselves with the stagnant waters of a briny lake. Gracious God! how strange the way of this people! They clamor for guidance, although the standards of Him Who guideth all things are already hoisted. They cleave to the obscure intricacies of knowledge, when He, Who is the Object of all knowledge, shineth as the sun. They see the sun with their own eyes, and yet question that brilliant Orb as to the proof of its light. They behold the vernal showers descending upon them, and yet seek an evidence of that bounty. The proof of the sun is the light thereof, which shineth and envelopeth all things. The evidence of the shower is the bounty thereof, which reneweth and investeth the world with the mantle of life. Yea, the blind can perceive naught from the sun except its heat, and the arid soil hath no share of the showers of mercy. “Marvel not if in the Qur’an the unbeliever perceiveth naught but the trace of letters, for in the sun, the blind findeth naught but heat.”

In another passage He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, ‘Bring back our fathers, if ye speak the truth!’”161 Behold, what foolish evidences they sought from these Embodiments of an all-encompassing mercy! They scoffed at the verses, a single letter of which is greater than the creation of heavens and earth, and which quickeneth the dead of the valley of self and desire with the spirit of faith; and clamored saying: “Cause our fathers to speed out of their sepulchers.” Such was the perversity and pride of that people. Each one of these verses is unto all the peoples of the world an unfailing testimony and a glorious proof of His truth. Each of them verily sufficeth all mankind, wert thou to meditate upon the verses of God. In the above-mentioned verse itself pearls of mysteries lie hidden. Whatever be the ailment, the remedy it offereth can never fail.

Heed not the idle contention of those who maintain that the Book and verses thereof can never be a testimony unto the common people, inasmuch as they neither grasp their meaning nor appreciate their value. And yet, the unfailing testimony of God to both the East and the West is none other than the Qur’an. Were it beyond the comprehension of men, how could it have been declared as a universal testimony unto all people? If their contention be true, none would therefore be required, nor would it be necessary for them to know God, inasmuch as the knowledge of the divine Being transcendeth the knowledge of His Book, and the common people would not possess the capacity to comprehend it.

Such contention is utterly fallacious and inadmissible. It is actuated solely by arrogance and pride. Its motive is to lead the people astray from the Ria��van of divine good-pleasure and to tighten the reins of their authority over the people. And yet, in the sight of God, these common people are infinitely superior and exalted above their religious leaders who have turned away from the one true God. The understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. This is evidenced by those who, today, though without a single letter of the accepted standards of learning, are occupying the loftiest seats of knowledge; and the garden of their hearts is adorned, through the showers of divine grace, with the roses of wisdom and the tulips of understanding. Well is it with the sincere in heart for their share of the light of a mighty Day!

And likewise, He saith: “As for those who believe not in the verses of God, or that they shall ever meet Him, these of My mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.”162 Also, “And they say, ‘Shall we then abandon our gods for a crazed poet?’”163 The implication of this verse is manifest. Behold what they observed after the verses were revealed. They called Him a poet, scoffed at the verses of God, and exclaimed saying: “These words of his are but tales of the Ancients!” By this they meant that those words which were spoken by the peoples of old Mua��ammad hath compiled and called them the Word of God.

Likewise, in this day, thou hast heard the people impute similar charges to this Revelation, saying: “He hath compiled these words from the words of old”; or “these words are spurious.” Vain and haughty are their sayings, low their estate and station!

After the denials and denunciations which they uttered, and unto which We have referred, they protested saying: “No independent Prophet, according to our Scriptures, should arise after Moses and Jesus to abolish the Law of divine Revelation. Nay, he that is to be made manifest must needs fulfill the Law.” Thereupon this verse, indicative of all the divine themes, and testifying to the truth that the flow of the grace of the All-Merciful can never cease, was revealed: “And Joseph came to you aforetime with clear tokens, but ye ceased not to doubt of the message with which He came to you, until, when He died, ye said, ‘God will by no means raise up a Messenger after Him.’ Thus God misleadeth him who is the transgressor, the doubter.”164 Therefore, understand from this verse and know of a certainty that the people in every age, clinging to a verse of the Book, have uttered such vain and absurd sayings, contending that no Prophet should again be made manifest to the world. Even as the Christian divines who, holding fast to the verse of the Gospel to which We have already referred, have sought to explain that the law of the Gospel shall at no time be annulled, and that no independent Prophet shall again be made manifest, unless He confirmeth the law of the Gospel. Most of the people have become afflicted with the same spiritual disease.

Even as thou dost witness how the people of the Qur’an, like unto the people of old, have allowed the words “Seal of the Prophets” to veil their eyes. And yet, they themselves testify to this verse: “None knoweth the interpretation thereof but God and they that are well-grounded in knowledge.”165 And when He Who is well-grounded in all knowledge, He Who is the Mother, the Soul, the Secret, and the Essence thereof, revealeth that which is the least contrary to their desire, they bitterly oppose Him and shamelessly deny Him. These thou hast already heard and witnessed. Such deeds and words have been solely instigated by leaders of religion, they that worship no God but their own desire, who bear allegiance to naught but gold, who are wrapt in the densest veils of learning, and who, enmeshed by its obscurities, are lost in the wilds of error. Even as the Lord of being hath explicitly declared: “What thinkest thou? He who hath made a God of his passions, and whom God causeth to err through a knowledge, and whose ears and whose heart He hath sealed up, and over whose sight He hath cast a veil–who, after his rejection by God, shall guide such a one? Will ye not then be warned?”166

Although the outward meaning of “Whom God causeth to err through a knowledge” is what hath been revealed, yet to Us it signifieth those divines of the age who have turned away from the Beauty of God, and who, clinging unto their own learning, as fashioned by their own fancies and desires, have denounced God’s divine Message and Revelation. “Say: It is a weighty Message, from which ye turn aside!”167 Likewise, He saith: “And when Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, ‘This is merely a man who would fain pervert you from your father’s worship.’ And they say, ‘This is none other than a forged falsehood.’”168

Give ear unto God’s holy Voice, and heed thou His sweet and immortal melody. Behold how He hath solemnly warned them that have repudiated the verses of God, and hath disowned them that have denied His holy words. Consider how far the people have strayed from the Kawthar of the divine Presence, and how grievous hath been the faithlessness and arrogance of the spiritually destitute in the face of that sanctified Beauty. Although that Essence of loving-kindness and bounty caused those evanescent beings to step into the realm of immortality, and guided those destitute souls to the sacred river of wealth, yet some denounced Him as “a calumniator of God, the Lord of all creatures,” others accused Him of being “the one that withholdeth the people from the path of faith and true belief,” and still others declared Him to be “a lunatic” and the like.

In like manner, thou observest in this day with what vile imputations they have assailed that Gem of Immortality, and what unspeakable transgressions they have heaped upon Him Who is the Source of purity. Although God hath throughout His Book and in His holy and immortal Tablet warned them that deny and repudiate the revealed verses, and hath announced His grace unto them that accept them, yet behold the unnumbered cavils they raised against those verses which have been sent down from the new heaven of God’s eternal holiness! This, notwithstanding the fact that no eye hath beheld so great an outpouring of bounty, nor hath any ear heard of such a revelation of loving-kindness. Such bounty and revelation have been made manifest, that the revealed verses seemed as vernal showers raining from the clouds of the mercy of the All-Bountiful. The Prophets “endowed with constancy,” whose loftiness and glory shine as the sun, were each honored with a Book which all have seen, and the verses of which have been duly ascertained. Whereas the verses which have rained from this Cloud of divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to estimate their number. A score of volumes are now available. How many still remain beyond our reach! How many have been plundered and have fallen into the hands of the enemy, the fate of which none knoweth.

O brother, we should open our eyes, meditate upon His Word, and seek the sheltering shadow of the Manifestations of God, that perchance we may be warned by the unmistakable counsels of the Book, and give heed to the admonitions recorded in the holy Tablets; that we may not cavil at the Revealer of the verses, that we may resign ourselves wholly to His Cause, and embrace wholeheartedly His law, that haply we may enter the court of His mercy, and dwell upon the shore of His grace. He, verily, is merciful and forgiving towards His servants.

And likewise, He saith: “Say, O people of the Book! do ye not disavow us only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down to us, and in what He hath sent down aforetime, and because most of you are doers of ill?”169 How explicitly doth this verse reveal Our purpose, and how clearly doth it demonstrate the truth of the testimony of the verses of God! This verse was revealed at a time when Islam was assailed by the infidels, and its followers were accused of misbelief, when the Companions of Mua��ammad were denounced as repudiators of God and as followers of a lying sorcerer. In its early days, when Islam was still to outward seeming devoid of authority and power, the friends of the Prophet, who had turned their face toward God, wherever they went, were harassed, persecuted, stoned and vilified. At such a time this blessed verse was sent down from the heaven of divine Revelation. It revealed an irrefutable evidence, and brought the light of an unfailing guidance. It instructed the companions of Mua��ammad to declare the following unto the infidels and idolaters: “Ye oppress and persecute us, and yet, what else have we done except that we have believed in God and in the verses sent down unto us through the tongue of Mua��ammad, and in those which descended upon the Prophets of old?” By this is meant that their only guilt was to have recognized that the new and wondrous verses of God, which had descended upon Mua��ammad, as well as those which had been revealed unto the Prophets of old, were all of God, and to have acknowledged and embraced their truth. This is the testimony which the divine King hath taught His servants.

In view of this, is it fair for this people to repudiate these newly revealed verses which have encompassed both the East and the West, and to regard themselves as the upholders of true belief? Should they not rather believe in Him Who hath revealed these verses? Considering the testimony which He Himself hath established, how could He fail to account as true believers them that have testified to its truth? Far be it from Him that He should turn away from the gates of His mercy them that have turned unto and embraced the truth of the divine verses, or that He should threaten those that have clung to His sure testimony! He verily establisheth the truth through His verses, and confirmeth His Revelation by His words. He verily is the Powerful, the Help in peril, the Almighty.

And likewise, He saith: “And had We sent down unto Thee a Book written on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels would surely have said ‘This is naught but palpable sorcery.’”170 Most of the verses of the Qur’an are indicative of this theme. We have, for the sake of brevity, mentioned only these verses. Consider, hath anything else besides the verses been established in the whole Book, as a standard for the recognition of the Manifestations of His Beauty, that the people might cling to, and reject the Manifestations of God? On the contrary, in every instance, He hath threatened with fire those that repudiate and scoff at the verses, as already shown.

Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses, discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace? What answer could they give when once their soul hath ascended and departed from its gloomy temple? Could they seek to justify themselves by saying: “We have clung to a certain tradition, and not having beheld the literal fulfillment thereof, we have therefore raised such cavils against the Embodiments of divine Revelation, and kept remote from the law of God”? Hast thou not heard that among the reasons why certain Prophets have been designated as Prophets “endowed with constancy” was the revelation of a Book unto them? And yet, how could this people be justified in rejecting the Revealer and Author of so many volumes of verses, and follow the sayings of him who hath foolishly sown the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men, and who, Satan-like, hath risen to lead the people into the paths of perdition and error? How could they allow such things to deprive them of the light of the Sun of divine bounty? Aside from these things, if these people shun and reject such a divine Soul, such holy Breath, to whom, We wonder, could they cling, to whose face besides His Face could they turn? Yea–“All have a quarter of the Heavens to which they turn.”171 We have shown thee these two ways; walk thou the way thou choosest. This verily is the truth, and after truth there remaineth naught but error.

Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth of this Revelation is this, that in every age and Dispensation, whenever the invisible Essence was revealed in the person of His Manifestation, certain souls, obscure and detached from all worldly entanglements, would seek illumination from the Sun of Prophethood and Moon of divine guidance, and would attain unto the divine Presence. For this reason, the divines of the age and those possessed of wealth would scorn and scoff at these people. Even as He hath revealed concerning them that erred: “Then said the chiefs of His people who believed not, ‘We see in Thee but a man like ourselves; and we see not any who have followed Thee except our meanest ones of hasty judgment, nor see we any excellence in you above ourselves: nay, we deem you liars.’”172 They caviled at those holy Manifestations, and protested saying: “None hath followed you except the abject amongst us, those who are worthy of no attention.” Their aim was to show that no one amongst the learned, the wealthy, and the renowned believed in them. By this and similar proofs they sought to demonstrate the falsity of Him that speaketh naught but the truth.

In this most resplendent Dispensation, however, this most mighty Sovereignty, a number of illumined divines, of men of consummate learning, of doctors of mature wisdom, have attained unto His Court, drunk the cup of His divine Presence, and been invested with the honor of His most excellent favor. They have renounced, for the sake of the Beloved, the world and all that is therein. We will mention the names of some of them, that perchance it may strengthen the fainthearted, and encourage the timorous.

Among them was Mulla a��usayn, who became the recipient of the effulgent glory of the Sun of divine Revelation. But for him, God would not have been established upon the seat of His mercy, nor ascended the throne of eternal glory. Among them also was Siyyid Yaa��ya, that unique and peerless figure of his age,

Mulla Mua��ammad ’Alíy-i-Zanjaní

Mulla ’Alíy-i-Bastamí

Mulla Sa’íd-i-Barfurúshí

Mulla Ni’matu’llah-i-Mazindaraní

Mulla Yúsuf-i-Ardibílí

Mulla Mihdíy-i-Khu’í

Siyyid a��usayn-i-Turshízí

Mulla Mihdíy-i-Kandí

Mulla Baqir

Mulla ’Abdu’l-Khaliq-i-Yazdí

Mulla ’Alíy-i-Baraqaní

and others, well-nigh four hundred in number, whose names are all inscribed upon the “Guarded Tablet” of God.

All these were guided by the light of that Sun of divine Revelation, confessed and acknowledged His truth. Such was their faith, that most of them renounced their substance and kindred, and cleaved to the good-pleasure of the All-Glorious. They laid down their lives for their Well-Beloved, and surrendered their all in His path. Their breasts were made targets for the darts of the enemy, and their heads adorned the spears of the infidel. No land remained which did not drink the blood of these embodiments of detachment, and no sword that did not bruise their necks. Their deeds, alone, testify to the truth of their words. Doth not the testimony of these holy souls, who have so gloriously risen to offer up their lives for their Beloved that the whole world marveled at the manner of their sacrifice, suffice the people of this day? Is it not sufficient witness against the faithlessness of those who for a trifle betrayed their faith, who bartered away immortality for that which perisheth, who gave up the Kawthar of the divine Presence for salty springs, and whose one aim in life is to usurp the property of others? Even as thou dost witness how all of them have busied themselves with the vanities of the world, and have strayed far from Him Who is the Lord, the Most High.

Be fair: Is the testimony of those acceptable and worthy of attention whose deeds agree with their words, whose outward behavior conforms with their inner life? The mind is bewildered at their deeds, and the soul marveleth at their fortitude and bodily endurance. Or is the testimony of these faithless souls who breathe naught but the breath of selfish desire, and who lie imprisoned in the cage of their idle fancies, acceptable? Like the bats of darkness, they lift not their heads from their couch except to pursue the transient things of the world, and find no rest by night except as they labor to advance the aims of their sordid life. Immersed in their selfish schemes, they are oblivious of the divine Decree. In the daytime they strive with all their soul after worldly benefits, and in the night-season their sole occupation is to gratify their carnal desires. By what law or standard could men be justified in cleaving to the denials of such petty-minded souls and in ignoring the faith of them that have renounced, for the sake of the good-pleasure of God, their life and substance, their fame and renown, their reputation and honor?

Were not the happenings of the life of the “Prince of Martyrs”173 regarded as the greatest of all events, as the supreme evidence of his truth? Did not the people of old declare those happenings to be unprecedented? Did they not maintain that no manifestation of truth hath ever evinced such constancy, such conspicuous glory? And yet, that episode of his life, commencing as it did in the morning, was brought to a close by the middle of the same day, whereas, these holy lights have, for eighteen years, heroically endured the showers of afflictions which, from every side, have rained upon them. With what love, what devotion, what exultation and holy rapture, they sacrificed their lives in the path of the All-Glorious! To the truth of this all witness. And yet, how can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous happenings? If these companions be not the true strivers after God, who else could be called by this name? Have these companions been seekers after power or glory? Have they ever yearned for riches? Have they cherished any desire except the good-pleasure of God? If these companions, with all their marvelous testimonies and wondrous works, be false, who then is worthy to claim for himself the truth? I swear by God! Their very deeds are a sufficient testimony, and an irrefutable proof unto all the peoples of the earth, were men to ponder in their hearts the mysteries of divine Revelation. “And they who act unjustly shall soon know what lot awaiteth them!”174

Furthermore, the sign of truth and falsehood is designated and appointed in the Book. By this divinely appointed touchstone, the claims and pretensions of all men must needs be assayed, so that the truthful may be known and distinguished from the imposter. This touchstone is no other than this verse: “Wish for death, if ye are men of truth.”175 Consider these martyrs of unquestionable sincerity, to whose truthfulness testifieth the explicit text of the Book, and all of whom, as thou hast witnessed, have sacrificed their life, their substance, their wives, their children, their all, and ascended unto the loftiest chambers of Paradise. Is it fair to reject the testimony of these detached and exalted beings to the truth of this preeminent and glorious Revelation and to regard as acceptable the denunciations which have been uttered against this resplendent Light by this faithless people, who for gold have forsaken their faith, and who for the sake of leadership have repudiated Him Who is the First Leader of all mankind? This, although their character is now revealed unto all people who have recognized them as those who will in no wise relinquish one jot or one tittle of their temporal authority for the sake of God’s holy Faith, how much less their life, their substance, and the like.

Behold how the divine Touchstone hath, according to the explicit text of the Book, separated and distinguished the true from the false. Notwithstanding, they are still oblivious of this truth, and in the sleep of heedlessness, are pursuing the vanities of the world, and are occupied with thoughts of vain and earthly leadership.

“O Son of Man! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thine head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith; haply it may shine upon thee with the light of beauty.”

Let it be known, however, that none of these doctors and divines to whom we have referred was invested with the rank and dignity of leadership. For well-known and influential leaders of religion, who occupy the seats of authority and exercise the functions of leadership, can in no wise bear allegiance to the Revealer of truth, except whomsoever thy Lord willeth. But for a few, such things have never come to pass. “And few of My servants are the thankful.”176 Even as in this Dispensation, not one amongst the renowned divines, in the grasp of whose authority were held the reins of the people, hath embraced the Faith. Nay, they have striven against it with such animosity and determination that no ear hath heard and no eye hath seen the like.

The Bab, the Lord, the most exalted–may the life of all be a sacrifice unto Him–hath specifically revealed an Epistle unto the divines of every city, wherein He hath fully set forth the character of the denial and repudiation of each of them. “Wherefore, take ye good heed ye who are men of insight!”177 By His references to their opposition He intended to invalidate the objections which the people of the Bayan might raise in the day of the manifestation of “Mustaghath,”178 the day of the Latter Resurrection, claiming that, whereas in the Dispensation of the Bayan a number of divines have embraced the Faith, in this latter Revelation none of these hath recognized His claim. His purpose was to warn the people lest, God forbid, they cling to such foolish thoughts and deprive themselves of the divine Beauty. Yea, these divines to whom We have referred, were mostly unrenowned, and, by the grace of God they were all purged of earthly vanities and free from the trappings of leadership. “Such is the bounty of God; to whom He will He giveth it.”

Another proof and evidence of the truth of this Revelation, which amongst all other proofs shineth as the sun, is the constancy of the eternal Beauty in proclaiming the Faith of God. Though young and tender of age, and though the Cause He revealed was contrary to the desire of all the peoples of earth, both high and low, rich and poor, exalted and abased, king and subject, yet He arose and steadfastly proclaimed it. All have known and heard this. He was afraid of no one; He was regardless of consequences. Could such a thing be made manifest except through the power of a divine Revelation, and the potency of God’s invincible Will? By the righteousness of God! Were any one to entertain so great a Revelation in his heart, the thought of such a declaration would alone confound him! Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise. He could achieve it only by the permission of God, only if the channel of his heart were to be linked with the Source of divine grace, and his soul be assured of the unfailing sustenance of the Almighty. To what, We wonder, do they ascribe so great a daring? Do they accuse Him of folly as they accused the Prophets of old? Or do they maintain that His motive was none other than leadership and the acquisition of earthly riches?

Gracious God! In His Book, which He hath entitled “Qayyúmu’l-Asma’”–the first, the greatest and mightiest of all books–He prophesied His own martyrdom. In it is this passage: “O thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake; and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love. Sufficient Witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the Protector, the Ancient of Days!”

Likewise, in His interpretation of the letter “Ha’,” He craved martyrdom, saying: “Methinks I heard a Voice calling in my inmost being: ‘Do thou sacrifice the thing which Thou lovest most in the path of God, even as a��usayn, peace be upon him, hath offered up his life for My sake.’ And were I not regardful of this inevitable mystery, by Him Who hath my being between His hands, even if all the kings of the earth were to be leagued together they would be powerless to take from me a single letter, how much less can these servants who are worthy of no attention, and who verily are of the outcast… That all may know the degree of My patience, My resignation, and self-sacrifice in the path of God.”

Could the Revealer of such utterance be regarded as walking any way but the way of God, and as having yearned for aught else except His good-pleasure? In this very verse there lieth concealed a breath of detachment, which if it were to be breathed full upon the world, all beings would renounce their lives and sacrifice their souls. Reflect upon the villainous behavior of this generation, and witness their astounding ingratitude. Observe how they have closed their eyes to all this glory, and are abjectly pursuing those foul carcasses from whose bellies ascendeth the cry of the swallowed substance of the faithful. And yet, what unseemly calumnies they have hurled against those Daysprings of Holiness? Thus do We recount unto thee that which the hands of the infidels have wrought, they who, in the Day of Resurrection, have turned their face away from the divine Presence, whom God hath tormented with the fire of their own misbelief, and for whom He hath prepared in the world to come a chastisement which shall devour both their bodies and souls. For these have said: “God is powerless, and His hand of mercy is fettered.”

Steadfastness in the Faith is a sure testimony and a glorious evidence of the truth. Even as the “Seal of the Prophets” hath said: “Two verses have made Me old.” Both these verses are indicative of constancy in the Cause of God. Even as He saith: “Be thou steadfast as thou hast been bidden.”179

And now consider how this Sadrih of the Ria��van of God hath, in the prime of youth, risen to proclaim the Cause of God. Behold what steadfastness that Beauty of God hath revealed. The whole world rose to hinder Him, yet it utterly failed. The more severe the persecution they inflicted on that Sadrih of Blessedness, the more His fervor increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love. All this is evident, and none disputeth its truth. Finally, He surrendered His soul, and winged His flight unto the realms above.

And among the evidences of the truth of His manifestation were the ascendancy, the transcendent power, and supremacy which He, the Revealer of being and Manifestation of the Adored, hath, unaided and alone, revealed throughout the world. No sooner had that eternal Beauty revealed Himself in Shíraz, in the year sixty, and rent asunder the veil of concealment, than the signs of the ascendancy, the might, the sovereignty, and power, emanating from that Essence of Essences and Sea of Seas, were manifest in every land. So much so, that from every city there appeared the signs, the evidences, the tokens, the testimonies of that divine Luminary. How many were those pure and kindly hearts which faithfully reflected the light of that eternal Sun, and how manifold the emanations of knowledge from that Ocean of divine wisdom which encompassed all beings! In every city, all the divines and dignitaries rose to hinder and repress them, and girded up the loins of malice, of envy, and tyranny for their suppression. How great the number of those holy souls, those essences of justice, who, accused of tyranny, were put to death! And how many embodiments of purity, who showed forth naught but true knowledge and stainless deeds, suffered an agonizing death! Notwithstanding all this, each of these holy beings, up to his last moment, breathed the Name of God, and soared in the realm of submission and resignation. Such was the potency and transmuting influence which He exercised over them, that they ceased to cherish any desire but His will, and wedded their soul to His remembrance.

Reflect: Who in this world is able to manifest such transcendent power, such pervading influence? All these stainless hearts and sanctified souls have, with absolute resignation, responded to the summons of His decree. Instead of complaining, they rendered thanks unto God, and amidst the darkness of their anguish they revealed naught but radiant acquiescence to His will. It is evident how relentless was the hate, and how bitter the malice and enmity entertained by all the peoples of the earth towards these companions. The persecution and pain they inflicted on these holy and spiritual beings were regarded by them as means unto salvation, prosperity, and everlasting success. Hath the world, since the days of Adam, witnessed such tumult, such violent commotion? Notwithstanding all the torture they suffered, and manifold the afflictions they endured, they became the object of universal opprobrium and execration. Methinks patience was revealed only by virtue of their fortitude, and faithfulness itself was begotten only by their deeds.

Do thou ponder these momentous happenings in thy heart, so that thou mayest apprehend the greatness of this Revelation, and perceive its stupendous glory. Then shall the spirit of faith, through the grace of the Merciful, be breathed into thy being, and thou shalt be established and abide upon the seat of certitude. The one God is My witness! Wert thou to ponder a while, thou wilt recognize that, apart from all these established truths and above-mentioned evidences, the repudiation, cursing, and execration, pronounced by the people of the earth, are in themselves the mightiest proof and the surest testimony of the truth of these heroes of the field of resignation and detachment. Whenever thou dost meditate upon the cavils uttered by all the people, be they divines, learned or ignorant, the firmer and the more steadfast wilt thou grow in the Faith. For whatsoever hath come to pass hath been prophesied by them who are the Mines of divine knowledge, and Recipients of God’s eternal law.

Although We did not intend to make mention of the traditions of a bygone age, yet, because of Our love for thee, We will cite a few which are applicable to Our argument. We do not feel their necessity, however, inasmuch as the things We have already mentioned suffice the world and all that is therein. In fact, all the Scriptures and the mysteries thereof are condensed into this brief account. So much so, that were a person to ponder it a while in his heart, he would discover from all that hath been said the mysteries of the Words of God, and would apprehend the meaning of whatever hath been manifested by that ideal King. As the people differ in their understanding and station, We will accordingly make mention of a few traditions, that these may impart constancy to the wavering soul, and tranquillity to the troubled mind. Thereby, will the testimony of God unto the people, both high and low, be complete and perfect.

Among them is the tradition, “And when the Standard of Truth is made manifest, the people of both the East and the West curse it.” The wine of renunciation must needs be quaffed, the lofty heights of detachment must needs be attained, and the meditation referred to in the words “One hour’s reflection is preferable to seventy years of pious worship” must needs be observed, so that the secret of the wretched behavior of the people might be discovered, those people who, despite the love and yearning for truth which they profess, curse the followers of Truth when once He hath been made manifest. To this truth the above-mentioned tradition beareth witness. It is evident that the reason for such behavior is none other than the annulment of those rules, customs, habits, and ceremonials to which they have been subjected. Otherwise, were the Beauty of the Merciful to comply with those same rules and customs which are current amongst the people, and were He to sanction their observances, such conflict and mischief would in no wise be made manifest in the world. This exalted tradition is attested and substantiated by these words which He hath revealed: “The day when the Summoner shall summon to a stern business.”180

The divine call of the celestial Herald from beyond the Veil of Glory, summoning mankind to renounce utterly all the things to which they cleave, is repugnant to their desire; and this is the cause of the bitter trials and violent commotions which have occurred. Consider the way of the people. They ignore these well-founded traditions, all of which have been fulfilled, and cling unto those of doubtful validity, and ask why these have not been fulfilled. And yet, those things which to them were inconceivable have been made manifest. The signs and tokens of the Truth shine even as the midday sun, and yet the people are wandering, aimlessly and perplexedly, in the wilderness of ignorance and folly. Notwithstanding all the verses of the Qur’an, and the recognized traditions, which are all indicative of a new Faith, a new Law, and a new Revelation, this generation still waiteth in expectation of beholding the promised One who should uphold the Law of the Mua��ammadan Dispensation. The Jews and the Christians in like manner uphold the same contention.

Among the utterances that foreshadow a new Law and a new Revelation are the passages in the “Prayer of Nudbih”: “Where is He Who is preserved to renew the ordinances and laws? Where is He Who hath the authority to transform the Faith and the followers thereof?” He hath, likewise, revealed in the Zíyarat:181 “Peace be upon the Truth made new.” Abú-’Abdi’llah, questioned concerning the character of the Mihdí, answered saying: “He will perform that which Mua��ammad, the Messenger of God, hath performed, and will demolish whatever hath been before Him even as the Messenger of God hath demolished the ways of those that preceded Him.”

Behold, how, notwithstanding these and similar traditions, they idly contend that the laws formerly revealed must in no wise be altered. And yet, is not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest itself, both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions? For if the character of mankind be not changed, the futility of God’s universal Manifestation would be apparent. In the “’Avalim,” an authoritative and well-known book, it is recorded: “A Youth from Baní-Hashim shall be made manifest, Who will reveal a new Book and promulgate a new law”; then follow these words: “Most of His enemies will be the divines.” In another passage, it is related of a��adiq, son of Mua��ammad, that he spoke the following: “There shall appear a Youth from Baní-Hashim, Who will bid the people plight fealty unto Him. His Book will be a new Book, unto which He shall summon the people to pledge their faith. Stern is His Revelation unto the Arab. If ye hear about Him, hasten unto Him.” How well have they followed the directions of the Imams of the Faith and Lamps of certitude! Although it is clearly stated: “Were ye to hear that a Youth from Baní-Hashim hath appeared, summoning the people unto a new and Divine Book, and to new and Divine laws, hasten unto Him,” yet have they all declared that Lord of being an infidel, and pronounced Him a heretic. They hastened not unto that Hashimite Light, that divine Manifestation, except with drawn swords, and hearts filled with malice. Moreover, observe how explicitly the enmity of the divines hath been mentioned in the books. Notwithstanding all these evident and significant traditions, all these unmistakable and undisputed allusions, the people have rejected the immaculate Essence of knowledge and of holy utterance, and have turned unto the exponents of rebellion and error. Despite these recorded traditions and revealed utterances, they speak only that which is prompted by their own selfish desires. And should the Essence of Truth reveal that which is contrary to their inclinations and desires, they will straightway denounce Him as an infidel, and will protest saying: “This is contrary to the sayings of the Imams of the Faith and of the resplendent lights. No such thing hath been provided by our inviolable Law.” Even so in this day such worthless statements have been and are being made by these poor mortals.

And now, consider this other tradition, and observe how all these things have been foretold. In “Arba’ín” it is recorded: “Out of Baní-Hashim there shall come forth a Youth Who shall reveal new laws. He shall summon the people unto Him, but none will heed His call. Most of His enemies will be the divines. His bidding they will not obey, but will protest saying: ‘This is contrary to that which hath been handed down unto us by the Imams of the Faith.’” In this day, all are repeating these very same words, utterly unaware that He is established upon the throne of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth,” and abideth upon the seat of “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.”

No understanding can grasp the nature of His Revelation, nor can any knowledge comprehend the full measure of His Faith. All sayings are dependent upon His sanction, and all things stand in need of His Cause. All else save Him are created by His command, and move and have their being through His law. He is the Revealer of the divine mysteries, and the Expounder of the hidden and ancient wisdom. Thus it is related in the “Bia��aru’l-Anvar,” the “’Avalim,” and the “Yanbú’” of a��adiq, son of Mua��ammad, that he spoke these words: “Knowledge is twenty and seven letters. All that the Prophets have revealed are two letters thereof. No man thus far hath known more than these two letters. But when the Qa’im shall arise, He will cause the remaining twenty and five letters to be made manifest.” Consider, He hath declared Knowledge to consist of twenty and seven letters, and regarded all the Prophets, from Adam even unto the “Seal,” as Expounders of only two letters thereof and of having been sent down with these two letters. He also saith that the Qa’im will reveal all the remaining twenty and five letters. Behold from this utterance how great and lofty is His station! His rank excelleth that of all the Prophets, and His Revelation transcendeth the comprehension and understanding of all their chosen ones. A Revelation, of which the Prophets of God, His saints and chosen ones, have either not been informed, or which, in pursuance of God’s inscrutable Decree, they have not disclosed–such a Revelation these mean and depraved people have sought to measure with their own deficient minds, their own deficient learning and understanding. Should it fail to conform to their standards, they straightway reject it. “Thinkest thou that the greater part of them hear or understand? They are even like unto the brutes! yea, they stray even further from the path!”182

How, We wonder, do they explain the aforementioned tradition, a tradition which, in unmistakable terms, foreshadoweth the revelation of things inscrutable, and the occurrence of new and wondrous events in His day? Such marvelous happenings kindle so great a strife amongst the people, that all the divines and doctors sentence Him and His companions to death, and all the peoples of the earth arise to oppose Him. Even as it hath been recorded in the “Kafí,” in the tradition of Jabir, in the “Tablet of Faa��imih,” concerning the character of the Qa’im: “He shall manifest the perfection of Moses, the splendor of Jesus, and the patience of Job. His chosen ones shall be abased in His day. Their heads shall be offered as presents even as the heads of the Turks and the Daylamites. They shall be slain and burnt. Fear shall seize them; dismay and alarm shall strike terror into their hearts. The earth shall be dyed with their blood. Their womenfolk shall bewail and lament. These indeed are my friends!” Consider, not a single letter of this tradition hath remained unfulfilled. In most of the places their blessed blood hath been shed; in every city they have been made captives, have been paraded throughout the provinces, and some have been burnt with fire. And yet no one hath paused to reflect that if the promised Qa’im should reveal the law and ordinances of a former Dispensation, why then should such traditions have been recorded, and why should there arise such a degree of strife and conflict that the people should regard the slaying of these companions as an obligation imposed upon them, and deem the persecution of these holy souls as a means of attaining unto the highest favor?

Moreover, observe how these things that have come to pass, and the acts which have been perpetrated, have all been mentioned in former traditions. Even as it hath been recorded in the “Rawa��iy-i-Kafí,” concerning “Zawra’.” In the “Rawa��iy-i-Kafí” it is related of Mu’avíyih, son of Vahhab, that Abú-’Abdi’llah hath spoken: “Knowest thou Zawra’?” I said: “May my life be a sacrifice unto thee! They say it is Baghdad.” “Nay,” he answered. And then added: “Hast thou entered the city of Rayy?”,183 to which I made reply: “Yea, I have entered it.” Whereupon, He inquired: “Didst thou visit the cattle-market?” “Yea,” I answered. He said: “Hast thou seen the black mountain on the right-hand side of the road? The same is Zawra’. There shall eighty men, of the children of certain ones, be slain, all of whom are worthy to be called caliphs.” “Who will slay them?” I asked. He made reply: “The children of Persia!”

Such is the condition and fate of His companions which in former days hath been foretold. And now observe how, according to this tradition, Zawra’ is no other but the land of Rayy. In that place His companions have been with great suffering put to death, and all these holy beings have suffered martyrdom at the hand of the Persians, as recorded in the tradition. This thou hast heard, and unto it all testify. Wherefore, then, do not these groveling, worm-like men pause to meditate upon these traditions, all of which are manifest as the sun in its noontide glory? For what reason do they refuse to embrace the Truth, and allow certain traditions, the significance of which they have failed to grasp, to withhold them from the recognition of the Revelation of God and His Beauty, and to cause them to dwell in the infernal abyss? Such things are to be attributed to naught but the faithlessness of the divines and doctors of the age. Of these, a��adiq, son of Mua��ammad, hath said: “The religious doctors of that age shall be the most wicked of the divines beneath the shadow of heaven. Out of them hath mischief proceeded, and unto them it shall return.”

We entreat the learned men of the Bayan not to follow in such ways, not to inflict, at the time of Mustaghath, upon Him Who is the divine Essence, the heavenly Light, the absolute Eternity, the Beginning and the End of the Manifestations of the Invisible, that which hath been inflicted in this day. We beg them not to depend upon their intellect, their comprehension and learning, nor to contend with the Revealer of celestial and infinite knowledge. And yet, notwithstanding all these admonitions, We perceive that a one-eyed man, who himself is the chief of the people, is arising with the utmost malevolence against Us. We foresee that in every city people will arise to suppress the Blessed Beauty, that the companions of that Lord of being and ultimate Desire of all men will flee from the face of the oppressor and seek refuge from him in the wilderness, whilst others will resign themselves and, with absolute detachment, will sacrifice their lives in His path. Methinks We can discern one who is reputed for such devoutness and piety that men deem it an obligation to obey him, and to whose command they consider it necessary to submit, who will arise to assail the very root of the divine Tree, and endeavor to the uttermost of his power to resist and oppose Him. Such is the way of the people!

We fain would hope that the people of the Bayan will be enlightened, will soar in the realm of the spirit and abide therein, will discern the Truth, and recognize with the eye of insight dissembling falsehood. In these days, however, such odors of jealousy are diffused, that–I swear by the Educator of all beings, visible and invisible–from the beginning of the foundation of the world–though it hath no beginning–until the present day, such malice, envy, and hate have in no wise appeared, nor will they ever be witnessed in the future. For a number of people who have never inhaled the fragrance of justice, have raised the standard of sedition, and have leagued themselves against Us. On every side We witness the menace of their spears, and in all directions We recognize the shafts of their arrows. This, although We have never gloried in any thing, nor did We seek preference over any soul. To everyone We have been a most kindly companion, a most forbearing and affectionate friend. In the company of the poor We have sought their fellowship, and amidst the exalted and learned We have been submissive and resigned. I swear by God, the one true God! grievous as have been the woes and sufferings which the hand of the enemy and the people of the Book inflicted upon Us, yet all these fade into utter nothingness when compared with that which hath befallen Us at the hand of those who profess to be Our friends.

What more shall We say? The universe, were it to gaze with the eye of justice, would be incapable of bearing the weight of this utterance! In the early days of Our arrival in this land, when We discerned the signs of impending events, We decided, ere they happened, to retire. We betook Ourselves to the wilderness, and there, separated and alone, led for two years a life of complete solitude. From Our eyes there rained tears of anguish, and in Our bleeding heart there surged an ocean of agonizing pain. Many a night We had no food for sustenance, and many a day Our body found no rest. By Him Who hath My being between His hands! notwithstanding these showers of afflictions and unceasing calamities, Our soul was wrapt in blissful joy, and Our whole being evinced an ineffable gladness. For in Our solitude We were unaware of the harm or benefit, the health or ailment, of any soul. Alone, We communed with Our spirit, oblivious of the world and all that is therein. We knew not, however, that the mesh of divine destiny exceedeth the vastest of mortal conceptions, and the dart of His decree transcendeth the boldest of human designs. None can escape the snares He setteth, and no soul can find release except through submission to His will. By the righteousness of God! Our withdrawal contemplated no return, and Our separation hoped for no reunion. The one object of Our retirement was to avoid becoming a subject of discord among the faithful, a source of disturbance unto Our companions, the means of injury to any soul, or the cause of sorrow to any heart. Beyond these, We cherished no other intention, and apart from them, We had no end in view. And yet, each person schemed after his own desire, and pursued his own idle fancy, until the hour when, from the Mystic Source, there came the summons bidding Us return whence We came. Surrendering Our will to His, We submitted to His injunction.

What pen can recount the things We beheld upon Our return! Two years have elapsed during which Our enemies have ceaselessly and assiduously contrived to exterminate Us, whereunto all witness. Nevertheless, none amongst the faithful hath risen to render Us any assistance, nor did anyone feel inclined to help in Our deliverance. Nay, instead of assisting Us, what showers of continuous sorrows their words and deeds have caused to rain upon Our soul! Amidst them all, We stand, life in hand, wholly resigned to His will; that perchance, through God’s loving-kindness and His grace, this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down His life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the most exalted Word. By Him at Whose bidding the Spirit hath spoken, but for this yearning of Our soul, We would not, for one moment, have tarried any longer in this city. “Sufficient Witness is God unto Us.” We conclude Our argument with the words: “There is no power nor strength but in God alone.” “We are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”

They that have hearts to understand, they that have quaffed the Wine of love, who have not for one moment gratified their selfish desires, will behold, resplendent as the sun in its noontide glory, those tokens, testimonies, and evidences that attest the truth of this wondrous Revelation, this transcendent and divine Faith. Reflect, how the people have rejected the Beauty of God, and have clung unto their covetous desires. Notwithstanding all these consummate verses, these unmistakable allusions, which have been revealed in the “Most weighty Revelation,” the Trust of God amongst men, and despite these evident traditions, each more manifest than the most explicit utterance, the people have ignored and repudiated their truth, and have held fast to the letter of certain traditions which, according to their understanding, they have found inconsistent with their expectations, and the meaning of which they have failed to grasp. They have thus shattered every hope, and deprived themselves of the pure wine of the All-Glorious, and the clear and incorruptible waters of the immortal Beauty.

Consider, that even the year in which that Quintessence of Light is to be made manifest hath been specifically recorded in the traditions, yet they still remain unmindful, nor do they for one moment cease to pursue their selfish desires. According to the tradition, Mufaa��a��al asked a��adiq saying: “What of the sign of His manifestation, O my master?” He made reply: “In the year sixty, His Cause shall be made manifest, and His Name shall be proclaimed.”

How strange! Notwithstanding these explicit and manifest references these people have shunned the Truth. For instance, mention of the sorrows, the imprisonment and afflictions inflicted upon that Essence of divine virtue hath been made in the former traditions. In the “Bia��ar” it is recorded: “In our Qa’im there shall be four signs from four Prophets, Moses, Jesus, Joseph, and Mua��ammad. The sign from Moses is fear and expectation; from Jesus, that which was spoken of Him; from Joseph, imprisonment and dissimulation; from Mua��ammad, the revelation of a Book similar to the Qur’an.” Notwithstanding such a conclusive tradition, which in such unmistakable language hath foreshadowed the happenings of the present day, none hath been found to heed its prophecy, and methinks none will do so in the future, except him whom thy Lord willeth. “God indeed shall make whom He will to hearken, but We shall not make those who are in their graves to hearken.”

It is evident unto thee that the Birds of Heaven and Doves of Eternity speak a twofold language. One language, the outward language, is devoid of allusions, is unconcealed and unveiled; that it may be a guiding lamp and a beaconing light whereby wayfarers may attain the heights of holiness, and seekers may advance into the realm of eternal reunion. Such are the unveiled traditions and the evident verses already mentioned. The other language is veiled and concealed, so that whatever lieth hidden in the heart of the malevolent may be made manifest and their innermost being be disclosed. Thus hath a��adiq, son of Mua��ammad, spoken: “God verily will test them and sift them.” This is the divine standard, this is the Touchstone of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favor with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. In such utterances, the literal meaning, as generally understood by the people, is not what hath been intended. Thus it is recorded: “Every knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which one only is known amongst the people. And when the Qa’im shall arise, He shall reveal unto men all that which remaineth.” He also saith: “We speak one word, and by it we intend one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain.”

These things We mention only that the people may not be dismayed because of certain traditions and utterances, which have not yet been literally fulfilled, that they may rather attribute their perplexity to their own lack of understanding, and not to the nonfulfillment of the promises in the traditions, inasmuch as the meaning intended by the Imams of the Faith is not known by this people, as evidenced by the traditions themselves. The people, therefore, must not allow such utterances to deprive them of the divine bounties, but should rather seek enlightenment from them who are the recognized Expounders thereof, so that the hidden mysteries may be unraveled, and be made manifest unto them.

We perceive none, however, amongst the people of the earth who, sincerely yearning for the Truth, seeketh the guidance of the divine Manifestations concerning the abstruse matters of his Faith. All are dwellers in the land of oblivion, and all are followers of the people of wickedness and rebellion. God will verily do unto them that which they themselves are doing, and will forget them even as they have ignored His Presence in His day. Such is His decree unto those that have denied Him, and such will it be unto them that have rejected His signs.

We conclude Our argument with His words–exalted is He–“And whoso shall withdraw from the remembrance of the Merciful, We will chain a Satan unto him, and he shall be his fast companion.”184 “And whoso turneth away from My remembrance, truly his shall be a life of misery.”185

Thus hath it been revealed aforetime, were ye to comprehend.

Revealed by the “Ba’” and the “Ha’.”186

Peace be upon him that inclineth his ear unto the melody of the Mystic Bird calling from the Sadratu’l-Muntaha!

Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

=== END BH00002 ===

=== START BH00003 ===

Although the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet within the treasury of trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly treasures We have not bequeathed, nor have We added such cares as they entail. By God! In earthly riches fear is hidden and peril is concealed. Consider ye and call to mind that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: ‘Woe betide every slanderer and defamer, him that layeth up riches and counteth them.’ Fleeting are the riches of the world; all that perisheth and changeth is not, and hath never been, worthy of attention, except to a recognized measure.

The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating proofs hath been naught but to quench the flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of men may be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace and tranquillity. From the dawning-place of the divine Tablet the day-star of this utterance shineth resplendent, and it behoveth everyone to fix his gaze upon it: We exhort you, O peoples of the world, to observe that which will elevate your station. Hold fast to the fear of God and firmly adhere to what is right. Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk. God hath forgiven what is past. Henceforward everyone should utter that which is meet and seemly, and should refrain from slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in men. Lofty is the station of man! Not long ago this exalted Word streamed forth from the treasury of Our Pen of Glory: Great and blessed is this Day – the Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been and will be made manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. In the eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth even as a firmament; its sun and moon are his sight and hearing, and his shining and resplendent character its stars. His is the loftiest station, and his influence educateth the world of being.

Every receptive soul who hath in this Day inhaled the fragrance of His garment and hath, with a pure heart, set his face towards the all-glorious Horizon is reckoned among the people of Baha in the Crimson Book. Grasp ye, in My Name, the chalice of My loving-kindness, drink then your fill in My glorious and wondrous remembrance.

O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension. In the eyes of men of insight and the beholders of the Most Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective means for

safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of the children of men have already been revealed by the Pen of Glory. But the foolish ones of the earth, being nurtured in evil passions and desires, have remained heedless of the consummate wisdom of Him Who is, in truth, the All-Wise, while their words and deeds are prompted by idle fancies and vain imaginings.

O ye the loved ones and the trustees of God! Kings are the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God. Pray ye on their behalf. He hath invested them with the rulership of the earth and hath singled out the hearts of men as His Own domain.

Conflict and contention are categorically forbidden in His Book. This is a decree of God in this Most Great Revelation. It is divinely preserved from annulment and is invested by Him with the splendour of His confirmation. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings of authority and sources of command who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Baha. They are My trustees among My servants and the manifestations of My commandments amidst My people. Upon them rest My glory, My blessings and My grace which have pervaded the world of being. In this connection the utterances revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas are such that from the horizon of their words the light of divine grace shineth luminous and resplendent.

O ye My Branches! A mighty force, a consummate power lieth concealed in the world of being. Fix your gaze upon it and upon its unifying influence, and not upon the differences which appear from it.

The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: ‘When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.’ The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch [Abdu’l-Baha]. Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. Verily God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Muhammad Ali] to be beneath that of the Most Great Branch [Abdu’l-Baha]. He is in truth the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen ‘the Greater’ after ‘the Most Great’, as decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

It is enjoined upon everyone to manifest love towards the Aghsan, but God hath not granted them any right to the property of others.

O ye My Aghsan, My Afnan and My Kindred! We exhort you to fear God, to perform praiseworthy deeds and to do that which is meet and seemly and serveth to exalt your station. Verily I say, fear of God is the greatest commander that can render the Cause of God victorious, and the hosts which best befit this commander have ever been and are an upright character and pure and goodly deeds.

Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Baha may be guided by the blessed words: ‘Say: all things are of God.’ This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.

It is incumbent upon everyone to show courtesy to, and have regard for the Aghsan, that thereby the Cause of God may be glorified and His Word exalted. This injunction hath time and again been mentioned and recorded in the Holy Writ. Well is it with him who is enabled to achieve that which the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath prescribed for him. Ye are bidden moreover to respect the members of the Holy Household, the Afnan and the kindred. We further admonish you to serve all nations and to strive for the betterment of the world.

That which is conducive to the regeneration of the world and the salvation of the peoples and kindreds of the earth hath been sent down from the heaven of the utterance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. Give ye a hearing ear to the counsels of the Pen of Glory. Better is this for you than all that is on the earth. Unto this beareth witness My glorious and wondrous Book.

=== END BH00003 ===

=== START BH00004 ===

He is God, the Helper!

Your letter, which conveyed certain unverified accounts and untrue reports, reached this evanescent servant. In one respect it opened the gates of joy, and in another the gates of sorrow. Joy because it indicated your well-being, but sorrow because it was observed that the ungodly souls have at last prevented you from turning to the divine sanctuary and deprived you of the sweet fragrances of God’s love. We beseech God to turn you away from them and direct you to His radiant countenance.

When this servant observed that what you had written did not spring from your own nature but rather from the false words of the ungodly souls who had spoken to you, it therefore became necessary, purely for the sake of God and out of love for you, that I should reply, so that perchance through the power of the Lord of Lords you might rend asunder the greatest veil and the veils of glory with the fingers of power and detachment, and ascend to a station that is sanctified above mention, allusion, words and expressions, and distinguish between the birds that soar in the atmosphere of divine grandeur and those that dwell in darkness.

Although it is observed that the greatest veil has entirely deprived your sight from the greatest vista, yet since you had apparently mentioned words of counsel, it therefore became incumbent upon this servant to inform you of that which I have attained from the ocean of divine favor and the manifestations of the holy splendor of the Eternal, that perchance you might not be deprived of the sanctified sanctuary of glory and remain bereft of the holy Ka’bah of detachment.

Although certain words were heard from the blessed tongue, from the purport of which this servant has become hopeless of most people, yet purely for the sake of God it is expressed that perchance you might be blessed by a breeze from the divine Ridvan of sanctity and be sustained by a fruit from the Tree that is neither of the East nor of the West. And these are the words that were spoken: “Verily, most people today are nursing from the breast of heedlessness and ignorance, and their weaning time has not yet come, let alone their maturity. Therefore words do not affect them, for they neither understand nor perceive. And verily, thou beholdest these creatures as sheep that any child can lead wheresoever he willeth. Thus was it revealed aforetime, but the people know not.”

Since numerous matters were mentioned in your letter, it therefore became necessary for this servant to record each of your points and then provide an answer, that perchance in these days when darkness hath encompassed the whole earth, some of the seekers might be guided by the lights of the Sun of Guidance and not remain deprived of the living waters. And verily, He guideth whom He willeth, and He hath power over all things.

This is your first point, wherein you wrote: “The hope from God the Most High is that He may grant a meeting, that perchance the dark limitations and imaginary veils may be removed, and it may become clear who are they that swim in the sea of oneness and soar in the atmosphere of exaltation, as distinct from those who dwell in the well of darkness and wander in the desert of bewilderment.”

Concerning thy wish that a meeting be arranged and that through such a meeting veils might be removed - know thou that not every meeting hath been or will be the cause of the lifting of veils. Indeed, in most instances meetings but add to the veils, as when one who was the source of rancor and the mine of corruption came, and thou not only failed to rend his veils, but rather added to thine own veils. If thou hadst been capable of rending veils, surely thou wouldst have removed the preventing veils from that veiled soul. Nevertheless, we hope, God willing, through divine grace that a meeting may come to pass in a spirit of joy and fragrance, that we may all gather in the sacred concourse, and that, sanctified from verbal allusions, we may fathom the infinite realms of meaning. For these are the days of revelation and witnessing, not the days of investigating doubts and imaginings. We seek from God reunion and the divine presence, for He is the best Lord and the best Answerer. It is evident that these words came not from thyself but were written due to the whisperings of distant souls. How can that which hath not itself found existence from the Bestower of existence ever bestow existence on others?

Such withered and deprived souls have not distinguished right from left, yet how have they presumed themselves to be guides and saviors? The sweet fragrances of divine souls are clearly distinct from the stench of the souls of the idolaters. Not everyone in human form is counted among humanity, nor is everyone who utters two words numbered among the people of the Bayan. Limited souls have been and will remain deprived of the realm of oneness, and dim-sighted eyes remain bereft of beholding the lights of the Sun of inner meanings. Strange it is that thou hast taken the essence of fancy for the reality of certitude, and counted vain imaginings as known truth. They were created from fancy, began from it, and to it they shall return. Today the birds soaring in the heaven of divine nearness and the swimmers in the ocean of the All-Merciful’s mercy are radiant and resplendent as the sun. By God, if the veiled souls would but cleanse their sight from the ophthalmia of self and desire, they would instantly attain to the dawning of the Day-Star of the horizons.

But what can I say? Affairs have become greatly confused for thee, and this is not from thyself but from one who hath no mention with God and was deprived of the sweet fragrances of the days of God, the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal. Thou sayest: “Although outwardly my condition is good and my health is perfect, yet I am dejected, first from being deprived of serving the friends, and second because however much we strive and endeavor and run from city to city and valley to valley hoping to find some peace of mind, it is not possible and they do not allow it.” Strange it is from thee, and this servant is greatly perplexed by these words thou hast written about running from city to city seeking peace of mind but finding none. For from these words it appears that, God forbid, thou hast not realized that wandering from city to city never was and never will be the cause of peace of mind. Would that thou hadst remained in that same place and raised up one breath purely for God’s sake, for surely that breath would have reached the hiding place of the All-Merciful. For if thy purpose in moving about was to know the Truth, thou shouldst come to this City, purified from all hints and allusions, and then meet and see with thine own eyes and distinguish truth from falsehood, rather than allowing thyself to become so veiled by the words of one who is rejected by God that thou utterly deprivest thyself of the beauty of the Intended One. The wayfarer will never reach the abode of security and safety except with hands emptied of all that is in creation. He says: “We went to find some rest and be safe from the evil of sedition, to attain some leisure. The whisperings of satans through the promptings of the evil self have caused confusion in beliefs and raised up a new sedition. ‘Sedition is sleeping; God’s curse be upon whoever awakens it.’” The heavens are well nigh rent asunder at these words, the earth split open, the mountains crumbled, the seas stilled of their waves, the trees stripped of their fruits. By God, the pillars of existence in both the seen and unseen realms are nearly obliterated. By what hath issued from thy mouth the faces of those near to God have turned pale, and were one possessed of insight he would surely know that the countenance of the Primal Point hath at this moment turned pale from the impact of these words, and thereupon He lamented in the most exalted Companion, and the angels drawn nigh lamented with Him. Have you considered what has been written, what is meant by this utterance and who is intended? However, it has never been the way of the people of God to speak beyond their station. Whoso knoweth not his own station knoweth not his Lord. In any case, these servants who have been reared by the divine hands of training and who dwell beneath the Tree of divine education neither wished nor wish to answer such words as yours to one such as you. We commit all affairs unto God, and He is the best of guardians. Hearken to the call of this sincere servant. Account not the Most Great Bounty as wrath, nor reckon the Most Great Peace as sedition, nor see the universal divine mercy as vengeance. The physical eye cannot distinguish sweet water from bitter - rather this has always required and will require taste. And if even taste is altered by illness, it will be unable to perceive. We beseech God to grant a pure and refined spiritual taste that can distinguish between the divine Kawthar and the bitter salt of selfish passion. The matter is in His hands - verily He is wise over all things and powerful over all things.

If thou seekest ease, hearken to this true utterance which declares: Purify thyself from the defilement of self and desire, that thou mayest attain unto everlasting ease. This ease is found in the shadow of Truth and naught else, for naught but His shadow is today accounted as aught but desert waste in the sight of God. We hope that God willing, thou wilt cleanse thy breast from the words and intimations of the idolaters, that it may become a place for the dawning of the lights of the Divine Unity, and be utterly freed from vain words and disputation.

Thou didst mention that we should be safe from the evil of sedition. It would appear that thou hast considered all divine manifestations from Adam to the Seal as sedition, believing that to speak the word of truth is sedition. But between that sedition and this sedition there is an immense difference that none can understand save those endowed with insight. The sedition of truth is a sedition from which flow a hundred thousand streams of security and peace. By God! Were anyone possessed of spiritual sense to be found, he would inhale from this sedition the fragrances of the One True God. Furthermore He says, exalted be His glory: “Do men think that they will be left alone on saying ‘We believe’ and will not be tested?”

If that which appears from Truth is reckoned as sedition, then a hundred thousand souls be sacrificed for such sedition that distinguishes and separates the idolatrous Pharaonic souls from the manifestations of divine unity. O servant! I beseech God to grant penetrating vision to all people, to bestow pure souls, and to vouchsafe attentive ears that they may distinguish the words of the idolaters from the divine words. Never would I be content that thou shouldst write such words.

It was mentioned that satanic whispers have stirred up evil through selfish desire and cast doubt upon beliefs. O my brother! Call not the holy fragrances of the Lord of the worlds satanic whispers. By God! All things weep, and he who commanded thee to write what flowed from thy pen is cursed by all atoms, though he perceives it not, for God hath placed a veil of fire upon his heart. He speaks that which he comprehends not[…]

Know that whenever defects in beliefs have been mentioned, no deficiency has ever touched anyone’s belief in the Manifestation of God and His Cause. Rather, these beliefs have become more firm, established and steadfast - except for those souls whose essential reality in the previous Dispensation was of the nethermost depths, though outwardly they were counted among the exalted ones due to their acceptance of that Manifestation. When the supreme test appeared, such souls returned to their origin, while the illumined and sanctified souls arrived at their true homeland, which is recognition of and submission to the very Manifestation. Blessed are they who have attained!

Those beliefs that were bound to the worship of the calf - the chosen ones of God and His loved ones are sanctified, holy and free from such things. And whosoever remains veiled from this luminous Manifestation of inner meanings - God forbid - has never had true belief and never will, such that any deficiency could affect it. Have you not heard the melody of the divine Dove saying that if a person were to remember and worship God, standing, sitting and prostrating, for as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endures, yet hesitate for less than a moment at the time of His Manifestation, his deeds would be rendered void and he would dwell in the fire for the duration of that hesitation - let alone those who turn away and show pride? We beseech God to protect us from the whisperings of those devils who openly deny God while counting themselves among the knowers. Nay, by the Lord of all worlds!

You mentioned a new sedition, but no new matter has arisen or become manifest. From the first day we attained to the knowledge of God, we have fixed our gaze upon this holy and eternal Manifestation, counting all lesser divine manifestations as non-existent before Him. Some would say that He makes reference to others for their own good, but when it became clear that what was mentioned was the truth, and naught beyond it but error, it is strange that you would make such statements.

If by sedition you mean new corruption, by God besides Whom there is none other god, the very one who cast these words to you is the one who created it, as is evident. They were together for forty years, and you yourself are certain of what has been mentioned. In this journey when that polytheist entered among the party of God, he perpetrated what neither Nimrod nor Shaddad had done. Nevertheless, we know not what caused you to abandon your own sight, hearing and heart through his enticement, accepting whatever he said.

We beseech God to make you steadfast in His Cause, to grant you recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, and to purify you from the allusions of the deniers. That which appears from the Truth is mercy for the unitarians and retribution for the polytheists. We beseech Him to give you to drink from the water of life which flows at the heart of contingent existence, that thereby you may detach yourself from all else and draw near to the station wherein naught is seen save the lights of thy Lord’s face, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

The face of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great! We beseech God that thou be not counted among such servants as have ever raised similar objections against the Truth. Even as the polytheists wrote in objection to Husayn ibn Ali - may our spirit be a sacrifice unto all except Him - saying that thou hast become the cause of division in the community of the people and hast created dissension in the religion of thy grandfather and hast introduced certain innovations. These same words are recorded in detail in the books. Consider, then there is no need to mention this servant. Concerning the final passage which nearly causeth the pillars of all things to crumble - yet We have been patient and shall continue to be patient through God’s might and power, and We return the judgment unto God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

The dissension which thou hast imagined hath never been the way of Truth. This Revelation hath appeared specifically for the harmony, unity and concord of the peoples of the earth, that perchance all differing communities might gather around a single law, and all might become engaged in the praise and glorification of the Lord. It hath become evident that thou hast not distinguished between the reformer and the corrupt one. We hope, God willing, through divine grace that if thou hast not recognized the Manifestations of the most exalted heaven, thou might at least recognize the manifestations of Satan, the sources of the nethermost depths and the corrupt ones.

Truth hath ever summoned the people to unity and concord. Observe the revealed words that it may become clear to thee that these words came not from thyself, for We supposed that thou didst not commit this sin of thine own accord, but rather through the promptings of one who was as one of us. When he committed what he committed, God expelled him from His sanctuary of glory. Therefore he arose in opposition, taking unto himself a bellowing calf of flesh and calling the people unto it in opposition to the Manifestation of God Himself and to establish authority for himself. Thus was the matter, if thou be of them that understand.

These words which have caused the hearts of the chosen ones to burn have been and shall ever be devoid of spirit and meaning. But concealed in the sheath of these words, in place of meanings, are sharp swords that secretly at all times pierce the body of the Cause. Would that one possessed of insight and wisdom could be found who might perceive what oppression hath appeared in this day and to what degree the oppressors have risen up to harm the divine Cause. But We beseech God to send down from the clouds of His Cause that which will consign them to their place in the lowest of the low.

And further thou didst write: “For this reason I had no thought to write a reply. I wished to remain silent and say nothing of this kind. No capacity for disputation remains. These two days of life are not worthy to be spent entirely in argument, conflict, evil and forced interpretations according to the desires of self.” […]

Would that thou hadst not written, and hadst thou written, would that thou hadst inscribed thine own words rather than the fabricated utterances of the idolaters. Verily, to maintain silence regarding such pronouncements would have been a hundred thousand times more fitting. Fine words are those that serve to mention and establish the Cause of God, not those employed in disputation and conflict with Him. As recorded in the divine counsels, the tongue was created for the remembrance of the All-Merciful. Beware lest ye soil it with the words of the manifestations of Satan. The tongue is the dawning-place of the lights of truth; make it not the source of false utterances. The tongue is the treasury of My praise and mention; occupy it not with the remembrance of this one and that one, for it shall be a sign unto itself in its own station.

Thou didst write that thou hadst determined these fleeting days of life to be worthy and inexhaustible, such that whatever it uttereth, it is capable, so long as existence endureth, its speech shall not be cut off unless illness interveneth between it and the praise of its Lord. From this, the discerning one perceiveth that divine knowledge hath had and shall have no end. Within it lie concealed the pearls of utterance of all the worlds, yet its form hath not increased; through it flow the rivers of meaning, yet not an atom of it hath diminished.

There is much that could be said in this regard, but this servant hath confined himself to this brief account, that perchance thou mayest purify thy tongue, both outer and inner, from the malady of self and passion, and cause it to speak in praise of God. For today, the true speaker is he who ariseth to praise the Truth; else he hath been and shall remain but a cawing crow.

Thou didst write that the state of disputation and contention no longer remaineth, that none hath arisen to wage war and strife. Strange indeed that ye yourselves practice that of which ye complain! The disputations of the world lie concealed and hidden in these words thou hast sent. It would seem that in this letter of thine not a particle of the sayings of the deniers and idolaters hath been omitted. The book of every soul hath been placed in their hands, yet due to their heedlessness they perceive it not, and they send it from land to land.

This servant is greatly astonished at how thou couldst bear these weighty words. Would that they had returned them to their source! Whether good or ill, they befit the one who cast them forth, and ever shall. We beseech God’s most great favor that He may sanctify thee from such vain imaginings. It is not fitting that all should be spent in disputation and contention, conflict and evil, and forced interpretations to satisfy the self. Strange that thou shouldst claim detachment by mere words, when one who hath committed every conceivable transgression - such that in every land there now remaineth some token of that tree of turning away - is yet considered detached. Moreover, one who openly indulgeth in all manner of vice, whose fire of greed burneth so intensely that he hath run from here to Istanbul for a morsel of bread - this hath been demonstrated by his deeds. Yet should he meet certain deluded ones, with one long sigh, a shake of the head, and two words declaring his renunciation of the world, he is reckoned as chief among the detached ones. The weapon of war and shield of the idolaters is the mention of death and detachment from the world, and they have taught this delusion well, such that it hath become imprinted upon thy breast.

And they have inculcated well with vain imaginings, such that it has become imprinted in your heart. But the detached ones perceive different fragrances and different scents. Should colocynth claim to be sugar, those with taste will not accept it. Every utterance requires corresponding deeds. Ever have those who objected to the Truth spoken such words, even as that holy soul who endured such tribulations that, by God besides Whom there is none other God, had these servants imagined would be preserved. You have attributed worldliness to him, while one who has spent his entire life in the utmost comfort and ease you have called detached. Woe unto those who speak according to their own desires and understand not.

Furthermore, I know not what is meant by these “interpretations” you have mentioned. The interpreters are those who speak without seeing and judge without attaining. By God’s grace, what We have mentioned has been from God’s clear verses and from that which is accepted by you and the people of the Bayan, inasmuch as the Bayan was revealed only to command all explicitly and without interpretation that should anyone appear with divine verses, none should object to him. So emphatic were they regarding this point that they made the faith and certitude of all contingent upon acknowledging the One Who would appear. Yet you have called this decisive divine word ambiguous and a forced interpretation. If this point were removed from the Bayan, by what proof could the faith of claimants be established? Evil is that which they have imagined within themselves.

In any case, how quickly they have distorted the divine words. Certain counterfeit temples have caused the fragrances of the All-Merciful to be cut off from the people of creation. The difference is that these servants speak what they have seen while you speak through fancy. We hope that, God willing, you will distinguish between desire and God. If you are fair, you yourself will testify that whatever has occurred has always been contrary to personal desires, for the commanding self has never relinquished and will never relinquish its comfort and ease. One has appeared with all the divine verses and has ever been afflicted at the hands of enemies, speaking that which is recorded in all the Tablets. Nevertheless, you have interpreted what has appeared from Him as self and desire. May a hundred thousand souls of the near ones be sacrificed for this desire, through whose wafting the musk-laden breezes from the paradise of oneness diffuse, and by whose movement still souls are stirred and moved in their longing for the meeting with God, and by whose stillness agitated hearts become tranquil and assured, and through whose heat the divine fire becomes ignited in the trees of human existence, causing them to speak forth the cry “Verily, there is no God but Him.” We hope that you will not consider divine qualities and lordly manifestations as personal desire, and that you will look with fairness.

You have written that you have become confused in this matter. My heart burns that after many years among the mystics of old, living according to common parlance among the leaders of the people, confusion should still arise. Know this much: that in the station of certitude, doubt has no place. If you say that recognition of this new Revelation has become confused for this servant, then come forth to witness. If you say there is confusion in the revealed verses, then come forth to hear and see. If you say confusion exists in deeds, know that every doer’s deeds depend on His command and are contingent on His permission. The station of absolute certainty is sanctified above the doubts and imaginings of the worlds and those who are deluded.

It is evident these words were not from you, for it is unthinkable that you would follow vain imaginings and doubts. All these events that have occurred were mentioned before in the revealed Tablets. Moreover, in the first year of arrival in this land, the Blessed Beauty resided in a house near Muradiyyih, while these servants were in another house. One afternoon, He came out from the sanctuary, and all the emigrant servants were standing in His presence, including this servant, Haji Mirza Ahmad, Siyyid Muhammad and others. He said that a strange thing had been witnessed that day. These servants waited to learn what had occurred. After about ten minutes or more of silence, He turned to these servants and said that at dawn that day, a bird had perched on a branch of the tree by the house, saying these words: “Muhammad has come and calamity has come,” and the bird repeated these words three times.

None of these servants imagined it referred to the present Muhammad. Even Siyyid Muhammad himself considered such a thing impossible regarding himself. We servants became occupied with interpretations, as there were several persons in the vicinity known by this name. Finally we became convinced that one of them must come to this land and cause mischief. After two full years had passed, that which was to appear appeared. At that time it became known who was meant by the mentioned Muhammad. By God! By God! His actions and deeds are not worthy of mention. I swear by their truth that if I have mentioned anything other than what occurred, what did occur was exactly as described. Let them not think that mention of this incident was to demonstrate miracles. No, by the Lord of the Worlds! For we are certain that those in whose hearts is hatred of truth will never be convinced by any proof or evidence, as it has been foretold: “If they should see every sign, they will not believe in it.”

Rather, the purpose was to show that his condition was known in the Tablet wherein not an atom’s weight of the deeds of all creation was omitted. Your statement has greatly increased my astonishment, for one who was rejected by this community and is not worthy of mention has caused such confusion for you that now you wander in the wilderness of doubt and the desert of vain imaginings. How good it would be if you would cast off these borrowed feathers […]

Wandering in the wilderness of idle fancies how excellent it would be if thou wouldst cast off these borrowed feathers and soar with spiritual wings in the holy and sanctified atmosphere, entering into sweet spiritual realms. Thou who for years didst count thyself among the wayward ones - at last a single gust of the storms of doubt and fancy hath so carried thee away and moved thee that its description is impossible. God alone knoweth where He will establish thee. His knowledge is with my Lord and I am but a penitent servant. We hope that thou wilt grasp the strong and mighty cord, abandoning the ropes of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and wilt enter from the abode of doubt and conjecture into the holy city of certitude, steadfastness and assurance. I swear by God that my heart hath greatly burned and burneth for you, that after countless hardships ye have fallen captive to the wilderness of fancy and desire. We beseech God to deliver thee and give thee to drink that which will purify thee from what thou hast heard, and make thee sanctified from all else but Him, and establish thee under the shadow of His grace. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.

And furthermore thou didst write that thy heart burneth that due to the passage of time since the Prophet’s advent, people like us had clung to interpretative religions, living in pleasant delusion and suffering anguish, thinking we had freed ourselves from forced interpretative religion. Now according to your statement, as people say, we must again enter into interpretative religion with the first cup and dregs. The clear verses of the Bayan have not yet gained currency and become manifest, and we must cling to allegorical verses.

Know thou that those who interpret according to their desires and the people of doubt and fancy have ever remained settled and at rest in their stations. Even if a hundred thousand explicit verses were revealed, they would never attain to a drop thereof. As is witnessed, the ocean of explicit text surgeth while all are gathered in the pool of fancy and interpretation. But for interpretation there are infinite degrees - one interpretation accordeth with God’s good-pleasure and another interpretation opposeth the Truth. For the divine words there are infinite interpretations, yet none is aware of them save God. Today, by the explicit text of the Point of the Bayan, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, it is forbidden for those who shelter beneath the Tree of the Bayan to interpret or explain even a single letter of God’s words, for none is aware save the Manifestation Himself, as interpretation is not the station of creation. As for the interpretation thou hast mentioned, these are the interpretations of polytheistic souls which have ever been and shall ever be rejected. Even today they have abandoned the explicit text and remain veiled from the Manifestation Himself, occupied with interpreting and explaining His previous words through doubt and fancy. Woe unto them and their deeds! The purpose of all interpretations, explanations and meanings of verses and words hath been to attain the knowledge of Truth. And after being veiled from the Truth Itself, all return to their own station and those souls are established in the lowest depths.

And thou hast written that “we are consuming our hearts’ blood” and imagining that we have found ease by forcefully reinterpreting religion. Nay, by God! Thou hast not consumed thy heart’s blood, for hadst thou done so, thou wouldst surely have attained unto the Most Holy Court and distinguished the Supreme Horizon from the mere horizon of cattle. Although it appeareth that certain human devils have intended to sow dissension between thee and this lowliest of creatures, yet God is witness and testament that this servant would not have been offended by thy words were they directed only to him, regardless of their nature. But the hearts of all people have been consumed by the implications of thy words and the explicitness of thy expressions, for all of them return, according to your suppositions, to that Station which - by God besides Whom there is no God - even if these whom thou hast taken as thy beloved ones besides God were to soar throughout the eternity of God, they would never reach the atmosphere wherein wafteth the breeze of one of His names that were created by His Word, let alone His own Self, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Wise. But God hath sanctified His hem from the barking and howling of these ones, and from the touch of the hands of these polytheists. Hearken unto the mention of this servant and beware of those souls, for by God, through them the atmosphere of every city is corrupted. They claim to believe in Ali from before, when the verses of God, the Mighty, the Generous, were revealed unto him. But when they were revealed again, they denied them. The curse of God be upon the liars and wrongdoers!

From the fragrance of thy words naught can be perceived save rejection and objection. Therefore it is most difficult for this servant to write at this point. However, in truth, if a soul were to be found who harbored doubts due to the intimations of the polytheists, it would surely be appreciated were he to mention his doubts, for we in this land have no occupation and stand ready, should anyone experience any doubt, to provide an answer according to our station and capacity and his station, that perchance through divine grace his heart might be sanctified from vain imaginings and empty suppositions. And from thee we expect only this much: that thou observe with sanctified vision that which is mentioned. Among the words of the Most Glorious One - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - are these: “Whoso hath not purified his heart and his breast and his sight and his hearing from that which he possesseth, he shall not be able to understand what hath been revealed in truth in the Tablets of manifest glory.” Therefore we beseech God that He may send a sweet-scented breeze from the paradise of His good-pleasure upon the people of possibility, that it may purify and sanctify all from the dust of disobedience and turn them toward the holy direction of the All-Merciful. Verily, He is nigh unto whosoever calleth upon Him, the Answerer of Prayer.

O My brother! These birds of the heaven of divine love have partaken of the grain from the sacred threshing-floors of divine unity and have heard holy melodies of spiritual import. They can hardly be ensnared by worldly devices, nor can they be debarred from their Lord, the Lord of all worlds, through the whisperings of the words of such as turn away and join partners with God. Those who pursue this matter shall gain naught but regret, and have received and shall receive nothing but weariness and torpor. For, by God’s grace, we walk in the gardens of mystic revelation and are present in the gathering of divine observation. We have transcended fancy and imitation and repose in the seat of witnessing and beholding. We have no concern with this world and its people, as our deeds bear witness to our faith. We have not run to doors seeking monthly allowance and bread, nor sent our wives to others’ houses, nor falsely attributed things to God. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Were you to become aware of the very lies they have told you in that land and the calumnies they have attributed to the Truth, you would surely flee to the wilderness and cut yourself off from all who dwell on earth, were you to be of the fair-minded ones.

Say: The First Draught hath appeared in such wise that no measure can fathom its mysteries. O ye that turn away from the Beauty of God! Know ye that He, the Point of the Bayan - may the life of all else but Him be His sacrifice - hath explicitly ordained in all the Bayan that ye should not remain veiled from whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven, whether it be the Books sent down, the precious Scrolls, wondrous verses, or the manifestations in creation and in law. And although He took from all a Covenant concerning the Most Holy, Most Exalted Manifestation of this Day, saying in His mighty utterance: “Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Bear Thou witness that through this Book I have taken from all things the Covenant of the guardianship of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest before taking the Covenant of Mine own guardianship. Sufficient art Thou and whoso believeth in Thy signs as witnesses unto me. Verily Thou art my Trust. In Thee have I placed my reliance. Thou art indeed the All-Knowing Reckoner” - yet all have turned away from His Beauty and clung to His murderer. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! It was evident what they would inflict upon this blessed Beauty. Consider how much lamentation, weeping and mourning lie concealed in this passage of the Point of the Bayan - may the life of all else but Him be His sacrifice. God and all His servants were taken as witnesses to the Covenant of this blessed Manifestation, that perchance the people of the Bayan would not rebel at the appearance of the All-Merciful and would be abashed at what was revealed in the Bayan. Yet there came to pass what we now witness. Not many days had passed, the words of Him Who revealed the Bayan were still ringing in all ears, and the traces of His pure blood still remained upon the earth, when they visited upon His very Self, His Essence, and His Spirit that which no people had ever wrought. Here indeed is where one should say “The First Draught.” Consider now how many words ye utter that are inappropriate, contrary and out of place. He concerning Whom He said “I have taken the Covenant of His guardianship before Mine own” - yet the deniers among the people of the Bayan have accused the souls who have accepted this All-Merciful Being of following interpretations. We bewail Our grief and sorrow unto God for what His servants, who were created by His command “Be!”, have visited upon Him.

Furthermore, thou didst write that since the clear verses of the Bayan have not yet gained currency and become manifest, one must cling to its ambiguous verses. No person of reason and understanding would utter such words. I marvel how thou wert content to ascribe the words of the idolators to thyself. It beseemeth not them that follow truth to transgress the bounds of propriety. Therefore We leave the answer to certain of thy statements to God, for the oppression of the Beloved hath ever been ordained. As to thy mention of the clear and ambiguous verses, from this statement it appeareth that thou hast not properly understood the distinction between what is clear and what is ambiguous. Otherwise thou wouldst have been certain that the clear verses revealed in the Bayan have appeared in their complete and perfect form. Therefore We shall mention briefly that among every group there is a different understanding of what constitutes clear and ambiguous verses, as is recorded in the Books. To elaborate further would prolong the matter […]

The details of this matter would lead to undue length, but verily the decisive verses are those from which the divine purpose can be directly understood, requiring no further proof or mention for their establishment. Now judge with fairness: what is the primal reality of that verse? It is evident to every person of insight that the Most Great Verse, which needs nothing else to prove itself and never will, is in its primal reality the Manifestation Himself, for whatever and whoever is below Him is in need of His command. None denies this save every rejected ignorant one.

If you say the decisive verses are the divine commandments revealed in the Tablets, there is no doubt in this - we all are assured of them, believe in them, and hope for His grace. These decisive verses are decisive in relation to the Most Wise of Judges, as it is evident that if a person were to comprehend all the decisive verses but hesitate even slightly in accepting that Most Great Verse, all his deeds would yield no fruit and would be as dust. And that Being whose verses were and ever shall be decisive says that all the Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of Paradise before that Essence of Being. And in another instance He says that whatsoever was revealed in the Bayan is dependent upon His command and contingent upon His leave and will. And in yet another instance, addressing the people of the Bayan, He says: “Beware lest ye be deprived, by the Bayan and what was revealed therein, of the Promised One.”

Countless such decisive statements have been revealed, and yet they turn away from Him by whose will all decisive verses appear and from whose fingers flow all rivers of knowledge and utterance, imagining they have understood and comprehended the decisive verses. Now open the eye of justice and recognize the people of confusion and the manifestations of the whisperer - those souls who have cast such words upon you. Yes, forever have certain souls called themselves after truth while leading helpless weaklings astray in the wilderness of doubt and fancy, occupied with their own leadership. This is not the first arrow to pierce Us, nor the first spear to strike the Beloved of the worlds.

And if you say the decisive verses are the descriptions revealed in the Bayan concerning certain souls, firstly, you do not know to whom these descriptions refer, and secondly, by His very Self, the Truth, He has described all things to their ultimate description, such that He has attributed all names and attributes to all things. This is the station wherein thou seest no imperfection in the creation of the All-Merciful. All besides Him are His creation, and all share in these attributes, for in the greatest perspective, all exist and shall exist in one plane.

Concerning certain divine verses that have been revealed according to their outward meaning, their purpose was to encourage those souls. Moreover, all return to the divine manifestation. As long as that divine manifestation exists in every thing, it is described and mentioned with all names and attributes, and after its withdrawal becomes non-existent. Reflect on this that thou mayest be among those who know. Even if we accept that certain attributes were revealed specifically about a person mentioned, hast thou not heard that He says: “Be not veiled from the Manifestation Himself at the time of His appearance by the Letters of the Bayan”? And the Letters of the Bayan were the first souls who were described with all attributes and designated by all names. This very statement of the Ancient King is clear evidence of the veiling of some of the Letters, as is now witnessed that one who considers himself among the Letters and Mirrors has detached himself from the hem of holiness and clings to the cord of self and desire. Likewise He says that at the appearance of the Most Great Luminary in the next cycle, the people of the Mount shall become non-existent and as naught. Reflect a little that perchance ye may comprehend the sublimity of the Cause. After the greatness of the Cause is such that He says the people of the Mount become dead and as naught, the Letters and Mirrors in that station have no mention except after their love for Him. Similarly in another place He says, exalted and mighty be His Word: “It is permitted unto Him Who shall be made manifest to reject him who is the highest on earth, for that one is but a creature in His grasp.” These are the statements of the Creator of names and attributes, while those are the words of veiled souls led astray. By God! Now have shone forth the suns of decisive verses, clear signs, firm proofs and perfect words. Yet you write that Mirza Yahya cannot be rejected, while his utmost station was that he would present himself before the Abha Beauty and divine words would be revealed to him. By God! Despite his deeds no one opposed him - he rejected himself through turning away from the Truth Who created through His Word. Thus do We explain the matter unto thee that thou mayest be of the knowing ones. Now reflect which are the decisive verses of God and which the ambiguous ones, and thou shalt know those who took the ambiguous verses and cast the decisive ones behind their backs and were among the polytheists. Here it is beloved to mention from the decisive verses revealed from the Abha Will, exalted be His grandeur. By God! They suffice all creation, so that any believer who has an atom of divine love in his heart may hold fast to them and deliver himself from the suppositions of the people of earth and the falsehoods of the manifestations of Satan, and moreover remain firm in his faith and witness no wavering. And these are some of the verses revealed in a Tablet to one of the friends concerning one of the wicked ones. His glory be exalted! He says: “And if thou seest one named with a divine name, mention to him thy Lord’s verses that perchance he may be of those who turn toward the direction wherein whoso turneth hath indeed been saved and whoso turneth away hath indeed perished. Thus doth the Spirit speak now between the heavens and earth. Say: O servant, hear My word! By the True God, thou shalt find no counsellor more sincere than I. Tarry not on the path but pass over it as a cloud passeth. Thus did We command thee aforetime.”

Say: O servant, hear My words! By God the Truth, thou shalt not find for thyself a counselor more faithful than I. Tarry not upon the Path, but pass along it as a cloud passeth. Thus did We command thee before, and We command thee now, and if thou acceptest not from Me, We shall soon command thee thus again and yet again, until thou passest along it by My sovereign power, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise.

Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy by My remembrance and My Name, and cast behind thee all that holdeth thee back; then appear suddenly through thy Lord’s manifestation, and be not of the patient ones. Beware lest leadership prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord. By God the Truth, were all who are in the heavens and earth to prostrate before thee, while thou dwellest not beneath My shadow, it would profit thee not - to this thy spirit doth testify, wert thou of them that hear.

Wouldst thou be of those whom leadership prevented in the days when the heaven of the Cause was cleft asunder and He came upon the clouds, and who denied God, their Creator and their Fashioner, until they pronounced His death sentence after He had come unto them with a proof from God and a mighty testament? By God, O servant, My purpose was naught but to purify thee from all that beseemeth thee not. And whenever I held My peace in mentioning thee, the Tongue of God spoke through My tongue and commanded Me to proclaim unto thee, and I have naught to do save clear delivery of the Message.

Ponder within thyself for less than a moment: Hast thou heard of a Revelation greater than this, or of verses mightier than what have been sent down in truth? Then speak with pure sincerity and be of those who turned unto the Most Great Prospect on the day when the faces of all created things were transformed. And if thou fearest for thy faith, take this Tablet and preserve it in the pocket of thy trust, and when thou enterest the gathering place on the day when all contingent beings shall be raised up before the presence of thy Lord through His wondrous and exalted breaths, and God shall ask thee by what proof thou didst believe in this Revelation, then bring forth the Tablet and say: “By this Book, the revealed, the blessed, the ancient!” Then read what was revealed therein before thy Lord’s presence, the station wherein all the Prophets and Messengers bear witness.

By God, then shall all stretch forth their hands toward thee and take the Tablet and place it upon their eyes in their longing to meet Me and their passion for My love, and they shall inhale from it the fragrance of My holy, mighty and exalted presence. Thus have We detailed the verses unto thee that thou mayest be at peace within thyself and be of the tranquil ones. And if God should punish thee for believing in His verses in this Revelation, then by what proof would He punish those who believed not in Ali before, and before him in Muhammad the Messenger of God, and before him in Jesus son of Mary, and before him in Moses, and before him in Abraham, until the Manifestations end at the Primal Point Who created by thy Lord’s will, the Powerful, the Purposing.

O My Name! The Cause is more manifest than to be concealed and more evident than to be veiled, and it shineth as the sun at high noon. If thou wouldst free thyself from the veils, thou wouldst attain unto it more quickly than thine eye could return to thyself, and this is certain truth. Hear the word of Him Who speaketh the truth, and dispute not the verses of God after their revelation, even should all beings command thee to do so, and withhold not thyself from His grace, even should both races of men prevent thee. Behold thy Lord’s Cause with thine own eyes, then know it through thine own self.

Even if all humanity and jinn should prevent thee therefrom, behold thou the Cause of thy Lord with thine own eyes, then know it through thyself and thy spirit, for the recognition of others cannot serve as proof for thee, nor can the rejection of all else stand as evidence against thee. Beware lest thou be veiled from Him Who, shouldst thou be veiled from Him for less than a moment, would cause thy deeds to be rendered null. All that hath been revealed aforetime in the Scriptures of God, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, beareth witness unto this. These are the revealed words that were mentioned. Now judge fairly and distinguish these decisive verses from all else. Should any soul possess within his heart a spark from the fire of divine love, he will act according to that which hath descended from the heaven of the divine Will, and will observe himself to be detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth, established upon the seat of tranquility, assured of God’s Cause, and independent of all else. God hath perfected His proof, completed His favor, caused the Sun to shine forth, and sent down His signs. His Manifestation is most evident, yet ye have entangled yourselves in the wilderness of doubt, conjecture and allusion. We beseech God to grant success unto Us and thee, and to bestow upon us that which He hath ordained. Verily He is the Mighty, the Generous.

Furthermore, regarding thy words “Well done! What a strange affair this is! People still dispute the fundamental matter. They have not yet understood what the Message was and what ordinances it contained. Now a new order and an allegorical religion that will cause a thousand kinds of sedition has been established.” I show thee no discourtesy, but I bear witness by God that no person of understanding would ever speak thus. For if the matter were to depend upon the words of people and what they possess, the Truth should never appear, inasmuch as in every age and dispensation when the Sun of Truth hath shone forth from the horizon of the divine Will, all have raised objections and turned away in fierce opposition, accounting that Manifestation of the Divine Unity to be among the workers of corruption and sedition. Yet it is evident to every person of insight that the purpose hath been naught but unity, and shall ever be so. Moreover, these objections of the people have not been confined to this Revelation - they still dispute about the Messenger of God. If the matter were to depend upon people’s words, we seek refuge in God, all Manifestations would have to be denied. Furthermore, from this Revelation the laws of the Bayan have been established and made manifest, not from those deluded souls whom thou hast imagined, who have not, by God, acted upon a single one of its precepts. God forbid that their deeds should be mentioned, for Satan himself would flee from their actions. Many matters have become confused and veiled for thee. We beseech God to open thy sight through His grace, to deliver thee from the darkness of self and passion, to draw thee nigh unto the Divine Lote-Tree, for verily He is powerful over all things and verily He watcheth over all things. Truth hath never regarded, nor shall it ever regard, the words, denial and objections of people. He doeth whatsoever He willeth, despite those who have disbelieved in God and were among the deniers. If thou wouldst reflect a little, all these objections of thine were likewise leveled against the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - and similarly against all the Messengers before Him. Hear My words, then seek forgiveness for what thou hast committed. Perchance God will forgive thee and blot out thy misdeeds, for verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

[…]

Strange indeed that you should be confused about this matter when the Command is so clear and unambiguous! These servants have pondered and, by God’s grace, have emerged from the thickets of interpretation into the spacious meadow of clear declaration. The interpreters are those who discard the manifest and exalted Truth, and with the axe of conjecture carve out idols of fancy, then bow down before their own handiwork in worship and submission, all the while counting themselves among the worshippers of Truth and those detached unto God. Hearken to this servant’s words, free your heart from vain imaginings, and fix your gaze upon the Lord of all beings. For a friend is one who, upon seeing a friend drowning in the ocean of extinction, extends whatever aid lies within his power and capacity, that perchance it may become the cause of deliverance and salvation. Therefore we hope that you will hold fast to the cord of divine favor, escape from the depths of darkness and turbidity, and enter beneath the shade of the dawning divine splendor. You have turned away from and closed your eyes to this Command which now exists in such clarity and speaks with truth, and have instead opened wide the gate of interpretation, which has ever been sickly and infirm. You have reached such a state that you accept falsehood as truth, writing it down and counting it as genuine. Among other things, a letter arrived from there, with neither seal nor name to identify its author or sender, yet containing certain false and fabricated statements. It is clear that Satan suggested these, and that unknown forger wrote them at his prompting. The writer himself knows this is false, and you know it too, yet you have accepted it as truth and wish through conjecture and fancy to attribute the right of Him Who possesses all rights to another. Now consider how you seek ambiguity in a Command that is crystal clear. We beseech God to open your sight, to aid you to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, and to make you among those who attain. Another statement of that objector was: “Though I was not present, I believe I understand better than those who were there for years. Moreover, I possess the general principles which serve as the standard of truth.” […]

That you have claimed to be informed - no, by God, absolutely no one is informed, neither you nor anyone else. And that which has been suggested to you, by God besides Whom there is no God, all of it was and will be false. Would that the one whom they have now accepted as authority instead of God were like any ordinary person from the marketplace! Strange that you should attempt to cause doubt in this servant. All your words, conjectures, interpretations, allusions, proofs, clear statements and obscure ones, and claims to knowledge in this Cause - all of these trace back and lead to Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani. His excellence is well clear to these servants, and was clear before. Strange is your insight - how well you know people! In any case, I hope that God will remove that mischief-maker, for he has caused such corruption as has not been seen from the beginning of creation until now. And surely he too has claimed to be informed. Know this much: that by God besides Whom there is no God, he had absolutely no knowledge. What he said was pure falsehood and sheer calumny. These few days of life are not worth spending in corruption, opposition and commission of such abhorrent deeds. It would have befitted you, after that mischief-maker arrived in that land, to counsel him with goodly exhortation and words of wisdom, not to strengthen him, become his mirror and echo his words. God willing, we hope he will not eat of the wheat of Rey. We praise God that He protected these servants from his evil and deception. What more can this servant say? These are days when in the eyes of the deluded ones, the word of a gnat is heard in a barren land while the Word of God goes unheeded. If they had fairness, all should weep blood and wail in the wilderness, for they use the words of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - to prove the truth of one besides Him while striking with the sword against His own Self. Beyond this, we wish to see by what proof and evidence they believe in the Primal Point. Bring it forth if you are truthful! By the same proof by which they believe and are certain of the Primal Point, we believe and are certain of the very Manifestation with something even greater. The difference that exists is this: when the divine touchstone and the heavenly balance appeared, the monotheist became distinguished from the polytheist. Be fair! If we deny this Revelation and its evidences and verses, by what face and by what cause can we then claim belief?

Know that any criterion which you mentioned, besides being the universal criterion that you say exists in hand - how great is this statement of yours, for this station God has placed above all the worlds, because the Manifestation itself is God’s criterion and His balance. Truth turns with Him even as a shadow turns with the sun. Thus was it revealed in the Bayan, if you be of them that comprehend. Your example is like one who takes a rock to someone who possesses treasures of jewels, claiming he will use that rock to recognize and distinguish those jewels. The criterion in the hands of men may serve to know their like, but God’s Self is sanctified above that and can never be known thereby. The divine criterion has ever been and shall ever be His own Self. Whoso hath known Him hath known the criterion, and whoso remaineth veiled therefrom, his striving hath been in vain and he is among the losers.

Verily the criterion you mentioned is the same one that was in the hands of the divines during the time of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, and likewise during the time of the Messenger of God before Him, and before that the appearance of Jesus son of Mary, when all the divines and leaders objected to those Suns of Truth according to their own criteria, until finally they issued the decree for the execution of those holy Temples. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers!

O heedless sleeper! Know that God’s criterion has ever been and shall ever be His own Self and what proceedeth from His presence - all this is through His grace, if ye but knew. If one were truly focused on the Point of the Bayan and His counsels, even if all the peoples of the world were to confront him with sharp swords and cut him to pieces, he would not hesitate regarding this Manifestation, for all that was recorded and revealed from the heaven of Will was and shall be explicitly about this Most Great Manifestation.

And if you do not look to the Bayan and deny God’s proof which all the Prophets and Messengers brought, and do not accept God’s verses which have ever been and shall ever be the conclusive proof as the criterion, then bring what you have if you be truthful. You must bring forth that criterion and proof by which you prove your truth today. By God! You will never be able to do so. All matters are in His grasp and all things are in the hand of His power, and all else is created by Him - to this testifieth every possessor of enlightened wisdom.

If anyone today denies these divine attributes and lordly manifestations and revealed verses which have appeared in this most holy and exalted Revelation, flowing like torrential rain, he hath denied the Truth and all the Messengers, and he is of the polytheists - thus was it inscribed in the Mother Book by the Pen of Command.

One melody from the melodies of the Dove of the Bayan regarding the criterion is mentioned specifically for those who seek the sanctuary of the All-Merciful, that they might attain to its recognition and become wholly detached from satanic manifestations, rending asunder the veils of idle fancies in such wise that the people of the Concourse on High hear the sound of their tearing, and witness them above the entire Concourse of the Bayan among those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, fleeing from branch to branch that they might cast doubt and suspicion into the hearts of those whom the breezes of the All-Merciful have turned from the left of conjecture to the right of certitude. His word – exalted be His remembrance, exalted be His praise, exalted be His utterance, and most exalted be His beneficence – is: “He is the Balance, and His Cause is the Balance, and His condition is the Balance, and His signs are the Balance - whatsoever pertaineth to the Balance is the Balance.” Thus endeth His word. In brief, the Balance hath been and shall ever be the Manifestation Himself, and whatsoever floweth forth from the ocean of His bounty and generosity, and that which they practice today, and that which they utter, and that which they command - these have been and shall ever be the Balance for all, both before and after. And today, shouldst thou observe any soul to have departed from this divine and most merciful Balance, know him to be false and rejected. And God forbid that thou shouldst dare to assail the very foundation of the Balance. Fear God, Who created thee from a drop of despised water.

The words of others who oppose: First, regarding the original claim and matter at hand, that same Bab whom you call the Most Exalted Lord established His own verses as proof and demonstrated His truth through verses, and none among the believers deny this, and surely you too cannot deny it; rather, your acceptance and that of others of the Bab was through His verses. Thus endeth his words. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, no person of discernment can detect the fragrance of truth from these words he hath written. What regret and remorse, that in this spiritual springtime thou hast not adorned thyself with the wondrous attire, nor inhaled the sweet fragrances from the paradise of inner meanings. Thy words are like those of the veiled ones, nay more base. By God, wert thou to reflect upon them, thou wouldst feel ashamed and erase them all. The station and worth of a man are revealed through his words, and in truth, words are the mirror of the soul, were ye of those who know. Ever have they, through such unfounded words, prevented the construct of people’s suppositions from turning toward the divine unity. What station of sanctification of the Cause can be seen, and what station of veiled souls can be witnessed? Hear My words, then cast them behind thee and turn wholly unto God, that perchance there might flow from thy heart the oceans of meaning and utterance in praise of thy Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Although the pen is ashamed to mention a response to such words, yet since they have deemed a response necessary, I state that these very words of yours are a refutation against you and establish the Cause of God, though you wrote without realizing it. Thus doth God cause to flow from the pen that of which its writer remaineth unaware. Woe unto the veiled ones from the torment of a mighty day.

O brother! The barren woman hath ever been without worth in all religions, for she is deprived of visible offspring. By God, those souls whose hearts are barren of the appearance of the virgin mysteries of God are seen as even more deprived. And now it is observed that most of the veiled ones have hearts, minds and vision so barren that they cannot even comprehend what they themselves write, let alone the allusions of divine words and the gems of consummate divine wisdom. By God, these are barren of God’s mercy and of truth and justice, and naught appeareth from them save that which intensifieth God’s wrath and anger against them, yet they do not understand.

Know that verily I have been and remain a believer, confessor, submitter, proclaimer, rememberer, speaker, caller, crier, exclaimer, declarer, conveyor, and one who announces with the loudest voice that He is the Lord of the Most High, the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Tree of the Uttermost Boundary, the Kingdom on High, the Dominion of the Cloud, the Divine Realm of Immortality, the Spirit of Glory, the Most Great Mystery, the Most Perfect Word, the Ancient Manifestation, the Most Noble Temple, the Secret Symbol, the Lord of Nations, the Surging Ocean, the Most Exalted Word, the First Pearl, the Hidden Scroll, the Treasured Book, the Beauty of Divine Unity, the Manifestation of Identity, and the Dawning-Place of Divine Unity. But for Him, existence would not have appeared, nor would the Intended One be known, nor would the Beauty of the Adored One have shone forth. By God! By His Name were created the heavens and all therein, and the earth and all thereon. Through Him the seas were set in motion, the rivers flowed, the trees bore fruit. Through Him were the religions established and the Beauty of the All-Merciful was made manifest. By God! If I were to continue describing Him unto the end that hath no end, my heart would never be quenched of its thirst for the love of mentioning His names and attributes - how much less His own sacred, mighty and beauteous Self!

Be ye witness that ye are permitted to show this Tablet to any of the deniers as ye wish. Just as thy leader took divine tablets written by the divine Branch and showed them to some while himself disclaiming them - this is what he did in secret, while in public he bows his head and lengthens his speech before the people of the Bayan who have taken him as their lord, proving to them his false and fabricated claims, rejoicing in his leadership over them. Say: Woe unto thee, O fearful, treacherous, disappointed loser! Nothing will avail thee today, even if thou shouldst cling to all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth.

Would that they had been content with this much! Rather, they wrote words similar to it and attributed them to the Truth. Verily God knoweth what is in his heart and hath recorded all things in a clear register. Now if you wish, you may show this Tablet to whomsoever you desire. By God! My Lord hath never preserved Himself and will never do so. He awaiteth crucifixion from the Jews and the spear from its bearer, if thou be of them that understand. Know that the Truth awaiteth that which befell His previous Manifestation, and likewise that which befell the Messenger of God before Him, and before him the Spirit, and before him the Friend. He feareth no one and will never fear, by God’s grace and favor, even should they all gather to shed His pure, mighty and inaccessible blood.

O you who have written that He has established His truth through verses and proven His own truth through verses - these very words “if thou but knowest” have flowed from the Pen in proof of this Cause, yet you have failed to comprehend. For these verses you mention - either you are certain of them or not. If you are not, then all these words you have written were and shall be vain. And if you are certain, then why do you deny and turn away from these revealed verses which descend like abundant rain at every moment? Know with certainty that people of insight and understanding would not allow you to proceed beyond the first word - through that single word they would establish and confirm for you God’s proof and His testimony, just as that Tree of Oneness proved His Cause and we came to know it. Now too, in like manner, God’s Cause is manifest and God’s verses are being revealed, and these servants have attained certitude. These servants were not and shall never be among the deniers. The deniers are those who “believe in part of the Book and reject part of it.” Nay, by God, rather they have rejected all the Books, for today if anyone turns away from a single letter of these verses, his rejection of all is established and confirmed. We believe in what was revealed before and what is now revealed, and everything bears witness to this, if you be of those who are certain. Well do you argue and engage in dispute and objection with the Beloved Point, writing that His truth was proven through verses. In your own estimation you look to the revelation, yet are far removed from the Revealer. And as for what you wrote that “certainly you too cannot deny” - our inmost reality, our essence, our tongue, our heart and our limbs all testify to His verses, if you be of those who understand. I swear by the Sun of the glory of unity that a single letter from the words of that Manifestation of Names and Attributes is more beloved and precious to the Ancient Beauty than all that is in the heavens and earth - how much more so for these servants who are as nothing before a letter from Him and who bow in submission before all that has appeared from that Tree of Truth and Sun of grace and Moon of loving-kindness. The difference between these servants and you is that you verbally profess belief from behind a thousand veils and curtains while turning away from His Self and Essence and Spirit and Being. Would that you were content with mere rejection! Nay, by His All-Merciful Self, rather you spend your nights and days plotting to shed His pure and holy blood, as was clearly shown by the deception you practiced in that land. These servants believe in, acknowledge and confess His verses, His words, His manifestation, His Self and His Spirit in their entirety. Therefore recognize the station of the deniers, and the station of God, the Exalted, the Great, and the station of these poor and lowly ones.

And furthermore concerning what was written, He Himself can distinguish verses from that which is not verses better than others. Indeed, the true distinction must come from Him, and of a certainty such a person would not be a liar nor would he be moved by the promptings of his own desire. Thus it ends. If you have written based on conjecture, these servants testify with certainty between the heavens and the earth that there is no God but Him, and that the Point of the Bayan is His Balance and His Manifestation, and all that was revealed from Him is truth wherein there is no doubt, and He is the One Who distinguishes truth from falsehood and doubt from certitude. Now this distinguisher that you have mentioned - are you certain of and submissive to all His verses, or only to that which you have interpreted according to your own desire and found agreeable? If you are certain of all that was revealed from Him, He says, exalted be His mention: “All that is in the Bayan is a gift from God for that most glorious and eternal Manifestation.” And furthermore He says: “Glory be unto Thee, O my God! How insignificant is my mention and whatever is attributed to me when I wish to ascribe it unto Thee. Accept me and whatever is attributed to me through Thy grace, for Thou art the best of those who show grace.” O heedless ones among the people of the Bayan! Despite such humility from the Primal Point regarding His subsequent manifestation, you remain unaware and occupy yourselves with such utterances. By God, were you to reflect even slightly, you would lament for your own souls, for in this station that blessed Being has mentioned Himself with complete humility and utter effacement. How then can there be any station for mirrors and what is attributed to them? Has any line been observed in the Bayan that does not end in this most wondrous and novel mention? No, by His own true Self, but you do not understand. By God, you have fallen into such a state that it seems as though a thousand chains could not move you. At last, step forth from the wilderness of allusions and enter the pleasant atmosphere of detachment, that you may recognize the impregnable Truth by His holy Self and become detached from all else. And as for your mention of that Manifestation of Divine Unity as a distinguisher - by what proof? If it was by verses, then why do you turn away from this Distinguisher Who has appeared with verses before which every possessor of verses bows down in His presence, save those who are moved by the winds of leadership as they please - at times casting them upon mountain peaks, at times into the desert of error, at times throwing them into the depths of extinction, and at times leaving them under the wolves of self and desire? Say: Die in your wrath! By God, He has appeared by Whose word the proof of the first and the last is established, and by Him it shall remain established unto the end that has no end, and none deny this save every sinful disbeliever.

And as to what was written, that he will not be a liar even though he may outwardly acknowledge the truth of His Holiness, yet this acknowledgment was but a shadow and was seized, for if one were truly convinced of the truth of the Primal Point, one would not deny the Source of Truth, by Whose will the reality of truth was created and praised. The acknowledgment of His truth in this station was merely that through this outward acknowledgment one might deny His essence and reality. Just as the divines before, at the time of the manifestation of the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His grandeur, spoke thus: that the Imams of Guidance were certainly truthful, and there exist successive traditions from them that whosoever claims the Qa’im must be born is a liar, a hypocrite, and a slanderer, whose death is obligatory. And likewise they argued that ‘Seal of the Prophets’ is God’s word and is explicitly revealed in the Qur’an, and it is certain that God is truthful and His Prophet is truthful. Then, in objection to God and the Manifestation of His Self, they uttered these words, that this person’s claim is false and devoid of merit, for he has spoken contrary to the Book of God and His traditions and the truthful Prophet, as it is in His book that Prophets have come from the beginning that has no beginning and will come until the end that has no end. Exactly as you have objected, they objected - nay, you are even more vigorous in objection, if you but knew. Now observe how deluded are those deniers who have cast these words upon you. It seems they have not attained to a single letter of the divine words’ meanings, nor have they received a drop from the ocean of divine glory. Woe unto them and to what their selves and desires have commanded them. Whatever you cite from the Bayan, even if we grant that you have understood it all - though this is impossible, for none knows its meanings save God - and likewise all its deeds when practiced will not benefit you at the time of His manifestation except through acknowledging the Manifestation. For He explicitly states regarding what was revealed in the Bayan that you should not be veiled from that Merciful Countenance, let alone by these four words you have mentioned. And after the establishment of this blessed and goodly Word, all that you have mentioned or will later use as evidence will return to the limited selves of those who mention and argue, while the Truth is sanctified above all. And it is very clear that if you truly believed the Primal Point to be truthful, you would never deny this most wondrous and most mighty Manifestation. Now you acknowledge Him as truthful with your tongue, but in deed - God forbid - as false. So seek forgiveness for what you have thought and said and written, and say:

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I am he who was neglectful in Thy path and followed the ways of fancy and imagination, being veiled from the recognition of the Manifestation of Thy Self, and I argued with that which burned the liver of Ali and then the heart of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, as though I had slain all existence, both seen and unseen. Therefore, O my God, look upon me with the glances of Thy mercy and leave me not to myself and my desires. Then purify me from the allusions whereby I became deprived of the gardens of Thy reunion and meeting. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.”

Ye wrote further that no one, whether from within or without, could doubt that the Bab confirmed Mirza Yahya, in that He wrote to His followers in diverse terms concerning his truth, declaring explicitly and in clear terms for the imitators and common folk that “after Me, he is, and obedience to him is incumbent on all, he is the successor and vicegerent, whatever exists after Me is he.” But for those of insight and understanding He revealed other words, saying: “Verily the Cause will end with the Name of Vahid for his revelation is in itself proof and needeth no text.” My heart was greatly grieved upon reading these words, for ye have reasoned exactly like the divinity students who now in their schools attempt to prove their points with imaginary proofs and ambiguous words. By your own admission ye consider the people of the Furqan to be deluded, yet your delusion is witnessed to be a hundred thousand degrees greater than that people. How long wilt thou remain asleep upon thy couch? Raise thy head from slumber and open thine eyes that thou mayest behold the Sun shining at its zenith. Put aside these words and consider their source. Cast away delusion and hold fast to the sovereign truth. What a pity that hearing and sight should be occupied with observing and hearkening to such words! First, what ye have written is the reverse of truth, and furthermore He saith: “Do ye believe in part of the Book and deny part?” How is it that ye accept these words whose source is unknown, yet all the Bayan which declareth that at the time of His manifestation ye should cling to naught else but Him - this divine utterance is unheard while fabricated words must be hearkened to? Never in the Bayan was there mention of successorship or vicegerency. According to you these are the words of the people of the Furqan. What was mentioned in the Bayan was the mention of Letters and Mirrors, and in all instances He declareth that the Mirrors were not and will not be limited. Whosoever faceth the divine Sun is accounted among the Mirrors, and this station endureth so long as he turneth not away from that orientation. After turning away “the light returneth to its source and the created thing to its form and likeness.” Throughout the entire Bayan, especially explicitly, He declareth that on the Day of His manifestation ye should look to none but Him, for that Ancient Beauty cannot be known through any eye but His own, even as He was not known. And now the Primal Point Himself declareth that what ye write is error and your proofs pertain to the deluded ones. The Truth hath appeared with its sovereignty and proof - His verses, and His manifestation is itself proof. Die therefore in your wrath, O company of the deluded! Ye mention those without and within and fame, but all these words were written in pure delusion and mere conjecture. As for those without, they never had any knowledge, and as for those within, some have ascended to the Supreme Companion while others who remain ye have denied, contriving fabrications according to your own desires that perchance ye might deprive the helpless weak ones from the exalted Truth, even as was done aforetime.

And you have contrived falsehoods according to your own desires, that perchance you may deprive the helpless ones of the Exalted Truth, as was done aforetime. Would that you could understand what purpose lay behind the fame that was given, which none comprehend save those possessed of insight. This servant is astonished by what evidence you claim knowledge, for you have never been part of this Cause. Yea, erelong false and unsound traditions will emerge from the realm of polytheistic souls, and these traditions will surely be traced through chains of transmission, ending with Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani, or with Husayn known as Shukhte who has lately arrived and dwells under Satan’s shadow, or with Mirza Husayn-i-Qumi who spoke against the Countenance of the Beloved to preserve his own wicked self, or with the lame one who repudiated God while upon the pulpit. You yourselves know that none of these souls had any knowledge, yet your desires have led you to accept the testimony of one who has no truth. Fear God, speak not of that which you know not, and be not among the fabricators.

If all upon the earth today were to become delicate mirrors and bear witness to a matter, it would not suffice, for the testimony of all is dependent upon the Manifestation Himself, even as the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - says concerning the later Revelation, exalted be His mention: If all upon the earth were to testify to a matter, and He were to testify without their testimony, His testimony would be like the sun while their testimony would be like the sun’s reflection, which has not come into alignment, else it would conform to His testimony. I swear by God’s Most Holy Essence that one line of His word is better than the words of all upon earth - nay, I seek forgiveness for this comparative expression. How can the effects of suns in mirrors equal the effects of the sun in the sky? The former is at the level of nothingness while the latter is at the level of bringing things into being through God, mighty and glorious is He.

Now whatsoever is mentioned and renowned among the servants according to your assumption has never been and will never be valid in God’s sight. All depends upon and is contingent upon the acceptance of this most wondrous, most mighty and most holy Revelation, would that you knew. And even supposing what you have mentioned were true, He says, exalted be His mention, that at the time of the later Revelation the spiritually learned become as dead and nothing, the letters and guides of light remain veiled, and the tree of affirmation is reckoned as negation. Likewise He says that many a soul who in one Revelation is among the most exalted dwellers of Paradise becomes in the subsequent Revelation among the lowliest denizens of the fire.

Say to the objectors and those in error: O sightless ones who have deprived yourselves of the Kawthar of inner meanings, the Tasnim of divine knowledge and the Salsabil of utterance! Reflect in the highest heaven that perchance you may be given to drink a drop from the Most Great Ocean. Similarly in another passage He says, exalted be His mention, that the most exalted dwellers of Paradise aforetime come to dwell in the lowest depths of the fire. Now a pure vision is needed to reflect upon these utterances of the Manifestation of the Cause. The polytheists have ever, at the time of Revelation, clung to His previous words to object to the Divine Being Himself, just as you today cling to His previous words to object to His very Self.

And likewise He – exalted be His mention – states in another station that the highest dwellers of the paradise of the past shall abide in the lowest depths of fire. Now a pure eye is needed to ponder these utterances of the Manifestation of the Cause. The polytheists have forever, in the days of each Revelation, clung to the words of the previous Dispensation and raised objections against the very Divine Being Himself. Even as ye today cling to His previous words and raise objections against His own Self, and continue so to do. Woe unto them and unto you and unto those who follow you, from the torment of a grievous day! And to such a degree have ye become heedless that ye send to His most holy and most exalted Presence such words as are fit only for the eyes of the polytheists to behold. In this connection the previous Manifestation – may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake – hath made a statement which We mention purely for the sake of God, that perchance the objectors might become aware and remain not veiled from the Sun of Guidance. His word – exalted be His mention – is this: “The likeness of those days is as the sun compared to the stars, and likewise is the similitude of the people of that Revelation in relation to outward appearance. For this reason, in that Revelation those who are possessed of true understanding will not wield the pen, and will feel ashamed of their own works and writings and of their own manifestations and expressions.” Would that they had heeded this single counsel of the King of Oneness and had not committed that which had been forbidden them! I know not by what path they walk or what course they follow. They adduce the verses of God as proof, and yet deny Him Who revealed them. […]

“And concerning what thou hast written, that the Bab confirmed Mirza Yahya - firstly, thou art not acquainted with that confirmation, what its purpose was and what was intended. For the celestial maidens of divine meanings in the chambers of holy infallible utterances have ever been and shall ever be veiled from mortal eyes. None hath touched them save the Manifestation Himself and those who were His proofs on the day of His appearance. By God! None was confirmed save this Beauty Who hath fallen into the clutches of the idolaters and under the claws of the deniers and the tongues of the heedless and the deceivers. And even assuming such confirmation, if thou wouldst observe with a discerning eye, thou wouldst find this confirmation applicable to all, for He says, exalted be His mention, that there is no doubt that all souls who have believed in the Bayan were and are among the Prophets, the saints and the chosen ones. And further, in another passage He says, exalted be His mention: ‘All this is so that on the Day of Manifestation thou mayest not remain veiled by names, but rather look to that by which the names subsist in all things, even unto the mention of the Prophet, for that Name is created by what God reveals.’ How astonishing that ye still stand at the threshold of names! Well done! How faithfully ye have acted upon the divine counsel! Ye have become so heedless that ye worship and cling to mere names, continuously making mention of them while drawing the sword of malice against that by which the names subsist, and ye perceive it not. Know ye that all the proofs and descriptions ye have mentioned or may mention regarding any soul whatsoever refer back to the Bayan, and throughout the Bayan it is explicitly stated that the Bayan and all that is therein have been and shall be dependent upon the will of that King of Oneness. That Ancient Beauty hath power to negate all creation with the word ‘No’ and cast them into the lowest fire, or to draw all within the shadow of affirmation with the word ‘Yea’ and establish them in the highest paradise of recognition. He shall not be questioned about His actions, while all else shall be questioned about everything. Would that thou hadst understood concerning whom He confirmed! By God, besides Whom there is none other God! He arose not but to mention Him, retired not but to praise Him, moved not but in love of Him, and breathed not but in His Cause, while ye turned away from Him and objected to Him, clinging to one who is more contemptible in God’s sight than yourselves, did ye but know it. Ye have turned away from the Beloved of all possibility, concerning Whom the Point of the Bayan hath said, exalted be His mention: ‘Were it not for His Book, this Book would not have been revealed, and were it not for His Self, God would not have manifested Me.’ Yet ye write that such and such a one is described in the Bayan, though ye have understood neither the description nor recognized the describer and the described. By God! If thou knew what thou hast done, thou wouldst weep for thyself, and if thou hadst recognized this Manifestation and possessed all the gold and silver of earth and heaven, thou wouldst have spent it all to enter beneath His shadow and hear one melody of His melodies. But since thou art veiled from this, thou hast become deprived of the breathings of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. O my brother! By God, those who have denied today have suffered loss upon loss.”

But when thou didst veil thyself therefrom, thou becamest deprived of the sweet savors of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. O My brother! By God! Those who have disbelieved this day have suffered loss upon loss, failure upon failure, abasement upon abasement, and diminution upon diminution, yet they comprehend not save at the hour when the angels of chastisement shall come unto them and their eyes shall be stirred by the terrors of death. Then shall they cry out and say: “Is there any way of return?” Thereupon shall they be smitten upon their mouths by the hands of might and be returned to their abode in the depths of the fire. Thus hath the decree been fulfilled by God, the Mighty, the All-Compelling. As for thee, efface what thou hast and inscribe what is with God upon the tablet of thy heart, that thou mayest find it radiant and luminous with the lights of the suns of wisdom and inner meanings. Thus doth this servant counsel thee, that thou mayest be among them that hear.

And concerning what has been written about His having said that “the vicegerent and successor, whosoever it may be, after Me is he alone” - by Him Who is peerless in majesty and grandeur and Who created all things without example through His most exalted Word! If anyone had truly inhaled a fragrance from the paradise of the Bayan, they would never utter such words, nay rather, they would flee from those who speak such utterances. You have not yet comprehended the new resurrection, the new spirit, and the new words. The Cause of the Bayan is sanctified above those matters that have passed away. What was with you before has been rolled up, and a new carpet has been spread by leave of God, the Most High, the Most Manifest. But you have comprehended neither its beginning nor its end. Praise be to the Beloved, Who has so deprived the deceivers that they now appear before Him as more abject than any previous peoples. It is as though they are clothed in garments of iron, utterly unable to move. Likewise have their hearts and minds retreated, following now in the footsteps of the people of the Furqan. Hear and break these obstructing barriers and enter into the new and vast expanse of the Master of the Day of Judgment, that you may witness realms other than your own. Be not so harsh with yourselves - show mercy to yourselves and to the oppressed among the servants. You have newly clung to the remaining vestiges of the delusions of the people of the Furqan, sometimes mentioning a fabricated succession and false vicegerency, and sometimes attributing falsely invented words to the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. Hear the call of the Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, as He addresses the Mirrors, saying: “When the Sun of Baha dawns from the horizon of eternity, present yourselves before the Throne. Beware lest you sit in His presence or ask that which is not permitted you. Fear God, O ye Mirrors, all of you together. Ask of the wonders of His grace, that He may manifest for you what He willeth and desireth, for all grace on that Day circleth round His Throne and appeareth from His presence, would that ye knew. Be silent before the Throne, for silence on that Day is better than whatsoever hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Be not like those who were given knowledge aforetime and waxed proud thereby before God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. For on that Day He is above every possessor of knowledge, All-Knowing, All-Informed, All-Wise; above every possessor of power, All-Powerful, Most Potent, All-Mighty; above every possessor of greatness, Most Great, All-Glorious, Most Sublime; above every possessor of loftiness, Most Lofty, Most Exalted, Most High; above every possessor of might, All-Mighty, Most Strong, Most Powerful; above every possessor of sovereignty, All-Ruling, Most Sovereign, All-Wise; above every possessor of bounty, All-Bountiful, Most Generous, Most Munificent; above every possessor of authority, All-Commanding, Most Authoritative, Most Supreme; above every possessor of grace, All-Gracious, Most Excellent, Most Beneficent. You were all created to attain His presence and to stand in that most mighty and most great station. He shall send down from the heaven of His generosity that which is best for you, and that which He hath sent down from His presence shall make you independent of all the worlds. On that Day, no man of learning shall profit from his knowledge, nor any man of bounty from his bounty, nor any man of greatness from his greatness.”

Not all grandeur is His grandeur, nor all power His power, nor all remembrance His remembrance, nor all deeds His deeds, nor all bowing down His bowing down, nor all prostration His prostration, nor all devotion His devotion, nor all nobility His nobility, nor all lofty lineage His lineage, nor all exalted rank His rank, nor all utterance His utterance, nor all light His light, nor all names His name. For all these things and all that ye have known and comprehended were created by His word “Be, and it is.” And if He so desired, He could cause all created things to come into being through a single word from His presence, for verily He hath power over all things and is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent. Beware, O ye mirrors, lest ye be deceived by names in that Day. Know ye that ye, and all that is above you and below you, were created for that Day. Fear God and commit not that which would grieve His heart, lest ye be accounted among the heedless. Perchance He will appear in truth while ye are sleeping upon your couches, and His messengers will come to you with perspicuous tablets, and ye will wax proud and pass judgment upon Him such as ye would not pass upon yourselves, saying: “This is not from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou knowest that I have delivered Thy word and have not fallen short in that which Thou didst command me. I beseech Thee to protect the people of the Bayan on that Day, that they may not oppose Thee nor dispute Thy signs, and that Thou mayest preserve them, O my God, through Thy power which Thou hast extended over all the worlds. At this point We shall be content with these words. Most of the divine utterances that have been revealed in this most holy and exalted Revelation have not been pondered by anyone. Some have distorted them from their true meaning, some have concealed them, and some have altered them according to the outward meaning of the words. In truth, whatsoever portion of the Bayan each soul possesses suffices to remind him of this most perfect and greatest Word, and God is witness and knower of this.

By God! The moment thou didst pen these words, all things wept, and the denizens of the highest Paradise lamented, and the pillars of existence, both seen and unseen, were shaken to their foundations, for thou hast, in thy attempt to establish one of God’s enemies, belittled the station of God and His grandeur and majesty. By God! He whom thou hast taken as thy lord apart from God is in need of all things, whereas He Whom all are in need of hath appeared in truth in the year sixty and hath been established in truth. Blessed be God, the best of creators! Fear God, and let not thy pen follow thy self and passion, and deny not Him through Whose Pen’s motion the religions of the world have been established. Verily, he for whose love thou hast arisen in hypocrisy was wont to stand before the Divine Countenance while verses were revealed unto him, and he gloried in this, yet thou hast followed him of thine own accord and through him hast objected to God Who created all things by His command. There is no God but He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

The very person whom ye mention as being a mirror - and it is evident to anyone possessed of insight that a mirror hath never had, nor shall ever have, any reality of its own, its existence being merely to reflect the rays of the sun - concerning him ye claim that the Primal Point (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake) hath declared that he is in himself a proof and hath no need of any text from Me. By God! Your tongues speak what your passions dictate, and from them appeareth whatsoever they desire, not what God, the Mighty, the Powerful, hath ordained. Ye have denied this Revelation whose verses and manifestations have encompassed the whole world, and ye have demanded proof, though all the Bayan hath been explicitly and specifically revealed concerning this most sublime and impregnable Revelation. Moreover, this Cause hath ever been, and shall forever remain, sanctified beyond any proof, allusion, expression or indication. Its appearance is in itself a proof, and its verses are God’s testimony unto all the worlds. Would that ye had considered the Seven Proofs, which are among the early utterances of the Point of the Bayan. It appeareth that ye had and have no purpose save to turn away from the Truth and object to Him. Even were God to bring you all the signs, ye would not believe in Him, even as the Point of the Bayan (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake) foretold these days. Therefore, consider ye the words of God, that ye may perchance be among the mindful.

O thou who hast written concerning His statement that “verily this Cause shall end with the Name of the Vahid” – I swear by God besides Whom there is none other God that thou hast not known Vahid nor understood who was intended. And even if we grant that by Vahid was meant the first one who turned away from God, why hast thou not considered the phrase that follows, wherein He saith: “Should God manifest in thy days one like unto thee, this is what causeth the Cause to be inherited from God, the One, the Alone.” Nevertheless, this Manifestation Who hath appeared with all divine attributes was not accorded even the station of a mirror, for ye have all gathered round Him with the claws of hatred and malice, at every moment busying yourselves with new schemes to undermine His Cause. Fie upon those who have turned away from all the signs, who have taken but a single letter from the Book and used it to prove their contentions, who have denied God through Whose command were sent down glorious scriptures and sublime tablets!

This is why the Point of the Bayan – may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake – hath declared that the people of the Bayan would not count that Most Great Manifestation even as one of the believers, for even should they acknowledge Him as a believer, they would not accept for Him what they would not accept for themselves. God, the Most High, the Most Great, hath spoken truly.

Setting all this aside, the Word of Truth is but a single word, namely that which hath been revealed by Him, if ye be of them that know. He hath said – and His word is the truth: “Beware, beware lest in His days thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid is but a creation before Him. And beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words revealed in the Bayan, for they are but His own words from His previous Manifestation.”

All that they have written in apparent submission and acceptance hath been but a drop from the ocean of divine utterance. A hundred thousand souls like these have been and will be created with a word, yet despite this, thou writest falsely about God, slandering Him and His Presence, rebelling against His Glory, and affirming His enemies by claiming that the Bab said there was no need for His explicit text. By this statement, all that hath been revealed by the Pen throughout God’s realms, the Powerful, the High, the All-Knowing, doth disavow thee.

Today all the divine names have returned to their kingdom, and none comprehend this save those possessed of certitude and insight. Whatever hath been revealed in the Bayan, whether of ordinances or attributes pertaining to the Letters and Mirrors, profiteth no one except through recognition of this Manifestation. Thus hath the breath of the All-Merciful wafted through the spirit of the Bayan, were ye of them that know.

And today, since those who have turned away were not and are not capable of recognizing the supreme Example Who was God’s proof and evidence, and since they are seen to be powerless to comprehend the subtleties of divine words, We shall therefore cite a lesser example, that perchance receptive souls might enter the garden of inner meanings: A king appointeth someone as governor with authority over all affairs, as can be seen in the case of certain governors who rule over lands on behalf of the king with full authority. Nevertheless, is the king able to remove them or not? If thou deniest this, thou art a liar, for it is evident that he is able. Likewise, after the accession of the second king, that decree […]

And likewise after the ascension of the second sovereign, did those decrees and judgments which the rulers had full authority over by virtue of the previous sovereign become conditional upon the permission of the second sovereign or not? Without doubt, all became dependent upon and contingent on the command and permission of the subsequent sovereign. This was mentioned regarding temporal rulers and sovereigns, that perchance ye might not deny the power of that Omnipotent Sovereign Who hath ever been and shall ever be in a wondrous state, Who doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth. Deny not His power, and reckon not the hand of God as chained up. At least acknowledge His power to be equal to that of temporal sovereigns. By God! If anyone were to recognize that Ancient Sovereign as the Possessor of power, he would not raise such objections against the Creator of names and attributes. O ye who are deprived of the Kawthar of divine knowledge! Let us grant your claim that someone hath been adorned with the garment of one of the names between earth and heaven - is God not able to withdraw it? Woe unto you! By God, all existence, both seen and unseen, giveth you the lie. Never hath God, exalted be His mention, when bestowing something upon a soul, considered it expedient to withdraw it. The Pen is ashamed to mention that which ye have in these days engaged in before the presence of the All-Knowing Sovereign. Fear God, then abandon what ye possess and take what God possesseth. This is better for you than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earths.

And as for your division claiming that the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - revealed one thing for the people of imitation and the common folk, and another declaration for those possessed of insight and understanding - this is thy transgression against God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. This statement is utterly vain and meaningless. The Truth hath appeared of His own Self with clear signs, and these are indeed a proof from God unto every soul, if thou be of them that know. The Divine Proof hath ever been one, and for all they have ordained those same revealed verses as proof. And were there not in creation the faculty to recognize and comprehend verses, they would certainly not have been revealed through manifest signs. In this there is wisdom for those possessed of understanding, and none recognize it save those endowed with insight.

Moreover, it is not known whom ye have deemed people of imitation and common folk, and whom ye have considered possessors of understanding and insight. Ye have adopted for yourselves a cause whereby ye have gone astray and committed wrong, yet ye perceive it not. Know that those possessed of insight and others are distinguished and set apart by their acceptance or denial. Whosoever succeeded in saying “yea” at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Manifestation is accounted with God among the righteous and those possessed of insight, and whoso did not is among the wicked and the immoral. And surely those whom ye consider possessed of insight are ignorant ones who have made claims to knowledge and wisdom. Hearken unto the words of the Primal Point and Universal Manifestation Who said that the wheat-cleaner of the land of Sad donned the garment of leadership though he had not studied a single letter of knowledge, while Shaykh Muhammad Hasan who wrote five hundred thousand verses about divine works yielded not a single fruit, nor shall he ever. Thus doth God explain every matter in a clear Book.

Hold fast to the hem of justice and fairness, and behold thou writest that it is meant to exaggerate this matter for those who cannot distinguish the verses, while declaring explicitly that for those who can distinguish the verses, He is himself the Lord of verses, and in all his writings He giveth thanks and praise to the Lord that He hath manifested His Vicegerent through verses. First, most of these words were not and are not from the Exalted One - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. Many of these sayings have been fabricated and continue to be fabricated. Thou art not fully informed of the details. Second, verses are like mirrors in the station of mirrors, like the reflection of the sun in a mirror. That reflection in the mirror is visible and mentioned in the station of the mirror, yet it hath no relation to the sun in the heaven, nor will it ever have. As thou observest, if infinite mirrors were to face the sun, the reflection of the sun would appear in all of them, yet after they turn away all vanish while the sun remaineth shining and radiant in its place. The Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath made countless statements in this regard. Blessed are they who perceive, then they who understand. Every person of insight and consciousness who observeth His verses comprehendeth His rank and station. Furthermore, in one station all things are and shall ever be signs of God, were ye to observe God’s signs in the souls of creation. How many a sign in the heavens and earth do they pass by while turning away from it! The signs of God are visible and existent in all things, but so long as they are observed under the shadow of Truth they are accounted among the supreme signs, and without it they are reckoned among the base. I swear by the Truth that I was ashamed by thy words, for thou hast uttered words that none of the veiled ones before thee have uttered. The Most Great Ocean is visible, and thou observest it, yet still thou busiest thyself with proving the existence of a pond whose very scent and taste offend man. The Sun with its effulgence and rays is manifest and visible, yet thou hast deprived thyself of its light and radiance, producing proofs for something non-existent that thou hast neither seen nor comprehended. By God, thou hast not understood a single letter of the Bayan, nor set foot in the realms of exposition which are the station of the manifestation of divine fragrances and holy, eternal breezes. Thou hast been barred from the Word by a word, and through the veil of allusions deprived of the breaths of the Lord of Lords. Glory be to God! The Sovereign Who, despite His consummate manifestation and appearance, hath prevented the polytheists from beholding His beauty, and despite His transcendent loftiness and elevation, hath left those who exceed bounds bereft of perceiving the lights of His countenance. They seek to prove clear evidence through verses while turning away from the Sovereign of verses. Thus was He powerful over all things, but the people do not perceive. Hearken to the call of this evanescent servant and enter the spiritual realm. The Primal Point is manifest in His own self, and His lights and effulgences have illumined the worlds of the seen and unseen. Thou regardest Him not, yet through His words, of which thou hast never understood a single letter, thou seekest to prove the truth for His enemies. Well done to thy vision that hath mistaken the Friend for strangers!

And by His words, which thou hast never understood a single letter thereof, thou seekest to establish truth for His enemies. Well done to your vision, which hath mistaken the Friend for a stranger and counted the wicked among the righteous! By God, this servant is bewildered, nay, a whole world is bewildered and dumbfounded. Continually do ye write that the Primal Point hath said thus and thus, while at every moment ye wound that same Point with the swords of hatred and the spears of malice and abuse. Ye strike, yet perceive not. Your example is like unto those souls who in days and nights past awaited the Truth, yet after His appearance cited His former words as proof of His infidelity and corruption, until at last they perpetrated complete injustice by shedding His pure blood. Behold, the curse of God be upon those who have committed and do now commit injustice, yet perceive it not. O deluded one! We had heard, but by God, in such manner as thou hast manifested, we had neither heard nor seen. We beseech God that He may purify us and thee, and gather us together under the law of His love and good-pleasure, and that He may not deprive us of the lights of His luminous and radiant countenance.

Another matter you wrote about was that He clearly stated that His verses are from Me, and He is Me and I am He, and He called him His fruit. Now be fair: Did the Bab Himself better distinguish His verses, or did you and I? This is not blind imitation, and if you say it is blind imitation, judge fairly how many verses have appeared and continue to appear from Mirza Yahya from the beginning of the Cause until now. Assuming the truth of this matter, they have attributed all things to themselves and have called themselves by all names, for in every verse they have witnessed their own revelation, while His Essence is sanctified above every attribute and His Being is exalted above every name. As He states in one place - exalted be His mention: “Say: I have descended to where I said I am an atom and less than an atom, just as I have said I am the Lord and Creator of every possessor of lordship…” How strange that you have not grasped this clear matter. If you had insight, you would be convinced that from the beginning of His manifestation until His ascension, He beheld none but Himself, to such an extent that His blessed eyes fell only upon His blessed countenance. This was but one of the stations of that Ancient Beauty, which none has understood save His own Self, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And above this station are infinite stations with God that should not be revealed. The vessel of divine knowledge has ever been and will ever be sealed with the seal of protection. All things, insofar as they are related to Truth, proclaim “Verily I am God, there is no God but Me.” It is quite clear that this word and this station do not originate from the thing itself, but rather refer to its dwelling in the shadow of Truth and being reckoned as of Truth. And after that relationship is severed, that same thing is recorded with God as being among the people of hell. As the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - has stated, exalted be His mention: “This chamber which has no doors and no known boundaries is today the highest chambers of Paradise wherein the Tree of Truth is established, such that all its atoms seem to proclaim ‘Verily I am God, there is no God but Me, the Lord of all things.’ As for all other chambers, even if they be furnished with mirrors adorned with gold, yet if the Tree of Truth dwells in such chambers, then those atoms of mirrors proclaim, just as the atoms of the supreme mirrors of the highest chambers of the Sadri mansion where He dwelt in the days of Sad proclaim and will continue to proclaim. And no thing has any authority except what refers back to that Self.” End quote. Reflect a little on this testimony that the Blessed Beauty Himself has given regarding atoms of dust, lest you remain veiled from the Truth Itself by words that are a hundred thousand degrees beneath the description of dust. Though I swear by the Sun of sanctified glory that the veiled ones among this people are seen to be more veiled than all others, to such an extent that they have nearly become veiled from a hundred thousand manifest divine powers and revealed heavenly verses by some malicious report, nay rather, they rise up in rejection and opposition.

Rise up in opposition. And this is among the promises made by the Author of the Bayan Himself – may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. Similarly, in most Tablets this Most Mighty, Most Holy Manifestation has foretold Him Whom God shall make manifest. Although concerning dust they declared “Verily there is no God but Him,” they state that judgment belongs to no thing except that it returns to that Self, meaning the Self of Truth. Even as today all the attributes of the Bayan return to the heaven of attributes, and likewise all the most beautiful names revealed therein return to the kingdom of names. The purpose of all these mentions has been the latter Manifestation in the next cycle, for He was the Beloved of His soul and the Purpose of His heart. Thus would any soul who observes the Bayan explicitly and without ambiguity witness and become convinced that the purpose of the entire Bayan was and shall be that Essence of Exposition. For instance, in certain Tablets they have sent, it is revealed at the beginning: “This is a Book from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, to Him Whom God shall make manifest. Verily there is no God but I, the Mighty, the Beloved” – even though that Tablet was outwardly addressed to another soul. Similarly, in certain books it is revealed: “This is a Book from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” This is why He states that whatever was revealed in the Bayan, in its primary reality the purpose was the latter Manifestation, and in lesser degree it relates to those who had a connection to the Tree of Truth. Likewise, He sent certain Tablets specifically with “He is Thou and Thou art He” revealed at their beginning, including to Mulla Muhammad-’Ali-i-Zanjani. Furthermore, in mentioning the completion of the stages of unity in the numbers of all things, He states: “There is no God but He, and there is no God but I, and there is no God but God, and there is no God but Thou, and there is no God but Who, and there is no God but Me, the Lord of all the worlds, and there is no God but Thee, the Lord of all the worlds.” We hope that through these utterances of the King of names and attributes you may become somewhat purified from the limitations of self and the veils and allusions of rejected souls, so that if in the Day of Manifestation you do not assist the Truth, at least you will not unsheathe the sword against His Person nor issue the decree for His death. In any case, in all things that are attributed to God, whether from the highest height or lowest depth – and this height and depth are mentioned in relation to creation – all names and all attributes have been and are applicable, so long as they abide beneath the shadow of Truth; otherwise the judgment of existence does not apply to them, much less the exalted stations. We beseech God to wash you with the Kawthar which has flowed from the Finger of Grace, to remove from your temple the garment of allusions, and to clothe you with the adorning of His Name, the Most High, the Great.

O heedless ones who fail to comprehend the divine utterances, O ye who are deprived of the fruits of the divine Tree! First understand what the religion of the Bayan is and what the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His grandeur, intended by His verses and words. Then engage in investigation, and be not among those who have interpreted the divine words according to their vain imaginings and have perverted their meanings.

The religion of the Point of the Bayan is what is now mentioned: He likens the Source of Revelation to a Tree, and thereafter all the manifestations of that Revelation are regarded as its branches, twigs, leaves and fruits. As is evident, for example, the Primal Point Himself - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - was the Divine Tree of Revelation, and all who followed His religion are reckoned as His leaves, branches, twigs and fruits. Likewise observe this in all Revelations, and refer to it by whatever name and title thou wishest. For instance, the Point as the Ocean and others as its waves, or the Sun and others as mirrors. In this station, if any of the manifestations of that Revelation should say “he is I and I am he,” it is the truth without doubt, as exemplified in the Letters of the Living, some of whom still exist, and likewise in the infinite numbers that ultimately refer to the Unity of the Bayan. He states that naught can be seen in all things except the beauty of that Revelation.

All things in one station are attributed to the Truth, are from the Truth, subsist through the Truth, are manifest through the Truth, return to the Truth, gaze upon the Truth, and move through the Truth. And God is He besides Whom there is no God. There is a station beyond what thou beholdest, concealed in the pavilions of divine meanings, such that if the fingers of the power of the Lord, the Self-Subsisting, were to move aside the veil of the spiritual pavilion, and from that countenance hidden meanings were to shine forth, all who are in the heavens and earth would swoon away. But the blind are deprived of beholding the lights of the Sun of meanings, and the deaf are barred from hearing the scratching of the Pen of the Eternal Sovereign.

In any case, these excellences which have been unwittingly suggested to you, which you have attributed to the tree of rejection - even granting this - all things in one station have been and will be related. Soar from the earth of limitation to the heaven of detachment, that thou mayest observe with thine own eyes what I mention. Think not that this evanescent servant has wasted his life and consumed bread and water, and like you has contented himself with conjecture and imitation. Better it is that we leave these matters, for mention of this station has been and ever shall be beyond the comprehension of the ignorant masses.

Let us return to the realm of your understanding and mention the claims of those souls. The Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - regarded the Source of the Tree of Command, the Most Great Ocean, the Sun of Reality, and the Heaven of Eternity as the Revelation itself, and in every Revelation those beneath it as the creation of that Revelation, created by a word from the movement of His Pen. Thus He states that if He should designate any tree among the trees planted in this visible earth as a proof unto all things, verily it would be a proof, just as He created proofs aforetime. No distinction can be seen between these two, and this proveth His Word’s sun shining therein, by whose utterance it was created, even as the Stone became the point of circumambulation and the temple of worshippers. Consider now that if that Stone had not existed and He had designated another stone, it too would have been honored with the same distinction. And this honor pertaineth to names in the Kingdom of Names. Would that souls had attained maturity, that a drop from the ocean of names might be mentioned at this point, and it might become known that all things in that holy precinct are perceived on one plane, and the distinctions of names have been due to God’s consummate wisdom, which hath been veiled from mortal eyes, save for whom thy Lord willeth. Better that this station too remain concealed from the veiled ones, even as it hath been and still is concealed. Know this much: these names are true and this honor endureth so long as they remain under the shadow of Truth and hold fast to that name. But after transgression and departure from bounds, the garment of name is taken away and they are cast out and rejected in the sight of God, and are so far removed from the paradise of witnessing and revelation that whenever they desire to make mention of their illusory goals, they cling to some tradition from past religions and cite it. Say: O ye sightless ones! Know ye the before and after of this Cause and become cognizant thereof, for this Cause cannot be known without this. All that people possess has been and shall be vain imaginings that profit them not, and what ye mention is clear and evident to those endowed with vision - that lacking maturity they have clung to such utterances. Truth is manifest and evident - make it the standard and transgress not God’s balance, and weigh all matters with this divine balance. Accept whatsoever ye find conforming thereto, whether of the past or future, and whatsoever ye find contrary, cast it behind you and stand firm in a new way. O friend! Consider the Manifestations of the Revelation as the fruits of the Tree of Revelation. These fruits, so long as they remain attached to the tree, are reckoned as of it, but after being severed from the tree, the winds of self and desire so transform them that they are deprived of all taste, delicacy and freshness. These words are spoken with regard to people’s understanding; otherwise, by the Beauty of the Most High, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, the Revelation itself hath no relation, connection, similarity or correspondence whatsoever with aught else, nor will it ever have such. These relationships exist in the worlds of names, but the realm of Revelation is sanctified above all that hath been or shall be mentioned. Exalted is He above what thou hast imagined, known, understood and said.

Thou hast said, and dost say, that none save the All-Merciful Himself can fathom the meanings of the words of the Bayan. Would that thou hadst taken shelter beneath the Divine Tree of Oneness and hadst partaken of its fruits which have appeared in the form of “There is none other God but Him.” Then would it have become clear what the Revealer of the Bayan intended by the Bayan. But that which thy hands have wrought hath been ordained for thee.

As to what thou hast written, saying “Judge fairly now - did the Bab Himself better discern verses, or I and you, and this is not blind imitation” and so forth - how grievous are the words of him who cast thee into error, how great his infidelity and his nothingness! They speak, yet perceive not. I swear by the Point of Being that at the moment these words flowed from the pen of the opposers, all things marveled and were amused at their intelligence and wisdom. For the Primal Point appeared in His own essence, and divine verses descended like torrential rain. Yet they turned away from Him and busied themselves with proving that which is other than Him.

Had they possessed the eye of insight, they would have observed that the Point of the Bayan, due to the oppression of the manifestations of Satan and the dawning-places of falsehood, is, by God, engaged in lamentation, crying and mourning. For He said that whatever description was revealed in the Bayan referred to the later Revelation. Yet now it is witnessed that they have drawn the sword against the Countenance of the First One in His second coming, using the words of His previous Manifestation, just as similar souls before them cited the words of the previous Manifestation to shed His pure blood. Say: Ye have committed and still commit what neither Nimrod, nor Shimr, nor Sinan, nor Ibn Muljam, nor the first, nor the second ever perpetrated.

Would that, having been deprived of sight and heart, they had at least retained their sense of smell. But by God, they have been deprived of this too, for they have not distinguished the putrid stench from the sweet fragrance of eternity, and through the odor of the scarab beetle have deprived themselves of the perfume of the flowers of the heaven of divine unity. Think not this statement unfounded. They have become intimate with Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani - by God, anyone with even an atom’s weight of discernment would detect his foul odor from leagues away and would flee from it - and thus remain far and bereft from the fragrance of the divine rose garden.

I am at a loss as to what to mention to such souls and what to convey to them. Can one prove through evidence of forgery that this is the fragrance of the Beloved’s rose garden? Nay, by the very Self of the Beloved, were thou of them that truly know! Can one establish through deafness that divine melodies are sweet? Nay, by the Lord of Names and Attributes, were thou of them that perceive!

They say “Be not veiled from that Essence of Truth by the Bayan and what was revealed therein,” yet you, through the promptings of that polytheistic soul, have written the descriptions given by the deniers and sent them to the Most Holy Court. In opposition to God, you have even cited the words of the Primal Point. They cite the previous words against the Point Himself, and perceive not. And were they to perceive, they should hold fast to that which is made manifest today from the Beauty of Divine Unity.

Say: O thou who art blind! Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold the Ancient Sun seated before thy face, His blessed heart wounded by darkness. Fix thy gaze upon Him, show compassion, and seek naught from any but Him. Thou hast reached the ocean of inner meaning; move beyond the distortion of words. Thou hast attained unto the Sun; detach thyself from the lamp. The Point of the Bayan declareth that the entirety of the Bayan is today dependent upon the acceptance of Him Who is made manifest. Nevertheless, they have remained heedless of God’s decisive verses and have occupied themselves with their own vain desires. By God! They are like unto those who would attribute the qualities of the sweet and flowing waters to a drop of bitter, briny water. Strange indeed that you should write claiming to be free of blind imitation, when you are so bound by the chains of imitation that were all the hosts of earth and heaven to gather together, they would prove powerless to loose them. And you mention justice - now O just one, judge fairly: that which you have written and attributed to the Ancient Beauty, have you heard it from any save Siyyid Muhammad? By what divine law is the word of a claimant acceptable and worthy to be heard? If from any of God’s religions that have existed among men from time immemorial you can produce a decree indicating that the words of a claimant are to be heeded, these servants will acknowledge your statement. You have attributed to the Truth that which no oppressor hath ever attributed, based on the word of one who knoweth not his right hand from his left nor light from darkness - one whose iniquity, depravity and malice every atom doth attest. Nearly seventy souls were present during this journey, and about the same number arrived later at the seat of manifestation. If but one person should say that anyone had any dispute or argument or conversation with these two polytheists, We would accept as true whatever they have falsely written. Judge thou fairly within thyself, O servant! Yet despite this, you have attributed oppression to the Truth based on Siyyid Muhammad’s word, though whatsoever He decreeth He hath authority to decree, and whatsoever He doeth hath been and shall ever be the very truth. But there are no ears to hear nor heart to understand. Whatever may be said to the deaf - He doeth what He willeth and decreeth what He pleaseth - what benefit can it yield? By God! The leaves of the Tree of Paradise have fallen from the tyranny of those oppressors, the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree have been broken, the radiant countenance of the Most Exalted One hath been altered by the slapping hands of the embodiments of hatred, His gleaming and crystal-clear breast hath been wounded, and the hem of His sanctity hath been sullied by the calumnies of the polytheistic souls. I beseech God for a purifying sign that may cleanse the blessed and hallowed land of His knowledge from unclean, defiled, corrupt and polytheistic souls. O just one! A Being hath appeared, manifest to all through every sign of divine power and every evidence of celestial might, as all have witnessed and continue to witness. If thou deniest this, enquire of people of different faiths. Yet He hath appeared with those same signs whereby the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake - proved His own truth, nay with even greater ones, declaring: “O people! Verily I am the very soul of Ali among you, and the beauty of Muhammad within you, and the reality of the Spirit between the heavens and the earth. O people! Fear God! I am a servant who hath believed in God […]”

O people! Fear God! I am a servant who has believed in God and His signs. I was asleep upon my couch when the breezes of the All-Merciful passed over me and awakened me in truth. He taught me knowledge of what was and what will be, adorned me with the ornament of His Self, and caused me to speak His praise, if you but knew. O people! If you do not believe, do not oppose me and do not commit what you have been forbidden in all the Tablets. Fear God and do not associate partners with Him. I have believed in what you possess of God’s scriptures and books, and I affirm what you have been commanded by God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Whoso possesses the sense of smell will inhale from me the fragrance of holiness, and whoso has taste will experience from the fruits of this Tree what Muhammad experienced from the Lote-Tree of the Furthermost Boundary, and what Ali experienced from the Lote-Tree of the Bayan, if you but knew.

O people! Fear God! I was as one among you and wished to remain silent, but the Spirit stirred me and moved me in truth and caused me to speak God’s verses and His evidences. This is not from me but from God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. By God! If there existed in your hearts love for God less than what can be counted, you would not shed the blood of this Wronged One. For even if He were not as you imagine, but merely claims connection to your Beloved, for the sake of your love for this Name you should not oppose Him or commit what would cause the Most Great Spirit to fall prostrate in the dust, and then the realities of all created between the K and the N.

O people! We forbade you what you were forbidden in all the Tablets and commanded you what you were commanded in the Tablets of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. But you heeded not My words and transgressed your bounds until you violated God’s sanctuary and committed what caused the cry to arise between the heavens and earth, yet you hear not. Thus did We forbid you from violating the handmaidens of the people and their women, and from shedding blood, but you rose up against Me in opposition and committed what even the idolaters did not commit. Even if I were to be slain by all manner of swords at every moment, I would never sanction your deeds. Thus was I commanded by God, and this is not from Me but from Him, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the Unseen.

Now observe with fairness who is unjust - those unchaste souls who betrayed the sacred sanctuary of the Divine Unity and committed such heinous acts that, by God besides Whom there is no God, the pen is ashamed to mention them. Yet they attribute truth to these souls and ascribe injustice to the Truth. Now we are deemed unfair while you are considered fair! Read the Book of the Awakened, wherein your guide Mirza Yahya pronounced death sentences upon all holy souls, such that one whom the Primal Point - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him - specifically named as the Third Letter of Him Whom God shall make manifest was martyred by that oppressor’s decree. And in his other book, he specifically pronounced death sentences upon all souls in multiple places, yet he attributed all to truth while that wicked polytheist himself submitted a petition to the Blessed Beauty […]

That vile polytheist himself submitted a petition to the Most Glorious Beauty, which exists now in his own handwriting, stating “Whatever we do is completed in your name, for you are the leader.” And in the great city he verbally told one of the companions that “Until now whatever fabrications I have uttered were merely hearsay; henceforth I shall create fabrications and stir up mischief” - which indeed he did. Specifically, he claimed that the Ancient Beauty had sent people to different regions to cause corruption. You yourself know that what he said was pure falsehood, yet you counted him truthful, even though night and day he was teaching you to speak and write falsehoods, and you were and continue to be complicit. You are so heedless that you do not pause for a moment to reflect that Adrianople is not beyond Mount Qaf - “By God, let me go for a few days and see with my own eyes.” Truth and falsehood both exist in that land, yet you did not succeed in this and busied yourself with calumnies. Today when attaining His presence was possible, you did not achieve it. This imperishable bounty will not always be at hand, and this divine springtime will not always be manifest. Soon all shall be deprived. This servant begs God not to deprive these servants from the shelter of His Gate in this world and the next, and that we may ever circle round His House, be illumined by His lights, be sustained by the fruits of His knowledge, and drink from the Kawthar of His good-pleasure. We have left the world to its seekers; we have desired and will desire naught but the Friend, whether of this world or the next. He is indeed the best of givers and the most excellent of answerers. You are not among the fair-minded - nay, you have not even passed through or set foot in the quarter of the just. For had you taken a single step, you would not have written that “there is no imitation,” when in fact you had and have no knowledge whatsoever of the Bayan, and what you mentioned was pure imitation of what you heard from the vile, lying, corrupt Siyyid Muhammad. Until now you have been deprived of the fragrances of fairness, but I beseech God that you may turn from the north of tyranny and oppression to the right hand of justice and fairness. Though this is very difficult - for the honey bee is of one kind and the wasp of another - yet nothing is impossible before divine power; that impossibility exists within things themselves. Reflect that you may understand. You mentioned the criterion of the Primal Point. If you were truly looking to that criterion, why did you not obey His words throughout the Bayan stating that all must, at the time of the Manifestation, detach themselves from all things and all they possess and fix their gaze upon the Manifestation Himself? For whatever they had held fast to before will not suffice on that Day except through belief in Him. Indeed, they say that one line of the verses of that Sun of the Greatest Manifestation is greater than all that was revealed before. Yet you busy yourself with mentioning proofs from the words of His creation, when you had and have no knowledge of His own words. What he possessed was but a drop from this Most Great Ocean that was bestowed upon him, and which was later withdrawn due to his turning away from the Truth. There are those present now who are informed of all matters. Consider not these servants as being without religion or creed. I swear by God that we have migrated for His sake and are journeying unto Him. Though it is evident what that corrupt deceiver has suggested to you, attributing worldliness to all these servants, reflect for yourselves: where was worldly gain to be found, and to whom did it accrue? Had these servants heard but one word of truth from those souls, it might have been possible to interpret some of their deeds favorably. But they are continually engaged in deception, lies and calumny. When they observed that these servants, by God’s grace, remained firm and steadfast in the Truth, they devised a scheme whereby they might destroy these servants through false accusations of worldliness, and thereby prove themselves to be the wronged ones. By the Point of Existence - may my spirit be a sacrifice for all who dwell in the kingdom of the seen and unseen - they have perpetrated an injustice the like of which none hath committed from the beginning of creation until now. The curse of God be upon the liars, the calumniators, and the oppressors!

As for thy mention of Mirza Yahya’s verses, the Primal Point - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath declared that from the time of the setting of the Sun of Truth, none shall hear the verses of God except in the next Revelation, even as now that Blessed Beauty Himself affirms this same truth. For the verses of others, insofar as they point to divine verses, are attributed to the Truth, and their existence is like that of mirrors which have no reality of their own, but so long as they face the Sun of divine unity its radiance appears in them, and when they turn away it vanishes. This too is from that utterance which states that in the Manifestations of Revelation naught can be seen save the Revelation itself. Therefore in all Manifestations of Revelation, whether in the Dispensation of the Furqan, or of the Gospel, or of the Psalms, or of the Torah, naught can be seen save the Revelation itself. Likewise among the dwellers of the Bayan naught can be seen save the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan, and this is so long as they abide beneath its shadow. God forbid that should any soul depart therefrom, naught would be seen in him save Satan and his deeds and actions. It is established that whosoever hesitates in this Revelation is excluded from the Bayan and deprived of the fortress of its meanings, even as the Point of the Bayan Himself - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath explicitly declared. Therefore, the verses of each Manifestation of Revelation are truly verses only so long as they remain established beneath the shadow of Him Who is the Source of verses. After transgression they are counted among the people of the fire, and that very transgression is itself their fire, were ye of them that perceive. In any case, take not shadows and phantoms for the Sun, and engage not in distorting the meanings of divine words as ye did aforetime. Feel shame before the Beauty of the Point of the Bayan Who is now manifest and visible. Turn not away from Him through His creation. His words were a mercy from Him to His servants. Make not of them a sword against Him, and inflict not wounds upon His blessed Self, even as the people of the Furqan cited the words of the Messenger of God as proof and inflicted upon His very Being what they inflicted. Apart from all these matters […]

Say: O heedless ones! Have ye no ears to hear and no eyes to see? Read ye the verses for yourselves. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Not a single tablet from among the wondrous verses can be compared with that which ye have heard. Do ye not observe how abundantly a mature adult showeth kindness unto a child, to such degree that he praiseth his actions? This praise and commendation is a token of supreme kindliness, for were the same deed to proceed from one endowed with understanding, it would assuredly be, and forever remain, reprehensible. The actions of a child, within the bounds of his station, are praiseworthy; yet when they exceed that station, they become reprehensible and unacceptable. Consider well what is being said. Though perception hath not been observed among men, and understanding hath not been witnessed, yet even if ye and those like unto you fail to comprehend, God shall create servants who will quaff the waters of inner meaning from the chalice of His divine utterances and attain unto their purpose. Most men are this day accounted as sucklings in the sight of God, for they drink from the breast of heedlessness and their days of weaning have not yet come, much less their maturity. But should one attain unto maturity, he would taste from the verses of Divine might that have been made manifest in this Revelation the sweetness of the heavenly Tasnim of divine knowledge and the holy Salsabil of celestial unity, and would perceive all else as a mirage in the desert. Say: Fear ye God, and make no mention of aught else before Him, and compare not any other thing with His Being, and imagine not concerning Him that which is unseemly and unfitting. Fear God, O people, and follow not those who have disbelieved in God during His days, who have disputed His proof, who have usurped His rights, who have transgressed His justice, who have been unjust and caused others to be unjust. These are they whom every atom curseth, could ye but understand.

And furthermore you wrote that the verses of Mirza Yahya have spread to diverse regions and he claims the station of truth for himself through the evidence of his own verses, apart from the explicit text of the Bab which is the greatest proof. This claim is fundamentally false, for if people independently claim verses, they are and will remain false, and that very claim is proof of their falsehood. It is exactly like a reflection in a mirror saying “I am the sun in the sky.” You yourself wrote that he is a mirror. Even if we accept what you say, there is no doubt that mirrors exist only to reflect the radiance of the sun, and this has been and will always be their station. Despite this station, claiming a higher station has been and will remain false. The contradiction lies here, not where you mentioned, for while acknowledging the status of being a mirror, you seek to establish the station of the sun. If the reflection seen in a mirror claims “I exist independently,” would it be truthful? No, by the Self of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting!

Furthermore, it is strange that you take the spread of illusory verses which you have not recognized as proof and cite it as evidence of his truth, when those verses are at his own level, for whatever is manifested by creation is within its own limits and station. Yet you remain veiled from the verses that are supreme over all in the heavens and earth, and which shine like the sun from the Most Glorious Horizon. If it is a matter of spread, then the spread of these verses has reached such an extent that nothing greater can be imagined. Fear God Who created you, and mention not anyone’s verses in the presence of His verses. Were the sun that appears in mirrors to face the Sun that shines from the holy horizon, His verses would face the verses of God, the All-Protecting, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. This applies when the mirror is true, but if the mirror is like you who have and will have no mention before the Truth, then open your ears that you may hear from every letter of your Lord’s verses that there is no God but Him. O all things! I have created you through Myself for Myself. Beware lest you deny!

If your vision were purified, you would witness all the words of your Lord embodied in spirit, proclaiming that there is no God but Him, the Powerful, the All-Protecting, the Mighty, the Beloved. Say: Seek forgiveness for what you have committed, O heedless one, for what you possess shall never be mentioned before God, and what you have known returns to you. Thus has the matter been decreed, but you do not perceive. What relation have autumn breezes to spring breezes, or the fragrances of the highest heaven to those of the lowest depths? By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, if you were discerning, a single letter from that Tablet which was sent down from the heaven of divine Will to complete His proof and was specifically sent to you would have sufficed you. Compare that Tablet with what was revealed before, that you may witness that this indeed has been sent down from an Ancient Revealer. If anything besides God’s words is praised or described, this is only to show bounty and encourage souls, and is mentioned according to their own level and station. Were creation to be compared to the Creator, or a lamp to the Sun, then would the verses of others be comparable to His verses.

Know thou that whosoever claimeth truth for himself and seeketh to prove it through his own verses, this indeed is an act of transgression by him and thee against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. For this station hath ever been and shall always be the exclusive preserve of the Manifestations of the Divine Unity and this wondrous Revelation of the All-Merciful, Who appear with God’s verses and His clear proofs, and Who cling to naught else save the revealed verses and manifestations of divine power, as recorded throughout all the pages of the Bayan. Open, then, thine eyes that thou mayest recognize this. Such is the station of “He Who hath proven His Own Self by His Self,” and likewise the station that “His verses are His proof, and His existence His evidence,” and furthermore “Know God through God.” For it beseemeth Him not to prove His truth through aught but Himself. He hath ever been, and shall forever be, known through His Own Self, while all else is known through Him and taketh pride in its relationship to Him. He is the divine Balance, the Path of Unity, the Ancient Sun, the Most Great Ocean, the Most Perfect Word, the Hidden Symbol, the Frequented Fane, and the Preserved Book. All are weighed in this Balance, while He, in His Own Essence, weigheth all through a mere breath from Him, existing through His Own Self.

Say: O thou who art far removed! Thou speakest yet comprehendest not, thou mentionest yet knowest not. Had there been the slightest perception, some mention would have been made of the hidden meanings enshrined within the sanctuary of mystical understanding in this Revelation, that thou mightest gain some awareness of that Paradise which hath no shade. But alas, it would be wrong to place the pearls of the divine ocean of glory in the hands of thieves, or to unveil the secluded maidens of inner meaning in the presence of the unjust. For they have ever been and shall remain treacherous in eye, vision, heart and mind, even as they have stolen the utterances of the Most Glorious One - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - mixing them with their own fabricated words and circulating them in their own name. They remain heedless that the money-changers of divine unity can recognize a single pearl among a hundred thousand thousand stones and trace it to its source. For the holy nectar of divine paradise floweth not from a lime quarry, nor doth the heavenly stream of lordly wisdom issue forth from a source of pitch. There are servants who can trace their way to the Abode of the All-Merciful through the fragrance of His good-pleasure, for sweet scents guide those of pure smell to the paradise of the Most Glorious Beauty. Assuredly there shall appear in the kingdom those of penetrating vision and the money-changers of divine unity shall come forth, who will purchase the jewels of His words with their very souls, who will pass beyond existence and contingent being in His path and sacrifice their lives in His way, who will become detached from the customs of the world through His Name, who will become independent of the mention of all else through His remembrance, and who will become free from the remembrance of aught else through His memory.

Say: O thou who art blind! If thou wouldst gaze upon the Most Great Scene and traverse the Garden of utterance, thou wouldst see naught but this word: He hath ever been through His own Self a proof unto Himself, and through His Manifestation a conclusive testimony unto all the peoples of the world. If, through His grace and mercy, He hath revealed verses, this is of His bounty, reserved for His servants. He saith: Seek not to prove Him through aught save what proceedeth from Him, for the proof is made manifest through Him, the testimony established by Him, the evidence made visible through Him, and all else is as nothingness before His sacred presence.

Say: O thou who art truly deaf! Hast thou not heard His words: “Let not the Bayan and whatsoever hath been revealed therein withhold you from that Countenance of the All-Merciful, and hesitate not in His Cause by reason of the letters of the Bayan, for all such letters and mirrors were created by His word, and all the Bayan was sent down from the heaven of His Command.” It seemeth as though ye are of the people of the imaginary Jabulqa of the Qur’an, having newly emerged from the forest of fancy only to enter another thicket of vain imaginings. Ye have not understood a single letter of the Bayan, are heedless of the ways of the mystics, and utterly remote from the path of the lovers.

Say: O thou who art deluded by this abode of delusion! With such understanding thou hast drawn the sword of tyranny against the crown of “but for thee,” deeming thyself enlightened and having attained unto the truth. Would that this path thou traversest might lead but to Turkistan, as they have said: “This road that thou art taking leadeth to Turkistan.” But nay, this path leadeth to the nethermost fire, and ever shall it be so. Strange it is that thou hast long dwelt near the Truth, for the great city is not so distant from this blessed and goodly land as to weary the seekers. Yet not only didst thou not come thyself, but no holy soul from thee ever reached the Most Holy Court, nor did any sweet mention arrive at this most pure and sublime Seat. Thus hast thou deprived thyself of that for which thou wast created, and art numbered among those who are far removed.

Finally, know that these verses are the same verses through which the Point of the Bayan was sent forth, Muhammad the Apostle of God was made manifest, the Spirit spoke forth, and Moses was established. Consider, then, what the deniers of this Revelation have perpetrated. In the estimation of them that are immersed in the ocean of inner meanings and dwell in the ark of divine wisdom, they that have turned away from these wondrous divine verses have turned away from all the Prophets and Messengers, and shall never inhale the fragrance of Paradise, which is none other than the Manifestation itself. These are the most lost among men, though they comprehend not. We beseech God to grant thee the wing of certitude in this manifest Cause, that thou mayest soar thereby to the heaven of glory and sanctity, saying: “Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.”

Thou hadst written to set aside the sacred text of the Exalted Lord and hearken to the voice of this servant, and never to make mention of the text of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. But by His own Self, the Bestower of Favors, and by His Beauty, the All-Merciful, thou art in no wise aware of what was intended by the text of the Point of the Bayan, neither thou nor anyone else. For this matter hath been concealed from the sight of all, and none hath been apprised of its details save two souls, one of whom was martyred in the path of God, while the other yet liveth - whom the infidels have branded a liar, that they might spread their own vain imaginings among the people.

Furthermore, this text which he who hath turned away from God claimeth and hath mentioned to you concerneth the Name of God, the Judge - Mirza Asadu’llah. Consider how exalted are the utterances of the Point of the Bayan regarding him, for He hath attributed all divine names unto him. The details of this are to be found in the words that have shone forth from the Dawning-Place of the Finger of the All-Merciful. Likewise, this servant who is present before the Divine Throne hath written some detailed tablets concerning these matters. Reflect, that thou mayest remember within thyself and rend asunder the veils of blind imitation through the power of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised.

This same one whom the Point of the Bayan called the Judge - declaring him to be the greatest of divine names - ye today call base and the source of all evil. And thy leader, Mirza Yahya, hath explicitly and without ambiguity, in his Book of Sijjin known as “The Awakened One,” pronounced the death sentence against that wronged one, as well as others. Go and read, that ye may discover what hath befallen the Manifestations of Truth.

The Primal Point also wrote concerning him: “Verily thou, O Third Letter, art the believer in Him Whom God shall make manifest.” This is a station that hath precedence over all other stations. Thereafter He made such a statement in this regard that from the allusions in the divine words it can be understood that he would attain the presence of God in the next Revelation, and that Ancient Beauty would make Himself known to him. Thus did he present himself, and the Tongue of God addressed him.

A brief account of these events is that when Mirza Yahya wrote the death sentence, the Blessed Beauty had chosen exile from Iraq, and for nearly two years none had any news of Him. When the death warrant was issued by thy leader, one named Mirza Muhammad was specifically dispatched to Azerbaijan to martyr that wronged one. But God prevented what he intended, that the word mentioned in the Tablet might be fulfilled. The aforementioned name came from Azerbaijan, and all the companions, both Arab and Persian, stood ready to slay him. This was at a time when the Blessed Beauty had returned and was present in Iraq. The matter became so severe that one day, from the first light of dawn until near sunset, the Blessed Beauty summoned the companions one by one who intended harm to that helpless one, and strictly forbade them. Two days later, the aforementioned name presented himself before Him and denied all the calumnies that had been attributed to him.

And he disavowed all the calumnies that had been attributed to him, and swore an oath that whatever had been ascribed to this servant was utter falsehood. The Most Glorious Beauty showed him utmost kindness, and he attained to what was recorded in the Tablet, and returned to his home. After a few days, the aforementioned person deceived him and brought him from Kazimayn near the house of your guide, where that helpless one was martyred. By God! At his martyrdom such a dust arose in Iraq, and such darkness descended that day was turned to night, and in the marketplaces they lit lamps. All the people of Iraq, both women and men, cried out in fear, trembling and disturbance, “O God!” and proclaimed that it was because of the shedding of this innocent one’s blood that this calamity had befallen Iraq. Yet the guide was not aware and did not awaken from the sleep of heedlessness. By God! They martyred him with such cruelty that the heavens were moved to terror, lamentation and wailing. Despite this, he remained unaware, and in his fiery tablets refers with contempt to one whom the Exalted One - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - named the Single, the One, and likewise addressed as the Manifestation of Oneness and the Name of God, the Judge. Until now none of the idolaters recognized him, for the veil of the All-Merciful intervened. Say: O people, fear God and shed not blood! Turn unto Him, O heedless ones, that He may forgive your transgressions and pardon your sins, for which the dwellers of the kingdom and the heavens, and then the denizens of the highest Paradise have lamented. And your guide, in belittling that friendless martyr, mentioned that the Primal Point had written to him and requested that he obtain good paper and pen so that He might write to him. Say: Granted this statement is acceptable, from this very fact it is evident that you were under his shadow, for such kindness is shown by fathers toward children. Would that he had been aware even to this extent! Nay, by God! He will never become aware, even if God should bring every sign, or a company from the peoples of the heavens, or the hosts of the Spirit, or the scriptures of the first and the last ones. By God! From the tyranny of those idolatrous souls, the temples of oneness are in lamentation and wailing, and the Primal Point is engaged in sighing and crying. Would that there were one possessed of hearing, sight and heart, that he might witness, hear and understand! Their hearts and minds have been enveloped by flames of fire and columns of smoke, which have prevented them from turning to their deeds and actions, and to what has proceeded from their souls and what issues from their mouths […]

Say: O heedless ignorant one! Even assuming your fabrications were accepted - the clear text of the Point of the Bayan states throughout the Bayan that at the time of the Manifestation, you should not be veiled from the Manifestation Himself by the Bayan and what was created therein. Praise be to God that that polytheist and his like have remained deprived of understanding the explicit, firm and decisive divine words, let alone the subtle allusions of the Lord of Names and Attributes. Say: Fear God and soil not the hem of His mighty divine religion with the clay of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and veil not the dawning Sun of the heaven of oneness with the veils of self. Say: By God, this is a Sun that shall never be eclipsed, and a Moon that shall never wane. Die then in your rage and burn in the fire of your envy, O company of evildoers! You have not yet understood that at the time of the rising of the Sun, proofs neither nourish nor satisfy, for the purpose of proof is to know the One proved. Therefore open your eyes that you may behold it shining from the horizon of glory, majesty and grandeur.

His words [continue]: “How great is his heedlessness! For if another should arise claiming a station after the Point of the Bayan, it must needs be either that he claims to be under the shadow of the Point of the Bayan while the cycle of the Point of the Bayan has not yet ended and this cycle is not yet complete - in which case he must show perfect servitude toward the Exalted Lord and complete obedience to His command, never deviating by a hair’s breadth from the Exalted Lord’s decree, since the cycle is His cycle and the claimant himself has fallen under His shadow.”

Now show a little fairness and open your eyes to see in what station you stand and at what level you are positioned. What difference do you perceive between yourself and the peoples of the past? For those people who remained deprived of the sweet flowing waters of divine knowledge and the Kawthar of the eternal Sovereign’s bounty - this became the cause of their clinging to proofs they deemed conclusive, and by these proofs they objected to the Sovereign of all peoples and were deprived of the holy divine wellspring. For example, the followers of the Torah argued that after Moses no one possessing a new Law would come, and whoever came must promote his Law. Similarly they specified signs that the Manifestation must appear with, and were thus prevented from recognizing the Manifestations, for the Manifestation appears as God causes Him to appear and wills, not according to what people expect. Likewise the people of the Gospel believe that Jesus himself will descend from heaven after the darkening of the sun and moon and falling of the stars. And similarly the people of the Furqan (Qur’an) who have never accepted that one with a new Law would appear, saying instead that a person born a thousand years ago from Narjis Khatun exists now in Jabulqa and Jabulsa, awaiting divine permission to appear, and that he will come to promote the Law of the Messenger of God - meaning this very Law that is current. They have mentioned such signs in this regard that were they to be detailed, a book would need to be composed. All these matters they have firmly established for themselves through conclusive proofs, irrefutable texts, and verified evidence, to such extent that they have regarded and continue to regard those who deny them as infidels, false ones, and idolaters. Yet when the Suns of holy sanctity dawned, since these appeared contrary to their notions, they all remained veiled and deprived. Nevertheless, you now argue that this Being Who has appeared must either be above that One or under His shadow. If under His shadow, He must follow His deeds, and if He claims a station above Him, this would be impossible since His dispensation is still current and incomplete. Now judge fairly: what is the difference between you and that group? Yes, the differences are countless, for in their books the subsequent Manifestation was mentioned through abstruse allusions and veiled verses, implicitly rather than explicitly, and thus they remained veiled, having failed to comprehend the meanings of the divine words. But you and your like, despite the fact that the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - explicitly and without allusion declared whatsoever was created between the heavens and earth, both in words and intimations, from that Sovereign of existence and King of the visible realm, you withhold yourselves and argue that it is not permissible for the Truth to be made manifest. A hundred thousand praises upon your understanding and perfection, and upon your guides for these proud, vainglorious words they have imparted to you! It has become clear that they consider themselves, and not God, to possess authority. Say: O deluded one! Never in any Manifestation has the Truth appeared according to people’s imaginings, but rather contrary to what all people possessed, for His most exalted, most holy Essence has been sanctified above all conjectures, imaginings, intimations and indications, and none is aware of the nature of His appearance and manifestation save His all-knowing, all-informed Self. They have acted in such wise as to put to shame the Jews and all the veiled ones of the earth. The Jews considered God’s hand to be chained, but these ones have gone further by prescribing rules for God, saying that if He makes such and such a claim it is not permissible, and if He makes such and such a claim He must appear with specified, limited attributes. Great indeed is thy utterance, O heedless one! You have failed to understand that the completion of every previous Manifestation has been and will be through the subsequent Manifestation, just as in this most wondrous, holy Manifestation, in the year Nine, in the innermost mystery, the sanctified, purified, holy souls were completed at that very moment - but thou perceivest not, nor dost thou understand, nor knowest thou, for the sugar of divine knowledge has been allotted to the parrot of meanings, not to the raven of darkness. And he who turned away from God and wavered from the path, in that very moment his temple was stripped of the human garment and appeared clothed in the skin of beasts, visible and manifest. Glorified then be He Who alters existence as He pleaseth and ordains all matters as He willeth. None can resist His command or reverse His decree. All things are submissive to His sovereignty and fearful of His might.

Every living being is in dread of His fear and trembles at His might. To such a Lord befits the praise of the Concourse on High and the glorification of the dwellers of the eternal realms. But thou seemest to be among those souls who have neither desired to comprehend a cause nor to understand anything. The purpose is to establish a leadership for their guide, that they might themselves thereby become known and renowned beneath his shadow. By God! Verily his shadow is a wilderness and his water bitter salt, if ye would but understand.

Say: O thou who art inwardly deaf! None hath ever encompassed, nor shall ever encompass, the knowledge of the Truth. His knowledge is hidden, treasured, preserved from your understanding. Should He desire, He would in a single moment perfect both the first and the last of creation. Yet thou hast not even understood perfection. Would that the capacity for understanding were observed in thee, and that this servant, who is but one of the attendants at His gate, might find thee ready and might cast upon thee such words as would enable thee to comprehend certain hidden matters. At least then, if thou couldst not understand the perfection of the Manifestation, thou wouldst become aware of thine own hatred. Fear God, and impose not upon Him the laws of thy self and passion. Verily, He manifesteth Himself as He willeth, not as thou willest. How presumptuous have they become, that they set forth rules and conditions for the Truth, exalted be His mention! Now judge thou fairly: that Truth which would appear according to the dictates of the idolaters would be like unto those idolatrous souls themselves. All that ye have known and understood is but a creation like unto yourselves, and must return unto you. By God, even the lowliest of His creation and His servants would disdain to move according to the manners which those idolatrous souls have imposed upon you. For they worship the calf and perceive not, follow Satan and know not, pursue falsehood and comprehend not, and drink the dregs of what the rebellious have drunk, yet understand not. They have failed to perceive that in every Revelation, were the Truth, exalted be His grandeur, to appear according to the customs, conditions and deeds that outwardly prevailed among the people, none would ever object or protest, and all would attain the living waters of the meanings of the Eternal Lord and be blessed with the presence of God. Those who soar in the atmosphere of the spirit and observe all things with the penetrating divine vision behold a hundred thousand such souls drowned in the ocean of extinction, each clinging to growing grass which hath neither permanence nor stability and shall ultimately be submerged. Indeed, even now in the view of those seated in the Most Glorious Horizon, they are observed to be utter nothingness, drowned, evanescent and non-existent. Cleanse thine ears from the cotton of blind imitation. Hearken unto the Word of Truth from the lowliest of His creation and know that the Truth, exalted be His station, is veiled by no veil and confined within no limits. He appeareth in whatever manner He willeth, for He hath ever been and shall ever be the All-Powerful, and His complete sovereignty hath never been and shall never be withdrawn. Now according to your vain imaginings, if the Truth were to appear according to the dictates of the deniers, how would you interpret His power? For from your words it would appear that He must necessarily manifest Himself thus and is incapable of sending forth any Manifestation of His Cause on earth save in the manner you have prescribed. Evil is that which ye have imagined and continue to imagine. Your deeds have been rendered vain by what hath proceeded from your mouths, yet ye perceive it not within yourselves and are among the heedless. By God, the foul and dense odors from the allusions in the words of those idolatrous souls have wafted over the world and its people. We beseech God to send forth a tempest of grace that may cause these winds to vanish. Those same idolaters acknowledge that the fifty thousand years of the Day of Resurrection passed in a single hour […]

Say: O ye who are bereft of vision! The same meaning is applicable here - fifty thousand years may pass in an hour and ye have no objection, yet if two thousand years according to your reckoning pass in but a few years, ye raise protests. By God! All things give lie to you, and all that exists between the heavens and the earth laugh at your paucity of understanding and knowledge. Hearken unto this servant and rend asunder the veils of idle fancy, and fix your gaze upon the Truth in itself, for all else are His creation and are brought forth by His Word, and have never been known of themselves; rather, all else hath been and shall ever be known through Him. Keep thine eyes upon the Manifestation itself and upon that which appears from His presence, and render thanks unto thy Lord that He hath suddenly revealed the Manifestation of His Own Self, even as the Point of the Bayan hath declared: “Verily noon hath drawn nigh and ye are slumbering.” The Sun is shining at its zenith, radiant and resplendent, and this is a station of gratitude, not complaint. Account not mercy as vengeance, nor blessing as wrath, though verily the appearance of the Manifestations of Divine Unity hath ever been and shall be a blessing to the righteous and a punishment to the wicked. The wicked and evil ones have forever regarded blessing as punishment and pure bounty as wrath. Concerning the completion of the cycle whereof thou didst make mention, hearken unto the utterance of Him Who revealed the Bayan - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him - Who declareth in explicit text, His words, exalted be His glory: “From the beginning of that Cause until before nine contingent beings are completed, it shall not be made manifest, and verily all that thou hast seen from the state of the sperm until We clothed it with flesh - then wait until thou beholdest another creation. Then say: Blessed be God, the best of creators. And bear witness that between the Qayyim and the Qayyum are nine - that is when the contingent beings shall be completed in their stations - such is the difference between every most great and great thing.” And in another passage: “And observe ye the difference between the Qayyim and the Qayyum, then in the year Nine ye shall attain unto all good.” And in this connection it is revealed: “This is what We promised thee aforetime when We answered thee. Be patient until nine shall have elapsed from the Bayan. Then say: Blessed be God, the best of creators.”

O possessor of insight and fairness! Open, according to thine own understanding, thine eyes and observe from the Manifestation of the Nine until this latest creation, and utter “Blessed be God, the Best of creators!” and “Blessed be God, the Best of originators!” Consider how, regarding the perfection of creation and the greatness of the subsequent Manifestation, They explicitly and without ambiguity distinguish between the Qayyum and the Qayyim, and likewise between the Most Great and the Great. And when the time was fulfilled and God’s appointed hour came to its end, the Beauty of the Nine appeared with manifest sovereignty, whereupon all who are in the heavens and earth were terrified, save those who came before God with a pure heart. Fear God, O people, and do not forsake the Qayyum among you. Be afraid of God and be among the God-fearing. Beware lest ye change the words of God from their places, for this is a grievous error in the preserved tablets of might. But the drop perceiveth not the station of maturity, even as today none hath comprehended the divine utterances save whom thy Lord willeth. Although they will misinterpret these words according to their vain imaginings and change them, even as the Primal Point, magnified be His grandeur, hath foretold. Now, setting these matters aside, I make mention of one thing that perchance ye may become aware and attain unto consciousness. If someone should declare that after two thousand years the tree will appear with delicate, fragrant crimson blossoms in the utmost freshness and verdancy and with beloved scents and fragrances, and should insist that ye must look to that very tree and its appearance and to naught else, and then ye should arise from sleep in the morning and suddenly observe that […] and the Messengers have rushed forth.

O thou who art deprived! Consider how the revealed Sovereign, that hidden and inevitable Manifestation, hath not made His appearance conditional upon any requirements. Bring forth thy proof! Nay, by Him Who created all things with a word from His presence, never was this Manifestation made dependent or conditional upon any matter or requirement, for all conditions are as naught in that sanctified realm, and none but His own Self hath ever encompassed or comprehended Him. He declareth that His verses are His proof, and His manifestation and presence confirm His own Self. Yet despite this, they have confined the transcendent Truth within imaginary words and unsuitable allusions. Woe unto them and unto what their hands have wrought! Wrest not the words of God according to your desires, nor interpret them, for none shall ever attain unto their true meaning. Even as in matters of outward ordinances, the Chiefs of the Bayan were commanded to inquire of Jinab-i-Siyyid Husayn, upon him be the glory of God, who stood before the Divine Throne. He declareth that ye comprehend not the will of God. Nevertheless, ye have regarded him who turned away from God as God Himself.

Furthermore, the Seal of the Prophets is among the decisive verses of the Book of the Lord of all worlds. If for one thousand two hundred and seventy years none hath fathomed its meaning, how now can any soul save God Himself comprehend the meanings of the revealed verses of the Bayan? Ponder deeply upon what is mentioned and what floweth from the Pen by God’s leave, that perchance through the scratching of this lowly one’s pen thou mayest attain unto the Ancient Beauty. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth unto the straight path.

Moreover, it is not clear what thou didst mean by perfection. If thou meanest the perfection of God’s verses, these are perfect at the very moment of their revelation, and never hath imperfection found its way into that realm, nor ever shall. That which is revealed from His presence was perfect before, shall be perfect after, and is perfect now. And if thou meanest the perfection of souls, it hath been observed that the longer time passed, the more imperfect certain souls became, such that at the end of the Dispensation of the Qur’an, according to your belief, the utmost perfection of the leaders of that age was that they rejected all the Tablets of God and inflicted upon God’s Messengers what ye have heard. Or if by perfection thou meanest the perfection of outward deeds, if this be thy meaning, it hath been observed that for most these very deeds became a veil, as was witnessed when the practitioners of the Qur’an, finding the manifestation of the Most Great Light to be at variance with their deeds, pronounced His death sentence and shed His pure blood. Likewise did the people of the Gospel, and likewise the people of the Torah, until it culminated in the First New Manifestation.

Know thou that the perfection of all things hath ever depended upon the word and confirmation of the Point of Truth. Hearken unto what the Point of the Bayan - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - declareth, that perchance thou mayest be cleansed from the dark dust of the manifestations of Satan by the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterances. Though it is certain that the words of God have not and will never affect thee, yet God’s gaze in most utterances hath been directed toward the hearts of His sincere servants, for those sanctified and detached souls can detect the fragrance of the musk of inner meanings from leagues away and through divine words become detached from the words of all else. His blessed word declareth: “For verily, were He to declare the earth’s dwellers to be Prophets, they would all be Prophets in God’s presence.” From this utterance of the All-Merciful, comprehend the reality of perfection, that perchance thou mayest become aware.

And through the divine words they become detached from the words of the worlds. His blessed words state: “If He were to make all who are on earth prophets, they would indeed be prophets before God.” From this utterance of the All-Merciful, understand the truth of perfection, that perchance thou mayest become aware and not offer the shells of allusions as a gift to the ocean of divine pearls of meaning, and mayest become certain that all matters appear from the Truth, return to the Truth, and are established and realized through His confirmation.

Reflect a little: although the ultimate degree of perfection for human temples is the station of prophethood, and most have deemed it impossible for any soul to attain this most exalted station, yet He declares that if that Most Great Manifestation so desires, He can cause all who are on earth to attain to this station, which is the most perfect of ranks in the eyes of all. By His life! For such a Lord it behooveth us to sacrifice our souls and spirits, then our very beings and realities - and this is little compared to the appearance of His bounties and the manifestation of His gifts which have encompassed both worlds.

If a soul were to live throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly realm and perform all good deeds, yet hesitate in the time of His Manifestation less than that, all the deeds he performed in countless ages would come to naught; nay, his very existence and being would become as nothing, let alone his perfection. Likewise, if during this time one had, God forbid, neglected all deeds, yet in the time of His Manifestation attained to saying “yea,” all deeds would be recorded to his credit and would be and remain perfect in the sight of God.

None but God is aware of the completion of a cycle. Sometimes perfection appears in less than that, and sometimes it does not appear in a thousand years or more. It is very clear that the perfection of all things is through God’s confirmation, not through length of time and the appearance of people’s vain imaginings. The very appearance of a subsequent Manifestation is itself proof of the perfection of what appeared in the previous Manifestation. Look to the Truth, not to the length of time and season, for the Truth is able to cause all times to pass in an instant, or to extend a single instant to a hundred thousand years. His is the creation and the command; all act by His command.

At this point, a few verses revealed in Iraq in the most wondrous and mighty tongue are mentioned for the sake of awareness:

A seeker asked a mystic: “When didst thou discover divine mysteries?

And thou, intoxicated with the wine of grace, rememberest thou the Day of Alast?”

He said: “I remember that voice and speech, which was and shall ever be, no wonder this!

That voice still rings in mine ear, that soul and spirit-increasing melody.”

Another mystic who had ascended higher and had pierced the pearls of divine mysteries

Said: “That Day of God hath never ended; we are still in that Day which knoweth no end.”

These words were specifically mentioned so that it might be understood that the comprehension of these matters depends upon the knowledge of the mystics. How strange that any soul who has not grasped these stations and attained understanding should consider himself a mystic! If thou hadst knowledge of the words of the mystics, thou wouldst not have raised objections at this stage, for the mystics hold that the divine names are ever-operative, as inaction is not permissible. Thus have they said that at every instant the Name “He Who Causeth to Die” returneth all created things from their contingent existence to their contingent non-existence. Likewise, at every moment the Name “He Who Giveth Life” and “He Who Causeth to Rise” bringeth all creation from contingent non-existence into contingent existence. In this sense have they interpreted the blessed verse “Nay, but they are in confusion as to a new creation.” In this case, that subsequent creation existeth not in the prior instant, and likewise in the prior instant that subsequent creation is unknown. How then can they conceive of the perfecting of any thing among things? For that thing which existeth in this instant existeth not in the next, as there is renewal and origination for this thing - how then can perfection be achieved? If thou sayest it happeneth in the very instant of its coming into being, this requireth not nor did require the passage of time. If people were capable of comprehending the meanings of divine words, a detailed exposition would assuredly have been given at this stage, that they might detach themselves from all prior knowledge of before and after, and turn to the fresh spring of mystical knowledge that floweth today from the right hand of the Throne of the All-Merciful. Hearken unto the words of this evanescent one and make not the matter obscure unto thyself. None hath understood or will understand the divine words, for the key to their mysteries hath ever been in the hands of the Omnipotent, the Almighty. Until the hand of divine power unsealeth the vessel of divine knowledge, none hath discovered or will discover it - nay, none hath perceived or will perceive even its fragrance. Even as none comprehended the treasuries of Quranic knowledge until the Hand of Power of the previous Manifestation unsealed them. In brief, perfection hath been and will remain in the hand of God’s power. The perfection of every dispensation hath been through the subsequent Manifestation, and true perfection is realized at the time of His appearance. Yet souls such as these weak ones have not had and do not have the capacity to comprehend it. Thus have they failed to understand how fifty thousand years can pass in a single hour. And if any soul hath made such a claim, it was merely in blind imitation, save him whom God hath taught from the gems of His knowledge. How many divine sciences remain deposited in the heaven of innate divine knowledge! When will holy Manifestations and exalted Daysprings appear on the horizon of contingent being, become capable of comprehension, and have these sciences descend from the heaven of the Divine Will according to their capacity? The Command is in His grasp. He doeth what He willeth and shall not be questioned about what He hath willed.

Know that no one should deviate even a hair’s breadth from the commandments of the Primal Point. It is unclear whether this ruling is yours that must be followed, or whether it is the command of the Point of the Bayan, Who has declared that His deeds are the standard for all, and whatsoever that blessed Being does, all must likewise do. It seems you have neither seen the Bayan nor have any knowledge of it. You speak at the prompting of Satan and move at his instigation. O soul who claims to possess knowledge and considers yourself enlightened, show some sign of your own existence and be not like sheep that any shepherd may lead wherever he desires. And would that the shepherd were human - you have found a wolf for a shepherd who has devoured all your knowledge, certitude and the fruits of your belief in divine unity at the very first encounter. Now you are but a lifeless corpse, a nonentity - and such a corpse and nonentity you are observed to be that not even a hundred trumpets could stir you or bring you to motion. By the one true God, my heart burns for you and your like, for no hatred or animosity exists in these hearts. Whatever has been said and will be said is purely for the sake of God and will continue to be so. Moreover, the Most Glorious Beauty - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - performs all deeds, were you among those who perceive. This servant has associated with Him night and day for several years, and by God besides Whom there is no other God, not a single act that could be considered even slightly reprehensible has been witnessed from this Blessed Beauty. All things testify and continue to testify to the sanctity of His holy Being. Throughout the nights and days, nothing has been heard from that pure and holy household except the remembrance of God and the exaltation of His Word. If you yourself were to show a little fairness, you would testify that He is sanctified above the idle fancies of all else and exalted beyond the comprehension of all save Him. What deed could be greater than sacrificing one’s life in the path of the All-Merciful? Have you not heard what befell Him over twenty years in God’s path? Although that vile slanderer has attributed his own deeds and those of his master to the Most Pure and Holy Beauty, and you too have accepted this without any proof or evidence, yet by God, His pure hem shall never be sullied by his words or the words of his like.

As to what was written that the claimant had fallen under a shadow - although naught was ever heard from the Most Holy and Pure Beauty save utter servitude - yet these insinuating words were and shall remain utterly vain. By this reasoning, the Exalted One - may our spirits be sacrificed for His sake - must have been under the shadow of the divines of His age, since He appeared in that time; and if they deny the divines, then He must have been under the shadow of the Messenger of God. How small was their station, how limited their understanding, how meager their comprehension, and how grandiose their claims! But I bear witness that before His Manifestation He was under the shadow of the Prophet, and at the time of His Manifestation He stood above every bearer of a Message - magnified be His shadow. Therefore, if such a person and his followers claim in speech and writing that they have surpassed and stand above the Most Exalted Lord - what a contradiction and clear opposition this is to their first claim! For any great personage, indeed for any person of understanding, to make two contradictory claims is reprehensible. No rational person would make two clearly contradictory claims, especially if one claims that the Most Exalted Lord was created from a single word. God forbid! When a mere glimpse of the manifestation of great souls appears to some as a test, what claims arise, and how many common people believe them and accept them without reflection.

Say: O ye who join partners with God! If ye would hearken unto Me, weep for yourselves and bewail your paucity of understanding and discernment. Mention of those who turn away hath been revealed in the Book, both before and after. His exalted Word declareth: “Like unto an ass bearing books.” Say: The contradiction existeth in your own selves. Remove it, that naught may be seen save pure unity and absolute oneness. If thou desirest to comprehend this claim and perceive that which He hath spoken, that perchance thou mayest attain unto the never-failing holy Fountain, these are His words, exalted be His glory: “O people! Verily I am the Beauty of Ali among you, and the Self of Muhammad within you, and the Essence of the Spirit between earth and heaven, if ye but knew it.” And this is precisely what the Point of the Bayan hath declared - that His Will was this Will and ever shall be, and His Purpose was precisely this Purpose and ever shall be, and this Purpose and Will were exactly that Purpose and Will and ever shall be. Mention hath been made of contradiction, yet unknowingly, for in truth this contradiction hath been proven regarding all the Prophets, since each subsequent Prophet was under the shadow of the former Prophet, and despite this subordination claimed superiority which, God forbid, according to the words of the polytheists would be contradiction and thus invalid. Far be it, yea far be it! Say: O thou who sleepest on the couch of desires and suckest from the breast of heedlessness, ignorance and passion! Contradiction hath never found and shall never find its way into the holy presence of God’s sacred Manifestations. This contradiction existeth in creation itself, not in the Cause of God. Accept the words of this servant and free thyself from the burden of these allusions and utterances, that thou mayest become light and soar in the holy spiritual atmosphere, arriving at that sacred station which is sanctified from all human limitations, where thou shalt find that realm purified from mention of contradiction, opposites, change, variance, conflict, discourse, disputation, indication and evidence. For that most pure realm was not created from the contradictory elements, nor did it come into being from the four different elements. It appeared from the element of spirit. Its air is identical with its fire, its fire with its air, its water pure earth - all are united without change or variance. Its moisture is identical with its dryness, its dryness with its coldness, and its coldness is the reality of heat, and from this heat is created the motion of all existing things. Were it not for heat, there would be no motion, for heat is the doer and motion is the deed. But such souls as are created from the clay of greed, the fire of pride, the air of self, and the water of heedlessness can never draw nigh unto that most holy and pure realm which was and ever shall be sanctified from the knowledge of all who dwell in the kingdom. Should the thought of drawing nigh occur to them, they would be instantly consumed. Whatsoever was mentioned in former Manifestations is mentioned in this most wondrous and transcendent Revelation, exactly the same, word for word, letter for letter. Contradiction and opposition return to their own kind and their like, while unity and harmony remain for the loved ones of God in both beginning and end. O fair-minded one! Do not assume subordination by thine own words, and see no contradiction in what appears from the Most Glorious Beauty.

And furthermore, they wrote concerning one who claims that the Bab was created from one of his letters. Such fabricated, polytheistic words that this polytheistic soul has cast upon you have appeared from wicked, polytheistic souls in all ages during the appearance of the Divine Manifestations. This is not unique to this wondrous Dispensation, nor has it ever been. Even as in the Dispensation of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - they attributed falsehood, calumny, polytheism and infidelity to that Divine and Goodly Tree, as all have heard and know. Therefore, if such words appear from such deniers, it is no cause for wonder, for this has ever been and shall ever be the way of that rejected one and his like. By God! Every person of insight has had and shall have their certitude and belief in the Truth increased by such words, for these things have been and shall be among the traditions of the Cause, even as is recorded in all the Books of old and recent times: “And their people schemed against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute thereby the truth; then I seized them, and how awful was My punishment!” And in another place: “And never came there unto them a Messenger but they did mock him.” Therefore, whenever such objections are raised, the truth of the divine words recorded in His Books becomes manifest to those possessed of certitude and insight.

Say: O blind one! That which hath been sent down of wondrous and sublime utterances hath been sent down by the Truth. Hast thou not heard that which was revealed from the heaven of oneness – glorified be His grandeur and exalted be His might: “O people! I was lying asleep in My house, silent in My remembrance, when the breezes of God wafted over Me and quickened Me with the truth, and caused Me to speak in praise of His Self, and made Me a guidance and remembrance for all the worlds. And whenever I desire to be silent, the Spirit of Holiness speaketh through Me with truth, and the Most Great Spirit stirreth Me, and the Spirit of Eternity moveth the Pen of Glory – if ye be of them that know. O people! Fear ye God, then be ashamed before His Beauty, and speak not that for which all atoms, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the True, the Faithful King, would curse you. This is not from Me, but from Him, were ye to perceive. By God! Were the matter in My hands, I would have concealed Myself from your eyes and would not have cast My heart beneath the talons of the wolves of the earth. God is witness to what I say. Beware, O people, lest self and passion prevent you from ascending to the Most Exalted Station. Look with the eye of fairness upon the proofs of the Prophets and Messengers. By God! This is verily the Youth of the All-Merciful, Whom God hath manifested amidst the concourse of creation, chosen from among His creatures, and revealed with the ornament of His Self among the worlds.” And He saith at every moment, addressing the Jewish people: “O concourse of the obstinate ones! By God, the Promised One hath come to you, and this is indeed the Spirit. If ye desire to crucify Him, do what ye wish, and be not of the patient ones.” Then He addresseth the people of the Gospel, saying: “If ye wish to dispute with Muhammad, the Apostle of God, verily this is Muhammad amongst you; do what ye desire, for He hath sacrificed His soul in the path of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful.” Then He addresseth the people of the Furqan, saying: “O concourse of tyranny! If ye wish to suspend in mid-air Him Who is the Manifestation of My Self, Who was named Ali, by God! This is Ali Who hath appeared before your faces, O concourse of wolves, then O band of swine! Do with Him as ye please and tarry not even for a moment, for He hath taken no helper or supporter for Himself. God hath taught Him in truth what hath befallen Him and what shall befall Him, O hosts of satan!” Then He addresseth the concourse of the Bayan, saying: “O concourse of tyranny and infidelity! The Promised One, concerning Whom ye were promised in all the Tablets, hath come to you. By His Beauty! He hath appeared in truth and hath not protected Himself in the path of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. He was in the hands of His enemies every night and day, and hath promoted the Cause of His Lord through His exalted Self, the Mighty, the Beautiful. There hath befallen Him that which cannot be mentioned in words, and none hath known it save God Who sent Him in truth and caused Him to be made manifest unto all the worlds. If ye desire to slay Him as ye slew Him before, do what ye wish, for He awaiteth what was promised Him in all the Tablets, if ye be of them that know.” Then Ali, from the right of the Throne, addresseth the concourse of the Bayan, saying: “O servants! Did We not announce to you this Revelation in all the Tablets? Did We not take from you the covenant of His Self in the morn of the Bayan? Then be ye ashamed before the Beauty of the All-Merciful, and do not that which would cause the lamentation of the denizens of the most exalted Paradise. Fear ye God […]”

Do not commit that which would cause the denizens of the Highest Paradise to lament. Fear God and be not among the wrongdoers. By God! I have sacrificed Myself in My longing to meet Him and in My desire to attain His presence and to be with Him at all times, and I weep for what ye have inflicted upon Him, O company of oppressors! Alas, alas! After My counsels, ye have perpetrated that which none hath ever perpetrated against another. Therefore have wept and continue to weep the Manifestations of the Prophets and Messengers. By God, O people! I placed all matters in His grasp, and moved not in My days save in remembrance and praise of Him, and uttered naught except His name, and commanded the servants only to enter beneath His mighty and impregnable shadow. Would that ye had done as the Jews did to the Spirit, or acted as the people of the Gospel acted toward Muhammad, the Apostle of God, or committed what the people of the Furqan perpetrated at the time of My manifestation with clear sovereignty. Nay, by My life! Ye were not content with what these had done, but commit that from which the essence of all religions would seek refuge, were ye but aware. Would ye slay Him Who shed His blood in God’s path? By God! After His blood was shed upon the earth, His exalted and glorious name was inscribed thereon.

O people! Be ashamed before God, and refute not the truth by what ye possess, and commit not that which would deprive you of the sweet savors of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Hear My words, then return unto Him, then repent and seek forgiveness, that He may forgive you through His wondrous mercy and purify you from the defilement of rebellion and the corruption of your own selves, O heedless ones! By God, O people! I have revealed in the Tablets what shall befall Him. Soon shall appear what hath been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen upon preserved tablets of glory. Then shall the tribes of the highest cities lament while ye rejoice within yourselves and make sport of God’s verses after We have announced them to you in glorious and impregnable scriptures. O people! He is My spirit and I am His spirit, and My will hath ever been His will. Make no distinction between Me and Him, for all that appeareth from Him is beloved of My heart and soul, were ye of them that believe in divine unity.

These wondrous divine words which have been sent down from the clouds of the grace of the All-Merciful - this servant hath mentioned them that perchance the heedless servants might become aware and not judge by their own standards, and might perceive at least this much: that they who turn away from these wondrous divine verses have been and shall be opposed to and at war with the Truth. For the Revealer of verses is the Truth. Now if they are at war with the Lord of all worlds, they themselves know there is no escape for any soul today and no refuge to be found, save either to acknowledge what hath appeared or to reject all scriptures, books and psalms. This is the word of truth, and after truth there is naught but manifest error. The example of those who turn away is like those souls who, at the time of the appearance of the Primal Point, would say - turning away from God and objecting to Him - that this Seyyed claimeth Guardianship, or some would say He claimeth Prophethood, and some would say He claimeth Divinity, and each of these deluded ones would utter some word, not perceiving that one must determine who is the Revealer, and the Revealer can only be known through the verses themselves. They have lost who disbelieved and ascribed partners unto God and rebelled against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

And furthermore, thou didst make mention of manifestation, and by God that soul and his guide comprehended neither the manifestation nor the Manifester, for had they comprehended they would not have objected to the Truth. It would have been more fitting that thou shouldst have attributed these words to that one who opposed God, for he, garbed in but one of the names, showed pride before the Truth and disbelieved in Him in Whom he claims to believe. He recites His verses while striking at His very Being. He acts yet perceives not; he speaks yet understands not. He and his like are all equal in God’s sight, except that he is more evil and more unjust. May God protect us and His loved ones from his evil and their evil, for verily He is the Protector, the Ruler, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

And furthermore, thou didst mention the common people, saying they accept without understanding. Now judge thou fairly: This servant hath been in His presence day and night for six years, associating with each one, and I speak of what I have seen with mine own eyes. Yet thou, merely on the word of a wicked, malicious atheist - and heaven hath not cast its shadow upon one more corrupt than he - now sayest that these servants have accepted the Truth without understanding. By God! Even donkeys would laugh at the intelligence and perception of that polytheist who hath suggested these words to thee, let alone human beings. Nevertheless, he hath regarded these servants as common folk and stated that we have accepted the Truth without understanding. Surely thou considerest thyself learned. First, how didst thou come by this knowledge, having never attained the presence of the Most Glorious Beauty? No fair-minded person would commit such an act - to take up, without awareness, the mere word of the most wicked and corrupt of men, writing whatever flows from his pen and sending it to various cities. Would that thou hadst at least followed the practice of religious students, for among that group acceptance depends on three concepts: first the subject, second the predicate, and third the judgment relation, after which acceptance is established and proceeds. What was the subject thou didst understand, and which was the predicate? By God, thou hast committed what none of the ignorant have committed.

Yea, these servants have accepted the Divine Manifestations in the past and, through God’s grace and bounty, shall continue to do so in the future. God willing, we shall not be veiled by any veil nor be hindered by any obstacle. By God, whatsoever thou hast heard from that wicked atheist was pure falsehood and sheer calumny. Thou knowest not with whom thou hast associated. By the Truth of God, hell itself fleeth from his breath, and retribution seeketh refuge with God from his face and presence. By the Truth, if these servants had heard one word of truth from these two persons… Thou knowest not what they have done. They have arisen with all manner of oppression and then, seeking to cast doubt in people’s hearts and to conceal their own abominable and reprehensible deeds, they have attributed such calumnies to the Truth as cannot be numbered. I hope they shall see no good in this world or the next and shall be tormented with earthly punishment before the punishment of the hereafter.

In any case, a word is mentioned for God’s sake, that perchance thou mayest be cleansed from thy notions of understanding and acceptance, from thy axioms and theories, and mayest enter the stream of acceptance which is the essence and reality of understanding. The Primal Point - exalted be His grandeur - hath said: “Before He maketh Himself known unto you, ye enter into the fire of love.” He saith […]

Before that Ancient Beauty revealed His identity, ye entered into the fire of His love, and these servants for many years heard His praise and mention from all the servants, until we arrived at the stream of nearness and at every moment witnessed what no one had ever seen or heard. And beyond all these things, divine verses descended at every moment like the spring rain. Nevertheless, how can hesitation be permissible when the Point of the Bayan explicitly declares in every passage: “Strive to the utmost that thou mayest not hesitate for even the time it takes to say ‘yea,’ for that same amount of time thou wilt be in the fire and all thy deeds will come to naught.” This servant was greatly ashamed at these words. Thou thyself didst confirm this servant, but a veil intervened. We beseech God to lift it through His power, that thou mayest witness the Sun of thy Lord’s countenance rising, shining, and dawning forth amongst the worlds. By God, amazement upon amazement, what hath withheld thee, that thou hast girded thy loins to violate the sanctity of the Truth and hast arisen with utmost endeavor to dispute and wage war. By God, the sword of thy rejection is sharper than a sword of steel, for the latter woundeth only the outward body while thy sword hath cut the hearts of all beings, both seen and unseen. Yet thou art pleased with thyself as though thou hadst committed no wrong. We beseech God either to return unto thee what thou hast wrought and done and committed, or to absolve thee of thy sins and guide thee unto Himself and grant thee the grace of meeting Him, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

If you consider these servants common folk, I swear by the Educator of all creation that this very statement of yours proves the validity of this Cause. For at the beginning of the Manifestation, sixty objections were raised against the Truth, including this very same statement. And in the past too, during the time of the Manifestations, the tongues of the polytheists uttered these same words, as revealed in the Perspicuous Book: “The chiefs of the unbelievers among his people said: ‘We see thee but a man like ourselves; nor do we see any who have followed thee but the meanest among us in judgment, nor do we see in you any excellence over us; nay, we deem you liars.’” They counted all the believers in Truth as lowly and common folk. By God, even cattle would be ashamed of such statements from that godless one. Say: Know thyself and speak within thy bounds. The power manifest in what he has uttered is now evident. We associate no partners with our Lord, nor do we turn to anyone but Him, by God’s might and power.

At this point, as it is observed that the deniers are drinking from the cup of vainglory and the goblet of pride - for they have called the mystics of God common folk - it becomes necessary for this servant to mention some verses of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, so that at least the learned may be distinguished from the ignorant. His exalted Word states: “Say: God hath not created anything more precious in His estimation than knowledge. Through it all things are created, all are sustained, all die, and all are brought to life. This is your knowledge of God, then of the Manifestation of His Self in every Revelation, then of what appears from the Manifestation of His Self. Other than this is not considered knowledge by God, if ye but knew. And at the time of the next Revelation, all knowledge is your knowledge of Him and what is revealed from Him, not what was revealed before. Your knowledge of what was ordained before will not benefit you then, rather you will be questioned about it. In every Revelation, it behooveth the guides to comprehend what is revealed in that Revelation, not according to the distinctions you make.” Until He says, exalted be His mention: “Nay, the matter is that you should abandon all that and count yourselves and your knowledge as naught if you truly believe in God and His verses.”

Now some reflection upon these divine words is necessary, that perchance they may understand the knowledge that has ever been praised and beloved in God’s sight. And count not as learned those who turn away from God. By Him Who strengthened the Spirit with the Spirit, if today all who are in the heavens and earth should manifest all earthly knowledge yet hesitate in this wondrous Cause, they would be counted among the ignorant in God’s sight. This is confirmed by the text of the Point of the Bayan, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. His sublime Word, addressing the Letter of the Living, states: “If thou believest in Him, it matters not whether thou knowest anything or knowest not - nothing shall diminish from thy excellence. But if thou art veiled from Him, even if thou possessest all knowledge, it shall profit thee not.” By the explicit text of that Essence of Being, today the title of ‘learned one’ shall not be applied to anyone except those souls who are adorned with the garment of faith in this wondrous Cause. Strange it is that despite these clear verses, you have still called the believers in God common folk. How quickly has the breath of the All-Merciful been cut off from those hearts.

Notwithstanding the obvious, you have called the believers in God commoners. How swiftly has the breath of the All-Merciful been cut off from those hearts, and how completely have they become veiled from the Most Holy Breath. For had even less than an atom of His knowledge and wisdom wafted over the souls of the opposers, they would never have occupied themselves with such utterances as the lowliest followers of the Quran have for years used as proofs. Alas for them for what they have wrought against God, and they are among the losers.

Hearken to another melody of that King of Oneness, addressing the Letter of the Living. His mighty utterance declares: “Verily, everything knoweth itself by itself. Who then can know it through aught else? Yet shouldst thou, on the day of His manifestation, recognize Him through the most learned of the Bayan, and shouldst thou see Him steadfast in His Cause, and then ascribe human nature to Him, thou wouldst not have negated the Letters of Negation to affirm the Manifestation of Divine Unity.”

How mighty are His words, how wise His allusions, how evident His proof, and how glorious His utterance! Yet you, O people of the Bayan, have wronged the Self of God and His Essence. He verily did not fall short in His exposition. He has ordained for you all paths and has revealed to you all that was hidden from you, and has detailed all things in detail as a mercy from His presence upon you, and as guidance and remembrance to all the worlds. Yet you have confused God’s Cause among yourselves just as the peoples before confused it among themselves, and thus their efforts were rendered vain in this world and the next, and they were a wicked people, the greatest losers.

Despite the fact that the Beauty of the All-Merciful declares that if thou shouldst see the most learned of the Bayan’s scholars hesitating on the day of His manifestation, rising and shining forth of the Most Great Light, and shouldst ascribe human nature to Him, thou wouldst surely be among those who have not negated the Letters of Negation to affirm the Manifestation of Divine Unity. Today, whosoever attributes human nature to any of those who have turned away, be they of the highest or lowest rank, is deprived of all the bounties of the All-Merciful, let alone attempting to establish any station or rank for such souls.

Consider that the one addressed in this revealed verse is one of the Letters of the Living, who was and will be, by the explicit text of the Point of the Bayan Himself, foremost among all the Bayan. He declares that they are the first creation of the Bayan, and that all have attained to the Divine Law and Divine Manifestation through the existence of these Letters. Yet He has thus limited those souls, as was mentioned. Therefore ponder, O ye who have eyes to see! Ponder, O ye who have insight! Ponder, O ye who are chosen! Ponder, O ye who are righteous! Ponder, O ye who possess knowledge, wisdom and understanding!

Say: By God! All that was revealed in the Bayan has returned to the Point, and it is now held within the grasp of Power and Might. We desire to explain it once again, despite your wishes, O company of polytheists, just as We have explained it time and again. And this is one of those times that has caused the dwellers of the heavens and earth, and then the inhabitants of the cities of names, to tremble, were ye but to know it. Say: He was indeed My Self, and now His Self hath appeared with truth and spoken between the heavens and the earth, declaring in truth that all verses have returned to My verses, and have been resurrected in My words, and have appeared by My leave[…]

By My leave did it appear and descend from the heaven of My will, if ye be of them that are assured. Then were all manifestations consummated by My manifestation, and all dawning-places illumined by My dawning, and all rising-points made resplendent by My rising and appearance. Where then are the seeing eyes? Where are the knowing hearts? Where are the sanctified minds? Where are the pure souls? Where are the illumined breasts, that they may know and understand and see and witness that which hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Great? Say: Die in your wrath! He hath appeared in truth and feareth no one, and awaiteth what hath been ordained for Him by His Beloved, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise. And He saith at every moment, addressing your swords and spears and arrows: “Come ye! Draw near! For I yearn for you!” To this beareth witness My longing and yearning, then My passion and My melodies, were ye but to perceive. Verily, He Who hath appeared in truth is My Beloved and I am His beloved; He is My Self and I am His Self. That which issueth from My tongue is His most wondrous, most sweet, most holy, most sublime utterance. Whosoever possesseth the least perception, less than a hair’s breadth of insight, will surely witness the appearance of God and His grandeur, and will discover the fragrance of His holiness in the sweet scents of these melodies, and will be among those firmly established in this Most Great, this perspicuous Cause. Say: I am alive through His life and move through His love, even as He was alive through My life and breathed naught but My remembrance and praise amongst the worlds. My soul be a sacrifice for Him and His soul a sacrifice for Me; My all be a sacrifice for Him and His all a sacrifice for Me. Whensoever I say that He is a sacrifice for Me, it is the very same as His saying that He is a sacrifice for Me. Beware lest ye perceive any difference, O ye who are endued with insight! Thus hath God sent down at this moment from the signs of His grandeur upon the Mount of the Heart, and We have revealed them unto you that ye may give thanks unto God, your Creator, O people of the Bayan, and be not of them that are veiled.

O thou who art immersed in the ocean of allusions! Know thou that thy objection and opposition return not unto My Self, but unto God, my Lord and thy Lord and the Lord of our forefathers. For I am but a servant who hath believed in Him and in His Messengers and His chosen ones, and I find no existence for myself, for He hath raised Me up in truth and sent Me unto all the worlds. If thou desirest to object, then go unto Him and say by what means Thou didst send forth Him through Whom My being and the realities of the polytheists were struck with terror. And if thou findest Him and art able within thyself, then mention unto Me a word from His presence, that perchance He may deliver Me from thee and from the company of the wicked, and make Me to be of them that are detached. Say: O my Lord! Thou knowest the people of the Bayan - wherefore didst Thou send this servant of Thine? Therefore, behold him beneath their swords and claws and talons. O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth! Have mercy upon him, O King of Kings, then aid him with the truth, for verily Thou art the Mighty, the Exalted, the Conquering, the Powerful, the All-Purposing.

By Him Who sent Me with the truth! I am bewildered at His action regarding Me, for He raised Me up in days wherein no breeze of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, had ever wafted. And thereby was I afflicted with that wherewith none of the chosen ones had ever been afflicted, and to this His All-Knowing, All-Informed Self beareth witness. Dost thou imagine that I speak of Mine own accord and exist through Mine own existence? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Rather do the winds of His will move Me as He pleaseth and willeth. And whoso hath understanding will discover in the stirring of My soul the stirring of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Conquering, the Powerful. Art thou able to still thyself when thou art seized by the fever of thunder whereby every limb doth tremble? Nay, by Him Who created thee in truth, if thou be of them that are aware! Even as it moveth thee […]

And whoso possesseth insight will find from the trembling of My being the trembling of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Conquering. Canst thou remain still when the fever of thunder seizeth thee, causing all thy limbs to tremble? Nay, by Him Who created thee in truth, if thou art of them who perceive! Even as it moveth thee and thou canst not remain still, likewise do the winds of God’s Will move Me, and if thou wishest to object, object to Him, for I am but a penitent servant. I find no stillness for Myself, nor rest, nor movement save by His command. None denieth this save every deceitful transgressor, sinful one.

Indeed, in all Dispensations the first to turn away have been the divines of the age, for had the divines not denied the rights of God, none would have turned away, and whatever corruption hath appeared in the earth hath been due to the denial of the divines. As He explicitly stateth, exalted be His mention: “Verily the first to veil themselves from the Point of the Bayan were they who claimed knowledge for themselves, yet in God’s sight they comprehend nothing and understand not.” Thus in God’s sight such souls are not reckoned among the learned, while those souls who have attained to faith are established upon the seat of knowledge, even though they may not know a single letter of outward learning. Today knowledge and ignorance, the highest and lowest, nearness and remoteness, truth and falsehood, the living and the dead, the mature and the infant, the mindful and the heedless - all are distinguished and made known through their acceptance of His Revelation. Whoso believeth in Him is among the most exalted of the learned, the most honored of people, the most discerning, the most God-fearing, the most understanding, the most elevated, the nearest, the most truthful, the most precise, and the most comprehending. Thus hath it been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory.

This is why the Point of the Bayan saith in this regard, exalted be His mention: “O God! Do Thou guide all who love Me to Thy religion, for the matter before Thee is equal: if the lowliest of creatures should believe in Thy proof and Thy signs, he becometh the most exalted, and if the most remote should believe, he becometh the nearest.” The purpose of these utterances is that all may know that in God’s sight the learned are those who have known Him and who have not hesitated to say “yea.” These are the people of knowledge, its guides, the possessors of divine protection, the treasury of wisdom, the wellspring of utterance, and the dawning-place of remembrance. All good names refer to such souls so long as they remain firm in the shadow of God. Outward learning hath not been and will not be of account in this station. This is why that Point of existence and Countenance of the Desired One hath, in His revealed words, given countless counsels to the learned, admonishing them all not to become proud of their knowledge, wisdom and utterance at the time of His appearance, that they might attain unto the knowledge of God and what lieth with Him. This is why the Point of the Bayan saith, exalted be His mention: “Perchance on the day of His manifestation one might become, through pride in his learning, a student of Him Who is the Source of knowledge - how mighty indeed is this matter, for His knowledge is none other than His Own Self!” And He saith, exalted be His mention: “No greater pleasure hath been created in the realm of possibility than for one to hear His verses, understand their meaning, and raise no objections about the words thereof.”

and make no judgments regarding His words nor draw comparisons with the speech of any other. Just as His Being is the Manifestation of divinity and lordship over all things, likewise His Word is the manifestation of divinity and lordship over all words, for were it human speech, verily the speaker would have proclaimed: “Verily, I am God; there is no God but Me, and all else is My creation. O ye letters, fear ye Me!” Thus it endeth.

O people of the Bayan! Though ye have attained unto such bounds that none could ever imagine achieving such sanctity and detachment, and though it appeareth that were a hundred thousand gates of divine knowledge to be opened, none would hearken, much less comprehend - hear ye the divine counsel and reflect each day upon the previous Manifestation and the events of His days. Perchance these occurrences shall not fade from sight and may cause steadfastness.

At the outset of the Revelation all the divines arose in denial. According to the text of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - meaning the religious authorities who were in all regions, that Day-Spring of Oneness revealed a Tablet to each one by name, wherein He detailed their rejection. Copies of these Tablets exist to this day. He wrote to the divines of Najaf and Karbila one after another, and likewise to the divines of Persia name after name, and similarly to the divines of the land of Sad and the land of Qaf and other countries. So tightly were the doors of justice closed that not a single one of those people renowned for their learning became assured of that divine Tree of Knowledge, that Fountainhead of heavenly wisdom and Dawning-Place of the merciful utterance.

The one who, before all others, attained the supreme honor and became the Gate of Mercy, the Gate of Knowledge, the Gate of Guidance, and the Gate of Grace for all created things was the Bab-i-Baha’u’llah. Assuredly everyone hath heard the details of that holy being who had no fame among the people and occupied neither pulpit nor prayer-niche. He was one of the disciples of the late Haji Siyyid Kazim - upon him be God’s mercy and blessings. Most of the outward divines pronounced this holy soul an infidel, and among the disciples of the late Siyyid were some who were more renowned than he. Thus one day when Mulla Mihdi Khu’i, who was one of the companions of the Siyyid, was asked about the Bab’s knowledge, he named several individuals and preferred them all in outward knowledge and excellence to the Most Great Gate and Most Noble Word.

None of the famous and well-known souls became believers. Rather, they arose in rejection and opposition. Among them were Mulla Hasan Gawhar, Mirza Muhit, Mirza Karim Khan, and likewise others who were known in Azerbaijan and its surroundings. In brief, all the renowned divines, whether of the Shaykhi school or the traditional school, hesitated in the Cause of God, nay rather, rejected and denied it. Due to their rejection, knowledge was withdrawn from these heedless souls.

However, the Most Great Gate - meaning the first to believe - and the seventeen souls who were with him, having attained the honor of faith, were all mentioned by God as guides to knowledge. As He saith, these souls are, in all the most beautiful names, gates of mercy unto all people. This is set forth in detail in the Persian Bayan. Consider ye this, and exert your utmost endeavor that on the Day of Manifestation ye may not remain veiled from any matter.

Strive earnestly that in the Day of His Manifestation ye remain not deprived of any matter, nor fix your gaze upon aught of all that hath been or shall be created. For verily, should any soul in that Day turn his attention, even for less than a moment, to anything besides the Truth, he shall be removed from the wellspring of nearness by that very measure. Keep your hearts purified from all things, and lift your gaze above the signs and tokens, the nearness and remoteness which ye have conceived in your minds. For none hath ever gained, nor shall ever gain, knowledge of God’s hidden Will and His concealed Purpose. At every moment He hath appeared, and shall continue to appear, in a wondrous new way. How often doth He manifest Himself in such wise as no one hath ever conceived! Take refuge in God and supplicate Him day and night that He may manifest Himself in such manner as may be easily comprehensible to all mankind, that perchance they may not be deprived of the outpourings of that Most Great Ocean and the effulgence of that Sun of inner meanings.

The previous Manifestation - may my spirit and my being be a sacrifice for Him - hath given abundant counsels regarding this matter and hath mentioned it in countless utterances, in such wise that no thought can arise in any mind save that it hath been inscribed by His Most Exalted Pen. For instance, should anyone fix his gaze upon the Bayan, He saith: “Beware lest thou be veiled by it from its Revealer.” Should anyone cling to the Letters, He saith: “Beware lest thou be veiled by the Letters from their Creator and their Fashioner.” Should anyone pride himself on knowledge, He saith: “None deserveth to be called learned save him who recognizeth the Manifestation Himself.” Should anyone be bound by signs, He saith: “Beware lest ye be veiled by them,” for none knoweth the manner of the appearance of that Ancient Being. He manifesteth Himself as He pleaseth. Should anyone look to perfection, He saith that the acceptance of all things dependeth upon accepting that Source of truth, and ever shall it be thus. Should He pronounce all to be perfect, none may say why or wherefore, and should He declare all to be imperfect, none may object. Should anyone be fixed upon a specific time, as all are veiled by this in these days, He saith that whenever He appeareth, all must acknowledge the Tree of Truth and render thanks unto God. And should anyone look to the leaders and mirrors of the age, addressing them He saith: “Ye have become evidence through My word; beware lest ye be veiled from My very Self in the latter Manifestation.”

Therefore unto that Lord belongeth my praise and the praise of all things, my glorification and the glorification of all things, my remembrance and the remembrance of all things, for He hath not failed in counseling His servants regarding this Most Great, this Mighty Announcement, and hath answered beforehand all the objections that lay in the hearts of His servants, lest there should recur in His Manifestation that which would sadden His soul and grieve His heart. Now observe ye the Cause of God and observe ye the condition of the servants - how heedless they are! Those souls who came into being through His word, instead of offering thanks, praising His Name, glorifying His mention, remembering Him, and showing gratitude for His bounty, have all drawn forth the swords of malice. We beseech God to preserve this Wronged One from these perverse ones.

All have appeared with swords of malice while professing gratitude for His bounty. We beseech God to protect this Wronged One from these extremists and polytheists, to aid His Cause, to manifest His proof, and to exalt His testimony between the heavens and the earth. My spirit and my soul be a sacrifice unto Him, for He has left no counsel ungiven to His servants. Especially since they witnessed pride and arrogance from the divines in the previous Dispensation, they have greatly counseled this group and reminded them through goodly exhortations and healing words, lest they follow previous practices and become heedless of the Truth at the time of the Manifestation’s appearance. For through the rejection of those souls, all people turned away save whom thy Lord willed. As they say - exalted be His mention: “In every Revelation the people of that Revelation become veiled by the divines of that Revelation, while they are heedless that beyond the matter, through a single ‘nay’ from Him all these become untrue. Be vigilant regarding the Revelation of Truth, that on the Day of His manifestation thou shouldst not acknowledge Him merely through the acknowledgment of the people of the Bayan, for all their acknowledgments before Him are confirmed through a single ‘yea’ and nullified through a single ‘nay.’” Similarly in this connection, addressing the divines of the Bayan, He says - exalted be His glory: “O divines of the Bayan! Have mercy upon yourselves, then show mercy by not becoming veiled from Him Who shall appear with the truth through the conditions of your religion. For your entire religion before Him is like the day when God first created that religion. You gaze toward the Primal Point, yet you are tried like all those of previous Revelations, sleeping through the night while counting yourselves believers, and in your day you are like the divines who preceded you. God will not judge you for anything, so watch over yourselves, then be vigilant.” O people of the Bayan, show mercy to yourselves and to God’s Cause. Do not become the cause of discord, and do not commit that which would divide the all-embracing, unifying Word. Reflect purely for the sake of God upon the matters that have occurred. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, whenever the Truth has appeared in any time or age, it has manifested in such wise that for the insightful and fair-minded there remained no occasion for pause, doubt or uncertainty, except for those souls who caused themselves to fall into confusion. Therefore fear God, O people of the Bayan, and hold fast unto God, O people of the Bayan, and have mercy upon yourselves, O people of the Bayan, and oppose not Him in Whom you believed in His previous Manifestation, through Whom was established the faith of every believer, the certitude of every assured one, the unity of every unifier, the knowledge of every learned one, and the remembrance of every mindful one. This is the best counsel from this servant unto you, if ye be of the fair-minded.

And further thou didst write that if one claims “I am that same Point of the Bayan,” this can mean either that he is identical in person - which is manifestly false since the repetition of divine manifestations is impossible and self-evidently invalid - or that he is a renewal of likeness, which is even more clearly false, for in such case he must needs ordain exactly the same laws without any difference, so how can change be permitted?

It appears thou hast not yet grasped the meaning of divine manifestation, not knowing its locus. Here is the place of the One manifested, not the manifestation itself. If thou wouldst observe with the eye of insight, thou wouldst discover the Source of endless manifestations. This answer was given before, precisely stating what the Primal Point declared: Set aside talk of manifestation and its non-repetition; comprehend the Manifested One and detach thyself from aught else.

What say ye regarding the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - Who declared that the Point of the Bayan is identical with the Point of the Furqan (Muhammad), and throughout the Bayan stated “He Who is made manifest is identical with Him Who shall be made manifest, and He Who shall be made manifest is identical with He Who was made manifest,” and likewise declared “Verily I am He and He is verily I.”

Moreover, the Manifestations of Divine Unity are, in one respect, united, and in another respect appear with different manifestations. In that all have dawned from the Dayspring of the Divine Command and have spoken by God’s leave, and all were commanded to teach mankind, all are one. Thus He saith “We make no distinction between any of them.” Yet in another station - that of religious laws, names and earthly aspects - each appeared with a distinct name, law, temple and form.

If thou wouldst observe with the eye of insight, by God besides Whom there is no God, thou wouldst behold all as one reality, one manifestation, one movement, one deed, one work, one law, one name and one path. Strange that thou hast not understood this exposition while even children of this Revelation have comprehended it, for in Persian Tablets revealed during the years of sojourn in Iraq from the heaven of glory, all these degrees were explained in detail. Blessed are they who have attained and understood.

Yet thou still hast not grasped the nature of manifestation and hast imagined divine power to be like thine own power, making His Cause dependent on thy cause. Evil is that which thou hast imagined. Verily He manifests as He willeth, even as He hath appeared in truth despite the deniers. Just as the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - declared, this Manifestation declares likewise. Reflect that thou mayest know.

This is that promised Manifestation which all were promised in the Bayan. Today the deeds of whosoever turneth away from this Manifestation are rejected and unmentioned before God. Verily He declareth now “I am God, there is no God but Me” just as the Point declared before, and likewise shall He Who cometh after declare. Hast thou not seen that He saith: though the Sun rise a hundred thousand times, it is but one Sun[…]

And likewise He says concerning Him Who shall appear hereafter: “Hast thou not seen that He declares that even if the sun were to rise a hundred thousand times, it would still be one and the same sun that hath risen and will rise?” And He says: “Consider in like manner the Manifestations of Oneness.” Know thou that two perspectives are to be considered in the theophany: from one view it is repeated, and from another view it is not repeated. These two perspectives pertain to the outward manifestations of the earthly realm, while the theophany itself, in its own station, hath been and shall ever remain sanctified above these two perspectives. However, the comprehension of this station is somewhat difficult. Whosoever desireth to comprehend it as it truly is must present himself before the Divine Countenance, that he may know that which he knew not before and discover that which was hidden. Furthermore, he hath regarded the renewal of likenesses as impossible. If the renewal of likenesses of Divine Manifestations be impossible, how then can the renewal of satanic likenesses, which are existent and evident beyond any possibility of denial, come to pass - as is clearly seen in every city where examples of these dark temples are manifestly present? Take heed, O ye possessed of understanding!

Verily, revelation from the Revealer has been, and shall ever be, continuous in the forms of the Manifestations, wert thou of them that truly understand. And if thou wouldst soar higher and purify thine heart from the words of the polytheists, thou wouldst thyself perceive that which thou now deniest without consideration. The mention of recurring revelation is neither permissible nor impermissible. Hearken unto the words of this servant and observe with pure heart and illumined vision the words of God and His Revelation. Pride not thyself in two fabricated words cast forth by Satan. Consider the peoples of the past and their divines, who compiled hundreds of thousands of books, all intended to establish the truth of the Truth, yet remained deprived by those very books after His appearance. Nevertheless, the deniers remain heedless and have newly taken to writing treatises. Woe unto their fingers and their sight and their hands! At the time of Revelation, no word remaineth in its proper place save by the leave of Him Who is the Manifestation of Revelation. The Point of the Bayan - magnified and glorified be He - hath declared that in the Day of His Manifestation ye should not protest against Him with His own words. Yet through Satan’s promptings ye have protested and continue to protest with the fabrications of the turning away souls, and of these very protestations of you and your like He hath given tidings. God, the Most High, the Most Great, speaketh truth. The text of the Bayan revealed in the Bayan declareth, exalted be His remembrance: “Strive with utmost endeavor that in the Day of the Manifestation of Truth ye protest not against Him with His words, for all the Bayan is the utterance of His previous Manifestation, and He is more knowing than all creation of that which He hath revealed, for the spirit of all things is within His grasp, and with all there is naught but a shadow if they be steadfast in the truth - otherwise they are unworthy of mention. Thus, if a person be the Plato of his age in every science, if he believeth not in the Truth, will his knowledge profit him? Glory be to God! Rather, for him knowledge is that whereby he knoweth God and His Messenger and the Manifestations of His Cause and the Manifestations of His decree, and naught else do they who possess hearts call knowledge.” Say: Open thine eyes, O heedless one, then hearken to what the Dove warbleth upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of the Bayan, by God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower! Observe how lofty and elevated is the Cause, that that Essence of Oneness and Being of Eternality hath forbidden His own words from that Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Manifest, Most Luminous Court, explicitly declaring that at the time of His appearance ye should not protest against that Temple of Inner Meanings and Manifestation of Divine Glory with the words of the Bayan. Yet the people of the Bayan are unashamed - would that they had protested with His words! Rather, they have protested and continue to protest against those Essences of Oneness and Exemplars of Eternity with rejected fabrications emanating from malicious souls. What regret for these souls who, through two fabricated utterances, have remained deprived of the shore of the divine ocean of knowledge and been forbidden the holy, sanctified breezes by a putrid odor! Would that they had been content with mere protestation! Nay, by Him Who caused the Tongue of the Spirit to speak forth in praise of Himself, they were not content with protestation […]

Would that they were content with disputation alone! Nay, by Him Who loosened the tongue of the Spirit to praise His Own Self, they are not and will not be satisfied with disputation, but have turned and continue to turn with swords of malice and lances of hatred toward the Most Exalted Horizon. Likewise He states - exalted be His utterance - that none hath comprehended the Bayan, nor shall any encompass its knowledge save that Divine Temple and Mine and Source of heavenly knowledge. Nevertheless, those souls who have risen in opposition claim knowledge and continue to make such claims, though by God besides Whom there is no other God, they cannot and will not equal even a primary school child in the school of true knowledge. Indeed, were they to enter that presence, they would find themselves utterly wanting. He declares that the spirit of all things has been and shall ever be within the grasp of that most holy and exalted Manifestation, and all possess naught but a shadow thereof, and this only if they remain firm in the truth; otherwise, He declares them unworthy of mention. Consider now to what depths these souls have fallen - by God, to the nethermost abyss, did ye but perceive it! Today all earthly knowledge is counted as nothingness before God and unworthy of mention. Rather, the divine knowledge that was intended and praised in all heavenly Books and Scriptures has been knowledge of His Self-Manifestation in every Dispensation at the time of its appearance. Today, whosoever attains unto this, though he know not a single letter, is accounted before God as the most learned of all; and whoso is deprived of this greatest bounty - God forbid - though he be learned in all books, is witnessed before God as the most ignorant of all mankind. Hearken unto another utterance of the Exalted One of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - His words, exalted be His majesty: “Likewise consider that at the time of the manifestation of that Ancient Beauty, even if all the people of the Bayan were to attain the essence of knowledge, it would yield no fruit except through belief in Him. Take heed, O people of learning, and fear ye Him.” Thus did He speak. By God, this servant is ashamed to mention what hath been revealed by the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - and these words of yours that have darkened the world with gloom and dust. Raise thy head from slumber and witness the light of thy Lord’s revelation, that thou mayest perceive what thou wert heedless of and be of those who turn repentant unto God Who created me and thee and made us of those who have attained to the days of His presence and are numbered among the victorious ones. I beseech God that a breeze of His grace may blow, perchance it may bring that dead one to the realm of life, and that by His bounty and grace He may grant him a drop from the Water of Life and the flowing Kawthar from the right hand of thy Lord’s throne, the All-Merciful. He, verily, hath power over all things. Apart from these considerations, what say ye concerning John son of Zacharias and Jesus son of Mary? For John son of Zacharias was sent before Jesus and claimed prophethood, as all Islamic sects acknowledge and confess his prophethood. He appeared with laws and ordinances, such that whenever anyone came before him and acknowledged his mission, he would baptize them according to the manners revealed from the heaven of divine will and teach them divine words […]

And He imparted divine words and also gave glad tidings to the people of the appearance of the Most Great Word, that is, the Spirit of God. After the Spirit appeared and the divine Word emerged from behind the veils of concealment with the effulgences of divine unity, shining and radiant, the people objected because outwardly that Holy Being associated and kept company with sinners, as is recorded and written in the Gospel itself that He consorted with publicans. Thus in many instances they objected to that King of divine unity, especially one day when some of the heedless ones came before Him and objected: “O Spirit of God! The companions of John the son of Zacharias were extremely ascetic and devout, to such a degree that they fasted during the day and stood in prayer during the night in remembrance of God. But what we observe of you and your companions is that you are not occupied with worship and remembrance, nor do you refrain from the property of others.” The Spirit reflected within Himself, then raised His head and said: “If John was as you say, why did you kill him, O company of polytheists?” He means: “According to your words, I am a sinner while John the son of Zacharias committed no wrong, and you all acknowledge the asceticism and piety of that manifest Beauty - so why did you kill him?” Thus was the denier confounded and returned disappointed and at a loss. They likewise objected that “You have changed the law of John even though his Cause has not yet been established among the servants and his cycle has not been completed, for only a short time passed between that Manifestation and this Manifestation. He gave ablution to the servants with water while you claim to give ablution with the Holy Spirit, as your companions have done. And they fasted while your companions eat, and he appeared in complete detachment such that he never disposed of people’s property even to the extent of a mustard seed, while each of your companions who passes by fields does not refrain from taking and eating, and furthermore they do not practice any deeds.” He said: “These are days of joy and pleasure. A time will come when they will practice all deeds.” His meaning was that since these are the days of attaining the presence of God, they are in truth the station of the paradise of divine unity, and in that station if there is some neglect in certain outward matters, God, exalted be His glory, will forgive, and after the Spirit’s ascension to the Supreme Companion, they will surely practice whatever they are commanded to do. By God! The appearance of the Primal Point and this most wondrous and most glorious Manifestation is exactly like the appearance of John the son of Zacharias and the Spirit of God, and everything has occurred in accordance with reality. Just as John was a Prophet and Messenger from God and also the herald of the subsequent Manifestation, saying “O people, I give you glad tidings of the Kingdom of God and verily it has drawn nigh,” and in another instance “The Kingdom of God has drawn nigh,” and likewise he was the bearer of laws and a religion, and likewise during the days of his Manifestation the Spirit appeared - the Primal Point, may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him, after taking a covenant from all and giving glad tidings of the subsequent Manifestation, says: “Verily noon approaches while you are sleeping,” which is exactly the same meaning that John the son of Zacharias spoke […]

While ye were asleep. This is exactly what John the son of Zacharias spoke of and heralded. And in this Dispensation, the same objections that were made against Jesus the son of Mary have been made by the divines of the Bayan, as you write that the cycle has not been completed, and likewise write that the laws should not be changed, implying that the laws have been altered - this utter falsehood has been suggested to you. For He specifically ordained that the Persian Bayan should be followed. Moreover, the changing of laws has no bearing on rank, such that every Manifestation claiming precedence over the previous Manifestation must change the laws and abrogate previous commandments. As the Point of the Bayan Himself stated: “Were it not for the objections of the people of the Furqan, I would not have abrogated the laws of the Furqan.” Furthermore, according to your own belief and that of all others, David was one of the most exalted Prophets and the Author of a Book, yet He commanded the people to follow the laws of the Torah. Likewise, it is recorded of Jesus the son of Mary that He said: “The Son of Man came not to judge the world but to give life unto the world.” From this statement it becomes clear that at the beginning of His Revelation He did not intend to change previous laws, just as John the son of Zacharias did not change everything except in certain matters. What is certain is that the Spirit (Jesus) changed the Sabbath law and designated Sunday instead, and likewise abolished the law of the sword and prohibited divorce. But in this Revelation, if you observe, although at first nothing was manifested except pure servitude, nevertheless the wolves of the earth from among the people of the Bayan arose in opposition and objection, emerging from the thickets of hypocrisy to oppose the Luminary of the horizons. This despite the firm ordinance of the Bayan, recorded in all the Tablets of God, that should anyone appear with verses, you should not oppose him, nor dispute with him, nor argue with him. And they emphasized this law to such a degree that, by God besides Whom there is none other God, no law more binding and established than this was revealed in the Bayan. It seems as though the entire Bayan was revealed concerning this most wondrous and impregnable matter. Nevertheless, the first to oppose and his like arose in opposition and perpetrated that which no oppressor had ever done. You were not in that land to witness - by the Point of the Bayan and all the Prophets and Messengers, I speak the truth and reality - when they observed that the divine verses were being revealed like torrential rain, and the mighty divine ocean was surging, and the celestial Tree was adorned with wondrous and transcendent fruits, and the winds of grace were blowing from the right hand of the divine Throne, and the exalted heaven was adorned with the stars of new sciences and knowledge, they arose in hypocrisy and attempted to cut down the divine Tree. And when they failed in this, their malice became apparent, all the emigrants were troubled, and the people of the sanctuary engaged in lamentation and weeping, and the Beauty of Oneness departed from among the people. Then they arose with calumny and falsehood, intending through fabricated lies […]

They intended through false accusations and evil imaginings to conceal that vile deed. Then they did what they did, as you yourself know what that corrupting falsifier who came to that land said and did. And yet none confronted or spoke against that source of perdition. Nevertheless, he called himself oppressed and cast upon his like what Satan casts and continues to cast upon his allies. Woe unto them and those who followed them! By God, they are in manifest loss!

Another claim is that each subsequent Manifestation must be more perfect and complete, as the appearance of every Messenger and Prophet has been greater than the previous one, and the Bab likewise made this claim in relation to those before Him, such that each successive one has abrogated what came before. End quote.

First, if the eye of fairness were opened, one would observe that the like of this Revelation has never appeared in creation. This is attested by what has been sent down from the heaven of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Open your eyes that you may witness how the Beauty of the Manifestation was then seated upon the throne of grandeur and independence, with the Point of the Bayan at His right hand in sovereign might and glory, and Muhammad the Messenger of God at His left hand with the lights of God, the Exalted. And before His face stood the Spirit with a company from the Concourse on High, descended in truth, would that you might understand. Then behind Him were ranks of the angels of heaven with ewers of the water of everlasting life and cups of pure drink sealed, would that you might know. And they all lamented and wept and cried out at what befell the Beauty of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Had you possessed insight and turned to the Most Great Prospect, you would have witnessed with your own eyes and ears the divine lights from the Manifestation of the eternal sovereign Glory. But the ophthalmia of vain imaginings has so afflicted the eyes that even if they were to enter the Most Holy Court, I doubt they would attain His presence. Just as the dung beetle, though it dwell near the garden of paradise, has been and will remain deprived of the fragrance of its flowers. Likewise the blind, though they stand before the sun, have been and will remain barred from its rays. They have no portion of this Most Great Ocean.

As thou hast mentioned that every successor must needs be greater and more exalted than his predecessor - hadst thou not been perturbed and unsettled, I would have related unto thee in this connection that which I have heard from the Truth. This is a matter wherein none save God should speak, for to do so would be mere idle talk. God knoweth what He intendeth in that which He hath revealed, for none but the Manifestation Himself hath ever been or shall ever be cognizant of the hidden pearls of meaning treasured within the ocean depths of God’s holy utterances. All this knowledge lieth with my Lord, and none hath access to it save Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Since the people of the Bayan are seen to be more veiled than the deluded ones of the past, it would be better that we exercise forbearance and keep concealed that which we have understood, lest another outcry be raised. The all-encompassing power and all-pervading mercy of God have never been and shall never be confined within bounds. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Concerning the abrogation of previous laws, the Point of the Bayan - may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said that all dependeth upon the will of Him Who shall be made manifest. Should He desire, He may confirm the commandments and prohibitions of the past, and should He desire, He may abrogate them. His is the command. None may question Him or say “why” or “wherefore” in aught that He doeth and ordaineth. Whoso saith “why” or “wherefore” hath indeed disbelieved in God, opposed His Own Self, disputed His sovereignty, denied His Cause, and is numbered among the idolaters. If the claim be made by way of reflection, like unto the holy Imams in relation to Muhammad, who claimed to be His likeness while being under His shadow, then the matter is clear, for it beseemeth not such a one to claim superiority in such circumstances. The mention of this station hath been made in the previous Bayan. These words of that vile idolater, which are more contemptible than the prattle of children, have been and shall remain unanswered.

O man! What reflection, what mirror! This sacred precincts is sanctified above mention and utterance, and exalted beyond the comprehension of all created things. At this point a story comes to mind: In the days when the Primal Point - may He be glorified and exalted - was imprisoned on Mount Maku, even as now He is imprisoned in this land. But compare not this imprisonment with that imprisonment, for now He is both the prisoner of the government and the prisoner of the people of the Bayan. The imprisonment of the previous Manifestation was confined to the government alone, but if thou dost observe carefully, in this imprisonment all governments are partners.

In any case, in those days His Holiness Vahid - that is, Aqa Siyyid Yahya, upon him be the glory of God - had raised the standard in support of the Cause, as thou hast heard. In all lands the divines rose up in rejection and denial, and from all pulpits they engaged, God forbid, in cursing and denouncing the Primal Point and His companions. The Imam-Jum’ih of Tehran, although in truth he was not hostile and his sense of justice exceeded all others, one day ascended the pulpit and declared: “I have heard that among other things, His Holiness the Bab considers air to be purifying. Tell me, O man, in which book of which jurisprudent or divine has such a statement ever been seen that air is purifying?” He had failed to realize that this was not a matter of jurisprudence - it was a station beyond such mentions and words. He was, of His own accord, the Renewer of Laws. The Imam had understood Him to be merely one of the jurisprudents who had pronounced on this jurisprudential matter contrary to the divines and had deemed it permissible.

And now you also know not what has been transmitted and what command has appeared from the horizon of God’s Will. Nevertheless, you pride yourself on these words which were and are worthy only of those who cast them forth, and which you too have written at their instigation. And surely through Satan’s prompting you have sent them abroad, even as He specifically foretold - and verily He is the Truthful, the All-Knowing. God shall soon render void what they possess through His word of truth and shall make manifest the schemes of such souls to His near servants.

It behooved you first to inquire of the Manifestation Himself what His claim was and what His proof, that you might become informed thereof. Had He declared “This is that same Manifestation which the Point of the Bayan foretold and concerning whom He took a covenant from all,” then all these objections would have been and would remain fruitless, and you would not have troubled yourself to compose those fabricated letters of those who cast them forth.

Fear God, and say not that which thou knowest not, and follow not every clamoring one. If thou desirest to become informed of the truth, ask God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.

Another statement, which shows the utter heedlessness of the one who cast it forth, is this: “The utmost is that he is one of His guides and mirrors, and mirrors have their ranks, and only one will fully reflect His lineage. The line of the perfect mirror will be one after another. The rest will not fully reflect.” And this he confined to Mirza Yahya. End quote. He who cast this forth to thee hath erred and sinned in what he committed, and hath denied God Who created him from dust, and hath slandered Him unto Whom he shall return in his final end.

He hath slandered Him unto Whom he must return in his future abode and dwelling place, and he is among those who have torn God’s Book to pieces. He hath lately made mention of perfect and imperfect mirrors. By God, the Pen is bewildered as to what response should be given to such heedless ones. The Primal Point Himself, in the station of communion, declareth: “O my God! Each year send forth a mirror that it may be a guide unto Thee and reflect Thy glory.” He further declareth that one should be sent forth in every city. Now if we were to accept your statement, it would be in conflict with the words of the Point of the Bayan. The highest station of mirrors is that which He - exalted be His glory - hath described: “Say: O ye suns of the mirrors! Ye gaze upon the Sun of Truth. If ye would but see, your existence dependeth upon It. Ye are like unto fish moving in the sea, yet veiled from the water, and ye are questioned about that whereby ye subsist.”

Say: O heedless one! Observe how He addresseth the suns of the mirrors, who occupy the highest station, saying they must gaze upon the Sun of Truth. Then He declareth that they are like unto fish that move in the sea yet remain veiled from the water, and they are questioned about that whereby they subsist. By God! If the people of the Bayan were fair in their judgment, this one revealed verse would suffice them all - they would become detached from the words of the idolaters and would witness today the meaning of these divine utterances. Even as this objecting soul who considereth himself a mirror, and whom some have unwittingly assumed to be a mirror - even if we were to accept this claim - hath remained deprived of the Sun of Truth. As can be observed, he gazeth upon his own self, clinging to vain imaginings, far removed and barred from the Sun of Truth. He moveth in the water while abiding beneath the effulgences of divine lights, yet remaining distant, veiled and deprived thereof. Likewise today all mirrors are being questioned, as all stand at the place of questioning. Whosoever hath strayed from the stream of divine knowledge is accounted as stone, nay, unworthy of mention. And whosoever hath recognized Him and taken shelter beneath His loving-kindness is numbered among the primary mirrors in God’s presence. Thus hath the matter been decided, that perchance the people might comprehend. Now ponder awhile upon this utterance, that thou mayest attain unto the Kawthar of Oneness which floweth from the wellspring of divine words.

Say: O heedless oppressor! Where in the Bayan are these limitations recorded that thou hast attributed, having fabricated lies against the Truth, claiming that the Mirror will reflect entirely from a single lineage, and that the Exalted Lord hath confined it to such-and-such? Say: Thou hast invented falsehood against the Lord of the Throne and the exalted Seat. From these words, the reality of the understanding of him who hath imparted to thee and inspired thee hath become evident. Well done! How finely ye have fettered the outstretched hand of God! They speak as the Jews spoke, yet perceive it not. Dust be upon the mouths of such utterers, and clay upon the heads of these immature ones who have sullied the purity of the Cause and the sanctity of the divine words with the dust of ignorance and limitation. The Cause of God hath ever been sanctified above such limitations. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! They are seen to be more veiled than the basest of previous peoples. Yet the guide was greatly pleased with this word, and hath surely designated you, or will designate you, as one of the martyrs of fire in recognition of this service, for he hath always desired to restrict the Cause of God to himself and his progeny, and you have endorsed his desire before he even expressed it. O disciple - meaning you - a hundred thousand praises be upon you, for having abandoned the Creator for the sake of a vile creature who, by God besides Whom there is none other God, even Satan himself shuns and flees from his deeds. Shame upon him and upon those who follow him! By God, through his calumny the pillars of the Throne have quaked and the supports of the exalted Seat have trembled.

Hearken to the call of this servant, and wash away this scroll of self and passion which, through the promptings of Satan, hath been inscribed with false and groundless surmises. Step forth from the narrow confines into the vast and glorious expanse. Speak not of what thou hast not seen, and write not of what thou hast not comprehended. Soon shall we all - thou and he and we - return to dust. O thou who claimest fairness, wherefore hast thou with such vehemence girded up thy loins to undermine the Cause of God, and for the pleasure of a worthless and ignoble creature attributed such calumnies to the Truth? The blasts of divine wrath have seized you - and what wrath could be greater than this, that ye worship the calf and know it not, then call upon God to bring forth from its loins another calf for you to worship, that ye may be numbered among the worshippers. And from the progeny of this calf yet another calf, and were this lineage to be cut off, ye would surely grieve within yourselves and lament and weep as ye weep for your fathers and mothers - nay, with greater lamentation, were ye to comprehend.

Consider how heedless are these souls, that when the Sun of inner meanings hath risen with supreme grandeur and glory from the horizon of Truth, they have not recognized it even to the extent of what proceedeth from the loins of cattle. Say: Shame upon you and your modesty! The Temple of Divine Unity hath rent asunder its robe of grandeur by reason of your tyranny, O company of the obstinate!

It is a matter of wonder that ye have accepted Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani as truthful, though he had no knowledge whatsoever of this Cause and was never associated with it, while ye have regarded as false all those who were well-informed of it. Through his promptings ye have drawn the sword of malice against the Beauty of the Lord of the worlds. Cast aside these satanic whisperings and devilish deceptions. I swear by the Sun of inner meanings that those who circle round it are ashamed even to mention these false mirrors of yours. Ye have not understood even this much - that mirrors have no existence in and of themselves; rather, when facing the sun, they reflect its light, and after turning away they are and shall be as naught. A hundred thousand mirrors are created and shall be created by a word, and so long as they remain beneath the tree of affirmation and the Sun of Truth, they are counted among mirrors; else they are reckoned among the stones of hell and the people of fire.

We accept another statement that He is superior to the Bab, that He is His resurrection, and that His dispensation has been upraised, meaning that I am that Promised One of Whom the Bab spoke, through Whom the Bayan would be abrogated. The falsity of this statement is more obvious than the sun. First, the Bab Himself declared, in such wise that none can deny, words to this effect: “Were the creation of that Manifestation not complete, God would not manifest the subsequent Manifestation.” And He explained the meaning of completion thus: that whatever He had ordained and commanded, being from God, must be fulfilled without deviation, that a people must be created under His shadow, and all His utterances, whether concerning lofty stations or religious ordinances, must come to pass - else the appearance of such a Person would be vain and all divine tidings would prove false. Say: O ye donkeys! Whatever the Truth ordaineth is the truth.

Say: O ye asses! Truth is whatever He proclaimeth it to be, and is not rendered void by the words of the idolaters. Rather, that which is today more obvious than the sun is that the deniers themselves have been and shall ever be false. Say: Take thy reins, O thou deceiver, O thou deluded one, the like of whom the eye of time hath never witnessed! I know not to what souls I might liken such beings, for in their denial they have no peer, equal or likeness. Say to that vile idolater: O heedless one! Deem not the Truth to be false, and count not the words of Truth as vain. By God, O thou denier, the fragrance of divine utterances is vastly distinguished from aught else, such that were it to be in the East of creation and a word be spoken, one who dwelleth in the West would detect its holy fragrance, were he purged from the odors of the idolaters. Whatsoever proceedeth from the Truth - exalted be His glory and majesty - whether in deed or word, hath been and shall ever be binding upon them that are endued with hearts, and none hath the right to object or protest. To this testifieth every possessor of understanding, knowledge and perception. But since they were created from ignorance, they shall never be conscious of this and shall remain among the heedless. One must first recognize the Truth and what He declareth, and His proof. After the establishment and manifestation of clear evidence and proof, all such words and their speakers and utterers have been and shall be consigned to the fire, and verily the fire is their abode - what a wretched abode for the idolaters!

Concerning what the Bab declared, “If the creation of that Dispensation be not completed…”, know that the matter of completion hath ever been in the grasp of divine power. Neither you nor those like you have comprehended or ever shall comprehend this, for it may happen that people follow a religion for a thousand years, yet the word ‘completion’ would not apply to it; and it may happen that all are made complete in a single day. None save God is aware of completion or its absence, for the completion of every matter dependeth upon His Will. As mentioned before, if He willeth, He can cause all people to return to a single soul, and from that same soul return them to His Own Self, resurrecting and manifesting them. Likewise, the resurrection of all souls and their completion may be accomplished through one person’s recognition of Him Who appears, whereupon the completion of the previous Dispensation is realized in His very Self. All this is ordained by the Mighty, the Powerful. Yet the veiled and the deluded have not attained to this station nor achieved its recognition.

It often happens that the Sun of Truth appeareth and shineth forth while all people remain veiled, even as all signs of affirmation become manifest, established and confirmed in the very Person of the Manifestation, while the decree of negation applieth to all else. This is a hidden mystery which none hath understood save him whose eyes God hath opened and illumined with the light of certitude. Even as the Point of the Bayan - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - declareth, exalted be His grandeur: “Let not the multitude of people and their attachment to their own cause veil thee, for if it be supposed that in some Dispensation the Tree of Truth should speak forth and all should ponder concerning Him, all would be in negation of ‘there is no God’, though they remain upon the earth. Yet their remaining is remaining in the fire, while all affirmation belongeth to that Most Precious and Exalted Soul.”

Now what sayest thou concerning this utterance of the Point of the Bayan, and how dost thou understand the completion of that Dispensation’s cycle, when none had attained to His recognition? Know then that the completion of the cycle pertaineth to the Manifestation Himself and ever shall, though none comprehendeth this save he who hath drunk from the Kawthar of inner meanings from the Most Great Ocean, which hath appeared with manifest waves from the right hand of the Throne.

Likewise is the purport of the Point of the Bayan’s words - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - wherein He declareth that the lengthy periods between Manifestations are due to the people’s lack of capacity, and that the Sun of Truth, after Its setting in the Most Glorious Horizon, watcheth over Its servants. Whenever It observeth a soul hath appeared who can hearken unto the Word of God, in that very moment It causeth that soul to recognize It, not tarrying even less than nine times nineteen times ten minutes. In this connection They have drawn a parallel to the Point of the Furqan - exalted be His grandeur - stating that after the setting of the Muhammadan Sun, It was ever watching over Its creation. Had It observed a soul come into being who could bear the Divine Trust, It would never have delayed in appearing. The fact that such a lengthy period elapsed was due to this reason, just as when the capacity of the first to believe appeared and he accepted the Most Great Word, there was not the slightest delay in the proclamation of the Cause.

And no sooner did He accept the Most Great Word than there was not a moment’s delay in the declaration of the Cause, and in that instant the Word of God was cast unto Him. And if but an instant before that He had attained maturity and had been present before Him, there would not have been even that instant’s delay in the casting. O ye who are veiled! Ponder upon the divine words and verses, that perchance ye may be blessed with a drop from the surging ocean of meanings. And if ye would but see with insight, ye would observe that this wondrous Revelation itself is the cause of the perfection of the Bayan, for at the very moment of its appearance the cycle of the Bayan was completed. Moreover, they have commanded all to observe the laws of the Bayan, and they themselves have been among its foremost practitioners. And if all veils were to be rent asunder, what would ye do? Know ye that at the moment of Revelation, for every soul that attaineth unto His presence, all names and attributes and religious laws and ordinances and commands that existed before are perfected through his acceptance of the Truth, and shall continue to be perfected in him. Therefore ponder, that ye may be numbered among those who truly know.

Regarding what thou didst write, that all His utterances, whether concerning exalted stations or religious ordinances, must needs be fulfilled, else the appearance of such a Being would be futile and all divine tidings false: Know thou that all that is in the Bayan hath been manifested and gathered before God. However, at that time, such souls were as dead and as nothing, and thus remained unaware. After its revelation, these utterances have enriched no one, nor will they ever do so, inasmuch as the perfection of all things hath depended upon acknowledging Him, the glory of all things upon His Command, and the deeds of all upon His acceptance. For instance, should He choose to withdraw all that was bestowed in the previous Dispensation, none hath the right to object, for He hath been and ever will be All-Powerful. A single utterance from the Point of the Bayan - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - is here mentioned, that perchance thou mayest become aware and be numbered among those who perceive. His words, exalted be His glory, are these:

“The example of every verse of the Bayan is as a jewel entrusted to someone. On the Day of the Manifestation of Divine Reality, should He desire to reclaim from all what He hath given them, they should not tarry for an instant. Let not one be veiled by subsidiary matters, another by fundamental principles, yet another by aspects of divine decree, and another by manifestations of glory. Rather, all is from Him and unto Him shall all return. Recognize Him by His verses and be not overly cautious in recognizing Him, for to the extent of such caution shall ye abide in the fire. And if ye turn to God within yourselves, His example is in your hearts - be not veiled from Him by Him. Know ye the One for Whose recognition ye were created.”

Consider now how far ye have strayed from the shore of the ocean of divine knowledge, and to what extent the veils of self and desire have deprived you of the Creator and Revealer of Names. By God! Ye have done contrary to what the Point of the Bayan desired. His decisive verses ye have distorted and misinterpreted through false imaginings. Ye have not drunk a drop from the ocean of sanctity, nor have ye been touched by the breezes of glory and detachment. Although the Kawthar of utterance hath flowed from the Fountain-Pen of the King of all possibility, at times ye mention subsidiary matters and at times fundamental principles. By God, ye have no purpose save to cling to one of the cords of self and thereby raise objections against the Sovereign of Oneness. Observe how the divine words have been fulfilled. They explicitly stated that on that Day none should remain veiled by mention of subsidiary matters, fundamental principles, decree, or manifestations of glory, for that Ancient Beauty is, in His very essence, to be obeyed, and whatever He ordaineth at the time of His appearance is the divine decree and His command among the servants. Nevertheless, thou and thy like have raised objections against the Truth through mention of principles and ordinances, and today are all seen to be in the fire, save those who have held fast unto God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Choosing. O heedless ones! They have emphasized this to such an extent that they have said: On that Day, be not overly cautious in recognizing Him, for to the extent of such caution shall ye abide in the fire. Nevertheless, you have perpetrated that which none of the manifestations of negation and the dwellers of hell have perpetrated. Another verse from the revealed Bayan is mentioned for the sake of God, that perchance you may cast off the tattered garments of hatred and attain the robe of divine glory. His words, exalted be His grandeur: “But be not deceived by love for the Point and the Letters of the Living, for that Day is the Day of Test. If anyone loved that Point and those Letters and was guided by their guidance, it is proof that he had loved this Point and these Letters.” Consider how firmly and perfectly they have mentioned this most exalted, most mighty, most holy Cause in the Book, to the extent that they say “Be not deceived by love for Me and remain not veiled from that Ancient Beauty.” Nevertheless, at all times you have raised and continue to raise countless objections. And if you say this Manifestation is not that Manifestation, this is the same claim that all previous peoples made at the time of the appearance of the Divine Manifestations. For example, at the time of the appearance of the Spirit of God and His Word, all used the previous books to prove His falsity, and all opposed and denied Him except those whom thy Lord willed - who were but a few. Likewise during the appearance of the Seal of the Prophets who shone forth from the horizon of Batha, all denied, saying “Thou art not that promised Manifestation,” and they mentioned fabricated proofs and wrote treatises to refute the Truth. Similarly during the appearance of the Point of the Bayan you have observed and continue to observe what they have done and are doing. What difference is there between this group and that group? Today the person of insight must look to the Manifestation Himself and the essence of the Cause. If he witnesses the same evidence and proof by which he proved the Primal Point and the Divine Countenance, not the least hesitation is permitted, for to the extent of that hesitation he will be in the fire. Otherwise, for those who gaze toward the Most Great Prospect, the Manifestation Himself has been His own proof. This servant is bewildered as to what to mention, for it is observed that you remain deprived of understanding the explicit divine words, let alone their implicit meanings and allusions. And it seems you have had and have no desire to understand. Therefore the words of this servant and his melodies are like the playing of a lute for those who are deprived of hearing. This verse is appropriate at this point: “The mystic hint of Sana’i before the ignorant is like playing the lute before the deaf, or being a mirror-bearer before the blind.” God has set a seal upon your ears and a veil of fire upon your hearts. O heedless one! He says, exalted be His mention: “Be not veiled by the veils of knowledge and wisdom, for these will surely bar you from the path of God.” Yet you send scientific allusions as gifts before the King of Knowledge, and offer dried leaves as presents to the Paradise of Divine Unity. Would that you even possessed knowledge and wisdom! Nay, by God, you are absolute nothingness.

Verily, by God, ye are naught but mere nothingness and dried hides containing small stones that rattle when shaken, devoid of true existence and genuine motion - a mere calf’s body making a lowing sound. Today, no argument can keep its referent from His Cause, and nothing whatsoever that exists between the heavens and the earth has been or ever shall be sufficient except through entering beneath the shadow of His Cause. Were the whole earth to be filled with books, they could not compare with a single letter that issues forth today from the tongue of the Ancient of Days. Cast away these futile investigations that neither nourish nor enrich, and purify your hearts from the whisperings of those who traffic in allusions, that perchance ye may attain to this divine springtime and this wondrous paradise. Sever yourselves from all else and cling fast unto Him. Strive that perchance ye may not remain veiled from the Creator and Establisher of all things by words, allusions, names and their manifestations. This is why the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His glory, hath said - mighty be His utterance: “All this is so that on the Day of His Manifestation ye may not remain veiled by names, but rather look to that by which the names subsist in all things, even unto the mention of the Prophet, for verily that name is created by what God revealeth.” If ye were fair-minded, ye would perceive from this utterance of the All-Merciful that from which ye are today veiled. Thus have ye remained deprived of the Creator thereof through a name whose nature and essence ye know not. A few souls have gathered together and with imaginary and conjectural hands fashioned an idol, then prostrated themselves before it. With hands of ignorance have ye fashioned the calf’s body, then taken it for yourselves as a lord besides God. Woe unto you, O concourse of polytheism and hypocrisy! We shall pass over all verses and words, and establish anew today a criterion for the knowledge of God. Weigh both sides in the balance, though in truth it is for the Truth to test and weigh His servants, not for the servants to weigh Him, for the Truth and whatsoever proceedeth from Him have been and shall ever be sanctified above the standards of men. Nevertheless, We have consented to this that truth might be distinguished from falsehood, since ye recognize not the divine proof as proof and have rejected His evidence. Therefore, as a completion of God’s argument against you, it is proclaimed that whatever criterion or evidence that group considers a standard for recognizing truth should be established as the measure, that truth may be distinguished from falsehood. This word is mentioned according to your beliefs so that no excuse may remain and truth may become manifest to everyone like the sun. Otherwise, truth hath been and shall ever be sanctified above the standards of the servants and their proofs, arguments and evidences, for verily the divine standard today is the Truth itself, and His proof and evidence is whatsoever proceedeth from Him, if ye would but understand.

And whereas thou hast impiously suggested that the appearance of such a Person would be vain and that all divine tidings are false–may God silence the tongue that uttered this, and break his hand and fingers and pen, for he hath transgressed his bounds and slandered God, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Self-Subsisting, and hath committed that which hath dishonored the Cause among the servants, whereat even the denizens of hell shall disavow him, how much more the near ones of God. Say: First, thou knowest not these tidings, nor art thou in any wise acquainted with their meaning, even as the peoples before, through their failure to comprehend the divine utterances, tarried on the shore of the ocean of oneness at the time of the manifestation of the Embodiments of Lordship and were thus deprived. For instance, in the Gospel concerning the signs of the subsequent Manifestation it is stated that the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven. And because of these very words the people of the Gospel to this day have not accepted the Muhammadan Dispensation. Now what sayest thou? Were these tidings false, or did that people fail to comprehend their meaning? Likewise the mention of the Seal of the Prophets in the Quran, and likewise the signs of the subsequent Manifestation and the signs of the resurrection–the cleaving of heaven, the rending of earth, the crushing of mountains, the rising of the dead from their graves, and similar utterances that were among the signs of the resurrection and which today, because of these very words, have prevented all from recognizing the Lord of Names and Attributes. What wilt thou do now–confirm or deny? For outwardly that which was written hath not come to pass. Either thou must say all is false, or say they failed to comprehend the meaning. And concerning the text of the Seal of the Prophets, I know not what thou wilt say, for the Primal Point explicitly declared that Prophets have come from the beginning that hath no beginning and will come unto the end that hath no end, although they deemed it impossible that after Muhammad anyone should come claiming prophethood. Say: O heedless one! Know that none hath ever comprehended, nor ever shall comprehend, the meanings of the divine words as they truly are, save the Manifestation of divine knowledge and wisdom. Even as the Point of the Bayan explicitly declareth that none hath understood, nor shall understand, the divine gems of meaning treasured within the words of the Bayan save the subsequent Manifestation. And if all peoples had comprehended the meanings of the words, they would never have been deprived of the Daysprings of revelation and inspiration, even as today the veiled ones among the people of the Bayan, through their failure to comprehend that which was revealed in the Bayan, remain deprived of the Beauty of the All-Merciful. By God! Were they to gain the slightest awareness, they would become detached from recognition, nay from their very selves.

O thou who art heedless of the Kawthar of meaning! Account not the words of God as falsehood, nor deem them vain. Rather, behold thyself as powerless to comprehend them. And when thou findest thyself unable to understand any of them, inquire of the Source and Mine of divine knowledge, that perchance thou mayest not remain athirst from the outpourings of the ocean of meanings, nor be drowned and perish in the seas of satanic imaginings. Not a single letter of that which hath been revealed is vain, nor shall it ever be so. Rather, the pearls of meaning are all concealed within every letter of the divine words that have been sent down, and none can bring them forth save one possessed of great power. And if thou shouldst - God forbid - perceive vanity or imperfection in the revealed words and manifestations of power, it would be better for thee to remain among the veiled ones. Say: Set up thy mirror before thy face that thou mayest see thy skin and know what is therein. Perchance thou mayest be enabled to return, and become penitent, repentant, acknowledging, affirming, and submitting to thy transgressions and misdeeds. And verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

His word “great is His grief”: Not yet have any of His conditions and commands come to pass. As for the signs of the appearance of the Qa’im that the people of the Furqan believe in - though the signs at the time of His manifestation did appear and the people understood them not - the signs after His manifestation have not appeared. If the people of the Furqan should object, asking what are the signs after the manifestation, what would be the answer? Would the people’s failure to understand the signs at the time of manifestation and the non-appearance of signs after the manifestation cause them to be veiled from the Truth? This is far from the Truth. Consider thyself: How is it possible for a seed to yield another seed, which is its fruit and resurrection, without first manifesting its roots, leaves and branches?

Ye have reached such a state that ye continuously write in refutation of yourselves without even being aware of it. For ye have written that the signs of the appearance of the Qa’im appeared at the time of His manifestation but people did not understand them. Now consider from whence came this lack of understanding. Without doubt, it arose from the imaginary expectations of the people. For they had conceived certain meanings from what was mentioned of the signs of His appearance, and when they did not witness these in accordance with their own imaginings in the physical world, they failed to recognize the Point of the Bayan. Even as thou thyself and thy like were not enlightened until the Revealer of the Bayan interpreted the words of the past. And after the manifestation of the Merciful Being, a few accepted while most denied. This is precisely what thou and thy like among the people of the Bayan are doing today, for ye have not understood the meaning of the divine words and yet, unaware, ye cry out that this Revelation should not have appeared, that the creation of the Bayan is not yet complete. Had ye understood, ye would never have been veiled by such words. Ye have regarded the Truth as powerless like unto yourselves. By God! If a soul were confident in the power of Truth, he would never hesitate over such words, for He is able to cause all books to return through a single one of His words, and likewise to begin anew. Verily, He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and verily, He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All the signs after His manifestation have appeared.

Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! The signs after the Manifestation have all appeared, yet ye have failed to perceive them. Even as, by your own admission, the people of the Qur’an failed to recognize the signs at the time of their appearance. Every sign that was deemed necessary after the Manifestation appeared, yet they failed to recognize it. As thou hast written, inquire of the Source of divine knowledge that thou mayest be assured that all signs have been fulfilled, though such souls as these remain veiled from comprehending them all.

The primary sign after the Qa’im was to be the Manifestation of Husayn. Ye acknowledge the former while denying the latter. If thou wouldst but reflect upon this single word, thou wouldst discover infinite mysteries. Concerning the Manifestation of Husayn after the Qa’im, it is written in your own books of traditions that all the Prophets and Messengers shall gather beneath His banner, and likewise that the Qa’im shall return and join Him. If ye would ponder these words somewhat, ye would understand that the statements in the Books accord with what hath been revealed in the Bayan.

Know ye that all the signs after the Manifestation have appeared - some ye failed to perceive and others ye denied. Such is your condition, were ye to know it. What say ye now concerning the Point of the Bayan - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - Who made no mention of any sign, but explicitly declared that whenever He appeareth all must acknowledge Him and render thanks unto God, and must look to the Manifestation itself and to that which proceedeth from Him? He clearly stated that He hath the authority to appear in whatever manner He pleaseth, and none hath the right to object. He gave countless admonitions to the people of the Bayan, lest they protest against the Merciful One using the Bayan and what was revealed therein.

Nevertheless, thou hast objected based on thy vain imaginings and spoken of the completion of the cycle. The Truth Himself hath appeared, uttering the verses of the Point, declaring that through His Manifestation the cycle of the Bayan hath been and shall be completed. Yet so veiled art thou that thou considerest not the Truth to be above His creation, saying it must needs be completed through creation, when in fact God’s Cause was not and shall never be completed without Him. Rather, it hath been and shall be completed through His holy Self, would that ye could perceive it.

All that thou hast spoken is but rebellion against God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. I know not what ye would have done had the Point of the Bayan mentioned signs, nor what objections ye would have raised. Is there to be found in the Bayan a single word bidding you rise up to slay one who manifesteth divine verses and holy attributes, or to sully the robe of Divine Unity with personal calumnies? Nay, rather, throughout the Bayan He saith that should one appear claiming “I am your Beloved,” none hath the right to object to Him, even if He should manifest no proof.

And now the Sun of Inner Meanings hath risen from the horizon of divine favor, uttering divine verses in such measure as none can reckon. Yet some among you say the previous cycle was not completed, while others say He hath appeared too soon.

Say: O ye unjust ones! The Abha Beauty Himself declareth, the meaning whereof in Persian is this: O people! I was as one among you, reclining upon my couch and fast asleep. The breezes of the All-Merciful wafted from the right hand of Divine Unity, awakened me and caused me to speak forth His praise amidst the heavens and earth. O people! I swear by God that I have never glorified myself, nor have I ever denied the divine verses, nor do I now. I acknowledge that which is in your hands from the Bayan, and am assured of the Lord Who created all things. Have mercy upon me and oppose me not. And if ye turn not unto this Divine Cause, at least raise not objections against it. O people! Had the choice been mine, I would surely have concealed myself from your sight, and would never have consented for myself that which none among all created things hath borne. For not a day hath passed except that I have been afflicted with abuse, taunts and mockery. But the Holy Spirit spoke within my breast, and the Most Great Spirit uttered through my tongue. This is not from me, but from the Almighty One Whose power encompasseth and transcendeth all things. O people! The nearness or remoteness of the Manifestation hath never been in my hands or yours, but rather in God’s hand it hath been and ever shall be, held fast in His grasp of power. He hath manifested it as He hath willed. Fear ye God and be not of the oppressors. O people! Drink ye from the chalice of divine utterances the living waters of inner meanings. If ye perceive from it the holy fragrance of detachment, then in that moment judge with fairness and bring not upon it that which would cause the dwellers of the pavilions of Paradise to lament, and be not of the heedless ones. O people! In truth I speak unto you that which I have been commanded by your Lord. The breezes of truth are clearly distinguished from falsehood. Fear ye God and be not of those who remain far. O people! Never have I opposed anyone, and with the people of the Bayan I have associated with utmost mercy, kindness, humility and lowliness. In days when all hearts were troubled with dread and all souls were shaken by the scourges of wrath, I stood forth by myself among the enemies, and at all times the arrows of foes have pierced my breast, and none could reckon my sufferings save the All-Knowing Lord of the worlds. Many were the nights when all were at rest while this servant was in chains and fetters, and many were the days when ye dwelt secure in your homes while this servant was afflicted in the hands of enemies. To all this ye are yourselves witness if ye speak with truth and be of the truthful. O people! Are ye powerful, or is the Lord of all worlds? If He is powerful, He hath manifested the Manifestation of His Self howsoever He willed, and if the sin be the servant’s, this was not from him but from the Creator of earth and heaven.

O people! Hear ye My call, and drink ye of the Living Waters from the cup of the All-Merciful in these days, and be not of them that are deprived. This is the meaning of the divine words which this servant hath mentioned according to his understanding, that perchance ye may realize that this Cause hath never been and is not in the hands of anyone, and no one hath been or will ever be informed of the nature of its appearance. All are captive in the grasp of His power and might. He is the Ruler. He manifesteth whatsoever He willeth, and all are commanded to gaze upon the Manifestation Himself, not upon words and allusions. I swear by God that when divine verses were being sent down unceasingly from the heaven of the eternal Will, the one who turned away from God and Siyyid Muhammad joined together and schemed that perchance through certain calumnies they might deprive the people of this heavenly stream. Thus one ran to Istanbul while the other constantly occupied himself in this land with writing fabricated letters. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, despite the utmost kindness and mercy shown to these two persons and to all others, it is strange that although ye yourselves have heard of the attributes of the Blessed Beauty and most of the people of these lands have seen with their own eyes, nevertheless through two words of calumny the tree of mischief hath erased all from your hearts and ye have arisen with such vehemence in rejection and protest. We beseech God to aid thee to know His Self and to detach thee from allusions, that thou mayest become aware of that from which thou wert veiled and be among the successful ones.

If thou wert to become informed of what befell these servants during these years of sojourn in Adrianople, and if thou wert to be fair, thou wouldst weep and lament. The One God is My witness that in every hour a resurrection took place, for at every moment he whom thou considerest, through Satan’s promptings, to be a god besides God, would appear with some abominable act and repugnant deed. I adjure thee by God Who created all things through His Will: Can thy mind comprehend that they would deny bread to one who was related to them? What benefit that they were not and are not? Merely to subvert the Cause they ran to the great city for a morsel of bread, and what complaints they made in this land! By God, I speak no falsehood and have no purpose save that My heart is consumed that ye have taken such souls as your lord and have deprived yourselves and others from the Exalted Truth. These are the final days of these servants, although ye imagine that we have come to this land for worldly purposes. But God is Our witness and Our guardian as to how We came and what Our purpose was. Ye yourselves know that this servant had no need of bread in his own place that he should run from city to city for bread. Rather, the breezes of the All-Merciful attracted these servants, were ye of them that understand. In any case, they have wasted their own honor and that of these servants and the Cause, and yet they counsel this servant and write admonitions as to why thou hast not believed in such souls and art not convinced. Their baseness hath reached such a degree that they have fraudulently circulated lists showing how many of the emigrants have departed […]

And thou art not certain that their baseness hath reached such a degree that they have fraudulently prepared a list of how many of the emigrants have departed and how many still reside in this land, and they have cut off whatever reached some of the poor ones and claimed it for themselves. By God! It would be better for man to eat of the Zaqqum tree than to partake of such bread. Thus have they sent to this land the detailed list of souls that was given there, and none was aware of these particulars save the tree of corruption and those with him. Would that they had claimed the remainder for themselves as well. By God! These servants would have been grateful. Know thou that, by the truth of Truth, most of the emigrants have no clothing, and yet they have ascribed worldliness to these souls who have moved for the sake of God and who have turned toward the Divine Beauty in this direction with lamentation and wailing, while claiming detachment for themselves. Would that thou wert aware of them and what they possess and what they have perpetrated in their vain lives to preserve their leadership - would that thou wert of those who are informed!

As for what thou didst write concerning the planting of the seed and its details, from all these words it appeareth that thou hast not become aware of a single letter of divine knowledge and hast not understood the purpose of the Revelation - what it was and what it shall be. Now, having passed beyond the supreme example, thou hast spoken in objection to God concerning the lower example. We submit that it is exactly as thou hast written and mentioned. Did this seed require watering or did it not? He saith: I am that wafting of the breezes of oneness which bloweth from the right hand of the Ridvan of “Know God through God,” and the education of all things hath been and shall be dependent upon this divine wafting and this holy and spiritual breeze. And He saith: I am that life-giving Kawthar whereby the seeds of knowledge and meanings and the ears of divine and eternal wisdom sprout forth, and without the wafting of these breezes and this sweet and palatable water, no seed of knowledge hath ever grown or shall ever grow from the Ridvan of the breasts of humanity. Yet still ye speak and write, and ye perceive not what ye say.

Leave aside this polytheistic view and observe with the eye of unity, that thou mayest behold all Manifestations as one soul and all religions as one religion. All these differences have been and shall be according to the exigencies of time, station, and the capacities of the Manifestations of existence. By God! There have been blessed, holy, and sanctified lands wherein, at the time of the casting of the seed of Revelation, other ears of corn appear quicker than the twinkling of an eye. This is the station of the world of Command, and creation is powerless to comprehend it, even as He saith: “His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that He saith unto it: Be! and it is.” And these are the lands concerning which He saith: “Vegetation cometh forth by permission of its Lord.” But from the lands of polytheistic souls nothing ever groweth save that which the Truth, exalted be His mention, hath foretold in His words, exalted be He: “Nothing cometh forth save that which is poor.” In the lands of such souls, even if the Revelation were delayed a hundred thousand years according to your reckoning, never would good ears of corn grow from such barren land, nor shall they ever grow. Assuredly ye will say the cycle is not complete and hath not reached perfection. Woe unto those who recognize the favor of God, then deny it! With your own eyes ye behold that the ears of hidden meanings have grown from the divine seeds of words.

Woe unto them that know the bounty of God and then deny it! With thine own eyes thou perceivest how the hidden meanings have sprouted from the seed of divine utterance and stand fresh and verdant in the paradise of oneness. Yet ye have denied and continue to deny. Perchance thou hast not seen or heard and art not aware. God willing, may it be so, and mayest thou not be among those who have seen with their own eyes yet denied, and have heard with their own ears yet turned away. Apart from this, His most holy Being hath ever been, and will forever remain, sanctified above all similitudes, for neither likeness nor similitude hath access to that station. When similitudes are mentioned, this is but in consideration of human understanding, that they might, according to their capacity, comprehend certain divine matters through such limited examples. Should the Exalted One so will, He could, with a single breath of the winds of grace, adorn all withered trees with the glory of spring, and with a single word cause all seeds of existence to sprout into ears of wisdom and knowledge. It is as though ye have placed a mirror before you and, seeing therein your own weakness, ignorance, contrary conditions and foolish assertions, have attributed all these to God. Return unto God, O thou that sleepest! Would that thou wert counted among them that sleep, for the sleeper is himself at rest and others find rest from him. As hath been said, no deed of the oppressor is better than sleep, for in sleep both he and others are at peace. Reflect upon thy wrongdoing, O oppressor, by whose tyranny all things have lamented and the souls of the holy ones have been distressed! Fear God and follow not thy desires. Cast away what thou hast and take what is with God through His power, that perchance the eye of loving-kindness may be turned back toward thee and make thee to be numbered among the just. Thus speaketh He at Whose word the peoples of the world have wailed.

Hold thy pen, O thou who hast divested thyself of the robe of fairness and justice! Through that which hath flowed from thy pen, thou hast violated the sanctity of God amongst His servants. Thy pen and the tablet upon which thou hast inscribed what thou hast inscribed disown thee. By God! Had thine ear been attentive, thou wouldst have heard, at the moment thou wast engaged in these utterances, the lamentation of the denizens of the Supreme Paradise, then the cry of the chosen ones, then the wailing of the holy ones, then the outcry of all created things at what hath been brought forth by the word of God, the Supreme, the Most High, the Most Great.

Restrain thy tongue, O enemy of God! Hold thy pen, and cast aside thy tablet. Be thou ashamed before God Who created thee by His command for this Revelation which hath appeared with the truth and at which the heavens of your certitude have been cleft asunder, O heedless ones! Dost thou imagine that anything can be hidden from His knowledge? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! When that which flowed from thy pen did flow, the eye of Ali in the heaven of destiny wept, and gazed upon thee, addressing thy soul: “O thou wretched one! God hath blackened thy face, for thou hast committed that which none among the ancients hath committed, nor will any among them that shall come after ever commit.”

Did We not counsel you in all the Tablets not to say “why” and “wherefore” at the time of His manifestation? Yet thou, O godless deceiver, hast made God’s Cause the object of thy mockery, and at every moment thou dost smite My body with the swords of malice and hypocrisy, and art unaware of it. Thou thinkest that thou art steadfast in My Cause, and by thy reasoning thou seekest to prove what hath appeared from Me, while at every moment thou dost slay My beloved Being, and art not ashamed before God unto Whom return the affairs of all the worlds. Through your actions I have been put to shame amidst the company of them that are nigh unto God, then His chosen ones, then His holy Prophets, the sincere ones.

By God! Through thy claim to the Bayan, its letters and words, its realities and meanings have wept, while thou dost rejoice and laugh and sport and art of them that scoff. God will soon seize thee with His wrath and His might, for He is the most severe of punishers. Hast thou not pondered within thyself by what proof thou hast believed in Me and by what evidence thou hast associated thyself with Me, when all who are in the heavens and earth disown thee and will disown thee, and My Self beareth witness to what I say? He Who hath been raised up among you - did He not appear with My signs, My Manifestation, My sovereignty, My grandeur, My proof, My evidence and My testimony? Why then did ye disbelieve in Him while professing belief in My Self? Nay, by My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self! Ye have believed neither in My Self, nor in My signs, nor in that which was sent down from time immemorial from the heaven of God’s dominion - the Mighty, the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing.

Be fair then, O heedless one! And free thyself in this hour for God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. He Who reciteth unto you at all times the verses of God - if thou believest not in Him, oppose Him not. Fear God, for He hath transcended thy faith and the faith of thy like, wert thou but aware. All things are abashed before God because of the connection that existed between thee and them, for all things terminate in the shadow of His Name, the Creator - thus hath the matter been ordained, wert thou but aware. Therefore do all things disavow any connection with thee and seek refuge in God from thee, O thou by whose deeds the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have been consumed!

Thy purpose in what flowed from thy pen was naught but mockery and derision of God. Indeed thou deridest thine own self and thy leaders, though thou perceivest it not. Even as the servants before thee mocked God’s Messengers and His trusted ones, thou hast come after them with that which hath shaken the pillars of tranquility, the foundations of certitude, the essence of repose, and the supports of the mighty throne.

Hearken unto My words and transgress not thy bounds. Know thyself, O thou who associateth partners with God and His signs, who disputeth with His Self and warreth against His Being! Desist from what thou hast perpetrated. By God! Through thy deeds the tempests of vengeance have been loosed upon all creation. Soon will they seize thee and thy friends. There is no God but Him. His is the power and might, His the grandeur and dominion. He sendeth down whatsoever He willeth by His command, and He is verily the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

All things are astonished at what hath impelled thee to rise up with such presumption and audacity against the Most Holy, Most Glorious Beauty - that Supreme, Most Ancient Beauty of Whom the Point of the Bayan (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake) hath said that no allusion of those who allude can reach Him, and no reference from those who refer can attain unto the sublimity of His station, the greatness of His glory, and the exaltation of His majesty. Yet thou hast written in mockery that which none hath ever dared to write or perpetrate. Strange indeed that thou art not ashamed while mentioning the Point of the Bayan! By what proof and evidence hast thou deemed such presumption permissible?

This servant’s perplexity is of small account - all the denizens of the highest Paradise are bewildered by the likes of you. How swiftly did ye disbelieve in Him in Whom ye claimed to believe! Even if thou didst not comprehend this Cause, at least thou shouldst have paused in the face of such manifest signs of divine grandeur and verses revealed from on high. Though if thou wert to look to the Bayan, thou wouldst find no justification whatsoever to object to such a Being, no matter what He might ordain.

Fie upon those who have inspired thee and filled thy breast with rancor and hatred for God! Alas, alas! Alas which no pen can describe! Alas which no utterance can convey for what thou hast done to please him from whom even hell-fire fleeth in its essence!

Oh! Oh! Oh! That which cannot be mentioned by the pen! O that which cannot be completely expressed about what thou hast done to please one from whom the Prison itself flees by its very essence, and Hell by its reality, and the Fire by its flames and burning heat! In all the Bayan, He forbade all who are in the Bayan from contending and disputing with each other, saying that even if you wish to dispute with one another concerning proofs and evidences, you should mention and record your proofs and evidences with the utmost courtesy and modesty, lest from such disputation any grief should come upon that Essence of Glory and Sun of meanings in the days of His manifestation and radiance. Even as He says - exalted be His grandeur: “And when you desire to dispute with proofs and evidence, write your proofs with utmost modesty and speak with consummate courtesy…” until He says - exalted be His mention: “Lest you meet God your Lord having committed acts which sadden God your Lord by causing grief to the Manifestation of His Self while you remain heedless and unmindful.” Would that thou hadst acted upon even this much of the counsel of that Beloved of all possibility! Nay, by God! You have not acted upon a single word of the Bayan except what matched your own desires. We seek refuge in God from this sin, for His words were sanctified above your selves, your desires, your knowledge and your understanding. Would that thou hadst been content with merely disputing with the Manifestation of the Lord of Lords! Thou showed neither modesty nor observed courtesy, committing that which from this day until the day that hath no end will cause every modest and courteous person who beholds what thou hast written to feel ashamed and embarrassed. By God! Thou hast committed that which hath caused the hearts of them who are nigh unto God to burn. Would that thou hadst regarded the Truth as equal to even one of the people of the earth, for thou hast not dared and darest not to show such temerity and speak thus to such people. By God! Were the very essence of modesty to hear, it would disassociate itself from thee, and the reality of courtesy would seek refuge in God from thy deed. Courtesy is part of man’s character and by it is he distinguished from others, and whosoever hath not attained unto it, his non-existence is and hath ever been preferable to his existence. And thou hast done to the One for Whom the very essence of courtesy was created that which every modest person would be ashamed to mention. The veil of your courtesy and modesty hath been rent asunder, O company of transgressors! That sacred Essence Who saith: “O people! I have come to you from the dawning-place of the Spirit with God’s tidings, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. I speak not of Mine own accord, but rather your Lord, the All-Merciful, speaks through this truthful, articulate, mighty and beloved Tongue[…]”

O people! Slay me not with the swords of hatred, nor pass judgment against me in a manner that would violate the sanctity of God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. O people! He speaks to you through my tongue and uttereth within my breast and hath raised me up by His command. By God! I find no movement nor stillness save by His bidding. Reflect that ye may understand. Can the water of life flow from turbid springs? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds, if ye but knew! O people! This is the fountain of God’s Will from which the rivers of His Purpose have flowed in truth as He pleased. He, verily, is the true Judge, the Truth itself, the Knower of the unseen. If ye possess the power to taste, then drink thereof, that perchance ye may discover the sweetness of His Word and the fragrance of God, your Lord. This is the word of truth, and beyond truth there is naught but error, if ye would but understand.

Do ye object to Him Who sent me and speaketh within my breast? If so, woe betide you and that which ye do! When He Who hath come unto you with the verses of God declareth that they have been sent down from His presence, doth it befit anyone to object? Be fair then, if ye be fair-minded. O people! I cannot draw a single breath except by His leave, and ye can perceive the breath of the All-Merciful from this breath which God hath sent forth in truth, if ye would but receive it with your hearts. Strip not yourselves of the robe of propriety and fairness, and speak not that which ye have been forbidden in the Tablets of your Lord, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

He who is deprived of propriety is naked, though he be clothed in all the silk of the earth. This hath been sent down in truth in preserved Tablets of glory. He who hath no propriety hath no faith, as testifieth that which was revealed in the Bayan, if ye would but witness it. Propriety was created in the Bayan for this Beauty, as were all goodly names, if ye would but know. By the life of Him Who hath appeared in truth! He intended none other than Myself in the Bayan, and breathed naught but My remembrance, and ordained all good things solely for My beauty. Were it not for My mention, the Bayan would not have been revealed, nor would the Beauty of the All-Merciful have spoken a word among you, for unto the likes of you naught but your own words are befitting, if ye would but comprehend.

The Bayan was revealed for My sake, and I now recite it at all times, and that which is now being revealed is itself the Bayan, if ye would but know. That which is now revealed beareth witness to what was revealed before, and that which was revealed by Him serveth as proof for that which is now being revealed from the Pen of God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. O people! I am His Self and He is My Self. He hath sacrificed His Self for My Self, and I have taken My self and My spirit in My hands to sacrifice them in His path, then in His love and good-pleasure. To this beareth witness every atom, if ye would but hear. Fear God and make no distinction between Me and Him, though God hath placed this beyond your power. Were all who are in the heavens and on earth to gather together to create division between us, they would be powerless and unable to do so. He is now seated at the right hand of His throne, His fingers between His teeth, gazing thoughtfully upon you, O concourse of polytheists, by reason of what hath appeared from you. He groaneth and weepeth at what hath befallen Me and what shall befall Me hereafter from you, and even now He recounteth unto Me that which lieth hidden in your breasts.

And at such time He recounts unto me what is hidden in your breasts, and He weeps, and by His weeping the dwellers of the Supreme Concourse lament, but ye neither know nor perceive. Nevertheless, ye have wrought that which hath no likeness upon earth. Were ye to have the slightest awareness, ye would perceive that your objections have been directed against the Truth itself, for He was and ever shall be the Manifestation of Truth, having no connection with anyone else. Though ye perceive it not, even as the peoples before you raised objections unwittingly - had they been aware and perceived that these objections were directed against the Truth itself, they would never have engaged in such protests. For this reason have the Manifestations of negation ever inflicted upon the Manifestations of affirmation that which the pen and tongue are ashamed to mention or describe. Soon shall that which hath been foretold come to pass, for mere rejection and protest shall neither suffice nor avail you. The Ancient Beauty declares: O deaf one! I shall mention one note from the notes of the Dove of My previous Manifestation, that perchance thou mayest somewhat comprehend. And though thou comprehend it not, the realities of all things shall hearken, yet they shall not rend the veil of modesty nor cast off the robe of propriety from their temples. And this is what He said to the Letters of the Living and Vahid-i-Akbar, upon them both be My glory, when they inquired about this most holy and exalted Manifestation. His words, exalted be His grandeur: “By Him Who is uniquely possessed of might and majesty, Who brought forth all things from naught according to His design - certitude itself is ashamed to be certain of Him or to prostrate before Him, and evidence is ashamed to serve as proof of Him to another. Wouldst thou recognize Him through aught else, or through something inferior to Him wouldst thou bear witness? Shall I adduce proof of Him through other than Him?” Consider how He states that certitude itself is ashamed to be certain of Him or to prostrate before Him, and evidence is ashamed to serve as proof of His own Self - yet thou, shameless and immodest one, hast arisen to subvert the Cause of God in such wise as hath no parallel in all creation. Thou hast rent asunder the veils of modesty and reverence with the fingers of polytheism. We beseech God to rend thy veil, to expose thy wicked self before all the worlds, to strip thee of the cloak of concealment, to divest thee of the garments of reverence, and to reveal to His servants what thou truly art. Verily, He is the Answerer of they who call upon Him. By God, O heedless one! By thy deeds all things have been thrown into commotion, the veil of chastity hath been rent asunder, and the pillars of the Concourse on high have quaked. I swear by the Beloved of all possibility that henceforth ye have not and shall not observe the sanctity of any divine Manifestation, save for polytheistic souls, and that only on account of the delusions and vain imaginings that lie hidden within such souls. One other utterance from the Revealer of the Bayan, purely for the sake of the All-Merciful, is here imparted, that perchance a breeze from the Paradise of divine utterances might waft over the peoples of the world, and that holy souls might emerge from behind the veil of concealment into the realm of manifestation, attain to God’s good-pleasure, act upon that which was aforetime revealed, count these days as a precious opportunity, and likewise perceive to what degree the sanctity of this Revelation hath been observed in the sight of God, that perchance they might be withheld from such audacity. His words, mighty be His might: “I have indeed received thy letter […]”

They must understand to what degree this Revelation is revered in the sight of God, that perchance they may be prevented from presumption. His word, exalted be His glory, states: “I have indeed received thy letter, and were it not for what it contained, I would not have replied upon this paper, nor at this moment, O Ali, which was ordained in creation. How mighty is the mention of Him about Whom thou hast inquired! That mention is far loftier, mightier, more glorious, more impregnable, and more holy than hearts can comprehend, than spirits can bow before, than souls can praise, or bodies can extol His splendor. How great was thy question and how small thy being! Can the sun which is in the mirrors of His manifestation in the Point of the Bayan be questioned about that Sun before Whose countenance all suns prostrate themselves on the day of His appearance - if they be true suns; otherwise they are unworthy of His holy elevation and lofty mention. Were it not that thou art of the First Unity, I would have imposed limits upon thee, since thou hast inquired about God Who created thee, sustained thee, caused thee to die, and resurrected thee in this form through the Point of the Bayan in that unique Manifestation. Say first, when thou wishest to mention Him in thy knowledge: ‘Glory be to Him Who possesseth the Kingdom and the Dominion’ nineteen times.” Until He says, exalted be His mention: “I have written an essence concerning His remembrance, which is that He cannot be known through My indication nor through what is mentioned in the Bayan. Yea, by His glory, that word is greater in the sight of God than the worship of all on earth, for the essence of all worship leads to that. Therefore, as thou hast known God, know the Manifestation of His Self, for He is far more glorious and exalted than to be known without Him or to be indicated by the signs of His creation. Verily, I am the first servant who hath believed in Him and in His verses, and who hath plucked from the virgin gardens of His knowledge the gardens of His words. Yea, by His glory, He is the Truth, there is no God but Him, all are upheld by His command.”

Now from these revealed utterances of the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His grandeur, consider the station of those mirrors who have presumed rights for themselves apart from God, and observe the station of those who oppose and object. That Essence of Glory, the Beloved of the worlds, through one letter of Whom all in the Bayan were created, mentions with such reverence that He says, “Were it not that thou art of the First Unity, I would have imposed limits upon thee.” Now ponder somewhat what was intended by this supreme limitation. If ye possess the least understanding, cry out at these words and raise the call “Oh, how great is our remorse for what we neglected in regard to God!” And this while the questioner had mentioned nothing contrary to respect and reverence in his petition - merely for asking a question was such limitation imposed, that he and the other people of the Bayan might become aware and not inquire about Him except through His own Self, for He is His own proof and is not known except through Himself, as He states at the end of this Tablet that whosoever beholds that Ancient Beauty with any eye but His own shall never truly know Him. His word, exalted be His mention: “Therefore witness with the eye of thy heart, and look not upon Him except through His eye, for whosoever looketh upon Him through His eye shall comprehend Him […]”

Look not upon Him except with His eyes, for whosoever looks upon Him with His eyes shall attain unto Him, else shall he remain veiled. If thou desirest God and His presence, then desire Him and look upon Him. Likewise, in glorification of His Self and manifestation of His station, He saith in another place - exalted be His glory: “Verily He, exalted be His remembrance, maketh known His own Self unto all things, and I am ashamed to say that all things know His Self in the same way that I have made all things to know through My verses, for all that thou findest of all things was created for Him. God is far more glorious and exalted than to be known through His creation; rather, creation is known through Him.” Consider with what courtesy and glorification He maketh mention in all these utterances concerning the subsequent Manifestation. He saith that He, of His own Self, maketh known His sacred Self unto all things, and I am ashamed to say that all things know His Self. If thou wouldst reflect even slightly upon these utterances of the Tongue of the All-Merciful and be nourished by the sweet fruits of knowledge concealed therein, thou wouldst shatter the idol of fancy fashioned by the hands of vain imaginings and turn thy face toward the Ancient Beauty. Yet it is most unlikely that thou shalt attain to this bounty, for thy presumptuousness hath exceeded all bounds. By the Point of existence and the Beauty of the Adored One! This servant is astonished at the likes of you. These are the words of the Exalted One, yet thou makest mention of Mirza Jamal and Mirza Kamal in mockery of God. Ye imagine that through such words the sanctity of God amongst the people would be diminished, even as those who turned away from God fabricated such calumnious statements against the Beauty of the All-Merciful. Yet they are heedless that in the sight of every person of insight, through these very words ye have uttered, ye were and shall ever be more contemptible, more evil, and more remote from any virtuous mention than aught else. Every person of honor shunneth all such conditions of those polytheistic souls, and every person of dignity seeketh refuge in God from the violation of sanctity that ye have committed. Likewise, from these mentioned utterances it is established and proven that none other than His sacred Self can serve as proof of Him, and the questioning of any besides Him for the knowledge of His Self hath ever been and shall ever be rejected. Whosoever desireth to know that Essence of the Unseen must know Him through His own Self and through that which proceedeth from Him, not through the words of before or after. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! The sublime mystic verses of divine unity are witnessed in the garden of these divine words, and the fruits of heavenly knowledge are manifest from the Lote-Trees of the recorded words. Yet none save those possessed of insight, spiritual sense and taste hath any portion thereof, and today none among the people of insight, taste and heart is mentioned save the people of Baha, whose faces God hath illumined with the lights of His beauty, whom He hath sanctified from all else, whom He hath acquainted with that which hath caused hearts to tremble, whom He hath established beneath the shade of the Tree of His Cause, and whom He hath detached from all the worlds. And now, since the people of the Bayan walk contrary to the good-pleasure of God and traverse the wilderness of fancy, and are deprived of the purpose of God and His signs - even as thou hast written asking where in the Bayan and in what terms this blessed, most great, most ancient and most glorious Name is to be found - therefore this servant from the furthest […]

Therefore, this servant has descended from the Most Far Retreat and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing - which is the station of “Know God through God” - and has turned his gaze to the realm of limitation, which is the station of remembrance and allusions, that perchance they may accept what this servant mentions in this station and, clinging to the cord of divine utterances, be delivered from the whirlpool of mortality and step forth into the luminous realm of immortality.

As to what thou hast written concerning the designations of the Bab for a certain person or for the name Baha, say first: By what proof did ye acknowledge the Bab - may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice - Who named Himself the Remembrance and Who referred all the Most Beautiful Names to His blessed Person, and by what evidence did ye become assured and convinced? By that same proof and evidence, observe now: All names and their kingdom are and shall be created by the Word of Him Who is the Manifestation, and all circle round Him, but thou knowest not and art of the heedless. He saith that whatever mention was made of the Most Beautiful Names in the Bayan - all was intended for and shall be the subsequent Manifestation. Likewise, whatever mention of good was revealed in the Bayan was primarily intended for the subsequent Manifestation and secondarily for the first to believe in Him. Today, by the explicit text of the Point of the Bayan, such souls as turn away from this wondrous Cause are deprived of the mantle of names and attributes, and all are reckoned before God as beasts. Say: Die in thy wrath, O thou that deniest this grace and diest upon hearing of it! Verily He hath appeared with the truth, and around Him circle the Manifestations of the names and their kingdom, then their realities and their designations, wert thou of those who know. He hath no need of aught else, nor of the names that exist among you; nay, all are in need of Him, and all are of those who beseech His grace. Then do the essences of the names lament because of thy wrong and thy deed, and seek refuge with God from thee and thy like, saying in address to thee: “O thou that art heedless! We were created and raised up by a command from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. We are servants at His court, circling round His gate, and take pride in our relationship to Him, while He, verily, is independent of us, wert thou of those who perceive.” When thou wert consumed by the fire of jealousy and hatred, thou wert not content that He Who created by His command the kingdom of names should attribute to Himself any names therefrom. This is a wrong the like of which hath never appeared in creation. Then do the tribes of the cities of eternity lament because of your wrong, O company of the heedless! Say: He is the One through Whom the names take pride if they be attributed to even one of His servants or if he be called by them. But thou didst not perceive this within thyself and wert of those who are far removed. Say: By God! I am verily Ali in the kingdom of eternity, and Muhammad in the heaven of names, then the Spirit in the cities of eternity, then Husayn in this Most Great Revelation. And We have other names in the realms of eternity which no one knoweth save God, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Die in thy wrath, O thou that art heedless! The nobility decreed for names lieth in their relationship to My Self, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. No name hath been elevated in the kingdom except through its turning to My sanctified and transcendent, mighty and inaccessible direction. By My Self! Every goodly name returneth unto My Self, and every wondrous mention endeth at My Beauty, if thou be of those who are certain. Though one other than I be called by all names, they shall not be true of him. Nay, the realities of those names curse thee the moment they leave thy lips, flee from thee, and return to their ultimate abode, this sanctified, impregnable, and exalted station. If thou shouldst call darkness light, would that name be true of it? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Or if thou shouldst call a pottery shard a pearl, would this name befit it? Nay, by thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Dost thou object to Him before Whose countenance all names prostrate themselves?

And they return to the Ultimate Abode, this holy, inaccessible and exalted Station. If thou shouldst call darkness light, would such a name be true of it? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Or if thou shouldst call a pebble a pearl, would such a name befit it? Nay, by thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate! Dost thou contend with Him before Whose countenance all names bow down in worship, Who moveth not except by His leave, and Who shineth not save through His resplendent, transcendent, holy, manifest and luminous Beauty? Fear God, follow not thy desires, and contend not with Him Whom God hath sanctified above every name and description, above all mention and utterance, and Whom He hath made, through His Own Self, an evidence unto His Own Self, and through His Essence, a witness unto His Own Essence, the Mighty, the Sublime. Verily thy Lord hath created the kingdom of names like unto the creation of all things through His Word ‘Be’ and it is, if thou be of them that perceive. Should He so desire, He would return them to utter nothingness, for He is verily powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Hearken unto My words and turn unto God Who created thee for the knowledge of His Self, and dispute not His Cause after its manifestation, and be not of them that cavil. Purify thy heart, then thine ear, that thou mayest hear the melodies of God from His most pure, most luminous, most truthful and most trustworthy Tongue. Dost thou imagine that any other than He is capable of bringing forth the like of what He hath brought forth? Nay, by His Own Self, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting! Or that any beneath Him can speak before His countenance? Nay, by His Beauty, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved! He shall never be confounded with any other than Him, and that which proceedeth from Him shall be sanctified above all that hath appeared in the worlds, would that ye knew. Say: Verily He at times calleth Himself by all names, and at times He sanctifieth Himself above them and above all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth, and above all that was and will be. Say: All affairs are in His grasp. He doeth what He willeth by His command, and whoso saith ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’ hath indeed disbelieved in God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Fear God and follow not the path of the first one who turned away from God. Shun him, then seek forgiveness from thy Lord, that He may cause to waft over thy reality that which shall dispel the odors of such as these. Verily He is the Forgiving, the All-Merciful. If thou hearest, it shall be to thine own benefit, and if thou deniest and turnest away, it shall be to thine own detriment, for verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is independent of all that is in the worlds. He is indeed the Sanctified, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Know thou that whatsoever mention of the word ‘Baha’ appeared in the Words of God was revealed specifically and manifestly for the visible, designated and apparent Temple, and all mercy today is for him who believeth in Him, and all retribution is for those souls who are not convinced of Him and turn away. Nay, those names which they heard concerning the first one who turned away and attributed to him, all pertained to this Revelation, and the deniers, unknowingly, have altered them. This injustice stemmed from none other than that primal tree of rejection and corruption. Furthermore, even if there were no mention of this Revelation in the Bayan according to thy fancy and that of thy leaders, and even if the word ‘Baha’ had not been revealed in the Book, what harm would it do to the Revelation? He declareth: I have appeared with the same proof as the Primal Point, nay greater still, would that ye could perceive it. And by God, besides Whom there is none other God, they have never wished that anyone should adduce proofs in support of their Cause save through the Revelation itself and the verses sent down. Yea, this question of yours […]

No one should seek proof of Their Cause through Their revealed verses. Indeed, such questioning would only be permissible when He Who manifests God’s Revelation declares that the proof lies in His name. Far exalted is He above this! The proof has been and shall ever be the Manifestation itself, and naught else but that which hath appeared from Him and been revealed through Him. This is that same proof whereby all the Prophets and Messengers have been sent forth. Whoso turneth aside hath turned aside from God, his Creator, and hath disbelieved in His signs, and is recorded by the Pen of God upon the Tablet as one of the idolaters. The Point of the Bayan Himself - may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake - advanced no proof save the verses. In numerous gatherings they brought Him forth and demanded proof, yet naught appeared from that Repository of divine names and attributes save verses. And to each and every soul who sought proof and evidence, the answer was given to fix their gaze upon the divine verses, for these have ever been God’s proof, sufficient for all who dwell on earth. In this most mighty Revelation, most people have witnessed whatsoever they desired to see, whether of the divine verses revealed, the like of which none hath ever seen, or of learned expositions and extraordinary signs. Nevertheless, they have denied the reality, the essence, the being and the very self of the Primal Point, and remain unaware. Now ye make mention of names, while people have ever turned away from the sovereign Truth that is known, inclining instead to the idle fancies of their own souls.

Regarding what has been written, if it refers to a specific Person and Individual, where in the Bayan and in what passage is this found? Therefore, purely for the sake of God, this servant will mention certain revealed verses which have descended from the heaven of the Will of the Most Exalted concerning this most mighty, most ancient and blessed Name and this most impregnable, most holy Manifestation. Although, by God besides Whom there is no other God, never did the Abha Beauty designate anything as proof and criterion of the Cause except the verses revealed from the heaven of the Divine Unity. Even though you have mentioned these same words in objection to God, and your purpose was never understanding, therefore this servant, to complete God’s proof, will mention some of the revealed words of the Bayan. And verily if you are not guided by them, just as you were not guided before, perhaps other servants will be guided by them. Although His own Self was the proof, yet I wish you to realize at least this much - that you are among those of whom He says “Even if they see every sign, they will not believe in it.” And in another place, His exalted Word: “Verily those against whom the word of thy Lord is proved true will not believe, even if every sign should come unto them, until they see the grievous chastisement.” For the Sun is shining with a hundred thousand effulgences and lights, and the Point of the Bayan in all Tablets declares “Know Him through His own Self and His verses.” In truth it is forbidden for all souls to adduce proof of Him through anything except His most holy, most mighty Self and what appears from His presence. However, this servant will bear this transgression and has sought and continues to seek pardon from the Ancient King. Were this servant to mention all that has been revealed regarding this matter which you have raised, Tablets would not suffice, for countless verses have descended from the Kingdom of eternity. Therefore we will confine ourselves to a few passages, and these are His words, exalted be His grandeur: “Even thus did We send down the Qur’an aforetime, but ye remained veiled from My purpose. That is what the night and day revolved around for eight years while you unified yourselves in worship of it, yet remained veiled from its mystery after its fulfillment. That is the Balance of Guidance in the Bayan in which you believe until the time when the Sun of Baha shall shine forth. That is the Manifestation of God - if you act according to it you will be among the believers and will abide forever in paradise; otherwise you will perish.” Today the Manifestation of God is manifest and the Sun of Baha is shining and gleaming from the highest horizon, while those who turn away have utterly perished and been reduced to nothingness, as you can observe if you be fair-minded. Thus was He alive in the Most Glorious Horizon, if you could hear or if you could see. I adjure you by God Who has caused all things to speak forth His praise, that after this firm word and assured verse and this glorious divine Manifestation, there remains no possibility for anyone to turn away or hesitate. Nay, by His very Self, the True One, if you but knew! In another place He says, exalted be His majesty and glory: “From the first moment the Sun of Baha rises until it sets is better in the Book of God than all the night, could you but understand. God has created nothing except for that Day when all shall work for the meeting with God and His good-pleasure.” A pure eye is needed to behold the Most Great Scene.

From the first appearance of the Sun of Baha until its setting is better, in the Book of God, than all the night, could ye but comprehend it. Nothing hath God created but that it might attain His presence, and all, in that Day, labor for His good-pleasure. Purify thine eyes, that thou mayest behold the Most Great Scene, and perceive the meaning of the divine words.

Hearken unto the call of the Sovereign of the Bayan, Who with the utmost clarity hath made mention of the next Revelation, that perchance those embodiments of error might not hesitate after its appearance, and might not perceive any likeness or peer or equal for the Manifestation of Divine Unity, inasmuch as the oneness of the Divine Essence is not established except through the Manifestation of His Revelation, and His sanctification from all semblances and likenesses is not proven except through the Manifestation of His Revelation. And if any likeness, equal, or peer be ascribed to the Manifestation of His Revelation, the Ancient Being’s sanctification from all similitude would not be established, and the hallowing of His Self from duality would not be realized. Therefore be ashamed before God and ascribe not any partner unto Him in His dominion. Verily He was one in His Essence, and God is witness to what I say.

And in this connection He saith - exalted be His glory: “Verily the Decline hath drawn nigh, and ye on that day shall not know it. And whoso meeteth Him, that meeting is as though he had met Me. Consent not for him to that which thou wouldst not consent for thyself.” Nevertheless, all have transgressed their bounds and heeded not the divine counsels, and have consented to that which the Jews consented not for the Spirit, and likewise the people of the Furqan consented not for the Point of the Bayan. This is naught but ignorance and immaturity.

And if thou hast not heard until now, hear now and be ashamed before the Truth. Return from the left hand of error to the right hand of guidance. Soon thou and thy like, and whatsoever ye have uttered, shall perish, even as today ye are perishing, for every soul that is not mentioned before God - all things testify to its extinction. Purify thyself from the world, speak not of that which thou knowest not, and mention not that which thou comprehendest not. Know thy limit and thy station, and transgress not thy rank.

He explicitly declareth that the appearance of the Sun at the point of decline hath drawn nigh, and ye know not and comprehend not that day, even as ye have not comprehended and recognized it. And that Ancient Beauty hath never made any but explicit utterance concerning the next Revelation, unlike previous Books wherein all was mentioned in abstruse allusions. The fingers of divine power in the year sixty rent asunder all those veils, and made mention of the next Revelation throughout the Bayan with explicit clarity, without any allusion. A matter which He left to the vision and understanding of the servants is that He made differing mentions regarding its nearness and remoteness, although in reality all these differing words return to a single point and no difference can be perceived. However, this very fact that they outwardly appear somewhat different was for the purpose of distinction. Thus in one place He mentioneth Mustaghath, and in another place He saith it will not reach Mustaghath, and it is hoped that it will be raised up before the Word of God. And in one place He saith that none knoweth the time of the Revelation save God - whenever it occurs all must acknowledge the Point of Truth. And in another place He saith that if He wisheth to appear at this moment, He hath the authority, and none may say why or wherefore. And to one of the Letters who asked about that Most Great Revelation, He saith: “Perchance thou shalt attain unto His presence.”

He addresses one of the Letters who inquired about that Most Great Manifestation, saying: “Perchance thou mayest attain unto His presence.” Likewise, a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will wherein He hath said that it should be observed in the school of the subsequent Revelation. All these outward verbal differences are resolved through one decisive Word. And He giveth a clear warning that at the time of the manifestation of that Essence of Purpose, ye should not look to that which was revealed in the Bayan, but rather fix your gaze upon the Manifestation Himself and that which is revealed from His presence. And it is evident to those possessed of insight that the concepts of before and after, near and far, have never existed and shall never exist in the realm of Truth, inasmuch as He hath been and ever shall be able to raise up the first and the last in a single moment if He so desireth. For these limitations pertain to creation, even as fifty thousand years of the Day of Resurrection passed in but an hour.

O ye who are unconscious from the wine of ignorance and heedlessness! How long will ye walk in darkness and follow the promptings of self? Remove your hearts from human limitations and fix your gaze upon the Sovereign of Oneness, that perchance ye may attain the station of “Know God through God” and be freed from questioning. Ask not the sun what its name is or what proof there is of its radiance. O sightless one! Its effulgence is its proof and its radiance is its evidence - this hath been and ever shall be. Hearken unto the Word of the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, Who hath explicitly declared that in this holy and eternal Manifestation, all shall perish save those who cling to the Ancient Ark in this Most Great Revelation - these are they who are deemed the people of the holy Ark in the sight of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great. Whoso holdeth fast unto this Ark hath attained salvation, and whoso turneth away hath perished. This, verily, is a revelation from the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

His Word - exalted be His glory and His sovereignty - declareth: “O Concourse of Light! We, verily, by God the Truth, speak not from desire, nor do We reveal a single letter of that Book save by God’s leave, the Truth. Fear ye God and doubt not in God’s Cause, for the mystery of this Gate is concealed beneath the canopy of the verse and inscribed above the veil of concealment by the hands of God, the Lord of concealment and of the verse. God hath created around that Gate oceans of elixir water, reddened with the oil of existence, and creatures with the fruit of the divine purpose. God hath ordained for it ships of moist red ruby, wherein none shall embark save the people of Baha, by God’s leave, the Most High - and He is God, the Mighty, the Wise. There do the angels of the heavens bear God’s throne in the eight souls, and the decree in the Mother Book hath been witnessed. Soon shall the sinners be brought before the All-Merciful around the throne, through truth with truth, symbolically.” Thus endeth the passage.

Had ye understanding, by these very verses revealed in the Qayyumu’l-Asma, ye would all sacrifice your lives in the path of this universal divine Manifestation. But comprehension hath been taken from such souls by what your hands have wrought. Therefore are ye deprived of the outpourings of the All-Merciful and the rain of wisdom from the presence of the All-Glorious in this spiritual springtime, this King of divine seasons and days. Ye have strayed far from the good-pleasure of the All-Knowing Sovereign, wandering like beasts in the wilderness of desires and the garden of allusions.

Verily, in this day none are mentioned in God’s presence save those who have embarked upon this divine Ark. These souls are rarer than red sulphur, and soon shalt thou witness how most people, unknowingly, shall be drowned in the depths of the ocean of ignorance and rejection, and remain deprived of the divine Ark, save for a limited number. How long until the winds of divine bounty shall blow and pass over these temples dead of self and passion, giving them life and turning them toward the realm of Oneness?

And when He saith that the angels of heaven bear God’s throne in the eight souls - this is clear proof that the people of the Bayan shall not be convinced of this Manifestation save for a few, even as He mentioned eight, for thus hath it been at the beginning of every Manifestation. This is not particular to this Manifestation, nor hath it ever been. And what is meant by the throne in this context is the Cause of God.

And the purpose of the Throne in this station hath been and ever shall be the Command of God; it hath been and ever shall be the Word of God, and the first that proceedeth from the Tongue of God it hath been and ever shall be. And it is that Word at which all who are in the heavens and on earth shall be seized with terror, and all who dwell in the realms of Command and Creation shall be thunderstruck. And it is that Word which hath been designated in the Tablets of God as the Most Great Weight, which no soul is capable of bearing. And it is that Word after whose manifestation all the tribes shall lament, and the foundations of all things shall quake, and none is capable of bearing this Throne save the angels of the heights who, by God’s aid, shall bear this Most Great Trust, and through its acceptance shall the Temples of God’s Cause be made manifest and the Most Great, Most Wondrous Word shall speak forth. And in one station the Throne is the Manifestation Himself, Who is visible amongst men, for He is the Sign of Unity and the Essence of Detachment, Who in His station hath ever been One and with Whom there is none else – “God was, and there was nothing besides Him.” In that station the Throne is the Manifestation Himself, and the eight angels allude to this Most Blessed, Most Exalted Name, whose numerical value, without the hamza, correspondeth to the value of Baha. And in the Primal Reality none can bear that Throne save His hallowed Self; at this time none but His Essence can bear His Throne. Hear this from Me – and this is one of the verses that flowed from the Most Wondrous, Most Sweet Tongue in Iraq. And in another station the Throne is the first to believe, and the first to be present, and the first to be raised up, and the first to bear. He is the first creation, and the first speaker, and the first seer, and the first hearer, and the first knower, and the first assured one, and the first informed one. His hearing is the gate of divine hearing for all existence, and whatsoever hearing entereth not through that gate is not of the people of hearing and is accounted deaf before God. Likewise His sight is the gate of divine sight for all souls, and His knowledge is the gate of divine knowledge amongst His creatures, and His power is the gate of divine power, and His tongue is the gate of the divine tongue, and His heart is the gate of the divine heart, and His recognition is the gate of divine recognition. Through His utterance is made manifest that which was hidden, and through His seeking doth the water of life flow forth, and through His attention doth the cloud of divine mercy bestow its bounty, and through His hearing is the divine Word revealed from the treasury of divine knowledge. Wouldst thou but attain unto a measure of understanding, and through this very grace and bounty that hath been vouchsafed in the mention of the First, and the First Word, and the First Point, and the Pillar of Destiny, and the Mystery of the Heights, thou wouldst become somewhat acquainted with the bounty and mercy and generosity and grace of Truth. In brief, the blind hath no likeness to the seeing, nor hath the deaf any kinship with the hearing. In this revealed verse lie infinite meanings, but until one who thirsteth for the Salsabil of inner meanings be found, the Divine Cup-Bearer will not proffer the enduring, spiritual chalices.

However, until one becomes thirsty for the Salsabil of inner meanings, the Cup-bearer of Oneness will not bestow the everlasting spiritual chalices. Consider with what explicitness the condition of the deniers and transgressors hath been revealed in the Book of God, and how the meaning of the blessed revealed verse hath become manifest. These transgressors were and shall be from among the people of the Bayan, and whatever harm befalleth the Beauty of the All-Merciful shall come from the people of the Bayan, even as no harm came to the Point of the Bayan except from the people of the Furqan. Yet by God, besides Whom there is none other God, there hath at all times befallen this Most Great Branch that which hath befallen no one else. Had the people of the Bayan been possessed of insight, that same blessed verse “Verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon” would have sufficed them all. Likewise, He - may my spirit be sacrificed for His Being - hath not failed to counsel the people of the Bayan and to proclaim His message unto them. In no age or dispensation hath a former Manifestation made mention of a subsequent Revelation with such detail and explicitness, as ye all can witness, would ye but be fair.

Hearken to the mention of this servant and deliver thyself from darkness upon darkness. Make not thyself deserving of endless chastisement for the sake of two fleeting days, and busy not thyself with perverting the religion of God and His Cause. How excellent is this verse in this connection: “Circle not religion for bodily gain, nor turn to irreligion. Sow not worldly seeds in the soil of religion through craftiness.”

I conclude all the verses that have been sent down with these most wondrous, most impregnable, most holy and most exalted words which have descended from the heaven of glory of the Primal Point, that perchance their holy fragrances may perfume the seekers of the sanctuary of the All-Merciful and the lovers of the countenance of the All-Glorious, though such souls as these may not perceive its fragrances. With regard to the souls of the yearning ones is this mentioned. I swear by the King of all horizons that whosoever heareth it shall attain unto a wondrous life and shall become detached from hearing the words of all else but God, and any heart that comprehendeth it shall surely become a source of God’s infinite knowledge. Nothing could be more explicit to be mentioned, nor hath anything more evident appeared from the Kingdom of utterance until now.

How similar is this mention and praise of the Primal Point to the story that is related of Shaykh Ahmad - upon him be the glory of God - when during a journey he had undertaken for pilgrimage, he had said to one Haji Muhammad Isma’il, who dwelt in the Land of Sad, “Convey my greetings to the Bab,” mentioning His blessed name. The purpose of the honored Shaykh was none other than to guide that soul and other souls. After hearing these words of the Shaykh, that person was bewildered as to who was meant and why such blessed words had issued from his holy tongue, until he returned from the pilgrimage journey and several years had passed, and the Exalted One arrived in the Land of Sad and mention of Him was raised among the people that someone had appeared claiming to be the Bab. At that time that person became aware of what the Shaykh had meant. Yet the likes of you have not become aware and will not become aware from these clear, manifest, and brilliant statements.

His words, exalted be His glory: “Ye are before a people among whom the Point will be made manifest. Advance not if they be of the believers. Say: These are better than all who are on earth, and had God known of any better than them in faith, He would have made them manifest from among them. Unto his father and his mother and those who were with him and those of his near kindred who believed in him do ye submit, if ye would deal kindly with every soul that ye might perchance understand this before it is manifested, and after that ye shall understand and know. Upon thee, O Baha’u’llah, and upon those near of kin to thee be the remembrance of God and the praise of all things at all times, before time and after time.” The purpose of the Point of the Bayan in these verses was to specify the source of the Manifestation. Now, O thou who art devoid of fairness, observe with what courtesy He hath commanded. He saith to the people of the Bayan: “Seek not to precede the people from among whom that Primal Point will be made manifest,” if they be of the believers. And by this latter statement the cord of relationship of those who claim kinship to this Revelation, who today have turned away from the Truth, is severed, as He hath explicitly stated […]

And by this other utterance is severed the cord binding those who are associated with this Revelation but who have now turned away from the Truth. He hath expressly declared, saying: “That people are the best of all peoples on earth, for had there been any people better than they, that Essence of Divine Unity and Treasury of Godhood would have appeared among them.” And He biddeth the people of the Bayan to convey greetings from God to the father and mother of that Most Great Luminary, and likewise to His kindred who believed in Him. It would not be strange if the foolish among the people of the Bayan were to say: “Since His father and mother are no longer living, to whom shall these divine salutations be conveyed?” O ye that are blind! At the very moment these words were revealed from the tongue of the Lord of all worlds, they reached their destination. This emphasis in the Bayan was intended to ensure that nothing would occur in the Revelation that would grieve that Essence of Purity. And after these divine exhortations and mentioned ordinances and these wondrous and exalted words, that Most Holy and Pure Being, turning toward the seat of revelation and His kindred, hath voiced praise and glorification. By God! With such sweetness hath this Kawthar of utterance flowed from the tongue of the All-Merciful that were but a drop thereof to reach all who dwell in the heavens and the earth purely for the sake of God, all would become intoxicated by that divine wine, would turn toward the Court of His presence, and would regard all else as utter nothingness. By the express text of the Most Exalted One, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake, all were commanded to offer praise and salutations at the time of His appearance, yet none succeeded in this, and they regarded the divine counsel as vain and erased His testament from their hearts. Indeed, though they presented not themselves with praise and salutations before the King of Glory, yet with spears and arrows did they assail Him from every direction. And unto God belongeth all command, before and after, and He praiseth His own Self and Essence, were ye of them that know. And since none succeeded in conveying these praises as commanded by the All-Merciful, therefore did that Divine Essence in this wondrous and most merciful Revelation Himself convey praise and glorification unto His own Self by God’s leave. His word, exalted be His praise: […]

O Well-Beloved of Baha! I have conveyed Thy praise and glory, and then the praise of all things before Thee, unto Mine own Self, that Thy Word might be established among the worlds and Thy signs be made manifest to them that know. And when I speak concerning Thee, O Well-Beloved of Baha, there flows forth the praise of God and His glory, then the praise of the Concourse on High, then the praise of them that dwell in the cities of eternity, then the praise of them that swim in the oceans of grandeur, then the praise of all the worlds before time, after time, and in every time. At this point, from the Most Exalted Kingdom these most wondrous and sweet words in communion with God, the Most High, were revealed: Upon Thee, O Baha’u’llah, Well-Beloved of Baha, be the glory of God and His splendor, then the splendor of the Concourse on High, then the splendor of them that dwell in the cities of eternity, then the splendor of all things, then the splendor of Thine own Self unto Thine own Self through Thine own Self, and the splendor of this Glory that hath appeared to aid Thee amongst the worlds. O Well-Beloved of Baha! By Thy might and majesty, Thou hast not fallen short in conveying Thy message to Thy servants and in directing Thy creatures, and in all this Thou hast desired naught save their submission before the Sovereign of Thy Oneness and their humility before the manifestations of the lights of Thy countenance. By Thy might, O my Beloved! I find myself abashed at what thou hast conveyed for My manifestation, in that Thou hast not drawn breath save in My remembrance, nor spoken save to establish My Cause, nor hath there flowed from Thy Pen aught but that which had as its purpose the mention and praise of Me, and in every condition there hath appeared from Thee that which pointeth to My Self and expressly declareth My manifestation and speaketh of My beauty. Yet how can I make mention of Thee, O My Beloved, when, by Thy might, the successive trials and continuous tribulations leave Me no opportunity to weep for Mine own Self? And how can I praise Thy most exalted and mighty Self? Whenever I desire to praise Thee with laudation or draw near unto Thee through the wonders of Thy remembrance, I am prevented by the chains of Thine enemies and the opposition of the oppressors among Thy creatures, such that when I turn to the right, I find a book of perdition from one of Thy creatures wherein is that which causeth the pillars of all things to tremble, and then the pillars of the kingdom of Thy most beautiful names. And whenever I turn to the left, I find a book from the transgressors wherein is that which causeth the realities of Thy chosen ones and the hearts of Thy Prophets to cry out and lament in grief, after Thou didst command the people of the Bayan, who claim to believe in Thy Self and to acknowledge Thy singleness and to submit to the manifestations of the lights of the might of Thy oneness, that each soul should write in every Vahid a book establishing Thy Cause in this Revelation whereby the Sun of Glory and Power hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the might of Thy mercifulness, that the servants might remember thereby and await this News wherewith Thou didst give them glad tidings in all Thy Tablets and Scriptures and Pages of Thy glory, saying in truth, addressing the people of the Bayan: “And in every Vahid ye write books of proof for Him Whom We shall make manifest, some of you unto others, that ye might act according to what ye write on the Day of His appearance.” But they, O my God, cast Thy commandments behind their backs and forgot what Thou didst counsel them in Thy Tablets. Would that they had been content with that! Rather, each one of them wrote a book whereby Thy Self was consumed with grief, and the realities of all things, and the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy loved ones, and them that are sanctified among Thy chosen ones, and they spread it throughout the lands that thereby God’s sanctity might be lost among His creatures, and God’s glory among His creation, and His dignity among His servants. By Thy might, O my Beloved! I have not witnessed a morning save […]

By Thy might, O my Beloved! No morning hath dawned except that mine eyes have turned toward that which hath caused my heart to burn, my soul to tremble, and my spirit to grieve. And by this have I wept with mine inner eyes, and there wept with my weeping the eyes of those whom Thou hast honored among Thy creatures, chosen from among Thy creation, made the repositories of Thy revelation, the treasuries of Thy knowledge, the manifestations of Thy Cause, the daysprings of Thy power, the sources of Thine inspiration, and the dawning-places of the suns of Thy bounty. No evening hath fallen except that there hath befallen me that which hath withheld the breezes of Thy mercy from all created things and hath shut the doors of Thy grace in the face of all beings. By Thy might, O my Beloved! I have become bewildered in my affair, and Thou beholdest me as a fish writhing in the dust, and hearest the cry of my heart, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of all signs! All this hath befallen me after I called them to the quarter of Thy gifts and favors, made known to them the ways of Thy Cause and Thy good-pleasure, and commanded them to submit before the gate of Thy mercy and to enter the precincts of Thy oneness. Whenever I called them, O my God, through what Thou didst inspire me of the wonders of Thy words and the gems of Thy verses, they arose in such opposition that none can reckon save Thee Who hast reckoned it through Thy sovereignty and knowledge. Therefore, O Beloved of Baha, Quickener of Baha, Inspirer of Baha, Remembrance of Baha, and Friend of Baha, weep Thou over the soul of Baha. By God! It hath remained solitary among Thy creation and alone among Thy servants. They do with it what they will, and I have no helper to prevent them from their deeds or drive them from the sanctuary of Thy holiness and the pavilion of Thy glory and majesty. Praise be unto Thee in all this and in all that hath befallen my soul in Thy path. Though Thy servants have stripped from my temple the garment of joy and the vesture of gladness, honor and reverence, yet Thou hast, through Thy grace, given me that which none can affect, even were all who are in the heavens and earth to unite against me. Praise be unto Thee for what Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy bounty, O Beloved of my heart and Goal of the hearts of them that know! Through Thy love, I shall never be dismayed by anything, even if the clouds of destiny should rain down the arrows of tribulation. I have committed my affair unto Thee and placed my trust in Thee. Thou art sufficient unto me, my Helper and my Succourer. Through Thee have I dispensed with all creation. Praise be unto Thee, for Thou art my God and the God of all in the worlds. Would that they had given respite for the Beauty of the Lord of the Worlds to occupy Himself with the praise and remembrance of God! By God! Through the oppression of the idolaters, He hath not found opportunity even to lament over His own soul, much less to engage in remembrance and praise, despite the Point of the Bayan having commanded all the people of the Bayan to write, in every Vahid, books to one another, reminding each other in those books of the wondrous mention of this Most Great Manifestation, that these books might serve to establish the Cause of God and remind those souls, so that all might be prepared to acknowledge and submit at the time of the appearance of the Primal Will, the All-Embracing Word, and the establishment of the Ancient Being upon the throne of the All-Merciful, even as He hath said - mighty be His mention: “In every Vahid, ye shall write books of attestation to Him Whom We shall make manifest, from one to another, for on the Day of His manifestation ye shall act according to what ye have written.”

We write proofs of Him Whom God shall make manifest to one another, for on the day of His manifestation you shall act in accordance with what you write. Yet what the people of the Bayan have actually done is this: at the appointed time and divine promise, they have all written tablets rejecting the Beauty of Unity, sending them to one another and even dispatching some to the presence of the Throne. Among these is the Book of Perdition by that heedless soul who appeared in His presence. Fie upon your faithfulness! Fie upon your shame! Fie upon your courtesy! Fie upon what your hands have wrought, O company of the heedless ones!

Consider, O people of the Bayan, how greatly that Sovereign of the Throne of Destiny did guide you - exactly as one would teach birds to speak. By God, He taught the people of the Bayan even more than this, and spent His blessed time ensuring that at the time of His manifestation no one would commit any act that might cause sorrow to that tender, refined and luminous Heart. Thus in one passage, after firm and decisive counsels, He says - exalted be His glory: “Verily His example - exalted be His mention - is like unto the sun. Were infinite mirrors to be set before it, they would all reflect the sun according to their capacity. And if none face it, the sun still rises and sets, and the veiling pertains to the mirrors. I have not failed in counseling that creation and in devising means for their turning to God their Lord and their belief in God their Creator.”

Now consider how in that statement where He bade that at the beginning of each Vahid they should write a book establishing the next Manifestation, what wisdom He showed. Likewise in this statement where He says that if infinite mirrors face the sun, its reflection will appear according to the capacity of those mirrors, and if all remain veiled, the sun will still rise resplendent in the fullness of its light and radiance. As is evident, its outpouring upon all mirrors and their reflection of it neither increases nor diminishes its power. The wisdom in this statement of that Beauty of the All-Merciful was that the people of the Bayan should not, on the day of the manifestation and dawning of the Sun of inner meanings, cling to mirrors, for the existence or non-existence of all mirrors is equal before that inaccessible and exalted Sun.

Would that the Primal Point were here now to witness how you have taken mirrors unto yourselves and made them the standard for recognizing Him but for Whom their realities, essences and mysteries would never have been created. You have so transgressed in God’s Cause that you have made your acceptance of Him contingent upon the acceptance of the veiled mirrors. Woe unto you, O company of the wrongdoers and the heedless!

Despite these clear and evident statements and these firm and decisive counsels from that Sun of Divine Unity, after the completion of the first Vahid and the appearance of the Luminary of the horizons, all broke God’s Covenant and arose in hypocrisy, forgetting the divine counsels and guidance as though taking them in jest. Woe unto them for what they have committed before the face of God, the Exalted, the Great.

Concerning what thou didst write, that if the attributes revealed pertain to the name Baha, this name is one of the names of God and the definitions of God’s names are not exclusive to this blessed name - and thou didst mockingly mention Mirza Kamal and Mirza Jamal - thereby thou becamest the first to mock the Primal Creation, then Abraham, then Moses. By God! Thou art the first who mocked the Spirit, then mocked Muhammad the Messenger of God, then mocked Ali at the time when the dawn of inner meanings broke forth and the Sun of utterance shone forth through the sovereignty of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. And thou wert the first to mock this Revelation whereby was established all that was sent down from the beginning that hath no beginning, and whereby every soul ascended to the heights of divine realities, and every assured one entered the paradise of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved. Take up thy pen, O thou who mockest God! By God, the Supreme Pen hath lamented over it, and over what was and what will be. All that thou hast perpetrated returneth unto and endeth with the pen of the first one who turned away from God, the One, the Peerless, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Verily the essence of his pen fled from him and appeared before God, and cried with such crying that all things wept for it, and it lamented before its Lord and complained of its wielder. If thou art among those who recognize: the reality of the pen of him who turned away from God did appear one day before the Divine Throne and lamented with such lamentation that the denizens of the highest paradise wept at its condition. Strange it is that ye heard not and heeded not the wailing and sighing of all things at that time. From that day until now, all holy ones and near ones, and the realities of all things, have been engaged in weeping, lamenting and anguish. At this point it becometh necessary to mention his supplication before the Divine Throne, that perchance prepared souls may, through the lamentation of that wronged one, comprehend the wrongs inflicted upon the Best-Beloved of all possibility by the tyranny of the oppressors of the Bayan. And this is what the Pen confided to its Lord, the Lord of all things, and the Lord of all the worlds […]

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God and my Beloved! Thou art He by Whose command the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen was raised between earth and heaven, and by it Thou didst ordain upon the tablets what Thou hadst ordained through Thy preserved knowledge and Thine irrevocable command. And through what Thou didst inscribe upon the Tablet there appeareth in creation that which was ordained by Thy Will and decreed by Thy Purpose. Therefore, O my God, hear Thou the call of this Pen which hath been removed from the shore of Thy nearness and Thy presence and hath been afflicted between the fingers of one of the most wretched among Thy creatures. By Thy might, O my Beloved, I am seized with fear at the force of Thy wrath and the manifestations of Thy vengeance. Thus dost Thou witness the agitation of my soul, the trembling of my heart, and the perturbation of my body, for Thou hast made me to be subjugated by the fingers of this idolater who hath never inhaled the fragrances of justice from the paradise of Thy justice and Thy gifts, nor perceived the sweet scents from the garment of Thy grace and Thy favors. Therefore, O my God, by Thy might, were Thou to command me, I would surely rend his belly by the power which Thou hast ordained in my inmost being, that thereby my soul might find rest and my heart be solaced, for he hath sought my aid in tearing the veil of Thy glory and sanctity, and hath committed that which hath caused the hearts of Thy chosen ones to burn in the pavilion of Thy majesty, and the hearts of Thy trusted ones in the chambers of Thy hallowed might and the tabernacles of Thy sacred detachment. I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy sovereignty, then by Thy Name and Thy Manifestation and Thy grandeur, that if Thou dost not command what I have besought of Thee, deliver me from this vile one and his fingers. Alas, alas, O my Beloved! Thou didst create me for Thy remembrance and Thy praise, and lo, I am deprived of that for which I was created, and there hath appeared from me that which hath rent the veil of grandeur and majesty, and changed the countenances of the denizens of the most exalted Paradise, and annihilated the realities of those who dwell in the kingdom of names, and shaken the pillars of the cities of eternity. How then, O my God, can I raise my head among the pens, for the shame which hath caused my head to be bowed in the presence of them that are nigh unto Thee at the revelation of the lights of Thy Beauty, and the station of them that profess Thy unity at the threshold of the gate of Thy grandeur? By Thy might, even if Thou shouldst clothe me with the robe of forgiveness, and cause to waft upon me from the direction of Thy favor the breezes of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, and immerse me in the seas of Thy tenderness and Thy favors, and forgive me for what I have committed in Thy days, by Thy might, my heart would not be at rest, nor would my soul be tranquil. Grant me, O my Beloved, that though by Thy grace and favor Thou mightest purify me from disobedience, how can there depart from me the fragrance of shame which wafteth from my self unto my self at all times, and hath made me deprived of the breezes of that Ridvan which Thou hast made to be above Paradise? And verily, O my God and my Master, if Thou shouldst forbear with me through Thy clemency and forgive my sin through Thy grace and bounty, how can I raise my head toward the city of Thy might and Thy presence? By Thy might, I have reached such a state of abasement that if Thou shouldst look upon me with the glances of Thy mercy, Thou wouldst surely weep over this poor one who hath become despairing of himself and of all things, having been made deprived of the splendors of the lights of Thy Beauty which have shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy might and Thy will. Alas, alas, for my despair on this Day wherein Thou hast opened the doors of Thy reunion to all who are in Thy earth and Thy heaven, and hast called all to the seat of Thy nearness and Thy presence! Alas, alas, for that which was ordained for me in the tablets of Thy decree, whereby Thou hast erased my portion and the sweetness of my communion at the witnessing of the lights of Thy countenance! Would that I had been deprived of all that Thou hadst ordained for the best of Thy creatures, and had not associated with those who knew Thee not!

O my God! I have consorted with those who knew Thee not and prostrated not before Thee, and through my assistance there appeared from them that which hath caused the hearts of Thy trusted ones and Thy chosen ones to burn. If I say this befell me through what I deserved, then by Thy might, O my Beloved, I find no stability for myself when the winds of Thy decree blow, nor any existence for my being before the court of Thy power and might, nor any mention in the presence of the manifestations of Thy glorious oneness. And how can one who hath no existence before Thy manifestation and power move without Thy leave and will? And if I say Thou hast afflicted me with this without my deserving it, this would be injustice from me toward Thee, for I have not comprehended the mysteries of Thy Cause and the modes of Thy wisdom and decree. Thus am I bewildered in my affair, and my understanding can never ascend to the heaven of Thy wisdom which Thou hast made hidden from the eyes of Thy creation, nor can the bird of my knowledge soar into the atmosphere of Thy knowledge which Thou hast concealed in the treasuries of Thy protection. Therefore my perturbation increaseth and my grief, my anguish and my tribulation grow more intense.

Alas, alas, O my Beloved! How can I mention what I witness of the manifestations of Thy deeds and the modes of Thy Cause? At times I behold that Thou hast taken with the fingers of Thy mercy one who was like me and made him to consort with Thyself and to be intimate with Thy beauty, and Thou takest him with the fingers of Thy glory and grandeur and causest to flow from him the seas of life through a drop whereof Thou hast resurrected the realities of contingent beings and the hearts of all who dwell in the realms of existence, and through whose scratching Thou hast attracted the hearts of those near unto Thee and the hearts of the sincere ones. And at times I behold that Thou hast afflicted me through the fingers of the idolaters and made me to be subdued beneath their fingers, and there hath appeared from me that which hath caused the hearts of the Concourse on High to tremble, then the dwellers of the cities of eternity, and hath rent asunder the livers of those whose faces Thou hast honored by turning away from aught else but Thee, and whom Thou hast sanctified from the signs of the people of Thy earth, and whom Thou hast caused to draw near in the shadow of Thy grace and bounty.

By Thy might, I fear that through my disobedience the Pen of Thy Command might be stayed and the tablets of Thy decree and the pages of Thy destiny might be suspended. Would that I had never existed and had never been mentioned! By Thy might, O my God, I shall find no existence for myself after this, and if Thou dost not return me to nothingness, then judge between me and this oppressor through whose deed my face hath been altered among the sincere ones of Thy creation and those near unto Thy loved ones. And verily in this hour, O my God, I have fled from him unto Thee and have come to Thee with the clamor of those who have lost, and the cry of the disobedient, and the lamentation of the sinners. Therefore judge between me and him through the sovereignty of Thy decree and the dominion of Thy justice and power.

Is there any judge besides Thee, O my Beloved, to whom I might appeal and to whom I might flee? Nay, by Thy might! There is no refuge except Thee and no escape except unto Thee. And verily this wronged one standeth before the court of Thy justice and mercy, and this poor one hath clung to the hem of Thy riches, and this deprived one hath taken shelter in the shadow of Thy holy sanctuary and Thy favors. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast shattered the idols of fancy and desire, and hast adorned those near unto Thee with the robes of Thy knowledge and forgiveness, and hast stripped from the idolaters the garment of Thy names and favors, that Thou send down from the clouds of Thy power and the heaven of Thy grace that which will calm my heart and tranquilize my soul.

Alas, alas, O my Beloved! Now hath perturbation and desperation seized me at the establishment of the throne of Thy chosen Name, for if Thou shouldst punish the oppressor who hath wronged me throughout the duration of Thy kingdom […]

And in my desperation, when the throne of Thy chosen Name was established, for if Thou shouldst punish the oppressor who wronged me throughout the duration of Thy sovereignty and kingdom, my soul would not rejoice thereby, nor would my loneliness depart, nor would my agitation and desperation be calmed, for my face, O my God, has turned pale from shame at what has proceeded from me. This is a stain that will not leave me even if the winds of Thy forgiveness should blow upon me from the right hand of Thy tender mercy throughout the eternity of Thy might and oneness. Therefore, dost Thou see, O my Beloved, any loser more lost than I, or any abased one more abased than I? I have ever yearned, O my God, throughout all days for reunion with Thee, to such extent that I slept at night hoping to meet Thee, and raised not my head in the morning save in longing for Thy presence. I remained in this state until the winds of Thy decree blew from the right hand of Thy will, and the manifestations of Thy ordainment appeared from the horizon of Thy decree, turning me from Thy direction to the direction of Thine enemies. Alas, alas for this blowing! Alas, alas for this passing! Alas, alas for these messengers which seized me by Thy power and deposited me in the presence of those who associate partners with Thy Self and those who oppose Thy Beauty! Would that they had been content with what they perpetrated in Thy days and inflicted upon Thy Self! Nay, by Thy glory! These ones will not rest until they shed Thy blood among Thy creatures and devour Thy flesh with the teeth of hatred in the kingdom of creation - these wretched ones from whose pride and vainglory Pharaoh would flee, from whose tyranny and transgression Nimrod would run, and from whose evil and rancor Satan himself would seek refuge in Thee! Alas, alas, O my Beloved! I called upon Thee when I grew on the shore of the sanctuary of Thy oneness, by Thy Name the Kind, then by Thy Name the All-Merciful, then by Thy Name the Most Merciful, then by Thy Name the All-Forgiving, then by Thy Name the All-Affectionate, then by Thy Name the Loving, then by Thy Name the All-Sufficient, then by Thy Name the Bestower. Whenever I found myself grieved, I cheered myself with the promise of nearness to Thee and meeting Thee, and whenever I became agitated, I calmed myself with the remembrance of the days of attaining Thy presence. When my creation was completed, one of Thy servants uprooted me from my place, and I was transferred from hand to hand and from market to market until I arrived at the market which Thou knowest through Thy knowledge that encompasses all things. Then one of Thy creatures and beings purchased me. But O my God and my Beloved, by Thy glory, when he took me in his hand, I saw that he was unaware of that, and I was bewildered within myself, for this commotion emerged from me without any choice. In the innermost secret I called upon Thee with the call of the yearning ones and the cry of the hopeful ones, that Thou shouldst unveil to me the mystery of that which Thou hadst concealed from me behind the veils of Thy ordainment and the clouds of Thy decree, until he carried me to the land wherein Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of Thy oppression. I found the fragrance of the garment from its soil and the breezes of sanctity from its air, and such joy and delight seized me that I saw myself upon the heights of glory and majesty, as if I had become sovereign over the highest kings in the realms of eternity and a ruler over all who dwell in the kingdom of creation. I remained in this state until my bearer reached a path that branched into two paths - one to the right and one to the left - and he turned from the right to the left. Alas, alas! Then I found agitation within myself and was terrified, and everything was terrified by my terror, until he brought me to a door which when opened […]

Everything was terrified by my terror until I reached a door, and when it opened I found the stench of hell and the blasts of Sijjin, which if but a whiff thereof were to blow upon all created things, they would return to absolute nothingness. And I was consigned to the hands of this oppressor who rose up against Thee in opposition and from whom there came what caused the Names and their Kingdom to be changed and the Attributes to be cut off from their seats. When I became aware of him and what he had committed through my assistance, I fled from him and from meeting him to the court of Thy mighty oneness and the seat of Thy glorious throne. Therefore, O my God, look upon me with the glances of Thy loving-kindness, then return the gaze of Thy grace to this wronged one who hath become, through his deeds, despairing of Thy spirit and bounty, and hopeless of the wonders of Thy grace and generosity. Alas! Alas! From the greatness of my affliction and the abundance of my bewilderment and my burning, I know not what to seek from the wonders of Thy grace, for whatever the highest consciousness can attain, I witness that it neither calms my heart nor brings rest to my soul. Therefore, finding myself in this state and these conditions, I desire to commit my affair into Thy hands and within Thy grasp, that Thou mayest ordain what is best in Thy sight for my self, my essence and my reality. I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by the Manifestations of Thy Cause in these days, and the Dawning-Places of Thy revelation and the Repositories of Thy knowledge, to send down upon me that which will illumine my face between the heavens and the earth. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Most Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Then, O my Beloved, agitation seized me once again because of my grievous sin. O Thou in Whose hands lie the Kingdom of accomplishment and the dominion of decree! Whenever I try to calm my soul and speak to it of Thy mercy that hath preceded all created things, and remind it of Thy loving-kindness that hath encompassed all who are in earth and heaven, saying to it “Be thou at peace and grieve not, for my Beloved is merciful, my Sovereign is generous, my Lord is compassionate and my Creator is forgiving,” there appeareth therefrom the fire of remorse and shame, consuming my patience and its patience, my forbearance and its forbearance, my tranquility and its tranquility. Therefore my crying before Thee shall never cease, nor shall my wailing before Thy face end. By Thy glory! I fear that the dwellers of the heaven of Thy joy and the tribes of the kingdom of Thy gladness will be saddened by my sadness. I beseech them through Thee not to prevent me from my crying and lamentation before the court of Thy oneness, for those who circle round Thy throne and have drunk from the Kawthar of glory and hope, and have found the sweetness of nearness and reunion, it behooveth them to look upon one who is far from the court of Thy nearness and is deprived of the wonders of Thy bounties. Alas! Alas! O my Beloved! Alas! Alas! O my Purpose! Alas! Alas! O my Desire! Alas! Alas! O my Hope! Alas! Alas! How can I lift my head before the Pen of ’Ali which Thou didst make the Dawning-Place of Thy revelation and the Rising-Point of Thy inspiration? How can I look upon the Pen that is attributed to Muhammad Thy Messenger, whereby the mysteries of Thy decree were inscribed and the tablets of Thy Cause were written? By Thy glory, O my Beloved! I am nigh unto returning to nothingness from my shame and what hath befallen me in my days. Can I behold the Pen whereby flowed what Thou didst send down upon the Spirit from the measures of Thy Cause and the mysteries of Thy laws and Thy decree, and from which appeared that whereby the sanctification of Thy Essence from all likeness and the purification of Thy Self from all similitudes was established? Or can I hear the scratching of the Pen of Moses whereby He wrote Thy laws and Thy judgments and the essences of Thy oneness and the traces of Thy uniqueness?

O My Beloved! How shall I behold the Pen of the Friend which Thou didst raise up by Thy command and make as the lamp of Thy revelation amongst Thy servants and the Word of Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures? Alas, alas, for my shame which shall not depart from me through the perpetuity of Thy glory and the continuance of Thine Essence! Grant me, O my God - though Thou hast immersed me in the oceans of forgiveness - how shall there depart from me the odors of rebellion such as none besides me hath wrought in Thy days? O my God! By Thy forbearance, whereby Thou didst not seize upon Thine enemies but rather sustained them through the sovereignty of Thy decree, to such extent that whosoever desired to draw the sword of hatred against Thy face, Thou didst sharpen it by a wisdom that was veiled from the eyes of Thy creatures; and by Thy loving-kindness, which the circumstances of Thy creation and the deeds of the idolaters in Thy lands did not withhold - I beseech Thee to return me to nothingness, then raise me up in Thy days through the sovereignty of Thy Will once again, that perchance there may be erased from my heart what appeared from me in the first instance, and that I may become oblivious of what I have committed, that Thou mayest make this oblivion a bounty unto my soul, a mercy unto my being, and a kindness unto my essence. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Generous.

By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands! If all who are in creation were to be adorned with the robe of justice, they would, upon hearing the lamentation of the Pen and its sighing before the All-Merciful, every one of them become detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth, turn towards the court of the Friend, and become severed from the world and whatsoever hath been ordained therein. However, in these days when such souls are rarely to be found - save very few indeed - how long must it be until holy and luminous countenances emerge from the Divine Sanctuary, attain unto the breezes of God and His words, and become independent of aught else but Him? These are among the choicest of creation in the sight of God, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Although this servant mentioneth any matter, afterwards he perceiveth himself to be remorseful, for it is not known whether the heat of Divine love will be kindled in those hearts; even as in the Dispensation of the Sixty, when the verses of the Point of the Bayan (may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake) were brought before any soul, they would, with utter disdain, take them in one hand, glance at them for about ten minutes or less, cast them aside and say: “These words are but fabrications.” Had they been in the least fair-minded, they would not have exchanged a single letter thereof for all that is in the heavens and earth.

Hearken unto this servant, purify thy heart and hearing from all that thou hast heard and understood, and then observe the verses that were sent down aforetime upon the Prophets and Messengers, and behold these most wondrous and most exalted verses, and judge thou fairly. Assuredly, if thou act according to what hath been mentioned, thou shalt attain unto the truth and become sanctified from the whispers of the evil ones. The intention was to mention all the verses that were sent down from the heaven of the Will of the Lord, the Most Exalted, in this most wondrous and most exalted Cause. They forbade it and said: “Wait awhile until it becometh known at what level and station the people of the Bayan stand and persist, and their essence be apprehended” - meaning those souls who are and have been observant of naught but God - and thereafter, if it be deemed fitting, the hidden verses of the Bayan and their concealed meanings shall be sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Merciful, that some may perceive that the Pen of God hath not moved except to describe this Most Great Revelation.

And its hidden meanings have descended from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will, that some may comprehend that the Pen of God hath not moved save to describe this Most Great Revelation, and the Tongue of God hath not spoken save to extol this Most Pure Beauty. The Command is in God’s hands, and verily He hath power over all things. Therefore, this evanescent servant hath been content with such verses as have shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the Sovereign of the Bayan. Yet it behooveth every person of insight in this day to sanctify his heart from all allusions, indications and names, and to fix his gaze upon the Manifestation Himself and that which proceedeth from His presence. All have been commanded thus in the Bayan, for all names and attributes have been and shall ever be His creation. Today most of the people of the Bayan are halted at the stage of names, and in the sight of God they are counted among its worshippers. They who occupy the Most Great Vista are, in the sight of God, those souls who have with their own hands plucked and partaken of the fruits of the divine Tree in this springtime of matchless glory. They who cling to aught else but this Tree are rejected in God’s sight and are reckoned among the people of negation and fire. At this moment the Spirit proclaimed: Write! No greater injustice can be witnessed than for one to seek proof and testimony concerning the Manifestation of Truth from any source save that which hath appeared and been revealed from His presence. Fix your gaze upon the Truth. If that proof whereby the authority of the Primal Point was established be witnessed and made manifest from God, then there remaineth no excuse for hesitation. In such circumstances, no justification from anyone will be or ever hath been acceptable, even should they cling to the words of the first and the last ones. Thus doth God expound His Cause, would ye but understand.

And concerning what you wrote about Dayyan, Mirza Ghugha, Shaykh Isma’il and Haji Mulla Hashim making claims and being proven false, etc. - similar objections were made by the polytheists at the beginning of the Dispensation of the Bayan, who would say that certain individuals before the Bab had made such claims and were proven false. Therefore, God forbid, this assertion is like the words of those souls who turned away from the Truth through such statements. In every Dispensation, the polytheists of that age have busied themselves with similar objections. However, such objections have never prevented, nor will they ever prevent, the insightful mystic and the detached sage from following the path of God. Rather, they will cause steadfast souls to become more firmly established. It is very clear that the greater the Manifestation and the more evident the Truth, the more intense has been and will be the opposition of the letters of negation, as can be observed. However, regarding these souls you mentioned - first, how has their falsehood become evident to you? As for Dayyan, who was named in the Book of God with all His beautiful names, he never made any claim that was contrary. In the first year of His Cause, some prayers from him were sent to the Most Holy Court, and in those tablets nothing was observed except expressions of humility, submissiveness, and faith in God and the Manifestations of His Cause. But when that known person observed that someone had appeared and written prayers, the fire of his jealousy was so intensely kindled that he issued a decree for his execution and that of his loved ones. Thus, that Manifestation of Divine Unity was martyred by his decree, as attested in the Bayan. Later in his book he attributed false claims to him that were never true, while that which was revealed about him in the Bayan was far above what he had claimed. Look therefore in the Bayan that you may be among those who understand. And there were some souls whom that known person rejected and pronounced all of them as unbelievers, yet in God’s sight these souls were not and will never be rejected. Rather, a single hair of theirs is better than him, if you be of the discerning ones. Among them was the honored Aqa Siyyid Ibrahim, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, concerning whom verses were revealed, including what shall be mentioned, that you may understand and realize that no one was focused on the Primal Point and what was revealed from Him, but rather for love of leadership and preservation of his own glory, he committed what no one from the beginning of creation until now has committed. His mighty word states: “Bear thou witness […]”

O Abraham! Thou wert in the day of the Throne of thy Lord’s Manifestation, and verily We were, before and after, among those who make truth to appear. Behold how We created thee and sustained thee and caused thee to die and brought thee back to life until this time, while those who were given the Scriptures remain to this hour veiled. When thou didst descend upon God, thy Lord, the Lord of the seen and unseen, the Lord of all worlds, thou didst hear the voice of those who followed thy Cause while they imagined they were exalting themselves in their love for thee. Say: Nay, verily nay! I and those who followed me were gathered before God, my Lord, on the day when I was among the believers in Moses at the Throne of God’s Manifestation. And these people do not follow, for had they followed me, they would have believed in Moses before Jesus, then in Muhammad after Jesus, then in the Point of the Bayan on the Day of Resurrection. Observe how He designated him as the Throne of the Manifestation, saying: “Behold how We created thee and sustained thee and caused thee to die and brought thee back to life at this time, while those souls who had believed in thee remain veiled in the Scriptures until now, and We heard the cry of those souls who followed thy Cause while they imagined they had attained lofty stations in their love for thee.” Say: Nay, verily nay! I was gathered before God with those souls who followed me when the Throne of the Manifestation appeared in the name of Moses, but those veiled souls did not follow me, for had they followed me, they would surely have attained to the recognition of and belief in the subsequent Manifestations and those holy beings. Say: O thou who art deaf to the age! Pay close attention and heed the divine words which explicitly and without allusion designated him as the Throne of the Manifestation, and after this mighty and transcendent station all names circled round him. Were he to be addressed as “Thou art God” or “He is God” or “from God” or “unto God” or “the Essence of God” or “the Identity of God” - all these stations are established and realized in his rank. Yet today the people of the Bayan, following the decree of that notorious one whom they call Abu’d-Dawahi, have so objected to him and spread the ruling of his unbelief that he has now for some time withdrawn from all, save that the curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Observe now to what extent they have transgressed in the Cause of God and what deeds they have perpetrated in rebellion against God. Then He addresses that glorious Name, saying in His mighty utterance […]

O My Khalil! In the Sacred Scrolls there hath never been, nor shall there ever be, any limit to the thrones of God’s Manifestation, yet the people remain veiled from this mystery. O My Remembrance in all heavenly Books after the Scrolls! In these thrones there is naught save that which pointeth to God, their Lord. Say: All are from God and unto God do they return. O My Name in the Bayan! Observe how Mine evidences have been awaited in every Dispensation, yet until this time I had not opened the gate of the Name in any previous Manifestation. This is of God’s grace unto them that are in the Bayan, but the people know it not. One whom He explicitly addresseth, saying “Thou art My Khalil in the Scrolls and My Remembrance in all heavenly Books, and My Name in the Bayan,” they call the Father of Calamities, and they perceive not. Say: God hath seized your hearing, your sight, and your hearts, yet ye hear not, see not, and understand not.

Read the book Mustaiqiz, which is among the works of him who turned away from God, whom the Lord hath seized, and behold what allegations he hath made against these holy Temples. The matter became so grave that when this Name came to Iraq, all arose to slay Him, and the Most Glorious Beauty restrained the people day and night until He safely returned to His abode. Thus was the matter, and God is witness to what I say. Praise be to God that his book Mustaiqiz is available to all, else, by Him Who created all beings from nothing, he would deny it, even as he hath denied most deeds. Would that he were mentioned in God’s presence as even one of those souls he hath rejected! Thou hast taken fancy as thy lord instead of God, and thou perceivest not what thou sayest. But God witnesseth what ye have wrought in your vain life, and He shall soon seize you with His might, for He is the most severe in punishment.

Despite this, he hath regarded such forsakers as followers of the Bayan, while considering Him through Whom the Bayan was revealed as a forsaker. By God! He speaketh naught but his own desire, and walketh in naught but the wilderness of fancy and pride, thinking himself to be among the guided ones. Moreover, these souls have not appeared with divine verses, and if thou sayest they were bearers of verses yet were rejected, this is thy transgression against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. For if the bearer of verses could be false, no faith would remain for thee or anyone on earth, since the faith of all is established through the Divine Manifestations Who have appeared with verses. If, God forbid, the bearer of verses could be false, by what proof wouldst thou establish the truth of the Point of the Bayan? Grievous is the word that cometh forth from your mouths, O company of the deniers!

It is evident that thou hast mentioned these souls merely to subvert the Cause of God, and hast compared this Manifestation to them. Know thou that these souls were not, nor shall they ever be, rejected in God’s presence. Rather, the rejected one is he who denied them, opposed them, and decreed their death. Among those souls he hath written about is Haji Mulla Hashim […]

Among those persons who wrote was Haji Mulla Hashim, whose petitions to the Divine Throne are still extant, and from whom nothing was seen except the utmost submissiveness. O thou who claimest mystical knowledge - thou hast brought all mystics to naught! It hath been heard that one of the philosophers was once in the land of Sad, and the divines of that land pronounced him an infidel and ordered his expulsion, and a group attacked that poor man. Among those persons was the renowned Mulla Ali Hakim-i-Nuri. That wronged one at that time said nothing to any of the divines, but turned to the aforementioned philosopher and spoke words that are not fitting to repeat, meaning that “thou considerest thyself a philosopher - why then dost thou object to a philosopher?” Now, with these objections, thou still claimest wisdom and mystical knowledge. Turn unto God Who created thee and fashioned thee, and oppose not those who have believed in God and His signs and who have suffered in His path what none of the world can reckon. The acceptance or rejection of souls hath never been, nor shall ever be, sufficient through imitation. Many a curser whose curse returneth unto himself, and many a rejecter whose rejection reverteth unto him while he perceiveth not and is among the heedless. Say: Die in your wrath! The idol of fancy and desire hath been shattered. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, he hath clung to a fancy that hath no equal in all creation. I know not by what proof and evidence he hath given preference to one who hath rejected those souls. Hearken unto the counsel of this servant and never reject anyone, for the Point of the Bayan specifically counseled all that none should oppose another. Even that known person - by God besides Whom there is none other God - though he arose with utmost guile and scheme to cut down the divine Tree, and that which was hidden in his breast was revealed, yet they did not oppose him until his writings appeared, which were all in rejection of God and His signs, and which exist now in his own handwriting. Therefore divine verses were sent down from the heaven of the Command in refutation of him who opposed God - and this was not from Him but from God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Verses are specific to the Manifestation, as the Point of the Bayan explicitly stated that after the setting of the Sun of Truth none would hear divine verses except at the time of the next Manifestation. And this same known person would, night after night and at dawn, be in the presence of the Qa’im receiving divine verses, yet afterwards became so proud from mere two words that he committed that which none of the manifestations of negation had ever committed. Any person with the slightest understanding knoweth that he was always in service to the Ancient Beauty, and if he comprehended anything, it was but a drop from the surging ocean of this sea. Nevertheless, thou hast written that which no rational person would write. By God, if a hundred thousand like him were able to speak in His presence, as these servants have witnessed with their own eyes […]

And if any understanding has been attained, it is but a droplet from the surging ocean that has been bestowed upon him. Nevertheless, you have written that which no person of intelligence has ever written. By God! Were a hundred thousand like him able to speak in His presence - as these servants have witnessed with their own eyes - yet you speak with mere fancy. In any case, may God curse that Satan who has misled both him and you, and how many calumnies you have attributed to the Truth for the sake of outward leadership. God willing, we hope he will not be provided with the wheat of Rey. Furthermore, I know not what Mirza Ghugha has done that such hatred against him has taken root in hearts like his, to the extent that they write treatises in refutation of him. There are many souls who, in their ecstasy and yearning, utter certain words - they too have mentioned something. They should not be so intent on violating the sanctity of God’s servants. Fear God and hurt not the hearts of His servants. Nothing has appeared from the likes of you that would give off even the faintest fragrance of truth. We beseech God to rid your hearts of rancor towards His loved ones, for verily He has power over all things.

He who cast these words has grown great in his opposition and mighty in his hypocrisy. If the claimant to this station has any proof other than verses, let him produce it. And if it is verses, Mirza Yahya, in addition to the clear text and decisive proofs, has stood in opposition claiming more, greater and better, and has volumes in his possession.

By God! He has spoken words that one is ashamed to consider. How quickly you have altered God’s balance and violated His sanctity! How swiftly you have engaged in distorting His words! By God! Every person of insight has perceived and continues to perceive your station and the station of he who cast these words from what you have written. Woe unto him and those who follow him! This servant is bewildered as to which of these absurdities he should hear and respond to. After all, what has driven you in these few days of life to occupy yourself with these vain, egotistical ravings at Satan’s prompting, remaining deprived of the shore of the sea of oneness? Suppose all people took him as lord besides God - what benefit would accrue to you or him? Nay, by Him in Whose hand is my soul, rather loss in this world and the next.

He has written that if the Author of this Revelation has anything besides verses, let Him bring it forth. This explicitly contradicts what the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - has revealed throughout the Bayan. And whoever has spoken or speaks these words is cursed, and every atom and all who dwell in the kingdom of Command and Creation curse him. Yes, by God! You have considered people foolish, for if people were not foolish, neither you nor that opposer would have been able to openly speak contrary to what God has spoken. The Primal Point has explicitly stated throughout the Bayan that the proof of the next Revelation has never been and will never be anything but verses, yet you have explicitly written “if He has any proof besides verses, let Him bring it forth.” You speak of that of which you are unaware. The station that you have sought to establish for that opposer of God was contingent upon the word of the Primal Point[…]

And thou sayest that which thou perceivest not. As for the station which thou hast purposed to establish for him who hath turned away from God, that station was dependent upon the word of the Primal Point, and the Primal Point was established through divine verses. Consider now how far ye have strayed from the path of truth and fallen into the wilderness of error. Reflect upon what thou hast committed and uttered, that perchance thou mayest awaken from thy deeds and be of them that seek forgiveness of God, Who created all things by His command and manifested the Manifestation of His Self through His sovereignty, and made His Cause sanctified from thee and from thy imaginings and from thy vain fancies, and from the idle fancies of those idols whom ye have taken as lords beside God. Woe unto them from the torment of a barren day! Indeed, thou art confident in the foolish ones of the Bayan, and rightly so. Now, let us set aside the verses. Whatsoever that known person manifests, if nothing superior to it appears from the fountainhead of divine power, we shall submit to thy fabrications and to that person who hath associated partners with God. By God! In this matter too ye are not steadfast, nor shall ye ever be, for we know that known person: in claim and assertion greater than all that is great, yet in manifestation and deed smaller than all that is small. O thou destitute pauper! Would that thou hadst at least taken as lord one like unto thyself. What benefit is there when thou art seen to be so heedless? Otherwise, I would have mentioned certain matters that thou mightest properly comprehend delusion and become aware of its deception.

As to what has been written that ‘if it is verses, Mirza Yahya stands opposed and claims superiority, more and better, and has many volumes in his possession’ - how base is his station and how grandiose his words! This claim from that source of pride, self and passion is like an ant in a barren valley claiming lordship - nay worse in the sight of all who possess enlightened vision. For his very essence was created by a single letter of these divine verses of might, and whatever words appeared from him were at his own level. Open your eyes that you may know. What he possesses will never be mentioned before God unless he returns to Him, repents and becomes of the penitent and the seekers of forgiveness. By God, he has committed what none before him committed! Now judge fairly yourself why such words have appeared claiming that ‘he stands opposed and claims superiority, more and better.’ Even the ignorant would be ashamed of such words, let alone the wise. O sightless one! The very fact that he has written ‘stands opposed’ is clear proof of his falsehood. Those possessed of sacred discernment can smell the stench of pride, arrogance and rejection of truth from these very words. It seems he has never recited the Quran which states: “And who is more unjust than he who fabricates lies against God or says ‘It has been revealed to me’ when nothing has been revealed to him, and who says ‘I will reveal the like of what God has revealed.’” Reflect a little on this revealed verse that you may become convinced that whoever says ‘I will reveal the like of what God has revealed’ - these very words invalidate and belie him. O truly deaf one! Hear the melody of the divine Dove singing upon the highest branch of the Tree of Utterance, saying that if you appear at this time, I will be among the first to prostrate and believe in you. Yet you show no shame before this utterance of the Merciful One and explicitly write that you ‘stand opposed’ and claim ‘superiority, more and better.’ By God, these very words are clear proof of the rejection, unbelief and hypocrisy of such souls. Likewise He says, exalted be His mention: Even if all the people of the Bayan become like him in the essence of knowledge, it would bear no fruit except through believing in Him. And it is very clear that none can be like Him in the essence of knowledge except the Point Himself. That Sun of Truth speaks thus about Himself, yet you busy yourself with such unworthy mentions about one through whose words you seek to falsely prove His Cause. Alas for you and him and those who follow you both! By God, they are in manifest error. Moreover, you write that ‘he has many volumes in his possession.’ This claim is exactly like the claims of the deniers at every Revelation who boasted of their writings and compositions while objecting to the Sovereign of Names and Attributes. If someone’s books could make him self-sufficient, then surely the books on earth at the time of the manifestation of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - would have made people self-sufficient […]

Thus have they objected concerning the attributes. If books could enrich a soul, then assuredly would all the books on earth have enriched and sufficed mankind at the time of the appearance of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. Nay, by God! All are poor at the gate of His riches, all are ignorant at the gate of His knowledge, all are powerless before the manifestation of His might. Verily, He is self-sufficing, independent of all else, and He is the All-Powerful over the worlds.

I ask thee to judge fairly: if one person possesses a single ruby, and another a hundred thousand loads of pebbles, which one wouldst thou consider wealthy and self-sufficient? Even if a hundred thousand books should appear which have yielded and will yield no fruit except through acknowledgment of the Manifestation - for words are as the niche and the love and remembrance of God as the lamp. If that niche be deprived of the lamp, it becomes a useless instrument. Words are good when from them can be inhaled the fragrances of divine love; after the loss of this station, they appear as the lowest words of the people of earth.

Fear God, and oppose not any of His servants, and mention none but Him in His holy court. Rend asunder the veils, then speak forth thy Lord’s praise amongst the worlds.

In this connection, hearken unto what the Source of the Bayan hath revealed in His testament to one of the Letters of the Living. His exalted Word declares: If thou shouldst recite or transcribe but one verse from the verses of that Ancient Essence, it would be more meritorious in the sight of God than transcribing the entire Bayan, for on that Day that single verse would be thy salvation while the entire Bayan would not save thee. It is like one who, in the time of God’s Apostle, would transcribe all heavenly books and whatever was written under their shadow, yet would be judged as naught, while if he transcribed but one verse of the Qur’an, he would be judged as having faith. This is the essence of knowledge and deed.

Consider how lofty and mighty is the greatness of the Cause, and how base art thou and thy words and the words of the idolaters. The shining Sun will not be veiled by such barriers, nor will the Manifestation Himself be tainted by the defilement of these words. Verily, He hath ever been sanctified from you and your words, and He is God’s proof among His creatures. It behooveth all who are on earth to follow what appeareth from Him, not what they possess. This is the truth, and beyond truth there is naught but error, if ye be of them that know.

How many are like unto asses carrying volumes yet unaware of a single letter therein, as hath been mentioned in previous books and expressly revealed in the Perspicuous Book. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, those volumes thou mentionest would best be effaced with water, or returned by someone to their source, for they ought to be, in his opinion, a grave for his words. These servants have seen many such volumes. Would that thou hadst shattered the idol of vain imaginings and looked with the eye of insight upon its contrived words. By God, every person of wisdom and vision laugheth at it and at what hath proceeded from it.

And by that which hath proceeded from Him, every person of understanding and insight [knoweth]. And further, from that fountain of pride and vainglory was uttered these words – his worthless utterance: “It is easy. They claim that all the verses written by the Claimant throughout His lifetime, I can write better, finer and more eloquently in a single day, such that even a child could discern the difference.” Thus end his words. All of your virtues and his are made manifest from this single utterance. This servant is bewildered as to what to mention in this regard, for he hath uttered words which, by God, even Pharaoh did not speak in the presence of Him Who conversed with God. By the peerless One God! If he were capable of speaking before a single one of those who circle round the Throne – let alone before the Source, the Manifestation, and the Fountainhead of divine bounties! And now, put this very claim to the test. That objector is present, and the servants of the House are also present. If he can match the servants in any manner whatsoever, then “we shall believe in all that ye have said.” Even though excessive speech hath never been, nor ever shall be, proof of truth. Since thou hast produced these vain arguments in opposition to God, this servant hath therefore mentioned these words in reply, lest there remain for thee any excuse, proof, argument or evidence. Otherwise, the Most Holy and Pure Court hath been and shall ever be sanctified above all these proofs, mentions, words, allusions and implications to which ye have clung.

O heedless one! Until now, nothing equal to that which hath been sent down from the heaven of utterance hath ever been sent down, and all that exists in the heavens and earth cannot equal a single verse thereof. If thou regardest these things, then present thyself and observe how, at the time of the revelation of verses, none can keep pace in recording them. Put it to the test, O thou who testest after that which behooveth no one to test God. Rather, He testeth His servants and trieth them, even as He hath tested thee and cast thee into the nethermost hell. To every person of mature understanding, these proofs of yours have been and shall ever be as the words of children. Ye have made God’s Cause a plaything, a sport, a jest and mockery. God shall soon seize you with a consuming power from His presence, for He is the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Omnipotent. The odors of thy proofs and arguments have caused the flowers of the divine proof and testimony in the paradise of understanding to wither. If thou wouldst observe thy words with fairness, thou wouldst more readily perceive their repugnancy. Hath anyone ever heard, from the beginning of creation until now, that a soul would oppose the Truth in the manner thou hast opposed in this infernal book of thine? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! The eye of creation hath not witnessed one more veiled than thee, nor hath the eye of invention seen one more heedless than thee. Yet thou dost rejoice in what thou hast written and art of them that exult. We beseech God to transform thy joy into supreme sorrow, except if thou shouldst repent and return unto Him and be of them that repent.

Furthermore, that deluded polytheist hath written, stranger still, that they themselves claim that their expressions are verses, and their messengers say that their seven-year-old children also speak verses. How then can the verses of “Him Whom God shall make manifest” be proof of His truth when His creation also speaks verses and His young child speaks verses? And if they say that verses appear both from the station of creation and letters, and from the primal Point and Tree of Truth, then verses themselves would not be proof of the truth of the original Tree, and something else must needs be explained as to what that might be.

Yea, verily, were He to desire that every soul should voice His praise, He is able to do so, for He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. And were He to desire to manifest a soul with all signs, He would be capable through His sovereignty, and none may object to Him, and God is witness to what I say. He hath caused a child among children to speak as proof of Him and testimony to His Self, and this is a station for which ye should thank God and praise Him. Yet ye have opened your tongues in objection to this Remembrance Who hath appeared with the Most Glorious Name between the heavens and earth. Consider now whether any ignorant one hath made or would make such an objection. Nay, by God, except thee and thy like who have been created from the air of self, the water of rejection, the fire of envy and the dust of hatred. Die then in your wrath! He hath verily appeared with the truth and there is no turning back. Your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath decreed for Himself that He shall raise up in all realms those who shall serve as proofs of Him, who shall arise between heaven and earth, who shall speak His praise and raise the standards of victory amidst all creation. These are servants whom God hath made pure from all else save Him, detached from what ye possess, and who hold fast to God’s strong and mighty cord. These are they whom the signs of all who are on earth and the proofs of the polytheists shall never deter.

Say: O ignorant one! Thou hast failed to distinguish between favor and vengeance, hast reckoned pure good as evil, and hast deemed the very essence of mercy and justice as the embodiment of tyranny. Yea, a child of the household, at the age of six, did speak forth the verses of God, and that child is present now. By God! That same tree of corruption did repeatedly declare that what proceeded from him had not been witnessed from any soul from the primal beginning until now, and most nights and days he was occupied in offering praise. And now matters have reached such a pass that not only hath he turned away from the Exalted Truth – nay, he hath not even spared the children, nor will he. And they shall not stay their hands until they have dyed the earth with these pure bloods, and this is what hath been sent down in the Tablets, if ye be of them that perceive. Time and again have We declared that We caused him to speak forth verses in his childhood, that it might serve as a proof of this merciful Revelation and this holy, eternal Manifestation. Yet thou hast reckoned this supreme favor as vengeance, and instead of rendering thanks unto the Exalted Truth, thou hast begun to voice complaints.

Know ye that whatsoever hath appeared as proofs and evidences from the beginning that hath no beginning, through all the Prophets and Messengers, hath been the proof of this Revelation, and whatsoever constituteth proof in this Revelation hath been and shall ever remain the proof of previous and subsequent dispensations. However, We have specifically endowed this child with verses, lest certain souls who have attained but a drop from the boundless effusions of this Most Great Ocean should behave with pride toward the Revealer of verses. Such a one who had eternally clung to him, yet remained deprived of a drop from the Ocean of oceans, returned to his abode in the fire, which is verily the abode of the wicked and a wretched dwelling for these evil ones, if ye be of them that are assured.

Know that between the sun and its reflections upon walls and stones there is an infinite difference which even the weakest sight can discern, how much more so a penetrating vision. Moreover, when the image of the sun appeareth in a mirror, can it be said that this is the very sun of heaven? Nay, the difference between earth and heaven is evident, and none but the deceitful and malicious would deny this. Similarly, today if thou wouldst refine thine hearing and purify it from what thou hast heard from the idolaters, thou wouldst find the words of him who hath turned away from God to be like the words of children, nay more contemptible, compared to the verses revealed from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s Bayan. By God! No comparison can be made; indeed their mention is unworthy save when they believe through divine grace, and after denial they are and shall be utter nothingness.

Know that divine verses have ever been the fundamental proof, yet from this most mighty Revelation there hath appeared, apart from verses, that which all have been and shall be powerless to produce the like thereof. Fear God and follow not thy vain desires, but follow the Truth which hath come to thee from the Dayspring of the Spirit with the tidings of God, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Verily it sufficeth thee above all else, and naught else shall suffice thee even shouldst thou cling to all that is in the heavens and earth, if ye be of them that are certain. This is God’s counsel unto thee and unto His servants. Whoso accepteth his Lord’s counsel, it shall be to his benefit, and whoso turneth away, verily God is independent of what was and what shall be.

Furthermore, regarding the suggestion of that opposer that they had acknowledged them - now Mirza Yahya maketh the same argument, that even if you or a thousand others should speak verses, as the Bab declared that should He wish, He could raise up by the number of all things those who speak in verses, they must still acknowledge him […]

Another contention of that objector who casts aspersions is that if they say these ones have confirmed them, then Mirza Yahya’s argument is the same - that even if you or a thousand others were to produce verses, as the Bab declared He could raise up by the number of all things those who could speak verses, they must still acknowledge me and be under my shadow, for I am the First Mirror and all are reflections of me, since the Divine Nature has appeared through me, as confirmed by the Point of the Bayan.

Assuming confirmation, there have always been and will always be Mirrors for the eternal Truth, and none has enumerated their beginning, nor has this been exclusive to any particular soul. All things have been and will be Divine Mirrors. However, the previous Manifestation complained of all mirrors, saying in His mighty words: “I shall complain to Thee, O Mirror of My generosity, of all mirrors who gaze upon Me with their own colors.” And addressing that Name, He says: “Thou art that Primal Mirror that hath eternally reflected the Truth and will forever continue to do so.” In another instance, He called the first to believe the Primal Mirror. These mentions pertain to the earthly realm, otherwise mirrors have neither beginning nor end. All these mirrors have been and will be created by a Word. So long as they remain beneath the Tree of Unity, the lights of Truth shine therein such that naught is seen in them save God. But after deviation they have been and will be manifestations of Satan.

By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, this complaint He made of all mirrors is a mighty proof, were ye to perceive. This station of mirrors mentioned in the text of the Point of the Bayan - yet thou dost speak of mirrors before the Sun, when all mirror-suns are and shall be utter nothingness before His dawning. If the Manifestation Himself should apply the term “mirror” in the primary degree to all things, it is the truth wherein there is no doubt.

Hearken to this servant’s call and deliver thyself from these barren wastes to enter holy realms. By God, such utterances but increase delusions and veils. The more thou occupiest thyself with such words, the further removed and deprived shalt thou be from the matchless flowing waters of the Eternal Lord. Cast aside these examples and fix thy gaze upon God and what appears from Him, for all things end in Him and appear from Him. These words suit only those like yourself who make outward claims to learning which in your own estimation you have called knowledge. Send not a drop of bitter salt to the sweet flowing river.

Know that whatsoever can be termed existent has been and shall be created. Thou hast mentioned Divine Nature - all things were created according to Divine Nature but thou hast not understood it. Moreover, hear the call of the Divine Nature Who was sent in human form and spoke these words before the Most Great Gate, mighty be His splendor: “And among the polytheists is one who said these verses were not revealed according to the Divine Nature. By God, the Truth, the Divine Nature hath now appeared in the form of a servant and stood before the Gate in humility […]”

Stand at the door with humility and submission, crying out and saying: “Woe unto you, O company of the deluded ones! By God, I was created by His command - thus doth she testify for herself, though these wicked ones comprehend not. By God, she glorieth in her relationship to Our true Self, though We have ever been independent of her. We created her and all things by Our command, and none deny this save every froward infidel.”

These are verses that were previously sent down from the Most Glorious Heaven concerning the original divine nature, and this is among the teachings of the people of the Furqan, as revealed in God’s Book: “Set thou thy face towards religion as a man of pure faith - the nature framed of God in which He hath created mankind.” Hence it is related in the prophetic tradition: “Every child is born in the state of nature,” and so forth. This nature is the same as the divine nature, and this station holds true so long as one abideth beneath the shade of faith. After changing therefrom one is counted among the idolaters, as the rest of the tradition states: “It is his parents who make him a Jew, or a Magian, or a Christian.”

Say: O thou confused and perplexed one! Today thou dost witness with thine own eyes and ears that the ocean of verses surgeth and, like a torrential rain, descendeth from the heaven of God’s will. Nevertheless thou writest that Mirza Yahya claims that the Author of verses is but a reflection of him. O thou deprived one! This station is sanctified above reflector and reflected. Were there to be found even a single person who had truly grasped the Bayan, the earth of understanding would expand such that all would acknowledge they had not comprehended a single letter thereof. But until now such hath not been witnessed, and afterward the matter resteth in His hands.

His words show the greatness of his heedlessness. Setting aside all other statements, Mirza Yahya now claimeth every station beyond which none higher can be conceived, saying that whoever maketh a claim must produce the like thereof or better. These words have issued from naught but the source of pride, the mine of falsehood, and the dawning-place of iniquity. Should his claim to be a mirror be accepted, the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said that if a mirror should claim “I am the sun,” it is evident to the sun that it is but a reflection of it. By God, this revealed statement of the Bayan is an explicit text proving that they would oppose the Truth after Him, and that souls claiming to be mirrors would, in the presence of the Sun of Truth, claim to be the sun themselves. Woe unto him and unto you for what ye falsely attribute to yourselves and then unto God, while ye perceive not.

Furthermore, it is the height of shamelessness to write that today whoever maketh a claim must produce the like of Mirza Yahya’s verses or better. O thou blind one! He was powerless before that which was sent down from the heaven of the Bayan from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. By God, all things are bewildered by these statements he hath uttered. His very existence today is unworthy of mention, let alone his words. Every person of understanding knoweth that if even a word of the words of Truth be found with him, he hath taken it from this Most Holy, Most Pure Spot. I beseech God to grant thee great awareness, that perchance thine eyes may be healed of the ophthalmia of vain imaginings and thou mayest gaze upon the words of the All-Knowing Sovereign, until thou seest all words as utter nothingness before a single letter of the words of God. Thus hath the decree been sent down from the heaven of wisdom as a grace from Him unto all the worlds.

His words demonstrate the paucity of his understanding […]

Now, O my brother, by God, the Cause hath become obscure to you. If you truly wish to understand that there is no ulterior motive, you yourself are my advocate. If it becomes clear to you, write to me. But with fairness: it is very easy for you. Civil policy hath no bearing on truth, and this is practical wisdom which they call the refinement of morals, household management and civil policy - which is the science of conduct with people and with those who are connected, from servants and followers, that one should act with each according to what agreeth with their nature through love and character. You have mistaken this practical wisdom for the essence of truth, and these have become veils unto you. If you wish to test this, set aside a day to conduct an examination: Read a page of the Quran, and with utmost swiftness, let one who claimeth truth write its contents in a special rhythm without pause, and again in another rhythm and expression, and so forth. Whosoever can write thus is truthful in his claim, else he is false. Unlike Mirza Yahya who claimeth this station - test both yourself and inform me, but with fairness. Verily, whoever possesseth this station is true and his word is truth, and others are false. By God, every person of penetrating vision laugheth at thy words! It seemeth the fragrance of the divine Ridvan hath never wafted upon thee, for today whoever is related to the Truth must needs manifest some evidence thereof. By God, thy words appear baser than those of previous peoples. Since the hatred of God was in thy heart, thy pen hath been deprived of the grace of mention and writing. The Cause hath become obscure to thee, as thou hast left the party of the All-Merciful and turned to the party of Satan. It is evident to every person of insight that we, these servants, after five years of association, relate what we have seen with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, day and night, while thou hast clung to the word of a vile one who was rejected by this servant, let alone by the dwellers of the realms of inner meaning, and hast utterly deprived thyself of the splendors of the lights of the dawn of inner meanings which in these divine days have risen and shine forth. Now, O fair one, judge fairly: Has the Cause become obscure to us, or to you?

And whereas thou hast written that there is no self-interest involved - by God, this very statement is pure self-interest and sheer ego. As thou thyself hast written, “Go now and test it,” making this servant responsible to test and then inform thee of whatever becomes manifest. Yet thou wast not present here and hast not tested it thyself. Why then, before testing, hast thou attributed so many fabricated, slanderous, and self-motivated falsehoods to the Truth and engaged in pure denial? Consider now who is self-interested. By God, wert thou to be fair, thou wouldst find thyself in manifest loss. O thou ocean of self-interest, fear God Who created thee by His command, and speak not that which every atom would belie. Fear God and be of the God-fearing. Observe now how disgraceful and evident are thy deeds and actions before God, and how thy mind hath been seized by the hand of power such that thou writest and provest thine own self-interest and hatred, yet remainest unaware. Thus doth everyone in the heavens and earth testify to thy self-interest, and thy very self beareth witness to thine own self-interest, and this is a certain truth. The self-interest of the idolaters hath reached such a point that some like thyself have raised objections and spoken against the creation of the All-Merciful, raising protests. Thou hast testified to the creation and then objected due to personal interest. One is bewildered which statement to believe. On one side, the embodiment of corruption hath written to various quarters making complaints and denying the divine qualities of the Manifestation of Divinity - these words they have written abroad. On the other side, they have suggested to you to write thus to those who circle round the House. If the character is righteous, what meaning hath the denial of those people? And if its absence be true, what significance hath thy mention? By God, every person of insight is certain that they have not spoken and will not speak the word of truth. According to the exigencies of the time, whatever they deem beneficial to their vile selves, that they speak and use as evidence. In any case, these servants testify that verily He is of a mighty character, and we testify that He is God’s proof among His creation, His evidence among His creatures, the Manifestation of His Cause in His lands, the Dawning-Place of glory among His servants. All that hath appeared from Him is truth like unto His own being, and all else is non-existent in His court and null in the presence of the manifestations of His sovereignty. Verily, He is the Beloved of the mystics and the Goal of all worlds. Whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Supreme.

O people of religion! I adjure you by the Lord of the Day of Judgment whether from these words can be detected the faintest trace of truth. Nay, by His very truth! These words resemble the utterances of the most degraded people of the earth who, in their quarrels with one another, declare “My power is greater than yours” and “My strength surpasses yours” and similar vain talk that is common among the ignorant. By God! Now is the time to lament for the Cause, for behold how the Point of the Bayan, with all His station and glory, showed such humility, submissiveness, resignation and contentment towards this Revelation, and yet you speak words from which even the basest would recoil, using them to prove the falsity of the Truth. Indeed, the Cause of God has now been so debased that all that is in the Bayan has become dependent upon your word and that of Mirza Yahya, Siyyid Muhammad, Ali Muhammad Siraj and such souls. This is like the latter days of the Dispensation of the Qur’an when all divine matters and the firm divine law became dependent upon and conditional on the word of some sheikh among the religious leaders. It is evident that this is from the promptings of Satan. You seem to have no awareness of yourself, having fallen prey to the tempest of passion and desire which carries you wherever it wills. You have not considered that the very basis of this matter is considered blasphemy by those endowed with insight. They have differed about blasphemy: some maintain that blasphemers are those who name God with names not permitted in the Divine Book; some hold that blasphemers are those who derive names from the divine names and worship these derived names instead of God, as they have taken ‘Manat’ from ‘Mannan’ (the All-Bountiful), and ‘Uzza’ from ‘Aziz’ (the Mighty), and ‘Lat’ from ‘Allah’, prostrating themselves before these names and worshipping them. Others maintain that blasphemy is the same as corruption, and that corruption is in meanings rather than words, for ‘lahd’ means to conceal, and such souls are those who conceal the meanings of divine words according to their own desires - that is, they interpret them according to their own wishes and continue to do so. And some maintain that blasphemers are those who clothe other meanings in the garment of their own words. These are the meanings of blasphemy that are known among people […]

Now this matter which has been requested lies not beyond these categories, and in every case has been and will be atheism. The delivery of this passage has been made a miracle for you, and furthermore, this is the easiest of paths. It is strange that it should appear difficult to you, for when the meaning exists, the limitation of words has been and will be exceedingly simple and easy. Now observe how lacking in understanding you are, and beyond these stations - by God, besides Whom there is no God - we have seen with our eyes and heard with our ears what is greater than can be imagined. It is certain that you are not and have never been convinced by the word of this servant, for if you were, that same letter which was sent to you some time ago would have enabled you to distinguish truth from falsehood. In this case it is necessary that either you come yourself or appoint another representative to appear before me with all the heavenly books. This servant makes a covenant that divine verses shall be revealed in such wise that no one will be capable of transcribing them. Now this is a statement which you yourself have mentioned and requested - come and observe. Apart from this, Truth has not been and will not be known by such means, for He is the measure of all things, and His creation has not been and will never be the measure for knowing Him. This matter is fundamentally unsound, as was mentioned, and you do not even have enough understanding to know that it is said “Test not the Lord,” for it befits Truth to test and try mankind, while it is not fitting or proper for His creation to test Him. However, since you have made this the criterion and are not satisfied with God’s measure, finding it insufficient, I have requested that they accept this through their grace and bounty, and they have accepted, as they now declare: “Bring the heavenly books before God, thy Lord and the Lord of the first and the last, then read what thou willest as thou willest, and from the heaven of God’s might there shall be revealed in every word, words of transcendent glory in such wise that all the worlds would be powerless to reckon them, and in whatever manner thou desirest and in whatever way thou pleasest God will in truth send down from the heaven of holy exaltation that which all created things together would be powerless to transcribe.” These decisive words have been revealed in response to your request, but they have said that it is certain you will make another excuse, for the word of truth “increaseth the wrongdoers in naught save loss.” I know not by what excuse you will seek to justify yourself next, or to what measure you will cling. By God, O servant, you are far removed from the shore of justice and distant from the seat of nearness. I know not what has possessed you, when you have not appeared in my presence, nor attained the presence of the previous Manifestation, yet before any trial, by your own admission, you have occupied yourself with these slanderous words and denied those who are informed of the Cause while confirming one who, like yourself, had absolutely no knowledge of anything. And beyond these stations, your words contradict each other, as in this place you have written “Surely whoever possesses this station is […]”

Aside from all these considerations, your words contradict each other, as in this instance you have written that whoever possesses this station is assuredly true and his words are true and all others false, yet later you write that even if one should bring forth this Cause, it would still not prove him to be that promised Soul but rather he would be one of the saints of the Bayan’s dispensation, and this only after Mirza Yahya’s confirmation. Now judge fairly: if truth is certain, how can it depend on confirmation from one beneath it? This cannot escape one of two conclusions: either you must acknowledge that the first statement was idle talk uttered without awareness, or else the second statement. By God, the signs of divine wrath have become manifest in such souls, for you are unaware of what you write and say.

Know that today, whatever your mind or the minds above or below you may comprehend, none of these can serve as the measure for recognizing truth, for truth is exalted far above, sanctified beyond, and free from all these things. Should a soul ascend to the highest degree of knowledge or rise to the loftiest summit of understanding, it would profit him not and bear no fruit except after acknowledging this Most Great Revelation. Thus was the command revealed in the Bayan, then in the Qur’an, then in the Gospel, the Torah, the Psalms and the Sacred Scrolls, if you be of those who are certain.

As to his statement “his falsehood has grown great” - judge fairly: if one who has been nurtured twenty years in this dispensation and twenty years among the mystics should write four words, nay a thousand words, on mystical topics in the form of verses, what relevance does such acquired knowledge have to innate knowledge? The difference between these two is as was explained. And even if they did write in that manner - though this would be difficult - it still would not prove him to be that promised One, nor would it prove the denial and rejection of Mirza Yahya, rather they would be among the saints of the Bayan’s dispensation, and this only on condition of confirming the Fruit, not through denying and wronging him. […]

And what sayest thou concerning those with whom they associated during the Bayan? Every soul who attained the presence would acquire divine knowledge and heavenly wisdom, and none could ever speak in that most holy and exalted presence, much less impart anything. Indeed, these servants were in Iraq and witnessed this with our own eyes. Ask thou the people of Iraq that thou mayest discover and be among those who know. Moreover, from the first appearance of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - until now, there hath been no rest, as in most times He was imprisoned and in the hands of enemies. After His father, they specifically brought Mirza Yahya to Mulla Mahdi of Kand as his teacher, who would come for one hour daily to instruct him. Now inquire in the land of Ta if anyone can be found who would say He studied or acquired knowledge - then right would be with you. However, none of these matters has ever been or will ever be proof of anything. Well have they cast hatred into thy heart, and well have calumnies been imprinted in thy breast. In the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan, these same words emerged from the polytheists, claiming He associated with the Shaykhis and took what He wrote from the words of Shaykh Ahmad. Similarly they alleged He studied with such and such person in the land of Shin and acquired outer knowledge. God’s curse be upon him who inspired thee and cast into thy breast that which made him deserving of His wrath. And further regarding the form of verses mentioned - this is a claim the polytheists have long uttered, sometimes speaking of shell and kernel, sometimes mentioning form and prime matter in the verses. Whatever issueth from their mouths returneth unto themselves, and verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is innocent of them and what they say. O blind one! Thou who canst not distinguish between right and left, how hast thou become a judge of what is innate and what is not? A truth whose arbiter thou art is worthy only of thyself. Had there been found one with sight, he would know and be convinced that not all the words of the world can equal one verse revealed in truth. All people who have been deprived of the shore of divine knowledge were so because they made their own understanding the measure of the knowledge of Truth. Thus were they barred and forbidden from the Kawthar of inner meanings. Every people today await with their own proofs and arguments, hesitating about the Manifestations of Divine Unity. This is the state of souls who had some desire for knowledge, but as for the likes of you who stand against the Countenance of Truth with pure hatred and sheer rancor - ye have no mention with God and never will. Would that thou couldst hear what thy very members were saying to thee while writing thy words! Even the hair on thy body sought refuge with God from thy evil, deceit and guile. Know thou that the exalted Truth hath been in a new condition each day, and the understanding of people hath never been and will never be the measure of His knowledge. Many souls who in the previous Revelation were accounted of the loftiest paradise were in the subsequent Revelation recorded among the lowest hell, as the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath explicitly stated regarding this station, and it was mentioned before.

May God curse the first oppressor who wronged the Primal Point in His latter Manifestation, who denied His verses, rejected His Revelation, disputed His proof, contested His sovereignty, warred against His Person and sought to shed His blood, after He had come to them with clear and mighty signs. Every atom beareth witness that He never opposed anyone, and was more merciful to every soul than that soul was to itself - to this all things testify, if ye be not of them that deny. As to His own Self, He dealt with all in utmost love, until after the great separation certain writings were discovered from Mirza Yahya, the gist of which was mentioned before. In those writings he attributed all the evils of the first and the last unto the Truth. After observing those fabricated, forged and false tablets, there was revealed in refutation of him who opposed God that which was revealed - and this was not from Him but from God, the Revealer, the Mighty, the Gracious. O thou who art devoid of justice! By God besides Whom there is none other God, if there existed in thy heart even an atom’s weight of divine love, thou wouldst surely have written unto him asking by what proof and evidence he had set about to cut down the divine Tree and had objected to that Being Who declareth: “O people! I am God’s proof amongst you, and His evidence within you, and His mercy unto you, and I have come to you from the horizon of meaning and utterance with a momentous tiding that was, in truth, great. God hath sent Me and dispatched Me with verses wherewith He sent all the Prophets and Messengers, and then ’Ali in truth. By what proof then do ye deny this Cause which hath shone forth from the holy horizon with manifest sovereignty?” O people! Do ye object to Him through Whom your faith and the faith of every believer was established, through Whom your names were exalted and your ranks were elevated and the Word of God was made manifest in all regions - and God is witness to this? Despite this, thou didst not utter unto him one word of counsel for the sake of God, but rather took up the sword and engaged in his deeds. This was an objection against him, not against the Truth. By God, he committed that which none other hath committed. One who had pronounced the death sentence upon all the Prophets he regarded as right, while objecting to Him through Whom truth appeared and by Whom truth was established. Alas for thee and for what thou didst perpetrate in thy vain life! Woe unto thee for having wasted thy life while being unaware! Any soul possessed of the least discernment would assuredly know that had they so wished, he would never have existed. For twenty years in this Cause, and twenty years before it, they strove with utmost kindness and care in protecting and educating him. The fruit thereof is what ye have heard. The heavens and earth have wept, then the air and the waters and the rocks and the trees and the fruits and the leaves - but the idolaters are in great joy. Furthermore, where were ye in this land that ye understood oppression and attributed it thus? By God besides Whom there is none other God, if anyone had even spoken to that objecting soul, let alone oppressed him - ye have deemed the oppressor to be the oppressed […]

By God, besides Whom there is none other God! If anyone were to converse with that opposing soul - let alone deeming the oppressor to be oppressed and the polytheist to be a believer in divine unity - while you yourself acknowledge the divine attributes, yet still attribute oppression, unaware of what you say. At all times he was occupied with multiple women in a place of comfort and pleasure. Yes, in this land that corrupt master - who God willing shall see no good and attain not his purpose - has inspired in him whatsoever he has inspired, and all these matters stem from his schemes, although he himself is the very root of the tree of opposition. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! He has appeared with such cunning and deceit as has had and has no peer or likeness in creation. Your understanding has become evident - how well you comprehend the matter! The winds of polytheism and hypocrisy move you however they wish. His words magnify his calumny. In brief, you are most astonishing. Previously, whoever renounced the world and its leadership was praiseworthy. Now you have named him fear, and you write of one to whom the Bab would address His tablets “From God and unto God” at their opening that he hid in women’s veils. How strange! How strange! You were seekers after truth, and how well you have undermined the former Prophets! Jesus who took refuge in caves, and the Prophet who hid in a sack, and Zechariah who found shelter in a tree, and all the saints who, from fear or other cause, would not draw breath but fled from city to city and land to land. You have lied against God Who created all things! You have no knowledge of what proceeded from the Primal Point, nor do you possess it. Several volumes were revealed from the heaven of the Point of the Bayan’s will, in some “From God unto God” and in some “From God unto Him Whom God shall make manifest” is mentioned, and the purpose of all was this most mighty, most holy Manifestation, from Whom you and your like have turned away and Whom you utterly deny. One was specifically revealed for Mirza Asadu’llah, whom the Point of the Bayan named Dayyan and designated with all the divine names, while your guide cursed and reviled him and issued the decree for his death, and that poor soul was martyred. Likewise one was specifically revealed from the heaven of the mighty, powerful Will for Aqa Siyyid Ibrahim, whom your guide named Abu’d-Davahi. Some of what befell these two souls has been mentioned before - read it that you may discover the virtues of your guide and what befell them both. These words are mentioned that you may not speak unawares and be moved by every wind, and that you may not turn away from the Truth Who, if He wishes, is able to return to a handful of dust all the names you have enumerated. For one station of describing the Truth is that since He beholds in all things the signs of His own revelations, therefore to the lowliest sign appearing on earth do all names and attributes return and shall return, for the purpose of the divine names by which He is addressed returns to that divine revelation which has been revealed within it without direction.

And it shall come to pass, for the meaning of the Most Beautiful Names by which He is addressed pertains to that divine Manifestation which hath, without direction, manifested in Him. And so long as this manifestation remains in all things, the attribution of all names to all things is true. But after turning away, each one is deprived and returns to the abode of fire. And were it observed that thou wert capable of understanding, the Ocean of meanings and knowledge would assuredly bestow upon thee a drop. But it is better that thou remain deprived and continue to speak these limited, inverted and veiled words. Nothing emergeth from the people of Sijjin save the words of Sijjin.

It has been written previously that whoever had renounced worldly affairs and leadership was praiseworthy, but now you have termed it fear, writing that such a one has hidden in women’s tents. That which has been revealed from God is the truth, and He is truthful in what He has said and says. You have found a fine detachment indeed - detached from truth, not from all else. By God, I am ashamed to mention his deeds, for you are unaware. Those who were with him are still living. One who in carnal desire reached such a state that he did not spare the sacred precincts, and violated the sanctuary of the Point. By God, he tore the veil of the Greatest Covering. This shameless, discourteous one you call detached. In previous years he had designated seven fiery martyrs - one of those souls, after being informed, repented and returned to God, and God clothed him in the robe of forgiveness and the mantle of His grace, and elevated him to the Most Glorious Paradise above the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost Boundary, he who was named Moses in the Kingdom of Names. Verily, he ascended to the highest horizon and is now in the Most Glorious Prospect, around whom circle the dwellers of the cities of eternity. That blessed soul was Mirza Musa-i-Qumi, upon him be the glory of God, who broke the idol of fancy and desire and established himself in the Most Glorious Arc by God’s leave, Creator of earth and heaven, and then returned to God. Another soul never accepted this falsehood, as if the Holy Spirit had informed and preserved him from the calumnies of these calumniators. In brief, were details to be mentioned, it would take too long. Three of those souls remain, and in that pamphlet these souls were martyred, and it was explicitly written that each should send him a virgin daughter along with gold and silver. That pamphlet exists today. You have surely counted these things as detachment. By God, these mentioned deeds were virtuous compared to his other actions, which I am ashamed to mention. Until now the divine veil had concealed his faults, but when he rent the veil, God revealed them. How strange, most strange - nay, strangeness itself proclaims “Strange! Then strange again!” - that he cannot distinguish between pottery and pearl, and having departed from this Most Holy Court, has attributed calumnies to the Prophets and Messengers, and has opened his tongue in abuse of the monarchs of existence to prove an illusory matter. O uninformed one, listen! As for Jesus son of Mary, from the beginning of His mission He conversed most days in the Temple with the Jewish leaders, and proclaimed the Cause without dissimulation, as is recorded in the books. You have not seen the Gospel text stating that when that holy, divine Spirit was brought before one of the Jewish scholars named Annas, who asked Him “What is your claim and what do you say?”, Jesus replied, “Why do you question Me? Ask the Jewish people, for I have not spoken in secret, but rather all I have said was in the Temple and in Jewish gatherings.” Then one of the soldiers present struck His blessed face, saying “Why do you speak so boldly to the high priest?” Then that scholar ordered that He be taken to Caiaphas, who was judge that year, meaning that the religious laws of the Jewish nation were in his hands. Despite the Book explicitly stating that every day He openly proclaimed God’s Cause in the Temple, now it is written that Jesus was in caves […]

And in the congregation of the Jews, I have declared… Then one of the soldiers who was present in that assembly struck the blessed face of His Holiness, saying “Why do you speak so boldly to the high priest?” Then that learned one ordered that His Holiness be taken before Caiaphas, who was the judge that year - that is, in that year the religious decrees of the Jewish people were in his hands. Although it is explicitly written in the Book that every day He openly proclaimed the Cause of God in the Temple, now it is written that Jesus was in caves and did not breathe from fear. He has greatly transgressed and exceeded his station. At this point, a statement from the Spirit is mentioned, that perchance thou mayest enter the divine garden through the living waters of the All-Merciful’s utterance: “When He saw the cross, He carried it Himself, then embraced it saying: ‘Come, O beloved cross, for thirty-three years have I awaited thee and sought after thee, desiring to die nailed upon thee for love of My sheep.’” Though none but the spiritual ones can perceive the fragrance of these words, and none but the people of the All-Merciful’s presence can comprehend the sweetness of this utterance, such souls have been and will remain deprived. As they have not understood this station - had they understood, they would not have written with such audacity and disrespect about those Suns of the horizon of detachment. Hear what He said when all the Jews had gathered for His execution, and when they brought forth the cross and His blessed eyes fell upon it. He said: “Come, come, for thirty-three years have I awaited thee and longed for thee.” Where is this station compared to what thou hast understood and written? And regarding this point there has been disagreement. What is recorded in the Gospel is that they hung that Ancient Beauty upon the cross and He surrendered His spirit, and after thirty-six hours He arose and ascended to heaven. And what is recorded in the traditions of the people of the Furqan is that He ascended to heaven before that. But the truth of the matter is with my Lord in the Book wherein no event of the first or the last is omitted. For most people have not understood the meanings of divine words and have spoken, thus remaining veiled from the original purpose. This is a brief account of the story of the Spirit that was mentioned. And now this Spirit addresses you saying: “Come, come, O company of deniers, with your swords and spears and arrows, for I long as He longed. By Him in Whose hand is Husayn’s soul, I am even more eager and in greater anticipation, but you do not perceive.” For you have not tasted of the living waters of inner meanings, nor drunk from the spring of love. Alas, alas for what you have falsely attributed to God’s Prophets and the wrong you have done to His Manifestations, the Dawning-Places of His revelation, the Rising-Points of His inspiration, the Repositories of His knowledge, and the Treasuries of His wisdom. And you have only done this to validate the deeds of your leader. Thus has your soul embellished a matter for you and made you among the transgressors. Is one who was hidden behind a veil like one who sacrificed his soul in God’s path? Have you not read the Quran where He says, exalted be He: “God has preferred in rank those who struggle in His path over those who sit still by a mighty reward.” Is one who sat at home like one who strove in God’s path? There is a vast difference between detached souls and limited polytheistic souls. Make no comparison.

Would you rank one who remained concealed behind a veil with him who sacrificed his soul in the path of God? Hast thou not read in the Qur’an where it sayeth - exalted be His words: “God hath assigned to those who strive and wage jihad a great reward above those who remain behind”? Can one who remaineth seated in his home be compared with him who wageth jihad in the path of God? There is a vast difference between sanctified souls who are detached and those limited souls who are idolaters. Make no comparison between them, and sully not the holy garment of the Prophets with the dust of thy vain imaginings and idle fancies.

They who move not from the fear of their souls shall be like unto thee - glorified be they above that! O thou imitator, lost in vain imaginings! Of what use are such souls? By thy words hath been made manifest thy reality and what hath been and shall be the belief of thee and the deniers of God. Thou hast likened the Gems of Being unto thyself, measuring the Suns of Truth by thy own idolatrous soul. By God! All things trembled at thy words. Know thou this much: that whatsoever thou comprehendest, even at the highest point of thine understanding, is but thy own vain imagining, pertaining to thy own self, from which the chosen ones of God are sanctified and pure. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings that at all times and seasons they have eagerly awaited to sacrifice their lives in the path of the All-Merciful, while thou, in mockery of God, writest that the Prophet concealed Himself in a sack. From thy words is evident thy power - no other expression couldst thou find but this vile utterance. Fie upon thee and upon thy shame! The nature of thy guide hath been and shall be like unto thine own. I swear by those same Manifestations of sanctified glory that hadst thou possessed even a trace of love, though all thy members were hewn asunder by sharp swords, such base expressions concerning the Manifestations of Divine Unity would never have flowed from thy withered tongue. Thy guide too spoke many such words, and that same Siyyid Muhammad mocked him. Praise be to my Beloved Who hath deprived such beings of the recognition of His Manifestations and forbidden them the sweetness of His love. Hast thou not heard how the Seal of the Prophets - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake - for twenty years had His blessed life imperiled in the hands of His enemies, with no night bringing hope of morning, and no morning bringing hope of night? By God! At all times was He expectant and yearning to sacrifice His life in the path of the Friend and hasten to the Supreme Companion. O crow of the barren land! Speak not of the Parrot of the realm of Divine Unity. O buzzing fly! Make no mention of the singing of the Most Exalted Pen, for thou dost but harm thyself and burden Us. Hast thou not heard how Husayn ibn Ali - may the spirit of all in the kingdom of creation be sacrificed for them both - with what eagerness and yearning He laid down His life in the path of Truth? And if thou sayest, as the atheists have said, that He was helpless before His enemies and had no choice but to be slain - this is but tyranny from thee and from them against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. For at the very moment He departed from Medina, He departed with this very intention and purpose. By God! He set forth with longing for the meeting with His Beloved, and traversed the stages of His journey in search of reunion with Him. Thus when that Beauty of Divine Unity left Medina, He went specifically to bid farewell at the sacred resting-place of the Primal Point of existence in both the seen and unseen worlds, His purified Grandfather, and spoke these most wondrous and sweet words: “Thou knowest, O my Beloved, that I seek only the face of God with certainty. Verily, patience hath been cut off from me in my love for the Beauty of God, now manifest. And Thou knowest what the son of adultery intendeth for my blood deliberately. Nay, by the presence of Thy might, I shall not pledge allegiance to him, neither secretly nor openly. O God, bring near the day of my blood, then my tears upon the dust as I recline. Would that my day were the day of my blood, while I lay thirsting in the dust!” By God! Through but a fragrance from the fragrances that wafted from the paradise of His love for God, His Beloved, was all existence perfumed.

I desire that the day of my blood would be the day when my tears fall upon the dust, reclining disconsolate upon the earth, yearning for God’s nearness, both in secret and openly. By God! Through a fragrance from the fragrances wafting from the paradise of His love for God, His Beloved, all existence was perfumed and the denizens of the invisible and visible realms were attracted. From His words in that station, the Concourse on High were bewildered. All existence lamented with the lamentation of the yearning ones and wept with the weeping of the lovers. Through the fire of His love, the torches of love were kindled between earth and heaven. Through His turning towards the land of Taff to sacrifice His soul for God, all created things turned towards the direction of God. But none save the pure lover and sincere devotee has understood or understands this station, which God has placed above thy understanding and the understanding of thy guides. Take thy reins, O thou who mocketh God and His loved ones, His chosen ones, and His friends! This Husayn declareth at this moment: God hath made this prison the land of Taff for My soul, and at this moment I stand ready for the swords of fate and eagerly await the arrows of tribulation. I shall not fear anyone, nor flee from any soul, nor veil My face. Verily, He was resplendent between the heavens and the earths. And I say: O spear, come with thy point! O guard, bring forth thy lance! O Shimr, hasten with thy dagger! Verily, I have sacrificed My soul, My spirit, and My being in the path of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. In all days I have awaited and still await martyrdom, and I am aware of what thou hast said to certain pillars through the instigation of the tree of corruption. But know thou that the deeds of Truth are distinct and separate from all else, and in no matter does anyone resemble Him. He is the Manifestation of unity and the Dawning-place of oneness amongst the servants. When the Ancient Beauty arrived in the great city, He revealed certain verses, some of which are mentioned here that perchance thou mayest remember and fear and stay thy pen from calumnies, and perchance thou mayest be among those who return and repent unto God Who created thee and created all things, and all unto Him shall return. And these are they:

O morning breeze, from before the Beloved for a moment

Waft sweetly to the lane of those of Zawra

Then tell Him: O City of the Lord

How dost thou remain when thy Friend hath departed?

Thy Friend in the hands of enemies afflicted

Like Husayn in the land of Karbila

One Husayn and a hundred thousand Yazids

One Beloved and a hundred Abu Jahls obstinate

Like Moses among the Coptics

Or like the Spirit of God among the deniers

Like Joseph cast into the well

A well without bottom or path

They have revealed what hath been revealed, and what remaineth shall be revealed. None were the authors thereof save those who have calumniated Him among the servants, and thou art one of them. The knowledge of God encompasseth what ye have wrought. At such time He saith: “O people of the Bayan! This is My head which hath been made bare between the heavens and the earth and awaiteth your swords. Strike ye it then as ye will, and be not of them that tarry. And this is My breast, yearning for the darts of hatred. Strike ye it then as ye will, O ye company of calumniators! And this is My throat which longeth for your daggers. Cut it, for We have offered it up in the path of My Best Beloved and the Best Beloved of the worlds. We give thanks for all of this and praise Him. He is indeed the Object of My soul, and whatsoever hath appeared and shall appear from Him hath been My purpose, were ye to perceive it.”

Know thou that the station of the Prophets is far exalted above what the likes of thee can comprehend. Those Suns of Oneness have ever been possessed of divine yearning and longing, and whatsoever befell those holy souls in the path of the Beloved, all were content and thankful therefor, neglecting not for a moment the propagation of God’s Cause. Hast thou not heard how Noah lamented in the Cause of God? He would stand before his people each day, summoning them to the fountain of divine glory. Each day after His proclamation, they would so grievously afflict that Manifestation of the Cause that it defieth description. Some days the trials visited upon Him were so severe that they thought He would perish. All these things He bore for the love of God. And if thou hast seen mention in the Book of the fear of the Prophets, such as what is recorded concerning Moses, neither thou nor thy leaders have understood His command. If thou wishest to understand, ask and God will explain to thee what He possesseth, for with Him is the knowledge of all things and the knowledge of the heavens and earths. As for the account of Zacharias, if thou hast heard its premise, ponder it somewhat, for from that very account the details become clear. This servant deemeth it inexpedient to mention what hath been outpoured from the source of divine knowledge. Know this much: that all the Prophets gave up their lives in the path of Truth with utmost longing, and some who did not suffer outward martyrdom were secretly given poison or otherwise oppressed - and the knowledge thereof is with my Lord. Even as thy leader - and by God besides Whom there is none other God - was engaged in such deeds, but God preserved the Manifestation of His Self through His sovereignty, for He is verily the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

As for the account of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - when multiple couriers were bringing that divine Temple from Fars to transport Him to Adhirbayjan, some of the companions, including the honored Azim - upon him be the glory of God - wrote to certain of the friends residing in the Land of Ta, saying that they had satisfied His escorts with some treasures and would secretly remove His Holiness from among that people by night and conceal Him. When this matter was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence - magnified be His grandeur - that Beauty of Oneness smiled […]

And when this matter was presented before His Most Holy and Exalted Presence, may His grandeur be glorified, that Beauty of Oneness smiled, and from His blessed smile the companions perceived His approval of what they had intended. After assembling the means, while He was in Kulayn, they presented themselves in the Most Holy Presence and stated that tonight He must depart from among these people. Again He smiled and said, “The mountain of Azerbaijan also has its portion.” This is from the Truth, appeared from the Truth, was upon the Truth, and from it wafted the fragrance of Truth, but you and your like do not perceive it and are among the heedless. He said: Write to that soul - one word is spoken for the sake of God, hearken to it: Do not, through enmity to this Prisoner, violate the sanctity of the Prophets, rend not asunder the veil of grandeur, and waste not the honor of God. Fear God Who created thee and all things, and be not among the calumniators of God’s Prophets, His trustees and His chosen ones. By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, each one of them calls daily unto his Lord saying: “Would that I had a thousand souls and a thousand bodies and a thousand lives to sacrifice in Thy path, O Thou Beloved of the worlds, O Thou Desire of them that yearn, O Thou Enchanter of the hearts of the lovers!” And if thou wishest to give examples in these matters, refer them to this Prisoner Himself, like the other deeds thou hast attributed. Sully not the hem of divine sanctity with the dust of self and passion. This is My counsel unto thee: if thou hearkenest, it shall profit thine own self, and if thou turnest away, it shall rebound upon thee. God is witness between us both. Hear the call of this servant and counsel those calumniators. Enough have they striven to destroy. The matter has reached such a point that they have gone to all people continuously spreading calumnies. Say: Fear God and do not calumniate against Him. Fear for your own sakes. He protected you for numbered years and concealed your deeds and actions, yet when you felt secure in yourselves, you emerged from behind the veil and calumniated against Him as none among the corrupt ones have done. The Tongue of God, the Mighty, Powerful, and Gracious King bears witness to this. His word is supreme and His mention is great. You have stated that Mirza has arisen alone to promote the Cause of Truth - how can one distinguish whether this arising was for the exaltation of God’s Cause or for the love of position, leadership, glory and wealth? Yes, they arose for God’s Cause who ate grass and leather in Mazandaran, not those who spend their days and nights in Baghdad and elsewhere drinking tea with samovars and maintaining grand establishments, with companions and servants in coffeehouses among the rabble and riffraff, engaged in worthless conversations, feasting on colorful dishes, devoting their energies to sweets and banquets and entertainments, while the companions wander homeless seeking rest. What arising in God’s Cause has this been! Every atom bears witness to this, even if your wicked self be among the deniers. After the prelude of the Land of Ta, the fire of divine love was extinguished in all hearts […]

The companions gathered in Badr to rest, having arisen in the Cause of God. Every atom beareth witness to this, even if thy evil self be among the deniers. After being exiled to the land of Ta, the fire of divine love had been extinguished in all hearts and the lamp of His affection had been dimmed in the hearts of the mystics. In the early years after arriving in Iraq, no breezes of the Cause blew from any direction, nor were the fragrances of the garment of the All-Merciful’s love wafted from any quarter. So difficult was the situation that all hearts were troubled and most souls were shaken. And if in some lands there were a few numbered souls, they were extinguished, veiled and hidden. Judge thou fairly: who stood firm in the face of the enemies at that time when there was neither glory nor any souls through whom authority might be established? Thus He dwelt alone in Iraq. Since in the eyes of the people of Iraq these followers were considered contemptible and of no account - to such a degree that nothing but cursing, reviling and abuse would be uttered by anyone in reference to this community - no one would associate with them so as to become the recipient of the living waters of divine knowledge and the limitless Salsabil of heavenly wisdom. Solely to mingle with others, He would frequent for a time a coffeehouse situated on the bank of the Tigris, where He would converse with some of the people of Iraq. Later they began to associate with Him, and the Cause of God became so exalted that all began to voice the praise of God and turn toward the Goal of their desires.

O sightless one! If thou hadst sight equal even to that of a bat, thou wouldst assuredly acknowledge that His sitting in a coffeehouse for less than a moment is better than thyself, thy being, and all that thou hast done or shalt do, and all the deeds of those like thee. How similar is this objection of thine to those raised by the Jews against Jesus, Son of Mary, when they protested against Him saying, “This man of Nazareth sits in the company of publicans in their houses.” True indeed spoke my Beloved, the Beloved of the mystics, that whatsoever was manifested in the days of all the Messengers of old must needs be manifested in this new divine Manifestation, letter for letter. Moreover, certain souls must arise in opposition who are the most wicked among all peoples, past and present, as is now witnessed. But since thou art utterly deprived of both outward and inward vision, thou hast been and shalt remain in denial of the radiance of the Sun of Truth and its meanings.

After the exaltation of the Cause in that land, pure and sanctified hearts from all regions turned towards the realm of oneness, and every soul that attained the presence - whether from Iraq or elsewhere - received answers to whatsoever they asked and attained their heart’s desire. Yet the sun’s rays are not veiled by the denial of bats, even as the light of His countenance remained unconcealed by thy denial, opposition and rejection of God. During that period in Iraq, there was not an hour of peace nor a moment of rest, as enemies lay in ambush from every side. Thou knowest this, yet thou deniest it. Thou art among those who recognized God’s favor, then denied it. Say: Woe unto thee, O rejected idolator!

In certain days it was reported that orders had been given to arrest these people and send them to the Land of Ta. The Blessed Beauty specifically commanded all to depart from Iraq, and this firm decree was executed in such manner that when the renowned Zaynu’l-Abidin Khan came into His presence and, through Aqa Siyyid Husayn-i-Qannad, sought permission to remain, no permission was granted and he too departed from Iraq. He said: “I wish to bear alone the afflictions of all, that whatever they intend may befall Me, and that the loved ones of God may remain protected.” Yet thou, O slanderer, dost besmirch such words of the Sun of sanctity and detachment with expressions of hatred. Hast thou not heard what transpired in the final two years in Iraq, and what befell Him, to such extent that most people and all the divines arose in opposition? Judge fairly: in such circumstances, could any soul retain hope for life, much less thoughts of leadership? The actions of Truth have been and shall ever be proof, witness and testimony to the Cause of Truth. One who is detached from all on earth, manifestly radiant as the sun amidst enemies, His blessed body target of hatred’s arrows from every direction - yet thou art unashamed to write that which caused all things to lament. Beyond this, if thou hast heard of the tribulations of the Beauty of Oneness in Iraq, what sayest thou of the Land of Ta, O heedless one?

And besides these things, have you not heard of the trials of the Beauty of Oneness in Iraq? What say you of the Land of Ta? O heedless and sightless one! This same Mirza Yahya and Suleiman Khan were in Dizashub, and afterwards came to the Land of Ta where he remained hidden for some days in Suleiman Khan’s house. Then, when the means of mischief were gathered, he fled until there occurred what occurred. And the Ancient Beauty was openly and visibly dwelling in His own residence, such that they came and seized Him - though by God besides Whom there is no God, in those very days He had returned from the Land of Tuff and had no knowledge whatsoever of these events. For four successive months He remained in chains and fetters, and the hardships of those days need no mention - what they inflicted! Likewise before that in Mazandaran, when this same Mirza Yahya was present, they took Him captive and paraded Him from city to city and place to place. And on the day when all the divines and others gathered to stone the Beauty of Oneness, and that Blessed Beauty was brought before the oppressors, there occurred what occurred - the Pen is ashamed to recount what was visited upon the Manifestation of God’s Self. And afterwards when they intended to punish Mirza Yahya, He said “He was with Me; if any wrong was done it was by Me.” Thus they left him alone and inflicted upon that Ancient Beauty what they inflicted. Similarly He interceded for other companions, including the honored Mulla Baqir, Letter of the Living, upon him be the Glory of God, who is still living - inquire of him. And beyond these instances, in Niyala, a village in the frontier region, five hundred persons or more suddenly attacked that Beauty of Oneness, and there befell in that land what befell. If thou would be fair, from the beginning of this wondrous Revelation until now He hath never seen rest, and yet he hath written what he hath written. Why did these things occur and for whom did they occur? Perhaps thou wilt deny even these events, for from such souls nothing is strange. Now ask thy guide who hath turned away from God what hardships he hath suffered in this Cause. It is evident that he hath ever been occupied with eating and drinking and taking possession of maidens and women, and deeds which, by God, I am ashamed to mention. After causing mischief in the Land of Ta, he fled to Iraq and entered Their house, and was so afraid that despite the presence of the Ancient Beauty, whom all knew was sought by everyone, yet by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, at the mere report of news from Iran he would flee from Iraq to the outlying regions, all the while constantly engaged in satisfying his carnal desires. Nevertheless he hath denied what is evident and written “How is it known this uprising was for God?” O deceiver who hath turned away, how is it known to thee it was for other than God? Never for a moment did they guard their sacred person. Here one passage from their communion with God is mentioned that perchance thou mayest reflect within thyself […]

O God! Never have I preserved my life in Thy path, nor have I shown complaisance to Thine enemies. At all times have I been afflicted at the hands of the adversaries, and in times of tribulation it was my desire to sacrifice my life, but Thou, O my Lord, through Thy prevailing decree and Thy hidden wisdom which is concealed from the eyes of men, didst preserve Thy servant. Yet this preservation was not for his comfort, but rather for the fulfillment of a final decree. Thou art the One praised in all Thy deeds and beloved in Thy will. Now if such as thee were to observe the revealed words of God, they would become aware of matters of which none hath become aware, but this hath passed from thee and from them.

[…]

Thou hadst written that those who aided the Cause of God were they who had eaten leather in Mazandaran. He said: In the days We were imprisoned in the Land of Ta, during those first days there was not even any leather for anyone to eat. Alas for thee, O thou who art heedless of all good and doer of all evil! Thou speakest of that whereof thou hast no knowledge, and this is not from thyself but from what Satan hath cast into thy breast. We beseech God to seize him with the grasp of One mighty and powerful.

All atoms bear witness that the Ancient Beauty stood alone against His enemies, such that certain of the loved ones from the Land of Taff wrote in those days beseeching that they might remain concealed for a few days, for the situation had become so difficult that each day everyone who came before Him would mention some fresh news of the plots of the plotters and the intentions of the opposers. To such a degree did the enemies rise up in opposition that in the streets and markets they stationed certain ones to slay with bullets any who passed by. Nevertheless, He did not conceal His blessed countenance for a moment, but would go forth alone from the house, showing no regard for anyone, and ever saying “How I long for reunion with the Beloved!” The denizens of the Supreme Paradise were astonished at His deeds, and all were moved to cry out “Blessed be God, the best of creators!”

Yet thou hast denied them all, for thou hast become intimate with the most wicked souls and hast disassociated thyself from the Truth. Indeed, the only difference was that this most wondrous Manifestation forbade the people from killing, strife and contention. Thus throughout the years of sojourn in Iraq, no instance of warfare occurred. It was explicitly revealed in the verses that the promotion and teaching of the Cause was and would be through goodly exhortations and healing utterances, not through disputation and combat. So firmly was this decree established that in certain divine words it is recorded that should someone bring harm upon My sons or relatives, it would be more acceptable and beloved to this servant than for anyone to oppose another soul. Consider what hath been revealed in the Tablets, that perchance thou mayest be just within thyself and be of the equitable ones.

Therefore during this period nothing occurred except that several from this community, by the command of thy guide, killed one another, but otherwise molested no one. And in all the Tablets it was revealed that the purpose of this Manifestation was unity and concord, not separation and discord.

And regarding what you wrote about the nine people in Baghdad and elsewhere who in the days and nights partook of tea with samovar and arrangements and apparatus, etc. - O most despicable being! By God, besides Whom there is no other God, if you and your guides had even an atom’s worth of nobility, you would never have uttered such words and would not have grieved the Spirit of God to please vile souls. Until now no base person has spoken such words as you have spoken - no, by the Lord of all worlds, except you and your like. Hearken to the call of the Point of the Bayan, then be ashamed before His beauty, and strike not His Beloved with the swords of hatred, nor His Purpose with the spears of indecency. Fear the Day when all existence, both seen and unseen, shall be convulsed, and when the skin of all beings shall quiver.

His word - exalted be His might and glorified His grandeur: “Then on one of the nights of God, nineteen - the number before you - gather ye together up to the number of Mustaghath if ye are able, and grieve not if ye cannot.” He states that up to the number of Mustaghath, if possible, gather in one assembly - permission is given. Yet you, not understanding, have objected to God mentioning tea and samovar and foods and sweets and gatherings, even though it is the command of the Point of the Bayan Who says - exalted be His mention: “Verily, host ye nineteen persons in nineteen days, even if ye have but water of unity to offer.”

Likewise He commands that it is obligatory for every soul to have the number of unity in crystal in their home. And He also says - exalted be His mention: “And your means by which ye live secretly - make them of gold and silver.” Yet you, base in nature and most despicable, have objected to tea and samovar. The Primal Point did not mention any of these statements except that no one should claim “I ate barley bread and thus attained the highest station.” Yes, it is true that man should be content with little and be grateful, and not become heedless of the Truth due to abundance. This is the essence of the matter. Otherwise, austerity or its absence has never been a sign of truth or falsehood. The sign of the loved ones of God is apparent and visible on their countenance, just as today the divine meanings are inscribed with an agate seal on the foreheads of God’s loved ones, declaring “This one is of the people of God among the worlds.”

By God, they had no purpose in this statement except that perhaps through divine grace the servants might be freed from such limitations. They said if it were possible today, I would command all the people of God to sit upon golden chairs, for whatever has been created was in its primal reality specifically for the believers in God. How far is this view from that view which objects to drinking tea, even though it is from the religion of the Bayan! O people of the Bayan, reflect upon the objections of the deniers, what they have brought forth. Reflect, that ye may be among the insightful concerning them. How quickly they have changed all divine conditions, for the Exalted One - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - would partake of tea every day and commanded all the loved ones to drink tea, and He says “I have not attained this station through austerity,” just as the Blessed Beauty says “I have never practiced austerity.”

They say, “I have not attained to this station through ascetic practices.” As the Ancient Beauty hath affirmed: “Never have I submitted to austerities, nor have I been among the learned. Rather, this grace that hath been manifested hath been through the bounty of the Lord, without any merit on My part. However, out of necessity, there were many nights when no divine bounties were before Me, not even bread. Likewise, for two consecutive years, there were outwardly no means of sustenance. Yet in all conditions We have been thankful and shall remain content.”

Today the loved ones of God must not in any way impose hardship upon themselves. When possible, they should partake of delicate foods and in all circumstances move within the bounds of moderation. If there be but one food, this is more beloved in the sight of God; yet they should strive, according to their means, that this single food be of a delicate nature. The wealthy must not forget the poor, for the poor are God’s trust among His servants. O people! Spend of that which God hath provided you and be of those who prefer others before themselves, even though poverty be their portion. Thus hath it been revealed in the Bayan, then in the Furqan, then in the Gospel, the Psalms, the Torah, and the Sacred Scriptures of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Verily, the Cause of God hath ever been sanctified from all such matters. All that hath been created between the heavens and the earth hath been created for the Manifestations of His Cause. Yet, by God, besides Whom there is none other God, these luminous Souls dawning from the horizon of oneness have ever been content with little and have given precedence to others over their own blessed selves in these matters. Many a time did they send whatever was present in their house to the loved ones, while the members of their household remained hungry that night or day. Praise be to God in all conditions, for He knoweth what ye know not, O company of calumniators!

If all that is on earth and whatsoever hath been created therein of delicate bounties and pleasant fruits were to be present at one feast for the sake of a soul that believeth in God, this would not be extravagance, nor shall it ever be. But if thou and thy like were to partake of a morsel of bread, that would be extravagance and ever shall be, for extravagance lieth in heedlessness of God. That very morsel of bread, through which that one who hath turned away from God is tormented, seeketh refuge in God from having become his portion. By God, all that he eateth doth lament and cry out, saying: “O my God! For what sin hast Thou made me the sustenance of this transgressor who hath denied Thee and Thy signs?” But thou hast not perceived this, nor shalt thou ever perceive it.

Furthermore, by God, besides Whom there is none other God, and by the truth of His blessed Countenance, most times there was no daily food in their household, and many were the days when bread for the household would be obtained near eventide, and that on credit. On occasions when some of the companions would host a feast, they would, for the love of God, call upon some of the friends, and after the recitation of divine verses and holy words, each would receive his portion according to his capacity[…]

And everyone received their share of the sublime divine words according to their capacity. The purpose was to manifest love. At any rate, in those days it was unthinkable that an obscured objector like you would appear to raise such protests. But by God, besides Whom there is no other God, that objecting soul who has instilled all these words in you has always lived in comfort, occupied with multiple wives in pleasure, and I swear by their own right that he has never ceased to possess worldly ornaments. Whenever the slightest controversy arose in Iraq, he would depart for Basra and other lands, as all are aware. But words of truth only increase your hatred and aversion. O heedless and blind one! What say you about Husayn ibn Ali, who when departing from the blessed and holy Medina, moved with golden howdahs and with all manner of outward means, such that ones like you say that when His camel driver saw that His blessed waistband was adorned with pearls, he therefore after the martyrdom of His Holiness went and then occurred that which this servant is ashamed to mention. Surely you will attribute that also to worldly desire. Apart from all these matters, in this Revelation until now no worldly means have been accumulated that you or others might object. At all times We have been in grievous affliction and hardship, were you to be fair-minded.

And as for what that ill-willed detractor has written, claiming that the Beauty of Oneness associated with vagabonds and ruffians and engaged in worthless discourse - your later words contradict your earlier ones. You write that for twenty years He associated and kept company with mystics, then write that He consorted with vagabonds and ruffians. Die in your rage, O heedless one! You are the one described in the former Book by His exalted words: “like the dog: if you chase it, it pants, and if you leave it alone, it pants.” In all conditions they speak according to their desires and walk the paths of self. Yes, by God, if He had not associated with vagabonds, He certainly would not have associated with Siyyid Muhammad and his master. The vagabonds and ruffians were such souls as these, otherwise who were these vagabonds and ruffians you speak of? You have certainly deemed the divine verses to be worthless, for He spoke naught but divine verses. Go and ask the people of Iraq - they have conveyed to you many truthful words. Everything gives you the lie, but you do not perceive it. Moreover, O unjust one devoid of fairness, where were you and when did you see Him sitting with vagabonds and ruffians? You have surely deemed the believers in God to be worthless rabble. In every age at the time of each Manifestation, the polytheists have ever spoken these same words, as God has said: “Nor do we see any who follow you but the lowest among us.” As mentioned before, it befits you to utter such words. By God, this very statement of yours has been and shall ever be proof of the truth of the Truth. God’s curse be upon the first oppressor who wronged the Primal Point in His latter Manifestation, who slandered His own self, denied His verses, and filled his breast with rancor and hatred. And by this curse, all who are in the heavens and earth do curse him. And by God besides Whom there is no God, such tribulations have befallen this wronged Beauty as have befallen no one from the beginning of creation until now. You have denied a matter evident to all the world. For instance, all have witnessed that He never compromised with anyone regarding God’s Cause, nor sought refuge with any soul. Thus in Iraq when the Minister desired to meet with Him, He did not accept until finally He went to the mosque, as all have heard. And after arriving in the Great City, He went to no one and turned to no one, as all can testify. Yet despite this, you write of such a Soul that He consorted with vagabonds and ruffians, while one who complained to everyone for a morsel of bread - whose written petitions still exist - whose wife sent bread to the palace, who ran to Istanbul seeking refuge with every soul - the deeds of such a one are acceptable while the deeds of the Truth are unacceptable? Yes, by God, thus it befits you and your kind! Reflect a little on how momentous are these very words of yours and how you have imagined you could veil the radiant Sun behind the veils of self and passion and nullify His deeds. No, by God, none but your like would heed such words, for all have witnessed the deeds of the Truth with their own eyes. One day He said that even greater tribulations lay concealed within the pavilion of destiny[…]

Verily, by God, none but those like thyself give heed to these words, for all have witnessed with their own eyes the doings of God. One day He declared that trials greater than these lay concealed within the pavilion of destiny and must needs be made manifest. Thus did I behold a dream in Iraq, from which this was understood. He spoke, and His words are truth: “I was sleeping on a dark night following a dusty one, when I saw the Prophets and Messengers gathered around me. They were seated about me, all lamenting, weeping, crying out and wailing. I was astonished within myself and asked about them, whereupon their weeping and crying intensified. They said: ‘For thy sake, O Most Great Mystery and Ancient Temple!’ and they wept such that I wept with their weeping. Then I heard the weeping of the Concourse on High, and in that state they addressed me, saying: ‘Great indeed is thy tribulation, O Lote-Tree of the Extremity, and mighty thy ordeal, O Mystery of the First and the Last! Upon thee be patience, O Most Great Sign and Manifestation of the Primal Point! Then upon thee be patience, O Furthermost Tree and Manifestation of the Decree in the Kingdom of Accomplishment! Soon shalt thou witness with thine own eyes what no assembly of Prophets hath seen, and shalt behold what none in all the worlds hath beheld, and shalt hear what no ear of the chosen ones and loved ones hath heard. Therefore patience, patience, O Hidden Mystery of God and Treasured Symbol and His Inevitable Word and His Sealed Book!’ And I remained with them that night as we conversed with each other until dawn approached. I raised my head from sleep and pondered within myself what tribulation this could be that none in creation had witnessed, and I related it to no one until there appeared before me one of the divines of Iraq who was called Abdul-Salam Effendi. When he arrived, We welcomed him and informed him, relating what God had shown Us in the dream. He was struck with profound grief in Our presence. Thus was the matter, though the people remain in evident heedlessness.”

This was the dream He beheld in Iraq and mentioned, and in these days some of it hath been fulfilled, for We have heard from your words what none before hath heard, and have witnessed what no soul hath seen. And He said: “In all conditions We remain patient and thankful.” The whole purpose of such souls is to ask why the Truth hath appeared. By God, this is not from Myself, but from Him Who sent Me with the truth and made Me a mercy to all the worlds!

His words regarding the increase of oppression that thou didst mention, saying that a woman had been sent to the shelter - know thou first that this will lead to even greater oppression. Moreover, well done to you who, despite your claim to truth and your cunning deceptions, have diminished other Prophets and saints! Did not Fatima take the hands of Husayn and Hasan and go to the doors of the Emigrants and Helpers regarding Fadak? Well done to you indeed!

Silence thy tongue, O thou who disbelievest in God! Then silence thy tongue, O thou who associateth partners with God! Then silence thy tongue, O thou who warreth against God! Were I to repeat these words from now until the end that hath no end, thou wouldst still deserve them. Nay, they fall short of describing what thou hast perpetrated against God, O thou who art heedless of God’s Cause!

Know ye that if I were to repeat these words from this moment until the final end that hath no end, it would still not suffice for what thou hast committed against God, O thou who art heedless of God’s Cause and who hath waxed proud against the Self of God! After arrival in this land, the Blessed Beauty and the One like unto Moses and Mirza Yahya each resided in separate houses. This land is not a place where any soul would wrong another, and the wrong which he who associated partners with God committed was at a time when the great separation had not yet occurred. After that which lay within his breast became manifest, the separation and division took place as mentioned, and never again was there any meeting, nor did any verbal discourse transpire between them. Ask thou the people of that land that thou mayest find a way to the truth.

Moreover, the country belongs to the Sublime State, and in this land all are imprisoned and estranged. After revealing what was in his heart, no one associated with him except Darvish Sidq-’Ali, who maintained contact due to his services. Likewise, one person served the Most Holy Beauty and another served His Holiness the Kalim, while the rest of the companions were all scattered in separate dwellings. What then was this oppression, and whence did it arise? Though all atoms know that the oppression came from that oppressor, they consented to their own disgrace and caused division. Yet you say that which you do not understand, counting the root of the tree of oppression as justice, and the tree of grace and justice as the oppressor. This is deception from you and from them in God’s Cause. You lack the wisdom to reflect upon what you have heard. In those days when his wife went to the palace - I swear by God - at the beginning of the month specifically for her, from those ornaments that were brought every month along with a bundle of goods, Darvish who was his agent - and is still present - took them. Several people who had newly arrived in this land were all aware, including Jinab-i-Mirza Haydar-’Ali, Salman, and Ustad ’Abdu’l-Karim from the people of Sad. Nevertheless, he specifically sent his wife to the palace, saying these very words about the Blessed Beauty: “He brought us here and gives us no bread or clothing.” Such a scandal arose in this land that one of the consuls here expressed great astonishment to someone, saying that a strange thing had occurred today, and all the Persians arose in derision, saying this sect has no chastity or virtue. Your own heedless self knows well enough that if a Jew should come to them, worldly ornaments would not be withheld from him to the extent possible. Yet you wrote what you wrote and defiled Fadak. But rest assured that in every land you have a Sayyidatu’n-Nisa, and from that lineage there are many perfect mirrors, one after another, present in every land. The Blessed Beauty resided in Iraq for twelve years, and no one saw from them any act that was in the least contrary or opposed - ask all the people of Iraq. Now from that lineage of perfect mirrors, one after another, one is in Iraq - you should ask the people of Iraq about her condition. He wrote to her “Verily We have made thee a brilliant light unto the worlds,” and likewise “He is the Light within the Light,” and “Verily the likeness of His light is as a light of light from God’s light.” And to the mother of abominations he wrote this very blessed verse of the Qur’an: “O Mary! Be devout to thy Lord and prostrate thyself and bow down with those who bow down. Verily God hath purified thee and chosen thee above the women of all worlds.” Now take pleasure in that Sayyidatu’n-Nisa and that perfect mirror. Would that you had gone there too and made one prostration. God’s curse be upon those who altered God’s word from its place and turned away from His beauty and took for themselves a calf besides Him. What is wrong with these people that they can hardly comprehend a remembrance from God, the Most High, the Most Great. By God, I lament […]

I swear by God, I am lamenting and writing these words, for the Cause hath reached such a pass that one must needs engage in such remembrances. Ye have indeed violated the sanctity of God and of your own selves. Purify thy heart from the defilements of the imaginings of the idolaters, and associate not the mention of the Prophets and Messengers with the mention of the souls of the idolaters, for all those Daysprings of the All-Merciful gave up their lives in the path of the Beloved and paid no heed to any who dwell on earth for the sake of earthly sustenance. Now judge thou fairly - thou who art among the people of analogy - with these servants, how they have likened one deed to another deed. Be fair that thou mayest be treated with fairness, then show mercy to the Cause for which the blood of them who are nigh unto God and His sincere servants was shed. His utterance magnified be His falsehood.

Let me present that regarding the arrival of Haji Siyyid Muhammad in Istanbul, I am fully aware of everything and was present. On the first night he came to the embassy of Mushir ud-Dawlih, and present were Haji Mirza Safi and myself, and that is all. Mushir ud-Dawlih asked him why he had come, to which he replied it was for his own deliverance. I also saw Ali Pasha until his messengers came and began speaking ill of him, and he too spoke as much as necessary in response to these calumnies. Thus ends this matter - may God blacken the face of the liar. If he came specifically for deliverance, why did he provide a list of names that no one knew about? There were eight persons, yet he wrote that we were twenty-one, and delayed for six months until through a thousand deceptions he achieved his aim and that of his master. They sold Joseph for a few dirhams - woe unto them and their loyalty! By God, through their actions they have caused God’s Cause to be lost among the people. The decree that came from Istanbul states that some of his companions came and complained that he was not providing them with bread, and that decree still exists. Nevertheless, he wrote what he wrote. God’s curse be upon those who exchanged God’s sanctity for worldly ornaments. When alone with the devils they disavow God and His Cause, then write to fools like themselves saying “We are the leaders of the Cause and the mirrors of the servants and the fruits of unity and the leaves of detachment.” But those whom God has given penetrating vision witness and become aware of what they have perpetrated in their vain life, and they are not confused, for from all their deeds they detect the stench of lies, hypocrisy, deceit and discord. Indeed they are among the gems of creation among God’s servants and creatures, and upon them be God’s remembrance and praise now and forever and ever. By God, you are a fine disciple indeed, well occupied with spreading immorality after witnessing. But to the seeing and informed one the matter is not hidden, and we are aware what calumnies he has spoken and how he has girded himself to kill, even saying that they specifically sent someone to Tehran for an abominable purpose. God’s curse be upon the slanderers and liars! Now observe the action of truth - that they entered that same city and never associated with anyone, and showed no hypocrisy to anyone regarding God’s Cause. When that vile one saw that the Persian ambassador was displeased with them, purely out of deceit, dissimulation and hypocrisy he entered that place and sought refuge, saying what he said. If he wanted deliverance, no one had any quarrel with him. He was no more well-known than Haji Mirza Ahmad, nor more respected than others who had gone - indeed some did not even mention him. By God, he came specifically for a stipend, as evidenced by the petitions that he and Mirza Yahya wrote to Mushir, which still exist here in this land. From Istanbul they inquired about all matters from here, for he said seven persons had gone and the rest were occupied with work, while he and Mirza Yahya were twenty-one persons without stipends. The Governor specifically sent and inquired about what the Sublime Porte had mentioned.

And you inquired about what the Sublime Porte has mentioned, while you write that it was for deliverance. Now that they have achieved their utmost desire, would that they would cease writing to various places that they have no bread! Now judge fairly: from which fragrance of truth can this deed of the Truth and this deed of this group be perceived? By God, such leaders are indeed most suitable for the likes of you! And do not suppose that the Persian ambassador is unaware. No, by God! A day shall come when they themselves will acknowledge the deed of truth and deny the deed of those souls. And even if it remains doubtful to you, it shall not remain doubtful to them. And regarding the messengers, I know not of whom you speak. If you mean he who is present before the Face, by God, he came specifically for a matter in that city which had no connection to him, such that he visited no one. All bear witness that that wicked soul in this land has attributed all manner of reprehensible and abhorrent deeds to the Truth, and in that land too they have said that which none has ever said regarding another. He who is present before the Face now says: Did not your own lying self come and mention that Siyyid Muhammad says such and such, and how many unseemly words did you utter regarding them, saying that he says thus and so, even mentioning that it is not good to speak about the stipend, and that it should be resolved in whatever way possible? And I replied that there has been and will be no opposition - the turning away from those souls was for the Cause of God, not for outward matters. Let them give all the stipends to those idolatrous souls - there has been no quarrel or dispute. And in numerous gatherings I asked you that we meet with him in one place so that it might be proven to you that whatever he said was attributed through pure calumny. You said he would not accept. By God, all existence is bewildered by your lies and our truthfulness! O thoughtless one! This Mirza Yahya was in their service for years - has anyone ever heard that any of their associates spoke an unkind or unpleasant word about him? Every ignorant one knows that whatever has occurred has been and will be a disgrace to the Cause. By God, they have always said that they would rather be martyred a thousand times than have these matters mentioned among people - that one of their associates has complained about bread and sent petitions to cities. God’s curse be upon those who have committed that which has caused all things to lament and has burned the hearts of those near to God! By God, besides whom there is no God! We would all rather have been slain than have these words emerge. What we now say, we are compelled to say, for it is observed that a group has girded themselves to violate the sanctity of God’s Cause, as they were not and are not adherent to any religion, and for the sake of leadership have cast and are casting themselves into peril. For nearly five years they have remained in this land, and never did they send anyone to the Sublime Porte nor make any request, and whatever befell them, out of respect for God’s Cause we remained patient.

For the sake of God’s Cause we have endured, yet that wicked one has committed that which none before him has ever committed. We hope they shall not attain their purpose, just as he destroyed the sanctity of an entire lineage - he who had and shall have no station. Judge for yourself: where was his name ever mentioned? When did the officials of the exalted government ever know him? You yourself know by what means he became known, yet out of animosity toward God you conceal it. You are among those who have covered up the faults of the polytheists and what they have perpetrated to destroy the sanctity of God. Thus has the matter flowed from this Tongue that speaks with truth and faithfulness. His words show the magnitude of his foolishness. Most strange indeed it is that for nearly twenty years you worshipped Mirza Yahya as god - as I myself witnessed when you confessed this in Isfahan in my presence. Now that he is rejected, what answer shall I give to Aqa Mirza Muhammad-’Ali and Mirza Abu’l-Hasan and others and Mirza Husayn of Varzneh? For these people each day cling to someone new, accepting him as truth and later rejecting him as false. This stems from their lack of discernment, for truth does not become falsehood - this is contradiction. Their religion is mere caprice, just as Mirza Abu’l-Hasan said to me in Tehran: “What a pity about you - by what proof was he first truth and God, and now false and an infidel servant?”

O what amazing lack of fairness! I ask you by God, is this just? In some stations, when we moved together and were on the same level - now none of us can claim superiority over another, even if we have become ever so perfect. First, this argument applies to you and those like you, for you considered as leaders for many years souls more evil than any ever created, such that by their decree they martyred most cruelly the Manifestation of the Divine Self. Second, we had sincerity toward him and acknowledge it, for we observed certain attributes in the words of the Most Glorious One and imagined the source of those attributes was that illusory person, until God revealed to us what He revealed, and we learned of his deeds which neither Nimrod nor Pharaoh committed. Thus we shattered the idol of fancy and recognized what was intended in His most wondrous and novel words. Then we learned about him and the origin of his cause that which was concealed from you and your like. If you only knew, you would flee from him, rend the veils of glory, turn to the Dawning-Place of Beauty, and be among those possessed of certainty. We praise God that by the arm of trust and detachment we broke the idol of fancy and entered the stream of certitude. Would that you too had been there to witness with your own eyes. We praise and thank God for this at all times. By God, had you an atom of fairness, you would surely speak day and night of the qualities of these servants, for our deeds bear truthful witness to our faith - a clear and evident testimony. For we have broken the chains of blind imitation and attained to truth, and become free of the fancy that had seized all hearts. O destitute pauper, you are deeply immersed in fancy. Would that you had seen him and known him and learned what he possessed. If only there had been a meeting where you could have heard the knowledge he would mention in gatherings, and become aware of that from which you are now veiled. Though you know us not, we know you, that you may learn and be among the knowing ones. We are servants whose vision God has made piercing. We have known Him through His Self and detached ourselves from all else. No preventer’s prevention, no schemer’s scheme, no deceiver’s deceit, and no doubter’s doubt has held us back. We thank God that we have recognized His Self, Who was promised in His holy, firm and wondrous tablets. Neither the veils of those who disbelieved in God, nor the shrouds of those who associated partners with His unique, single, mighty and praiseworthy Self prevented us from recognizing Him. How strange that you occupy yourself with such investigations! When the mighty river appears, is it fitting for anyone to turn to the water of a pond? Be fair, O donkey! When the sun shines forth, is it proper for anyone to seek light from a lamp, even if it be a true lamp? Be fair, O heedless one, by whose heedlessness all things lament, though you remain behind thick veils. When the Most Great Ocean surges, would any rational person turn toward a desert mirage? No, by our Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate! But you will never find what we mention, for your heart has become deprived of the sweet fragrances of God, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Wise.

But thou wilt not find what We mention, for thy heart hath been deprived of the fragrances of God, the Mighty, the Most High, the All-Wise. Even the women of God are ashamed of thy proofs. Satan in every heaven was known by a name and was a teacher in the Kingdom, and for more than a thousand years was called by all names, then suddenly became accursed. These are among the wondrous powers of God - dost thou deny them? And if thou deniest them, His assured servants will affirm them. Hast thou not heard how Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles of the Gospel, yet afterwards manifested such treachery as to deliver the Word of God to the Jews? Would that your leader had followed his example, for he at least repented after that vile deed. But thy guide hath exchanged and sold the Point of the Bayan and all the Prophets and Messengers and the sanctity of God for the vanities of earth, as was mentioned, and thou art well aware of this. And what sayest thou about Ismail, son of the revered Sadiq? After he had written to all provinces that he would be the Imam and leader of the people after him, certain things became manifest from him and His Holiness dismissed him, specifically to Baghdadrah and certain companions who objected, “O son of the Messenger of God! This is a grave matter - how can one be the Imam of the people and be true, then become false?” His Holiness mentioned bada’ - go and see the tradition of Kulayni. O poor one, thou knowest nothing of any matter - neither of the Bayan, nor the Quran, nor the Torah, nor the Gospel. In the appearance of this Cause many upheavals occurred, which this servant hath not mentioned for the sake of brevity. It is recorded in your own books, just as even now some in various regions consider Ismail the Imam. Thou hast not even seen the evident books and art not informed. Your station is such that you speak empty words and rely on such proofs. To one possessed of insight and knowledge these things are not and never shall be doubtful. Many events have occurred of which no one is aware, for God had previously veiled them. Would that thou hadst abandoned vain desire and dwelt for a time in the path of the Friend for God’s sake, so that some of these hidden matters might have been revealed to thee. Again, thou knowest nothing of Balaam son of Beor, who was far more renowned than your leader. His authority was established, yet after the appearance of the Sun of Moses from the horizon of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, he did what he did, and thereby God changed his light into fire. Verily He hath power over all things. Would that thou hadst knowledge of thy leader. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! The Hand of Power and Might took a handful of dust and breathed into it a spirit from among the spirits created by His Will. When it stirred and arose, He clothed it with the garment of names between earth and heaven, for a wisdom which none knoweth save His All-Knowing, All-Informed Self. There hath not been and shall not be more than this. When he turned against God, God turned against him as he turned. Thus doth He recompense His transgressing servants. Hear thou the words of this servant: the cause […]

Listen to the words of this servant and become not the cause of people’s delusions. Have mercy on the Cause of God and on mankind. In every age deluded souls have gathered together and deprived the people from the shore of the sea of oneness. Consider for a moment how many delusions existed among the followers of the Quran concerning the appearance of the Qa’im, the resurrection, and the Hour. After the manifestation of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, it became evident that all had erred and had not partaken of a drop from the ocean of knowledge. That Ancient Beauty, with utmost difficulty, shattered the idols of fancy and desire. Now similar souls desire to afflict people with new delusions. Say: Fear ye the one true God and commit not that which would cause blood, instead of tears, to flow from the eyes of them who are nigh unto God. Deem not truth to be falsehood, nor reckon falsehood as truth. Verily, truth hath ever been truth, but thou hast not recognized it. It is certain that after the Point, truth is confined to the Letters of the Living, inasmuch as all created things in the Bayan were and are created under the shadow of the First One, and the right of every rightful one is established through these souls, as are all attributes and goodly names. Nevertheless He addresses one of the Letters of the Living who had inquired about the subsequent Revelation, saying: “Were I to know that on the Day when the Day Star of Reality shineth forth thou wouldst not believe in Him, I would now pronounce the decree of unbelief against thee. And were I to know that one among the Christians would believe in Him on the Day of His manifestation, I would now pronounce the decree of faith regarding him, though he is not now a believer and no praiseworthy deed hath proceeded from him.” Reflect a little and recognize the truth. These souls are truth so long as they abide beneath the shadow of truth, for at that time naught can be seen in them save truth. But after they pause, “dominion returneth to the dominion and the created thing returneth to its essence and likeness.” That truth which hath never been and never shall be false is the Tree of Truth. Know thou this, if thou be of them that comprehend. Thus hath the matter been set forth from the presence of an Ancient Bestower. Reflect, O servant, that thou mayest be among the guided ones.

O heedless and immature one! Know thou that there have been and shall ever be infinite degrees in the Manifestation, and distinguish the manifestation of Names from aught else. Many are the souls who are manifested through Names without any trace thereof - this is due to a wisdom which none shall comprehend. And if thou desirest to understand it, ask of God, thy Lord, with humility and reverence and manifest contrition, that He may teach thee what is with Him. Verily, He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

In previous Tablets, somewhat hath been revealed from the Pen of Command concerning this station. If thou desirest, look into those Tablets; perchance thou wilt be content therewith. The purpose of this mention is that thou shouldst not remain veiled from the Source by Names, though veiled in such wise that it can never be supposed to be rent asunder save by God’s will and pleasure.

The Point of the Bayan - exalted be His grandeur - hath also made mention of the transformation of essences, let alone Names, as some of which were previously mentioned. Likewise He saith - exalted be His mention: “Verily, in every Revelation the proofs of its affirmation are transformed into negation. But God, in that Revelation, confirmeth His Cause and perfecteth His handiwork, for therein light is not transformed into fire except in the Revelation of God. Indeed, My grief is for all who are in the Bayan from that day.” Consider how explicitly He declareth that light is transformed into fire, even as the light which you had supposed to be light hath had its essence transformed into fire, yet is unaware and, in utter heedlessness, hath been and continues to be engaged in perverting the divine words.

Know that when He states “except in the Manifestation of God,” it is not to be understood that prior to His advent the light doth not change. Yea, by His own Self, the True One, all have been and will be transformed save the Manifestation Himself. These imaginary notions have persisted among the people until this Revelation unveiled them. When ye rent asunder the veil of God’s sanctity, the veil of your own concealment was likewise rent by the fingers of might and power.

The difference lies in this: during the interval between the ascension of the Manifestation of Divine Unity to the Supreme Companion and the subsequent Revelation, no outward Will is visible that could pronounce judgment, even though He is eternally living in the Most Glorious Horizon. But since outwardly none recognizes Him and all souls are debarred from His presence, the law of transformation remains concealed until the time of Revelation. For at that moment, should the light tarry less than that in saying “yea,” the judgment of fire from the source of divine knowledge would be pronounced against it, as was witnessed in the previous Revelation and is now visible to both outer and inner sight. Souls who called themselves light were judged as fire by God, though they move about unaware.

At all times take refuge in God lest thou remain veiled from the Manifestation Himself, for He is the Essential Purpose and ever shall be. He is the sign that “there is none like unto Him” and the token of “He begetteth not, neither is He begotten.” Indeed, the Manifestations of “He begetteth not, neither is He begotten” are created beings, if ye be of them that are assured. Yet none shall grasp this station save the detached ones who possess sublime knowledge.

This is why the Primal Point of Will - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - in describing the Letters, Mirrors, Light and their like, from the highest ranks of names and attributes to the lowest degree of things, declareth that these have no reality of their own. Having faced the Sun of Truth, infinite effulgences have shone upon them. At this station, naught is seen in these Manifestations except God. He saith: Fix not your gaze upon the names, but rather upon that by which the names subsist, and likewise that by which the attributes subsist. For all are and shall be adorned with wondrous and sublime names through their turning unto God and their faith in Him. Some are called Letters, some Mirrors, some Luminous Guides, and others Manifestations of Beauty, Glory, the Living, the Ancient, and such divine names. The manifestations of divine effulgence differ according to their stations and capacities, though the effulgence is one and He Who causes it to shine forth is one. The discerning and informed one understands that all these names refer to the faith that was and is in them.

Set aside vain imaginings and consider the first who believed, and likewise the second who believed, for none have been described with more exalted terms than these two and the other Living Letters. Thus in their visitation prayers they are addressed: “O Essence of God! O Identity of God! O Being of God!” and with similar expressions. Now if the first to believe was not that same soul […]

Know then that if thou art immersed in this ocean, thou shalt comprehend some of these mysteries that lie hidden, veiled, and concealed, and shalt distinguish between the Sun of Truth and its shadow, and shalt not commit that whereat all atoms are lamenting. Consider, for instance, if He should take up a handful of dust with His blessed hand and declare it to be that dust which all the world must needs adore - this would be the truth, without any doubt. And likewise if He should take up a hundred other handfuls of dust and regarding each one pronounce the same decree, this judgement would obtain and would continue to obtain. For in this station, one looks to the Command itself, which hath proceeded forth from the Source of Command, and not to the thing itself considered as a thing in its own right. And with such words did they make mention. Now, had the “first to believe” been some other than the one mentioned, surely this station would have been conferred upon him.

Know thou that those veiled souls have become heedless of the station that befitteth a Testator, and of that which transcendeth it in authority, prophethood, messengership and lordship. First, I swear by God besides Whom there is none other God, that never did the Primal Point utter such words specifying any soul in the Bayan. Yes, He did graciously address a missive to Mirza Sulayman, at the beginning of which was a word that all were unable to read. Mirza Sulayman himself, in the days of his return from Maku, claimed this word meant “Successorship” and that it was written to him, and in the innermost secret of his heart he laid claim to this station. Would that ye had clung to him in this Cause, for he is more worthy before God than this soul to whom ye have adhered. Beyond this, no such mention was ever made, save that some have written tablets and attributed them to the Primal Point - all of which are lies, by the Lord of Glory! Secondly, this station is not one that we would seek to deny to any soul or affirm for them, for the glory of a Successor lies in that whereby succession is established, and was and ever shall be thus. After its cessation it hath no mention before God and never shall have. As the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath said in this regard, these are His mighty words: “For the essence of all is that whereby one remaineth veiled from that which maketh a successor a successor. Look not upon this station of successorship as having a specific station, but rather look to that whereby it is established, which is the Command of the Tree of Truth. For if, hypothetically, the Messenger of God had not appointed anyone by the name of successor, today mention would be made without successorship. All this is so that on the Day of Manifestation thou remain not veiled by names, but rather look to that whereby names are established in all things, even unto the mention of Prophet.” Here endeth His words. Now ponder a while that thou mayest know that all are honored through His Command and glorified through His mention, and this station holdeth true so long as they transgress not their bounds. At the time of the raising of the Primal Cause, all these names become separated from their bearers and return to the Kingdom. If again a binding Command is revealed, all names among the most beautiful names of God become true of them, else they return to their station ere they can say “why” or “wherefore.” In brief, set aside these limitations and fix thy gaze upon that Point that pervadeth all things. Deem not that Point to be imaginary, even as aforetime all servants remained in their imaginings and until now have not recognized nor ever shall, save whom thy Lord willeth. This same Mirza Yahya, through whom thou hast turned aside from the Truth, was present before Me like any other servant, and the words of God were cast upon him just as now there are some present before the Face and words are cast upon them in like manner during all nights and days. But there is a difference, for that deluded soul, when two words issued from his tongue, committed that which not even the Manifestations of negation would commit, while these souls present before the Face speak with the most wondrous utterances, and yet they have no authority save after His leave. Thus hath the matter been, if thou be of them that know. Though the words of the idolaters have taken root in thy heart […]

Yet they have no power to do anything except by His leave - thus has the matter been ordained, were you to be of those who know. Although the words of the idolaters have taken root in your heart and their removal is difficult, unless you drink from this heavenly fountain of grace which flows and streams through the springs of words by the words themselves. Thus have We informed you and told you and recounted to you that from which you were veiled, that you might rend asunder the veils through the power of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, and witness what you have not witnessed before, and know that of which you were heedless. But you shall never achieve this except by detaching yourself from all that has been created in the heavens and on earth, and turning to God, the King, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Chosen One.

O servants! In recognizing this Revelation, rely not upon the words and allusions of those who oppose it, nor upon the acceptance or rejection of such souls. Rather, fix your gaze upon the essence of the Cause itself. For most people have been and will forever remain veiled and deluded, while the leaders of the age, seeking to preserve their authority, have forbidden and will continue to forbid the people from approaching the court of the Divine Unity and recognizing the signs of God. Consider, for example, the Revelation of the Point of the Furqan, Who appeared with the verses of God, and in the Furqan no proof or testimony was sent down except verses. Nevertheless, after the ascension of the Point of the Furqan to the Most Exalted Companion and the cessation of the sweet-scented breezes of the All-Merciful, the Cause fell into the hands of the divines. These souls entirely prohibited people from recognizing the verses, saying, “You cannot comprehend God’s verses; their knowledge is with us alone.” Thus did the authority of the verses vanish, and the reins of the people fell into the hands of such souls, who raised them on such delusions as cannot be mentioned. As you have seen and heard, they interpreted according to their own desires all the verses that were revealed concerning the subsequent Revelation, the Resurrection, and the like, and the people unwittingly followed these souls until matters reached such a pass that the harm of these delusions afflicted the Tree of the subsequent Revelation. Then, after the appearance of the Promised One in the year sixty, the breezes of grace wafted anew, the heavens of knowledge were upraised, the earth of understanding was outspread, and the verses of God were sent down from the heaven of Will. Yet, due to their former delusions concerning the authority of verses, the people hesitated, saying, “We cannot comprehend them.” But God, exalted be His mention, is far too great, too generous, and too merciful to send the Manifestation of His Own Self, commanding all to recognize Him - which recognition is identical with the knowledge of God Himself - and yet send a proof beyond human comprehension. Glory be unto Him! At last, they remained occupied with and veiled by their own delusions to such an extent that they were not satisfied with the verses of God, despite the explicit text of the Furqan: “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto thee the Book?” All insisted that the comprehension of verses transcends their minds and understanding, and that something else must appear. They have altered God’s blessing and His proof, and desired other than what God desired. Therefore did most turn away and return to the abyss. And the more intense grew the opposition of the idolaters, the more firmly did that Sun of inner meanings establish the authority of verses, to such degree that He confined all proof and testimony to verses alone. And, to spite the idolaters, this verse was sent down from the heaven of oneness: “Were an ant to desire to penetrate the Qur’an and its inner meaning and the inner meaning of its inner meaning according to the measure of its eye’s pupil, it would be able to do so, for the mystery of eternal self-subsistence and the effulgence of oneness have permeated all things.” And this verse was revealed that all might become aware that the gates of mercy and bounty are not closed: whosoever turns to God and directs himself toward Him will comprehend the authority of God’s verses through the verses themselves. The comprehension of that station neither was nor will be dependent upon outward learning, but rather upon pure souls and holy hearts that turn to God. Blessed are they that turn unto Him!

Blessed are they who turn unto Him. Furthermore, that essence of meaning tore asunder all the veils and fancies that existed before and by which people were veiled and deluded, and they returned to the horizon of “Verily, I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon.” Now certain deluded souls, in order to establish and preserve their leadership, have first sought to erase the authority of verses from the Bayan, and in this matter they have striven mightily and continue to do so, employing every deceit and stratagem in this cause. But God refuses to do aught save establish His verses through truth, even though the idolaters deny them. And now in their hypocrisy they have reached such a state that if anyone speaks of the authority of verses, they mock and ridicule him, exactly like the peoples of old - nay, these are even more ignorant and greater in hypocrisy, were ye to understand. Forever have the veiled souls limited the knowledge of God’s all-encompassing Manifestation, and for this reason most of the servants remain deprived of the divine outpourings and heavenly favors.

For instance, one day that same traducer mockingly mentioned that the Point of the Bayan had stated that no one is capable of producing a single verse, yet we see that some souls are able to speak two words of verses. Therefore, by this reckoning, these souls must also be true. By God! Whoever has inhaled the fragrance from the paradise of inner meanings would recognize from these words his unbelief, his hypocrisy, his rebellion and his objection against all the Prophets and Messengers. It was observed that he had never partaken of the fountain of inner meanings and remained utterly deprived of God’s spiritual paradise. For it is entirely clear what His Holiness intended by this statement, and the Word of Truth, even if it be but two letters, has been and ever shall be the sovereign over all the words of the people of earth. And by God! From the fragrances of that single Word do those who are true discerners perceive the divine fragrances and turn to His paradise.

Consider: if a cup be taken from the sweet waters of the Euphrates, those possessed of taste would recognize from which source this water came, and from its sweetness would trace it to its source, even though outwardly it was but a cup of water. And since the source of knowledge, understanding, grace, bounty, favor, power, glory and grandeur flows and streams forth, therefore from that Word do the sincere and near ones comprehend and trace it to its source. Thus have We expounded it unto thee that thou mayest be guided by the guidance of God thy Lord and pay no heed to the hosts of Satan. And if someone should speak two words but falter at the third, it is evident that these were not and never will be from this flowing, streaming Source. By God, O servant! Truth in all its aspects has been and ever shall be distinguished from aught else. Deceive not thyself - wouldst thou test it, present thyself and request a single verse from the verses of God. Then shalt thou witness the ocean that surgeth by itself for itself, whose waves know no end, and thou shalt witness the repository of meanings and knowledge, and the treasury of wisdom and understanding, and be of those who are assured.

And since the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His grandeur, specified throughout the Bayan that this Most Great Manifestation would appear through verses, therefore through verses hath He appeared […]

In this Most Great Revelation, as the Primal Point, exalted be His grandeur, specifically declared throughout the Bayan that it would be made manifest through verses, it has therefore been revealed through verses - though verily all that hath proceeded from Him is a proof unto all the worlds. In this Most Great Revelation, all the signs of power, both in the horizons and within souls, have been made manifest, which none deny except every deceitful dissembler.

It behooveth everyone today to shun the company of wicked and idolatrous souls, for they have appeared with such deceit as hath no parallel in creation. Even as they wrote from the land of Sad to Jinab-i-Ism’ullah Aqa Siyyid Mahdi, upon him be the glory of God, that the mother of all iniquities and sins had sent a letter to that land stating that a tablet had been buried in their house, written in the hand of the Exalted One, and that she had unearthed that tablet wherein were inscribed statements attributed to the Primal Point recommending Mirza Yahya to the Most Glorious Beauty. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! We were all astounded at the fabrications of these souls and the deceit of this people.

Thereafter, the Source of Command decreed that they should go and ask her from which part of the house she had unearthed that tablet, and to show it, that perchance she might become aware of herself and be numbered among the penitent. With such intensity have they arisen to calumny, and these matters are but instructions which Mirza Yahya writes and sends from here. The curse of God be upon the liars and fabricators! The Primal Point in the highest Paradise disavoweth them, saying: “Perdition be unto you, O concourse of polytheists, and fire be upon you, O company of the malicious!”

Today one must sharpen one’s vision, purify one’s heart and sanctify one’s breast that one may distinguish oneself from all else. Though this station is most lofty and mighty, yet to the fair-minded it is most easy and accessible. The people of the Bayan have now reached such a state and have raised such objections against the Truth as none since the beginning of creation hath ever raised. All these servants have for years been circling round, and by God the Great, they never possessed aught of the ornaments of the world, and if they did, we all shared therein. Whosoever entered the Most Great House was as if he were its master, treated with the utmost kindness. Nevertheless, the people of the Bayan have objected to all that hath proceeded from the Truth, even to the drinking of tea and likewise to matters of dress and the like. Fie upon them and their shame!

I know not what hath come to pass that every soul remaineth halted at some obstacle and afflicted thereby. In these days a tablet was revealed and sent forth from the Dawning-Place of the Will of the All-Merciful, specifically for one of the eastern friends. It is mentioned here for the sake of awakening, that perchance they may become aware and hearken to the words of the Primal Point in His second manifestation from the most wondrous and glorious Tongue, and may feel ashamed at His cries and lamentations and wailing, and may be content with what they have wrought. And this is what was revealed from the heaven of God, the Exalted, the Great:

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most High, the Most Exalted

This is a Book from the Primal Point to those who have believed in God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Therein He addresses those among the people of the Bayan who have hesitated in this Cause, that they might perceive the wondrous words of God and arise from the slumber of heedlessness in this resplendent and luminous dawn. Say: We commanded you in the Book not to take precedence over that company from which would appear the Beloved of the mystics and the Object of desire of all who are in the heavens and earth. And We commanded you that should you attain unto the presence of God, arise before His countenance and then speak forth on My behalf these mighty and exalted words: “Upon Thee, O Baha’u’llah, and upon Thy kindred, be the remembrance of God and the praise of all things, in this time and before time and after time.” And We made these words a glory for the people of the Bayan, that through them they might ascend to the holy heights and be numbered among those who have attained. Yet they abandoned that which they were commanded, such that none appeared before His countenance as We had enjoined them in mighty and glorious Tablets. Rather, they cast at Him from every direction the darts of hypocrisy, whereat I wept and the denizens of the realms of grandeur wept, and then the Faithful Spirit. Say: O people, be ye ashamed before My beauty! Verily, He Who hath appeared in truth is the Glory of the worlds, were ye of them that know. And verily, He is Baha’u’llah, and upon Him be the remembrance of God and His praise, then the praise of the Concourse on High, then the praise of the denizens of the immortal realm, and the praise of all things at all times. Beware lest ye be veiled by what hath been created between earth and heaven. Hasten ye unto the paradise of His good-pleasure and be not of them that slumber. Say: Verily His beauty was My beauty in truth, and His Self was My Self, and all that We revealed in the Bayan was revealed for His firm and wondrous Cause. Fear God and dispute not with Him of Whom We informed you and gave you glad tidings of His manifestation, and took the covenant of His Self before the covenant of My Self, and all things bear witness to this, were ye of them that deny. By God! Through one note of His melodies were all realities brought forth anew, and through another note were drawn the hearts of them that are nigh. Beware lest ye be veiled by aught from Him Whose meeting was the essence of My meeting, and Who sacrificed Himself in My path even as I sacrificed in His path out of love for His mighty and exalted beauty. Say: But for Him, the Ha would not have mounted the Ba, nor would the form of the Ha have settled upon the Vav, nor would there have been created what was and what will be, were ye of them that perceive. And but for Him, I would not have cast Myself before the polytheists, nor would I have been suspended in the air. By God! Through My yearning for Him and My longing for His Self have I borne what no Prophet or Messenger hath borne, and I accepted all this upon Myself lest there should befall Him that which would grieve His most tender, most delicate, most subtle and mighty heart. And We counseled you throughout the Bayan that none should cause grief to another, lest grief should touch Him - else what have I to do with mention of you or occupation with you, O company of them that have forsaken! Verily, I desired naught in the Bayan save His Self, nor from all remembrances save His remembrance, nor from all names save His blessed, most mighty, most holy, most wondrous and glorious Name. By My life! If I made mention of the mention of Lordship, I intended naught save His Lordship over all things, and if there flowed from My pen the mention of Divinity, My purpose was none other than the God of the worlds, and if there flowed from My pen the mention of the Desired One, He was indeed My desire, and likewise regarding the Beloved - verily He was My Beloved and the Beloved of them that know. And when I made mention of prostration, I intended naught save prostration before His exalted, mighty and impregnable countenance. And if I praised any soul, My heart’s intent was naught but praise of His Own Self. And if I commanded people to any deed, I desired naught save deeds done for His good-pleasure in the day of His manifestation. To this testifieth all that hath been sent down upon Me from the heaven of My Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have made all things dependent upon His confirmation and good-pleasure, for He is the One Who hath ever been, of Himself, the God of all worlds and the Desire of all seekers. And were ye to fix your gaze, ye would witness the Manifestations of “He doeth what He willeth” abiding in His shadow among the worshippers. Yet ye have done unto His Self what neither the people of the Furqan did unto My Self, nor the company of the Jews unto the Spirit. Alas! Alas! For the anguish of My heart and the lamentation of My soul for what hath befallen My Beloved at the hands of the company of the idolaters. Fie upon you and upon your fidelity, O concourse of oppressors! We created fidelity and courtesy for His Self, that perchance at His manifestation ye would do naught that would grieve My reality and the realities of all things. Yet ye have transgressed what was prescribed in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Great. Ye have rent asunder the veil of modesty and the covering of reverence, and have committed that which the Pen of Creation between earth and heaven is ashamed to mention. Alas! Alas! For what ye have wrought against this Wronged One, the Alone, the Stranger. I know not what ye will do to Him hereafter. Nay, by My All-Knowing Self! Rather, I do know, and with Me is the knowledge of all things preserved in a Tablet which God hath guarded from the eyes of the idolaters. We informed Him beforehand of what hath befallen Him and what will befall Him, though He was indeed, of His own Self, aware of what lay within the breasts of all beings. Not an atom’s weight escapeth His knowledge, nor doth aught that hath been created by a word from Him elude His grasp. There is no God but He, the Single, the Resurrector, the Life-Giver, the Death-Dealer. Say: O people! He is the One Who, were He to will to make all who are in the heavens and on earth an enduring testimony from His presence, would be able to do so, and this would be easy and simple for Him. He is the One Who created the Paradise of the Bayan for His Self, and from it all things began and unto it they return, were ye but to know. Yet with Him in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of creation ye were not content that He should call Himself by any of the names, though these and their dominion were created by His mighty and impregnable command. Alas! Alas! For your heedlessness, O people of the Bayan! Alas! Alas! For your veiling of yourselves, O company of idolaters! When ye had exceeded all bounds regarding your own selves and had attained, in your estimation, the highest peaks of knowledge, ye made mention of the successorship of one of His enemies and sought thereby to adduce proof against God through Whom the laws of religion were ordained for all men, both first and last. Ye have returned to that which the people of the Furqan adduced as proof, though We had forbidden you in His presence from all mention save by His leave - and God is in truth witness and well-informed of this. Look, then, to your condition and your knowledge. Fie upon you and upon your minds, then upon your understanding, O most lost of people! Know ye not that We have rolled up what the people possess and have spread out another carpet? Blessed be God, the King, the Spreader, the Mighty, the Bountiful!

Say: O people! Do not fabricate lies about My person. Verily, I have spoken naught but in remembrance and praise of this Revelation, and have breathed naught but in love for it, and have turned to none but His radiant and luminous countenance. I have made the Bayan and all that was revealed therein as but a leaf from among the leaves of the Garden of Paradise unto His own Self, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Powerful. Beware lest ye usurp it and return it to him who sought to shed My blood once again through following his own desires and passions, and was among the warmongers. We have expounded the Bayan from a single Word, then returned it unto that Word, and commanded the Word to appear before the Throne that the creation before it might bear witness and that His all-knowing and wise Self might rejoice therein. Judge ye fairly then: is it fitting that its owner should dispose of it, or one other than him? What ails you, O concourse of the veiled ones? We commanded the people of the Bayan to wear silk and keep themselves and their garments clean lest His eye should fall upon what He loveth not. Thus have We set forth all things in detail in a perspicuous Book. All this was for His sake, if ye be of the fair-minded. We created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever lieth between them for His loved ones - how much more so His radiant, mighty and luminous beauty! Yet ye have clung to what We ordained for Him and have opposed My Beloved thereby. What ails you, O concourse of the hateful ones, and what shall profit you this day, O company of mischief-makers? Ye have opposed Him and all that hath proceeded from Him, after We counseled you in the Tablets that whosoever should call to mind the mention of His Most Great and Wondrous Name should rise from his seat and say “Glory be to God, the Lord of the Kingdom and the Realm” nineteen times, then “Glory be to God, the Lord of Might and Power” nineteen times, unto the end of what We revealed in a mighty and glorious Tablet. Yet ye denied Him and His verses, and were not content with that, and observed not the rights of God regarding Him, and heeded not God’s command concerning His exalted and knowing Self, until ye opposed each and every one of His deeds, and were among the mockers. Among you were those who said “He drinks tea,” and those who said “He eats food,” and those who objected to His attire, though every thread of His garments testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He is the Goal of all those near unto God. I myself bear witness that at times He had but two garments in His presence, that He might change from one to the other - thus doth the tongue of truth, the All-Knowing, bear witness. And on some nights the family of God had naught for sustenance, yet He concealed His plight to preserve God’s firm and mighty Cause - this after He had created all things for His own Self and held in His hands the keys to the treasuries of the heavens and earth. Fie upon your shame, O people of the Bayan! By God, I am ashamed of your deeds and I now disavow you, O concourse of satans! Alas, alas for His trials among you! Alas, alas for what hath befallen and continueth to befall Him at every moment! O people, be fair, then ponder: were ye still enshrouded in such veils, why would I have manifested Myself, and what would be the fruit of My manifestation, O company of hypocrites? God hath raised Me up to rend asunder the veils and purify you for this Revelation, yet ye have done unto Him that which causeth Mine eyes and the eyes of the holy ones to weep. The faces of earlier peoples have turned white from your deeds, for ye are more veiled than they.

The faces of the peoples of old times are more veiled than your deeds, for verily ye are more veiled than they and more heedless than the hosts of the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel. Would that I had not been born of my mother and had not manifested myself among you, O company of the disappointed ones! By Him Who hath sent Me with the truth, I have encompassed the knowledge of all things, and all that hath been treasured in the treasuries of God’s protection, and all that hath been veiled from the eyes of the worlds. Yet have I not found souls more wretched than you and more remote from Him. For after We had expounded it in the Tablets and counseled you in all the pages, We had not thought that anyone would appear in the realm who would dare oppose God, in Whose grasp lie the kingdoms of the heavens and earth. We are bewildered by your creation and know not by what word ye were created, O ye at whom are amazed both the hearts of the people of the Supreme Concourse and the hearts of the sincere ones and those brought nigh. Thus have We related unto thee, O servant, in this Tablet, that which the Dove of Utterance warbled at that time before the throne of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. And verily thou shouldst read what hath been revealed therein, then preserve these pearls of inner meanings from every treacherous thief among the hosts of Satan. And if thou findest one possessed of insight, spread it before his eyes that he may witness and be among the successful ones. Perchance those of Our chosen servants possessed of vision may become aware of what hath befallen the Beauty of the Chosen One at the hands of these transgressors who have taken the Calf as their lord instead of God and worship it morning and evening, and are among those who rejoice. And thou, grieve not for what hath befallen Us, but be patient even as We have been patient, for He is the best of helpers and protectors. Remember thy Lord in the nights and days, then speak forth His praise among His servants, that perchance through His praise the fire of His love may be kindled in the hearts of the righteous, and all may arise to praise God, their Lord and the Lord of all that is seen and unseen, and the Lord of your ancient fathers. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Every possessor of insight and understanding would surely lament both for the Truth and for himself upon reading these revealed verses - for the Truth, in that it hath been afflicted at the hands of such oppressors in ways that the eye of creation hath not seen nor the ear of invention heard; and for himself, in that he hath failed to arise as befitteth this wondrous Cause. We beseech God to raise up through His sovereignty souls who shall make up for what these people have failed to do, that these sanctified souls may arise to do what is worthy and befitting of this Revelation. He who circleth round the Spirit saith: ‘Conceal not, but rend asunder the veils and reveal what hath been treasured in secret of the knowledge of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.’ And they who circle round the Mind say: ‘Beware, beware! Be patient and disclose not that which would frighten the temples of the heedless and disturb the hearts of the polytheists. Cast upon the servants that which befitteth their station and rank. Beware lest thou cast upon the infant the stations of maturity, or upon the deprived the mysteries of God’s sanctuary, or upon the deaf the melodies of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.’ O thou who art unfair and unseeing! Why didst thou not question the tree of rejection as to why one whose name had been known and celebrated for twenty years, and through whose words they had established their own selves, should now be condemned to death by their decree?

And through His Words, they have established proof for themselves. Yet now they have issued a decree for His death and have perpetrated that which none hath ever perpetrated, and at every moment they are engaged in devising new schemes to subvert His Cause. And this, while thou and thy like were all created by His Word. But what can be said? For whatsoever may be uttered will never influence these veiled ones and idolators, and hath never done so. And this is most evident, that were a soul to be touched by but a spark from the fire of divine love, he would never occupy himself with such words, nor would he raise such objections against the Sovereign of Names and Attributes - objections the like of which have never appeared in all creation. God shall soon raise up a people who will be awakened by His words, who will recognize His purpose, who will turn unto Him, and who will detach themselves from all the worlds.

And concerning what thou hast written as to what answer I should give to Mirza Muhammad-’Ali and Mirza Abu’l-Hasan and others: Thou art not, nor hast thou ever been, the Judge of all creation. Be thou the judge of thine own self, and think what answer thou shalt give unto God. The answer to creatures is easy. O shameless one, devoid of modesty! Thou hast expressed perplexity regarding the answer to a few creatures, yet hast never given thought to thine answer unto God. Consider now with fairness: if thou expressest shame and perplexity at answering a few mortals, what shall we say in answer at the Most Great Throne, where all the Prophets and near ones are present? Witness thyself in that station, then witness all the people of the Bayan assembled together, and the Primal Point at the right hand of the Throne addressing thee and them. In Persian it is mentioned that thou mayest fully comprehend. He saith: “O people of the Bayan! Did I not inform you in all the Tablets that after Me a Manifestation would appear?” All must surely say “Yea,” and by thy very self, the Truth, He gave these glad tidings in all the Tablets and took from all the covenant of that Most Great Luminary. Then He saith: “Did I not say that that Ancient Beauty would be made manifest through the verses of God? Did I not say that the dwellers of the Mount would fall senseless and die at that station? Did I not say that the highest Tree of affirmation would be made low by the lowliest tree of negation? Did I not say that every possessor of light would appear dark in the presence of the radiance of His countenance? Did I not say that none save His own Self would be cognizant of His Manifestation? Did I not say that at the time of His appearance ye should not be veiled by what was revealed in the Bayan? Did I not say to the Letters of the Bayan, who are the first to be created in the Bayan, that ye should not remain deprived of that Ancient Beauty? Did I not say that all of the Bayan is but a leaf amongst the leaves of Paradise in the presence of that Tree of Divine Unity? Did I not say that He hath power to reject one who is highest amongst all creation? Did I not say that all the people of the Bayan are His creation in His previous Manifestation?” Assuredly ye must confirm all this, for all is specifically revealed and recorded in the Tablets of the Bayan. Despite these countless exhortations and firm, irrefutable counsels, by what proof and evidence have ye drawn the sword of oppression against this Blessed Beauty, and all have arisen to violate His sanctity, and intended to shed His pure blood, and from every direction have advanced with the swords of discord - notwithstanding that He hath appeared with such evidence as that wherewith I appeared before, and likewise before that Muhammad the Messenger of God appeared, and before that the Spirit. If ye say: “Whence are these verses from God?” I say: By the same proof whereby ye recognized My verses to be from God, although ye all confess that these wondrous verses have spread throughout all regions and at every moment He hath spoken verses such that all are and shall ever be as nothing before a single word thereof. Nevertheless, ye have taken as lord one who is an opponent of the Truth.

Some of you have clung to the fact that I called him the Fruit, even though it is revealed in My Book that if there be seen any Branch, or Leaf, or Fruit that boweth not down before that Sun of Truth on the Day of His Manifestation, he is not of Me and returneth not unto Me. And some have clung to the notion that I took him as a Mirror, even though by My express text a hundred thousand like him are made manifest and radiant from a single effulgence of the Sun. And yet ye have not even understood the matter of that Mirror. Even granting he be that Mirror, there is no doubt that ye have accepted him as such based on My word. I have explicitly stated that ye should not remain veiled from that which hath been revealed in the Book by that Manifestation of the Lord of Lords. Likewise have I stated that the people of the Mount become as dead and as naught before that Most Great Manifestation, and a hundred thousand such mirrors were and shall be but sheer nothingness before a single one of those holy souls dawning from the horizon of oneness. And if ye say that this Mirror hath now made this same claim, there is no doubt he hath lied in this assertion, for I have specifically revealed that if a mirror claimeth to be the Sun, it is evident before the Sun that he is but a shadow thereof. And from this very statement of Mine it is proven that the Mirror, by your supposition, would claim to be the Sun, and this very claim of his in these days is proof of his falsehood, for after the dawning of the Sun of Oneness, in opposition to his own self, in rebellion against his own essence, in pride against his own being, and in denial of His Cause, he hath spoken these words, and most of you have followed him. Fie upon you, O people of the Bayan! Again fie upon you, O people of the Bayan! Again fie upon you, O people of the Bayan! And fie upon you unto the endless end! For by your deeds my heart hath melted, my liver burned, my bowels entangled, my limbs severed, my pillars shaken, my skin shuddered, my soul trembled, my being maddened, my inner reality cried out, and my outer and inner self, my first and last, grieved. That which ye mention and continue to mention, ye attribute to Me and cling to him based on My word, while My own authority is established by the Bayan, and I have specifically stated that ye should not remain veiled from the All-Merciful by the Bayan. I know not after this by what excuse ye cling and to what rope ye hold fast. Ye heed not My Cause and have not accepted God’s counsel. One who now warreth against God ye have designated by one of My names, and ye contend and dispute with My very self, even though I have explicitly stated that all Manifestations of Names in that glorious and sanctified Manifestation are but servants, just as I have said: If I say He is the One, that Name is but one of His Names, and if I say He is the All-Glorious, that manifest Name is but one of His Names, and if I say He is the Most Holy, it is He Who is revealed through that Name and its likes, and if I say He is the Mighty, every mighty one boweth down before the loftiness of His might.

If I say He is the One, this One is but one of His names. If I say He is the All-Holy, the manifestation of this name is but one of His names. If I say He is the Most Sacred, He is that Being Who has revealed and continues to reveal Himself through this name and its like. If I say He is the Mighty, every mighty one bows down before His exalted might. If I say He is the Beloved, every beloved one has rent asunder the veil of his heart in love and adoration for Him. If I say He is the All-Compelling, He is that Sovereign Who, should any soul in the Day of His Manifestation adduce proofs of Him, God will make that soul to exercise dominion over all things through His command. If I say He is the Self-Subsisting, He is but the manifestation of one of those who stand before the throne of His oneness. Exalted, exalted be His mention, and exalted, exalted be His station! Though by this explicit statement I have described all the Most Beautiful Names as servants at His threshold, and have declared that Essence of Purpose and Countenance of Promise to be sanctified, holy and pure above all else, yet you have seized upon a name from my Book and through that name have brought forth that which no people before have ever brought forth. Thus speaks the Tongue of God, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great. These are the words of the Primal Point, may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him. Can any soul provide an answer? No, by God! Rather, we are all humbled and ashamed and remorseful, for those who have turned towards Him have not arisen to fulfill the conditions of turning to Him, and as for those who have turned away, it is evident what they have perpetrated and continue to perpetrate. Moreover, according to the explicit text of the Primal Point, all the Most Beautiful Names - whether the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, those above them or below them - are all souls who, in this wondrous Cause, provide proofs of this Manifestation through their own evidence. Consider then the station of those souls who have adduced proofs through their exposition and pen in confirmation of this Most Great Manifestation, and have written that which has been cast upon pure hearts. By God! They are among the most exalted and radiant of creation, such that none before them has surpassed them, nor shall any soul among those who come after ever surpass them. O commanding self! Why did you occupy yourself with mention of those souls and express bewilderment at their answer, while remaining heedless of the deeds of those who gave their lives in the path of this Cause, the act of each one being in itself a clear proof in establishing this most wondrous and impregnable Manifestation, and a manifest testimony between the heavens and the earth? Among them was the beloved of martyrs, Aqa Sayed Isma’il of Zavareh, who by his own hand sacrificed his head for love of this Manifestation, and no one could be found to match him in detachment, piety and godliness […]

His piety, grace and knowledge, by God, have never been denied. Thou wast not guided by the deeds of such a soul, and thou hast sent before the Divine Throne mention of souls whose path is not now known, and perchance God will confirm them in His Cause and detach them from thee and thy like, and make them among the sincere ones. In any case, it hath become necessary to mention in this place the details concerning the illustrious martyred Siyyid - upon him be the glory of God, and upon him be the might of God, and upon him be the light of God, and upon him be the grandeur of God, and upon him be the mystery of God, and upon him be the majesty of God, and upon him be the radiance of God, and upon him be the praise of God, and the praise of all things, and the praise of all the worlds - that perchance thou mayest become aware of those souls of whom the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His power, gave tidings that before the appearance of that Sun of Oneness they would be set ablaze with the fire of His love, even as He, addressing the next Manifestation, hath spoken words whose Persian meaning is this, His mighty and glorious Word: “Although all the servants have been and will be veiled from Thee, yet for Thee servants will also be created who will be set ablaze with the fire of Thy love before Thy manifestation,” even as the aforementioned Siyyid was set ablaze before His manifestation, and assuredly the like of that soul shall appear, though ye and your kind deny or disbelieve.

The story of that martyr is that he arrived in Iraq and took up residence near the Most Great House, in the house of Aqa Muhammad-Rida - upon him be the glory of God. The aforementioned name requested of the Most Glorious that He would at some time honor his house with a visit. Several days passed and He delayed in response, until one day He accepted and honored that place with His presence. The aforementioned person, according to his means, prepared a gathering and brought several trays of sweets, fruits and confections into His presence. Then the Face of God turned to the face of him who was martyred in His path and addressed him: “Come, and all that is present before thee is from God’s bounties and favors.” He spoke before God with humility, submissiveness, imploring and contrition, saying “I desire from Thy wondrous gifts that Thou grant me of Thy spiritual bounties.” Then the Spirit’s face became radiant and He said “Come, O servant” and commanded him to be seated before His face. Then the Tongue of God spoke words from which dripped drops of meaning upon all that was and will be, and I am unable to describe or mention them, nor do I know what the hand of grace bestowed upon him of its hidden spiritual bounties, to such extent that his soul, spirit, essence and being were attracted by them, and the dominions of longing so overcame him that he became oblivious of himself and of all who are in the heavens and earth, and turned with his inner and outer being toward the Beloved of the worlds, until the gathering ended and the Spirit returned to His abode. But after hearing God’s words and tasting of what he desired, no one witnessed in him any calm or rest, and numbered days passed, and at every moment his longing increased and his passion for God his Creator intensified, until one morning he swept the courtyard of the House with his turban, returned, took a knife, withdrew from the people and left the city. When he reached the bank of the river, he stood facing the House, and with one hand holding his beard and the other hand cutting his throat – out of love for God, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Thereupon a great commotion arose among the people, and cries were raised by all souls, and many gathered around him and saw that the knife was in his hand and his hand was placed upon his chest. All existence was astounded by this, then the denizens of the highest Paradise, then the dwellers of the cities of grandeur, then the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Names and the Heaven of eternity – and they all prayed for him and glorified his countenance and descended upon him and circled round him and inhaled the fragrance of his love. And were I to mention what was manifested on that day, verily thou wouldst neither accept it nor be able to comprehend it. And God is witness to what I say.

It is mentioned in the Persian tongue that after the arrival of the Ancient Beauty, the aforementioned Siyyid sought spiritual sustenance. He was told, “Come and be seated before Me.” After he was seated, utterances were made. By God! The intoxication of the wine of divine meanings in God’s words so attracted him that he became oblivious to himself and both worlds. Should all the peoples of the world attempt to describe the details of that gathering, or endeavor to characterize that Kawthar of meaning which flowed from the Ocean of utterance of that Eternal Countenance, they would surely find themselves utterly powerless. The Words of God so profoundly affected that heart turned toward God that his entire being was set ablaze with the fire of divine love. God alone knows what bounties were bestowed upon him. He tasted that which none knoweth save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. After the meeting concluded and the Ancient Beauty departed, that Siyyid manifested a wondrous state at all times, and the love of God so seized him that he ultimately ceased eating and drinking. He remained in this condition for some time, until one day he composed verses in praise of God and gave them to the companions, which still exist today. Should anyone examine them, they would become aware of the burning intensity of that pure and holy being. Then one day at dawn he arose and proceeded to the Most Great House, swept its blessed courtyard with his turban, then went and obtained a blade. He visited the house of Aqa Muhammad-Rida, and hastened to the place of sacrifice before his Beloved, detached from all who dwell in the heavens and earth. At that moment all the angels of the highest paradise circled round him and accompanied him to the place of sacrifice, until outside the city near the river, facing the House, he cut his own blessed throat with his own hand, out of love for his Lord, yearning for His affection, seeking His presence, content with His decree, and turning toward the sanctuary of His reunion. Afterward this event became known throughout the city, such that all heard of it. The chief of police with a group of Arabs and Persians went to that most holy place and witnessed that sacred form lying there with the blade in his hand, having sacrificed his life in this state. Upon seeing this all were astounded, and this very act caused several enemies to repent of their deeds and attain to divine love. In no age had such a thing occurred. Now observe that the name of this blessed soul was also Isma’il, but this Isma’il did not return alive from the place of sacrifice before his Beloved, but rather offered up his life in His path. By God! This deed is a proof to all who dwell in the heavens and earth, but you will not comprehend it, nor will those like you. What have you to do with these realms? Go and make mention of prescribed guardianship, investigate that station, and write treatises. Likewise other souls who in this Revelation have given their lives and until reaching the place of sacrifice were speaking the praise of their Beloved - mention these souls who like brilliant suns have risen among the people […]

And even unto the place of sacrifice they were speaking in remembrance of the Beloved. Out of enmity toward God, thou hast failed to mention these souls who, like radiant suns, shine forth and illumine amidst humanity. And thou writest, asking what answer shall I give to this one and that one. Those who have denied the signs of God and followed thee and thy like have verily suffered loss in this world and in the world to come, and verily the fire shall be their abode - how wretched an abode for them that deny!

And concerning what thou hast written, asking how to respond to those who each day cling to someone else, accepting one as true and rejecting another as false - this “truth” thou hast mentioned has ever existed among creation, honored with one of the garments of names, but after transgression, pride and turning away, that garment was taken from him. Take hold of the reins of the pen, for by what flowed from it, the people of the realms of eternity curse thee, as doth testify the Tongue of God, the Truthful, the Speaking, the Trustworthy. He saith: The Divines shall, at another time, upon the sprinkling of that Crimson, All-Compelling Light, become as dead and as nothing. Yet thou newly mentionest how it could be that a mirror, according to thy fancy, could become false, or a fruit fall. It is explicitly stated that many a tree of affirmation becometh in the next Revelation a tree of negation through its turning away, yet now thou clingest and holdest fast to a single fruit according to thy fancy. Were it a true fruit, by its turning away it hath fallen from the Divine Lote-Tree and returned to its original place in the fire. At this point a single utterance from the Point of the Bayan, the Countenance of the All-Merciful, and the Self of the All-Glorious - may the spirit of all in the realms of the universe and existence be sacrificed for Him - is mentioned, that perchance thou mayest feel shame and not stretch forth the hand of transgression toward the pavilion of divine knowledge and recognition. Although thou and thy like are accounted among the deprived ones in the sight of God, yet the face of the Bayan hath been and shall be turned toward them that are nigh unto God. He saith - and His word is the truth: “Make, O my God, that entire Tree to be for Him, that there may appear from it the fruits that God hath created therein for Him through whom God desireth to manifest what He desireth. For I, by Thy glory, have not desired that there should remain upon that Tree any branch, leaf or fruit that would not bow down before Him on the day of His Manifestation, nor glorify Thee through Him as befitteth the sublimity of His manifest sovereignty and the exaltation of His hidden majesty. And shouldst Thou behold, O my God, any branch or leaf or fruit upon me that would not bow down before Him on the day of His Manifestation, then cut it off, O my God, from that Tree, for it is not of Me, nor shall it return unto Me.” Thus did He speak - may my soul, my spirit, my inner being, my outer being, my hidden reality, the kingdom and the dominion, might and divinity, glory and majesty, manifestation and humanity, and all that hath been created in the realms of eternity be a sacrifice unto Him - for He, may my spirit be sacrificed for Him, moved not His pen save in this wondrous remembrance, this transcendent and inaccessible Revelation, this most exalted and sublime sovereignty, this resplendent and illuminating Sun, and this manifest, glorious, mighty and inaccessible Cause. Consider thou somewhat what the Point of existence and the Beauty of the Worshipped One declareth. He saith: “O my Lord! I have not desired that there should remain upon this Tree any branch, leaf or fruit that would not bow down before Him on the day of His Manifestation, nor glorify Thee through that Manifestation as befitteth the sublimity of His manifest sovereignty and the exaltation of His hidden majesty.” And He saith: “If Thou shouldst behold, O my Lord, upon me any branch or leaf or fruit that would not bow down before Him on the day of His Manifestation, then cut it off, O Lord, from this Tree, for verily it is not of me.”

Turn to Him with thy whole heart, O My servant, and behold not the ways of the foolish. Whosoever seeketh guidance in this Day must cast away all that he possesseth and fix his gaze upon the Divine Horizon. Let thy vision be directed towards the Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, and know thou of a certainty that every fruit that boweth not before Him on the Day of His manifestation must assuredly be cut off from this Tree. Verily, such a fruit hath not been of Me, nor shall it return unto Me. Reflect thou upon this matter: the fruit of the Tree of Truth in the previous Revelation was that all the people of the Bayan should abide beneath its shade. This was the ultimate purpose of what was ordained concerning the previous Tree. Now, whosoever attaineth unto this station shall be accounted among its fruits, branches, and boughs, and whatsoever hath been ordained for them; and whoso faileth shall be cut off and cast aside.

Lament thou, therefore, for the fruit that hath taken for itself a god besides God. Were it a true fruit, according to the explicit text of the Point of the Bayan which declareth: “Whoso faileth to acknowledge the Truth on the Day of His manifestation hath not been and shall not be of Me” - given such a clear and manifest declaration, how can ye wonder that a fruit might prove false or be cast aside? Behold now the greatness of God’s Cause, and consider thine own station and that of thy guide. O thou child in the school of ignorance, thou art not yet mature, for wert thou mature, thou wouldst not occupy thyself with such words. Fie upon thee and what thou possessest, and what thou hast used as proof, and that wherein thou takest delight!

The truly mature ones today are they who have recognized the Manifestation of the Lord of all worlds and are established upon the thrones of certitude and dignity. For thee and thy like, it is most difficult to rend these veils, yet God, exalted be His praise, hath souls who, through His breaths, shall rend all veils. These are they whose very beings hold sway over all who are in the Bayan, as do their words, their deeds, and their knowledge. Even as the Point of the Bayan hath declared that a one-year-old child of the next Revelation is mightier than all who are in the Bayan. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Were they to reflect upon this single utterance of the Point of the Bayan, all would detach themselves from whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth, and from their own souls and beings, and would turn towards the Court of Unity. How mighty is this word, would ye but reflect upon it! For were this Cause not supreme, how could such an utterance have issued forth from the Source of the Bayan? We thus bear witness that God, the Most High, the Most Great, hath spoken truth. For were He not mightier than all creation, He could not rend these veils of idle fancy nor break these mighty idols through the power of the Friend of all horizons. How vast is the difference between the station of these servants and the station of those who came before! These are servants upon whom the denizens of the Supreme Paradise and the realities of all things pronounce their blessings, though ye comprehend it not.

Know that what has been written with the pen of hatred and calumny - that certain people attribute rebellion to the Most Glorious Beauty - and what has been written that the pen is ashamed to mention, all such words are manifest lies cast upon you by that lying perpetrator. And whoever speaks thus has invented falsehood against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Then do the angels of sanctity address you from the Most Great Paradise, saying: “O thou who hast ascribed partners to God, be silent! By a drop from the oceans of His sanctification were we created and raised up. God hath made us purified from reference to aught else and sanctified from mention of all else. Thus do we glorify and praise Him in this Most Great, Most Exalted Station.” Then do the angels of divine unity address thee from the Most Exalted Paradise, saying: “Take up thy pen, O thou who associateth partners with God! By God! Through the breezes of His unity were we created and raised up. Thus do we extol and glorify and praise Him in this station which God hath made pure from thy mention and thy praise and thy knowledge and the knowledge of all creation.” Then do the angels of detachment address thee from the All-Glorious Paradise, saying: “Be ashamed, O thou who hast turned away from God! God created us from the oceans of His detachment and we have cut ourselves off from every remembrance save His remembrance. Thus do we walk in this Most Great Paradise and make mention of Him and praise Him at morn and eventide.” Then do the dwellers of the Paradise of the Divine Command address thee, saying: “O thou who art heedless of God’s remembrance and who warreth against His Self! We were created by the command that flowed from His precious and wondrous Pen. He it is by Whose command the Most Exalted Pen inscribed upon the tablets whatsoever He desired. He it is Who ruleth as He pleaseth. None can question what He doeth, while all others shall be questioned, if thou be of them that know. He is the One Who chooseth for His own Self, doing what He willeth through His sovereignty. None hath the right to object to Him, for objection returneth unto thine own wretched and remote self. We have not found anyone more veiled than thee among the peoples of former times. By God! Through the fire of thine animosity hath the fire of hell been kindled. Fear God and attribute not to Him what thy self and thy passion command thee, and be not of them that join partners with God. By God! Every atom testifieth to His sanctity, and all things to His transcendence, and the dwellers of the highest paradise to His detachment, and the inhabitants of the cities of eternity to His oneness. Were He to pronounce polytheism to be unity, He would have the power through His all-compelling sovereignty. And were He to will to transform the sins of all created things through a word from Him, He would be able through His command. Indeed, powerlessness is thy state and the state of thy like, O thou who hast deprived thyself of the breezes of God in these wondrous and unprecedented days. Fie upon thee and upon thy knowledge! Hast thou not recognized that judgment proceedeth from Him while no one’s judgment reacheth unto Him? He is the Commander from all eternity, and no one’s command affecteth Him, for all are poor before Him and were created by His precious and wondrous Word. Doth it beseem a leaf that hath fallen from the divine Tree and hath been yellowed by the winds of self to object to the Tree, every leaf of which proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise? Doth it beseem nothingness to object to the King of Pre-existence or to lay down for Him the laws of its own self? Nay, by His exalted Self, the All-Glorious! Therefore hearken unto my words and seek forgiveness for the rest of thy life. Perchance God may forgive thee and purify thee from that which thou hast been afflicted with.

May He purify you from that which has afflicted you and detach you from yourself and your desires, and draw you nigh unto that which is better for you than the kingdom of the heavens and earth. By God! I desired naught in what I mentioned save the frustration of God’s Cause, and We beseech God to frustrate you and then those who supported you in what you did and committed. Verily He is powerful over all things.

This servant has taken refuge. If no response is mentioned, there is fear that some weak souls may be deprived of the truth by these fabricated words. And if mentioned - by God besides Whom there is no God - the original nature is not content to be heedless of the mention of God and to turn to the words of the polytheists. But what can be done? The duty is to respond to what you have said, lest these fabrications become a veil between the servants and the King of the Day of Reckoning.

From these words cast upon you, he had no purpose except to prevent certain souls from the direction of Paradise and to catch the servants in the snare of words. During the twelve years’ sojourn in Iraq, all know how much effort was made to remove certain vices from among this community. And if, God forbid, some committed them, it was in secret. By God, O heedless one! You know not upon what ground you make these objections. Were you to know, you would instantly destroy yourself.

The greatest cause and reason for the displeasure of the Most Glorious Beauty with Mirza Yahya - by God besides Whom there is no God - was that he violated the sanctity of the wife of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, although this is forbidden in all heavenly Books. His shamelessness reached such a degree that he specifically forbade his own wives in his writings, yet extended his hand of transgression and betrayal to the spouse of the Manifestation of the King of all worlds. Fie upon him and his faithfulness! Would that he had been content with himself, but after his own violation he gave her over to the polytheists, and all the people of the Bayan have heard and know of his evil deeds. His misdeeds should be asked of those who associated with him.

Beyond this, what is strange is that this very matter which he has written is clear proof and decisive evidence of the truth of this Cause, though you have not yet perceived it. One whom you yourself know was not among the learned and ascetic, nor counted among the mystics and turbaned ones, and according to you associated with the likes of Mushir’d-Dawlih, then suddenly the divine waters of meaning began flowing from him without apparent cause, and the suns of divine wisdom rose and shone from the horizon of his will […]

O thou unjust one! This is a station above all stations, wert thou of the fair-minded. Thou hast regarded this most great bounty as trivial and hast imagined in thy mind that these words were uttered to lead men astray. Thou hast erred, O sinful transgressor! Every person of insight who heareth this will assuredly become more steadfast and more firm in the Cause of God, and shall continue thus. Thou hast conceived another thought, that these whisperings might affect souls that harbor evil, but not souls that are divine. Perchance darkened and limited hearts may be rendered heedless of the mention of the King of Oneness by such false and unseemly words. Yet pure souls will turn with their whole being toward the All-Merciful.

Now I ask of thee: if one should arise from among a people, having never been known for learning nor renowned among men for wisdom and justice, and should speak forth the jewels of God’s words as ye have heard and continue to hear - is such a one greater, or one who hath been trained among the learned? There is no doubt that the former is more excellent, for he hath manifested through the pure power of God. How fitting that the Truth, exalted be His glory, hath spoken words from your own tongue that have sufficed and will suffice those of insight to recognize such souls.

Ever hath the Truth been the object of such objections, even as they objected to the Spirit of God (Christ) that He associated and companioned with sinners and tax-collectors. By God! This Revelation hath been visited with afflictions, despite the counsels of the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His glory, such as have befallen none of the previous Manifestations. The tribulations of all those who have gone before and those who shall come after cannot compare with merely this impure scroll thou hast dispatched to the Most Holy Court, though thou art utterly ignorant and speakest purely from desire and self. This is among the afflictions that have been witnessed, yet there have befallen this Revelation tribulations that none can reckon save God alone.

Even as revealed in the Tablet to Jud, upon him be the glory of God, one verse that hath, by God, melted the hearts of all in the horizons. His word, exalted be His grandeur: “Thou hast seen Me and associated with Me and known the ocean of My calm and the mountain of My patience. Consider what hath caused Me to raise the cry between the heavens and the earths.” But what benefit is there in casting divine verses before thee? It is as though a nightingale were to warble for one who is deaf. We beseech God to purify the earth from thy defilement and the defilement of those who were with thee. Verily He is the Answerer of prayers.

Thy power hath been shown to extend only so far as to turn away from the Truth at the word of the most wicked and base of men, and to cling to the tree of self and passion.[…]

And thou hadst written that in gatherings it is being said that the Ancient Beauty hath laid the foundation of corruption and sedition, and it hath become widely known that He first declared His brother the Qa’im and concealed him, and used his name to bake bread, and now having cast him aside they wish to feast. God’s curse be upon him who cast this forth, and God’s curse be upon him who lied and calumniated, then transgressed and rebelled, then denied and became wretched. By God, He hath found many people to be foolish. All know that He came to Iraq by order of the Persian government, and that Mirza Yahya, after the episode in the Land of Ta, fled and came to Iraq. Say: O thou polytheist! He Who sacrificed His soul in God’s path and was before all people, and upon Whom at every moment were showered the arrows of fate which none can reckon save God, the King, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed - most of the people rose up against Him in the days when He was in Iraq, and every day some would cry out that they should seize Him and send Him to the Land of Ta, and some said they would drown Him in the river, and some said the government would exile Him. And God is witness and knowing of this. The eyes of all things wept for Him because of the hardships and adversities that touched Him. And thou wrotest what thou wrotest - nay, God’s curse be upon the liars. All things bear witness that during the years of His sojourn in Iraq there was never any hope for life, and at every moment He was afflicted with fresh trials. Yet despite this, such base souls make mention of bread and feasting. Consider how bereft they are of manifest understanding. By God, whoever observeth thy words will clearly witness in thee the wrath of God. Glory be to God! One who is incapable of writing two Persian words in elegant phrases objects to Him through Whose will the Most Exalted Pen was created and from Whom appeared the scratching sound whereby were attracted the hearts of all that were and shall be. Fie upon thee and upon what hath proceeded from thee! Yet it is not unlikely that these heedless people would prefer thy words to the words of truth, just as for endless years they have preferred and worshipped the calf to the truth, and are still engaged therein. It is most regrettable that man should utter such unseemly words, for words reveal the human soul. Therefore the words of the people of the Most Sublime Vision are adorned with the ornament of courtesy. We beseech God not to leave us bereft of this garment whereby man’s station is made manifest among the concourse of creation and his distinction from the animal is shown. We further beseech Him to draw us nigh unto Him and to detach us from all else but Him, to purify us from the odors of fancy and imitation, and to make us among those who said “God is our Lord” and then stood firm, whom neither the derision of all creation nor the scorn of the heedless deterred.

O Lord, my God! Open the eyes of these people that they may behold Thee manifest among Thy creatures and resplendent in Thy kingdom. Verily, O my God, hadst Thou opened their eyes, they would not have afflicted me with their mockery, the stones of their suspicions, and the arrows of their delusions, even as Thou didst open the eyes of Thy loved ones and made known to them what none besides them knew. And verily, hadst Thou removed the veils from them as Thou didst remove them from the faces of Thy loved ones, they would not have remained veiled nor would they have objected. But since Thou hast concealed from these and revealed to Thy loved ones, therefore the clamor of the heedless among Thy creatures and the outcry of the doubters among the people of Thy kingdom have been raised. I beseech Thee by Thy Self to remove from them the veils that have prevented them from recognizing Thee and the Manifestation of Thy Self, that all may gather upon the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness and the seat of the glory of Thy sanctification and Thy uniqueness. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.

As for those who have claimed they made bread in His name - by God, I am ashamed to mention such discourteous and base souls. This is the work of that wicked Siyyid Muhammad himself. Such utterances were never and will never be the utterances of noble ones. Anyone who speaks such words is like one who says the sun is illumined by darkness, or the nightingale learned singing from the crow, or a piece of ruby derived its brilliance and color from a stone. What use is it that this heedless one does not understand, and those who were present have denied everything lest any word of truth emerge and people hear it? This Siyyid Muhammad who, by the Great God, once prided himself to stand in the blessed presence, has now come forth attributing such calumnies to the Truth. Praise be to God that these servants have never spoken and will never speak aught but truth and righteousness, have not exchanged religion for worldly gain, and have not turned away from the Truth. All give thanks that they have attained to faith in God in this Revelation, and this servant declares: “Would that I had not been born of my mother, or if born had not suckled, or if suckled had not grown up - would that I had been among the perished!” Whoever has even an atom’s weight of love for God would never be content to witness such matters. To God do we commit our cause and in Him do we place our trust. We beseech Him through the wonders of His bounty to aid us in acknowledging His oneness and confessing His singleness, and to detach us from all else besides Him. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Then we beseech Him by the Name through which He distinguished between truth and falsehood, that He may enable thee to remember Him and recognize the Manifestation of His Self, and purify thee from the insinuations of these liars. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, such tribulations have befallen me in this land that none can reckon them. Time and again He hath said that what I endured in prison under chains and fetters, and what I suffered at the hands of the idolaters who carried me from place to place and dragged me barefoot and bareheaded from one locality to another - none of these afflictions can be counted as tribulation. The greatest tribulation, which hath no parallel in all creation and never shall have, is that the Truth should fall into the hands of an oppressor who is known for justice, for that unrighteous one, relying upon the foolish of the earth, neither fears nor cares, but does whatsoever his self commands.

How heedlessly he did what his self and passion commanded him. As can be seen, one whom I nurtured and protected has, out of pride before God, turning away from Him and objecting to Him, perpetrated that which no oppressor has ever perpetrated. The cause of this oppression was his confidence in heedless souls, for had he been certain that people possessed insight and would not confirm his deeds, he would not have committed such acts. Ever has it been that the more We have showered favor upon most of the servants, the more they have arisen in ingratitude. The tale of Satan was mentioned before - how in each heaven he was known by a name, and in the Supreme Kingdom was attributed the highest praise, and for ages remained in standing, bowing, sitting and prostration. Then he became one who sat in ambush, barring souls from the direction of the All-Merciful. Would that the idolatrous souls in these days had been content with such measures! Nay, by Him Who holds my soul in His hand, the thirst of their hatred will not be quenched save by drinking my blood. Even Satan sought refuge with the All-Merciful from them and their deeds, but people do not understand nor perceive.

It is not known what was meant by the ‘provisions’ that flowed from that unhallowed pen. Never were perishable things and worldly ornaments involved. Perhaps what was meant was the coins that were sent from the Sublime Porte specifically for the servants in every city. If this is the case, that it has reverted to one who associates partners with God and they have attained their beloved - fie upon their shame and their faithfulness! They have cut themselves off from the gate of God, have turned to and taken refuge in every other gate, and have complained about the Ancient Beauty until they achieved their desire. Well have you found the truth - hold fast to it, that perchance through following such souls you may enter the lowest depths of the fire! O heedless one! These base souls, with the knowledge of that atheistic person, have specifically subjected themselves to such abasement for ornaments and have wasted the Cause. Nevertheless, such souls are considered righteous, while they turn away from a Truth that has never paid attention to any soul, nay, even His servants have paid it no heed. God’s curse be upon him who witnessed God’s proof yet denied it, and recognized His transcendence above all else yet turned away from Him.

O people of the Bayan! The objections of this rejected one, written at the instigation of Mirza Yahya and Siyyid Muhammad, have been specifically mentioned so that you may know what harm has been inflicted and may understand the lamentation and wailing of the Primal Point concerning the latter Manifestation. That blessed Beauty, being aware of what the idolatrous souls would do, therefore gave countless admonitions throughout the Bayan, counseling all with such emphasis that none stronger was possible. Thus it was revealed from the Supreme Pen that all should sanctify and purify themselves with utmost sanctity and purity, and likewise their clothing and household furnishings, lest God’s glance at the time of His manifestation should fall upon anything unpleasing and thereby cause sorrow to that most pure Heart. Despite these counsels, observe the condition of the people of the Bayan, who specifically wrote letters of rejection and sent them to the seat of the Throne. This is the insight of those possessed of hearts[…]

I bear witness, by God, that which hath befallen Us hath not befallen any of the Manifestations of old. Yet despite all tribulations, afflictions and trials that have been visited upon Us, We remain thankful and patient, harboring no grief. However, Our heart is consumed with anguish at the waste of God’s Cause. By the True One! It behooveth all to weep and lament for the divine Cause, for they have so grievously squandered the Cause of God that they have named a corrupt woman the most excellent of women. Observe how God hath exposed the falsehood of these people. By God! Through this very act the proof hath been completed unto all, for most know that corrupt woman and are well acquainted with her condition. And from this “most excellent of women” ye can recognize the “most excellent of men” - that is, the one who wrote of her as the “mistress of women.” By God! The curse of all atoms be upon him, though he perceiveth it not and remaineth among the joyful ones. His shamelessness hath reached such a point that he hath named his own wives the most excellent of women and hath taken possession of and given away the consort of the Primal Point. Woe unto them from the punishment of a grievous day!

At this point these most wondrous and sweet verses were revealed from the tongue of God, the Most High, the Most Glorious. This is what was revealed at that time from the heaven of mighty glory: “O people! Know ye that We chose the mother of the Primal Point, and verily she was mentioned as among the most excellent of handmaidens before the Throne. And it is forbidden to apply this name to any other than her. Thus hath it been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Tablet of Decree which was preserved in the treasuries of thy Lord’s protection. She is the most excellent of women, and after her this title may be applied to the consort of the Point who hath not departed from the fortress of chastity and whom the hands of the treacherous have not touched. Thus was the matter decreed. And she who betrayed hath departed from the Point and severed her relationship with God Who ordained every matter in a clear tablet. Say: The polytheists imagined that We desired to abrogate what was revealed unto the Point of the Bayan. Say: By my Lord, the Merciful! If We had desired as they imagined, none could object to God Who created all things by His command, and verily He hath power over all things. Whatsoever We desire is what God hath desired, and that which appeareth from Me is that which appeared from Him, as every person of understanding who is informed doth testify. However, through this Revelation God desired to confirm what was revealed by the Point of the Bayan and to place His laws upon the necks of the Pharaohs among the company of the rebellious, and He Himself, the Truth, is witness unto this. We desired to sacrifice Ourself in His path even as He sacrificed Himself in My path. Fear God, O people, and do not fabricate lies against Him through Whom the Sun of the Bayan shone forth and His decree appeared among all creatures. Soon We shall establish His laws and demonstrate His signs in the earth with manifest power and authority.”

Today the most excellent of women is the mother of the Primal Point, and it is forbidden to apply this name to any handmaiden of God. Likewise, permission hath been granted to apply this name after her to the consort of the Point who resideth in Fars and hath not departed from the fortress of divine protection.

O my God! Thou knowest that I love these and all who are related to Thy Self, and I perceive from them the fragrance of Thy merciful raiment and the sweet-scented breezes of the garment of Thy glory and bounty. I yearn to meet them, to commune with them, and to be intimate with them. I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, by the Name which Thou hast made the Sovereign of Names between earth and heaven, and through which Thou hast shattered the idols of self and passion, and by which Thou hast cleansed them that know Thee and them that long for Thee, and hast purified them from the odors of all else except Thee in the kingdom of creation, that Thou wilt kindle within their breasts the torches of Thy love, whereby the people of Thy realm who have forgotten Thy remembrance and praise, and have strayed from the shore of Thy nearness and reunion, may be guided.

O my God! Deny them not that which hath appeared amongst them, and deprive them not of that which in those days hath streamed forth from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace. Then cause them to hear, O my God, at all times, Thy melodies and songs that have been raised from the seat of the throne of Thy oneness and the chair of Thy transcendent singleness. Accept from them, O my God, what they have missed during Thy days when the Sun of Thy beauty shone forth from the horizon of Thy will, and when the King of Messengers walked among them through Thy power and grandeur.

Thou seest, O my God, that at this moment weeping preventeth me from remembering and praising Thee and from praising those whom Thou hast related to the Manifestation of Thyself, for there hath passed through my mind the remembrance of my Beloved, my Purpose, my Hope, and the remembrance of His days and His circumstances. By Thy glory, O my God! Through my being the very name of faithfulness hath been lost between earth and heaven, for my Beloved sacrificed Himself in Thy path while I remain alive in Thy kingdom amidst Thy creatures, though Thou knowest, O my God, that at every moment I long to sacrifice my spirit and my soul in His path, and at all times I await this, yet know not by what means I have been prevented from what I desire. By Thy glory! Then patience hath been cut off from me through love of meeting Thee and yearning for reunion with Thee, and my soul rejoiceth not save at the moment it beholdeth my face crimsoned with my blood. And whenever I have cast myself into the hands of the enemies, Thou hast preserved me through the sovereignty of Thy will, and whenever I have committed my body to the power of them that hate, Thou hast protected me by Thy might and strength. Therefore, since Thou hast deprived me of what I desired in Thy path, bring me nigh unto the land whereon my Beloved established Himself […]

By Thy might! Since Thou hast deprived me of that which I desired in Thy path, draw me nigh unto the land whereon stood my Beloved and the Beloved of all worlds, my Purpose and the Purpose of them that have recognized Thee, that I may be cheered thereby and kiss its soil and inhale from it the fragrance of Thy holiness and the sweet savours of Thy mercy. Perchance through this my soul may find rest from its perturbation, my spirit from its burning, and my body from its trembling. I ask Thy forgiveness, O my God, for all this, for at that moment he would be living in the All-Glorious Horizon, witnessing and beholding. To this do bear witness my soul, my spirit, my being, my pen, my tongue, my outer and inner self, my beginning and my end. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Most High, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Know, O people, that this Servant of the All-Merciful hath at all times desired to establish whatsoever was revealed through His former Manifestation, the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for His sake. I have moved only by His good-pleasure, even as He moved only by the good-pleasure of this Servant. Indeed, whatsoever appeareth from this Will is itself His will and purpose - sufficient is He as a witness unto Himself. Yet the idolaters of the Bayan have imagined and traversed the deadly wilderness of their vain fancy, even to the point of attributing to this Servant the claim that the Point of the Bayan was created from but one of my letters. Nay, by God! Whatsoever hath been revealed hath been from God, the Truth - exalted be His sovereignty, exalted be His power, exalted be His grandeur, exalted be His might, exalted be His glory, exalted be His loftiness, exalted be His station, exalted be His splendor, exalted be His Cause.

Say: O shameless ones of the earth! That which hath been revealed in this Manifestation is precisely the same as the words of the Primal Point, and ever shall be. This Servant hath never desired aught save pure servitude. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, servitude hath been beloved to me, to such extent that whenever I behold any spot on earth, I long to prostrate myself thereon in adoration before God, my Beloved and the Beloved of them that have recognized Him. Would that I could prostrate myself upon every particle of its dust in worship before God, my Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

And if mention hath been made in the Tablets of exalted stations, this hath been in reference to the Command of God, His station, His glory and His majesty, even as the Point of the Bayan hath said: “Verily, He speaketh in all things, saying: ‘I am God, there is no God but Me. O My creation, worship ye Me!’” And were it not for this station, by His beloved Self, I would have mentioned naught save pure servitude before God, the Truth. Thus hath the matter been decreed, but the people perceive not. At this point, a prayer specifically revealed from the All-Glorious heaven for one of the loved ones shall be mentioned, that all may know that in all ranks they have manifested more perfectly than all other Manifestations, even in the station of servitude[…]

O Thou Who art my God! All created things bear witness to Thy sovereignty and power, and testify to my poverty and need before the manifestations of Thy wealth. Wherefore, O my God, look upon this sinner who hath ever gazed toward the horizon of Thy forgiveness, whose heart hath been turned toward the dawning-place of Thy grace and favors. From the first day when Thou didst create me by Thy command and didst quicken me through the breezes of Thy bountiful mercy, I have never turned to anyone but Thee. I have stood against the enemies of Thy sovereignty and power, and summoned all to the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness and the heaven of Thy transcendent singleness. In my days I sought not to preserve myself from the tyranny of Thy creatures, but rather to exalt Thy remembrance amongst Thy creation. And thereby there befell me that which none of Thy creatures could bear. How many were the days, O my God, when I was alone among the sinful of Thy servants, and how many the nights, O my Beloved, when I was captive among the heedless of Thy creation. In times of hardship and tribulation, I remained articulate in praise of Thee between Thy heaven and earth, celebrating Thy wondrous mention in the kingdom of Thy Cause and creation.

Though all that hath proceeded from me befitteth not the sovereignty of Thy oneness, nor is worthy of Thy station and power, by Thy glory, O my Beloved, I find no existence for myself before the court of Thy might. Whenever I desire to praise Thee, my heart restraineth me, for naught besides Thee can soar in the atmosphere of the kingdom of Thy nearness or ascend to the heaven of reunion with Thee. By Thy glory, I witness that were I to prostrate myself before a handful of dust unto the end that hath no end, attributing it to Thy name the Fashioner, I would not find myself distant from drawing nigh unto it, and I perceive that my deed would not befit it, being bounded by my own limitations. And were I to serve any one of Thy servants, standing before him for the duration of Thy kingdom and the permanence of Thy dominion, attributing him to Thy name the Creator, by Thy glory, I would find myself deficient in rendering service to him and deprived of what beseemeth him, for in this station naught is seen save their relationship to Thy names and attributes.

How can one whose station is such make mention of Him Who with but a movement of His finger created the names and their kingdom, and the attributes and their dominion, and with another movement joined the Kaf to the Nun, bringing forth that which the highest hearts of Thy chosen ones and the most luminous perceptions of Thy loved ones are powerless to comprehend? By Thy glory, O my Beloved, I am bewildered by the manifestations of Thy handiwork and the dawning-places of Thy power, and I find myself unable to recognize even Thy most insignificant sign, how much less Thy Self.

Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast caused the lovers to soar in the atmosphere of Thy will, and hast guided the yearning ones to the paradise of Thy nearness and reunion, that Thou wilt waft from the paradise of Thy loving-kindness the breezes of assurance upon those of Thy loved ones who are distressed in these days when the winds of trials have encompassed them from every direction, such that souls are disturbed by the severity of Thy decree, and the pillars of existence are shaken by what hath descended upon them from the heaven of Thy ordainment, and their agitation hath reached such a state that the lamp of Thy love and remembrance is well-nigh extinguished in the niche of their hearts. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

O my God and my Lord! Thou hearest the clamor of Thy loved ones and their cry from all regions by reason of what hath befallen them at the hands of them whose hearts were deprived of the sweet savors of Thy love. They have no helper to help them, nor any champion to succor them, and likewise their enemies have no restrainer to hold them back from harming them. Therefore they do what they desire and work what they please. Wherefore, O my God, do Thou assist Thy loved ones through Thy wondrous help - they who have sought no helper but Thee and have turned to none except Thee, and whose eyes await the wonders of Thy gifts and favors. Then have mercy upon them, O my God, through the wonders of Thy mercy. Then cause them to enter the fortress of Thy protection and care. Verily Thou, O my God, hast ever been the shelter of the fearful and the refuge of the distressed. I beseech Thee not to deprive these helpless ones of the wonders of Thy bounty and grace, and leave them not in the hands of them whose essence Thou hast created from naught but the fire of Thy wrath and anger, who have never inhaled the fragrances of mercy and justice, whom the world hath deceived with its delusions to such extent that they have denied Thy proof, associated partners with Thy Self, disbelieved in Thy signs, and shed the blood of Thy loved ones and trusted ones. By Thy might, O my Beloved, they have committed what none before them hath committed, and have thereby deserved Thy wrath and the scourges of Thy anger. Seize them through Thy power, then set over them one who will show them no mercy save that they return unto Thee, enter beneath the shadow of Thy care, and repent before Thee. Verily Thou hast ever been powerful and wilt ever remain mighty. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Exalted, the Just, the Wise.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Do Thou assist this wronged one who hath been afflicted at the hands of the oppressors among Thy creatures and the idolaters among Thine enemies, though he hath not drawn breath except by Thy leave and command. I was lying, O my God, upon the couch of tranquility when the breezes of Thy grace and favor passed over me and awakened me thereby through Thy sovereignty and gifts, and raised me up among Thy servants to praise Thy Self and exalt Thy Word. Thereupon most of Thy creatures rose against me. By Thy might, O my God, I never imagined they would manifest what hath appeared from them, especially after Thou didst herald unto them this Revelation in the scriptures of Thy Cause and the tablets of Thy decree. Not a word was sent down from Thee but that Thou didst take from Thy creatures and beings thereby a covenant concerning this Youth. Therefore I became bewildered, O my God, and know not what to do amongst these people. Whenever I hold my peace from the wondrous praise of Thee, the Spirit causeth me to speak between Thy heaven and earth, and whenever I am still, that which bloweth from the right hand of Thy Will and Purpose moveth me. I find myself as a leaf which the winds of Thy decree move and carry whithersoever they please by Thy command and leave. By what hath appeared through me, every person of insight is assured that the matter is not in my hands but in Thy hands, and the reins of choice are not in my grasp but in Thy grasp and power. Nevertheless, O my God, the people of Thy kingdom have gathered against me, and in every moment there descendeth that which terrifieth the realities of Thy chosen ones and trusted ones. Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast guided the lovers to the Kawthar of Thy grace and favors, and attracted the yearning ones to the Paradise of Thy nearness and meeting, that Thou wilt open the eyes of Thy creatures that they may witness in this Revelation the manifestation of the might of Thy oneness and the dawning of the lights of Thy countenance and beauty. Then purify them, O my God, from idle fancies and vain imaginings that they may inhale the fragrances of holiness from the garment of Thy Revelation.

O My Lord! By Thy Most Great Name, purify me from a remembrance of any one besides Thee and from all thoughts and fancies that might prevent me from turning to the court of Thy sanctity, or hinder me from discovering the sweet fragrances of holiness from Thy garment and Thy Cause, lest there come upon me that which would hold back souls from the wafting breezes of Thy mercy in the days of the manifestation of Thine Own Self and the Dayspring of Thy Cause, and lest they commit that which would render them deserving of the tokens of Thy wrath and anger. Thou knowest, O my God, that I was among the people of the Bayan as one of them, and associated with them in love and yearning, and called them unto Thyself morn and eve through the wonders of Thy revelation and inspiration. Yet there came upon me from them that which the dwellers of the cities of Thy creation are powerless to recount. By Thy glory, O my Beloved! I arose not but found myself a target for the arrows of their hatred, and retired not to rest but was pierced by the spears of their enmity. And though Thou hadst made me aware of what lay within their souls and empowered me over them, I concealed and forbore, awaiting Thy appointed time. When at last the promise was fulfilled and the time accomplished, I moved the veil but slightly, whereupon all who dwell in the realm of command and creation were struck with terror, save those whom Thou didst create from the fire of Thy love, the air of Thy longing, the water of Thy grace and the clay of Thy bounty. Upon these do the denizens of the highest Paradise and the dwellers of the cities of eternity invoke blessings. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having preserved the sincere ones and destroyed the idolaters, and distinguished between all through another Word which issued from the mouth of Thy Will and appeared from the Pen of Thy Purpose. Thereby did those servants rise against me who were created by the word of Thy command and were raised up by Thy will, reaching such heights of opposition that they denied Thee and Thy signs and warred against Thy Self. By Thy glory, O my Beloved! The pen is powerless to recount what befell the Manifestation of Thy Cause, the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration. Praise be unto Thee in all this. By Thy glory, O my God! I yearned for whatsoever was ordained in the heaven of Thy decree and the kingdom of Thy destiny, for that which befalleth me in Thy path is the beloved of my heart and the object of my soul’s desire. This could not be except through Thy might and power. I am he who, O my God, through Thy love hath become independent of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and through it shall never be dismayed though all the harm of the world should assail me. Would that the hour were now come when my blood might be shed upon the earth before Thee, and Thou wouldst behold me in the condition wherein Thou didst behold those of Thy servants who drew nigh unto Thee and the chosen ones among the best of Thy creation. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for what Thou hast decreed by the power of Thy decree, and dost decree by Thy destiny and will. I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy Name through which Thou didst raise up the standards of Thy Cause and the lights of Thy countenance did shine forth, to send down upon me and upon the sincere among Thy servants every good thing Thou hast ordained in the Tablets. Then establish for us a true seat in Thy presence, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Glorious, the Most Merciful.

The hope is that through divine bounty in this spiritual springtime all may attain unto human perfection and exchange their old, tattered and worn-out garments for new divine raiment. May all arise to serve the Cause of Truth to the utmost of their ability and power. May the people of Baha be as wings to one another for the soaring of all in these spiritual atmospheres and holy luminous realms. May they speak naught save what God hath ordained, walk not save in His good-pleasure, and utter no word except by His leave. Let them not rest content with their own understanding of the divine words, for none save God can comprehend the true meaning of His utterances. Some have spoken certain words regarding the Branches of the Divine Tree without permission, which were not pleasing unto God, for such statements lead to corruption and discord in the Cause, especially in these days when most of the opposers are waiting for disorder to arise in the Cause. Fear God, O people, and be not of the transgressors. Remember what We have commanded you, not what your selves and desires command. Fear God and be of the God-fearing. We made him speak at the age of six consecutive years to be a proof of this Most Great and Mighty Announcement. God made him speak to be a proof of His Cause. Those who have uttered such words have been heedless of the greatness of this Cause, for if He wishes to make all things speak, He is able, and He hath power over all things. Before the thousand years, none shall appear save him who hath appeared. Thus was the Command revealed at the beginning of this Manifestation, were ye of those who understand. God hath sent and will send for this Cause guides who shall speak of Him and turn to Him at all times and move not except by His leave. These shall not exchange any of My melodies for all who are in the heavens and earth. These are My guides on earth, My chosen ones in the lands, and My trusted ones among the servants. Upon them be My mercy, My glory, My remembrance and My praise. They are honored servants. It hath been known that until now the details of this most wondrous and most glorious Manifestation have not been mentioned. Were they to be mentioned, all would testify that He is the One Whom no one hath preceded and none shall succeed. Whosoever claims before the thousand years hath fabricated against God, for thereby the Cause would be corrupted and the temple of the Divine Will would not be established upon the throne of mighty glory. At the beginning of this exalted Manifestation, verses were revealed concerning this matter, some of which are mentioned in certain Tablets. Witness them that ye may be steadfast in the Cause and be of the firm ones. Furthermore, it hath been known that what was meant by the Valley of Nabil mentioned in the Tablets was and shall be this Most Great Manifestation itself, and its Valley is that holy land which hath been created above the levels of Paradise. None can enter it save the people of Baha. By God! They are the people of the Valley of Nabil, the Valley of Grandeur, the Valley of Independence, the Valley of Glory, the Valley of Power, the Valley of Might, the Valley of Immortality, the Valley of Holiness, and the Valley of Sanctity.

The Valley of Detachment and the Valley of Grandeur - and apart from these, souls have strayed from the noble path and wander bewildered in the wilderness of self and passion. The essence of nobility at such time disavows them, their works, their deeds and all that proceeds from them. To this all things bear witness, would ye but understand.

Beware, O people, lest ye pervert the words of God from their proper place. Bear witness to that which God hath witnessed, then be as brothers reclining upon couches face to face. Unite in such wise that no trace of discord may be detected among you. Through your unity will the Cause of God be made manifest throughout His creation, His tokens be established among His servants, and His light be proven throughout the worlds.

It is hoped that all may gather around this all-embracing Word, occupy themselves with the remembrance and praise of God, and appear on earth in complete detachment. May they be so enkindled by the fire of divine love that all shall be ignited by its warmth and turn their gaze toward the sanctified realm. And whatsoever of the divine verses they fail to comprehend, let them inquire of their Source and Origin.

The purpose of these words is that no discord may arise among the loved ones of God concerning the meaning of His words. Let them know that all divine utterances proceed from one Source and return unto Him. Beware lest ye find differences therein. Though outwardly revealed differently, in their inner reality they all return to and end in the same Word and the same Point.

As it hath been mentioned in certain passages that none knoweth the meaning of God’s words save God Himself. Without doubt this statement is true, for each letter of the revealed verses hath, in every one of the infinite worlds, its specific effect and particular meaning in accordance with that world. Likewise, each of the divine letters and words is a treasury of innate knowledge, and none hath discovered what is treasured therein save God.

It hath also been stated in another passage that all can comprehend the divine verses, for were this not so, the proof of His verses would not be established. These two statements appear outwardly different, yet to those possessed of insight and penetrating vision, it is clear that what is meant by ‘all can comprehend’ is according to their capacity and measure, not according to that which hath been sent down from the presence of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.

Today, those who are engaged in violating the sanctity of the Bayan - as you have seen and heard - these souls, due to the foolishness of their followers, have laid claim to the Cause. God’s curse be upon those who have transgressed the bounds of the Bayan, violated the sanctity of God, broken His Covenant, and denied the Primal Point and His Beloved and His Purpose, Who hath appeared in His Most Glorious Name between earth and heaven, through Whom the hearts of those near unto God and the breasts of the sincere ones were illumined. But what they have imagined shall prove vain, by God’s might and power. The stronghold of His Cause shall be preserved by the hand of power, and verily He hath power over all things. And at the end, the Dove of the Cause warbled upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of transcendent glory, saying: “O people of the Bayan! Fear God and spread not corruption in the land after it hath been set in order, and commit not that which is unseemly. Purify yourselves from whatsoever hath been forbidden in God’s Book, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Beware lest ye shed blood, and whoso sheddeth blood is not of Me, and God is quit of him. This was revealed at the beginning of this Revelation from the kingdom of your Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Beware lest ye commit that which your minds and hearts abhor. Fear God, O concourse of believers! Be detached from the world and all that is therein, and dispose not of the property of others except with their permission. Thus have We revealed aforetime and now from the presence of One mighty and beautiful. Be God’s trusted ones in the land, such that were ye to pass through cities of gold, your eyes would not turn toward them. Thus it behooveth you, O concourse of the unitarians! Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, through your deeds, that God’s servants may perceive from you the fragrance of truth throughout the heavens and earth. Adopt, O people, the characteristics of God and commit not that which would bring low the station of His Manifestation among His creatures. Thus doth God counsel you in tablets of preserved glory. Contend not with anyone, nor dispute with any soul. If ye find one who is receptive, remind him of the Most Great Word, and if ye find one who turneth away, turn away from him and turn unto God, your Lord, and He will suffice you against all the world. Unite, O My loved ones, then gather together under the law of My Cause, and be not of those who differ. Verily, the nearest of you to God are the most God-fearing and humble among you, were ye of those who know. By the True God! If ye were to be oppressed, this is more beloved to Me than that ye should oppress anyone, and this is of My nature and My most excellent characteristic, were ye of those who are assured. Be patient, O My loved ones, in tribulation and distress, and if an oppressor oppresseth you, refer his judgment to God, in Whose hand is the dominion of all things. Verily, He is powerful over what He willeth, and He is the most severe of avengers. We have counseled you in most of the Tablets not to contend with anyone, yet ye have done that which hath caused harm to return to the Lote-Tree of transcendent glory. O people! Fear God and transgress not beyond that which ye have been commanded in the Tablets, for this is better for you than what ye possess, were ye of those who know. Shun those who have denied and associated partners with God and disputed His verses and warred against His exalted and mighty Self. Then be patient as We have been patient, and contend not with any of the idolaters. Trust in all matters in God, and verily He will aid Me as He aided Me the first time when I was in prison beneath chains and fetters, and He aided Me in truth through the hosts of the heavens […]

And He aided me through truth with the hosts of the heavens and earth until He delivered me therefrom with a manifest sovereignty, in His grasp being the kingdom of all things. He aideth whom He willeth as He willeth, and He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the Almighty. Beware, O people, lest ye cling to names and object to Him Who created them by a command from His presence - there is no God but Him, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: He created names even as He created all things, if ye be of them that know. Every possessor of power is powerless before the sovereignty of His might, and every possessor of knowledge is ignorant before His knowledge, and every possessor of wealth is poor at His gate, which hath been opened unto the face of all created things. Beware lest names debar you from their Creator. Avoid those who cling to them and are among the worshippers thereof. Say: The Prophet is he who hath heard My announcement and believed in My Self, and the Messenger is he who hath delivered My messages, and the Leader is he who hath stood before My countenance and attained unto My days, and the Guardian is he who hath entered the fortress of My guardianship and detached himself from all else but Me, and the Successor is he who hath bequeathed himself and then the servants to My love and My remembrance and My praise. Thus hath the Sun of utterance shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Merciful, in this sacred, mighty, transcendent and impregnable Paradise. And praise be to God, my Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics. And when We address him who hath fabricated lies about God and objected to Him and sent to the Holy Court inflammatory papers wherein he mentioned that which caused the hearts of the chosen ones and those near to God to be consumed, that he might perchance awaken from the sleep of heedlessness and turn toward the Holy Court, the seat of God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. And though he hath committed a sin weightier than the weight of the heavens and earth, yet when the oceans of grace were in motion in those days, should he repent and return, God may forgive him through His mercy which hath preceded all creation. Say: O heedless one! If thou wouldst hearken unto this servant, then act according to that which We mention unto thee, that thou mayest be among the successful ones. Purify thyself from all save God, then say “In the Name of God and by God” and wash with water, and after completing this say […]

O my God and my Beloved! Even as Thou hast cleansed my body with this water, purify my heart and my soul from self and desire, that I may know Thee through Thine Own Self and be detached from all the worlds. Then place thy face upon the dust in humility before God, the Lord of Lords. Say: O my God and my Master! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which trembling seized the tribes of earth and heaven, and clamor arose amidst the Concourse of Creation, and the souls of the doubters and the realities of the heedless were shaken, to forgive my grievous sins, the like of which the eye of creation hath not witnessed. By Thy glory, O my Beloved, I have come to Thee with such sins as can be equaled by no other sins among all created things through Thy most wondrous and sublime Word. Therefore have mercy upon this sinner, then clothe me in the robe of forgiveness and purify me from human limitations, and direct me to Thy Most Great Vision in such wise that there shall remain in my breast naught save the wonders of Thy knowledge, and in my heart naught except the manifestations of Thy love, and in my countenance naught save the radiance of Thy good-pleasure. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and Thou art the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful.

O my God! This is a sinner who hath hastened unto the city of Thy forgiveness, and this is a poor one who hath laid hold on the hem of the robe of Thy wealth and self-sufficiency. O Lord! Deprive me not of that which lieth with Thee, then make me sincere in my devotion to Thy Cause and submissive before the manifestations of the lights of Thy Divine Unity. Verily Thou hast ever been the Lord of ancient bounty, and Thou art powerful over all things. We beseech God thereby to open thy sight and make known unto thee that which thou hast not known before, and teach thee that which shall make thee independent of all else but Him. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and He, verily, encompasseth all things.

=== END BH00004 ===

=== START BH00005 ===

In the name of God, the One, the Incomparable, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praise be to God, the Eternal that perisheth not, the Everlasting that declineth not, the Self-Subsisting that altereth not. He it is Who is transcendent in His sovereignty, Who is manifest through His signs, and is hidden through His mysteries. He it is at Whose bidding the standard of the Most Exalted Word hath been lifted up in the world of creation, and the banner of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” raised amidst all peoples. He it is Who hath revealed His Cause for the guidance of His creatures, and sent down His verses to demonstrate His Proof and His Testimony, and embellished the preface of the Book of Man with the ornament of utterance through His saying: “The God of Mercy hath taught the Qur’an, hath created man, and taught him articulate speech.” No God is there but Him, the One, the Peerless, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beneficent.

The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty, and the benediction that shineth from the dawning-place of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme Mediator, the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath made the Dawning-Place of His most excellent names and the Dayspring of His most exalted attributes. Through Him the light of unity hath shone forth above the horizon of the world, and the law of oneness hath been revealed amidst the nations, who, with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme Horizon, and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the kingdom of His knowledge: “Earth and heaven, glory and dominion, are God’s, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord of grace abounding!”

Give ear, O distinguished divine, unto the voice of this Wronged One. He verily, counselleth thee for the sake of God, and exhorteth thee unto that which will cause thee to draw nigh unto Him under all conditions. He, in truth, is the All-Possessing, the Exalted. Know thou that the ear of man hath been created that it may hearken unto the Divine Voice on this Day that hath been mentioned in all the Books, Scriptures, and Tablets. Purify thou, first, thy soul with the waters of renunciation, and adorn thine head with the crown of the fear of God, and thy temple with the ornament of reliance upon Him. Arise, then, and, with thy face set towards the Most Great House, the Spot round which, as decreed by the Eternal King, all that dwell on earth must circle, recite:

“O God, my God, and my Desire, and my Adored One, and my Master, and my Mainstay, and my utmost Hope, and my supreme Aspiration! Thou seest me turning towards Thee, holding fast unto the cord of Thy bounty, clinging to the hem of Thy generosity, acknowledging the sanctity of Thy Self and the purity of Thine Essence, and testifying to Thy unity and Thy oneness. I bear witness that Thou art the One, the Single, the Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding. Thou didst not take unto Thyself a partner in Thy dominion, nor didst Thou choose a peer for Thyself upon earth. All created things have borne witness unto that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath testified ere their creation. Verily Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee! From everlasting Thou wast sanctified from the mention of Thy servants, and exalted above the description of Thy creatures. Thou beholdest, O Lord, the ignorant seeking the ocean of Thy knowledge, the sore athirst the living waters of Thine utterance, the abased the tabernacle of Thy glory, the poor the treasury of Thy riches, the suppliant the dawning-place of Thy wisdom, the weak the source of Thy strength, the wretched the heaven of Thy bounty, the dumb the kingdom of Thy mention.

“I testify, O my God, and my King, that Thou hast created me to remember Thee, to glorify Thee, and to aid Thy Cause. And yet, I have aided Thine enemies, who have broken Thy Covenant, who have cast away Thy Book, disbelieved in Thee, and repudiated Thy signs. Alas, alas, for my waywardness, and my shame, and my sinfulness, and my wrong-doing that have withheld me from the depths of the ocean of Thy unity and from fathoming the sea of Thy mercy. Wherefore, alas, alas! and again alas, alas! for my wretchedness and the grievousness of my transgressions! Thou didst call me into being, O my God, to exalt Thy Word, and to manifest Thy Cause. My heedlessness, however, hath deterred me and compassed me about, in such wise that I have arisen to blot out Thy signs, and to shed the blood of Thy loved ones, and of the dawning-places of Thy signs, and of the daysprings of Thy revelation, and of the repositories of Thy mysteries.

“O Lord, my Lord! and again, O Lord, my Lord! and yet again, O Lord, my Lord! I bear witness that by reason of mine iniquity the fruits of the tree of Thy justice have fallen, and through the fire of my rebelliousness the hearts of such of Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee were consumed, and the souls of the sincere among Thy servants have melted. O wretched, wretched that I am! O the cruelties, the glaring cruelties, I inflicted! Woe is me, woe is me, for my remoteness from Thee, and for my waywardness, and mine ignorance, and my baseness, and my repudiation of Thee, and my protests against Thee! How many the days during which Thou didst bid Thy servants and Thy loved ones to protect me, whilst I commanded them to harm Thee and to harm them that Thou didst trust! And how numerous the nights during which Thou didst graciously remember me, and didst show me Thy path, whilst I turned away from Thee and from Thy signs! By Thy glory! O Thou Who art the Hope of such as have acknowledged Thy unity, and the Desire of the hearts of them that are rid of all attachment to any save Thee! I find no succorer except Thee, nor king, nor refuge, nor haven besides Thyself. Alas, alas! My turning away from Thee hath burnt up the veil of mine integrity, and my denial of Thee hath rent asunder the covering cast over mine honor. O would that I were beneath the depths of the earth, so that my evil deeds would remain unknown to Thy servants! Thou seest the sinner, O my Lord, who hath turned towards the dawning-place of Thy forgiveness and Thy bounty, and the mountain of iniquity that hath sought the heaven of Thy mercy and pardon. Alas, alas! My mighty sins have prevented me from approaching the court of Thy mercy, and my monstrous deeds have caused me to stray far from the sanctuary of Thy presence. Indeed, I am he that hath failed in duty towards Thee, and hath broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and committed that which hath made the dwellers of the cities of Thy justice, and the dawning-places of Thy grace in Thy realms, to lament. I testify, O my God, that I have put away Thy commandments, and clung to the dictates of my passions, and have cast away the statutes of Thy Book, and seized the book of mine own desire. O misery, misery! As mine iniquities waxed greater and greater, Thy forbearance towards me augmented, and as the fire of my rebelliousness grew fiercer, the more did Thy forgiveness and Thy grace seek to smother up its flame. By the power of Thy might! O Thou Who art the desire of the world and the Best-Beloved of the nations! Thy long-suffering hath puffed me up, and Thy patience hath emboldened me. Thou beholdest, O my God, the tears that my shame hath caused to flow, and the sighs which my heedlessness hath led me to utter. I swear by the greatness of Thy majesty! I can find for myself no habitation save beneath the shadow of the court of Thy bounty, nor any refuge except under the canopy of Thy mercy. Thou seest me in the midst of a sea of despair and of hopelessness, after Thou didst cause me to hear Thy words”Despair not.” By Thy power! My sore injustice hath severed the cord of my hope, and my rebellion hath darkened my face before the throne of Thy justice. Thou beholdest, O my God, him who is as one dead fallen at the door of Thy favor, ashamed to seek from the hand of Thy loving-kindness the living waters of Thy pardon. Thou hast given me a tongue wherewith to remember and praise Thee, and yet it uttereth that which hath caused the souls of such of Thy chosen ones as are nigh unto Thee to melt, and the hearts of the sincere amongst the dwellers of the habitations of holiness to be consumed. Thou hast given me eyes to witness Thy signs, and to behold Thy verses, and to contemplate the revelations of Thine handiwork, but I have rejected Thy will, and have committed what hath caused the faithful among Thy creatures and the detached amidst Thy servants to groan. Thou hast given me ears that I may incline them unto Thy praise and Thy celebration, and unto that which Thou didst send down from the heaven of Thy bounty and the firmament of Thy will. And yet, alas, alas, I have forsaken Thy Cause, and have commanded Thy servants to blaspheme against Thy trusted ones and Thy loved ones, and have acted, before the throne of Thy justice, in such wise that those that have recognized Thy unity and are wholly devoted to Thee among the dwellers of Thy realm mourned with a sore lamentation. I know not, O my God, which among my evildoings to mention before the billowing ocean of Thy favor, nor which of my trespasses to declare when face to face with the splendors of the suns of Thy goodly gifts and bounties.

“I beseech Thee, this very moment, by the mysteries of Thy Book, and by the things hid in Thy knowledge, and by the pearls that lie concealed within the shells of the ocean of Thy mercy, to reckon me among such as Thou didst mention in Thy Book and describe in Thy Tablets. Hast Thou decreed for me, O my God, any joy after this tribulation, or any relief to succeed this affliction, or any ease to follow this trouble? Alas, alas! Thou hast ordained that every pulpit be set apart for Thy mention, and for the glorification of Thy Word, and the revelation of Thy Cause, but I have ascended it to proclaim the violation of Thy Covenant, and have spoken unto Thy servants such words as have caused the dwellers of the Tabernacles of Thy majesty and the denizens of the Cities of Thy wisdom to lament. How often hast Thou sent down the food of Thine utterance out of the heaven of Thy bounty, and I denied it; and how numerous the occasions on which Thou hast summoned me to the soft flowing waters of Thy mercy, and I have chosen to turn away therefrom, by reason of my having followed my own wish and desire! By Thy glory! I know not for which sin to beg Thy forgiveness and implore Thy pardon, nor from which of mine iniquities to turn aside unto the Court of Thy bounteousness and the Sanctuary of Thy favor. Such are my sins and trespasses that no man can number them, nor pen describe them. I implore Thee, O Thou that turnest darkness into light, and revealest Thy mysteries on the Sinai of Thy Revelation, to aid me, at all times, to put my trust in Thee, and to commit mine affairs unto Thy care. Make me, then, O my God, content with that which the finger of Thy decree hath traced, and the pen of Thy ordinance hath written. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that are in heaven and on earth. No God is there but Thee, the All-knowing, the All-Wise.”

O Shaykh! Know thou that neither the calumnies which men may utter, nor their denials, nor any cavils they may raise, can harm him that hath clung to the cord of the grace, and seized the hem of the mercy, of the Lord of creation. By God! He, the Glory of God (Baha), hath spoken not from mere impulse. He that hath given Him a voice is He that hath given a voice unto all things, that they may praise and glorify Him. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Incomparable, the Lord of strength, the Unconditioned.

They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive, whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish the one from the other. Recite thou this prayer that hath flowed from the tongue of this Wronged One, and ponder thereon with a heart rid of all attachment, and with ears that are pure and sanctified, be attentive to its meaning, that haply thou mayest inhale the breath of detachment and have pity upon thyself and upon others:

“My God, the Object of my adoration, the Goal of my desire, the All-Bountiful, the Most Compassionate! All life is of Thee, and all power lieth within the grasp of Thine omnipotence. Whosoever Thou exaltest is raised above the angels, and attaineth the station: ‘Verily, We uplifted him to a place on high!’; and whosoever Thou dost abase is made lower than dust, nay, less than nothing. O Divine Providence! Though wicked, sinful, and intemperate, we still seek from Thee a ‘seat of truth,’ and long to behold the countenance of the Omnipotent King. It is Thine to command, and all sovereignty belongeth to Thee, and the realm of might boweth before Thy behest. Everything Thou doest is pure justice, nay, the very essence of grace. One gleam from the splendors of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, sufficeth to banish and blot out every trace of sinfulness from the world, and a single breath from the breezes of the Day of Thy Revelation is enough to adorn all mankind with a fresh attire. Vouchsafe Thy strength, O Almighty One, unto Thy weak creatures, and quicken them who are as dead, that haply they may find Thee, and may be led unto the ocean of Thy guidance, and may remain steadfast in Thy Cause. Should the fragrance of Thy praise be shed abroad by any of the divers tongues of the world, out of the East or out of the West, it would, verily, be prized and greatly cherished. If such tongues, however, be deprived of that fragrance, they assuredly would be unworthy of any mention, in word or yet in thought. We beg of Thee, O Providence, to show Thy way unto all men, and to guide them aright. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.”

We beseech God to aid thee to be just and fair-minded, and to acquaint thee with the things that were hidden from the eyes of men. He, in truth, is the Mighty, the Unconstrained. We ask thee to reflect upon that which hath been revealed, and to be fair and just in thy speech, that perchance the splendors of the daystar of truthfulness and sincerity may shine forth, and may deliver thee from the darkness of ignorance, and illumine the world with the light of knowledge. This Wronged One hath frequented no school, neither hath He attended the controversies of the learned. By My life! Not of Mine own volition have I revealed Myself, but God, of His own choosing, hath manifested Me. In the Tablet, addressed to His Majesty the Shah – may God, blessed and glorified be He, assist him – these words have streamed from the tongue of this Wronged One:

“O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me.”

Now is the moment in which to cleanse thyself with the waters of detachment that have flowed out from the Supreme Pen, and to ponder, wholly for the sake of God, those things which, time and again, have been sent down or manifested, and then to strive, as much as lieth in thee, to quench, through the power of wisdom and the force of thy utterance, the fire of enmity and hatred which smouldereth in the hearts of the peoples of the world. The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men. But now behold, how they have made the Law of God a cause and pretext for perversity and hatred. How pitiful, how regrettable, that most men are cleaving fast to, and have busied themselves with, the things they possess, and are unaware of, and shut out as by a veil from, the things God possesseth!

Say: “O God, my God! Attire mine head with the crown of justice, and my temple with the ornament of equity. Thou, verily, art the Possessor of all gifts and bounties.”

Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch over men. From them are revealed such blessed and perspicuous words as are the cause of the well-being of the world and the protection of the nations.

These words have streamed from the pen of this Wronged One in one of His Tablets: “The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, hath been to bring forth the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man – they Who are the Dawning-Places of His Cause and the Repositories of the pearls of His knowledge; for, God Himself, glorified be He, is the Unseen, the One concealed and hidden from the eyes of men. Consider what the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision, and He is the Subtile, the All-Informed!”

That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.

Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Baha, that haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely obliterated. For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction. Consider the war that hath involved the two Nations, how both sides have renounced their possessions and their lives. How many the villages that were completely wiped out!

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The One true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.

Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can insure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men’s eyes. These thick clouds are the exponents of idle fancies and vain imaginings, who are none other but the divines of Persia. At one time We spoke in the language of the lawgiver; at another in that of the truth-seeker and the mystic, and yet Our supreme purpose and highest wish hath always been to disclose the glory and sublimity of this station. God, verily, is a sufficient witness!

Consort with all men, O people of Baha, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and goodwill. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.

By “divines” in the passage cited above is meant those men who outwardly attire themselves with the raiment of knowledge, but who inwardly are deprived therefrom. In this connection, We quote from the Tablet addressed to His Majesty the Shah, certain passages from the “Hidden Words” which were revealed by the Abha Pen under the name of the “Book of Fatimih,” the blessings of God be upon her!

“O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the paths of perdition.”

And likewise He saith: “O ye seeming fair yet inwardly foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!”

And also He saith: “O essence of desire! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.”

And again He saith: “O bond slave of the world! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.”

Those divines, however, who are truly adorned with the ornament of knowledge and of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the world, and as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times, been, and is, dependent upon such blessed souls. We beseech God to graciously aid them to do His will and pleasure. He, in truth, is the Lord of all men, the Lord of this world and of the next.

O Shaykh! We have learned that thou hast turned away from Us, and protested against Us, in such wise that thou hast bidden the people to curse Me, and decreed that the blood of the servants of God be shed. God requite him who said: “Willingly will I obey the judge who hath so strangely decreed that my blood be spilt at Hill and at Haram!” Verily I say: Whatever befalleth in the path of God is the beloved of the soul and the desire of the heart. Deadly poison in His path is pure honey, and every tribulation a draught of crystal water. In the Tablet to His Majesty the Shah it is written: “By Him Who is the Truth! I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him. Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and heaven.”

Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Kaaba of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and raise thou thine hands with such firm conviction as shall cause the hands of all created things to be lifted up towards the heaven of the grace of God, the Lord of all worlds. Turn, then, thy face towards Him in such wise that the faces of all beings will turn in the direction of His shining and luminous Horizon, and say: “Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face turned towards the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy favor, withdrawn from all else beside Thee. I ask of Thee, by the splendors of the Sun of Thy revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy grace which shineth from the horizon of Thy Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to grant me Thy pardon and to have mercy upon me. Write down, then, for me with Thy pen of glory that which will exalt me through Thy Name in the world of creation. Aid me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee, and to hearken unto the voice of Thy loved ones, whom the powers of the earth have failed to weaken, and the dominion of the nations has been powerless to withhold from Thee, and who, advancing towards Thee, have said: ‘God is our Lord, the Lord of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!’”

O Shaykh! Verily I say, the seal of the Choice Wine hath, in the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting, been broken; withhold not thyself therefrom. This Wronged One speaketh wholly for the sake of God; thou too shouldst, likewise, for the sake of God, meditate upon those things that have been sent down and manifested, that haply thou mayest, on this blessed Day, take thy portion of the liberal effusions of Him Who is truly the All-Bountiful, and mayest not remain deprived thereof. This indeed would not be hard for God. Dust-made Adam was raised up, through the Word of God, to the heavenly throne, and a mere fisherman was made the repository of Divine wisdom, and Abu-Dhar, the shepherd, became a prince of the nations!

This Day, O Shaykh, hath never been, nor is it now, the Day whereon man-made arts and sciences can be regarded as a true standard for men, since it hath been recognized that He Who was wholly unversed in any of them hath ascended the throne of purest gold, and occupied the seat of honor in the council of knowledge, whilst the acknowledged exponent and repository of these arts and sciences remained utterly deprived. By “arts and sciences” is meant those which begin with words and end with words. Such arts and sciences, however, as are productive of good results, and bring forth their fruit, and are conducive to the well-being and tranquility of men have been, and will remain, acceptable before God. Wert thou to give ear to My voice, thou wouldst cast away all thy possessions, and wouldst set thy face towards the Spot wherein the ocean of wisdom and of utterance hath surged, and the sweet savors of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Compassionate, have wafted.

We deem it advisable, in this connection, to recount briefly some past events, that perchance they may be the means of vindicating the cause of equity and justice. At the time when His Majesty the Shah, may God, his Lord, the Most Merciful, aid him through His strengthening grace, was planning a journey to Isfahan, this Wronged One, having obtained his permission, visited the holy and luminous resting-places of the Imams, may the blessings of God be upon them! Upon Our return, We proceeded to Lavasan on account of the excessive heat prevailing in the capital. Following Our departure, there occurred the attempt upon the life of His Majesty, may God, exalted and glorified be He, assist him. Those days were troublous days, and the fires of hatred burned high. Many were arrested, among them this Wronged One. By the righteousness of God! We were in no wise connected with that evil deed, and Our innocence was indisputably established by the tribunals. Nevertheless, they apprehended Us, and from Niyavaran, which was then the residence of His Majesty, conducted Us, on foot and in chains, with bared head and bare feet, to the dungeon of Tihran. A brutal man, accompanying Us on horseback, snatched off Our hat, whilst We were being hurried along by a troop of executioners and officials. We were consigned for four months to a place foul beyond comparison. As to the dungeon in which this Wronged One and others similarly wronged were confined, a dark and narrow pit were preferable. Upon Our arrival We were first conducted along a pitch-black corridor, from whence We descended three steep flights of stairs to the place of confinement assigned to Us. The dungeon was wrapped in thick darkness, and Our fellow prisoners numbered nearly a hundred and fifty souls: thieves, assassins and highwaymen. Though crowded, it had no other outlet than the passage by which We entered. No pen can depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome smell. Most of these men had neither clothes nor bedding to lie on. God alone knoweth what befell Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place!

Day and night, while confined in that dungeon, We meditated upon the deeds, the condition, and the conduct of the Babis, wondering what could have led a people so high-minded, so noble, and of such intelligence, to perpetrate such an audacious and outrageous act against the person of His Majesty. This Wronged One, thereupon, decided to arise, after His release from prison, and undertake, with the utmost vigor, the task of regenerating this people.

One night, in a dream, these exalted words were heard on every side: “Verily, We shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy Pen. Grieve Thou not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Erelong will God raise up the treasures of the earth – men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.”

And when this Wronged One went forth out of His prison, We journeyed, in pursuance of the order of His Majesty the Shah – may God, exalted be He, protect him – to Iraq, escorted by officers in the service of the esteemed and honored governments of Persia and Russia. After Our arrival, We revealed, as a copious rain, by the aid of God and His Divine Grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various parts of the world. We exhorted all men, and particularly this people, through Our wise counsels and loving admonitions, and forbade them to engage in sedition, quarrels, disputes and conflict. As a result of this, and by the grace of God, waywardness and folly were changed into piety and understanding, and weapons converted into instruments of peace.

During the days I lay in the prison of Tihran, though the galling weight of the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man could bear to hear.

We shall herewith cite a few passages from Tablets specifically revealed to this people, so that every one may know of a certainty that this Wronged One hath acted in a manner which hath been pleasing and acceptable unto men endued with insight, and unto such as are the exponents of justice and equity:

“O ye friends of God in His cities and His loved ones in His lands! This Wronged One enjoineth on you honesty and piety. Blessed the city that shineth by their light. Through them man is exalted, and the door of security is unlocked before the face of all creation. Happy the man that cleaveth fast unto them, and recognizeth their virtue, and woe betide him that denieth their station.”

And in another connection these words were revealed: “We enjoin the servants of God and His handmaidens to be pure and to fear God, that they may shake off the slumber of their corrupt desires, and turn toward God, the Maker of the heavens and of the earth. Thus have We commanded the faithful when the Daystar of the world shone forth from the horizon of Iraq. My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to lament. They that spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the property of others, and enter a house without leave of its owner, We, verily, are clear of them, unless they repent and return unto God, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

And in another connection: “O peoples of the earth! Haste ye to do the pleasure of God, and war ye valiantly, as it behooveth you to war, for the sake of proclaiming His resistless and immovable Cause. We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance, and of a goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. Thus hath it been decided by Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. There is no glory for him that committeth disorder on the earth after it hath been made so good. Fear God, O people, and be not of them that act unjustly.”

And again in another connection: “Revile ye not one another. We, verily, have come to unite and weld together all that dwell on earth. Unto this beareth witness what the ocean of Mine utterance hath revealed amongst men, and yet most of the people have gone astray. If anyone revile you, or trouble touch you, in the path of God, be patient, and put your trust in Him Who heareth, Who seeth. He, in truth, witnesseth, and perceiveth, and doeth what He pleaseth, through the power of His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Lord of strength, and of might. In the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great, ye have been forbidden to engage in contention and conflict. Lay fast hold on whatever will profit you, and profit the peoples of the world. Thus commandeth you the King of Eternity, Who is manifest in His Most Great Name. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”

And yet again in another connection: “Beware lest ye shed the blood of any one. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men’s hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God’s mercy hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand.”

And yet again in another connection: “O people! Spread not disorder in the land, and shed not the blood of any one, and consume not the substance of others wrongfully, neither follow every accursed prattler.”

And still again in another connection: “The Sun of Divine Utterance can never set, neither can its radiance be extinguished. These sublime words have, in this day, been heard from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing: ‘I belong to him that loveth Me, that holdeth fast My commandments, and casteth away the things forbidden him in My Book.’”

And still again in another connection: “This is the day to make mention of God, to celebrate His praise, and to serve Him; deprive not yourselves thereof. Ye are the letters of the words, and the words of the Book. Ye are the saplings which the hand of Loving-kindness hath planted in the soil of mercy, and which the showers of bounty have made to flourish. He hath protected you from the mighty winds of misbelief, and the tempestuous gales of impiety, and nurtured you with the hands of His loving providence. Now is the time for you to put forth your leaves, and yield your fruit. The fruits of the tree of man have ever been and are goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits from the heedless. If they be accepted, your end is attained, and the purpose of life achieved. If not, leave them in their pastime of vain disputes. Strive, O people of God, that haply the hearts of the divers kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your forbearance and loving-kindness, be cleansed and sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of the Sun of Truth.”

In the fourth Ishraq (splendor) of the Ishraqat (Tablet of Splendors) We have mentioned: “Every cause needeth a helper. In this Revelation the hosts which can render it victorious are the hosts of praiseworthy deeds and upright character. The leader and commander of these hosts hath ever been the fear of God, a fear that encompasseth all things, and reigneth over all things.”

In the third Tajalli (effulgence) of the Book of Tajalliyat (Book of Effulgences) We have mentioned: “Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation. Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book in this conspicuous station.”

In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Happy the man that cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless.

It is incumbent upon thee to summon the people, under all conditions, to whatever will cause them to show forth spiritual characteristics and goodly deeds, so that all may become aware of that which is the cause of human upliftment, and may, with the utmost endeavor, direct themselves towards the most sublime Station and the Pinnacle of Glory. The fear of God hath ever been the prime factor in the education of His creatures. Well is it with them that have attained thereunto!

The first word which the Abha Pen hath revealed and inscribed on the first leaf of Paradise is this: “Verily I say: The fear of God hath ever been a sure defence and a safe stronghold for all the peoples of the world. It is the chief cause of the protection of mankind, and the supreme instrument for its preservation. Indeed, there existeth in man a faculty which deterreth him from, and guardeth him against, whatever is unworthy and unseemly, and which is known as his sense of shame. This, however, is confined to but a few; all have not possessed, and do not possess, it. It is incumbent upon the kings and the spiritual leaders of the world to lay fast hold on religion, inasmuch as through it the fear of God is instilled in all else but Him.”

The second word We have recorded on the second leaf of Paradise is the following: “The Pen of the Divine Expounder exhorteth, at this moment, the manifestations of authority and the sources of power, namely the kings and rulers of the earth – may God assist them – and enjoineth them to uphold the cause of religion, and to cleave unto it. Religion is, verily, the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world, and of tranquillity amongst its peoples. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the foolish, and emboldened them, and made them more arrogant. Verily I say: The greater the decline of religion, the more grievous the waywardness of the ungodly. This cannot but lead in the end to chaos and confusion. Hear Me, O men of insight, and be warned, ye who are endued with discernment!”

It is Our hope that thou wilt hear with attentive ears the things We have mentioned unto thee, that perchance thou mayest turn men away from the things they possess to the things that God possesseth. We entreat God to deliver the light of equity and the sun of justice from the thick clouds of waywardness, and cause them to shine forth upon men. No light can compare with the light of justice. The establishment of order in the world and the tranquillity of the nations depend upon it.

In the Book of Utterance these exalted words have been written down and recorded: “Say, O friends! Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may not prove to have been in vain. Cling ye to the hem of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness and piety. Concern yourselves with the things that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and selfish desires. O ye followers of this Wronged One! Ye are the shepherds of mankind; liberate ye your flocks from the wolves of evil passions and desires, and adorn them with the ornament of the fear of God. This is the firm commandment which hath, at this moment, flowed out from the Pen of Him Who is the Ancient of Days. By the righteousness of God! The sword of a virtuous character and upright conduct is sharper than blades of steel. The voice of the true Faith calleth aloud, at this moment, and saith: O people! Verily, the Day is come, and My Lord hath made Me to shine forth with a light whose splendor hath eclipsed the suns of utterance. Fear ye the Merciful, and be not of them that have gone astray.”

The third word we have recorded on the third leaf of Paradise is this: “O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee, and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation. Great is the Day, and mighty the Call! In one of Our Tablets We have revealed these exalted words: ‘Were the world of the spirit to be wholly converted into the sense of hearing, it could then claim to be worthy to hearken unto the Voice that calleth from the Supreme Horizon; for otherwise, these ears that are defiled with lying tales have never been, nor are they now, fit to hear it.’ Well is it with them that hearken; and woe betide the wayward.”

We pray God – exalted be His glory – and cherish the hope that He may graciously assist the manifestations of affluence and power and the daysprings of sovereignty and glory, the kings of the earth – may God aid them through His strengthening grace – to establish the Lesser Peace. This, indeed, is the greatest means for insuring the tranquillity of the nations. It is incumbent upon the Sovereigns of the world – may God assist them – unitedly to hold fast unto this Peace, which is the chief instrument for the protection of all mankind. It is Our hope that they will arise to achieve what will be conducive to the well-being of man. It is their duty to convene an all-inclusive assembly, which either they themselves or their ministers will attend, and to enforce whatever measures are required to establish unity and concord amongst men. They must put away the weapons of war, and turn to the instruments of universal reconstruction. Should one king rise up against another, all the other kings must arise to deter him. Arms and armaments will, then, be no more needed beyond that which is necessary to insure the internal security of their respective countries. If they attain unto this all-surpassing blessing, the people of each nation will pursue, with tranquillity and contentment, their own occupations, and the groanings and lamentations of most men would be silenced. We beseech God to aid them to do His will and pleasure. He, verily, is the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, and the Lord of this world and of the world to come. It would be preferable and more fitting that the highly honored kings themselves should attend such an assembly, and proclaim their edicts. Any king who will arise and carry out this task, he verily will, in the sight of God, become the cynosure of all kings. Happy is he, and great is his blessedness!

In this land, every time men are conscripted for the army, a great terror seizeth the people. Every nation augmenteth, each year, its forces, for their ministers of war are insatiable in their desire to add fresh recruits to their battalions. We have learned that the government of Persia – may God assist them – have, likewise decided to reinforce their army. In the opinion of this Wronged One a force of one hundred thousand fully-equipped and well-disciplined men would suffice. We hope that thou wilt cause the light of justice to shine more brightly. By the righteousness of God! Justice is a powerful force. It is, above all else, the conqueror of the citadels of the hearts and souls of men, and the revealer of the secrets of the world of being, and the standard-bearer of love and bounty.

In the treasuries of the knowledge of God there lieth concealed a knowledge which, when applied, will largely, though not wholly, eliminate fear. This knowledge, however, should be taught from childhood, as it will greatly aid in its elimination. Whatever decreaseth fear increaseth courage. Should the Will of God assist Us, there would flow out from the Pen of the Divine Expounder a lengthy exposition of that which hath been mentioned, and there would be revealed, in the field of arts and sciences, what would renew the world and the nations. A word hath, likewise, been written down and recorded by the Pen of the Most High in the Crimson Book which is capable of fully disclosing that force which is hid in men, nay of redoubling its potency. We implore God – exalted and glorified be He – to graciously assist His servants to do that which is pleasing and acceptable unto Him.

In these days enemies have compassed Us about, and the fire of hatred is kindled. O peoples of the earth! By My life and by your own! This Wronged One hath never had, nor hath He now any desire for leadership. Mine aim hath ever been, and still is, to suppress whatever is the cause of contention amidst the peoples of the earth, and of separation amongst the nations, so that all men may be sanctified from every earthly attachment, and be set free to occupy themselves with their own interests. We entreat Our loved ones not to besmirch the hem of Our raiment with the dust of falsehood, neither to allow references to what they have regarded as miracles and prodigies to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity and sanctity of Our name.

Gracious God! This is the day whereon the wise should seek the advice of this Wronged One, and ask Him Who is the Truth what things are conducive to the glory and tranquillity of men. And yet, all are earnestly striving to put out this glorious and shining light, and are diligently seeking either to establish Our guilt, or to voice their protest against Us. Matters have come to such a pass, that the conduct of this Wronged One hath, in every way, been grossly misrepresented, and in a manner which it would be unseemly to mention. One of Our friends hath reported that among the residents of the Great City (Constantinople) he had heard with the greatest regret someone state that, each year, a sum of fifty thousand tumans was being despatched from his native land to Akka! It hath not, however, been made clear who had disbursed the sum, nor through whose hands it had passed!

Briefly, this Wronged One hath, in the face of all that hath befallen Him at their hands, and all that hath been said of Him, endured patiently, and held His peace, inasmuch as it is Our purpose, through the loving providence of God – exalted be His glory – and His surpassing mercy, to abolish, through the force of Our utterance, all disputes, war, and bloodshed, from the face of the earth. Under all conditions We have, in spite of what they have said, endured with seemly patience, and have left them to God. In answer to this particular imputation, however, We have replied, that if that which he affirmeth be true, it behooveth him to be thankful to Him Who is the Lord of all being, and the King of the seen and unseen, for having raised up in Persia One Who, though a prisoner and with none to help and assist Him, hath succeeded in establishing His ascendency over that land, and in drawing from it a yearly revenue. Such an achievement should be praised rather than censured, if he be of them that judge equitably. Should anyone seek to be acquainted with the condition of this Wronged One, let him be told that these captives whom the world hath persecuted and the nations wronged have, for days and nights, been entirely denied the barest means of subsistence. We are loth to mention such things, neither have We had, nor do We have now, any desire to complain against Our accuser. Within the walls of this prison a highly esteemed man was for some time obliged to break stones that he might earn a living, whilst others had, at times, to nourish themselves with that Divine sustenance which is hunger! We entreat God – exalted and glorified be He – to aid all men to be just and fair-minded, and to graciously assist them to repent and return unto Him. He, verily, heareth, and is ready to answer.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest what hath befallen this Wronged One at the hands of them that have not associated with Me, and who have arisen to harm and abase Me, in a manner which no pen can describe, nor tongue recount, nor can any Tablet sustain its weight. Thou hearest the cry of Mine heart, and the groaning of Mine inmost being, and the things that have befallen Thy trusted ones in Thy cities and Thy chosen ones in Thy land, at the hands of such as have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the sighs of Thy lovers throughout the world, and by their lamentation in their remoteness from the court of Thy presence, and by the blood that hath been shed for love of Thee, and by the hearts that have melted in Thy path, to protect Thy loved ones from the cruelty of such as have remained unaware of the mysteries of Thy Name, the Unconstrained. Assist them, O my Lord, by Thy power that hath prevailed over all things, and aid them to be patient and long-suffering. Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. No God is there but Thee, the Generous, the Lord of grace abounding.

In these days there are some who, far from being just and fair-minded, have assaulted Me with the sword of hatred and the spear of enmity, forgetting that it behooveth every fair-minded person to succor Him Whom the world hath cast away and the nations abandoned, and to lay hold on piety and righteousness. Most men have until now failed to discover the purpose of this Wronged One, nor have they known the reason for which He hath been willing to endure countless afflictions. Meanwhile, the voice of Mine heart crieth out these words: “O that My people knew!” This Wronged One, rid of attachment unto all things, uttereth these exalted words: “Waves have encompassed the Ark of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Fear not the tempestuous gales, O Mariner! He Who causeth the dawn to appear is, verily, with Thee in this darkness that hath struck terror into the hearts of all men, except such as God, the Almighty, the Unconstrained, hath been pleased to spare.”

O Shaykh! I swear by the Sun of Truth Which hath risen and shineth above the horizon of this Prison! The betterment of the world hath been the sole aim of this Wronged One. Unto this beareth witness every man of judgment, of discernment, of insight and understanding. Whilst afflicted with trials, He held fast unto the cord of patience and fortitude, and was satisfied with the things which have befallen Him at the hands of His enemies, and was crying out: “I have renounced My desire for Thy desire, O my God, and My will for the revelation of Thy Will. By Thy glory! I desire neither Myself nor My life except for the purpose of serving Thy Cause, and I love not My being save that I may sacrifice it in Thy path. Thou seest and knowest, O my Lord, that those whom We asked to be fair and just, have, unjustly and cruelly, risen up against Us. Openly they were with Me, yet secretly they assisted My foes, who have arisen to dishonor Me. O God, my God! I testify that Thou hast created Thy servants to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word, and yet they have helped Thine enemies. I beseech Thee, by Thy Cause that hath encompassed the world of being, and by Thy Name wherewith Thou hast subjected the seen and unseen, to adorn the peoples of the earth with the light of Thy justice, and to illuminate their hearts with the brightness of Thy knowledge. I am, O my Lord, Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I bear witness unto Thy unity, and Thy oneness, and to the sanctity of Thy self and the purity of Thine Essence. Thou beholdest, O my Lord, Thy trusted ones at the mercy of the treacherous among Thy creatures, and the calumniators amidst Thy people. Thou knowest what hath befallen Us at the hands of them whom Thou knowest better than we know them. They have committed what hath torn the veil from such of Thy creatures as are nigh unto Thee. I beseech Thee to assist them to obtain that which hath escaped them in the days of the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thine Inspiration. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth.” The voice and the lamentation of the true Faith have been raised. It calleth aloud and saith: “O people! By the righteousness of God! I have attained unto Him Who hath manifested me and sent me down. This is the Day whereon Sinai hath smiled at Him Who conversed upon it, and Carmel at its Revealer, and the Sadrah at Him Who taught it. Fear ye God, and be not of them that have denied Him. Withhold not yourselves from that which hath been revealed through His grace. Seize ye the living waters of immortality in the name of your Lord, the Lord of all names, and drink ye in the remembrance of Him, Who is the Mighty, the Peerless.”

We have, under all circumstances, enjoined on men what is right, and forbidden what is wrong. He Who is the Lord of Being is witness that this Wronged One hath besought from God for His creatures whatever is conducive to unity and harmony, fellowship and concord. By the righteousness of God! This Wronged One is not capable of dissimulation. He, verily, hath revealed that which He desired; He, truly, is the Lord of strength, the Unrestrained.

We once again refer unto some of the sublime words revealed in the Tablet to His Majesty the Shah, so that thou mayest know of a certainty that whatever hath been mentioned hath come from God: “O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. Can anyone speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened.

“Look upon this Wronged One, O King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God hath made thee His shadow amongst men, and the sign of His power unto all that dwell on earth. Judge thou between Us and them that have wronged Us without proof and without an enlightening Book. They that surround thee love thee for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat of grace, and to turn thee toward the right-hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth witness unto that which I declare.

“O King! Wert thou to incline thine ears unto the shrill voice of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity, which on the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, uttereth praises to God, the Maker of all Names and the Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught save the effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever might desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the light of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend thereunto through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from the Name of God!”

Either thou or someone else hath said: “Let the Surih of Tawhid be translated, so that all may know and be fully persuaded that the one true God begetteth not, nor is He begotten. Moreover, the Babis believe in his (Baha’u’llah’s) Divinity and Godhood.”

O Shaykh! This station is the station in which one dieth to himself and liveth in God. Divinity, whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and absolute self-effacement. This is the station in which I have no control over mine own weal or woe nor over my life nor over my resurrection.

O Shaykh! How do the divines of this age account for the effulgent glory which the Sadrah of Utterance hath shed upon the Son of Imran (Moses) on the Sinai of Divine knowledge? He (Moses) hearkened unto the Word which the Burning Bush had uttered, and accepted it; and yet most men are bereft of the power of comprehending this, inasmuch as they have busied themselves with their own concerns, and are unaware of the things which belong unto God. Referring to this, the Siyyid of Findirisk hath well said: “This theme no mortal mind can fathom; be it even that of Abu-Nasr, or Abu-’Ali Sina (Avicenna).” What explanation can they give concerning that which the Seal of the Prophets (Muhammad) – may the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake – hath said?: “Ye, verily, shall behold your Lord as ye behold the full moon on its fourteenth night.” The Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) – peace be upon him – moreover, saith in the Khutbiy-i-Tutunjiyyih: “Anticipate ye the Revelation of Him Who conversed with Moses from the Burning Bush on Sinai.” Husayn, the son of Ali – peace be upon him – likewise saith: “Will there be vouchsafed unto anyone besides Thee a Revelation which hath not been vouchsafed unto Thyself – A Revelation Whose Revealer will be He Who revealed Thee. Blind be the eye that seeth Thee not!”

Similar sayings from the Imams – the blessings of God be upon them – have been recorded and are widely known, and are embodied in books worthy of credence. Blessed is he that perceiveth, and speaketh the pure truth. Well is it with him who, aided by the living waters of the utterance of Him Who is the Desire of all men, hath purified himself from idle fancies and vain imaginings, and torn away, in the name of the All-Possessing, the Most High, the veils of doubt, and renounced the world and all that is therein, and directed himself towards the Most Great Prison.

O Shaykh! No breeze can compare with the breezes of Divine Revelation, whilst the Word which is uttered by God shineth and flasheth as the sun amidst the books of men. Happy the man that hath discovered it, and recognized it, and said: “Praised be Thou, Who art the Desire of the world, and thanks be to Thee, O Well-Beloved of the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee!”

Men have failed to perceive Our purpose in the references We have made to Divinity and Godhood. Were they to apprehend it, they would arise from their places, and cry out: “We, verily, ask pardon of God!” The Seal of the Prophets – may the souls of all else but Him be offered up for His sake – saith: “Manifold are Our relationships with God. At one time, We are He Himself, and He is We Ourself. At another He is that He is, and We are that We are.”

Aside from this, why is it that thou didst not mention those other stations which the Abha Pen hath disclosed? The tongue of this Wronged One hath, many a day and night, given utterance to these sublime words: “O God, my God! I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast everlastingly been sanctified above the mention of any one but Thee and the praise of all else except Thyself, and Thou wilt everlastingly continue to be the same as Thou wast from the beginning and hast ever been. I beseech Thee, O King of Eternity, by the Most Great Name, and by the effulgences of the Daystar of Thy Revelation upon the Sinai of Utterance, and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy knowledge among all created things, to graciously assist Me in that which will draw Me nigh unto Thee, and will detach Me from all except Thee. By Thy glory, O Lord of all being, and the Desire of all creation! I would love to lay My face upon every single spot of Thine earth, that perchance it might be honored by touching a spot ennobled by the footsteps of Thy loved ones!”

By the righteousness of God! Idle fancies have debarred men from the Horizon of Certitude, and vain imaginings withheld them from the Choice Sealed Wine. In truth I say, and for the sake of God I declare: This Servant, this Wronged One, is abashed to claim for Himself any existence whatever, how much more those exalted grades of being! Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There can be no doubt that whoever is cognizant of this truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vainglory. Whatever hath been said hath come from God. Unto this, He, verily, hath borne, and beareth now, witness, and He, in truth, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Beseech God to grant unto men hearing ears, and sharp sight, and dilated breasts, and receptive hearts, that haply His servants may attain unto their hearts’ Desire, and set their faces towards their Beloved. Troubles, such as no eye hath beheld, have touched this Wronged One. In proclaiming His Cause, He, in no wise, hesitated. Addressing Himself unto the kings and rulers of the earth – may God, exalted be He, assist them – He imparted unto them that which is the cause of the well-being, the unity, the harmony, and the reconstruction of the world, and of the tranquillity of the nations. Among them was Napoleon III, who is reported to have made a certain statement, as a result of which We sent him Our Tablet while in Adrianople. To this, however, he did not reply. After Our arrival in the Most Great Prison there reached Us a letter from his Minister, the first part of which was in Persian, and the latter in his own handwriting. In it he was cordial, and wrote the following: “I have, as requested by you, delivered your letter, and until now have received no answer. We have, however, issued the necessary recommendations to our Minister in Constantinople and our consuls in those regions. If there be anything you wish done, inform us, and we will carry it out.”

From his words it became apparent that he understood the purpose of this Servant to have been a request for material assistance. We, therefore, revealed in his (Napoleon III’s) name verses in the Suratu’l-Haykal, some of which We now quote, that thou mayest know that the Cause of this Wronged One hath been revealed for the sake of God, and hath come from Him:

“O King of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells no longer. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality, in His name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, was pleased to spare. Say: He Who is the Unconditioned is come, in the clouds of light, that He may quicken all created things with the breezes of His Name, the Most Merciful, and unify the world, and gather all men around this Table which hath been sent down from heaven. Beware that ye deny not the favor of God after it hath been sent down unto you. Better is this for you than that which ye possess; for that which is yours perisheth, whilst that which is with God endureth. He, in truth, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Verily, the breezes of forgiveness have been wafted from the direction of your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso turneth thereunto, shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and sickness. Happy the man that hath turned towards them, and woe betide him that hath turned aside.

“Wert thou to incline thine inner ear unto all created things, thou wouldst hear: ‘The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory!’ Everything celebrateth the praise of its Lord. Some have known God and remember Him; others remember Him, yet know Him not. Thus have We set down Our decree in a perspicuous Tablet.

“Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth from the Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree, on this Sinai which hath been raised above the hallowed and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting City; ‘Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!’ We, in truth, have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit (Jesus Christ) that He may announce unto you this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and Whose signs have been revealed in the West. Set your faces towards Him (Baha’u’llah), on this Day which God hath exalted above all other days, and whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendor of His effulgent glory upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Arise thou to serve God and help His Cause. He, verily, will assist thee with the hosts of the seen and unseen, and will set thee king over all that whereon the sun riseth. Thy Lord, in truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

“The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed over all created things; happy the man that hath discovered their fragrance, and set himself towards them with a sound heart. Attire thy temple with the ornament of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all. Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say: ‘O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards Him Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide unto you. He hath come to you with signs which none can produce.’ The voice of the Burning Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world, and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations: ‘Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!’

“O King! The stars of the heaven of knowledge have fallen, they who seek to establish the truth of My Cause through the things they possess, and who make mention of God in My Name. And yet, when I came unto them in My glory, they turned aside. They, indeed, are of the fallen. This is, truly, that which the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) hath announced, when He came with truth unto you, He with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at last they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to lament, and the tears of them that have near access to God to flow.

“Say: O concourse of monks! Seclude not yourselves in your churches and cloisters. Come ye out of them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus commandeth you He Who is the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My love. This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth you, could ye but know it. He that secludeth himself in his house is indeed as one dead. It behooveth man to show forth that which will benefit mankind. He that bringeth forth no fruit is fit for the fire. Thus admonisheth you your Lord; He, verily, is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Enter ye into wedlock, that after you another may arise in your stead. We, verily, have forbidden you lechery, and not that which is conducive to fidelity. Have ye clung unto the promptings of your nature, and cast behind your backs the statutes of God? Fear ye God, and be not of the foolish. But for man, who, on My earth, would remember Me, and how could My attributes and My names be revealed? Reflect, and be not of them that have shut themselves out as by a veil from Him, and were of those that are fast asleep. He that married not (Jesus Christ) could find no place wherein to abide, nor where to lay His head, by reason of what the hands of the treacherous had wrought. His holiness consisted not in the things ye have believed and imagined, but rather in the things which belong unto Us. Ask, that ye may be made aware of His station which hath been exalted above the vain imaginings of all the peoples of the earth. Blessed are they that understand.

“O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war (Crimean War). Thy Lord, verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say: ‘I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.’ This is what We heard thee say, and, verily, thy Lord is witness unto what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for We tested thee, and found thee wanting. Comprehend the meaning of My words, and be thou of the discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words of condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We conferred upon thee in this mortal life. We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behooveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.

“For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless. It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: ‘Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!’

“O King! We were in Iraq, when the hour of parting arrived. At the bidding of the King of Islam (Sultan of Turkey) We set Our steps in his direction. Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the malicious that which the books of the world can never adequately recount. Thereupon the inmates of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil!”

And further We have said: “More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: ‘For what crime were they imprisoned?’ they would answer and say: ‘They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!’ If that which is ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? Clear it up, O men! By My life! There is no place for you to flee to in this day. If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed with God (Moses). And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.”

And further We have said: “As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from My purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of strength and of might. I have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in My love for Him, and for the sake of His good pleasure. Unto this bear witness the woes which now afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered. Every single hair of Mine head calleth out that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of My body invoketh God and saith: ‘O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the world might be quickened, and all its peoples be united!’ Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

“Know of a truth that your subjects are God’s trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate. Arise thou, in My name, above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy Lord, the Lord of strength and of might.”

And further We have said: “Adorn the body of Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and arise, then, to teach My Cause. Better is this for thee than that which thou possessest. God will, thereby, exalt thy name among all the kings. Potent is He over all things. Walk thou amongst men in the name of God, and by the power of His might, that thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the peoples of the earth.”

And further We have said: “Doth it behoove you to relate yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy, and yet commit the things which the Evil One hath committed? Nay, by the Beauty of Him Who is the All-Glorified! could ye but know it. Purge your hearts from love of the world, and your tongues from calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: By the world is meant that which turneth you aside from Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Revelation, and inclineth you unto that which is unprofitable unto you. Verily, the thing that deterreth you, in this day, from God is worldliness in its essence. Eschew it, and approach the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent Seat. Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither judge ye anyone unjustly. Thus have ye been commanded by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of all. They that commit disorders in the land after it hath been well ordered, these indeed have outstepped the bounds that have been set in the Book. Wretched shall be the abode of the transgressors!”

And further We have said: “Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbor. Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. O people of Baha! Subdue the citadels of men’s hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer, then, with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward. If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of grace abounding. O ye rich ones on earth! If ye encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully. Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was created of a sorry germ.”

And further We have said: “Regard ye the world as a man’s body, which is afflicted with divers ailments, and the recovery of which dependeth upon the harmonizing of all of its component elements. Gather ye around that which We have prescribed unto you, and walk not in the ways of such as create dissension. Meditate on the world and the state of its people. He, for Whose sake the world was called into being, hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities (Akka), by reason of that which the hands of the wayward have wrought. From the horizon of His prison-city He summoneth mankind unto the Dayspring of God, the Exalted, the Great. Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Baha, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. Whither are gone the proud and their palaces? Gaze thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto every beholder. Were the breezes of Revelation to seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou possessest, that thou mayest draw nigh unto this sublime Vision.”

We bade a Christian dispatch this Tablet, and he informed Us that he transmitted both the original and its translation. God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, hath knowledge of all things.

One of the sections of the Suratu’l-Haykal is the Tablet addressed to His Majesty, the Czar of Russia – may God, exalted and glorified be He – assist him:

“O Czar of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King, the Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who, among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles, and Who, in the kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the All-Glorious. Beware that nothing deter thee from setting thy face towards thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We, verily, have heard the thing for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst secretly communing with Him. Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in truth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whilst I lay, chained and fettered, in the prison of Tihran, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid. Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station which the knowledge of none can comprehend except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away this sublime station.”

And further We have said: “He Who is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus Christ), in the holy vale, crieth out: ‘Here am I, here am I, O Lord, my God!’, whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: ‘The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.’

“Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Mighty, the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice. Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) appeared, and Herod gave judgment against Him. God, however, aided Him with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Him down unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he in the midst of the seas or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of the oppressor.”

And further We have said: “Again I say: Hearken unto My voice that calleth from My prison, that it may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen My Beauty, at the hands of them that are the manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding My might, and how immense My forbearance, notwithstanding My power. By My life! Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My Pen, and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of My names and in the goblets of My words, thou wouldst for longing after His glorious and sublime Kingdom, lay down thy life in the path of God. Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never compare.”

Likewise, We mention some verses from the Tablet of Her Majesty, the Queen (Queen Victoria) – may God, exalted and glorified be He, assist her. Our purpose is that haply the breezes of Revelation may envelop thee, and cause thee to arise, wholly for the sake of God, and serve His Cause, and that thou mayest transmit any of the Tablets of the kings which might have remained undelivered. This mission is a great mission, and this service a great service. In those regions distinguished divines are numerous, among whom are those Siyyids who are renowned for their eminence and distinction. Confer with them, and show them what hath flowed out of the Pen of Glory, that haply they may be graciously aided to better the condition of the world, and improve the character of peoples of different nations, and may, through the living waters of God’s counsels, quench the hatred and the animosity which lie hid and smolder in the hearts of men. We pray God that thou mayest be assisted therein. And this, verily, would not be hard for Him.

“O Queen in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is there but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of Thy Lord, the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His most great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled. The land of Syria hath been honored by the footsteps of its Lord, the Lord of all men, and North and South are both inebriated with the wine of His presence. Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the fragrance of the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place of His beauty, in this resplendent Dawn. The Mosque of Aqsa vibrateth through the breezes of its Lord, the All-Glorious, whilst Batha (Mecca) trembleth at the voice of God, the Exalted, the Most High. Every single stone of them celebrateth the praise of the Lord, through this Great Name.”

And further We said: “We make mention of thee for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator of earth and of heaven. He, verily, is witness unto that which I say. We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous Revelation. God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this. He, verily, will pay the doer of good, whether man or woman, his due recompense, wert thou to follow what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. As to him who turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after that the clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer of signs, his work shall God bring to naught. He, in truth, hath power over all things. Man’s actions are acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation). He that turneth aside from the True One is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

“We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized. It behooveth them, however, to be trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves as the representatives of all that dwell on earth. This is what counselleth them, in this Tablet, He Who is the Ruler, the All-Wise. And if any one of them directeth himself towards the Assembly, let him turn his eyes unto the Supreme Horizon, and say: ‘O my God! I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious Name, to aid me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants to prosper, and Thy cities to flourish. Thou, indeed, hast power over all things!’ Blessed is he that entereth the Assembly for the sake of God, and judgeth between men with pure justice. He, indeed, is of the blissful.

“O ye members of Assemblies in that land and in other countries! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay, its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously. And if at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers, so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this.”

And further We have said: “That which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired Physician. By My life! This is the truth, and all else naught but error. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world. It failed therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.

“Consider these days in which He Who is the Ancient Beauty hath come in the Most Great Name, that He may quicken the world and unite its peoples. They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened swords, and committed that which caused the Faithful Spirit to lament, until in the end they imprisoned Him in the most desolate of cities, and broke the grasp of the faithful upon the hem of His robe. Were anyone to tell them: ‘The World Reformer is come,’ they would answer and say: ‘Indeed it is proven that He is a fomenter of discord!’, and this notwithstanding that they have never associated with Him, and have perceived that He did not seek, for one moment, to protect Himself. At all times He was at the mercy of the wicked doers. At one time they cast Him into prison, at another they banished Him, and at yet another hurried Him from land to land. Thus have they pronounced judgment against Us, and God, truly, is aware of what I say.”

This charge of fomenting discord is the same as that imputed aforetime by the Pharaohs of Egypt to Him Who conversed with God (Moses). Read thou what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an. He – may He be blessed and glorified – saith: “Moreover We had sent Moses of old with Our signs and with clear authority to Pharaoh, and Haman, and Qarun: and they said: ‘Sorcerer, impostor!’ And when He came to them from Our presence with the truth, they said: ‘Slay the sons of those who believe as He doth, and save their females alive,’ but the stratagem of the unbelievers issued only in failure. And Pharaoh said: ‘Let me alone, that I may kill Moses; and let him call upon his Lord: I fear lest he change your religion, or cause disorder to show itself in the land.’ And Moses said: ‘I take refuge with my Lord, and your Lord from every proud one who believeth not in the Day of Reckoning.’”

Men have, at all times, considered every World Reformer a fomenter of discord, and have referred unto Him in terms with which all are familiar. Each time the Daystar of Divine Revelation shed its radiance from the horizon of God’s Will a great number of men denied Him, others turned aside from Him, and still others calumniated Him, and thereby withheld the servants of God from the river of loving providence of Him Who is the King of creation. In like manner, they who, in this day, have neither met this Wronged One nor associated with Him have said, and even now continue to say, the things thou hast heard and hearest still. Say: “O people! The Sun of Utterance beameth forth in this day, above the horizon of bounty, and the radiance of the Revelation of Him Who spoke on Sinai flasheth and glisteneth before all religions. Purge and sanctify your breasts, and your hearts, and your ears, and your eyes with the living waters of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and set, then, your faces towards Him. By the righteousness of God! Ye shall hear all things proclaim: ‘Verily, He the True One is come. Blessed are they that judge with fairness, and blessed they that turn towards Him!’”

Among the things they have imputed to the Divine Lote-Tree (Moses) are charges to the falsity of which every discerning man of knowledge, and every wise and understanding heart, will witness. Thou must, no doubt, have read and considered the verses which have been sent down concerning Him Who conversed with God. He – may He be blessed and glorified – saith: “He said: ‘Did We not rear thee among us when a child? And hast thou not passed years of thy life among us? And yet what a deed is that which thou hast done! Thou art one of the ungrateful.’ He said: ‘I did it indeed, and I was one of those who erred. And I fled from you because I feared you; but My Lord hath given Me wisdom and hath made Me one of His Apostles.’” And elsewhere He – may He be blessed and exalted – saith: “And He entered a city at the time when its inhabitants would not observe Him, and found therein two men fighting, the one, of His own people; the other, of His enemies. And he who was of His own people asked His help against him who was of His enemies. And Moses smote him with His fist and slew him. Said He: ‘This is a work of Satan; for he is an enemy, a manifest misleader.’ He said: ‘O my Lord! I have sinned to mine own hurt, forgive me.’ So God forgave Him; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. He said: ‘Lord! because Thou hast showed me this grace, I will never again be the helper of the wicked.’ And in the city at noon He was full of fear, casting furtive glances round Him, and lo, the man whom He had helped the day before, cried out to Him again for help. Said Moses to him: ‘Thou art plainly a most depraved person.’ And when He would have laid violent hands on him who was their common foe, he said to Him: ‘O Moses! Dost Thou desire to slay me, as thou slewest a man yesterday? Thou desirest only to become a tyrant in this land, and desirest not to become a peacemaker.’” Thine ears and thine eyes must needs now be cleansed and sanctified, that thou mayest be able to judge with fairness and justice. Moses Himself, moreover, acknowledged His injustice and waywardness, and testified that fear had seized Him, and that He had transgressed, and fled away. He asked God – exalted be His glory – to forgive Him, and He was forgiven.

O Shaykh! Every time God the True One – exalted be His glory – revealed Himself in the person of His Manifestation, He came unto men with the standard of “He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” None hath the right to ask why or wherefore, and he that doth so, hath indeed turned aside from God, the Lord of Lords. In the days of every Manifestation these things appear and are evident. Likewise, they have said that about this Wronged One, to the falsity of which they who are nigh unto God and are devoted to Him have borne, and still bear, witness. By the righteousness of God! This Hem of His Robe hath ever been and remaineth unsullied, though many have, at the present time, purposed to besmirch it with their lying and unseemly calumnies. God, however, knoweth and they know not. He Who, through the might and power of God, hath arisen before the face of all the kindreds of the earth, and summoned the multitudes to the Supreme Horizon, hath been repudiated by them and they have clung instead unto such men as have invariably withdrawn themselves behind veils and curtains, and busied themselves about their own protection. Moreover, many are now engaged in spreading lies and calumnies, and have no other intention than to instill distrust into the hearts and souls of men. As soon as someone leaveth the Great City (Constantinople) to visit this land, they at once telegraph and proclaim that he hath stolen money and fled to Akka. A highly accomplished, learned and distinguished man visited, in his declining years, the Holy Land, seeking peace and retirement, and about him they have written such things as have caused them who are devoted to God and are nigh unto Him to sigh.

His Excellency, the late Mirza Husayn Khan, Mushiru’d-Dawlih, – may God forgive him – hath known this Wronged One, and he, no doubt, must have given to the Authorities a circumstantial account of the arrival of this Wronged One at the Sublime Porte, and of the things which He said and did. On the day of Our arrival the Government Official, whose duty it was to receive and entertain official visitors, met Us and escorted Us to the place he had been bidden to take Us. In truth, the Government showed these wronged ones the utmost kindness and consideration. The following day Prince Shuja’u’d-Dawlih, accompanied by Mirza Safa, acting as the representatives of the late Mushiru’d-Dawlih, the Minister (accredited to the Imperial Court) came to visit Us. Others, among whom were several Ministers of the Imperial Government, and including the late Kamal Pasha, likewise called on Us. Wholly reliant on God, and without any reference to any need He might have had, or to any other matter, this Wronged One sojourned for a period of four months in that city. His actions were known and evident unto all, and none can deny them except such as hate Him, and speak not the truth. He that hath recognized God, recognizeth none other but Him. We have never liked, nor like We, to make mention of such things.

Whenever high dignitaries of Persia came to that city (Constantinople) they would exert themselves to the utmost soliciting at every door such allowances and gifts as they might obtain. This Wronged One, however, if He hath done nothing that would redound to the glory of Persia, hath at least acted in a manner that could in no wise disgrace it. That which was done by his late Excellency (Mushiru’d-Dawlih) – may God exalt his station – was not actuated by his friendship towards this Wronged One, but rather was prompted by his own sagacious judgment, and by his desire to accomplish the service he secretly contemplated rendering his Government. I testify that he was so faithful in his service to his Government that dishonesty played no part, and was held in contempt, in the domain of his activities. It was he who was responsible for the arrival of these wronged ones in the Most Great Prison (Akka). As he was faithful, however, in the discharge of his duty, he deserveth Our commendation. This Wronged One hath, at all times, aimed and striven to exalt and advance the interests of both the government and the people, not to elevate His own station. A number of men have, now, gathered others about them, and have arisen to dishonor this Wronged One. He, nevertheless, beseecheth God – hallowed and glorified be He – to aid them to return unto Him, and assist them to compensate for that which escaped them, and repent before the door of His bounty. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Shaykh! My Pen, verily, lamenteth over Mine own Self, and My Tablet weepeth sore over what hath befallen Me at the hands of one (Mirza Yahya) over whom We watched for successive years, and who, day and night, served in My presence, until he was made to err by one of My servants, named Siyyid Muhammad. Unto this bear witness My believing servants who accompanied Me in My exile from Baghdad to this, the Most Great Prison. And there befell Me at the hands of both of them that which made every man of understanding to cry out, and he who is endued with insight to groan aloud, and the tears of the fair-minded to flow.

We pray to God to graciously assist them that have been led astray to be just and fair-minded, and to make them aware of that whereof they have been heedless. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. Debar not Thy servants, O my Lord, from the door of Thy grace, and drive them not away from the court of Thy presence. Assist them to dispel the mists of idle fancy, and to tear away the veils of vain imaginings and hopes. Thou art, verily, the All-Possessing, the Most High. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Gracious.

I swear by the Daystar of God’s Testimony that hath shone from the horizon of certitude! This Wronged One, in the daytime and in the night-season, occupied Himself with that which would edify the souls of men, until the light of knowledge prevailed over the darkness of ignorance.

O Shaykh! Time and again have I declared, and now yet again I affirm, that for two score years We have, through the grace of God and by His irresistible and potent will, extended such aid to His Majesty the Shah – may God assist him – as the exponents of justice and of equity would regard as incontestable and absolute. None can deny it, unless he be a transgressor and sinner, or one who would hate Us or doubt Our truth. How very strange that until now the Ministers of State and the representatives of the people have alike remained unaware of such conspicuous and undeniable service, and, if apprized of it, have, for reasons of their own, chosen to ignore it! Previous to these forty years controversies and conflicts continually prevailed and agitated the servants of God. But since then, aided by the hosts of wisdom, of utterance, of exhortations and understanding, they have all seized and taken fast hold of the firm cord of patience and of the shining hem of fortitude, in such wise that this wronged people endured steadfastly whatever befell them, and committed everything unto God, and this notwithstanding that in Mazindaran and at Rasht a great many have been most hideously tormented. Among them was his honor, Haji Nasir, who, unquestionably, was a brilliant light that shone forth above the horizon of resignation. After he had suffered martyrdom, they plucked out his eyes and cut off his nose, and inflicted on him such indignities that strangers wept and lamented, and secretly raised funds to support his wife and children.

O Shaykh! My Pen is abashed to recount what actually took place. In the land of Sad (Isfahan) the fire of tyranny burned with such a hot flame that every fair-minded person groaned aloud. By thy life! The cities of knowledge and of understanding wept with such a weeping that the souls of the pious and of the God-fearing were melted. The twin shining lights, Hasan and Husayn (The King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs) offered up spontaneously their lives in that city. Neither fortune, nor wealth, nor glory, could deter them! God knoweth the things which befell them and yet the people are, for the most part, unaware!

Before them one named Kazim and they who were with him, and after them, his honor Ashraf, all quaffed the draught of martyrdom with the utmost fervor and longing, and hastened unto the Supreme Companion. In like manner, at the time of Sardar Aziz Khan, that godly man, Mirza Mustafa, and his fellow martyrs, were arrested, and despatched unto the Supreme Friend in the All-Glorious Horizon. Briefly, in every city the evidences of a tyranny, beyond like or equal, were unmistakably clear and manifest, and yet none arose in self-defence! Call thou to mind his honor Badi’, who was the bearer of the Tablet to His Majesty the Shah, and reflect how he laid down his life. That knight, who spurred on his charger in the arena of renunciation, threw down the precious crown of life for the sake of Him Who is the Incomparable Friend.

O Shaykh! If things such as these are to be denied, what shall, then, be deemed worthy of credence? Set forth the truth, for the sake of God, and be not of them that hold their peace. They arrested his honor Najaf-’Ali, who hastened, with rapture and great longing, unto the field of martyrdom, uttering these words: “We have kept both Baha and the khun-baha (bloodmoney)!” With these words he yielded up his spirit. Meditate on the splendor and glory which the light of renunciation, shining from the upper chamber of the heart of Mulla Ali-Jan, hath shed. He was so carried away by the breezes of the Most Sublime Word and by the power of the Pen of Glory that to him the field of martyrdom equalled, nay outrivalled, the haunts of earthly delights. Ponder upon the conduct of Aba-Basir and Siyyid Ashraf-i-Zanjani. They sent for the mother of Ashraf to dissuade her son from his purpose. But she spurred him on until he suffered a most glorious martyrdom.

O Shaykh! This people have passed beyond the narrow straits of names, and pitched their tents upon the shores of the sea of renunciation. They would willingly lay down a myriad lives, rather than breathe the word desired by their enemies. They have clung to that which pleaseth God, and are wholly detached and freed from the things which pertain unto men. They have preferred to have their heads cut off rather than utter one unseemly word. Ponder this in thine heart. Methinks they have quaffed their fill of the ocean of renunciation. The life of the present world hath failed to withhold them from suffering martyrdom in the path of God.

In Mazindaran a vast number of the servants of God were exterminated. The Governor, under the influence of calumniators, robbed a great many of all that they possessed. Among the charges he laid against them was that they had been laying up arms, whereas upon investigation it was found out that they had nothing but an unloaded rifle! Gracious God! This people need no weapons of destruction, inasmuch as they have girded themselves to reconstruct the world. Their hosts are the hosts of goodly deeds, and their arms the arms of upright conduct, and their commander the fear of God. Blessed that one that judgeth with fairness. By the righteousness of God! Such hath been the patience, the calm, the resignation and contentment of this people that they have become the exponents of justice, and so great hath been their forbearance, that they have suffered themselves to be killed rather than kill, and this notwithstanding that these whom the world hath wronged have endured tribulations the like of which the history of the world hath never recorded, nor the eyes of any nation witnessed. What is it that could have induced them to reconcile themselves to these grievous trials, and to refuse to put forth a hand to repel them? What could have caused such resignation and serenity? The true cause is to be found in the ban which the Pen of Glory hath, day and night, chosen to impose, and in Our assumption of the reins of authority, through the power and might of Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.

Remember the father of Badi’. They arrested that wronged one, and ordered him to curse and revile his Faith. He, however, through the grace of God and the mercy of his Lord, chose martyrdom, and attained thereunto. If ye would reckon up the martyrs in the path of God, ye could not count them. Consider his honor Siyyid Isma’il – upon him be the peace of God, and His loving-kindness – how, before daybreak he was wont to dust, with his own turban, the doorstep of My house, and in the end, whilst standing on the banks of the river, with his eyes fixed on that same house, offered up, by his own hand, his life.

Do thou ponder on the penetrative influence of the Word of God. Every single one of these souls was first ordered to blaspheme and curse his faith, yet none was found to prefer his own will to the Will of God.

O Shaykh! In former times he that was chosen to be slain was but one person, whereas now this Wronged One hath produced for thee that which causeth every fair-minded man to marvel. Judge fairly, I adjure thee, and arise to serve thy Lord. He, verily, shall reward thee with a reward which neither the treasures of the earth nor all the possessions of kings and rulers can equal. In all thine affairs put thy reliance in God, and commit them unto Him. He will render thee a reward which the Book hath ordained as great. Occupy thyself, during these fleeting days of thy life, with such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Divine good pleasure, and will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance. The acts of his honor, Balal, the Ethiopian, were so acceptable in the sight of God that the “sin” of his stuttering tongue excelled the “shin” pronounced by all the world. This is the day whereon all peoples should shed the light of unity and concord. In brief, the pride and vanity of certain of the peoples of the world have made havoc of true understanding, and laid waste the home of justice and of equity.

O Shaykh! That which hath touched this Wronged One is beyond compare or equal. We have borne it all with the utmost willingness and resignation, so that the souls of men may be edified, and the Word of God be exalted. While confined in the prison of the Land of Mim (Mazindaran) We were one day delivered into the hands of the divines. Thou canst well imagine what befell Us. Shouldst thou at some time happen to visit the dungeon of His Majesty the Shah, ask the director and chief jailer to show thee those two chains, one of which is known as Qara-Guhar, and the other as Salasil. I swear by the Daystar of Justice that for four months this Wronged One was tormented and chained by one or the other of them. “My grief exceedeth all the woes to which Jacob gave vent, and all the afflictions of Job are but a part of My sorrows!”

Likewise, ponder thou upon the martyrdom of Haji Muhammad-Rida in the City of Love (Ishqabad). The tyrants of the earth have subjected that wronged one to such trials as have caused many foreigners to weep and lament for, as reported and ascertained, no less than thirty-two wounds were inflicted upon his blessed body. Yet none of the faithful transgressed My commandment, nor raised his hand in resistance. Come what might, they refused to allow their own inclinations to supersede that which the Book hath decreed, though a considerable number of this people have resided, and still reside, in that city.

We entreat His Majesty the Shah, – may God, hallowed and glorified be He, assist him – himself to ponder upon these things, and to judge with equity and justice. Although in recent years a number of the faithful have, in most of the cities of Persia, suffered themselves to be killed rather than kill, yet the hatred smouldering in certain hearts hath blazed more fiercely than before. For the victims of oppression to intercede in favor of their enemies is, in the estimation of rulers, a princely deed. Some must have certainly heard that this oppressed people have, in that city (Ishqabad), pleaded with the Governor on behalf of their murderers, and asked for the mitigation of their sentence. Take, then, good heed, ye who are men of insight!

O Shaykh! These perspicuous verses have been sent down in one of the Tablets by the Abha Pen: “Hearken, O servant, unto the voice of this Wronged One, Who hath endured grievous vexations and trials in the path of God, the Lord of all Names, until such time as He was cast into prison, in the Land of Ta (Tihran). He summoned men unto the most sublime Paradise, and yet they seized Him and paraded Him through cities and countries. How many the nights during which slumber fled from the eyes of My loved ones, because of their love for Me; and how numerous the days whereon I had to face the assaults of the peoples against Me! At one time I found Myself on the heights of mountains; at another in the depths of the prison of Ta (Tihran), in chains and fetters. By the righteousness of God! I was at all times thankful unto Him, uttering His praise, engaged in remembering Him, directed towards Him, satisfied with His pleasure, and lowly and submissive before Him. So passed My days, until they ended in this Prison (Akka) which hath made the earth to tremble and the heavens to sigh. Happy that one who hath cast away his vain imaginings, when He Who was hid came with the standards of His signs. We, verily, have announced unto men this Most Great Revelation, and yet the people are in a state of strange stupor.”

Thereupon, a Voice was raised from the direction of Hijaz, calling aloud and saying: “Great is thy blessedness, O Akka, in that God hath made thee the dayspring of His Most Sweet Voice, and the dawn of His most mighty signs. Happy art thou in that the Throne of Justice hath been established upon thee, and the Daystar of God’s loving-kindness and bounty hath shone forth above thy horizon. Well is it with every fair-minded person that hath judged fairly Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance, and woe betide him that hath erred and doubted.”

Following upon the death of some of the martyrs, the Lawh-i-Burhan (Tablet of the Proof) was sent down from the heaven of the Revelation of Him Who is the Lord of Religions:

“He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! The winds of hatred have encompassed the Ark of Batha (Mecca), by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Thou hast pronounced sentence against them for whom the books of the world have wept, and in whose favor the scriptures of all religions have testified. Thou, who art gone far astray, art indeed wrapt in a thick veil. By God Himself! Thou hast pronounced judgment against them through whom the horizon of faith hath been illumined. Unto this bear witness They Who are the Dawning-Places of Revelation and the Manifestations of the Cause of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, Who have sacrificed Their souls and all that They possessed in His straight Path. The Faith of God hath cried everywhere, by reason of thy tyranny, and yet thou disportest thyself and art of them that exult. There is no hatred in Mine heart for thee nor for anyone. Every man of discernment beholdeth thee, and such as are like thee, engulfed in evident folly. Hadst thou realized that which thou hast done, thou wouldst have cast thyself into the fire, or abandoned thine home and fled unto the mountains, or wouldst have groaned until thou hadst returned unto the place destined for thee by Him Who is the Lord of strength and of might. O thou who art even as nothing! Rend thou asunder the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings, that thou mayest behold the Daystar of knowledge shining from this resplendent Horizon. Thou hast torn in pieces a remnant of the Prophet Himself, and imagined that thou hadst helped the Faith of God. Thus hath thy soul prompted thee, and thou art truly one of the heedless. Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. The soul of the Chaste One (Fatimih) melted, by reason of thy cruelty, and the inmates of Paradise wept sore in that blessed Spot.

“Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God. What proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), when He came unto them with truth? What could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial of Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came unto them with a Book that judged between truth and falsehood with a justice which turned into light the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts of such as had known Him? Indeed thou hast produced, in this day, the same proofs which the foolish divines advanced in that age. Unto this testifieth He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this great Prison. Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways, nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By Him Who is the Truth! Thine iniquity hath made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on earth. Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgment thou didst pronounce hath profited thee? Nay, by Him Who is the King of all Names! Unto thy loss testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all things as recorded in the preserved Tablet.

“O thou who hast gone astray! Thou hast neither seen Me, nor associated with Me, nor been My companion for the fraction of a moment. How is it, then, that thou hast bidden men to curse Me? Didst thou, in this, follow the promptings of thine own desires, or didst thou obey thy Lord? Produce thou a sign, if thou art one of the truthful. We testify that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God, and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions. Nothing, in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is the Incomparable, the All-Informed. O heedless one! Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: ‘Say not to every one who meeteth you with a greeting, “Thou art not a believer.”’ Thus hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them that hearken. Thou hast set aside the commandment of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine own desire. Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that doubtest! If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost possess? Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds!

“Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. If thou be of them that occupy such a sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the Creator of the heavens. And shouldst thou recognize thy powerlessness, do thou rein in thy passions, and return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to weep. Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent asunder, and the Ark has foundered, and the She-Camel was hamstrung, and the Spirit (Jesus) groaned in His sublime retreat. Disputest thou with Him Who hath come unto thee with the testimonies of God and His signs which thou possessest and which are in the possession of them that dwell on earth? Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this Wronged One shining forth above the horizon of the will of God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Resplendent. Unstop, then, the ear of thine heart that thou mayest hearken unto the speech of the Divine Lote-Tree that hath been raised up in truth by God, the Almighty, the Beneficent. Verily, this Tree, notwithstanding the things that befell it by reason of thy cruelty and of the transgressions of such as are like thee, calleth aloud and summoneth all men unto the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and the Supreme Horizon. Blessed is the soul that hath gazed on the Most Mighty Sign, and the ear that hath heard His most sweet Voice, and woe to whosoever hath turned aside and done wickedly.

“O thou who hast turned away from God! Wert thou to look with the eye of fairness upon the Divine Lote-Tree, thou wouldst perceive the marks of thy sword on its boughs, and its branches, and its leaves, notwithstanding that God created thee for the purpose of recognizing and of serving it. Reflect, that haply thou mayest recognize thine iniquity and be numbered with such as have repented. Thinkest thou that We fear thy cruelty? Know thou and be well assured that from the first day whereon the voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great, and We glory therein amongst all created things and the Concourse on high. Unto this testify the things which have befallen Us in this straight Path. By God! Our hearts were consumed, and Our bodies were crucified, and Our blood was spilt, while Our eyes were fixed on the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the Witness, the All-Seeing. The more grievous their woes, the greater waxed the love of the people of Baha. Unto their sincerity hath borne witness what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an. He saith: ‘Wish ye, then, for death, if ye are sincere.’ Who is to be preferred, he that hath sheltered himself behind curtains, or he that hath offered himself in the path of God? Judge thou fairly, and be not of them that rove distraught in the wilderness of falsehood. So carried away have they been by the living waters of the love of the Most Merciful, that neither the arms of the world nor the swords of the nations have deterred them from setting their faces towards the ocean of the bounty of their Lord, the Giver, the Generous.

“By God! Troubles have failed to unnerve Me, and the repudiation of the divines hath been powerless to weaken Me. I have spoken, and still speak forth before the face of men: ‘The door of grace hath been unlocked and He Who is the Dayspring of Justice is come with perspicuous signs and evident testimonies, from God, the Lord of strength and of might!’ Present thyself before Me that thou mayest hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son of Imran (Moses) upon the Sinai of Wisdom. Thus commandeth thee He Who is the Dawning-Place of the Revelation of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, from His great Prison.”

Thereupon hath the cry and the lamentation of the true Faith been raised once again, saying: “Verily, Sinai calleth aloud and saith: ‘O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the Merciful. Indeed have I attained unto Him Who conversed upon me, and the ecstasies of my joy have seized the pebbles of the earth and the dust thereof.’ And the Bush exclaimeth: ‘O people of the Bayan! Judge ye fairly that which hath in truth been manifested. Verily the Fire which God revealed unto the One Who conversed with Him is now manifested. Unto this beareth witness every man of insight and understanding.’”

We have made mention of certain martyrs of this Revelation, and have likewise cited some of the verses which were sent down concerning them from the kingdom of Our utterance. We fain would hope that, rid of all attachment to the world, thou wilt ponder the things which We have mentioned.

It behooveth thee now to reflect upon the state of Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi and of Sad-i-Isfahani (Sadru’l-’Ulama), who reside in the Land of Ta (Tihran). No sooner had the former heard that he had been called a Babi than he became so perturbed that his poise and dignity forsook him. He ascended the pulpits and spoke words which ill befitted him. From time immemorial the clay clods of the world have, wholly by reason of their love of leadership, perpetrated such acts as have caused men to err. Thou must not, however, imagine that all the faithful are such as these two. We have described unto thee the constancy, the firmness, the steadfastness, the certitude, the imperturbability and the dignity of the martyrs of this Revelation, that thou mayest be well-informed. My purpose in citing the passages from the Tablets to the kings and others hath been that thou mayest know of a certainty that this Wronged One hath not concealed the Cause of God, but hath proclaimed and delivered, in the most eloquent language, before the face of the world, the things He had been commissioned to set forth. Certain faint-hearted ones, however, such as Hadi and others, have tampered with the Cause of God and have, in their concern for this fleeting life, said and done that which caused the eye of justice to weep and the Pen of Glory to groan, notwithstanding their ignorance of the essentials of this Cause; whereas this Wronged One hath revealed it for the sake of God.

O Hadi! Thou hast gone unto My brother and hast seen him. Set now thy face towards the court of this Wronged One, that haply the breezes of Revelation and the breaths of inspiration may assist thee and enable thee to attain thy goal. Whoever gazeth this day on My signs will distinguish truth from falsehood as the sun from shadow, and will be made cognizant of the goal. God is aware and beareth Me witness that whatever hath been mentioned was for the sake of God, that haply thou mayest be the cause of the guidance of men, and mayest deliver the peoples of the world from idle fancies and vain imaginings. Gracious God! Until now they that have turned aside and denied Me have failed to recognize Who despatched that which was delivered unto the Herald – the Primal Point! The knowledge of it is with God, the Lord of the worlds.

Exert thyself, O Shaykh, and arise to serve this Cause. The Sealed Wine is disclosed in this day before the faces of men. Seize it in the name of thy Lord, and quaff thy fill in remembrance of Him Who is the Mighty, the Incomparable. Night and day hath this Wronged One been occupied in that which would unite the hearts, and edify the souls of men. The events that have happened in Persia during the early years have truly saddened the well-favored and sincere ones. Each year witnessed a fresh massacre, pillage, plunder, and shedding of blood. At one time there appeared in Zanjan that which caused the greatest consternation; at another in Nayriz, and at yet another in Tabarsi, and finally there occurred the episode of the Land of Ta (Tihran). From that time onwards this Wronged One, assisted by the One True God – exalted be His glory – acquainted this oppressed people with the things which beseemed them. All have sanctified themselves from the things which they and others possess, and have clung unto, and fixed their eyes upon that which pertaineth unto God.

It is now incumbent upon His Majesty the Shah – may God, exalted be He, protect him – to deal with this people with loving-kindness and mercy. This Wronged One pledgeth Himself, before the Divine Kaaba, that, apart from truthfulness and trustworthiness, this people will show forth nothing that can in any way conflict with the world-adorning views of His Majesty. Every nation must have a high regard for the position of its sovereign, must be submissive unto him, must carry out his behests, and hold fast his authority. The sovereigns of the earth have been and are the manifestations of the power, the grandeur and the majesty of God. This Wronged One hath at no time dealt deceitfully with anyone. Every one is well aware of this, and beareth witness unto it. Regard for the rank of sovereigns is divinely ordained, as is clearly attested by the words of the Prophets of God and His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) – may peace be upon Him – was asked: “O Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?” And He made reply: “Yea, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” He forbade it not. These two sayings are, in the estimation of men of insight, one and the same, for if that which belonged to Caesar had not come from God, He would have forbidden it. And likewise in the sacred verse: “Obey God and obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with authority.” By “those invested with authority” is meant primarily and more especially the Imams – the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily, are the manifestations of the power of God, and the sources of His authority, and the repositories of His knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments. Secondarily these words refer unto the kings and rulers – those through the brightness of whose justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and luminous. We fain would hope that His Majesty the Shah will shine forth with a light of justice whose radiance will envelop all the kindreds of the earth. It is incumbent upon every one to beseech the one true God on his behalf for that which is meet and seemly in this day.

O God, my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay, and my Desire, and my Beloved! I ask Thee by the mysteries which were hid in Thy knowledge, and by the signs which have diffused the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness, and by the billows of the ocean of Thy bounty, and by the heaven of Thy grace and generosity, and by the blood spilt in Thy path, and by the hearts consumed in their love for Thee, to assist His Majesty the Shah with Thy power and Thy sovereignty, that from him may be manifested that which will everlastingly endure in Thy Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. Hold Thou his hand, O my Lord, with the hand of Thine omnipotence, and illuminate him with the light of Thy knowledge, and adorn him with the adornment of Thy virtues. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all created things. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bounteous.

In the Epistle to the Romans Saint Paul hath written: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.” And further: “For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” He saith that the appearance of the kings, and their majesty and power are of God.

Moreover, in the traditions of old, references have been made which the divines have seen and heard. We beseech God – blessed and glorified be He – to aid thee, O Shaykh, to lay fast hold on that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of God, the Lord of the worlds. The divines must needs unite with His Majesty, the Shah, and cleave unto that which will insure the protection, the security, the welfare and prosperity of men. A just king enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone. Unto this testifieth He Who speaketh in His Most Great Prison. God! There is none other God but Him, the One, the Incomparable, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Wert thou, for the sake of God, to ponder, though it be but for an hour, upon the things which have occurred in former times and more recently, thou wouldst turn away from the things thou dost possess unto the things which belong unto God, and wouldst become a means for the exaltation of His Word. Hath, from the foundation of the world until the present day, any Light or Revelation shone forth from the dayspring of the will of God which the kindreds of the earth have accepted, and Whose Cause they have acknowledged? Where is it to be found, and what is its name? Since the Seal of the Prophets (Muhammad) – may all else but Him be His sacrifice – and before Him the Spirit of God (Jesus), as far back as the First Manifestation, all have at the time of Their appearance suffered grievously. Some were held to be possessed, others were called impostors, and were treated in a manner that the pen is ashamed to describe. By God! There befell Them what hath made all created things to sigh, and yet the people are, for the most part, sunk in manifest ignorance! We pray God to assist them to return unto Him, and to repent before the door of His mercy. Potent is He over all things.

At this moment the shrill voice of the Most Sublime Pen hath been raised, and hath addressed Me saying: “Admonish the Shaykh even as Thou hast admonished one of Thy Branches (sons), that haply the breezes of Thine utterance may attract and draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.”

“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to answer.” Thus hath My tongue spoken unto one of My Branches (sons), and We have mentioned it unto such of Our loved ones as have cast away their idle fancies, and clung unto that which hath been prescribed unto them in the day whereon the Daystar of Certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of the will of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the day on which the Bird of Utterance hath warbled its melody upon the branches, in the name of its Lord, the God of Mercy. Blessed is the man that hath, on the wings of longing, soared towards God, the Lord of the Judgment Day.

The one true God well knoweth, and all the company of His trusted ones testify, that this Wronged One hath, at all times, been faced with dire peril. But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the path of God, life would have held no sweetness for Me, and My existence would have profited Me nothing. For them who are endued with discernment, and whose eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it is no secret that I have been, most of the days of My life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword hanging on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon or late upon him. And yet, notwithstanding all this We render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Mine inner tongue reciteth, in the daytime and in the night-season, this prayer: “Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth Me witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts. How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death suffered in Thy path, and how precious in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of Thy Word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God and my Master, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all times, placed My whole trust and confidence. Thou art verily the All-Possessing, the Most High. Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy Name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember Thee among Thy creatures, and hoist the ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land, and adorn them with Thy virtues and Thy commandments. No God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

Thereupon the voice of the true Faith was lifted up, calling aloud again and again and saying: “O concourse of the earth! By God! I am the true Faith of God amongst you. Beware that ye deny Me not. God hath manifested Me with a light that hath encompassed all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth. Judge ye equitably, O people, My manifestation, and the revelation of My glory, and the radiance of My light, and be not of them that act unjustly.”

O Shaykh! This Wronged One beseecheth God – blessed and glorified be He – to make thee the one who will open the door of justice, and reveal through thee His Cause among His servants. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.

O Shaykh! Entreat thou the one true God to sanctify the ears, and the eyes, and the hearts of mankind, and to protect them from the desires of a corrupt inclination. For malice is a grievous malady which depriveth man from recognizing the Great Being, and debarreth him from the splendors of the sun of certitude. We pray and hope that through the grace and mercy of God He may remove this mighty obstacle. He, verily, is the Potent, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.

At this moment a Voice was raised from the right-hand of the Luminous Spot: “God! There is none other God but Him, the Ordainer, the All-Wise! Recite Thou unto the Shaykh the remaining passages of the Lawh-i-Burhan (Tablet of the Proof) that they may draw him unto the horizon of the Revelation of his Lord, the God of Mercy, that haply he may arise to aid My Cause with perspicuous signs and exalted testimonies, and may speak forth amongst men that which the Tongue of Testimony hath spoken: ‘The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of the worlds!’”

“Peruse thou the Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude) and that which the All-Merciful hath sent down unto the King of Paris (Napoleon III) and to such as are like him, that thou mayest be made aware of the things that have happened in the past, and be persuaded that We have not sought to spread disorder in the land after it had been well-ordered. We exhort, wholly for the sake of God, His servants. Let him who wisheth turn unto Him, and him who wisheth turn aside. Our Lord, the Merciful, is verily the All-Sufficing, the All-Praised. O concourse of the kindreds of the earth! This is the day whereon nothing amongst all things, nor any name amongst all names, can profit you save through this Name which God hath made the Manifestation of His Cause and the Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. Blessed is that man that hath recognized the fragrance of the All-Merciful and been numbered with the steadfast. Your sciences shall not profit you in this day, nor your arts, nor your treasures, nor your glory. Cast them all behind your backs, and set your faces towards the Most Sublime Word through which the Scriptures and the Books and this lucid Tablet have been distinctly set forth. Cast away, O people, the things ye have composed with the pen of your idle fancies and vain imaginings. By God! The Daystar of Knowledge hath shone forth above the horizon of certitude.

“O thou who art gone astray! If thou hast any doubt concerning Our conduct, know thou that We bear witness unto that whereunto God hath Himself borne witness ere the creation of the heavens and of the earth, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. We testify that He is One in His Essence, One in His Attributes. He hath none to equal Him in the whole universe, nor any partner in all creation. He hath sent forth His Messengers, and sent down His Books, that they may announce unto His creatures the Straight Path.

“Hath the Shah been informed, and chosen to close his eyes to thine acts? Or hath he been seized with fear at the howling of a pack of wolves who have cast the path of God behind their backs and followed in thy way without any clear proof or Book? We have heard that the provinces of Persia have been adorned with the adornment of justice. When We observed closely, however, We found them to be the dawning-places of tyranny and the daysprings of injustice. We behold justice in the clutches of tyranny. We beseech God to set it free through the power of His might and His sovereignty. He, verily, overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth. To none is given the right to protest against any one concerning that which hath befallen the Cause of God. It behooveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained. O ye loved ones of God! Drink your fill from the wellspring of wisdom, and soar ye in the atmosphere of wisdom, and speak forth with wisdom and eloquence. Thus biddeth you your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

“O heedless one! Rely not on thy glory, and thy power. Thou art even as the last trace of sunlight upon the mountain-top. Soon will it fade away as decreed by God, the All-Possessing, the Most High. Thy glory and the glory of such as are like thee have been taken away, and this verily is what hath been ordained by the One with Whom is the Mother Tablet. Where is he to be found who contended with God, and whither is gone he that gainsaid His signs, and turned aside from His sovereignty? Where are they who have slain His chosen ones and spilt the blood of His holy ones? Reflect, that haply thou mayest perceive the breaths of thine acts, O foolish doubter! Because of you the Apostle (Muhammad) lamented, and the Chaste One (Fatimih) cried out, and the countries were laid waste, and darkness fell upon all regions. O concourse of divines! Because of you the people were abased, and the banner of Islam was hauled down, and its mighty throne subverted. Every time a man of discernment hath sought to hold fast unto that which would exalt Islam, ye raised a clamor, and thereby was he deterred from achieving his purpose, while the land remained fallen in clear ruin.

“O My Supreme Pen! Call Thou to remembrance the She-Serpent (Imam-Jum’ih of Isfahan) whose cruelty hath caused all created things to groan, and the limbs of the holy ones to quake. Thus biddeth Thee the Lord of all names, in this glorious station. The Chaste One (Fatimih) hath cried out by reason of thine iniquity, and yet thou dost imagine thyself to be of the family of the Apostle of God! Thus hath thy soul prompted thee, O thou who hast withdrawn thyself from God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall be. Judge thou equitably, O She-Serpent! For what crime didst thou sting the children of the Apostle of God (King of Martyrs and Beloved of Martyrs), and pillage their possessions? Hast thou denied Him Who created thee by His command ‘be, and it was’? Thou hast dealt with the children of the Apostle of God as neither Ad hath dealt with Hud, nor Thamud with Salih, nor the Jews with the Spirit of God (Jesus), the Lord of all being. Gainsayest thou the signs of thy Lord which had no sooner been sent down from the heaven of His Cause than all the books of the world bowed down before them? Meditate, that thou mayest be made aware of thine act, O heedless outcast! Erelong will the breaths of chastisement seize thee, as they seized others before thee. Wait, O thou who hast joined partners with God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. This is the day which God hath announced through the tongue of His Apostle. Reflect, that thou mayest apprehend what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an and in this inscribed Tablet. This is the day whereon He Who is the Dayspring of Revelation hath come with clear tokens which none can number. This is the day whereon every man endued with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation, and every man of insight hath hastened unto the living waters of the mercy of his Lord, the King of Kings. O heedless one! The tale of the Sacrifice (Ishmael) hath been retold, and he who was to be offered up hath directed his steps towards the place of sacrifice, and returned not, by reason of that which thy hand hath wrought, O perverse hater! Didst thou imagine that martyrdom could abase this Cause? Nay, by Him Whom God hath made to be the Repository of His Revelation, if thou be of them that comprehend. Woe betide thee, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and woe betide them that have taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or a perspicuous Book. How numerous the oppressors before thee who have arisen to quench the light of God, and how many the impious who murdered and pillaged until the hearts and souls of men groaned by reason of their cruelty! The sun of justice hath been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny hath been stablished upon the throne of hatred, and yet the people understand not. O foolish one! Thou hast slain the children of the Apostle and pillaged their possessions. Say: Was it, in thine estimation, their possessions or themselves that denied God? Judge fairly, O ignorant one that hath been shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung to tyranny, and cast away justice; whereupon all created things have lamented, and still thou art among the wayward. Thou hast put to death the aged, and plundered the young. Thinkest thou that thou wilt consume that which thine iniquity hath amassed? Nay, by Myself! Thus informeth thee He Who is cognizant of all. By God! The things thou possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou hast laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Thou hast arisen to put out the light of this Cause; erelong will thine own fire be quenched, at His behest. He, verily, is the Lord of strength and of might. The changes and chances of the world, and the powers of the nations, cannot frustrate Him. He doeth what He pleaseth, and ordaineth what He willeth through the power of His sovereignty. Consider the she-camel. Though but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful exalted her to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made mention of her and celebrated her praise. He, verily, overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth. No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Great. Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our Tablet with the suns of Our words. Blessed the man that hath attained thereunto, and been illumined with their light, and woe betide such as have turned aside, and denied Him, and strayed far from Him. Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!”

O Shaykh! We have enabled thee to hear the melodies of the Nightingale of Paradise, and unveiled to thine eyes the signs which God, by His all-compelling behest, hath sent down in the Most Great Prison, that thine eye might be cheered, and thy soul be well-assured. He, verily, is the All-Bounteous, the Generous. Arise thou through the power of His testimony to serve the Cause of God, thy Lord, the God of Mercy. If thy faith be fearful, seize thou My Tablet, and preserve it in the bosom of trust. And when thou enterest into the place of resurrection, and God asketh thee by what proof thou hast believed in this Revelation, draw forth the Tablet and say: “By this Book, the holy, the mighty, the incomparable.” Thereupon all will lift up their hands towards thee, and will seize the Tablet, and will press it to their eyes, and will inhale therefrom the fragrance of the utterance of God, the Lord of the worlds. Were God to torment thee for having believed in His signs in this Revelation, for what reason could He then torment such as have disbelieved in Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and before Him in Jesus, the Son of Mary, and before Him in the One Who conversed with God (Moses), and before Him in the One Who is the Friend of God (Abraham), and as far back as the One Who was the First Manifestation, Who was created by the will of thy Lord, the Potent, the All-Encompassing. Thus have We sent down Our verses unto one before thee, and recalled them unto thee, in this day, that thou mayest understand, and be of them who are well assured. O thou who assumest the voice of knowledge! This Cause is too evident to be obscured, and too conspicuous to be concealed. It shineth as the sun in its meridian glory. None can deny it unless he be a hater and a doubter.

At this moment it behooveth us to turn unto the Desired One, and cleave unto these most sublime words: “O God, my God! Thou hast lighted the lamp of Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it from contrary winds. The lamp is Thine, and the glass is Thine, and all things in the heavens and on earth are in the grasp of Thy power. Bestow justice upon the rulers, and fairness upon the divines. Thou art the All-Powerful, Who, through the motion of Thy Pen, hast aided Thine irresistible Cause, and guided aright Thy loved ones. Thou art the Possessor of power, and the King of might. No God is there but Thee, the Strong, the Unconstrained.” Say thou also: “O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks inasmuch as Thou hast made me to drink of Thy Sealed Wine from the hand of the bounty of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting. I entreat Thee by the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, and by the potency of Thy Most Sublime Word, and by the might of Thy Most Exalted Pen, through Whose movement the realities of all created things have been enraptured, to aid His Majesty the Shah to render Thy Cause victorious, and to turn towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and to set his face in the direction of the lights of Thy countenance. Assist him, O my Lord, to draw nigh unto Thee. Help him, then, with the hosts of the heavens and of earth. I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all Names and the Maker of the heavens, by the light of Thy Cause, and by the fire of the Lote-Tree of Thy loving-kindness, to help His Majesty to reveal Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures. Open, then, before his face the doors of Thy grace, and Thy mercy, and Thy bounty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee by Thy word: ‘Be, and it is.’”

O Shaykh! We had seized the reins of authority by the power of God and His Divine might, as He alone can seize, Who is the Mighty, the Strong. None had the power to stir up mischief or sedition. Now, however, as they have failed to appreciate this loving-kindness and these bounties, they have been, and will be, afflicted with the retribution which their acts must entail. The State officials, considering the secret progress of the Extended Cord have, from every direction, incited and aided Mine adversaries. In the Great City (Constantinople) they have roused a considerable number of people to oppose this Wronged One. Things have come to such a pass that the officials in that city have acted in a manner which hath brought shame to both the government and the people. A distinguished siyyid, whose well-known integrity, acceptable conduct, and commercial reputation, were recognized by the majority of fair-minded men, and who was regarded by all as a highly honored merchant, once visited Beirut. In view of his friendship for this Wronged One they telegraphed the Persian Dragoman informing him that this siyyid, assisted by his servant, had stolen a sum of money and other things and gone to Akka. Their design in this matter was to dishonor this Wronged One. And yet, far be it from the people of this country to allow themselves to be deflected, by these unseemly tales, from the straight path of uprightness and truth. Briefly, they have assaulted Me from every side, and are reinforcing Mine adversaries. This Wronged One, however, beseecheth the one true God to graciously assist every one in that which beseemeth these days. Day and night I fix My gaze on these perspicuous words, and recite: “O God, my God! I beseech Thee by the sun of Thy grace, and the sea of Thy knowledge, and the heaven of Thy justice, to aid them that have denied Thee to confess, and such as have turned aside from Thee to return, and those who have calumniated Thee to be just and fair-minded. Assist them, O my Lord, to return unto Thee, and to repent before the door of Thy grace. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Praise be unto God, the Lord of the worlds.”

The time is at hand when whatsoever lieth hid in the souls and hearts of men will be disclosed. This Day is the Day whereof Luqman spoke unto his son, the Day which the Lord of Glory announced and with which He acquainted Him Who was His Friend (Muhammad) through these, His words – exalted be He: – “O my son! Verily, God will bring everything to light, though it were but the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and hidden in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth; for God is Subtile, informed of all.” This Day the deceitful of eye, and all that men’s breasts conceal, are made known and laid bare before the throne of His Revelation. Nothing whatsoever can escape His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He, in truth, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. How very strange that they discern not between the trustworthy and the treacherous!

Would that His Majesty the Shah of Persia – may God perpetuate his sovereignty – would inquire from the Consuls of the honored Persian Government who have been in this country, that he might become acquainted with the activities and behavior of this Wronged One. Briefly, they have incited a great many such as Akhtar and others, and are busying themselves in spreading calumnies. It is clear and evident that they will surround with their swords of hatred and their shafts of enmity the one whom they know to be an outcast among men and to have been banished from one country to another. This is not the first time that such iniquity hath been perpetrated, nor the first goblet that hath been dashed to the ground, nor the first veil that hath been rent in twain in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. This Wronged One, however, remained calm and silent in the Most Great Prison, busying Himself with His own affairs, and completely detached from all else but God. Iniquity waxed so grievous that the pens of the world are powerless to record it.

In this connection it is necessary to mention the following occurrence, that haply men may take fast hold of the cord of justice and truthfulness. Haji Shaykh Muhammad Ali – upon him be the glory of God, the Ever-Abiding – was a merchant of high repute, well-known unto most of the inhabitants of the Great City (Constantinople). Not long ago, when the Persian Embassy in Constantinople was secretly engaged in stirring up mischief, it was noticed that this believing and sincere soul was greatly distressed. Finally, one night he threw himself into the sea, but was rescued by some passers-by who chanced to come upon him at that moment. His act was widely commented upon and given varied interpretations by different people. Following this, one night he repaired to a mosque, and, as reported by the guardian of that place, kept vigil the whole night, and was occupied until the morning in offering, ardently and with tearful eyes, his prayers and supplications. Upon hearing him suddenly cease his devotions, the guardian went to him, and found that he had already surrendered his soul. An empty bottle was found by his side, indicating that he had poisoned himself. Briefly, the guardian, while greatly astonished, broke the news to the people. It was found out that he had left two testaments. In the first he recognized and confessed the unity of God, that His Exalted Being had neither peer nor equal, and that His Essence was exalted above all praise, all glorification and description. He also testified to the Revelation of the Prophets and the holy ones, and recognized what had been written down in the Books of God, the Lord of all men. On another page, in which he had set down a prayer, he wrote these words in conclusion: “This servant and the loved ones of God are perplexed. On the one hand the Pen of the Most High hath forbidden all men to engage in sedition, contention or conflict, and on the other that same Pen hath sent down these most sublime words: ‘Should anyone, in the presence of the Manifestation, discover an evil intention on the part of any soul, he must not oppose him, but must leave him to God.’ Considering that on the one hand this binding command is clear and firmly established, and that on the other calumnies, beyond human strength to bear or endure, have been uttered, this servant hath chosen to commit this most grievous sin. I turn suppliantly unto the ocean of God’s bounty and the heaven of Divine mercy, and hope that He will blot out with the pen of His grace and bounteousness the misdeeds of this servant. Though my transgressions be manifold, and unnumbered my evildoings, yet do I cleave tenaciously to the cord of His bounty, and cling unto the hem of His generosity. God is witness, and they that are nigh unto His Threshold know full well, that this servant could not bear to hear the tales related by the perfidious. I, therefore, have committed this act. If He chastise me, He verily is to be praised for what He doeth; and if He forgive me, His behest shall be obeyed.”

Ponder, now, O Shaykh, the influence of the word of God, that haply thou mayest turn from the left hand of idle fancy unto the right hand of certitude. This Wronged One hath never acted hypocritically towards any one, in the Cause of God, and hath loudly proclaimed the Word of God before the face of His creatures. Let him who wisheth turn thereunto, and let him who wisheth turn aside. If these things, however, that are so clear, so manifest and indubitable, be denied, what else can be deemed acceptable and worthy of credence in the estimation of men of insight? We beseech God – blessed and glorified be He – to forgive the aforementioned person (Haji Shaykh Muhammad-’Ali), and change his evil deeds into good ones. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous.

Such things have appeared in this Revelation that there is no recourse for either the exponents of science and knowledge or the manifestations of justice and equity other than to recognize them. It is incumbent upon thee, in this day, to arise with celestial power and dissipate, with the aid of knowledge, the doubts of the peoples of the world, so that all men may be sanctified, and direct their steps towards the Most Great Ocean and cleave fast unto that which God hath purposed.

Every one who hath turned aside from Me hath clung to his own idle words, and therewith voiced his objections to Him Who is the Truth. Gracious God! Such references as have been made to Divinity and Godhead by the holy ones and chosen ones of God have been made a cause for denial and repudiation. The Imam Sadiq hath said: “Servitude is a substance, the essence of which is Divinity.” The Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) answered an Arab, who had questioned him concerning the soul, as follows: “The third is the soul which is divine and celestial. It is a divine energy, a substance, simple, and self-subsistent.” And further he – peace be upon him – said: “Therefore it is the Most Sublime Essence of God, the Tree of Blessedness, the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Garden of Repose.” The Imam Sadiq hath said: “When our Qa’im will arise, the earth will shine with the light of her Lord.” Likewise, a lengthy tradition is attributed to Abi-’Abdi’llah – peace be upon him – in which these sublime words are found: “Thereupon will He Who is the All-Compelling – exalted and glorified be He – descend from the clouds with the angels.” And in the mighty Qur’an: “What can such expect but that God should come down to them overshadowed with clouds?” And in the tradition of Mufaddal it is said: “The Qa’im will lean His back against the Sanctuary, and will stretch forth His hand, and lo, it shall be snow-white but unhurt. And He shall say: ‘This is the hand of God, the right hand of God, that cometh from God, at the command of God!’” In whichever manner these traditions are interpreted, in that same manner let them also interpret that which the Most Sublime Pen hath set down. The Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) hath said: “I am He Who can neither be named, nor described.” And likewise He hath said: “Outwardly I am an Imam; inwardly I am the Unseen, the Unknowable.” Abu-Ja’far-i-Tusi hath said: “I said to Abi Abdi’llah: ‘You are the Way mentioned in the Book of God, and you are the Impost, and you are the Pilgrimage.’ He replied: ‘O man! We are the Way mentioned in the Book of God, – exalted and glorified be He – and We are the Impost, and We are the Fast, and We are the Pilgrimage, and We are the Sacred Month, and We are the Sacred City, and We are the Kaaba of God, and We are the Qiblih of God, and We are the Face of God.’” Jabir hath said that Abu-Ja’far – peace be upon him – spoke to him as follows: “O Jabir! Give heed unto the Bayan (Exposition) and the Ma’ani (Significances).” He – peace be upon him – added: “As to the Bayan, it consisteth in thy recognition of God – glorified be He – as the One Who hath no equal, and in thy adoration of Him, and in thy refusal to join partners with Him. As to the Ma’ani, We are its meaning, and its side, and its hand, and its tongue, and its cause, and its command, and its knowledge, and its right. If We wish for something, it is God Who wisheth it, and He desireth that which We desire.” Moreover, the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) – peace be upon him – hath said: “How can I worship a Lord Whom I have not seen?” And, in another connection, he saith: “Nothing have I perceived except that I perceived God before it, God after it, or God with it.”

O Shaykh! Ponder upon the things which have been mentioned, perchance thou mayest quaff the Sealed Wine through the power of the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting, and obtain that which no one is capable of comprehending. Gird up the loins of endeavor, and direct thyself towards the Most Sublime Kingdom, that haply thou mayest perceive, as they descend upon Me, the breaths of Revelation and inspiration, and attain thereunto. Verily, I say: The Cause of God hath never had, nor hath it now, any peer or equal. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancies. He, in truth, will reinforce thee, and assist thee, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty. While there is yet time, and the blessed Lote-Tree is still calling aloud amongst men, suffer not thyself to be deprived. Place thy trust in God, and commit thine affairs unto Him, and enter then the Most Great Prison, that thou mayest hear what no ear hath ever heard, and gaze on that which no eye hath ever seen. After such an exposition, can there remain any room for doubt? Nay, by God, Who standeth over His Cause! In truth I say: On this day the blessed words “But He is the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets” have found their consummation in the verse “The day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” Render thou thanksgiving unto God, for so great a bounty.

O Shaykh! The breezes of Revelation can never be confounded with other breezes. Now the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing standeth laden with countless fruits before thy face; besmirch not thyself with idle fancies, as have done the people aforetime. These utterances themselves proclaim the true nature of the Faith of God. He it is Who witnesseth unto all things. To demonstrate the truth of His Revelation He hath not been, nor is He, dependent upon any one. Well nigh a hundred volumes of luminous verses and perspicuous words have already been sent down from the heaven of the will of Him Who is the Revealer of signs, and are available unto all. It is for thee to direct thyself towards the Ultimate Goal, and the Supreme End, and the Most Sublime Pinnacle, that thou mayest hear and behold what hath been revealed by God, the Lord of the worlds.

Ponder a while upon the verses concerning the Divine Presence, which have been sent down in the Qur’an by Him Who is the Lord of the kingdom of names, perchance thou mayest discover the Straight Path, and be made an instrument for the guidance of His creatures. Such a one as thou must needs in this day arise to serve this Cause. The abasement of this Wronged One as well as thy glory shall both pass away. Strive thou, that haply thou mayest achieve a deed the fragrance of which shall never fade from the earth. Concerning the Divine Presence there hath been sent down what no denier hath been or is now able to refute or repudiate. He – blessed and exalted be He – saith: “It is God Who hath reared the heavens without pillars thou canst behold; then mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the sun and moon: each traveleth to its appointed goal. He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear, that ye may have firm faith in the Presence of your Lord.” He also saith: “To him who hopeth to attain the Presence of God, the set time of God will surely come. And He is the Hearer, the Knower.” And further He – exalted be He – saith: “As for those who believe not in the signs of God, or that they shall ever attain His Presence, these of My mercy shall despair, and these doth a grievous chastisement await.” And likewise He saith: “And they say, ‘What! when we shall have lain hidden in the earth, shall we become a new creation?’ Yea, they deny that they shall attain the Presence of their Lord.” And likewise He saith: “They truly doubt the Presence of their Lord. He, verily, overshadoweth all things.” And likewise He saith: “Verily, they who hope not to attain Our Presence, and find their satisfaction in this world’s life, and rest on it, and who of Our signs are heedless – these! their abode the fire, in recompense of their deeds!” And likewise He saith: “But when Our clear signs are recited to them, they who look not forward to attain Our Presence, say, ‘Bring a different Qur’an from this, or make some change in it.’ Say: It is not for Me to change it as Mine own soul prompteth. I follow only what is revealed to Me: verily, I fear, if I rebel against My Lord, the punishment of a great day.” And likewise He saith: “Then gave We the Book to Moses – complete for Him who should do right, and a decision for all matters, and a guidance, and a mercy, that they might believe in the Presence of their Lord.” And likewise he saith: “They are those who believe not in the signs of the Lord, or that they shall ever attain His Presence. Vain, therefore, are their works; and no weight will We allow them on the Day of Resurrection. This shall be their reward – Hell. Because they were unbelievers, and treated My signs and My Apostles with scorn.” And likewise He saith: “Hath the history of Moses reached thee? When He saw a fire, and said to His family, ‘Tarry ye here, for I perceive a fire; haply I may bring you a brand from it, or find at the fire a guide.’ And when He came to it, He was called to, ‘O Moses! Verily, I am Thy Lord; therefore pull off Thy shoes, for Thou art in the holy vale of Towa. And I have chosen Thee; hearken then to what shall be revealed. Verily, I am God, there is no God but Me. Therefore, worship Me.’” And likewise He saith: “Have they not considered within themselves that God hath not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them but for a serious end, and for a fixed term? But truly most men believe not that they shall attain the Presence of their Lord.” And likewise He saith: “What! Have they no thought that they shall be raised again for the Great Day, the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds?” And likewise He saith: “We heretofore gave the Book to Moses. Have thou no doubt as to His attaining Our Presence.” And He saith: “Aye! But when the earth shall be crushed with crushing, crushing, and thy Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank.” And likewise He saith: “Fain would they put out the light of God with their mouths! But though the infidels hate it, God will perfect His light.” And likewise He saith: “And when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was journeying with His family, He perceived a fire on the mountain side. He said to His family: ‘Wait ye, for I perceive a fire, haply I may bring you tidings from it, or a brand from the fire to warm you.’ And when He came up to it, a Voice cried to Him out of the Bush from the right side of the Vale in the sacred Spot: ‘O Moses, I truly am God, the Lord of the worlds!’”

In all the Divine Books the promise of the Divine Presence hath been explicitly recorded. By this Presence is meant the Presence of Him Who is the Dayspring of the signs, and the Dawning-Place of the clear tokens, and the Manifestation of the Excellent Names, and the Source of the attributes, of the true God, exalted be His glory. God in His Essence and in His own Self hath ever been unseen, inaccessible, and unknowable. By Presence, therefore, is meant the Presence of the One Who is His Vicegerent amongst men. He, moreover, hath never had, nor hath He, any peer or likeness. For were He to have any peer or likeness, how could it then be demonstrated that His being is exalted above, and His essence sanctified from, all comparison and likeness? Briefly, there hath been revealed in the Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and Revelation of God that which will suffice the fair-minded. We beseech Him – exalted be He – to aid every one to become the essence of truthfulness, and to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Lord of strength and power. No God is there but Him, the All-Hearing, the Lord of Utterance, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Bid men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of such as tarry. Observe thou with a keen eye. The Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance, and the King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon of the prison-city of Akka. Repudiation hath not veiled it, and ten thousand hosts arrayed against it were powerless to withhold it from shining. Thou canst excuse thyself no longer. Either thou must recognize it, or – God forbid – arise and deny all the Prophets!

Reflect, O Shaykh, upon the Shi’ih sect. How many the edifices which they reared with the hands of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and how numerous the cities which they built! At length those vain imaginings were converted into bullets and aimed at Him Who is the Prince of the world. Not one single soul among the leaders of that sect acknowledged Him in the Day of His Revelation! Whenever His blessed name was mentioned, all would say: “May God hasten the joy His coming will bring!” On the day of the Revelation of that Sun of Truth, however, all, as hath been observed, have exclaimed, saying: “May God hasten His chastisement!” He Who was the Essence of being and Lord of the seen and unseen they suspended, and committed what made the Tablet to weep, and the Pen to groan, and the cries of the sincere to break forth, and the tears of the favored ones to flow.

Meditate, O Shaykh, and be fair in what thou sayest. The followers of Shaykh-i-Ahsa’i (Shaykh Ahmad) have, by the aid of God, apprehended that which was veiled from the comprehension of others, and of which they remained deprived. Briefly, in every age and century differences have arisen in the days of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Revelation, and the Dawning-Places of inspiration, and the Repositories of Divine knowledge, differences which have been caused and provoked by lying and impious souls. To expatiate on this is not permissible. Thou art thyself better acquainted and more familiar with the idle fancies of the superstitious and the vain imaginings of the doubters.

In this day, this Wronged One requesteth thee and the other divines who have drunk of the cup of the knowledge of God, and are illumined by the shining words of the Daystar of Justice, to appoint some person, without informing any one, and despatch him to these regions, and enable him to remain a while in the island of Cyprus, and associate with Mirza Yahya, perchance he may become aware of the fundamentals of this Faith and of the source of the Divine laws and commandments.

Wert thou to ponder a while, thou wouldst bear witness unto the wisdom, and the power, and the sovereignty of God, exalted be His glory. The few who were unaware of this Cause, and had not met Us, have spoken in such a manner that all things, and those souls who are well assured, pleased, and pleasing unto God, have testified unto the imposture of these heedless ones. Wert thou now to exert thyself, the truth of this Cause would be made apparent unto mankind, and the people would be delivered from this grievous and oppressive darkness. Who else but Baha can speak forth before the face of men, and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that which He was bidden by God, the Lord of Hosts?

This heedless one hath now clung to the practice of Rawdih-khani (traditional lamentation for the Imam Husayn). He – I swear by God – is in evident error. For it is the belief of this people that during the Revelation of the Qa’im, the Imams – may the peace of God be upon them – have arisen from their sepulchres. This verily is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. We beseech God to bestow upon the superstitious a portion of the living waters of certitude which are streaming from the wellspring of the Most Sublime Pen, that all may attain unto that which becometh these days.

O Shaykh! While hemmed in by tribulations this Wronged One is occupied in setting down these words. On every side the flame of oppression and tyranny can be discerned. On the one hand, tidings have reached Us that Our loved ones have been arrested in the land of Ta (Tihran) and this notwithstanding that the sun, and the moon, and the land, and the sea all testify that this people are adorned with the adornment of fidelity, and have clung and will cling to naught except that which can ensure the exaltation of the government, and the maintenance of order within the nation, and the tranquillity of the people.

O Shaykh! We have time and again stated that for a number of years We have extended Our aid unto His Majesty the Shah. For years no untoward incident hath occurred in Persia. The reins of the stirrers of sedition among various sects were held firmly in the grasp of power. None hath transgressed his limits. By God! This people have never been, nor are they now, inclined to mischief. Their hearts are illumined with the light of the fear of God, and adorned with the adornment of His love. Their concern hath ever been and now is for the betterment of the world. Their purpose is to obliterate differences, and quench the flame of hatred and enmity, so that the whole earth may come to be viewed as one country.

On the other hand, the officials of the Persian Embassy in the Great City (Constantinople) are energetically and assiduously seeking to exterminate these wronged ones. They desire one thing, and God desireth another. Consider now what hath befallen the trusted ones of God in every land. At one time they have been accused of theft and larceny; at another they have been calumniated in a manner without parallel in this world. Answer thou fairly. What could be the results and consequences, in foreign countries, of the accusation of theft brought by the Persian Embassy against its own subjects? If this Wronged One was ashamed, it was not because of the humiliation it brought this servant, but rather because of the shame of its becoming known to the Ambassadors of foreign countries how incompetent and lacking in understanding are several eminent officials of the Persian Embassy. “Flingest thou thy calumnies into the face of Them Whom the one true God hath made the Trustees of the treasures of His seventh sphere?” Briefly, instead of seeking, as they should, through Him Who occupieth this sublime station, to attain unto the most exalted ranks, and to obtain His advice, they have exerted themselves and are striving their utmost to put out His light. However, according to what hath been reported, His Excellency the Ambassador Mu’inu’l-Mulk, Mirza Muhsin Khan – may God assist him – was, at that time, absent from Constantinople. Such things have happened because it was believed that His Majesty the Shah of Persia – may the All-Merciful assist him – was angry with them that have attained and revolve round the Sanctuary of Wisdom. God well knoweth and testifieth that this Wronged One hath, at all times, been cleaving fast unto whatever would be conducive to the glory of both the government and the people. God, verily, is sufficient Witness.

Describing the people of Baha, the Most Sublime Pen hath sent down these words: “These, verily, are men who if they come to cities of pure gold will consider them not; and if they meet the fairest and most comely of women will turn aside.” Thus hath it been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen for the people of Baha, on the part of Him Who is the Counsellor, the Omniscient. In the concluding passages of the Tablet to His Majesty the Emperor of Paris (Napoleon III) these exalted words have been revealed: “Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Baha, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world.”

God alone – exalted be His glory – is cognizant of the things which befell this Wronged One. Every day bringeth a fresh report of stories current against Us at the Embassy in Constantinople. Gracious God! The sole aim of their machinations is to bring about the extermination of this servant. They are, however, oblivious of the fact that abasement in the path of God is My true glory. In the newspapers the following hath been recorded: “Touching the fraudulent dealings of some of the exiles of Akka, and the excesses committed by them against several people, etc….” Unto them who are the exponents of justice and the daysprings of equity the intention of the writer is evident and his purpose clear. Briefly, he arose and inflicted upon Me divers tribulations, and treated Me with injustice and cruelty. By God! This Wronged One would not barter this place of exile for the Most Sublime Habitation. In the estimation of men of insight whatsoever befalleth in the path of God is manifest glory and a supreme attainment. Already We have said: “Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed?”

Such abasement hath been inflicted that each day they spread fresh calumnies. This Wronged One, however, cleaveth to seemly patience. Would that His Majesty the Shah of Persia would ask for a report of the things which befell Us in Constantinople, that he might become fully acquainted with the true facts. O Shah! I adjure thee by thy Lord, the God of Mercy, to look into this matter with the eye of fairness. Is there to be found a just man who will judge in this day according to that which God hath sent down in His Book? Where is the fair-minded person who will equitably consider what hath been perpetrated against Us without any clear token or proof?

O Shaykh! Ponder the behavior of men. The inmates of the cities of knowledge and wisdom are sore perplexed asking themselves why it is that the Shi’ih sect, which regarded itself as the most learned, the most righteous, and the most pious of all the peoples of the world, hath turned aside in the Day of His Revelation, and hath shown a cruelty such as hath never been experienced. It is incumbent upon thee to reflect a while. From the inception of this sect until the present day how great hath been the number of the divines that have appeared, none of whom became cognizant of the nature of this Revelation. What could have been the cause of this waywardness? Were We to mention it, their limbs would cleave asunder. It is necessary for them to meditate, to meditate for a thousand thousand years, that haply they may attain unto a sprinkling from the ocean of knowledge, and discover the things whereof they are oblivious in this day.

I was walking in the Land of Ta (Tihran) – the dayspring of the signs of thy Lord – when lo, I heard the lamentation of the pulpits and the voice of their supplication unto God, blessed and glorified be He. They cried out and said: “O God of the world and Lord of the nations! Thou beholdest our state and the things which have befallen us by reason of the cruelty of Thy servants. Thou hast created us and revealed us for Thy glorification and praise. Thou dost now hear what the wayward proclaim upon us in Thy days. By Thy might! Our souls are melted and our limbs are trembling. Alas, alas! Would that we had never been created and revealed by Thee!”

The hearts of them that enjoy near access to God are consumed by these words, and from them the cries of such as are devoted to Him are raised. Time and again have We, for the sake of God, admonished the distinguished divines, and summoned them unto the Most Sublime Horizon, that perchance they might, in the days of His Revelation, obtain their portion of the ocean of the utterance of Him Who is the Desire of the world, and remain not utterly deprived thereof.

In most of Our Tablets this most weighty exhortation hath been sent down from the heaven of His all-encompassing mercy. We said: “O concourse of rulers and divines! Incline your ears unto the Voice calling from the horizon of Akka. Verily, it aideth you to proceed aright, and draweth you nigh unto Him, and directeth your steps towards the station which God hath made the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Dawning-Place of His splendors. O peoples of the world! He Who is the Most Great Name is come, on the part of the Ancient King, and hath announced unto men this Revelation which lay hid in His knowledge, and was preserved in the treasury of His protection, and was written down by the Most Sublime Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords. O people of Shin (Shiraz)! Have ye forgotten My loving-kindness and My mercy that have surpassed all created things, and which proceeded from God Who layeth low the necks of men?”

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) the following hath been revealed: “Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it. The eye of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you, inasmuch as ye have failed to recognize the One upon Whom ye have been calling in the daytime and in the night season, at even and at morn. Advance, O people, with snow-white faces and radiant hearts, unto the blest and crimson Spot, wherein the Tree beyond which there is no passing is calling: ‘Verily, there is none other God beside Me, the Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting!’ O ye leaders of religion in Persia! Who is the man amongst you that can rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away; and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-Beloved. We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is the Object of all knowledge; and yet behold how ye have allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil, from Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom every hidden thing hath been revealed. Say: This, verily, is the heaven in which the Mother Book is treasured, could ye but comprehend it. He it is Who hath caused the Rock to shout, and the Burning Bush to lift up its voice upon the Mount rising above the Holy Land, and proclaim: ‘The Kingdom is God’s, the sovereign Lord of all, the All-Powerful, the Loving!’ We have not entered any school, nor read any of your dissertations. Incline your ears to the words of this unlettered One, wherewith He summoneth you unto God, the Ever-Abiding. Better is this for you than all the treasures of the earth, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.”

Thereupon We heard the groaning of the true Faith, and said unto it: “Wherefore, O true Faith, do I hear Thee cry out in the night season, and groan in the daytime, and utter Thy lamentations at daybreak?” She made reply: “O Prince of the world that standest revealed in the Most Great Name! The heedless ones have hamstrung Thy white She-Camel, and caused Thy Crimson Ark to founder, and wished to put out Thy Light, and to veil the face of Thy Cause. Wherefore hath the voice of My lamentation been lifted up, as well as the voice of the lamentation of all created things, and yet the people are for the most part unaware.” The true Faith hath laid fast hold, in this day, on the hem of Our bounty, and circleth about Our Person.

O Shaykh! Enter thou My presence, that thou mayest behold what the eye of the universe hath never beheld, and hear that which the ear of the whole creation hath never heard, that haply thou mayest free thyself from the mire of vague fancies, and set thy face towards the Most Sublime Station, wherein this Wronged One calleth aloud: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Praised!” We fain would hope that through thine exertions the wings of men may be sanctified from the mire of self and desire, and be made worthy to soar in the atmosphere of God’s love. Wings that are besmirched with mire can never soar. Unto this testify they who are the exponents of justice and equity, and yet the people are in evident doubt.

O Shaykh! Protests have been voiced against Us from every side – protests such as Our pen craveth pardon for setting down. Nevertheless, by reason of Our great mercy, We have replied unto them, in accordance with the understanding of men, that haply they may be delivered from the fire of negation and denial, and become illumined with the light of affirmation and acceptance. Equity is rarely to be found, and justice hath ceased to exist.

Among others, these perspicuous verses have, in answer to certain individuals, been sent down from the Kingdom of Divine knowledge: “O thou who hast set thy face towards the splendors of My Countenance! Vague fancies have encompassed the dwellers of the earth and debarred them from turning towards the Horizon of Certitude, and its brightness, and its manifestations and its lights. Vain imaginings have withheld them from Him Who is the Self-Subsisting. They speak as prompted by their own caprices, and understand not. Among them are those who have said: ‘Have the verses been sent down?’ Say: ‘Yea, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens!’ ‘Hath the Hour come?’ ‘Nay, more; it hath passed, by Him Who is the Revealer of clear tokens! Verily, the Inevitable is come, and He, the True One, hath appeared with proof and testimony. The Plain is disclosed, and mankind is sore vexed and fearful. Earthquakes have broken loose, and the tribes have lamented, for fear of God, the Lord of Strength, the All-Compelling.’ Say: ‘The stunning trumpet blast hath been loudly raised, and the Day is God’s, the One, the Unconstrained.’ ‘Hath the Catastrophe come to pass?’ Say: ‘Yea, by the Lord of Lords!’ ‘Is the Resurrection come?’ ‘Nay, more; He Who is the Self-Subsisting hath appeared with the Kingdom of His signs.’ ‘Seest thou men laid low?’ ‘Yea, by my Lord, the Exalted, the Most High!’ ‘Have the tree-stumps been uprooted?’ ‘Yea, more; the mountains have been scattered in dust; by Him the Lord of attributes!’ They say: ‘Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?’ Say: ‘The one is reunion with Me; the other thine own self, O thou who dost associate a partner with God and doubtest.’ They say: ‘We see not the Balance.’ Say: ‘Surely, by my Lord, the God of Mercy! None can see it except such as are endued with insight.’ ‘Have the stars fallen?’ Say: ‘Yea, when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the Land of Mystery (Adrianople). Take heed, ye who are endued with discernment!’ All the signs appeared when We drew forth the Hand of Power from the bosom of majesty and might. Verily, the Crier hath cried out, when the promised time came, and they that have recognized the splendors of Sinai have swooned away in the wilderness of hesitation, before the awful majesty of thy Lord, the Lord of creation. The trumpet asketh: ‘Hath the Bugle been sounded?’ Say: ‘Yea, by the King of Revelation!, when He mounted the throne of His Name, the All-Merciful.’ Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning-light of the mercy of thy Lord, the Source of all light. The breeze of the All-Merciful hath wafted, and the souls have been quickened in the tombs of their bodies. Thus hath the decree been fulfilled by God, the Mighty, the Beneficent. They that have gone astray have said: ‘When were the heavens cleft asunder?’ Say: ‘While ye lay in the graves of waywardness and error.’ Among the heedless is he who rubbeth his eyes, and looketh to the right and to the left. Say: ‘Blinded art thou. No refuge hast thou to flee to.’ And among them is he who saith: ‘Have men been gathered together?’ Say: ‘Yea, by my Lord!, whilst thou didst lie in the cradle of idle fancies.’ And among them is he who saith: ‘Hath the Book been sent down through the power of the true Faith?’ Say: ‘The true Faith itself is astounded. Fear ye, O ye men of understanding heart!’ And among them is he who saith: ‘Have I been assembled with others, blind?’ Say: ‘Yea, by Him that rideth upon the clouds!’ Paradise is decked with mystic roses, and hell hath been made to blaze with the fire of the impious. Say: ‘The light hath shone forth from the horizon of Revelation, and the whole earth hath been illumined at the coming of Him Who is the Lord of the Day of the Covenant!’ The doubters have perished, whilst he that turned, guided by the light of assurance, unto the Dayspring of Certitude hath prospered. Blessed art thou, who hast fixed thy gaze upon Me, for this Tablet which hath been sent down for thee – a Tablet which causeth the souls of men to soar. Commit it to memory, and recite it. By My life! It is a door to the mercy of thy Lord. Well is it with him that reciteth it at eventide and at dawn. We, verily, hear thy praise of this Cause, through which the mountain of knowledge was crushed, and men’s feet have slipped. My glory be upon thee and upon whomsoever hath turned unto the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. The Tablet is ended, but the theme is unexhausted. Be patient, for thy Lord is patient.”

These are verses We sent down previously, soon after Our arrival in the prison-city of Akka, and We have sent them unto thee, that thou mayest be acquainted with what their lying tongues have spoken, when Our Cause came unto them with might and sovereignty. The foundations of idle fancies have trembled, and the heaven of vain imaginings hath been cleft asunder, and yet the people are in doubt and in contention with Him. They have denied the testimony of God and His proof, after He came from the heaven of power with the kingdom of His signs. They have cast away what had been prescribed, and perpetrated what had been forbidden them in the Book. They have abandoned their God, and clung unto their desires. They truly have strayed and are in error. They read the verses and deny them. They behold the clear tokens and turn aside. They truly are lost in strange doubt.

We have admonished Our loved ones to fear God, a fear which is the fountain-head of all goodly deeds and virtues. It is the commander of the hosts of justice in the city of Baha. Happy the man that hath entered the shadow of its luminous standard, and laid fast hold thereon. He, verily, is of the Companions of the Crimson Ark, which hath been mentioned in the Qayyum-i-Asma.

Say: O people of God! Adorn your temples with the adornment of trustworthiness and piety. Help, then, your Lord with the hosts of goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. We have forbidden you dissension and conflict in My Books, and My Scriptures, and My Scrolls, and My Tablets, and have wished thereby naught else save your exaltation and advancement. Unto this testify the heavens and the stars thereof, and the sun and the radiance thereof, and the trees and the leaves thereof, and the seas and the waves thereof, and the earth and the treasures thereof. We pray God to assist His loved ones, and aid them in that which beseemeth them in this blest, this mighty, and wondrous station.

Further, in another Tablet, We have said: “O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon My countenance! Admonish men to fear God. By God! This fear is the chief commander of the army of thy Lord. Its hosts are a praiseworthy character and goodly deeds. Through it have the cities of men’s hearts been opened throughout the ages and centuries, and the standards of ascendancy and triumph raised above all other standards.”

“We will now mention unto thee Trustworthiness and the station thereof in the estimation of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. One day of days We repaired unto Our Green Island. Upon Our arrival, We beheld its streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst. Turning Our face to the right, We beheld what the pen is powerless to describe; nor can it set forth that which the eye of the Lord of Mankind witnessed in that most sanctified, that most sublime, that blest, and most exalted Spot. Turning, then, to the left We gazed on one of the Beauties of the Most Sublime Paradise, standing on a pillar of light, and calling aloud saying: ‘O inmates of earth and heaven! Behold ye My beauty, and My radiance, and My revelation, and My effulgence. By God, the True One! I am Trustworthiness and the revelation thereof, and the beauty thereof. I will recompense whosoever will cleave unto Me, and recognize My rank and station, and hold fast unto My hem. I am the most great ornament of the people of Baha, and the vesture of glory unto all who are in the kingdom of creation. I am the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world, and the horizon of assurance unto all beings.’ Thus have We sent down for thee that which will draw men nigh unto the Lord of creation.”

This Wronged One hath, at all times, summoned the peoples of the world unto that which will exalt them, and draw them nigh unto God. From the Most Sublime Horizon there hath shone forth that which leaveth no room unto any one for vacillation, repudiation or denial. The wayward, however, have failed to profit therefrom; nay, it shall only increase their loss.

O Shaykh! It is incumbent upon the divines to unite with His Majesty, the Shah – may God assist him – and to cleave day and night unto that which will exalt the station of both the government and the nation. This people are assiduously occupied in enlightening the souls of men and in rehabilitating their condition. Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down by the Most Sublime Pen in this lucid Tablet. How often have things been simple and easy of accomplishment, and yet most men have been heedless, and busied themselves with that which wasteth their time!

One day, while in Constantinople, Kamal Pasha visited this Wronged One. Our conversation turned upon topics profitable unto man. He said that he had learned several languages. In reply We observed: “You have wasted your life. It beseemeth you and the other officials of the Government to convene a gathering and choose one of the divers languages, and likewise one of the existing scripts, or else to create a new language and a new script to be taught children in schools throughout the world. They would, in this way, be acquiring only two languages, one their own native tongue, the other the language in which all the peoples of the world would converse. Were men to take fast hold on that which hath been mentioned, the whole earth would come to be regarded as one country, and the people would be relieved and freed from the necessity of acquiring and teaching different languages.” When in Our presence, he acquiesced, and even evinced great joy and complete satisfaction. We then told him to lay this matter before the officials and ministers of the Government, in order that it might be put into effect throughout the different countries. However, although he often returned to see Us after this, he never again referred to this subject, although that which had been suggested is conducive to the concord and the unity of the peoples of the world.

We fain would hope that the Persian Government will adopt it and carry it out. At present, a new language and a new script have been devised. If thou desirest, We will communicate them to thee. Our purpose is that all men may cleave unto that which will reduce unnecessary labor and exertion, so that their days may be befittingly spent and ended. God, verily, is the Helper, the Knower, the Ordainer, the Omniscient.

God willing, Persia may be adorned with, and attain unto, that whereof she hath thus far been deprived. Say: “O Shah! Exert thyself so that all the peoples of the world may be illumined with the effulgent splendors of the sun of thy justice. The eyes of this Wronged One are turned towards naught save trustworthiness, truthfulness, purity, and all that profiteth men.” Regard Him not as a traitor. Glorified art Thou, O my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay! Aid Thou His Majesty the Shah to execute Thy laws and Thy commandments, and show forth Thy justice among Thy servants. Thou art, verily, the All-Bounteous, the Lord of grace abounding, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The Cause of God hath come as a token of His grace. Happy are they who act; happy are they who understand; happy the man that hath clung unto the truth, detached from all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

O Shaykh! Seek thou the shore of the Most Great Ocean, and enter, then, the Crimson Ark which God hath ordained in the Qayyum-i-Asma for the people of Baha. Verily, it passeth over land and sea. He that entereth therein is saved, and he that turneth aside perisheth. Shouldst thou enter therein and attain unto it, set thy face towards the Kaaba of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and say: “O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy most glorious light, and all Thy lights are verily glorious.” Thereupon, will the doors of the Kingdom be flung wide before thy face, and thou wilt behold what eyes have never beheld, and hear what ears have never heard. This Wronged One exhorteth thee as He hath exhorted thee before, and hath never had any wish for thee save that thou shouldst enter the ocean of the unity of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is the day whereon all created things cry out, and announce unto men this Revelation, through which hath appeared what was concealed and preserved in the knowledge of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

O Shaykh! Thou hast heard the sweet melodies of the Doves of Utterance cooing on the boughs of the Lote-Tree of knowledge. Hearken, now, unto the notes of the Birds of Wisdom upraised in the Most Sublime Paradise. They verily will acquaint thee with things of which thou wert wholly unaware. Give ear unto that which the Tongue of Might and Power hath spoken in the Books of God, the Desire of every understanding heart. At this moment a Voice was raised from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, in the heart of the Most Sublime Paradise, bidding Me relate unto thee that which hath been sent down in the Books and Tablets, and the things spoken by My Forerunner, Who laid down His life for this Great Announcement, this Straight Path. He hath said – and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “I have written down in My mention of Him these gem-like words: ‘No allusion of Mine can allude unto Him, neither anything mentioned in the Bayan.’” And further, He – exalted and glorified be He – saith, concerning this most mighty Revelation, this Great Announcement: “Exalted and glorified is He above the power of any one to reveal Him except Himself, or the description of any of His creatures. I Myself am but the first servant to believe in Him and in His signs, and to partake of the sweet savors of His words from the first-fruits of the Paradise of His knowledge. Yea, by His glory! He is the Truth. There is none other God but Him. All have arisen at His bidding.” Such are the words sung by the Dove of Truth on the boughs of the Divine Lote-Tree. Well is it with him that hath given ear unto its Voice, and quaffed from the oceans of Divine utterance that lie concealed in each of these words. In another connection hath the Voice of the Bayan called aloud from the loftiest branches. He saith – blessed and glorified be He: “In the year nine ye will attain unto all good.” On another occasion He saith: “In the year nine ye will attain unto the Presence of God.” These melodies, uttered by the Birds of the cities of Knowledge, conform with that which hath been sent down by the All-Merciful in the Qur’an. Blessed are the men of insight; blessed they that attain thereunto.

O Shaykh! I swear by God! The River of Mercy floweth, and the Ocean of Utterance surgeth, and the Sun of Revelation shineth forth resplendent. With a detached heart, and a dilated breast, and an utterly truthful tongue, recite thou these sublime words that have been revealed by My Forerunner – the Primal Point. He saith – glorified be His utterance – addressing his honor, Azim: “This, verily, is the thing We promised thee, ere the moment We answered thy call. Wait thou until nine will have elapsed from the time of the Bayan. Then exclaim: ‘Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers!’ Say: This, verily, is an Announcement which none except God hath comprehended. Ye, however, will be unaware on that day.” In the year nine this Most Great Revelation arose and shone forth brightly above the horizon of the Will of God. None can deny it save he who is heedless and doubteth. We pray God to aid His servants to return unto Him, and beg forgiveness for the things they committed in this vain life. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the All-Merciful. In another connection He saith: “I am the first servant to believe in Him, and in His signs.” In like manner, in the Persian Bayan, He saith: “He, verily, is the One Who, under all conditions, proclaimeth: ‘I, in very truth, am God!’” and so on – blessed and glorified be He. That which is meant by Divinity and Godhead hath previously been stated. We have in truth rent the veils asunder and disclosed that which will draw men nigh unto God, Who layeth low the necks of men. Happy the man that hath attained unto justice and equity in this Grace that hath encompassed all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as bidden by God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Shaykh! Hearken unto the melodies of the Gospel with the ear of fairness. He saith – glorified be His utterance – prophesying the things that are to come: “But of that Day and Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.” By Father in this connection is meant God – exalted be His glory. He, verily, is the True Educator, and the Spiritual Teacher.

Joel saith: “For the Day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Firstly, in the sublime utterance set forth in the Gospel He saith that none is aware of the time of the Revelation, that none knoweth it except God, the All-Knowing, Who is cognizant of all. Secondly, He setteth forth the greatness of the Revelation. Likewise, in the Qur’an He saith: “Of what ask they of one another? Of the Great Announcement.” This is the Announcement, the greatness of which hath been mentioned in most of the Books of old and of more recent times. This is the Announcement that hath caused the limbs of mankind to quake, except such as God, the Protector, the Helper, the Succorer, hath willed to exempt. Men have indeed with their own eyes witnessed how all men and all things have been thrown into confusion and been sore perplexed, save those whom God hath chosen to exempt.

O Shaykh! Great is the Cause, and great the Announcement! Patiently and calmly ponder thou upon the resplendent signs and the sublime words, and all that hath been revealed in these days, that haply thou mayest fathom the mysteries that are hid in the Books, and mayest strive to guide His servants. Hearken with thine inner ear unto the Voice of Jeremiah, Who saith: “Oh, for great is that Day, and it hath no equal.” Wert thou to observe with the eye of fairness, thou wouldst perceive the greatness of the Day. Incline thine ear unto the Voice of this All-Knowing Counsellor, and suffer not thyself to be deprived of the mercy that hath surpassed all created things, visible and invisible. Lend an ear unto the song of David. He saith: “Who will bring me into the Strong City?” The Strong City is Akka, which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts.

O Shaykh! Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken in His Book. He saith: “Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up Thy Voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings. Lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: ‘Behold your God! Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him.’” This Day all the signs have appeared. A Great City hath descended from heaven, and Zion trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation of God, for it hath heard the Voice of God on every side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained unto a new Evangel, for in the stead of the sycamore standeth the cedar. Jerusalem is the place of pilgrimage for all the peoples of the world, and hath been named the Holy City. Together with Zion and Palestine, they are all included within these regions. Wherefore, hath it been said: “Blessed is the man that hath migrated to Akka.”

Amos saith: “The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter His Voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” Carmel, in the Book of God, hath been designated as the Hill of God, and His Vineyard. It is here that, by the grace of the Lord of Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy are they that attain thereunto; happy they that set their faces towards it. And likewise He saith: “Our God will come, and He will not be silent.”

O Shaykh! Reflect upon these words addressed by Him Who is the Desire of the world to Amos. He saith: “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, for, lo, He that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord, the God of Hosts, is His name.” He saith that He maketh the morning darkness. By this is meant that if, at the time of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on Sinai anyone were to regard himself as the true morn, he will, through the might and power of God, be turned into darkness. He truly is the false dawn, though believing himself to be the true one. Woe unto him, and woe unto such as follow him without a clear token from God, the Lord of the worlds.

Isaiah saith: “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.” Concerning the greatness of the Revelation He saith: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” And in another connection He saith: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God.”

These passages stand in need of no commentary. They are shining and manifest as the sun, and glowing and luminous as light itself. Every fair-minded person is led, by the fragrance of these words, unto the garden of understanding, and attaineth unto that from which most men are veiled and debarred. Say: Fear God, O people, and follow not the doubts of such as shout aloud, who have broken the Covenant of God and His Testament, and denied His mercy that hath preceded all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth.

And likewise, He saith: “Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not, behold your God.” This blessed verse is a proof of the greatness of the Revelation, and of the greatness of the Cause, inasmuch as the blast of the trumpet must needs spread confusion throughout the world, and fear and trembling amongst all men. Well is it with him who hath been illumined with the light of trust and detachment. The tribulations of that Day will not hinder or alarm him. Thus hath the Tongue of Utterance spoken, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the Strong, the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing, the Almighty. It is now incumbent upon them who are endowed with a hearing ear and a seeing eye to ponder these sublime words, in each of which the oceans of inner meaning and explanation are hidden, that haply the words uttered by Him Who is the Lord of Revelation may enable His servants to attain, with the utmost joy and radiance, unto the Supreme Goal and Most Sublime Summit – the dawning-place of this Voice.

O Shaykh! Wert thou to perceive, be it less than a needle’s eye, the breaths of Mine utterance, thou wouldst abandon the world and all that is therein, and wouldst set thy face towards the lights of the countenance of the Desired One. Briefly, in the sayings of Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus) unnumbered significances lie concealed. Unto many things did He refer, but as He found none possessed of a hearing ear or a seeing eye He chose to conceal most of these things. Even as He saith: “But ye cannot bear them now.” That Dawning-Place of Revelation saith that on that Day He Who is the Promised One will reveal the things which are to come. Accordingly in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and in the Tablets to the Kings, and in the Lawh-i-Ra’is, and in the Lawh-i-Fu’ad, most of the things which have come to pass on this earth have been announced and prophesied by the Most Sublime Pen.

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas the following hath been revealed: “O Land of Ta (Tihran)! Let nothing grieve thee, for God hath chosen thee to be the source of the joy of all mankind. He shall, if it be His Will, bless thy throne with one who will rule with justice, who will gather together the flock of God which the wolves have scattered. Such a ruler will, with joy and gladness, turn his face towards, and extend his favors unto, the people of Baha. He indeed is accounted in the sight of God, as a jewel among men. Upon him rest forever the glory of God, and the glory of all that dwell in the kingdom of His revelation.” These verses were revealed previously. Now, however, the following verse hath been sent down: “O God, my God! Baha beseecheth Thee and imploreth Thee, by the lights of Thy countenance and the billows of the ocean of Thy Revelation, and the effulgent splendors of the Sun of Thine utterance, to aid the Shah to be fair and equitable. If it be Thy wish, bless Thou, through him, the throne of authority and sovereignty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is none other God but Thee, Who hearest, Who art ready to answer.” “Rejoice with great joy, O Land of Ta (Tihran), for God hath made thee the dayspring of His light, inasmuch as within thee was born the Manifestation of His glory. Be thou glad for this name that hath been conferred upon thee – a name through which the Daystar of grace hath shed its splendor, through which both earth and heaven have been illumined. Erelong will the state of affairs within thee be changed, and the reins of power fall into the hands of the people. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing. His authority embraceth all things. Rest thou assured in the gracious favor of thy Lord. The eye of His loving-kindness shall everlastingly be directed towards thee. The day is approaching when thy agitation will have been transmuted into peace and quiet calm. Thus hath it been decreed in the Wondrous Book.”

And likewise, in the Lawh-i-Fu’ad, and in the Tablet of the King of Paris (Napoleon III), and in other Tablets, there hath been revealed that which will lead every fair-minded person to testify unto the power, and the majesty, and the wisdom of God – exalted be His glory. Were men to observe with the eye of justice, they would be made aware of the secret of this blessed verse: “Neither is there a thing green or sere, but it is noted in a distinct writing,” and would comprehend it. On this day, however, men’s repudiation of the truth hath prevented them from understanding what hath been sent down in truth by Him Who is the Revealer, the Ancient of Days. Gracious God! Perspicuous signs have appeared on every side, and yet men are, for the most part, deprived of the privilege of beholding and of comprehending them. We beseech God to bestow His aid, that all men may recognize the pearls that lie hid within the shells of the Most Great Ocean, and exclaim: “Praised be Thou, O God of the world!”

O concourse of the fair-minded! Observe and reflect upon the billows of the ocean of the utterance and knowledge of God, so that ye may testify with your inner and outer tongues that with Him is the knowledge of all that is in the Book. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. He, verily, hath manifested that which was hidden, when He, upon His return, mounted the throne of the Bayan. All that hath been sent down hath and will come to pass, word for word, upon earth. No possibility is left for anyone either to turn aside or protest. As fairness, however, is disgraced and concealed, most men speak as prompted by their own idle fancies.

O God, my God! Debar not Thy servants from turning their faces towards the light of certitude, that hath dawned above the horizon of Thy will, and suffer them not to be deprived, O my God, of the oceans of Thy signs. They, O my Lord, are Thy servants in Thy cities, and Thy slaves in Thy lands. If Thou hast not mercy upon them, who, then, will show them mercy? Take Thou, O my God, the hands of such as have been drowned in the sea of idle fancies, and deliver them by Thy power and Thy sovereignty. Save them, then, with the arms of Thy might. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest, and in Thy right hand are the reins of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.

In like manner, the Primal Point saith: “Behold ye Him with His own eyes. Were ye to behold Him with the eyes of another, ye would never recognize and know Him.” This referreth to naught else except this Most Great Revelation. Well is it with them that judge fairly. And likewise, He saith: “The year-old germ that holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of the whole of the Bayan.” These glad-tidings of the Bayan and of the Books of former times have been repeatedly mentioned under divers names in numerous books, that perchance men might judge equitably that which hath arisen and shone forth above the horizon of the will of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

O Shaykh! Tell the people of the Bayan: “Ponder ye these blessed words. He saith: ‘The whole of the Bayan is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise.’ Be fair, O people, and be not of such as are accounted as lost in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.” The blessed Lote-Tree standeth, in this day, before thy face, laden with heavenly, with new and wondrous fruits. Gaze on it, detached from all else save it. Thus hath the Tongue of might and power spoken at this Spot which God hath adorned with the footsteps of His Most Great Name and Mighty Announcement.

And likewise, He saith: “Ere nine will have elapsed from the inception of this Cause, the realities of the created things will not be made manifest. All that thou hast as yet seen is but the stage from the moist germ until We clothed it with flesh. Be patient, until thou beholdest a new creation. Say: ‘Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers!’” And likewise, He hath said regarding the power of this Revelation: “Lawful is it for Him Whom God will make manifest to reject him who is greatest on earth, inasmuch as such a one is but a creature in His grasp, and all things adore Him. After Hin () a Cause shall be given unto you which ye shall come to know.” And also He saith: “Know thou with absolute certainty, and through the firmly established and most irrevocable decree, that He – exalted be His glory, and magnified be His might, and sanctified be His holiness, and glorified be His grandeur, and lauded be His ways, maketh each thing to be known through its own self; who then can know Him through any one except Himself?” And further, He saith – exalted and glorified be He: “Beware, beware lest, in the days of His Revelation, the Vahid of the Bayan (eighteen Letters of the Living) shut thee not out as by a veil from Him, inasmuch as this Vahid is but a creature in His sight. And beware, beware that the words sent down in the Bayan shut thee not out as by a veil from Him.” And again, He – exalted be He – saith: “Look not upon Him with any eye except His own. For whosoever looketh upon Him with His eye, will recognize Him; otherwise he will be veiled from Him. Shouldst thou seek God and His Presence, seek thou Him and gaze upon Him.” And likewise, He saith: “Better is it for thee to recite but one of the verses of Him Whom God shall make manifest than to set down the whole of the Bayan, for on that Day that one verse can save thee, whereas the entire Bayan cannot save thee.”

Say: O people of the Bayan! Be fair, be fair; and again, be fair, be fair. Be ye not of them who have made mention of the Manifestation of the Cause of God in the daytime and in the night season, and who, when He, through His grace, appeared, and when the Horizon of Revelation was illumined, pronounced against Him such a judgment as hath provoked the lamentations of the inmates of the Kingdom and of the Realm of Glory, and of such as have circled about the will of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Meditate upon these sublime words. He saith: “I, verily, am a believer in Him, and in His Faith, and in His Book, and in His Testimonies, and in His Ways, and in all that proceedeth from Him concerning them. I glory in My kinship with Him, and pride Myself on My belief in Him.” And likewise, He saith: “O congregation of the Bayan and all who are therein! Recognize ye the limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayan Himself hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest, before all things were created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of heaven and earth.” By God! All the atoms of the universe groan and lament at the cruelty perpetrated by the froward among the people of the Bayan. Whither are gone they who are endued with insight and hearing? We beseech God – blessed and glorified be He – to summon them and exhort them unto that which will profit them, and withhold them from that which will harm them. He, in truth, is the Strong, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.

And likewise, He saith: “Suffer not yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from God after He hath revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in the Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest – glorified be His mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and through whatsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most High.” And likewise, He saith: “Were He to make of every one on earth a Prophet, all would, in very truth, be accounted as Prophets in the sight of God.” And likewise, He saith: “In the day of the revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest all that dwell on earth will be equal in His estimation. Whomsoever He ordaineth as a Prophet, he, verily, hath been a Prophet from the beginning that hath no beginning, and will thus remain until the end that hath no end, inasmuch as this is an act of God. And whosoever is made a Vicegerent by Him, shall be a Vicegerent in all the worlds, for this is an act of God. For the will of God can in no wise be revealed except through His will, nor His wish be manifested save through His wish. He, verily, is the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful, the All-Highest.”

Briefly, in every instance He hath stated that which is conducive to the conversion, the advancement, the exaltation, and the guidance of men. A few unfair ones, however, have become a veil, and an insurmountable barrier, and debarred the people from turning towards the lights of His Countenance. We pray God to cast them out by His sovereignty, and seize on them with His seizing power. He, verily, is the Lord of Strength, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

And likewise, He saith: “He – glorified be His mention – resembleth the sun. Were unnumbered mirrors to be placed before it, each would, according to its capacity, reflect the splendor of that sun, and were none to be placed before it, it would still continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would be veiled from its light. I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord, and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the splendor of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God, and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer.”

And likewise, He saith: “They will even refuse unto that Tree, which is neither of the East nor of the West, the name believer, for were they so to name Him, they would fail to sadden Him.” Hath thine ear, O world, heard with what helplessness these words were revealed from the dayspring of the will of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of all names? He saith: “I have educated all men, that they may recognize this Revelation, and yet the people of the Bayan refuse to concede even the name believer to that blessed Tree that belongeth neither to the East nor to the West.” Alas, alas, for the things which have befallen Me! By God! There befell Me at the hands of him whom I have nurtured (Mirza Yahya), by day and by night, what hath caused the Holy Spirit, and the dwellers of the Tabernacle of the Grandeur of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day, to lament.

Likewise, refuting certain disbelievers, He saith: “For none knoweth the time of the Revelation except God. Whenever it appeareth, all must acknowledge the Point of Truth, and render thanks unto God.” They that have turned aside from Me have spoken even as the followers of John (the Baptist) spoke. For they, too, protested against Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus) saying: “The dispensation of John hath not yet ended; wherefore hast thou come?” Now, too, they that have repudiated Us, though they have never known Us and have been at all times ignorant of the fundamentals of this Cause, knowing not from Whom it proceeded or what it signifieth, have spoken that which hath made all created things to sigh and lament. By My life! The mute can never confront the One Who incarnateth in Himself the kingdom of utterance. Fear God, O people, and peruse, then, that which hath been sent down with truth in the eighth Chapter of the sixth Vahid of the Bayan, and be not of such as have turned aside. He, likewise, hath commanded: “Once every nineteen days this Chapter should be read, that haply they may not be veiled, in the time of the revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, by considerations foreign to the verses, which have been, and are still, the weightiest of all proofs and testimonies.”

John, son of Zacharias, said what My Forerunner hath said: “Saying, repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after Me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” Wherefore, hath My Forerunner, as a sign of submissiveness and humility, said: “The whole of the Bayan is only a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise.” And likewise, He saith: “I am the first to adore Him, and pride Myself on My kinship with Him.” And yet, O men, the people of the Bayan have acted in such a manner that Dhi’l-Jawshan, and Ibn-i-Anas, and Asbahi have sought and still seek refuge with God against such deeds. This Wronged One hath, in the face of all religions, busied Himself day and night with the things that are conducive unto the exaltation of the Cause of God, whereas those men have clung unto that which is the cause of humiliation and injury.

And likewise, He saith: “Recognize Him by His verses. The greater your neglect in seeking to know Him, the more grievously will ye be veiled in fire.” O ye among the people of the Bayan that have turned aside from Me! Ponder upon these most sublime words, that have proceeded from the wellspring of the utterance of Him Who is the Point of Knowledge. Hearken ye, at this moment, unto these words. He saith: “On that Day, the Daystar of Truth will address the people of the Bayan and will recite this Surih of the Qur’an: ‘Say: O ye unbelievers! I worship not that which ye worship, and ye do not worship that which I worship. I shall never worship that which ye worship, neither will ye worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, to Me My religion.’” Gracious God! Notwithstanding these lucid statements, and these shining and luminous tokens all are occupied with their vain imaginings, and are unaware of, and veiled from, the Desired One. O ye that have gone astray! Awake from the sleep of heedlessness, and give ear unto these words of My Forerunner. He saith: “The tree of affirmation, by turning aside from Him, is accounted as the tree of denial, and the tree of denial, by turning towards Him, is accounted as the tree of affirmation.” And likewise, He saith: “Should anyone lay claim unto a Revelation, and fail to produce any proof, do not protest, and sadden Him not.” Briefly, this Wronged One hath, night and day, been uttering the words: “Say: O ye unbelievers!”, that haply this may be the means of awakening the people, and may adorn them with the adornment of fairness.

And now, meditate upon these words, which diffuse the breath of despair, in His sorrowful invocation unto God, the Lord of the worlds. He saith: “Glorified art Thou, O My God! Bear Thou witness that, through this Book, I have covenanted with all created things concerning the Mission of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest, ere the covenant concerning Mine own Mission had been established. Sufficient witness art Thou and they that have believed in Thy signs. Thou, verily, sufficest Me. In Thee have I placed My trust, and Thou, verily, takest count of all things.”

In another connection He saith: “O Sun-like Mirrors! Look ye upon the Sun of Truth. Ye, verily, depend upon it, were ye to perceive it. Ye are all as fishes, moving in the waters of the sea, veiling yourselves therefrom, and yet asking what it is on which ye depend.” And likewise, He saith: “I complain unto thee, O Mirror of My generosity, against all the other Mirrors. All look upon Me through their own colors.” These words were sent down from the Source of the Revelation of the All-Bounteous, and were addressed to Siyyid Javad, known as Karbila’i. God testifieth, and the world beareth Me witness that this Siyyid stood by this Wronged One, and even wrote a detailed refutation against them that turned aside from Me. Two communications, moreover, in which he hath borne witness unto the Revelation of the True One, and in which the evidences of his turning away from all else but Him, are clear and manifest, have been sent by Us to Haydar-’Ali. The handwriting of the Siyyid is unmistakable, and is known unto everyone. Our purpose in doing this was that perchance they that have denied Us might attain unto the living waters of acknowledgment, and such as have turned aside be illumined with the light of conversion. God is My witness that this Wronged One hath had no purpose except to convey the Word of God. Blessed are the fair-minded, and woe betide them that have turned aside. They that have turned away from Me have schemed many a time, and acted deceitfully in divers ways. They have, on one occasion, secured a picture of this Siyyid, and pasted it on a sheet with that of others, surmounted by the portrait of Mirza Yahya. Briefly, they have seized upon every means in order to repudiate the True One. Say: “The True One is come evident as the shining sun; O pity that He should have come into the city of the blind!” The afore-mentioned Siyyid admonished the deniers, and summoned them unto the Most Sublime Horizon, but failed to impress these stones that can take no imprint. Concerning him they have said things against which he sought refuge with God – exalted be His glory. The supplications which he hath sent to this Holy Court are now in Our possession. Happy are the fair-minded.

Ponder now upon the complaint of the Primal Point against the Mirrors, that haply men may be awakened, and may turn from the left hand of idle fancies and imaginings unto the right hand of faith and certitude, and may be made cognizant of that wherefrom they are veiled. It is indeed for the purpose of recognizing this Most Great Cause that they have come out of the world of non-existence into the world of being. And likewise He saith: “Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him, that from it may be revealed all the fruits created by God within it for Him through Whom God hath willed to reveal all that He pleaseth. By Thy glory! I have not wished that this Tree should ever bear any branch, leaf, or fruit that would fail to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, or refuse to laud Thee through Him, as beseemeth the glory of His all-glorious Revelation, and the sublimity of His most sublime Concealment. And shouldst Thou behold, O my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit upon Me that hath failed to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, cut it off, O My God, from that Tree, for it is not of Me, nor shall it return unto Me.”

O people of the Bayan! I swear by God! This Wronged One hath had no other intention except to manifest the Cause He was commissioned to reveal. Were ye to incline your inner ears unto Him, ye would hear from every limb and member and vein and even from every single hair of this Wronged One that which would stir and enrapture the Concourse on high and the world of creation.

O Hadi! The blind fanaticism of former times hath withheld the hapless creatures from the Straight Path. Meditate on the Shi’ih sect. For twelve hundred years they have cried “O Qa’im!”, until in the end all pronounced the sentence of His death, and caused Him to suffer martyrdom, notwithstanding their belief in, and their acceptance and acknowledgment of, the True One – exalted be His glory – and of the Seal of the Prophets, and of the Chosen Ones. It is now necessary to reflect a while, that haply that which hath come between the True One and His creatures may be discovered, and the deeds which have been the cause of protest and denial be made known.

O Hadi! We have heard the moaning of the pulpits which, as attested by all, the divines of the age of this Revelation have ascended, and from which they have cursed the True One, and caused such things to befall Him Who is the Essence of Being and His companions as neither the eye nor the ear of the world hath seen or heard. Thou hast now summoned, and art still summoning the people, claiming to be His vicegerent and mirror, despite thine ignorance of this Cause as a result of thy not having been in Our company.

Every one of this people well knoweth that Siyyid Muhammad was but one of Our servants. In the days when, as requested by the Imperial Ottoman Government, We proceeded to their Capital, he accompanied Us. Subsequently, he committed that which – I swear by God – hath caused the Pen of the Most High to weep and His Tablet to groan. We, therefore, cast him out; whereupon, he joined Mirza Yahya, and did what no tyrant hath ever done. We abandoned him, and said unto him: “Begone, O heedless one!” After these words had been uttered, he joined the order of the Mawlavis, and remained in their company until the time when We were summoned to depart.

O Hadi! Suffer not thyself to become the instrument for the dissemination of new superstitions, and refuse to set up once again a sect similar to that of the Shi’ihs. Reflect how great the amount of blood which hath been spilt. Thou amongst others, who hast laid claim to knowledge, and likewise the Shi’ih divines, have, one and all, in the first and ensuing years, cursed the True One, and decreed that His most holy blood be shed. Fear God, O Hadi! Be not willing that men be again afflicted with the vain imaginings of former times. Fear God, and be not of them that act unjustly. In these days We have heard that thou hast striven to lay hands on and destroy every copy of the Bayan. This Wronged One requesteth thee to renounce, for the sake of God, this intention. Thine intelligence and judgment have never excelled, nor do they now excel, the intelligence and judgment of Him Who is the Prince of the World. God testifieth and beareth Me witness that this Wronged One hath not perused the Bayan, nor been acquainted with its contents. This much, however, is known and is clear and indubitable that He hath ordained the Book of the Bayan to be the foundation of His works. Fear God, and meddle not in matters which far transcend thee. For twelve hundred years they that resemble thee have afflicted the hapless Shi’ihs in the pit of vain fancies and idle imaginings. Finally, there appeared, on the Day of Judgment things against which the oppressors of old have sought refuge with the True One.

Apprehend now the cry of Him Who is the Point as raised by His utterance. He supplicateth God that if there should appear from this Tree – which is His blessed Self – any fruit, or leaf, or branch that would fail to believe in Him, God should cut it off forthwith. And likewise, He saith: “Should any one make a statement, and fail to support it by any proof, reject him not.” And yet, now, though supported by a hundred books, thou hast rejected Him and rejoicest therein!

Again I repeat, and plead with thee to carefully scrutinize that which hath been revealed. The breezes of utterance in this Revelation are not to be compared with those of former ages. This Wronged One hath been perpetually afflicted, and found no place of safety in which He could peruse either the writings of the Most Exalted One (the Bab) or those of any one else. About two months after Our arrival in Iraq, following the command of His Majesty the Shah of Persia – may God assist him – Mirza Yahya joined Us. We said unto him: “In accordance with the Royal command We have been sent unto this place. It is advisable for thee to remain in Persia. We will send Our brother, Mirza Musa, to some other place. As your names have not been mentioned in the Royal decree, you can arise and render some service.” Subsequently, this Wronged One departed from Baghdad, and for two years withdrew from the world. Upon Our return, We found that he had not left, and had postponed his departure. This Wronged One was greatly saddened. God testifieth and beareth Us witness that We have, at all times, been busied with the propagation of this Cause. Neither chains nor bonds, stocks nor imprisonment, have succeeded in withholding Us from revealing Our Self. In that land We forbad all mischief, and all unseemly and unholy deeds. Day and night We sent forth Our Tablets in every direction. We had no other purpose except to edify the souls of men, and to exalt the blessed Word.

We especially appointed certain ones to collect the writings of the Primal Point. When this was accomplished, We summoned Mirza Yahya and Mirza Vahhab-i-Khurasani, known as Mirza Javad, to meet in a certain place. Conforming with Our instructions, they completed the task of transcribing two copies of the works of the Primal Point. I swear by God! This Wronged One, by reason of His constant association with men, hath not looked at these books, nor gazed with outward eyes on these writings. When We departed, these writings were in the possession of these two persons. It was agreed that Mirza Yahya should be entrusted with them, and proceed to Persia, and disseminate them throughout that land. This Wronged One proceeded, at the request of the Ministers of the Ottoman Government to their capital. When We arrived in Mosul, We found that Mirza Yahya had left before Us for that city, and was awaiting Us there. Briefly, the books and writings were left in Baghdad, while he himself proceeded to Constantinople and joined these servants. God beareth now witness unto the things which have touched this Wronged One, for after We had so arduously striven, he (Mirza Yahya) abandoned the writings and joined the exiles. This Wronged One was, for a long period, overwhelmed by infinite sorrows until such time when, in pursuance of measures of which none but the one true God is aware, We despatched the writings unto another place and another country, owing to the fact that in Iraq all documents must every month be carefully examined, lest they rot and perish. God, however, preserved them and sent them unto a place which He had previously ordained. He, verily, is the Protector, the Succorer.

Wherever this Wronged One went Mirza Yahya followed Him. Thou art thyself a witness and well knowest that whatever hath been said is the truth. The Siyyid of Isfahan, however, surreptitiously duped him. They committed that which caused the greatest consternation. Would that thou wouldst inquire from the officials of the government concerning the conduct of Mirza Yahya in that land. Aside from all this, I adjure thee by God, the One, the Incomparable, the Lord of Strength, the Most Powerful, to carefully look into the communications addressed in his name to the Primal Point, that thou mayest behold the evidences of Him Who is the Truth as clear as the sun. Likewise, there proceeded from the words of the Point of the Bayan – may the souls of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake – that which no veil can obscure, and which neither the veils of glory nor the veils interposed by such as have gone astray can hide. The veils have, verily, been rent asunder by the finger of the will of thy Lord, the Strong, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful. Yea, desperate is the state of such as have calumniated Me and envied Me. Not long ago it was stated that thou hadst ascribed the authorship of the Kitab-i-Iqan and of other Tablets unto others. I swear by God! This is a grievous injustice. Others are incapable of apprehending their meaning, how much more of revealing them!

Hasan-i-Mazindarani was the bearer of seventy Tablets. Upon his death, these were not delivered unto those for whom they were intended, but were entrusted to one of the sisters of this Wronged One, who, for no reason whatever, had turned aside from Me. God knoweth what befell His Tablets. This sister had never lived with Us. I swear by the Sun of Truth that after these things had happened she never saw Mirza Yahya, and remained unaware of Our Cause, for in those days she had been estranged from Us. She lived in one quarter, and this Wronged One in another. As a token, however, of Our loving-kindness, our affection and mercy, We, a few days prior to Our departure, visited her and her mother, that haply she might quaff from the living waters of faith, and attain unto that which would draw her nigh unto God, in this day. God well knoweth and beareth Me witness, and she herself testifieth, that I had no thought whatsoever except this. Finally, she – God be praised – attained unto this through His grace, and was adorned with the adornment of love. After We were exiled and had departed from Iraq to Constantinople, however, news of her ceased to reach Us. Subsequent to Our separation in the Land of Ta (Tihran), We ceased to meet Mirza Rida-Quli, Our brother, and no special news reached Us concerning her. In the early days we all lived in one house, which later on was sold at auction, for a negligible sum, and the two brothers, Farman-Farma and Hisamu’s-Saltanih, purchased it and divided it between themselves. After this occurred, We separated from Our brother. He established his residence close to the entrance of Masjid-i-Shah, whilst We lived near the Gate of Shimiran. Thereafter, however, that sister displayed toward Us, for no reason whatever, a hostile attitude. This Wronged One held His peace under all conditions. However, Our late brother Mirza Muhammad-Hasan’s daughter – upon him be the glory of God and His peace and His mercy – who had been betrothed to the Most Great Branch (Abdu’l-Baha) was taken by the sister of this Wronged One from Nur to her own house, and from there sent unto another place. Some of Our companions and friends in various places complained against this, as it was a very grievous act, and was disapproved by all the loved ones of God. How strange that Our sister should have taken her to her own house, and then arranged for her to be sent elsewhere! In spite of this, this Wronged One remained, and still remaineth, calm and silent. A word, however, was said in order to tranquilize Our loved ones. God testifieth and beareth Me witness that whatever hath been said was the truth, and was spoken with sincerity. None of Our loved ones, whether in these regions or in that country, could believe Our sister capable of an act so contrary to decency, affection and friendship. After such a thing had occurred, they, recognizing that the way had been barred, conducted themselves in a manner well-known unto thyself and others. It must be evident, therefore, how intense was the grief which this act inflicted upon this Wronged One. Later on, she threw in her lot with Mirza Yahya. Conflicting reports concerning her are now reaching Us, nor is it clear what she is saying or doing. We beseech God – blessed and glorified be He – to cause her to turn unto Him, and aid her to repent before the door of His grace. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Forgiving; and He is, in truth, the All-Powerful, the Pardoner.

In another connection He, likewise, saith: “Were He to appear this very moment, I would be the first to adore Him, and the first to bow down before Him.” Be fair, O people! The purpose of the Most Exalted One (the Bab) was to insure that the proximity of the Revelation should not withhold men from the Divine and everlasting Law, even as the companions of John (the Baptist) were prevented from acknowledging Him Who is the Spirit (Jesus). Time and again He hath said: “Suffer not the Bayan and all that hath been revealed therein to withhold you from that Essence of Being and Lord of the visible and invisible.” Should any one, considering this binding injunction, cling unto the Bayan, such a one hath, verily, passed out of the shadow of the blessed and exalted Tree. Be fair, O people, and be not of the heedless.

And likewise, He saith: “Let not names shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is their Lord, even the name of Prophet, for such a name is but a creation of His utterance.” And likewise, He, in the seventh chapter of the second Vahid, saith: “O people of the Bayan! Act not as the people of the Qur’an have acted, for if ye do so, the fruits of your night will come to naught.” And further, He saith – glorified be His mention: “If thou attainest unto His Revelation, and obeyest Him, thou wilt have revealed the fruit of the Bayan; if not, thou art unworthy of mention before God. Take pity upon thyself. If thou aidest not Him Who is the Manifestation of the Lordship of God, be not, then, a cause of sadness unto Him.” And further He saith – magnified be His station: “If thou attainest not unto the Presence of God, grieve not, then, the Sign of God. Ye will renounce that which can profit them that acknowledge the Bayan, if ye renounce that which can harm Him. I know, however, that ye will refuse to do so.”

O Hadi! Methinks it is by reason of these indubitable utterances that thou hast determined to blot out the Bayan. Give ear unto the voice of this Wronged One, and renounce this oppression that hath made the pillars of the Bayan to tremble. I have been neither in Chihriq nor in Mah-Ku. At the present time statements have been circulated among thy disciples identical with those made by the Shi’ihs who have said that the Qur’an is unfinished. These people also contend that this Bayan is not the original one. The copy in the handwriting of Siyyid Husayn is extant, as is also the copy in the handwriting of Mirza Ahmad.

Regardest thou as one wronged he who in this world was never dealt a single blow, and who was continually surrounded by five of the handmaidens of God? And imputest thou unto the True One, Who, from His earliest years until the present day, hath been in the hands of His enemies, and been tormented with the worst afflictions in the world, such charges as the Jews did not ascribe unto Christ? Hearken unto the voice of this Wronged One, and be not of them that are in utter loss.

And, likewise, He saith: “How many the fires which God converteth into light through Him Whom God shall make manifest; and how numerous the lights which are turned into fire through Him! I behold His appearance even as the sun in the midmost heaven, and the disappearance of all even as that of the stars of the night by day.” Hast thou ears, O world, wherewith to hear the voice of the True One, and to judge equitably this Revelation Which, as soon as it appeared, Sinai exclaimed: “He that discoursed upon Me is come with evident signs and resplendent tokens, in spite of every heedless one that hath gone far astray, and of every lying calumniator, who hath wished to quench the light of God with his calumnies, and blot out the signs of God through his malice. They, verily, are of such as have acted unjustly in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.”

And likewise, He saith: “The Bayan is from beginning to end the repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both His fire and His light.” Great God! The soul is carried away by the fragrance of this utterance, inasmuch as He declareth, with infinite sadness, that which He perceiveth. Likewise, He saith to the Letter of the Living, Mulla Baqir – upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness: “Haply thou mayest in eight years, in the day of His Revelation, attain unto His Presence.”

Know thou, O Hadi, and be of them that hearken. Judge thou equitably. The companions of God and the Testimonies of Him Who is the Truth have, for the most part, suffered martyrdom. Thou, however, art still alive. How is it that thou hast been spared? I swear by God! It is because of thy denial, whereas the martyrdom of the blessed souls was due to their confession. Every just and fair-minded person will bear witness unto this, inasmuch as the cause and motive of both are clear and evident as the sun.

And likewise He addresseth Dayyan, who was wronged and suffered martyrdom, saying: “Thou shalt recognize thy worth through the words of Him Whom God shall make manifest.” He, likewise, hath pronounced him to be the third Letter to believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest, through these words: “O thou who art the third Letter to believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest!” And likewise He saith: “Should God, however, be willing, He will make thee known through the words of Him Whom God shall make manifest.” Dayyan, who, according to the words of Him Who is the Point – may the souls of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake – is the repository of the trust of the one true God – exalted be His glory – and the treasury of the pearls of His knowledge, was made by them to suffer so cruel a martyrdom that the Concourse on high wept and lamented. He it is whom He (the Bab) had taught the hidden and preserved knowledge and entrusted him therewith, through His words: “O thou who art named Dayyan! This is a hidden and preserved Knowledge. We have entrusted it unto thee, and brought it to thee, as a mark of honor from God, inasmuch as the eye of thine heart is pure. Thou wilt appreciate its value, and wilt cherish its excellence. God, verily, hath deigned to bestow upon the Point of the Bayan a hidden and preserved Knowledge, the like of which God hath not sent down prior to this Revelation. More precious is it than any other knowledge in the estimation of God – glorified be He! He, verily, hath made it His testimony, even as He hath made the verses to be His testimony.” This oppressed one, who was the repository of the knowledge of God, together with Mirza Ali-Akbar, one of the relatives of the Primal Point – upon him be the glory of God and His mercy – and Abu’l-Qasim-i-Kashi and several others suffered martyrdom through the decree pronounced by Mirza Yahya.

O Hadi! His book which he hath entitled “Mustayqiz” is in thy possession. Read it. Although thou hast seen the book, peruse it again, that haply thou mayest obtain for thyself a lofty seat beneath the canopy of truth.

In like manner, Siyyid Ibrahim, concerning whom these words have flowed from the Pen of the Primal Point – magnified be His utterance: “O thou who art mentioned as My friend in My scriptures, and as My remembrance in My books, next to My scriptures, and as My name in the Bayan” – such a one, together with Dayyan, hath been surnamed by him (Mirza Yahya) Father of Iniquities and Father of Calamities. Judge thou fairly, how grievous hath been the plight of these oppressed ones, and this notwithstanding that one of them was occupied in serving him, whilst the other was his guest. Briefly, I swear by God, the deeds he committed were such that Our Pen is ashamed to recount.

Reflect a while upon the dishonor inflicted upon the Primal Point. Consider what hath happened. When this Wronged One, after a retirement of two years during which He wandered through the deserts and mountains, returned to Baghdad, as a result of the intervention of a few, who for a long time had sought Him in the wilderness, a certain Mirza Muhammad-’Ali of Rasht came to see Him, and related, before a large gathering of people, that which had been done, affecting the honor of the Bab, which hath truly overwhelmed all lands with sorrow. Great God! How could they have countenanced this most grievous betrayal? Briefly, We beseech God to aid the perpetrator of this deed to repent, and return unto Him. He, verily, is the Helper, the All-Wise.

As to Dayyan – upon him be the glory of God and His mercy – he attained Our presence in accordance with that which had been revealed by the pen of the Primal Point. We pray God to aid the heedless to turn unto Him, and such as have turned aside to direct themselves towards Him, and them that have denied Him to acknowledge this Cause, which, no sooner did it appear than all created things proclaimed: “He that was hidden in the Treasury of Knowledge, and inscribed by the Pen of the Most High in His Books, and His Scriptures, and His Scrolls, and His Tablets, is come!”

In this connection it hath been deemed necessary to mention such traditions as have been recorded regarding the blessed and honored city of Akka, that haply thou mayest, O Hadi, seek a path unto the Truth, and a road leading unto God.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

The following hath been recorded concerning the merits of Akka, and of the sea, and of Aynu’l-Baqar (The Spring of the Cow) which is in Akka:

Abdu’l-‘Aziz, son of Abdu’-Salam, hath related unto us that the Prophet – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon him – hath said: “Akka is a city in Syria to which God hath shown His special mercy.”

Ibn-i-Mas’ud – may God be pleased with him – hath stated: “The Prophet – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – hath said: ‘Of all shores the best is the shore of Askelon, and Akka is, verily, better than Askelon, and the merit of Akka above that of Askelon and all other shores is as the merit of Muhammad above that of all other Prophets. I bring you tidings of a city betwixt two mountains in Syria, in the middle of a meadow, which is called Akka. Verily, he that entereth therein, longing for it and eager to visit it, God will forgive his sins, both of the past and of the future. And he that departeth from it, other than as a pilgrim, God will not bless his departure. In it is a spring called the Spring of the Cow. Whoso drinketh a draught therefrom, God will fill his heart with light, and will protect him from the most great terror on the Day of Resurrection.’”

Anas, son of Malik – may God be pleased with him – hath said: “The Apostle of God – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – hath said: ‘By the shore of the sea is a city, suspended beneath the Throne, and named Akka. He that dwelleth therein, firm and expecting a reward from God – exalted be He – God will write down for him, until the Day of Resurrection, the recompense of such as have been patient, and have stood up, and knelt down, and prostrated themselves, before Him.’”

And He – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – hath said: “I announce unto you a city, on the shores of the sea, white, whose whiteness is pleasing unto God – exalted be He! It is called Akka. He that hath been bitten by one of its fleas is better, in the estimation of God, than he who hath received a grievous blow in the path of God. And he that raiseth therein the call to prayer, his voice will be lifted up unto Paradise. And he that remaineth therein for seven days in the face of the enemy, God will gather him with Khidr – peace be upon Him – and God will protect him from the most great terror on the Day of Resurrection.” And He – may the blessings of God, – exalted be He – and His salutations be upon Him – hath said: “There are kings and princes in Paradise. The poor of Akka are the kings of Paradise and the princes thereof. A month in Akka is better than a thousand years elsewhere.”

The Apostle of God – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – is reported to have said: “Blessed the man that hath visited Akka, and blessed he that hath visited the visitor of Akka. Blessed the one that hath drunk from the Spring of the Cow and washed in its waters, for the black-eyed damsels quaff the camphor in Paradise, which hath come from the Spring of the Cow, and from the Spring of Salvan (Siloam), and the Well of Zamzam. Well is it with him that hath drunk from these springs, and washed in their waters, for God hath forbidden the fire of hell to touch him and his body on the Day of Resurrection.”

The Prophet – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – is stated to have said: “In Akka are works of supererogation and acts which are beneficial, which God vouchsafed specially unto whomsoever He pleaseth. And he that saith in Akka: ‘Glorified be God, and praise be unto God, and there is none other God but God, and most great is God, and there is no power nor strength except in God, the Exalted, the Mighty,’ God will write down for him a thousand good deeds, and blot out from him a thousand evil deeds, and will uplift him a thousand grades in Paradise, and will forgive him his transgressions. And whoso saith in Akka: ‘I beg forgiveness of God,’ God will forgive all his trespasses. And he that remembereth God in Akka at morn and at eventide, in the night-season and at dawn, is better in the sight of God than he who beareth swords, spears and arms in the path of God – exalted be He!”

The Apostle of God – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – hath also said: “He that looketh upon the sea at eventide, and saith: ‘God is Most Great!’ at sunset, God will forgive his sins, though they be heaped as piles of sand. And he that counteth forty waves, while repeating: ‘God is Most Great!’ – exalted be He – God will forgive his sins, both past and future.”

The Apostle of God – may the blessings of God and His salutations be upon Him – hath said: “He that looketh upon the sea a full night is better than he who passeth two whole months betwixt the Rukn and the Maqam. And he that hath been brought up on the shores of the sea is better than he that hath been brought up elsewhere. And he that lieth on the shore is as he that standeth elsewhere.”

Verily, the Apostle of God – may the blessings of God, exalted be He, and His salutations be upon Him – hath spoken the truth.

=== END BH00005 ===

=== START BH00006 ===

He is the Answerer

Your letter was presented before the Throne and reached the station wherein naught but Him is known, and its contents were beheld by the gaze of God. You had asked how it is possible for the letter of the Most Exalted to be transformed into the most debased, or for affirmation to be turned to negation, or for the celestial fruit to be deprived of its refinement, or for the mirror to remain deprived of the effulgent rays of the Sun of meanings. Most excellent is what you have asked, and you are among those who question.

Your question was most acceptable, for today it behooveth every soul who is unable to comprehend the divine mysteries to seek from the fountain of divine knowledge and the river of celestial wisdom, that perchance they may drink a drop thereof and find repose upon the couch of certitude and tranquility. We beseech God to raise you to a station wherein you shall behold the Ancient Beauty with your own eyes and be detached from the sight of all the worlds, and hear His melodies with your own ears and be detached from the hearing of all creation, and know His Self with your heart and be detached from the hearts of all who are in the heavens and earth, and purify you from the dust of this world and all that is therein, to such extent that you shall hear from all things that there is no God but Him, and that the Most Exalted One is His splendor in the Supreme Concourse, His radiance between earth and heaven, and His grandeur unto all who are in the kingdom of command and creation. Thus doth every thing speak, if thou be of them that hear.

For today it hath been ordained by God that every soul should observe and ponder His Cause with their own eyes, ears and heart, that they may be illumined by the dawning splendors of the Sun of meanings through the wondrous mercy of the All-Merciful and the outpourings of the All-Glorious. The cause that hath deprived all people from attaining the presence of God and occupied them with all else is that they have contented themselves with mere conjecture and with what they have heard from their peers. They have walked the perilous paths of blind imitation and been deprived of the ways of detachment. The divine Cause hath ever shone forth like unto the luminous morn. That some have remained veiled from perceiving it is due to their having sullied their ears and hearts with the sayings of men. Otherwise, were they to fix their gaze upon the divine standard of knowledge, they would never be deprived of the path of guidance.

Now let that honored one consider that the matter is of two kinds: Either the followers of the Bayan acknowledge divine power or they do not. If they do not acknowledge it, we have no words for such souls, for they are counted among the former peoples who considered God’s hand to be chained up, as the Lord of Glory hath informed in His exalted Word: “God’s hand is chained up.” But if they acknowledge the wonders of divine power, then dwelling upon such questions would be idle and vain, for powerlessness is the attribute of creation, while that Ancient Being hath ever been and shall ever be seated upon the throne of might and power. Should He so will, with one word He can cause all on earth to ascend to the heavens of His command, and with another word return them to the lowest ranks of creation, and none may say why or wherefore.

Whoso says otherwise has indeed disbelieved in God, turned away from His power, warred against Him, disputed His sovereignty, and is accounted among the polytheists in the tablets of might, well-preserved. He is likewise able to raise up the Manifestation of His Self among His creatures whenever He willeth, and at the time of His appearance, proof and evidence must be sought from the Manifestation Himself. If He produces that proof which hath ever existed among men, then delay is vain. Nay, should all who are in the heavens and on earth tarry for less than a moment, they would be reckoned among the denizens of fire, even should they all lay claim to divine authority. He exalteth whomsoever He willeth and abaseth whomsoever He pleaseth. He shall not be questioned about His doings.

Now let that soul observe with fairness: if One should appear with all the divine powers and furthermore produce that proof whereby religion hath ever been established among men and God’s Cause confirmed amongst His creatures, and yet someone should turn away from such a Manifestation Who is none other than the Manifestation of God Himself, and not content with mere rejection, should arise to slay Him - what judgment should be passed on such a soul? Say: His judgment resteth with God Who decreeth what He pleaseth according to truth, but the people perceive not. Hath such a thing ever been permissible in any age or religion? Nay, by His Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate!

Should they say this Manifestation ought not to have appeared, as the polytheists claimed, then God’s power and will would be dependent on the will of His creatures. Immeasurably exalted is He above this! Thus in the year sixty all people, learned and ignorant alike, were deprived of the truth through such meaningless utterances, descending from the heights of immortality to the depths of extinction, while imagining themselves seated upon the loftiest seats of faith. Evil is that which they have imagined within themselves, and they were among those recorded as deluded in the Mother Book.

In any case, withdraw thy gaze from all else but God, fix it upon the Truth and upon that which appeareth from Him, for all else was and shall ever be utter nothingness. If today all who are in the heavens and on earth were to become Letters of the Bayan - which are a hundred thousand times greater than the Letters of the Furqan - and were to hesitate for less than that in this Cause, they would be accounted with God as among the rejectors and reckoned among the letters of negation.

God, exalted and glorified be He, bears no likeness, connection, resemblance or comparison to anyone. All are honored and glorified according to their recognition of Him. The Beauty of the All-Glorious is established upon the throne of the All-Merciful, and the light of His grace’s sun shines equally upon all things. All in the kingdom stand in one rank before His grace, and no atom hath superiority over another save in its swiftness to recognize God and attain His presence. Blessed is he who knoweth Him by His Self and is detached from all else.

O ’Ali! Hearken unto the call of God and enter a station that was and ever shall be sanctified from names, lest thou be deprived of any of the names of that Beauty to Whom all names point, that Sovereign by Whose Pen’s decree the Kingdom of Names was created. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! The purpose of these words is that perchance thou and a few others might rend asunder the veils and enter the sanctified tabernacle of the Beloved, Who is sanctified above the doubts and imaginings of all creation. Otherwise, verily, He is exalted above the approach or withdrawal of all created things, and sanctified above all the worlds. When the Sun is shining, would it be fitting for anyone to ask how the light of the stars might be obtained, when he observes that the sun’s light hath made it to disappear? Nay, at such a time the stars themselves seek the darkness of night and turn away from the light of day, for the radiance and brightness of the stars are visible at night, but vanish and disappear at the dawning of the Day-Star. Glorified be He above all similitudes and comparisons! For His Beauty’s Day-Star hath ever been shining; none existed with Him, and all else was created in the earthly realms through His contingent Will, and unto Him shall all return. Verily, in His seat of unapproachable might and station of transcendent glory, He hath ever been and shall ever be sanctified above all things. Most strange it is that people should marvel and be perplexed at the changing and replacing of names, when at all times they witness with their outward eyes the changing and replacing of the Manifestations of the Names and their Dawning-Places. Yet they remain so veiled by imaginary veils and words of polytheism that they have become heedless of that which they observe with their own eyes.

O questioner! Consider not the divine names and attributes to be illusory. Know that all created things between earth and heaven have been and will continue to be manifestations of the names and dawning-places of the attributes of God - exalted be His glory. The essential truth is that man has been created with the noblest rank and the most exalted station relative to other beings. If thou wouldst ascend to contemplate “No fault canst thou see in the creation of the All-Merciful,” thou wouldst perceive no difference or imperfection in the creation of the All-Merciful and the dawning-places of His divine handiwork. Blessed is he who soareth in this atmosphere wherein the wings of the doubters have never flown.

Consider now all these divine manifestations of names - the trees, branches, boughs and fruits, and likewise the flowers, blossoms and all that groweth upon the earth - how at first they appear with such freshness, delicacy and beauty, yet after a time they are all stripped of their fine raiment and return to the earth. How many ripe fruits undergo such change that their very fragrance becomes repellent to man. In brief, all things are subject to elevation and abasement, to change and transformation, except the universal Manifestations of God who are, in and of themselves, established and enduring.

I swear by the Day-Star of inner meaning that the divine tongue speaketh according to the capacity and measure of the people, for most have not attained maturity. Otherwise, He would open such a gate of knowledge to the face of His servants that all who dwell in the heavens and earth would, through the outpourings of His Pen, find themselves independent of all knowledge save His own, and would remain established upon the thrones of tranquility. But owing to people’s lack of capacity, the gems of divine knowledge and mysteries of eternal wisdom have remained preserved and concealed in the heaven of God’s Will, and until now not a single letter thereof hath been revealed. The matter resteth in His hands. He doeth what He willeth and is not questioned about that which He willeth. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

If thou wouldst hear from this servant, cast away the wings of limitation and imitation and soar with the wings of detachment in this atmosphere of divine unity, that thou mayest find thyself sanctified from delusory doubts and skeptical allusions, and illumined with the lights of certitude. Hearken with the ear of thy heart unto the words of the All-Merciful, that perchance thy heart may be purified from the darkening dust of fancy which in these days hath encompassed all who dwell in the realm of being, and may return to the Most Sublime Vision.

When thou attainest unto this most holy, most mighty, most pure station, thou wilt observe that the intended meaning of all that hath been sent down from the heaven of the Will through the revelation of My previous Manifestation hath been and shall be this Manifestation. By Him Who holdeth the soul of Husayn within the grasp of His power! Nothing greater than this Cause hath been revealed in the Bayan. Observe it with a penetrating and radiant vision that ye may become aware of the purpose of the holy, divine utterances. In all the pages, tablets, scrolls, scriptures, books and writings, He hath counseled all people and taken from them a covenant that they should not, at the time of the Manifestation, cling to anything that hath been created and thereby remain veiled from the Manifestation Himself, for on that Day nothing shall profit except through His leave. To Vahid-i-Akbar He saith: “Await ye him whom God shall make manifest through His countenance, for ye were created for none other than to attain His presence, and He it is Who hath made all things dependent on His bidding. Beware, beware lest in the days of His manifestation ye be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid is but a creation in His sight. Beware, beware lest ye be veiled by the words revealed in the Bayan, for they are but His own words in the temple of His former manifestation.” Now ponder these words of the Sovereign of names and attributes. With such conclusive verses and firm utterances, what excuse for turning away remaineth for any soul? Nay, by Him Who causeth the Spirit to speak within my breast, unless one completely turneth away from the Truth. The Vahid of the Bayan are the primal creation, and all others were created under their shadow. And likewise to Vahid-i-Akbar He saith: “And perchance there shall come unto thee that concerning which thou hast asked about the exaltation of His mention and the elevation of His Cause. And verily those who are in the Bayan read these words, yet they neither perceive His manifestation nor believe in God Who created them through His previous Manifestation, and they slumber.” As is now observed, all recite the Book of God and write by night and day, yet they have not understood a single letter of the Book. Rather, their only purpose in promoting it hath been and shall be naught but to establish and prove their leadership. Thus doth the Tongue of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, testify. And He saith: “From the beginning of this Cause until before nine existences of creation are completed, they have not appeared. And all that thou hast seen from the sperm-drop until We clothed it with flesh - then wait until thou beholdest another creation. Say: Blessed be God, the best of creators.” And likewise to Azim He saith: “This is what We promised thee before when We answered thee. Wait until nine passeth from the Bayan, then say: Blessed be God, the best of originators.” And He saith: “Observe thou the difference between the Qayyim and the Qayyum, then in the year nine ye shall attain unto all good.” Now ponder these words somewhat, and likewise reflection is needed on the difference between Qayyim and Qayyum, for this servant is unable to interpret God’s words due to the sorrows that have befallen him. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! The propagation of God’s Cause hath compelled this servant to write this tablet, that perchance a few lamps may be illumined in the niche of possibility and arise through God’s power to aid this lonely wronged one. Then all things weep for my tribulation and for what hath befallen me from those who were created by my word. Beyond all this, the matter hath reached such a state that although the revelation of divine holy verses descendeth like torrential rain from the heaven of will without pause or rest, and besides these there are divine manifestations and heavenly signs that have encompassed the world to such extent that previous peoples have acknowledged and confessed them, yet still must I present proofs and establish through evidence that Cause which hath ever been sanctified above proof - that perchance a few might ascend to the heaven of witnessing. No greater injustice existeth in divine knowledge than that the Ancient Beauty should have to prove His own truth through aught but Himself, after being manifest as the sun at its meridian in the never-fading heaven.

From time immemorial an affair sanctified beyond proof have I sought to establish through proof, that perchance a few might ascend unto the heaven of witnessing. No greater injustice existeth in divine knowledge than for the Ancient Beauty to adduce proof of His own truth after He hath appeared, even as the sun at its meridian in the eternal firmament, manifest and resplendent. Soon shall they who have wronged the Self of God know to what retreat they shall return. And the ordained tribulations and confirmed afflictions have descended in such wise that none save God can reckon their measure. At every moment the spears of hatred from the direction of the enemies have been hurled at the Temple of Eternity. And verily the Manifestations of the Self of God came unto Me in the morning hours, weeping and lamenting, saying: “Alas for Joseph of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting! His servants have cast Him into the pit, then within their own selves do they cry out in anguish.”

Say: O people of the Bayan! Would ye slay the Primal Point whilst reciting His verses morning and evening? By God! Ye have committed what no people before you have committed, and to this do honored servants bear witness, if ye be of them that deny. Would ye slay God with the swords of self and passion, then occupy yourselves with His remembrance from your seats and cite His verses as proof? Thus hath every people dealt with God at the time of His manifestation in the Manifestation of His Self in every age, thus did they and thus would they continue to do. Say: Today the Pen of God, the Dominant, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, will not move upon the names of these ones, nor will the glance of God turn toward them, nor will the sweet fragrances of the Holy One, the Beloved of this Day, reach them.

If the servants turn away from these holy divine verses and these sublime eternal manifestations, by what proof and evidence would they establish their religion? Say: O people of the Bayan! Gaze upon the Most Great Scene with the eye of truth, for with any other eye it cannot be perceived. Thus did my previous Manifestation declare: “Beware! Look upon Him with His eye, for whosoever looketh upon Him with any other eye shall never know Him.” And after countless counsels to His servants regarding this Cause, He saith: “O my God! Thou knowest that I have not failed in counseling these people and in devising means for their turning unto God, their Lord, and their believing in God, their Creator,” to the end of His words, may my spirit be a sacrifice for Him.

I swear by the Ancient Beauty that from these words which have flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful, the hearts of all things are set ablaze, and every possessor of insight perceiveth from these words the lamentation and wailing of the Manifestation of Names and Attributes. Yet it increaseth not the wrongdoers save in delusion and loss. O Ali! Open the ear of thy heart and hearken unto the words of the All-Merciful which were revealed in the Qayyumu’l-Asma. He saith: “O Qurratu’l-’Ayn! Hold not forth Thy hand in the Cause, for the people are in drunkenness from the mystery, and verily unto Thee shall be the Return after this Dispensation, with a most great truth. There shalt Thou reveal of the mystery a mere needle’s eye in the most great Sinai, whereupon the Sinaites shall perish at the dawning of a drop of that crimson, all-compelling light, by God’s leave, the All-Wise. And He, verily, hath been unto Thee, by the truth, upon the truth, a guardian.”

And now the Return is manifest and the Sinaites are extinct and lost, as can be witnessed. And though He declareth that the Sinaites shall become as dead, as nothing, and non-existent, yet they marvel that the fruit of the Tuba tree should become colocynth, as indeed they have asked about this very thing, or that the trumpet blast of the highest heaven should be transformed into the lowest depths. The divine Cause hath never been and shall never be limited. All the mirrors of created things, if they face the Sun of the heaven of pre-existence in their time, shall manifest, reveal, reflect and display within themselves all the lights of that Sun. But as soon as they turn away, all is taken from them. Observe then the sun and the mirrors, that thou mayest find a way to that which the Spirit imparteth unto thee.

Ibn-i-Nabil the Most Exalted hath written to prove the Cause of God according to that which God cast upon his heart, and in the beginning he cited this verse which was sent down from the heaven of the Will of My previous Manifestation - exalted be His mention: “Say: O God! Thou art the God of Gods! Thou givest Divine station unto whomsoever Thou willest, and takest it away from whomsoever Thou willest,” and so forth. And likewise: “Say: O God! Thou art the Lord of the heavens and of the earth! Thou givest Lordship unto whomsoever Thou willest, and takest it away from whomsoever Thou willest,” and so forth. Despite the King of existence having declared with such explicitness that He bestoweth Divinity and Lordship upon whomsoever He willeth and taketh them away from whomsoever He willeth, can an omnipotent God Who taketh away the station of Divinity and Lordship - which are the most exalted of stations - be powerless to remove from a temple His Own Name, or to transform sweetness into bitterness? Glory be unto God above that which the servants imagine concerning His power, and exalted be He above their descriptions! Observe now in what atmosphere the Bird of Power and Grandeur soareth, while the people remain halted in what places. What meaning have they given to the verse “He, verily, hath power over all things,” and what have they understood from “He doeth what He willeth and shall not be asked of His doings”? O servants! Take fast hold of the Most Firm Handle and turn from the darkness of ignorance to the dawning-place of divine knowledge. Would that the people of the Bayan would ponder the blessed verse that Ibn-i-Nabil hath mentioned, that perchance they might pass from the paths of fancy onto the highway of certitude. O ’Ali! Drink thou a draught of this sweet, life-giving water that lieth concealed in the darkness of the words of the King of Names and Attributes, that thou mayest be purified from the troubles of these days, the doubts of men, the hints of the heedless, and the insinuations of those who lead others astray, and that the gates of infinite divine knowledge may be opened before thy heart’s face, until thou art convinced that the Ancient King hath power in one hour to honor and exalt all things with the bestowal of His most excellent names, and in another hour to take them away from all things. And verily I complain unto God of these servants, for they regard Me according to what is with them and not according to what is with Me, and they measure the Self of God by their own selves and His words by their words. By Him Who is Myself! Were all who are in the heavens and on earth to turn today unto God, He would teach them from the wonders of His knowledge that which would make them independent of all the worlds. In this grievous year, certain servants have asked questions of this sort, and this servant, present before the Throne, hath written and sent forth decisive, healing, and sufficient answers. Strange that you have not seen them. And in this land too some have cast forth doubts, that perchance they might veil holy souls with the veils of previous utterances. Yet they are heedless that one who soareth in the sublime atmosphere of divine holiness and gathereth from the harvest-fields of infinite divine knowledge will not be hindered or deprived by fanciful doubts. Say: Whosoever hath attained unto the Most Great Ocean will not turn unto a mirage in the desert, nor will he drink of boiling water. Although it beseemeth not the Most Exalted Pen to be tainted with mention of the words of the malicious ones, yet with regard to the proclamation of divine messages there is no escape, that perchance some ignorant one may enter the ocean of knowledge, or some wanderer in the valley of heedlessness and forgetfulness may, through the grace of the All-Merciful, step forth. And verily He guideth whom He willeth unto the path of Baha, and He is powerful over all things. But this mention and exposition is for souls who are truly seeking the path of guidance. Otherwise, the pure Salsabil will not benefit one sick with rancor and hatred. Even as today most of the people of the Bayan have witnessed with their own eyes all the manifestations of power and divine conditions and revealed verses, and heard them with their own ears; nevertheless they have risen up with such hatred that mention of it is impossible, save for him whose sight God hath opened, and whom He hath aided in His Cause, and brought forth from the darkness of idle fancy, and guided unto His glorious and praiseworthy path. They have clung to matters that were never mentioned by God, and are so heedless that they prostrate before stone while turning away from the Most Sublime Vision and the Most Manifest, Most Luminous Beauty. O Lord of all worship! The hair of one who worshippeth Thee is better than he. Say: O ’Ali, today you and that which you worship are equal in God’s sight. Whoso among you believeth hath gained safety from the greatest terror, and whoso turneth away hath strayed from God’s path. This indeed is the truth, and after truth there is naught but error.

Beware, beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye deny God and war against the Manifestation of His Self and dispute with Him Who hath come to you from the Dawning-Place of the Cause with manifest sovereignty. Do ye imagine that the Cause of God will be hindered by the opposition of the opposers, or that the lights of the eternal Sun will be veiled by the veils of dark souls? Nay, by Him Who speaketh within my breast and hath sent me with the truth and dispatched me unto all the worlds! Among the doubts which some of the polytheists have cast in this land is this: can gold become copper? Say: Yea, by my Lord! But with Us is its knowledge; We teach it to whomsoever We wish with knowledge from Our presence. And whoso is in doubt, let him ask God his Lord that He may show him, that he may become of the certain ones. And in copper attaining to the station of gold there is clear proof of gold returning to its original state, were they to perceive. All metals attain to each other’s weight, form and substance, but its knowledge is with Us in a hidden Book. We say the knowledge of the deniers hath not ascended to this station that they might understand gold becometh copper. They have not even understood so much as that it becometh dust - this station which hath been evident to every person of insight, that all appeareth from dust and returneth to dust. And dust in worth and value is lesser than copper, for it is counted among bodies while copper is among metals, and this is most obvious and evident. And were people found worthy and mature, assuredly some of the hidden divine sciences would be mentioned at this point. But what is decreed is decreed. To every person of insight it is evident that God, exalted be His mention, hath been and ever shall be powerful over all things. Assuredly if He willeth, by His mere will He transformeth gold to copper, and this impotence existeth and is witnessed in created things. And verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Able, the Praiseworthy.

Fix your eyes upon the Supreme Horizon, having cleansed your vision, and detach yourselves from trees that neither profit nor bear fruit. This is among the wondrous commands of God - let him who will, accept it, and him who will, reject it. Whoso accepts it does so to his own benefit, and whoso rejects it does so to his own loss. Verily, He is sanctified above all created things. Consider Satan, who was a teacher in the celestial realm, renowned throughout the highest concourse and the cities of names by his beautiful appellations, yet through one act of rejection fell from the company of the Most High to the nethermost depths. Thus does your Lord do as He pleases, if you be of those endowed with certitude. Furthermore, consider how the Ancient House, which was the Ka’bah of all beings and the circumambulation point of the Manifestations of Names and Attributes, was deprived of this supreme bounty. Reflect upon this, O people of insight! All things are captive in the grasp of divine power, and He is at all times able and mighty to do whatsoever He willeth. The influence of His all-encompassing power has never been, nor shall ever be, withheld from the manifestations of the contingent world. Not every ear is worthy to hear His hidden mysteries, nor every eye capable of beholding the celestial maidens of meaning confined within His knowledge. How many embodiments of tyranny have become renowned among the people clothed in the garment of justice, and how many essences of justice have become notorious wearing the garb of tyranny! Consider the idols, to which half of earth’s inhabitants now bow in worship, taking them as gods besides God - they have fallen into this malady only because they have contented themselves with fancy and imitation, turning away from the Sovereign of Divine Unity. Indeed, today all names and attributes are manifest in one place and one station, save for those who have ascended unto God. Thus do We impart unto thee that thou mayest perchance purify thy heart and breast from the words of the world, and hearken unto that which the Spirit warbleth upon the branches of this Tree that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Say: O people of the Bayan! By God the Truth, this is not of Mine own accord, but rather through that which God hath spoken within My breast. That which hath appeared through My sovereignty and flowed from My Pen is My proof, My testimony, and My evidence, if ye be of the fair-minded. Say: By what proof did ye believe in ’Ali [the Bab] aforetime when He appeared with the truth and came unto you with a clear sovereignty? And by what evidence did ye acknowledge His verses, accept His proof, and submit to the manifestations of His Cause, the All-Encompassing, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Luminous? Should ye say “We believed in Him for His own sake and deemed the testimony of His own Self sufficient above all else,” then by God, this very Self hath arisen amongst humanity and appeared with the sovereignty of His Name, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Most High, the Most Great. And should ye say “We believed in the verses which God, the Mighty, the Subduing, the Powerful, revealed unto Him,” then lo, His verses have filled the east of the earth and its west. Hearken then unto that which is revealed from the holy precincts, wherein can be heard from its breezes that which the ear of the Beloved heard in His holy ascension, then the ear of the Spirit in the heavens of the Cause, then the ear of Moses upon the Sinai of glory from the Speaking Tree of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Beyond these, this Youth hath appeared with a sovereignty that hath transcended all possibilities, to which the tongues of all beings bear witness, if ye be of those who hear. Then say unto the leaders of the Bayan: Where were ye when the souls of the servants were thrown into commotion, and feet did slip, and terror seized the hearts of them that were steadfast, and all the people from diverse persuasions rose up against Me, and I sought succour from none save God Who raised Me up and sent Me unto all the worlds? By God! They were concealed behind the veil of women, but when the Cause was manifested with its sovereignty, they felt secure in their own souls and emerged from behind the veil. And the first thing they did was to turn away from Him through Whom their own faith was established. Thus was it ordained, and thou art among those who bear witness. And if thou believe Me not, after that which thou hast witnessed with thine own eyes, yet do all things testify to My truth, and beyond them the tongue of God, the True One, the Faithful.

O Beauty of the Most Great Glory between earth and heaven! Change the melody for the people of creation, then sing in the branches of eternity in a sublime Persian tone, that the mysteries of the Cause may be unveiled in what hath been inscribed by this firm and mighty Pen. For not all people are versed in Arabic, and Persian words are easier to comprehend for those who know the language. O questioner! Know thou that whatsoever names thou beholdest in God’s Book - whether it be the Blessed Tree, or the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End, or the Most Remote Tree, or leaf, or fruit, and the like - deem them not mere fancy, for by them is meant, in the sight of God, none other than the believer in God, and ever shall it be thus. The believer, so long as he dwelleth beneath the shade of the divine Lote-Tree, is accounted before God as of the Blessed Tree and of the loftiest heights; but after turning away, he is reckoned as of the Tree of Fire and the lowest depths. During the time of his faith, all his branches, twigs, leaves and fruits are manifest as confirmed truth, but after turning away, all are counted as negation. Many a soul who in the evening is of the most exalted Tree of eternity, by morning becomes of the basest tree of extinction, and vice versa - if ye be of them that understand.

Behold the believer, at the time of his turning to God, as a paradise adorned with all perfection, wherein can be witnessed all that hath been heard of Paradise - from branches of knowledge, fruits of divine understanding, rivers of utterance, and flowers of wisdom, and beyond that whatsoever God willeth. Yet this same soul, after turning away, becomes the nethermost fire, together with all that pertaineth unto him. Thus doth God change light into darkness and darkness into light, would ye but perceive it. Have ye not heard how My previous Manifestation decreed this same law on earth, saying that any ground whereon a believer dwelleth is accounted as Paradise in God’s sight, while if an idolater should occupy that same ground, it is reckoned as hell? Thus today the Throne of God hath been established in a place never known before, yet those who hate the Beauty of the Lord of all worlds have deprived themselves of the highest Paradise and have taken up their abode in the depths of the lowest fire, while imagining themselves to dwell in the loftiest seats of Paradise - even as the peoples before them were engaged in such vain imaginings. Therefore doth the Pen of Command herald unto them the punishment of a barren day.

These people deserve to take a calf instead of God and to worship and adore it, as indeed they have done. How can they be worthy to soar in the holy atmosphere of the All-Possessing, or to ascend to the heaven of divine glory? As thou canst see, one whose nature inclineth to clay will never turn toward clay. Thus doth God set forth a parable, that perchance the people may understand. Have ye not heard Him say that many a tree of affirmation becometh a tree of negation in the next Revelation? In brief, today whoso is not detached from all that is recognized and mentioned among men, and beholdeth not all things as mere handful of clay, can never soar in this atmosphere or enter the abode of the sovereign Lord of sanctity. The true believer hath ever been, and shall ever remain, rarer than red sulfur - and furthermore, these Suns of Truth that have shone forth from the Finger of the All-Merciful have made this most evident, that the fruit does not exist of itself and for itself, but rather through divine assistance it rises from earthly places until it attains this station of being fruit. And that Omnipotent One Who elevated it to this station is able by that same power to return it and a hundred thousand of its like and similitudes, in less than a moment, from the highest abode of perpetuity to the lowest seat of evanescence, and likewise the reverse. This has been and will continue to be among His ways, for the all-encompassing power and irrevocable decrees of that King of Oneness have ever been operative over all things, and He has never been prevented from manifesting even the least of His powers. Glorified be God above what the deluded imagine! Many are the pearls of mysteries that have been and shall remain hidden in the shells of the oceans of thy Lord, the Concealer, lest their revelation cause the feet of the wayward to stumble. Indeed, such grace hath appeared today that, should He so desire, He is able to raise up from a handful of clay all the primary and derivative letters. Nevertheless, it is most regrettable that man, in these days when the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath been manifested in the fullness of His grace, should occupy himself with aught else but Him. Leave all who are in the heavens and earth to their own devices, then plunge into the depths of this Ocean wherein naught can be found save the pearls of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Almighty, the Great. These are the wondrous manifestations of the Sun of the Divine Command that hath shone forth from the horizon of the finger of the King of possibility. Well is it with them that act upon it, and apart from this, verily thy Lord is independent of all the worlds. How many souls are this day submerged in the oceans of fire and are unaware of it, nay rather, count themselves among the people of Paradise, even as the peoples before them rejoiced in such vain imaginings. By the Sun of the sanctified glory of detachment, this Revelation is too great to need any proof or to depend on any evidence. Say: Its proof is its revelation, its evidence is its own Self, its demonstration is its existence, and its testimony is its arising between earth and heaven in days wherein all in the kingdoms of Command and Creation were shaken. And if ye be unable to know Him through what We have set forth for you, then know Him through that which hath been sent down from Him. Thus hath it been ordained as a grace from His presence, and verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. The Supreme Pen declareth: O Ali, step once upon the Mount of Sanctity, and with detached heart and purified tongue say “Show me, O my Lord,” that thou mayest forever hear from the eternal holy retreat “Thou shalt behold Me,” and attain the presence of the peerless Beauty of the Lord of Glory - that is, the presence of the Manifestation of His own Self, by one of Whose revelations of the lights of His grace, the trees of existence, both seen and unseen, are moved to sing even as the Tree of Sinai spoke forth. Thus hath the grace of the sovereign Lord Who doeth as He pleaseth encompassed all, yet the people are in grievous doubt, thick veils, and manifest heedlessness. Such is the state of these people who forever pride themselves on adherence to the Truth while turning away from His very Self - for instance, circumambulating a stone while traversing difficult paths from distant places.

They traverse difficult paths from distant places and sacrifice life and property to attain His presence, yet they remain heedless and turn away from the omnipotent Sovereign by Whose word a hundred thousand such stones could be brought into being. As was observed in the year sixty and likewise in these days, they veil the All-Seeing Eye with a hundred thousand phantoms of their vain imaginings and limitations of self, and then cry out that the world-illumining Sun of divine unity has not risen. And should they perceive it, they question how it could be that the light of a certain star should be dimmed or extinguished, oblivious to the fact that by the appearance of the Sun its light is obliterated, even as is evident that in the daytime the light of the stars is dimmed and invisible. In any case, ere long the encompassing hand of divine power will create certain souls who will rend asunder all veils and, without any covering or barrier, enter the sanctuary of the Lord of Lords. No water shall quench their thirst in the path of the Beloved, and no fire shall cause them to tremble. They shall regard all save the Divine Friend as non-existent and shall see naught but the Intended One. At all times they shall draw the peoples of the contingent world with the chains of utterance unto the sanctified paradise of the All-Merciful. By the Sun of inner meanings I swear that the radiance of these souls shall illumine the denizens of the highest paradise even as the sun illumines the people of the earth.

O Ali! Abandon what thou hast and take what God commandeth thee, for this verily shall suffice thee above all peoples. That which is besides Him neither nourisheth nor enricheth, and thus hath it ever been and ever shall be. Hold thou fast unto the Sure Handle and abandon what thy desires command thee. By God, the Truth! This is verily the firm cord that hath appeared between earth and heaven. Whoso holdeth fast unto it hath attained salvation, and whoso turneth away hath perished.

Indeed, today should any soul seek to know or comprehend the sublime Truth without His exalted Self, it would be as if one who is blind from birth were to seek guidance along the path, and this shall never be possible. His proof is His verses, and His authority His evidences.

O Ali! Hearken unto the divine words in the wondrous Persian tongue. And if thou hearest not, assuredly will God’s all-encompassing power create new souls who will hear His call and arise to aid His Cause. This is not difficult for God.

If thou hast turned from the left of doubt to the right of certitude, and hast been nourished by the Kawthar of the knowledge of the All-Merciful flowing in the Paradise of inner meanings, say: O people of the Bayan! What religion do ye follow and upon what path do ye stand? If they say “The Point of the Bayan, may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him,” say: By what proof and evidence have ye become convinced of and acknowledged that Sovereign of the Path? If they say “We have known Him by His own Self,” say: This is a manifest falsehood, for until now ye have not known your own selves, how much less the Self of God that standeth over all things. And even were such words to be heard from these souls, why then have they not acknowledged the Self of God Who hath appeared manifest as the sun? And if they say “We have believed in the revealed verses,” why then have they disbelieved in these verses which are being sent down like torrential rain from the heaven of the Unseen at every moment? Say: Do ye believe in one part of the Book and deny another? Woe unto you, O company of wrongdoers!

Beyond these two stations are the manifestations of power and the revelations of divinity that have encompassed the world to such degree that none hath any way to turn aside, save by turning entirely away from God and His Prophets, His chosen ones and His loved ones. For nigh twenty years this servant hath not rested for a moment on the couch of tranquility, but hath striven at all times by His own Self for the exaltation of God’s Cause. I swear by the unknowable King that from the beginning of creation until now such power hath never been manifested that a single soul should alone raise the banners of might upon the [branches] of grandeur. Yet despite this, these polytheists have wreaked upon the manifest Beauty of the Lord of the Worlds that which causeth the Spirit of the Divine Command and the denizens of the highest Paradise to wail and lament.

And if they say these wondrous verses have not been sent down from the divine nature, just as the polytheists of old said in the days of the appearance of the Suns of Truth, say: The revealed tablets that were sent down from the cloud of glory of the Lord of the Worlds in the year sixty are extant, and these wondrous verses that have been sent down from the Most Holy, Most Glorious Heaven are present and visible. We recite both of these before a number of those possessed of pure hearts, penetrating vision, sanctified souls and attentive ears, that the melodies of God and His holy fragrances may be inhaled from the garment of His wondrous words. By God the Truth, through the fragrance of but one of these words wafteth the breeze of God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Yet all people are afflicted with colds and cannot perceive aught, save whom thy Lord willeth, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Though the opposition of the opposers and the calumnies of the slanderers have reached such a pass that both pen and utterance have ceased to recount them, still do We feed the servants from the fresh, eternal, ancient and divine table of knowledge for the sake of God, desiring from them neither recompense nor thanks.

By Him Who speaketh within my breast! None of the peoples of former times can be compared with the Babis in their veils, for in all previous Books the Manifestations of the Divine Unity were mentioned only in allusive terms. For instance, in the Torah it is stated in certain passages that should anyone come claiming prophethood, he is false, for there is no God but the God of Moses, no Messenger shall be sent after him, and no divine laws shall come save what was revealed in the Torah. Yet in one place there is an allusive reference to a future Manifestation, mentioned in such veiled and symbolic terms that most people are unable to comprehend it.

In this case, if the followers remain veiled from the Dawning-Places of Divine Unity and the Manifestations of God, they have some excuse to which they may resort, saying “We failed to grasp the intricate divine utterances and thus remained deprived of recognizing the Source of the River of Knowledge of the All-Merciful Beauty.”

Similarly in the Gospel, the Holy Spirit sang and spoke of the signs of the Manifestation in such melodies that none can comprehend save the detached ones, for they were expressed in hidden symbols and subtle allusions. Indeed these same passages have been recorded in Persian treatises by the Pen of Glory - consider them that perchance ye may discover them.

In this case too, if these people excuse themselves saying their minds and understanding fell short of comprehending these cryptic and complex utterances, perhaps some might accept this.

Likewise in the Qur’an, which ye have all seen, consider in what manner and terms the signs of the future Manifestation were sent down from the heaven of the All-Glorious. For instance: “Are they waiting to see if God will come to them in canopies of clouds”, and “The Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke”, and similarly the cleaving of the heavens, the rending of the earth, the crumbling of mountains, the overflowing of seas, the rising of the dead from their graves, the blowing of the trumpet, the rising of the sun from the west, the raising of a cry between heaven and earth, and similar expressions mentioned in the Book of God.

And likewise regarding the mention of the “Seal of the Prophets” which is the most explicit of Qur’anic statements - given these difficult and impenetrable expressions and subtle, hidden allusions, if people remain deprived of the Law of the Lord of Creation and recognition of His Being in the Day of Return, one could say they failed to comprehend the divine verses and were heedless of the meanings of the heavenly words, for these were beyond human understanding - though all such excuses were and shall be unacceptable at the time of each Manifestation, for in every Revelation the proof is consummated unto all who dwell in the heavens and on earth through the very Manifestation Himself and through that which proceedeth from Him. It behooveth every soul to cleanse the mirror of his heart from whatsoever the people possess, and after such purification and turning unto God, assuredly will the rays of the resplendent Sun be reflected therein. If the divine proof were not complete at the time of manifestation, then would all be relieved of obligation. Consider, for instance, the people of the Qur’an: whosoever failed to purify his heart from the implications of the words failed to attain recognition of the Point of the Bayan, for the mention of the “Seal” recorded in the Book was among the firm verses of the Qur’an. With the acceptance of this word and the establishment of its apparent meaning in the heart, one would never acknowledge that a Prophet hath been from the beginning that hath no beginning and will come unto the end that hath no end, even as it is mentioned in the Bayan: “Purify your hearts from that which ye have witnessed, that ye may witness that which no one in the worlds hath witnessed.” At the time of manifestation, one must turn away from all else and fix one’s gaze toward God, for without this none shall attain unto God, the Most High, the Most Great. O bondsmen of vain desire! Hearken unto the holy melodies of eternity and hasten to the station of “Know God through God,” and sever yourselves from all else. These declarations which the Prophets have made concerning the signs of the Manifestation […]

And as to the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all who dwell within the depths of the Names be a sacrifice unto Him - He hath raised up all these utterances and utterly rent asunder the veils, and He hath fulfilled and interpreted all these perplexing words through His own Manifestation and that which proceedeth from His presence. He hath made mention of this Most Mighty Manifestation in such wise that none hath any excuse to hesitate, much less to turn away. He hath made the whole of the Bayan and all that was revealed therein contingent upon the recognition of that eternal Sun of Glory, and He declareth that at the time of His manifestation ye must not remain veiled from Him by the Bayan, nor cling to its words and thus be deprived of the Sovereign of Oneness. He specifically saith: “O Letters and Mirrors! Ye have become proof through My word. Beware lest at the time of His manifestation ye show pride before the Chosen Beauty.” And although He hath promised the dawning of the Sun of Truth in the year Mustaghath by the name of “Him Whom God shall make manifest - glorious be His name”, nevertheless He saith that should He appear at another hour, none hath the right to question why or wherefore, for that Sovereign of possibility hath ever been, and shall ever remain, the One Who doeth as He willeth. And should anyone claim otherwise, he hath not recognized the right of God, exalted be His remembrance, to do as He pleaseth. We take refuge in God from such vain imaginings. They have removed all limitations, veils, and allusions from this station, for that Ancient Beauty hath been and shall forever be sanctified above the limitations and allusions of all else but Him. None hath ever known or can know the nature of His manifestation. “None encompasseth His knowledge, and He is the All-Knowing.” And He saith: “From the first moment when the Sun of Baha dawneth until it setteth, the Book of God is better throughout the night, if ye would understand. God hath created naught but for that Day when all shall attain His presence and then His good-pleasure.” And in this connection He saith: “Verily the noon-hour hath drawn nigh, yet ye recognize not that Day,” and “He whose meeting is My meeting - desire not for him that which ye would not desire for your own selves,” unto the end of His mighty utterance. O ears of all creation! No hearing is evident - hearken thou to these conclusive divine words which, explicitly and without interpretation, have foretold those days when the Sun shall rise and is nigh unto shining forth at its meridian; yet ye, O people of the Bayan, shall not recognize that glorious Beauty. He hath explicitly mentioned this name too, as evidenced by His mighty words: “From the first moment when the Sun of Baha dawneth until it setteth, the Book of God…” unto the end of His exalted utterance, that none might doubt or interpret it contrary to what God hath ordained. Nevertheless, all remain veiled from perceiving the Sun of Baha by the veils of self and desire, and cling to that which Satan hath commanded them. Would that they were content with merely being veiled! Nay, some have even engaged in distorting these words of the Manifestation of Names and Attributes. This is an injustice the like of which hath never appeared in creation. Woe unto the wrongdoers from the punishment of a grievous day! And after the appearance of this divine Sun of Glory, certain mirrors entertained vain imaginings and laid claim to the station of the Sun, heedless of the fact that in the Persian Bayan it is explicitly stated that should a mirror claim to be the Sun, it is evident before the Sun that it is but its reflection that speaks. Likewise He states that the mirrors in themselves have no reality, and in another place He says: “Say: O sun-like mirrors! Ye all gaze upon the Sun of Truth, and your existence and manifestation, would ye but perceive it, depend upon Its grace. Ye are all like fish in the sea, moving in the ocean yet veiled from the water, asking about that whereby ye subsist.” Now observe that He addresses the suns of the mirrors, which are the primary mirrors, saying that they should gaze upon the Sun of Truth, for their existence and manifestation have been and will ever be through His grace. And He states that the suns of the mirrors are like fish in the sea, moving in the ocean yet veiled from the sea and its water. Even as is witnessed today, the mirror of the people moves in the ocean of verses, seeking to prove itself through the verses of Divine Glory revealed in My previous Manifestation, its movement and expression of station being through the verses of God, yet it remains wholly veiled from the essence of the verses and their Revealer in these days. It moves in the ocean, yet remains heedless of the Sovereign of the ocean. This utterance was revealed from the Kingdom of eternity concerning the station of the suns of mirrors–how much more regarding those mirrors that stand beneath these suns! And likewise He says: “Verily, on the day of His manifestation, the highest of creation shall be even as the lowliest, and the nearest unto you shall be he who believes in Him. There are no ties of kinship among you, nor any glory save through your faith in Him.” Thus it is witnessed today that the highest of creation is accounted before God as the lowliest–how many manifestations of the highest heaven have returned to the nethermost depths, and how many expressions of nothingness have attained to the most pure and exalted station! And likewise He says to Aqa Siyyid Javad: “I shall complain unto thee, O Mirror of My bounty, concerning all the mirrors, for each according to his own colors gazeth upon Me.” Observe how He complains of all the mirrors, but this Beauty now complains of him who is known as the Mirror, for he sees Me through what is with him, not through what is with Me. In brief, today even if all mirrors were designated in the Bayan by the names of Divinity, Lordship, and beyond these, by the Self of God, the Manifestation of God, or the Essence of God, it would not suffice so long as they do not become assured of this holy divine Manifestation and this hidden celestial Mystery. All such are accounted as utter nothingness and complete void before God, even as it hath been recorded by the Pen of God at the beginning of these Tablets: “Beware, beware lest on the day of His manifestation thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid is but a creature before Him. Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words that were revealed in the Bayan, for they are His own words in the temple of His previous manifestation.” He warns that at the time of His manifestation, let it not be that thou remainest veiled from the Manifestation of the Cause by the Vahid of the Bayan–these being souls than whom none was more exalted after the Point of the Bayan–yet He states that ye should not remain veiled from the Truth by these souls.

And these were souls who, after the Point of the Bayan, were second to none; nevertheless He says that you should not remain veiled from the Truth by these souls. From this statement it is understood that in the subsequent Revelation some of these Letters must exist. And He says that you should not remain veiled from the Truth by what has been revealed in the Bayan. Now judge fairly, O people of the Bayan: with such a clear and perfect statement, can anyone today oppose the Manifestation Himself by saying that such and such a person is mentioned by name in the Bayan - how can he now be deprived of his station? Nay, by Him Who strengthened the Spirit through My Being! For these names and mentions and descriptions, even if accepted, are all but words inscribed in the Bayan. And among the counsels of the eternal Sovereign is this: that you should not remain veiled from the Manifestation of God by what has been revealed in the Bayan. Furthermore, I swear by the Sun of divine glory that today shines from the holy divine horizon that the mention of that pre-existent Sovereign of the people of the Bayan - whether in terms of Lordship or servitude - is one and the same in that realm. Even in stone, which is inanimate, they have inscribed the three letters representing the three Most Great Names of God, and have reminded the servants to observe these Names therein, that in the created thing the signs of the Creator might be witnessed. If He Who graciously bestowed these stations upon stone were to withdraw His favor, it would be fitting for anyone who objects. By God! None will object to God’s Cause except every transgressor, sinful one. Had people been aware of the resurrection of names, they would never have objected to the Sovereign Who doeth what He willeth in any matter. Thus it is that some are resurrected in name and known in the Kingdom of Names, yet their essence has never ascended beyond the depths of self and desire - this is due to a wisdom none knoweth save God. Many a fame has no foundation. And some are resurrected in essence without a name, as you have heard the story of Khidr, whose exalted station none in that time knew save God, such that his authority remained hidden even from Moses despite his lofty station and elevated rank. And after appearing before him, Moses was addressed with the words “Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me.” Although he is mentioned in the Book by the name Khidr, none knew him save God, and with Us is the knowledge thereof in a clear Book. And some are resurrected in essence, being, self, spirit and name. Therefore witness and say: Glory be to God, the best of creators! Were all the stages of resurrection to be mentioned, it would be observed in what station and rank these who pride themselves on names are mentioned. But We have stayed the Pen until God should will otherwise, for He is the Explainer of all things in a clear Book. Furthermore, all things have ever been repositories of divine names and treasuries of creative mysteries, and in every dispensation He manifests from each thing whatsoever He willeth, and takes away whatsoever He pleaseth. Most wondrous of all is that today the Ancient Beauty and the Sun of the Most Great Name hath risen and shone forth at the meridian, yet people, clinging to a mere name from among names, have deprived themselves of the light of Beauty and recognition of the peerless Countenance of the All-Glorious. Say: By God the Truth! By the decree of His Pen were created the oceans of names and their kingdoms, were ye of them that know. And were He today to take a handful of dust and raise therefrom whatsoever name hath been or shall be, verily He is able, for He is the Sovereign, the King, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. By God! The eyes of the Prophets and Messengers in the Supreme Concourse weep for My soul and for what hath befallen Me, and they lament within themselves and cry out in their inmost beings. Yet the people are wrapped in profound heedlessness and mighty delusion. To such a pass have the people of the Bayan descended that the tongue of the All-Merciful hath been moved to utter words such as these, yet still they accept it not. Such is the condition of these people. Today, whoso ascendeth not beyond the kingdom of names shall never attain unto this supreme bounty. For this reason did the Point of the Bayan declare that the seed of the next Revelation would be mightier than all the people of the Bayan, both now and in the time to come. Ponder then on this, O ye men of understanding! By Him Who hath arisen of His own accord! Were the servants to meditate upon this single utterance, they would find themselves independent of all save God, and would stand in no need of questions and answers to establish this wondrous Cause. God speaketh the truth, but the people hear not.

He further saith, exalted be His mention: “Verily His likeness, glorified be His mention, is as the sun: were an infinite number of mirrors to be placed before it, they would all reflect the sun according to their capacity; and were there to be none to face it, still would the sun rise and set, and the mirrors would remain veiled.” Consider ye how it may be inferred from this holy and divine utterance that the sun can rise and set while the mirrors remain veiled. Yet how can it be said, after the rising of the Sun of Suns, around which circle suns whose number none knoweth save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, that a mirror could be debarred from its rays and splendor? For it is evident that the very existence of mirrors dependeth not on themselves but on the sun, by whose light they are illumined. As is clearly seen today, were all the mirrors of creation to face this celestial Sun, they would all reflect its light and glory; and were they to turn away, they would all be as though non-existent, now and forevermore. Observe the visible mirror: so long as it faceth the sun, the effects of the sun’s radiance are manifest therein; but as soon as it turneth away, these effects are obliterated and shall remain so, as all can plainly see.

He further saith: He is that Sovereign Potentate Who, by a movement of His sanctified tongue, createth at His word whatsoever He willeth and desireth of prophets, saints and the righteous. How then befitteth it them to turn away from One through Whose word prophets and saints are created, and to cleave instead to a mere name from among names, or a mention from among mentions, or a mirror from among mirrors? This indeed is a grievous wrong. By God the Truth! They have perpetrated that which none before them hath ever done, for after the appearance of the Sun at its meridian, there remaineth no time for tarrying. Yea, if they recognize not His own Self and find themselves powerless to acknowledge that Primal Beauty, by His own Self unto His own Self, then let them seek proof and testimony - the very proof and testimony by which the faith of all mankind was established. And when He has manifested from the oceans of His grace and bounty, who then can tarry, save he who has wholly turned away from the Truth and made his dwelling in the depths of denial, the abyss of repudiation, and the infernal fire of rejection? Even so do most of those who today fancy themselves secure upon the cushions of faith and the throne of certitude stand utterly remote from the Truth, submerged in the sea of unbelief, suffering at every moment grievous torment, though they perceive it not. Would that they were content with mere denial and rejection! Nay, by Him Who has caused Me to speak forth His praise, they shall never be content. Even as that soul whom We had nurtured through all his days and taught at all times the words of the All-Merciful, as they teach their birds in India, rose up against Me, warred with My Self, turned away from My Beauty, disputed the signs of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Not content with this, he arose to cut down the Divine Lote-Tree. When God brought him to naught and exposed what was in his heart, he then embarked upon such schemes as no one could ever reckon save God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. He spread such calumnies that the pen is powerless to recount them, attributing to the very Self of God, Who standeth over all who are in the heavens and on earth, such wickedness as had never appeared since the beginning of the world. Yet he dwelleth securely in his place, at ease, confident in the foolishness of the people who walk in the paths of fancy and swim in the sea of blind imitation. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, were he to perceive even less than can be reckoned of those who see with divine insight, he would never have committed such slanders. Yet he is heedless that ere long there shall appear from behind the veils of divine protection souls who shall distinguish, with divine vision, truth from falsehood and the sun from shadow, whom no barrier shall withhold from the straight path nor any veil deprive of the Most Great Announcement. Would that some discerning soul might consider their words which tell of their own selves and beings, that he might recognize them and be of those who understand. I swear by the Most Great Sovereign that were anyone to observe with penetrating eye the words of the deniers, he would perceive the station, rank and position of these imaginary beings. Today the chiefs of the Bayan advance, unaware, the very same proofs that the lowliest among the People of the Furqan used to establish their own truth. For instance, they cling to the matter of successorship which the previous Manifestation had utterly erased from the Book, as all are aware that naught was revealed in the Bayan from the Pen of the All-Merciful save concerning the Letters and Mirrors, and even these were not limited, as witnessed in the prayers where He says: “O my God! At all times send forth such impregnable Mirrors and pure crystals as shall reflect Thee and guide unto Thee.” And in all the Tablets there hath been revealed from God these words: “Let him who willeth look upon them and be of them that know.” Now, like unto the people of the Furqan who invented the “Seal of the Prophets” and remained veiled from Him Who sent forth and raised up that Seal, these people too have desired to establish for themselves the “Seal of the Saints,” as is evident to all. Him through whose word hundreds of thousands of saints have been and are being created, they have cast into the well of hatred, and at all times from every direction they hurl the stones of their vain imaginings at His blessed person, while they raise an outcry within themselves and claim to be oppressed, that perchance they might instill the hatred of God into weak souls. Such is the condition of the Mirrors that have appeared. Say: Today, were God to pronounce him who beareth the most detested of names among men to be your Lord, or conversely, none hath the right to ask “why” or “wherefore,” for He, exalted and glorified be He, doeth what He willeth, and shall not be asked of His doings. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

In these days they have written and sent forth treatises in rejection of the Truth with polytheistic hands. I swear by the Sun of inner meanings that they have spoken like children with meaningless, nonsensical words - nay, even more base, if ye but knew. Now compare the books and treatises of this group with what hath appeared from the servants of this House, and judge fairly yourselves, that perchance ye may not remain deprived this Day of the grace of the Ocean of inner meanings that hath encompassed all created things. And now the Truth hath condescended to such a degree that from all sides they continuously ask questions about Quranic matters, and answers must be written. For instance, someone hath supposed a mirror to be a ruby, and then asked whether the ruby can be transformed before reaching its station of maturity, and how it changes after maturity - meaning, can the mirror be altered or transformed before reaching this station of being a mirror, but after reaching maturity how doth it descend from this station. Thus have most people remained deprived of the King of Oneness today through such obvious matters. First say: O questioner, We beseech God to assist thee and confirm thee in such wise that thou mayest know all things in their proper station and be detached from all allusions, and mayest witness naught in creation save the effulgence of the lights that have encompassed the worlds, and that He may erase from thy heart all remembrances that thou mayest arise to praise thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Choosing. For on such a Day it behooveth no one to turn to anything of what hath been created between the heavens and earths. Would it be fitting for anyone, after the sun hath risen to its zenith, to occupy himself with mention of the stars or to inquire about a lamp, even though it be a shining lamp? Nay, by My luminous, holy, mighty, radiant Beauty! Cast behind thee all remembrances, then hold fast to this Remembrance Who hath appeared with the truth and Who speaketh in all things, saying: ‘There is no God but I, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.’ And if thou art not successful in comprehending what hath been revealed in these verses from the heaven of oneness and art fixed upon the answer to thine own question, then hearken to the Most Glorious Call from the horizon of supreme might. First know that all things can be and are transformed into all things, and knowledge of this is in the Book of thy Lord Who neither erreth nor forgetteth. Secondly, if thou art asked whether God hath power to transform a ruby or not, what wouldst thou answer? Indeed, powerlessness hath ever been the attribute of creation, while the True One, the Inaccessible, standeth established upon the throne of might. With a single word He is able to turn all who are on earth into pieces of moist red ruby, and with a word return them all to stone. Exalted is He above what ye have imagined and do imagine concerning His power. And beyond this station, place the ruby in fire and observe what happens, that thou mayest become certain of the transformation of all things save God. Likewise when the ruby of the heart is tried in the fire of self and desire, it is surely deprived of its delicacy, color and purity. Today there are many pieces of ruby that have reverted to stone and are unaware of it, and likewise the opposite, were ye of those who understand. In the ruby there are manifold varieties and diverse colors to be observed, and all its hues are altered in the fire save two kinds known as bahramani and rummani. And these two, though they may be altered by intense fire over many days, yet if they remain in moderate fire behind a veil, no harm shall be observed. And some maintain that fire enhanceth the hue of these two kinds. However, should the divine fire - which in the hidden divine knowledge is known as the red sulphur - be cast upon the ruby, it would instantly be calcined like other bodies. Verily, fire rectifieth every corruption and corrupteth every rectification, increasing righteousness in the righteous and corruption in the corrupt. Whosoever hath become informed of divine knowledge comprehendeth that which hath been mentioned, and besides such a one none hath any portion save by the command of the Ancient and Omnipotent One. In brief, O questioner, in all things save God and in the very Manifestation itself, change and transformation are to be observed. We created all things from dust and unto it shall We return them, and from it shall We bring them forth again alive. This is a promise from Us, and We shall assuredly fulfill what We have promised, for We are the best of them that fulfill.

O people! Hear ye the call of the Bird of Eternity from the Supreme Paradise, and drink ye the choice, pure and crystal-clear wine from the holy fingers of Baha, and become free and detached from all else save God, that the oceans of divine knowledge and wisdom may flow from your hearts and tongues, and ye may become free and sanctified from such questions as these. Beware lest ye defile the heart, which is a trust of the Chosen Beauty, with the defilement of the words of the wicked and the doubts of the evil ones, for they have appeared today with all manner of tricks and devices, casting doubts into hearts by whatever means possible. Apart from all these statements, if there should exist in the world something that undergoes no change or transformation, what connection hath this with the contention of these people? For instance, if according to these people a ruby remains unchanged, what relation hath this to the fact that one who hath turned towards God cannot turn away from Him, or that a monotheist cannot become a polytheist, or a believer an infidel? The King of Names hath ordained change possible in some things and not in others. For example, copper can become gold, but dust hath not the capacity to become gold. Since men of learning have already discussed this matter, this servant doth not wish to elaborate upon it. However, in man the capacity for knowledge and ignorance, acceptance and rejection, faith and unbelief, is evident and manifest. If the questioner’s purpose in mentioning gold and ruby was in reference to the mineral kingdom, this is far removed from his intent, for even if gold hypothetically cannot become copper, nor ruby become ash, one cannot draw analogies from this regarding the other creations of the Creator. This is clear and evident to those possessed of insight who gaze upon the Most Great Scene. If the intent was in reference to the human realm, it is known that gold and ruby symbolize the believer’s faith in God and his recognition of His Manifestation, and it is quite evident that this can change, as many souls who at first believed in the Beauty of the All-Merciful later turned away. If thou wouldst ascend above the realm of fancy and sanctify thy heart from verbal allusions, thou wouldst witness the transformation of all things into all things at every moment. And he unto whom this vision is unveiled is accounted as one possessed of true insight in the estimation of God, the Almighty, the Chosen One. The essence of the utterance of the Beauty of the All-Merciful is this: The Cause of God hath ever been and shall ever be sanctified above mention, description and limitation. Whosoever seeketh to comprehend the King of the infinite depths through such veils shall never attain certitude. By the power of the Sovereign of Eternity, rend ye asunder the veils of names and whatsoever is below or above them, and enter ye the most exalted, most sublime, most impregnable, most holy and most glorious City, for naught but His shadow is today as fire, and naught but His love shall ever be accepted.

Likewise, someone asked about the number of verses in “The Hour has drawn nigh and the moon is cleft asunder.” Say: O thou who gazeth upon the words, set aside the numbers and contemplate the verse itself. If today all who are in the heavens and earth were to gaze upon this blessed verse and ponder its hidden meanings, it would suffice them all. For today the sun of inner meaning hath shone forth from the horizon of the verse’s outer appearance, and it is a cutting sword against those souls who have taken others besides God as their protector. The meaning of this verse was not revealed until this exalted Manifestation, for at the time of the Primal Point’s appearance, there was no guardian according to people’s understanding who could be cleft asunder. Rather, there were the divines, who were symbolized as stars, while the guardian was symbolized as the moon and the Prophet as the sun. Thus in this Revelation the sun hath risen from God’s horizon and the illusory moon hath been cleft. Therefore say: Blessed be God, the Most Powerful of the powerful!

Now ponder this revealed verse and judge fairly, and be not of those who recognize God’s favor and then deny it. Would that these people had truly understood this guardian and mirror they have taken for themselves besides God. I swear by the Sun of the glory of the Eternal that the fundamental matter concerning the mirror was not as they have heard it, and whoever claims knowledge of it speaks falsely, by the Lord of eternity. What this servant mentioned, in accordance with divine wisdom, became widespread among the people, but no one hath comprehended the intent of the words of the Primal Point, exalted be His glory. This servant hath kept the fundamental matter hidden from all, for a wisdom none knoweth save My All-Knowing, All-Wise Self. By God, He hath dealt with His Creator, Who created Him with a breath from His presence, as none in all the worlds hath dealt.

If people were to behold with the eye of God even one of the wondrous Tablets that have been sent down in these days from the heaven of mighty oneness, they would not remain veiled from the Truth and would witness all else as non-existent, becoming convinced that naught besides Him was or ever shall be worthy of mention, let alone those who turn away. Today some have claimed infallibility for certain ones besides God, just as the people of the Qur’an spoke without understanding, having never grasped the meaning of infallibility. The decree of infallibility is fulfilled today in this way: whoever, after hearing God’s Word and His call, affirms it with certainty by saying “yea,” is among the infallible ones; without this, one remains outside infallibility. As the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath said, addressing the Great One: “Verily the Cause hath transcended all limits. Thou dost purify servants who, when God is manifested unto them, recognize God their Creator, neither wavering therein nor doubting, until I make them like those I made before among the Prophets, the Successors, the Martyrs and the near ones. By My life, wert thou to bring the number of all things, I would make it so, and it would neither decrease God’s dominion by any measure nor increase it. However, thou seest that such a station requireth the Most Great Infallibility, and infallibility is not what people imagine in their religious precautions, for when they heard the call”Am I not your Lord?” they did not say “Yea.” They turned away. Rather, infallibility belongs to those who, when God said “Am I not your Lord?” responded “Yea.” And God speaks to none except through His Manifestation in every Dispensation.

After this utterance, which is the most explicit of all words revealed from the Pen of God, who can claim infallibility for himself except after accepting this Most Great, Most Glorious Cause? Today, all people of whatever rank are bereft of infallibility save those souls who have attained certitude in this holy, eternal Revelation. O servants! Hearken unto the Call of God and purify the ears of your innate nature from hearing the words of the people of the Furqan, that ye may comprehend the most wondrous utterance of the Tongue of the All-Merciful.

Reflect: wherein have these people spoken the truth? For one thousand two hundred and sixty years they held to the termination of Revelations, likewise to the appearance of the Qa’im in a specific form in a designated land, and similarly to the signs of the Revelation, clinging to a thousand traditions to such extent that they considered the deniers of these sayings as infidels. Then it became evident, at the appearance of the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His mention, that all had erred, and that the Manifestations of the glory of the Divine Unity have ever been and shall ever continue to be manifest. Likewise consider all other statements of these embodiments of error - observe that all was and shall be mere fancy. Their god is their desire and their object of worship their vain imaginings, if ye but knew.

Although all the people of the Bayan have witnessed that whatever was in the possession of this group was other than truth, they nevertheless continue to adduce proofs from the words of the people of the Furqan and discourse thereon. Even now this group seeks to prevent people from the celestial streams of God and the fountainhead of divine glory through mention of previous successorship. I swear by the Beauty of God, the Most High, the Most Glorious, that had there been a thousand Manifestations present during the Revelation of the Point of the Bayan, and had any hesitated less than a moment in acknowledging the Cause of the Sovereign Lord, they would have been reckoned by God among the people of fire.

Rend asunder the veils of fancy and ascend unto the most glorious heaven. If ye desire that truth be made manifest to all, let several fair-minded souls gather in this city to observe God’s verses and His words. Similarly, the claimants are present in this land - let proper inquiry be made that the signs of truth may be distinguished from aught else, and it may become evident to all that all others are but paupers at His gate, powerless before His presence, and destitute before the manifestations of His lights.

In the Persian Bayan the Divine Tongue hath spoken, exalted be His utterance: “Exert your utmost endeavor that in the Day of the Revelation of the Truth, His words may not be used as proof against Him, for all the words of the Bayan are the words of His previous Manifestation, and He knoweth better than all creation that which He hath revealed, for the spirit of all is in His grasp, and with all there is naught but a shadow, if they are steadfast in the truth - otherwise they are not worthy of mention.”

Consider this utterance of the Beauty of the All-Merciful: Although He forbade all from protesting against that Essence of Being and Sovereign Lord of all worship, and explicitly commanded that none should dispute with the words of the Bayan at the advent of the next Manifestation, yet today we observe that all have risen in protest, saying: “Such and such a one was designated in the Bayan with the Most Beautiful Names; how then can he descend from this station?” And likewise He says, exalted be His remembrance: “Recognize Him through His verses, and be not overly cautious in recognizing Him, for to that same degree shall ye be in the fire.” Consider these decisive words: today all who are cautious regarding this most mighty and most holy Cause are in the fire, of this there is no doubt. And His word, exalted be His remembrance: “If ye turn within yourselves toward God, His likeness is what existeth in your hearts. Be not veiled from Him by Him, and recognize Him for Whose recognition ye were created.” And His exalted word: “In every Revelation, the believers in Him and His Book become veiled by His subsequent Revelation and His Book, to such degree that none remain except the sincere believer, who is rarer than red sulphur.” Even as today all are being tested, and most of humanity hath turned away from the King of Oneness, saying: “Such and such a one was designated in the Bayan by the name of God.” Through such words they remain deprived of the eternal King of Glory, unaware of what they have done. And even granting this claim, they remain heedless that all names in that most holy court occupy the same plane. He bestoweth as He willeth and withdraweth as He pleaseth. His exalted word: “None knoweth the time of the Manifestation save God. Whenever it occurreth, all must acknowledge the Point of Truth and render thanks unto God.” Nevertheless, some have objected regarding the nearness of the Manifestation, just as all previous peoples were occupied with such objections. Say: Woe unto you! How quickly have ye transformed the divine bounty and followed the paths of fancy and error, when scarcely any time hath passed since the Manifestation that all have reverted to their first step. In any case, the Truth hath ever been sovereign and shall forever remain sovereign. He manifesteth Himself howsoever He willeth, and verily He is the Sovereign, while all else is held within the grasp of His power, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! No greater injustice existeth today than that He Who speaketh in all things “I am God, there is no God but Me” should need to prove to His servants that He hath power to change one of His names, when the Kingdom of Names boweth before His sovereignty, the Realm of Attributes trembleth in awe of Him, and the Heaven of Mystery is guided by His presence and brought into being by His command, and returneth unto Him. Such is the condition of these immature and incapable people - that the Almighty, by Whose will all names were created and by Whose sovereign command all attributes were manifested, and around Whom circle the denizens of the highest Paradise, must prove that He is able to withdraw from a soul the garment of a name, even though they had and have no knowledge of that name. The doubters in the power of the Sovereign Who doeth what He willeth and this most wondrous, most holy, most exalted Manifestation have deemed God’s hands to be fettered, though they may not verbally confess to this. The tongue of the Chosen One beareth witness to this, though they deny it. His glory be exalted! For unto the people these were but words whose meaning they comprehended not, and thus remained veiled on the day of His manifestation. Therefore today all remain veiled from the intention of the Bayan by its very words, though they neither understood nor will understand God’s purpose therein. Even as that Ancient Beauty wrote to the leaders of the Bayan, bidding them inquire about God’s purpose in His words from the Living Letter who was in His presence, for they knew not God’s intent. That Living Letter was Aqa Siyyid Husayn, who was martyred in his Lord’s path, and none attained his presence to inquire about the meanings of the divine utterances. The purpose of this statement from the tongue of the All-Merciful was that the leaders might know they neither understood nor understand the meaning of God’s words. And as the manifest Revelation drew nigh, that same Siyyid ascended to the most exalted station. Ponder on this, O ye who are endowed with insight!

And His words, exalted be His praise: “All that I have mentioned to thee regarding the station of proof is but a drop from the manifest ocean. If thou desirest the heart’s mystery by the decree of the Hidden Countenance, no allusion can point to it, nor can endless veils conceal it, nor doth anyone need mention proof thereof, for it is the very essence of Revelation and the perfection of concealment. Glory be to God above what they describe!”

How can allusion find its way to that realm of divine unity’s glory, in honor of His presence and in testimony to the purity of His essence and the subtlety of His station? Yet after He manifested the Sun of His Beauty from the horizon of destiny through all divine manifestations and every sign of oneness, arrows of hatred were launched from all directions at the manifest Beauty, the Lord of the worlds. “The first to cast stones at Me was he whom I sheltered beneath the wings of My grace, whom We reared beneath Our mantle and taught in Our days. He it was who slew Me with the sword of rejection, shed My blood, violated God’s sanctity in My person, and denied My signs after having bowed before a single letter thereof, having been created by a breath therefrom. He denied God’s right in My right, warred against God’s Self in My Self, openly decreed My death, and when God prevented him by His power and revealed his heart’s hidden thoughts to those who had emigrated in God’s path, he resorted to calumny, turning his deeds and tyranny against My oppressed Self to reassure his followers. By God! The heavens of the Cause were rent asunder by his deed, the holy lands were cleft by his tyranny, the veil of the Kingdom was torn by his words, and the dwellers of the realms of eternity wept at his sin, while he laughed to himself as though he had committed no wrong in all creation. By God! All things weep, yet he remaineth unaware. Soon shall he know, when death comes upon him and his eyes roll in fear of divine wrath, and he says”Is there any way back that I might seek forgiveness for what I have done?” Then shall the clay of the abyss be struck upon his mouth. Thus is it ordained for those who are arrogant before God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful. His words, exalted be His praise: “Glorified art Thou, O my God! If Thou sayest that Thou hast forgiven the Bayan and all within it, then all abide in Thy forgiveness and good-pleasure. And if Thou sayest nay, then verily I am the one who clings to the hem of Thy bounty and seeks intercession with Thee through Thyself.”

There is no doubt that the Pre-existent Being speaks only through the tongue of the Manifestation of His Own Self. Observe in these utterances what degree of humility is shown by the Beloved of all possibility, who has made the entire Bayan and all within it contingent upon the “yea” or “nay” of the King of Eternity in a future Revelation. And now the King of the unseen and the seen is manifest to all, and such harm has befallen His blessed person that were all the oceans of the unseen and the seen to become ink, and all who dwell in the kingdom to become pens, and all who are in the heavens and earth to become writers, they would surely be powerless to describe it. Would that they had counted Him among His faithful ones! The curse of God be upon the oppressors and the idolaters. Yet they still recite the Bayan and transcribe it. Many a reader of the Bayan whom the Bayan itself curses, many a practitioner whose deeds it disowns, many a rememberer from whom remembrance itself flees. May God protect us and you, O people of unity, from these ones and from their evil, their deceit and their guile.

And likewise in communion with the King of Names and Attributes they mention: “I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy independence from all things, to accept the Bayan and all within it, for I have named all that hath appeared from me by that name and made all of it a book, a leaf among the leaves of the gardens unto Thee. Accept it, O my Beloved, for that would be a token of Thy grace and mercy; and if Thou rejectest it, O my Beloved, that would be a manifestation of Thy justice and the independence of Thy Lordship.”

Although all utterance has been contingent upon the word of that Divine Essence and the Manifestation of the All-Merciful, now they are occupied with the basest of His creation and remain deprived of His beauty. Woe unto these, then woe unto these! By God, these pass not by anything except that it seeketh refuge with God from them and dissociateth itself from them, saying in its inmost tongue: “O heedless polytheist! By what proof didst thou believe in the manifestation of ’Ali before Nabil, and by what evidence dost thou deny Husayn before ’Ali? Nay, O accursed one! By God, thou hast never truly believed in any of God’s Messengers, and if thou didst believe in any age, that faith was not real faith but merely a phantom, for had it been authentic thou wouldst not have denied Him through Whom the message of every Messenger was verified, every Prophet was raised up, and the faith of all in the heavens and earth was established.”

The translation of these most impenetrable divine words is set forth in pure Persian in the most wondrous tongue, purely for the sake of God, that perchance some souls might be cleansed from the defilement of self and passion and ascend to the heaven of mighty eternity, which is the station of recognition of the Self of the All-Merciful. His is the command - He guideth whom He willeth unto His hallowed and luminous Beauty.

Today, whosoever turneth away from the countenance of the true Object of worship passeth not by anything except that it sayeth with its inmost tongue: “O thou who associateth partners with God! By what proof and evidence didst thou believe in the Beauty of the All-Merciful in the previous Manifestation, and by what argument hast thou denied the King of the Path in this Manifestation?” By the Sun of holy transcendence, such a one hath ever been an infidel and idolater, and if in any age he proclaimed his faith, it was not genuine but rather a mere phantom within him, and in this Manifestation the snare of faith caught faith itself, and Satan returned to his abode in the nethermost hell. Had thy faith been authentic, thou wouldst not have denied Him through Whom the message of all Messengers was verified, all Prophets were raised up, and the faith of all that is in the heavens and earth was established.

O servants! Consider the Cause of God for a while with pure hearts and just vision, that perchance ye may not be debarred from the divine sanctuary or excluded from the celestial Ka’bah of the Eternal.

O Ali! Although thou art the questioner and the answer is recorded in thy name, yet it appears most difficult that thou shouldst today acknowledge the truth and be mindful of all that is mentioned in the Tablet, inasmuch as thy heart hath been veiled by thick veils and thine eyes are covered by endless clouds. However, God’s glance and His secret attention through these words is directed to other hearts, and ere long they shall be manifested with such power that they shall behold all else but God beneath their shadow. Yet, due to the precedence of divine mercy and the all-encompassing nature of heavenly grace, this hath been revealed in thy name, that perchance the breezes of the days of God may take hold of thee and detach thee from all the worlds.

His utterance, exalted be His bounty: Ever hath the sun been likened unto Him and all else unto mirrors. Each mirror reflecteth according to its capacity the light that hath shone upon it from itself unto itself. Thus all derive proof therefrom of their connection to it. And were the sign that hath been manifested therein through it unto it be removed, then nothing would remain in the mirror that could prove the existence of God. Thus doth God take away what He taketh away. None after Him shall judge by the hearts of men as signs, even though they all declare “We believe in God and His signs.” God beareth not witness to that which they utter.

O ye who are intoxicated with the wine of idle fancies! Hearken unto the call of the Most Exalted Lord that hath been raised in these conclusive words and firm, impregnable verses, that perchance ye may show mercy unto yourselves and unto God’s servants, and cast not the stones of doubt and hatred at the divine Lote-Tree. And if ye yourselves are not guided, at least deprive not the servants from the stream of the Lord of all creation in these grievous days. He saith that all are mirrors reflecting the sun according to their capacity and station, according to how the sun is reflected in that mirror through the mirror itself. At this time it can be inferred that all subsist and exist through the sun. And if the sign of the sun’s reflection that hath shone in the mirror through the mirror itself be removed, nothing would remain in the mirror to indicate its Revealer and Creator.

Despite these decisive, unambiguous, and conclusive words, the people of the Bayan have doubted how a mirror could be deprived of the sun’s reflected light, and they have persisted in this matter to an extent that cannot be mentioned. They object to Him through one reflection of Whose Most Luminous Name hundreds of thousands of mirrors are illumined and brightened, and through one manifestation of Whose Name “the Wrathful” all are cast back to their own limitations. They turn away from His Beauty, and after the Sun of Beauty hath reached its zenith they ask, “Where are its lights and its proof?” O heedless ones! Lift your heads from the slumber of negligence and behold His lights that have encompassed the world. Some say He hath appeared too soon. O ye sightless ones! Whether soon or late, He hath now appeared - consider whether this appearance is true or not. Its timing, whether near or far, was never and shall never be in your hands or in the hands of this servant. The divine wisdom, which is hidden from mortal eyes, hath so required. O people! Be content with what God hath ordained and decreed for you. By God! Had the matter been in My hands, I would never have revealed Myself. O ye that harbor hatred! By the Sun of eternity, were the matter in this servant’s hands, I would never have made Myself known, for My very name disdaineth mention by these impure and lying tongues.

By God, if the matter were in My hands, I would never have revealed Myself! O ye that harbor hatred! I swear by the Sun of the heaven of eternity that were the matter in the hands of this Servant, I would never have made Myself known, inasmuch as My Name doth shrink from being mentioned by these impure and lying tongues. And whenever I chose to remain silent and still, the Holy Spirit would speak from my right hand, and the Spirit of Glory from before My face, and the Spirit of the Most Great Name from above My head, and the Spirit of Baha within My breast, and now, were ye to hearken with the ear of spirit, ye would hear from all My limbs and members, from My inmost being and vitals, from My veins and from the hair of My head, the call of God proclaiming: “Verily, there is none other God but Him, and this Beauty is His Glory unto all who are in the heavens and on earth.” And if this be My crime, then by God this proceedeth not from Me but from Him Who hath sent Me and raised Me up in truth and made Me a lamp unto all worlds. O people! By God, the fragrance of truth is easily distinguished from falsehood. Desire not for the True One that which ye desire not for yourselves. Pause ye to reflect: What hath been the purpose of this Servant in this most great prison in these last days, and what will it be? Ponder then, O heedless ones! O people! Be ye ashamed before God, and doubt not His Cause, and seek not proof of the Sun and its radiance, for its proof is its light and its rays. And doubt not its appearance, for it hath risen and there is no return for it. Rather, beseech God to open your sight that ye may perceive its lights that have encompassed both worlds. Say: By God! The Pen of the Most Holy One hath traced upon My radiant brow, in musk-scented lines of greatest glory[…]

O concourse of earth and heaven! This indeed is the Beloved, the like of whom the eye of creation hath never beheld, nor hath the eye of invention seen His peer. He is the One through Whose beauty the eye of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beauteous, hath been solaced. There is a tradition that one of the companions of the Messenger of God held in his hand a page from the Torah. His Holiness asked, “What holdest thou in thy hand?” He replied, “The Torah.” He said, “Put it away, for were its Author living, He would obey Me.” Now consider: when the Book of God, through which all matters pertaining to the Prophet, the Letters, the Mirrors, the Gates and the Pillars have been established and confirmed, is forbidden to be taken and read, how can it be permissible - according to your claim - to reject one of the Mirrors whose existence hath been established through the Letters, which Letters themselves have been confirmed and established by the Book? Woe unto you! Ye speak that of which ye have no knowledge, and ye deem yourselves to be guided, even as did the peoples of old, and in this do ye rejoice. By God! None can find protection from God’s decree save by detaching himself from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and turning unto God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Purify your vision that ye may behold all things today on one plane, and witness with your outer and inner sight the lights of the Sun of sanctification from the horizon of the Vesture. And beyond all these proofs concerning Mirza Asadu’llah, whom the Primal Point - exalted be His mention - addressed thus: “O Manifestation of Oneness!” Now judge with fairness: how can ye, by God’s word, call him who was made the dawning-place of the Sovereign of Oneness “the father of evil”? And if ye say this station was withdrawn from him by the Mirror, then assuming this to be permissible, what objection can there be if the Point Himself should withdraw the vesture of acceptance from one of the Mirrors? And if ye ask how it is established that this visible Point and all-embracing Word is truthful in His claim, We say: by the same proof and evidence through which ye have accepted all that hath appeared from and been revealed by the previous Manifestation. Look now with that same proof and evidence, and deny not God Who created you by His command, if ye be of the fair-minded. Likewise He addresseth Asadu’llah thus: “O Third Letter who hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest - exalted be His glory!” Similarly, in the Treatise on Jafr which was specially revealed for him from the heaven of the Divine Essence, it is written at the beginning, and this is its text: “That which was revealed to his honor the Lion, the unique One who is illumined by the light of the Eternal, the Name of God, the Judge, for God, the One, the Trusted.” And later He - exalted be His mention - saith: “O Name of the Judge! This is a hidden and treasured knowledge which We have entrusted to thee and given thee as a glory from God, as the eye of thy heart is subtle and recognizeth its value and glorifieth its splendor.” And further He - exalted be His power - saith: “O Most Glorious Name! Look not upon these people except as sheep led by their shepherd as He willeth.” And besides what hath been mentioned, sacred and eternal words describing him exist in the Book - consider them. This servant hath not mentioned them for the sake of brevity. O ye blind ones in existence, open your eyes!

Consider, O people of insight, and reflect upon that which thou thyself performest, yet at which thou now standeth perplexed and bewildered. Thou callest Dayyan base, and nameth the Single, the One - among the most great names of God - the father of evil, yet thou objecteth to the Sovereign Who doeth as He willeth, asking how sweetness can turn bitter, or a mirror become as stone. This, when Asadu’llah denied not the Truth, and upon reaching the City of God appeared before the Throne and acknowledged that which the people of the Bayan had acknowledged on that Day. Yet there befell him what befell him. Nay, not content with him alone, the decree of death was pronounced upon many. The Book of the Awakened One is available - examine it. I swear by the Sun of inner meaning that in that book the death sentence was pronounced upon all the Manifestations of Divine Unity, though the death sentence had been entirely lifted from the Bayan and its people by the explicit text of the Bayan. They cast two false accusations against that helpless one and pronounced the death sentence without God’s leave. The verse “One hair of His head is better than a thousand of His slayers” [applies]. Even now they perpetrate such clear and evident tyranny against the Countenance of Divine Unity and arise to slay Him. Yet they write to various regions, attributing such injustices to the Essence of Justice and Its Source and Mine, that perchance they might cast rancor and hatred into the hearts of some of the deluded ones. But they are heedless that God has, beneath the shadow of His name the All-Seeing, servants who can split a hair lengthwise, whose vision no veils of the world can obstruct.

Similarly, addressing Siyyid Ibrahim, exalted be His mention: “O My Friend mentioned in the Sacred Scrolls! O My Remembrance in the Books after the Scrolls! O My Name in the Bayan!” to the end of what was revealed. These divine utterances which flowed from the Holy and Eternal Pen in his praise, yet now he is known as the father of calamities. Though they themselves glory in being mentioned as the Remembrance of God in the worlds in the divine Books, they refer to one who was designated as the Friend in the divine Scrolls, as God’s Remembrance in the revealed Books, and as God’s Name in the Bayan, as the father of calamities. Yet regarding one less than him who objected to the Will of God Itself and His grandeur, they consider no change permissible. They have assumed God’s power to be like their own power and have considered the Supreme Pen to be idle. I swear by My persecution that the Pen of Power is constantly engaged in erasing and inscribing, and none comprehend this save the detached ones. Thus doth the All-Merciful erase what He willeth and confirm what He willeth, and with Him is the Mother Book.

How strange that these souls who pride themselves on these names have turned away from the Truth. Yea, these mentions and attributes exist in every soul so long as they have not left the stronghold of God’s Cause; otherwise they possess not, in God’s sight, the worth of the black of an ant’s eye. Furthermore, all things have been and shall be the Remembrance of God in the worlds, for all things in their essence are the Name of God, and His Name, exalted be His station, hath been His Remembrance among the servants.

His name, exalted be His glory, hath ever been His remembrance amongst His servants, and thus hath it always been and shall forever remain. By Him Who standeth alone in might and splendor! Were it not that God perceiveth mankind to be immature, verily I would have opened in every atom of existence the gates of such knowledge that all created things would behold themselves utterly powerless and wanting before its recognition. However, as the unauthorized are present, the mysteries remain concealed. Thus hath it been ordained by the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Ye were created to meet Me after My independence of you, and were promised My Self and knowledge thereof after My transcendence above your knowledge, and were given glad tidings of My beauty after My exaltation above you and above all that hath been created between the heavens and the earths. Yet ye have clung to the weakest of names, remaining distant and heedless of the Sovereign of Names. If ye are focused on verses, their equivalent hath descended from the heaven of the All-Merciful in such wise that none hath any excuse to turn away, except the idolaters whose heart-sickness hath prevented them from recognition and understanding. Moreover, compare the words of those who circle round the Cause of God today with the words of him whom ye took as a protector for yourselves apart from God, that ye may recognize the greatness of the Cause and perchance inflict no harm upon the Ancient Beauty through mere fancy. By the truth! The peoples of every past religion may have excuses for their veiling of themselves from the eternal Manifestations of glory through unworthy pretexts, but for the people of the Bayan no excuse or justification remaineth, for the Sovereign of Oneness hath mentioned the subsequent Revelation in the most explicit utterance and clearest exposition, in such wise that He made all the Bayan and what was revealed therein contingent upon His Word, as was previously inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen. Well is it with them that understand! Among attempts to invalidate truth and establish falsehood, the one who turned away from God clung to these words - and since it is unfitting to quote his words directly, We mention what the Pen of God hath recorded concerning them, the substance of which is this: “It is revealed from the Pen of Glory - was your Beloved possessed of sight or not? If this is denied, this would be an injustice against God from the Most Sublime Vision. And if that sovereign of eternity possessed sight and knowledge, how could He describe and praise with beautiful names one who would descend from his station and be counted among the opposers?” First, the speaker of these words hath not recognized the truth that “He doeth what He pleaseth” and hath denied God’s all-encompassing power, and such a soul was and will be the most remote of creatures according to the explicit text of the Point of the Bayan, as was mentioned before: “Say: O God! Thou art the God of gods! Thou givest divinity to whom Thou willest and takest it from whom Thou willest, verily Thou art powerful over all things. Say: O God! Thou art the Lord of the heavens and the earth! Thou givest lordship to whom Thou willest and takest it from whom Thou willest” and so forth as was revealed. Now We say: What sayest thou concerning this comprehensive word that hath flowed from the pristine nature of the Sovereign of Oneness? If thou hast acknowledged the truth of the Glorious and Exalted One - the Sovereign Almighty Who is able to bestow divinity and lordship, which are the most exalted stations, upon whomsoever He willeth, and likewise to take them from whomsoever He willeth - then surely He is able to remove the mantle of description from whomsoever He pleaseth. This is a mention that applieth universally, not specifically to anyone. But if thou lookest to specific descriptions and considerest God’s hand to be chained and deniest His all-encompassing power, then what sayest thou concerning Mirza Asadu’llah, about whom He explicitly saith: “O Third Letter who hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest”? And it is most clear that the Third Letter of Him Whom God shall make manifest, exalted be His glory, is a hundred thousand ranks above the Letters of the Bayan and his mirrors in the sight of God, for the Point of the Bayan Himself - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath declared: “A one-year-old child in the time of Him Whom God shall make manifest is mightier than all who are in the Bayan.” Now judge thou fairly: Was the Point of the Bayan endowed with insight or not? If thou considerest Him truthful and possessed of vision, why didst thou name as the father of evil one whom He mentioned with such loftiness and transcendence in the Mother Book, and command his execution? O thou who seest with but one eye, thou hast perceived the faults of others while remaining heedless of what is within thyself! If thou sayest he turned away from the Truth and thus this judgment befell him, we say, granting this premise: If it be permissible for the Third Letter of Him Whom God shall make manifest - who by the express text of the Pen of Command was more glorious and exalted than all creation of the Bayan before God - to become a denier, an infidel and an idolator, then why dost thou not deem it possible for one of countless mirrors to turn away from the Truth? Thus was confounded he who disbelieved. By God, none hath understood the essence of this Cause, for had they understood, they would have recognized it.

And in the Tablet to Vahid-i-Akbar, the Dove of Eternity warbleth in most wondrous melodies: “Blessed be the soul that heareth and is among those who ponder the verses of God.” His utterance, exalted be His utterance: “By Him Who splitteth the seed and createth the soul, if I were certain that thou wouldst not believe in Him at the time of His manifestation, I would lift from thee the decree of faith in this Dispensation, for thou wast not created save for Him. And were I to know that any Christian would believe in Him, I would surely make him the apple of Mine eyes and would decree faith for him in this Dispensation without requiring any evidence from him.” He saith: I swear by the Almighty Who split open the seed of hearts and created man, that if I were certain thou wouldst not believe in that Dawning-Place of the Sun of Truth in the next Revelation, I would surely lift from thee the decree of faith in this Dispensation, for thou wast not created save to know that Sun of the Heaven of Certitude. And were I to know that one among the Christians would attain to the recognition of that Beauty of the All-Merciful and believe in Him, I would surely make him the apple of Mine eyes and would decree faith for him in this Dispensation without requiring any evidence from him.

Now, O people of insight, observe how infinitely gentle and tender is God’s Cause, and how His all-embracing mercy hath encompassed all existence, such that regarding one from among the Christians who is today an infidel and idolator, that Divine Tree hath, by virtue of his future faith in the next Manifestation, related and associated him with the most tender and gentle parts of His blessed being. And yet these base creatures of earth, at what level do they stand and gaze! Fie upon you, O heedless ones! By Him Who hath made His Own Self His proof today, and His authority that which floweth from His luminous Pen, should all who are in the Bayan today turn away, and a single Christian believe, the names of all would assuredly be erased from the Preserved Tablet while that Christian’s name would remain. God eraseth what He willeth and confirmeth what He willeth, and with Him is the Mother Book. Apart from all this, have they not heard the account of Balaam which is recorded in the divine Books - that although he was one of the appointed successors of the Prophets of old, and all the peoples of the world deemed service to him obligatory and considered obedience to him as obedience to God, and his fame had encompassed all lands, yet when the Beauty of Moses appeared from the horizon of divine submission, he arose to oppose that Most Beauteous Countenance? Likewise Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples mentioned in the Gospel, delivered the Spirit (Christ) into the hands of the Jews. Beware lest ye ever feel secure from divine trials and tests, but at all times take refuge in the Almighty God, that perchance ye may not today stray from the manifest path nor stumble. Well is it with them that are steadfast, for tests have been and will be for all, and none shall escape from their snare save those whom thy Lord willeth. Should the breeze of His justice blow, thou wouldst behold a hundred thousand essences of light plunged in darkness of self and passion, and should the breeze of His grace waft, thou wouldst observe a hundred thousand mortal frames ascend to the station of the immortal Throne. I swear by God, O people, ye comprehend not and move by mere fancy. Hearken unto the wondrous divine counsels, and transgress not in the Cause of God, nor condemn yourselves to endless torment. Occupy not yourselves with the mirage of the desert instead of the surging Greatest Ocean, nor content yourselves with the passing shadow instead of the eternal Sun of Glory. Hear the utterance of truth from the tongue of the All-Merciful. None today comprehendeth the Bayan and what is treasured therein, and its knowledge is with Us, were ye of them that understand. Be not veiled by the garment of names from the Sovereign of Names, by Whose word was created the Kingdom of Names, for all names are but garments which He clotheth upon whom He willeth as a token of His grace, and which He removeth from whom He willeth in justice from His presence. None questioneth what He doeth, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Today most of the people of the Bayan have been and shall be accounted as worshippers of names before God, for had they truly known the Primal Point for Himself by Himself, they would not, I swear by God, have hesitated less than that in recognizing this holy and eternal Manifestation and divine effulgence. Thus it became evident that they knew Him not for Himself by Himself, exalted and glorified be He, but rather knew Him by His garment of names, exalted be His station. Hence not many days passed before He appeared for Himself by Himself, yet they knew Him not and visited upon Him that which the Pen of Glory is ashamed to mention. This failure to recognize came about only because He changed His garment - that is, the Most Exalted Name was changed to the Most Glorious Name, and none recognized this save those who detached themselves from all who are in the kingdom and ascended unto God with their whole being until they entered the seat of glorious honor. These are My friends beneath the canopy of My loving-kindness, and upon them descendeth tranquility from My presence.

He sends down tranquility upon them from His presence, and they recline upon the thrones of independence. These are they whom God hath preserved from the darts of doubt, and who repose on the cushions of sanctity, their eyes fixed upon My countenance. Upon them, at all times, rest My glory, then My mercy and loving-kindness, then My grace and bounties. Thus hath God chosen them for Himself and made them to be of the faithful.

O servants! Strive that perchance ye may enter beneath the tabernacles of the Sun of divine bounty through the wondrous grace of the Lord of Lords, and remain protected and preserved from the heat of self and desire. These are the counsels of the Pen of Command. Whoso heareth, it is to his own benefit, and whoso turneth away, it is to his own loss. Verily, He is sanctified above all worlds.

Would that the people of the Bayan had contemplated the Persian Bayan which flowed from the merciful Pen, that perchance they would not have deprived themselves in this most holy, divine Manifestation of the Salsabil of divine favor and the Tasnim of heavenly grace. Such doubts have assailed impure hearts that none can distinguish one from another. Should a heart be cleansed of doubt by the ever-flowing Kawthar of the eternal King, it would immediately be sullied by another doubt. Glory be to God! Although the people of the Bayan themselves acknowledge that Prophethood was sealed with the Messenger of God and that the sixtieth year marks the first appearance of God, nevertheless - despite the fact that the Truth now stands manifest in Its own essence and Being, dawning from the horizon “Verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon” - they again make mention of successorship and the like, and through the remnants of vain imaginings left by the people of the Furqan, they seek to veil the lights of the Sun of certitude which hath risen in the holy, eternal heaven of the All-Glorious. How fitting are these two verses in this connection:

O Light of Truth, Husamu’d-Din, and heart!

O heart and soul abashed before thy start!

These fragments seek through envy to conceal

The radiance of thy sun from all below.

Let go of these vain sayings and fix your gaze upon the essence of the Cause and that through which the Names have been established. The Manifestation before Me declares: “Had I not observed the weakness of the people, I would never have made mention of the Divine Will.” Now behold the sanctification of the Cause and the exaltation of what God hath ordained for you, and consider your own rank and station, for now they cling to and cite as proof the base arguments of the lowliest servants among the people of the Furqan. Alas for you, O company of the heedless! In brief, these are the days of Revelation, and the Truth shineth even as the sun in the midst of heaven. No earthly treasures exist in His holy court, that He should need an heir to divide them. And if ye say He needeth an heir in His Cause, this is but tyranny on your part against God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as the Cause hath ever revolved and will continue to revolve around His Own Self, and will never be separated from Him. Beware lest ye establish for God a Vizier, or a peer, or an opponent, or an equal, or an heir, or a partner, or a likeness. Indeed, in the Bayan all these names and whatsoever ye have limited to yourselves have been erased. This is why mention hath been made of Mirrors in the Bayan by the All-Merciful, and even that was not and will never be limited. We hope that from the outpourings of the heaven of sanctification, holy rains may be showered upon dusty and darkened hearts, that perchance, being cleansed of allusions, they may turn unto the Court of the King of Names and Attributes. By God, O people! My purpose in mentioning these irrefutable proofs, decisive evidences, and unambiguous words hath not been to establish Mine own Self, for whoso hath attained, in less measure than can be reckoned, unto spiritual vision will surely behold the lights of the Most Glorious Sun which hath shone forth upon all things in the form of “There is no God but I, the Mighty, the Wise.” Rather, My purpose concerneth Him Who will come at the time of Mustaghath. By God, then will My Pen weep, and My fingers, then Mine eyes, My heart, My liver, My veins, My blood, My bones, and My skin, by reason of that which will befall Him at the hands of such as have disbelieved in God, warred against His Self, disputed His signs, denied His grace, and pronounced judgment against Him after He had appeared with all the signs, proofs, and tokens. By God, ye have done what none among the peoples of former times have done, and have perpetrated that which hath rent asunder the vesture of patience from the body of grandeur. Yet ye walk upon the face of the earth as though ye had committed no wrong. Fie upon you, O company of idolaters! By God, O people! Verily in falsehood there are odors, and likewise in truthfulness, were ye to purify your hearts and your sense of smell and inhale, ye would discover the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. The Pen is bewildered as to what It should mention, for matters have reached such a pass that the pure essence of My spirit, which were it to be addressed by the Most Glorious utterances of all creation would find itself saddened, must now occupy itself with hearing the basest of words. How can it be that a wolf should become the shepherd of the flock? Say: O sightless pauper! First, thou hast not recognized the Shepherd, and second, for years wolves have been your shepherds, as ye have realized after the appearance of the Divine Luminary from the horizon of the spiritual heaven that ye were following a people who, in the sight of God, rank a hundred thousand times lower than wolves, for by the decree of such wolves was the Manifestation of the Lord of Lords martyred with utmost cruelty. The curse of God be upon them!

Secondly, for years the wolves were your shepherds, as after the manifestation of the Divine Luminary from the spiritual horizon of heaven you realized that you were following a people who were a hundred thousand times lower in the sight of God than wolves, for by the decree of those wolves the Manifestation of the Lord of Lords was martyred with utmost tyranny. The curse of God be upon them and their followers! And if you say that before His manifestation, following those people was permissible and acceptable in God’s sight, and after His manifestation and these people’s hesitation in God’s Cause they became counted among the fire, then apply this same ruling in this holy and eternal Manifestation. Hearken unto the divine counsel and purify your hearts from the allusions in the words of the people of veils. Say: O servants of passion, take a step toward God and soar from the land of conjecture into the atmosphere of certitude.

O Pen of the Most Ancient, lay aside for now what thou didst wish to mention to the servants of God, and make mention instead of thy brother who contended with thy Self and disputed the signs of God, that this may be a remembrance to all the worlds, and perchance thereby the eyes may be opened of those who seek the Face at eventide and at dawn, and whose feet have not slipped on this Day when leg is wrapped around leg. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, for twenty years untiring effort and mighty endeavor were expended in his education, training, upbringing and protection, to an extent impossible to recount. Then the migration occurred and we arrived in this land. Some time passed, and Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani departed from the House of God and the fortress of His love, settling in another place. And my brother - by God besides Whom there is no God - arose to cut down the divine Lote-Tree, until God exposed what lay hidden in his soul and his deceit became known among the emigrants, and cries arose from every female and male, young and old. This servant withdrew entirely from all, that perhaps the heat of jealousy might cool and the fire of hatred be quenched. I dwelt alone in the house and closed the doors of entry and exit to all. The women of the household all engaged in lamentation and weeping upon hearing this repugnant matter. By God, none can recount what befell Us, nor could any of the loved ones bear to hear it. At the time of departure, three persons were appointed for service - two specifically for my aforementioned brother and Kalim, and one for myself. Likewise the limited funds that came from the sublime government were divided among all. Afterward all dispersed, dwelling in various places, while this servant sat alone in the house, doors locked and curtains drawn, never associating with any of the friends or others. The door of meeting was entirely closed and the Beauty of eternity veiled. After the Ancient Beauty was veiled, Siyyid Muhammad joined with my brother, and hatred of God became the cause and reason for the unity of these two. They occupied themselves with deception and plots, to the extent that they bribed a certain person with money to go to various lands and attribute to the Tree of the Cause whatever they had perpetrated. Much detail could be given, but I do not deem it proper to engage in such mentions. You have surely heard what is necessary to be revealed, lest people slip from the path of the Cause due to transient false words. Eventually the commissioned person repented and went to some people to recount the details of these matters. When they saw the correspondences that had been sent with him, all were struck with amazement, for whatever he had done they had attributed to the Truth. Likewise they wrote a treatise rejecting God, to be spread in various regions. By God besides Whom there is no God, they spoke as children would, nay lower, were ye to understand. And whatever they wrote thinking to reject God actually proved this most wondrous Cause, if people would look at their words with the eye of God. And what numerous calumnies they attributed to the King of Names and Attributes, ascribing to the Root of the Divine Tree whatever was other than good. I pour out my grief and sorrow unto God alone. Then doth the Tongue of God speak, saying: “Is there any pure water to cleanse My surroundings from these deniers? Is there any sword of utterance to open through explanation and repel from My court the evil of the polytheists? Is there any possessor of steadfastness to help Me in these days wherein the deniers have encompassed Me? Is there any detached one who will recognize Me with Mine own eyes and detach himself from all the worlds? Is there any one possessed of vision who will look upon My Cause and what hath befallen Me from the hosts of the evil ones? Is there any possessor of a tender, pure heart who will weep with My weeping and for that which hath befallen Me from these proud ones? Is there any one possessed of knowledge who will ward off the swords of rejection and hatred from the Face of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful?”

O Supreme Pen! Say: By God the Truth! I have never sought help from anyone in the time when all peoples warred against Me, and God is witness and knower of this. And whenever We seek help from anyone or command the servants to do so, this is only for their attainment to the summit of grace, and apart from this, verily God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

They have written numerous epistles rejecting the Sovereign of Oneness. By God! Through this their deeds have been rendered vain and their efforts have been lost in this world and the next, and they perceive it not. That which they have considered to be the cause and reason for people’s rejection, they have attributed to this servant. Among these is the attribution of worldliness, and this is clear to every person of insight that this servant was manifest and evident like the sun among the deniers. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that no morning brought hope of reaching the night, and likewise no night brought expectation of witnessing the dawn, for the polytheists were striving with utmost effort to cut down the Divine Tree, until the Sun of Power - “the Hand of God is above their hands” - shone forth from the horizon of the Pocket of Grandeur, and the polytheists were vanquished, and the Beauty - verily He is the Prevailer over all things - was established upon the throne of power and might, and departed from Iraq in full glory.

It was known that the intention was to proceed alone to Istanbul. When many showed excessive anxiety and distress, some were given permission to depart, and some departed without permission, until we arrived in that renowned land. Nothing whatsoever was declared to the Sublime State, and whoever presented themselves before Us was granted a meeting, otherwise not, as all have heard, and in the great city itself they have heard what was the divine intention, until several weak ones became agitated and distressed for the protection of themselves and their women. Therefore, out of mercy for them, the decree of exile was revealed. Now, which of these matters was related to worldliness? They have measured by their own standards. Thus do their lying tongues describe to them what they do not understand. By God, besides Whom there is no other God, the Pen of modesty is ashamed to mention what they have done, and if any person of insight were found, the station and rank of the deniers would become evident from their epistles which have appeared from the pen of ignorance and hatred. Two years ago, a poem of Aqa Muhammad-’Ali […]

Two years ago, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-’Ali and Jinab-i-Salman asked about a poem, and my brother wrote an answer. Later, Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani came before Me and mentioned that Mirza ’Ali had not understood the meaning of the poem and it would not be advisable to give this letter to Salman. This servant remained silent. Then they mentioned it to my brother in the House of Kalim with Haji Mirza Ahmad. After some irrelevant words, my brother finally excused himself saying perhaps the questioner had written the original poem incorrectly. Later when they examined the poem, it was written correctly and that writing is with Salman and all have seen it. No one had understood it at all, for all were veiled by imaginings. Now observe how the measure of the deniers becomes evident, and yet they object to the Source and Fountainhead of divine knowledge. By Him through Whose power the Kingdom of destiny stands before His gate - all that has flowed from the Pen has been and will be thus. But eyes are blinded by veils of fancy and desire, therefore none perceive except those whose eyes God has purified from veils and who observe all things with penetrating vision. O servants! Consider how the oppression has reached such a point that the Supreme Pen has become occupied with these words, for people are seen to be weak and immature, lest they become heedless of the Ancient Beauty due to the fabricated words of the deniers. Otherwise, if the least perception and vision were observed, never would mention be made of the deniers and what appeared from them, for today all are obligated to fix their gaze upon the Cause itself and what appears from His presence. Whosoever ascends to that station testifies that He is the Manifest, the Evident, the Dawning, the Luminous in the midst of heaven - He decrees what He wishes and is not questioned about what He desires, and verily He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing. Among other things, they have accused this Wronged One of tyranny. Now reflect on this matter and judge fairly. All the people of the Bayan have met this servant and seen with their own eyes that He has never been pleased with harming anyone - no, by the Lord of the Throne, if you would be fair. The Spirit of the All-Merciful was in the serpent’s mouth for twenty years, yet never was this revealed, and even now, had these fabricated letters not been seen, it would never have been revealed. To this testifies everyone who knows Me and possesses illumined insight. For twenty years my brother was with this servant and no one knew of him, and despite having power over him and knowledge of what was in his heart and mind, the utmost kindness was shown to him. To this all things bear witness, if you would hear. But since they found people to be blind followers without insight, they intended through such words to prevent these people from the Ocean of oceans. It is clear and evident to all the people of the Bayan and others that this servant has not associated with anyone in this land, nor upon arrival in the great city, except those who came before Us, and My tongue moved only to elevate them to the heaven of the Cause. Despite this, they have written that we called them “Rafidi” before the Sunnis. By God, besides Whom there is none other God, these same denying souls have attributed lack of faith in the Tree of the All-Merciful to the Persians.

My tongue moveth only to that which exalteth them to the heaven of Command. Yet they have written that among the Sunnis we are called Rafidi (heretic). I swear by God, besides Whom there is none other God, that these same objecting souls have, among the Persians, attributed lack of faith in the Tree of the All-Merciful to us, and among the Sunnis, the attribute of heresy. Let someone now arise, purely for God’s sake, to determine truth from falsehood. We establish the criterion of truth and falsehood by these very words. Then doth the Tongue of Grandeur call out from His Most Great Throne, saying: “The curse of God be upon the first oppressor who wronged the Primal Point in His latter Manifestation, who disbelieved in His verses, who warred against His Self, who contended against His sovereignty, who associated partners with His Being, who denied His words, who turned away from His beauty, and who was recorded in God’s tablets by the Most Holy Pen as being among the idolators.”

I swear by God, whenever there was mention, in the land of Ta (Tehran) or Iraq or elsewhere, of seizing this community, my brother would depart from Iraq to various regions, as most have heard and know. And this servant remained alone among the enemies until, through divine power, the Cause was exalted and all became secure in their own souls and emerged from behind the veil. The first thing they occupied themselves with was attempting to cut down the Tree of the Cause. When they found themselves disappointed and defeated in what they desired, they afterward wrote to various regions, attributing their own desire to God’s will and purpose. This, despite the fact that this servant had abolished the decree of killing which was widely known among this group, and which had been abrogated in most tablets flowing from God’s pen, which some must surely have seen.

Among other things, it was asked what was meant by the “help” mentioned in God’s wondrous verses. That which was sent down from the direction of the Throne in response is this, which we quote verbatim: The help mentioned in the exalted tablets is known to the loved ones of God. The Truth, exalted be His mention, is sanctified above this world and all that is therein. By help was never meant that anyone should contend or dispute with another. The King of Glory has placed all the earth, both land and sea, in the hands of the kings, who are the manifestations of divine power according to their ranks. If they enter beneath the shadow of Truth, they are reckoned as of the Truth, and apart from this, thy Lord is indeed All-Knowing, All-Informed. What the Truth, exalted be His mention, has desired for Himself are the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of divine revelation and the repositories of divine love. The intention of the Eternal Sovereign has ever been to purify hearts from the allusions of the world and all that is therein and thereon, that they might become worthy to receive the lights of the manifestations of the King of Names and Attributes. Therefore, no stranger must find way into the city of the heart, that the Friend might hasten to His place - meaning the manifestation of His beauty, not His Essence and Self, for He has ever been and shall ever be sanctified above ascent and descent. Therefore, the triumph of God’s Cause today has not been and never shall be through contention with any soul, disputation with any person, or conflict with any thing. Rather, what is beloved is that the cities of hearts should be conquered through the sword of utterance and the wisdom of expression, not through the sword of steel. Therefore, whosoever desires to assist the divine Cause must first conquer the city of his own heart with the sword of meaning and expression, purify it from all things save God, and then turn toward the cities of hearts. This is the triumph of God’s Cause which today has dawned from the horizon of the finger of the King of Names. Corruption has never been and never shall be beloved. Whatever occurred in the past was without God’s leave. In any case, today the loved ones of God must appear among the servants in such wise that through their deeds they may guide all to the good-pleasure of the All-Glorious One. I swear by the sun of the morn of sanctified glory that never have the Truth and His loved ones who are associated with Him regarded, nor will they ever regard, the earth and its transient riches. For if the purpose had been to take possession of the earth, He was assuredly able and powerful to do so, and with but a single word could have taken possession of the entire world. But He has bestowed sovereignty upon sovereigns, wisdom upon the discerning ones, knowledge upon the mystics, and has reserved for Himself the love of the hearts of His servants, and naught else has He regarded nor will He ever regard. This too stems from His supreme grace, that perchance mortal souls might be cleansed and sanctified from earthly conditions and enter the eternal station which is the paradise of divine oneness. Otherwise, that ancient King has been, in His own Essence and for His own Self, independent of all things. Neither does the love of created things profit Him, nor does their harm affect Him. All shall emerge from their earthen abodes and unto Him shall they return. And that eternal Beauty shall remain alone and single upon His throne, which is sanctified from place and time, from mention and indication, from description and attribute, from elevation and abasement. None knoweth this save those endowed with insight and perception.

Nevertheless, they have attributed to God, exalted be His glory, that which they themselves have wrought and done, even though it is clear to all that God doeth what He willeth and is powerful over whatsoever He decreeth, and none may object to His will. Yet, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, He hath never been pleased with the harm of any soul–and the Pen of God beareth witness to this, if ye would but see. Among other things, they have stated in their letters that this servant hath studied and that these revealed words have resulted from acquired learning. Similarly, in every age such unseemly statements have been made about every Manifestation, as they attributed the same to My previous Manifestation, and before Him to Muhammad, the Apostle of God: “It is surely a mortal that teacheth him. The tongue of him at whom they hint is foreign, while this is clear Arabic speech.” Now let any soul in all of Persia and Iraq investigate, that the truth and falsehood may become known. Woe unto them and unto that which they utter! O ye who are devoid of understanding! The source of these sciences is the Ancient Being, and the fountainhead of this wisdom is God Himself, the Most Great, were ye of those who perceive.

Here is that Divine Revelation which is the Supreme Support of this decree, if ye be of them that perceive. If ye listen with the ear of innate understanding, ye will hear today the same words to which the learned and the ignorant of that age gave voice in their objection to God at the time of the appearance of the Most Mighty Point. By God, O people! I am bewildered at my condition and what hath befallen me. Would that I had not been born of my mother, or if born had not suckled at her breast, or had not grown to maturity. But that which was destined hath appeared and the hosts of divine revelation have descended, and the matter hath been decided by God, the One, the All-Compelling. O people! Hear My words and rend asunder the veils, even should they be the mirrors of the heavens and earth. Beware lest anything prevent you from the breezes of these days. By God! Neither the treasures of creation nor the repositories of invention can compare with them - and God is witness and knower of this.

I swear by the Sun of the eternal heaven that were this matter in My hands, not a single verse would I recite before these people, for they have entirely deviated from their original divine nature. But God hath decreed what He willeth and accomplished what He pleaseth. None can resist His will or reverse His decree, and He is wise in all things. Were it not that the people of this realm are seen to be in turmoil, permission would surely be granted for all to appear before God, that they might witness what no one in all the worlds hath witnessed.

Among other things he hath written that the station of the Sun is found in the shadow of the Mirror, and that this rank is above all stations, and that from this Mirror suns arise. Glory be to God! How ignorant he hath assumed people to be, when it is abundantly clear and evident that the creation and existence of the mirror is solely to reflect images and forms. It is obvious to any person of insight that the appearance of reflections and forms in it hath not and never had any reality in itself. This matter is clear even to the blind, let alone those with sight. Nevertheless, with such expressions which, by God besides Whom there is none other God, no ignorant person would utter, he hath written in his treatises and sought thereby to deprive people from the Creator and Establisher of names and attributes. This is naught but his seeing the servants immersed in the seas of fancy and desire, and supposing that whatever he mentioneth will surely be accepted. Otherwise, he would not occupy himself with such statements whose falsity is more evident than the sun at its zenith.

He hath clung to the fact that the Point of the Bayan - may the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath in one instance called Himself the Mirror of God, and therefore the station of Mirror is above that of Sun. By Him Who hath caused me to speak the truth and made me to shine from the horizon of holiness upon all the worlds, were anyone to ponder this single point, he would become aware of all the claims of these brutish cattle. First, that Ancient Being hath designated Himself by all His names and described Himself with all attributes, whether from the highest or lowest stations of names, as He saith in the beginning of the Best of Stories - exalted be His glory: “Praise be to God Who hath sent down the Book unto His servant that he might be a blazing lamp unto all the worlds.” Now can anyone claim that the station of lamp is above that of the sun? No, by God! None would utter such words save one who speaks from desire and seeks to cast doubt into pure and luminous hearts. Evil indeed is that which they do!

Know thou with certainty that in that most holy sanctuary all names exist in one plane, for when that Ancient Being declareth “I am the Lord of Lords” and “I am the earth and dust”, in that most great perspective these two occupy the same station. Hearts clouded with veils will never comprehend this most subtle, most pure, and most refined utterance. As that Ancient Beauty hath said, exalted be His remembrance: “Say: I have descended to such a degree that I proclaimed: ‘I am but an atom and less than an atom,’ just as I proclaimed: ‘I am the Lord and Creator of all lords.’ I seek God’s forgiveness for both these statements, and unto God, my Lord, do I return.”

O ye who wander in the valleys of ignorance and error, who have drunk from the cup of bitterness while deeming it the sealed wine of sanctity, who burn in the fire of self yet count yourselves among the dwellers of the highest paradise! What regret, that ye have not pondered for a moment upon the consummate wisdom of the All-Merciful, nor turned with enlightened vision to the Cause of the Lord of the Day of Judgment! Ye have so veiled the words of the All-Merciful - which were revealed with perfect expansiveness and all-encompassing power without limitation - with the veils of your own selves that the tongues of all creation are powerless to describe it.

Consider now this passage that hath flowed from the Divine Pen. He saith: “I descended until I said, ‘I am an atom and less than an atom,’ just as I said, ‘I am the Lord and Creator of all lords.’ Nay, I seek forgiveness for both these mentions.” Observe how that Ancient Beauty hath referred to Himself by all names. Can it then be said that an atom is above the sun, or that dust is above the Lord of Lords? Be fair, if ye be of the fair-minded!

By Him Who hath made me the Manifestation of His Essence, His Being, His Glory and His Splendor! If ye would ponder these blessed divine words, the gates of infinite knowledge would be opened before your hearts’ faces, such that ye would no longer be troubled when someone is referred to by God’s names, or as God’s Essence, or God’s Mirror. For all names in that sanctuary are equal with no distinction between them, and all these names circle round the Manifestation of the Ancient Being and ever shall. Thus if in this moment the Ancient Beauty should designate a tree with all the Most Beautiful Names and Supreme Attributes, verily He hath power to do so and none may object, for He is the All-Choosing and all else are in the grip of His power. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Compelling.

Furthermore, He hath called all creation delicate mirrors, saying that if the attractions of divine love touch these mirrors they are drawn forth, and if aught else touches them, a dust settleth upon those mirrors that becomes a veil between that mirror and the knowledge of the command of the All-Possessing, All-Knowing Lord. As He, exalted and glorified be He, hath said: “Verily the creation consists of delicate mirrors. If they be touched by love, they are attracted, and if they be touched by aught save love, there descendeth upon their surface a dust that preventeth them from the command of their Lord.” Thus ponder, O heedless ones! And this utterance hath been revealed by the Point of the Bayan, glorified be His grandeur, in general terms. And if thou regardest it specifically, He addresseth Aqa Siyyid Javad, saying, exalted and glorified be His Word: “Thou art that Primal Mirror which hath ever reflected the Truth and will ever continue to reflect it.” Likewise hath He called him the First Cause. By God! This station transcendeth all names, whether it be the Essence of God, the Entity of God, the Remembrance of God, or the Mirror of God, for aforetime whosoever attributed such a station to the Apostle of God was deemed an infidel, since they regarded the True One Himself as the First Cause. And likewise was revealed concerning him, glorified be His mention: “We have made thee a prophet unto all the worlds.” Now, despite all these stations and attributes, beyond which none are mentioned in the Bayan, if he should turn away from the Truth, God forbid, all these most exalted stations would be lifted from him. And if ye observe with clear vision, all things in the Bayan have been designated by all the most beautiful names, but none comprehendeth this save the sincere ones. These words are mentioned lest anyone suppose that the attributes revealed in the Bayan were specific to one soul and not another. Rather, they are established for all, so long as they abide beneath the shadow of the Truth, and after departing therefrom all are deprived and forbidden. Similarly, regarding the station of His Holiness Quddus, may the spirit of all worlds be his sacrifice, He saith, glorified be His mention, that eight unities of God’s Mirror were established in his seat, and from the intensity of the fire of His love none could draw nigh unto him. Now observe how He hath mentioned eight unities of God’s Mirror in his blessed person. Ponder, O ye possessors of insight! Within this utterance are concealed mystical treasures of knowledge, which this servant hath not mentioned for fear of the Nimrod of oppression and the Pharaoh of ignorance. Likewise in all stations it hath been revealed from the Pen of Glory that a mirror hath no reality in itself except through its confrontation with the Sun, and the Sun they have declared to be one from time immemorial and unto eternity, and none have they designated by this name save the Ancient Being in every Dispensation. Nevertheless, it is written that the station of the Sun is beneath the station of the Mirror, and that Suns arise from the Mirror. By God! O people, I speak not from mere desire. If ye would but ponder on this very statement, ye would bear witness with certitude that these words have proceeded from sheer ignorance and utter hatred. I adjure you, O people, by God Who created you and fashioned you, to observe in the beginning of the Persian Bayan where He saith, glorified be His mention: “If the mirror saith ‘the sun is in me,’ it is evident before the sun that it is but its reflection that speaketh thus.” Yet he hath written that the Mirror is above the Sun.

Concerning “He fashioned you” as mentioned in the beginning of the Persian Bayan, observe what He says - exalted be His remembrance: “If the mirror should say ‘the sun is within me,’ it is evident to the sun that what it speaks of is but its reflection.” Nevertheless, he has written that the mirror is above the sun and that the suns lie within the shadow of the mirror. [If by these suns that he mentions he means the Suns of Truth, exalted be He above this! For by a single revelation from among the revelations of the Sun of Truth, a hundred thousand mirrors can be raised up in less than a moment. Apart from this, verily the mirror was created to receive the reflection of one among the revelations of the Sun, if it be pure; otherwise it is judged as a mere stone. For it is evident to all who possess insight that mirrors were created to capture the reflections of things, as has been mentioned. And if what was intended was the suns of names and what lies beneath them, this is not specific to any one soul, for these suns exist in all things and appear therefrom at such time as God has ordained. And whosoever opens the eye of his heart will witness in every atom a sun, then in this sun another sun, then in the sun of the sun another sun, unto infinity. However, the wisdom of God has not mentioned this station, lest the feet of the mystics should slip.]

O people! By God, what an injustice has been wrought against the Ancient Beauty by one who prided himself to stand before Him! When his name became renowned, he denied God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And since My previous Manifestation knew that in the subsequent Revelation the mirror would claim to be the sun, this decree was issued from the Pen of Glory. He became so immersed in the ocean of pride and vainglory that he clung to the words of My previous Manifestation to establish his own elevated station, while turning away from their Source, Mine, Manifestation and Revealer. Far be it from the wrongdoing people! He has likewise named himself the Tree of Greatness. By God, all these words stem from his finding people to be foolish. If he were to be considered a tree in the sight of God, he would be among those trees that should be cut down and cast into the fire, unless he repents unto God, seeks forgiveness for his deeds, and becomes of those who turn in repentance. It is clear to all, whether among the emigrants in this land or to any person of insight who observes matters with divine vision, that these vainglorious words have never issued from false, fabricated, idolatrous tongues except when, having witnessed this wondrous and most exalted Sun rising from the horizon of the dawn of eternity and hearing the melody “Verily, I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon” resounding between earth and heaven, he hastened unwittingly to utter such words, attempting to establish for himself a station above God’s station. This can never be possible, for all else besides Him are created by His command, brought into being by His will, and move by His leave. They are but His servants, His subjects, His creation, His creatures, and His slaves. Can there be any station above God’s station that one might claim for himself? He has risen by Himself and for Himself in the exaltation of His Own Self - a station that has neither above nor below, neither right nor left, neither before nor behind. He created all directions without direction by His Will, and all things without example by His Command. He is the Creator of every station and the Revealer of every decree. All else besides Him may glory in Him, but He glories not in any created thing. He is the Sanctified, the Holy, the Powerful, the One to be obeyed.

O people! Hearken unto My call and inflict not upon My Beauty that which ye have been forbidden in all the Tablets. By God, this is the extended Divine Hand of Power that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. This is the Tongue of Divine Reality that singeth upon the highest branch of the Tree of Divine Oneness. This is the Ancient Pen from which flow, day and night, the oceans of divine mysteries and knowledge. This is the Treasury of the pearls of consummate wisdom and the Mine of divine knowledge, and hath been and shall forever remain bountiful in its outpouring. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the droplets of its grace and deem it necessary to follow any sightless soul. He hath likewise mentioned in his treatise that these claims were made merely upon learning a few words and phrases, and by these nonsensical words intended this divine and eternal Temple. But by Him Who is single in power and might, throughout all nights and days an exalted effort was made to teach him, just as teachers instruct children in the alphabet. Would that my people knew how limited was his understanding, how base his station, how great his pride, and how arrogant his utterance! This is clear and evident to any person of insight and requires no detailed mention. Among other things, he alleged that this servant spoke disrespectfully of the Primal Point, whereas this servant proclaims throughout the heavens and earth: “Verily I am His very self, His essence, His spirit, His form, and His glory!” How then could I speak of that Most Exalted Essence and Most Resplendent Source - may the spirit of all who dwell in the realms of immortality be sacrificed for His sake - in any way contrary to God’s good-pleasure? Indeed, this is exactly like the people of the Qur’an who, at the dawning of the Revelation, claimed that these people had no love for the Messenger of God, hoping thereby to deprive the servants of the knowledge of God Himself on the Day of Return, as they have done and continue to do. The curse of God be upon the fabricators! This, despite the fact that wondrous verses have encompassed the whole world, and all the people of the Bayan bear witness to this, and the equivalent of what was revealed in the Bayan has been revealed from this wondrous Revelation. There is not a single person among the people of the Bayan who does not possess the traces of God, and beyond that, what exists in this land has left scribes unable to copy it all, such that most remain uncopied. Nevertheless, he wrote that merely by understanding a few phrases they made such claims. Now judge fairly: with what audacity and boldness has he uttered words whose falsehood shines forth like the sun in mid-heaven, clear and evident! Although, by God besides Whom there is no other God, this servant never desired that what was newly revealed from the heaven of Will should become widely known in various lands, for very few pure eyes are seen that are capable of beholding the signs of God. Therefore I always kept them concealed, and how many verses of God that were revealed in Iraq were cast into the river and effaced! Now the equivalent of a hundred thousand verses exist in this land, and they have not yet even been copied, let alone bound into volumes. For such matters that pertain to self-display, this servant has always been and will remain sanctified above them. Several times some have wished to compile what exists into volumes and send them to various regions, but permission has not yet been granted, for none of the Divine Manifestations have ever personally undertaken such matters. Even as the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - did not Himself attend to such matters, but said that later they should be arranged in the most excellent order. He says, exalted be His mention: “Blessed is he who beholds the order of Baha’u’llah and renders thanks unto his Lord, for it shall be made manifest, and there is no turning back from it, by God’s command in the Bayan.” Similarly, in the past, the Qur’an was compiled into a volume after the ascension of that Ancient Being.

And likewise, after the ascension of the Messenger of God, the Qur’an was bound into a volume, as was the Gospel before it. Although the holy and glorious verses have encompassed the East and West of the world, they have clung to these words and interpreted them in four words. Thus in the previous year numerous writings about the rites of pilgrimage issued forth from the Pen of Glory, yet only one Surah was sent, known as the Surah of Pilgrimage. This servant has never spent time promoting such matters, nor will he do so. The station of revelation belongs to God, and dissemination belongs to the creation. And verily He is the Propagator of His Cause through the spreading hands of His near angels.

Of necessity, spiritual servants must appear from behind the pavilion of divine infallibility to gather the signs of God and arrange them in the most excellent order. This is assured beyond doubt.

Furthermore, some have written certain statements and attributed them to the Point of the Bayan (may our souls be sacrificed for His sake). This is an obvious falsehood, and the Point of the Bayan now disassociates Himself from them and their words - and God bears witness to this, even if you do not bear witness.

How much they pride themselves on names! By God, besides Whom there is no other God, the like of such souls has never been seen in creation. Day and night they spend their time trying to find a word in the Book of God to interpret according to their own understanding. At the time of separation from my brother, I sent him a box containing writings, circles and talismans in the handwriting of the Primal Point, with this message: “Since you are so eager to take pride in these traces after turning away from the Truth, I am sending these to you so that you may send these talismans to some in different lands and demonstrate your station, or share them with whoever comes to you.” This you continue to do today, even adding some of your own fabricated words to those words, perchance to cause the feet of the knowing ones to slip.

O servants! Turn your eyes from these matters and purify your hearts, for today such bounty has appeared that in a single day and night, if a scribe were capable, the equivalent of the Persian Bayan could be revealed from the holy divine heaven. Likewise with verses in an wondrous Arabic tongue. Present yourselves before the Throne that you may witness with your own eyes. Compare not God’s words with any others, and be possessed of clear vision.

O people! Bear witness to that which God has witnessed, turn not to anyone else, and be not among the doubters. God bears witness that there is no God but Him and that the Primal Point is His servant and His Glory. Thus was it revealed aforetime from the Pen of God, the Exalted, the Great.

Had you fully understood the meaning of even this one verse, you would never have been veiled from God’s Most Great Path. Today most of the people of the Bayan bear witness to this, yet when they come upon this blessed Name, their faces darken, their hearts are troubled, their feet slip, and they become of the hesitant ones.

By God, the Truth! No deed is acceptable to God except through acknowledgment of this blessed, purified Name. Well is it with them that remember.

By the True God, no deed is acceptable before God unless accompanied by recognition of this blessed, purified Name. Well is it with them that remember and with them that are firm. Furthermore, in his treatises he has boasted that Tahirih and Azim submitted to him. Although this servant considers such boasting utterly vain and wholly worthless - and this is not from pride or arrogance, for this servant has never seen nor will ever see any station in himself - nevertheless this has been mentioned in relation to manifesting God’s glory, for all the essences of the Letters in their origin and innermost reality have been and shall ever be sent forth by His Word. It beseemeth not God to adduce proof of His Manifestation through any save His own Self and what proceedeth from His presence, for every proof is established through its connection to Him and every path is made straight through its relation to Him. However, since people are observed to be weak and immature, this servant mentioneth that whatsoever divine words have been specifically revealed concerning this Cause are and shall ever be beyond the reckoning of such souls. If people would look with the eye of God, this one statement of the Point of the Bayan - exalted be His praise - would suffice for all when He saith: “Verily I am living in the Most Glorious Horizon,” even as today He is manifest, evident and shining from the Most Glorious Horizon, and at this moment He heareth and seeth all that the creatures say and do. Moreover, His testimony recorded in the Tablets, which all are commanded to recite, is a clear proof for whoso gazeth with the eye of God his Lord. His exalted Word declareth: “God beareth witness that there is no God but Him and that the Primal Point is His servant and His Glory.” These verses are a clear proof and decisive evidence, yet they increase not the deluded save in loss, for the deluded have interpreted all verses according to their vain imaginings. Likewise He saith, exalted be His remembrance: “Verily I am the Most Great Throne of Glory in truth. I have been above the dawning-place of the flowing Ruby above the Mount.” If one would ponder upon His purpose in this blessed revealed verse, ye would become aware of the sublimity of this most exalted, most impregnable, most holy Manifestation. And likewise He saith, exalted be His glory: “God hath verily created around that Gate seas of crimson elixir and animals bearing the Fruit of the Purpose, and God hath ordained for Him ships of moist red ruby wherein none shall embark save the people of Baha by God’s leave, the Most High, and He is God, the Mighty, the Wise.” Now the ships of moist red ruby sail forth upon the mighty sea. O people of Baha, detach yourselves from all save God and enter and embark upon the Ark of Unity and the eternal Ship of Glory, for whosoever holdeth fast to this Ark is reckoned before God among the people of constancy, salvation, the highest heaven and paradise, and whosoever faileth to do so is accounted among the people of fire, perdition, the lowest depths and the abyss. Beware lest ye barter religion for the world, or exchange the Joseph of the glory of oneness for the commodities of this world and the next. Soon shall ye see all that is visible perish. Therefore hasten with the utmost endeavor to the shelter of the Lord of creation, for there is and shall be no safer refuge than His shadow. And His word, exalted be His glory: “As for the youth, he was of the tree of fire ignited from this yellow spring. We put him to death in visible form, as God had ordained in the Book a portion from his parents. We feared he would overwhelm them with rebellion and disbelief in the beauty of Baha.” Now it is very clear that all have rebelled against this most manifest, most luminous Beauty to such an extent that none save God can reckon it. Would that they had contented themselves with rebellion and pride! Rather, they have been and shall ever be occupied with destroying the House of God and His sanctuary. Their hearts will find no rest save in drinking my blood, though We created them and preserved them to exalt My Cause and aid My Beauty. But when they grew strong and found confidence in themselves, they arose to slay Me with great rebellion. When I reached that station, the Herald called out from behind the pavilion of eternity: “O Most Exalted Pen! Do not limit Thy Cause to one mention over another. Say: By God! The entire Bayan was revealed for My wondrous and exalted Cause. Were it not for Thee, not a single letter of the Bayan would have been revealed, nor any noble scrolls. Leave the dead, for those who believe not in Thee are dead, not living. They hear not nor understand, even if all the words of the ancients and the moderns were recited to them. Those whom God hath given life through Thee - these have, in their love for Thee, read all the books and shall need naught besides Thee, for God hath made Thy Manifestation itself a proof to all the worlds.” When I heard the call, I was content with what was inscribed by the finger of holy radiance.

Indeed, the verses of divine unity concerning this Name and Manifestation are more than can be counted. Yet these base people have interpreted this blessed Name as the land of Ta, because the Bab (may my soul be sacrificed for all else save Him) named it the Land of Baha. They lack even the consciousness to understand that His purpose was to herald the manifestation of the Holy Beauty in that land - the land whereon walked Baha and wherein dwelt this radiant, shining Name. Thus did He mention this blessed Name in all ranks before all other names. Likewise observe in the prayer mentioned before, where this blessed Name is cited as the most ancient of names in His words: “O God! I beseech Thee by Thy Baha at its most splendid.” Similarly, when naming the months with new names, He associated the first with this Name. In all things, if you observe, He mentioned their most excellent aspect by this Name. Yet observe to what degree hatred has reached, that they interpret this blessed Name as referring to a land - though a particle of its dust is better than they and their essence and their reality. Fie upon them and what lies in their breasts of the fire of jealousy and hatred, by which they are consumed at every moment while they perceive it not. Furthermore, His Holiness Quddus (may His praise be glorified) wrote and sent several tablets in the land of Bada�t, which this servant never revealed […]

If one with vision, having eyes that see,

Should looking deeply, pondering be,

A hundred thousand like the Primal Point

Would manifest should He unveil His face.

Then verily, my station is His station, my power His power, my sovereignty His sovereignty, and His Manifestation is my proof, and what flows from His Pen is my evidence, just as my Manifestation is His proof and what flows from my Pen is His evidence. However, for the protection of immature souls this is written. And among them was the Point of Attraction, her eminence Tahirih, upon her be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, who was with this servant for a time and would not have exchanged a single moment in the presence of this youth for the kingdom of this world and the next, and desired not to be separated from me for less than a moment, but what was destined came to pass. And how many verses and poems she composed regarding this wondrous Cause, among them a ghazal describing the Divine Countenance, of which one couplet is:

Should Baha cast aside the veil from His face

A hundred thousand like the Primal Point would come into being.

In like manner hath He amply described others besides this servant, and above all these utterances is the Hidden Book of the Primal Point – may the souls of all else be His sacrifice – all of which hath been revealed concerning this wondrous Cause but remaineth veiled from sight. Beseech ye God that ye may attain unto it. I swear by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, that had the one who today claimeth the Divine Beauty not mentioned such proofs in his book and not sought to adduce them as evidence whereby to lead men astray, this servant would never have adduced such proofs. O servants! Hearken unto the Most Exalted Call in His subsequent Manifestation and efface all these proofs from your hearts, for if ye should cling to words and allusions and scriptures and books in this novel and divine Manifestation, ye shall never attain unto the essence of the knowledge of the Countenance of the All-Merciful and the Sovereign of all possibility. Rather, fix your gaze upon that same proof whereby the Primal Point Himself – exalted and glorified be He – came and established His Cause, and likewise before Him the Beauty of the Ancient of Days, Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before Him the Son of Mary, and before Him He Who conversed with God. I swear by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands that a single letter of the verses of God is, in the estimation of this servant, more precious than all who are in the heavens and the earth. And concerning what hath been mentioned about not fixing one’s gaze upon words and allusions and evidences and names and attributes at the time of His manifestation - this is a decree which the Primal Point Himself – may the souls of all else be His sacrifice – hath pronounced, and that Divine Beauty intended thereby that the people of the Bayan might not, at the time of His manifestation, cling to traditions and verses like unto the people of the Furqan, and raise objections against Him Who is their Source and Creator and Revealer. Consider a little this most excellent and most sublime Manifestation, and ye shall become aware of countless mysteries, and shall observe that from the beginning of creation until now no such Manifestation hath appeared, although in view of the unpreparedness of the servants, means of prevention have also been ordained, that thereby the essence might be distinguished from the accident, and spirit from clay. I swear by God the True One that if today an atom of pure substance were to be mingled with a hundred thousand measures of stone and concealed behind seven seas, assuredly the hand of divine power would manifest it and separate from it that atom of pure substance. O people! The breath of God is wafting, and the Spirit of God is stirring, and the attraction of God is dawning from the horizon of the Beauty of the All-Merciful. Bestir yourselves from the slumber of self and passion and behold what hath appeared in creation. Beware lest ye hearken unto the idle fancies of the people, for today, were a pure ear to be found, it would hear from this people that which was heard from the people of the Furqan and that which was heard from the people of the Torah and the Gospel, and beyond mere words, would witness with both outward and inward vision those very same deeds. Even as today one who hath contended with the Self of God and shown pride before Him Who created him hath mentioned in his words that if the Truth should appear, whether from among the people of the Bayan or others, whether bond or free, whether black or white, “this servant is obedient and hath no word to say.” Now observe how he uttereth these words even while at that very moment he is engaged in contention with the Beauty of God.

How pure this obedient servant is! I have nothing to say. Now observe that he speaks these words at the very time he is engaged in warfare against the Beauty of God and stands in utter rejection. Consider and reflect upon what constitutes the proof of Truth and what are the signs of the Manifestation of Truth. This Manifestation, whose light has encompassed the world, he rejects and stands ready to slay, while occupying himself with such utterances to delude the people. Just as in the first Manifestation, when the divines of the Qur’an, with prayer beads in hand, were engaged in worship in their temples with the utmost humility and submissiveness, displaying such piety that when the name of Truth was mentioned they would rise and show complete humility and meekness - yet in that very state of humility and submissiveness they would issue the decree for His death and pronounce judgment of unbelief against Him, saying: “How could we reject the Truth when we spend our nights in expectation and our days seeking it? Whenever He appears, we shall be obedient and submissive.” But now, by God! I swear by Him besides Whom there is no God, he severs the head of the very Manifestation of Truth with the knife of tyranny and wickedness and the sword of hatred and enmity, while at that same moment, with bowed neck, he utters these words: “Whenever Truth appears, I am obedient.” By God, O people, he has found you so immature that he speaks such delirious words, and has found you so deluded that while he issues the death decree against the Truth manifested in all revelations and constantly wages war against His beauty, he still utters such statements. Alas and grief for you in that you have remained heedless of Him Who was more manifest than any manifestation, and have occupied yourselves with one from whom, by God, were you to become aware of him, you would flee a thousand paces. We beseech God to separate me from him and to purify the land whereon I dwell from the defilement of these transgressors, or to cause me to dwell in another land. Verily He is the bestower of grace upon His servants and is powerful over all things.

Say: O ignorant one! The Beloved Himself is manifest and shining like the sun, yet you have not today attained to His recognition. Indeed, despite all the proofs and evidences that have encompassed the world, you do not count Him among the believers. Nevertheless, you cling to His words, desiring to establish authority for yourself. By God, the Truth! All things give you the lie, but you do not perceive it. Your example before God is like that of the people of the Qur’an who established their leadership through the words of the Messenger while seated upon thrones of glory and authority, yet visited upon His person that which no eye in creation has seen or comprehended. O you who are intoxicated with the wine of self and desire! You have turned away from the manifest Sovereign and clung to your own delusions. This humiliation suffices you - that you have denied the verses whereby your religion was established and through which you seek glory and station for yourself, yet you are unaware. Therefore you have no station before God except the station of those who rejected after having believed.

Yet you are not a true poet, wherefore your position in the sight of God is as the position of those who turned away after believing and denied after having confessed, if you be among those possessed of insight. By the True God, the Spirit Faithful hath rent the hair from his head because of what you have done, though you perceive it not and are among the heedless ones. The maidens of Paradise have seated themselves upon ashes because of your tyranny, while you remain among those who rejoice. By the True God, all things wail inwardly and weep, yet you remain heedless and are numbered among those who turn away. You are the one who mentions the Beloved with your tongue to cause confusion among the people, while seeking to slay the Beloved of the first and the last. Were God to open your eyes, you would witness that through your tyranny the Beloved is suspended in the air, while you cast at Him at every moment the arrows of envy and hatred, then the darts of rancor and enmity, then the bullets of denial - and God is witness and well-aware of this. Therefore doth Muhammad wail in the Most Exalted Horizon, and the Spirit weepeth in the Most Glorious Companion, then Moses at the Divine Lote-Tree, then the eyes of the Prophets and Messengers. O thou who art drunk with the wine of pride for less than a moment of time, come to thy senses! Reflect upon thyself and thine actions. Let us suppose thou hast caused God’s Cause to appear dubious to this group of immature ones, and they all prostrate before thee instead of God - what benefit hath it brought thee? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds, it hath yielded and will yield naught but loss in this world and the next. Even if today thou sittest upon a throne of rubies, in the sight of God thou dwellest in the lowest abyss. By God, if thou wouldst hearken with thine innate hearing, thou wouldst hear the very earth upon which thou sittest seeking refuge with God from thee, saying: “O heedless one! By what proof and evidence dost thou establish thy right while denying Him Who possesseth all right and by Whom right is established? Fie upon thee and upon those who have taken thee as their beloved instead of God!” If thou wert not convinced of His truth, why didst thou arise to slay Him? For twenty years He strove to protect thee, though well aware of what was in thy heart. Had He wished it for but a moment, thou wouldst have ceased to exist. Yet still thou remainest heedless and hast attributed thine actions to the Truth throughout all regions. By God, naught dwelleth in this heart save the lights of the dawning splendors of eternity, nor is He content with harming any soul. O My brother! Hear the call of Him Who through thy tyranny hath fallen into this bottomless pit, His garment sprinkled with the truthful blood of thy hatred, and from the depths of the pit He calleth saying: “O brother! Deal not with thy brother as the son of Adam dealt with his brother. O brother! Fear God and dispute not My verses, war not against My Self, and slay not Him Who hath made His breast a target for the sword of enemies, lest harm befall thee - He Who hath protected thee through all nights and days, at every morn and eve. O brother! By the True God, I speak not of Mine own desire - this is naught but a revelation revealed. The Mighty Spirit hath taught Me at the Divine Lote-Tree. By God, O brother, this proceedeth not from Myself but from One Mighty, Wise. Whenever I approached thee, that no mischief might arise to try the servants, preserving thy Lord’s Cause, thou didst cast at Me the darts of discord. And whenever I drew nigh unto thee that perchance thy soul might find peace thereby, thou didst rise against me in hypocrisy, as thy very essence beareth witness, if thou be of those who deny.

By God, O my brother, whenever I remained silent concerning the wondrous remembrance of my Lord, the Holy Spirit raised me up to His Cause, and the Most Great Spirit awakened me from my slumber and caused me to speak the truth between the heavens and the earth. If this be my sin, then I am not the first to have sinned, for those who came before me committed the same, then he who was named Ali in the Kingdom of Names, then Muhammad in the most exalted Dominion, then the Son in the Supreme Concourse, then He Who conversed with God on this blessed, holy, mighty and sublime Sinai.

O my brother! Look thou in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers, then at what is in their hands of God’s proofs, His evidence, His signs, His traces, His manifestations and His verses. Then judge fairly concerning thy brother and be not of those who wronged the Self of God and then sought to wrong others, that they might cast doubt and suspicion into the hearts of the believers.

By God! When thy brother learned that thou hadst risen against him and that the fire of jealousy would not be quenched in thy breast, he departed with his family alone and entered another house, closing upon his face the door of coming and going, and there did he remain among those who dwell therein. Yet even then, O my brother, thou wast not content within thyself and wrote what thou wrote and sent what thou sent. By God! The Pen is ashamed to record what thou hast mentioned and what thou hast alleged against thy brother. By God! Thereby hast thou violated my sanctity and the sanctity of God among His servants. Soon shalt thou witness and see, though at that moment thou mayest be among the heedless.

Therefore, arise from the slumber of self and passion, trim the bristles of envy and clip the nails of hatred, then perfume thyself with the fragrance of faithfulness, wash thyself with the waters of holiness, and place thy face upon the dust in humility, submissiveness, penitence and beloved return, and say:

O Lord! I am he who hath fallen short in his duty toward his brother in bygone nights and days, and been heedless of the wondrous expressions of Thy wisdom. Therefore, O my God, lift the veil from mine eyes that I may know Thy Self, arise to praise Thee, detach myself from all else save Thee, and turn unto Thy glorious countenance. Then reckon me among those of Thy servants for whom Thou hast ordained a seat of truth with Thee. Nourish me from the Tasneem of Thy grace and the Kawthar of Thy favors. Then join me with Thy sincere servants who turned not to the world, nor its leadership, nor to what is in it and upon it, who detached themselves and their wealth in the path of their Creator, and were among the detached. O Lord! Leave me not to myself. Take my hand in the hand of Thy power. Deliver me from the depths of self and passion and their flames and burning. Then make that fire cool and peaceful, a spirit and sweet fragrance for me. Then inscribe me among Thy detached servants. O Lord! Aid me to serve Thee and to teach Thy verses. Make me a helper of Thy Cause, a guardian of Thy Faith, one who speaks Thy praise and proclaims the wonders of Thy favors and bounties. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Generous. O Lord! Disappoint not him who hath clung to the cord of Thy grace, nor cast out him who hath fastened his hope to the rope of Thy bounty and favor. O Lord! Veil me not from the fountainhead of Thy good-pleasure. Make me content with whatsoever Thou hast been pleased with and sent down from the clouds of Thy grace and the heavens of Thy glorious bounty. Thou art the Giver under all conditions, and Thou art verily the Forgiving, the Merciful. O Lord! Strip not my body of the raiment of equity, nor my heart of the coolness of acknowledging Thy Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. O Lord! Make my feet steadfast upon Thy path, that I may not deny that whereunto Thou hast called me in all Thy verses, Thy tablets, Thy scriptures, Thy books, Thy scrolls and Thy holy writings. O Lord! Make me one who gazeth toward the direction of Thy gifts and returneth to the ocean of Thy forgiveness. Strip me not of the beauty of Thy praise. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art mighty over whatsoever Thou desirest. Strengthen me that I may not deny that which hath confirmed my faith, established my remembrance, exalted my name, resurrected my being, and caused my reality to flourish, and that I may be of the believers. O Lord! Deprive not him who hath stood before the court of Thy mercy and clung to the hem of Thy bounty and grace. O Lord! Ordain for me a word from Thy presence, that I may remember it at eventide and at dawn, and at all times.

Thus doth the tongue of the Wronged One speak from the depths of the pit, that perchance thou mayest find a way to the direction of justice. Then God addresseth the breeze of His holiness that wafteth from the direction of the Throne, making it His messenger to the worlds, for in those days He findeth no messenger to send to His servants with the glad-tidings of His Cause and to make them of those who remember and rejoice. For He hath fallen into a prison wherefrom are cut off the hands of the seekers and the feet of those who draw nigh, and beyond the prison He hath fallen into a well of envy whose depths none but His All-Numbering, All-Knowing, All-Informed Self hath fathomed. Thus doth God relate from the true stories through His truthful, speaking, knowing and trustworthy tongue.

O morning breeze! Since no messenger is to be seen, waft thou over My loved ones the sweet savors of the robe of Baha from the paradise of eternity, and through the evidences of the spirit and the tokens of His manifestation, make all aware, that perchance some souls may detach themselves from all who dwell on earth and its attractions, and return to the Most Exalted Paradise. But O breeze, pass over them in complete detachment, in such wise that shouldst thou be visited by the trials of all the world, thou wouldst remain patient, and shouldst its bounties be showered upon thee, thou wouldst pay them no heed. For unless thou art sanctified from all the manifestations of jealousy, hatred, acceptance and rejection, rest and agitation of all who dwell on earth, thou wilt not be capable of this exalted proclamation nor of bearing divine mysteries. Thus doth the tongue of thy Lord command thee, that thou mayest be of them that act.

Say: O loved ones and people of understanding! At last, sanctify your gaze somewhat from attachment to the world and its conditions, and with the eye of insight observe the manifest affairs and brilliant conditions that have appeared from the direction of the Most Glorious Throne and reflect upon them, that perchance in these days when the intoxication of heedlessness hath encompassed all the dwellers of earth and heaven, you may draw yourselves to the eternal divine City of Oneness and not remain deprived of the wondrous tokens of His endless mercy, lest, God forbid, you become veiled from the primary purpose of the All-Merciful and be accounted among the turn-aways in the Book of the Lord of Lords while being unaware. We seek refuge in God from this, O people of understanding!

All the Prophets and Messengers have invited people to the paths of recognizing the Beauty of the All-Merciful, for this station has been and will ever be the most exalted of stations. Reflect somewhat on the sending of the divine Messengers, for what cause and purpose these Temples of Unity came from the unseen realm into the visible world, and all these afflictions and trials you have heard of, they all endured them. There is no doubt that the purpose was none other than to call the servants to the recognition of the Beauty of the All-Merciful, and will never be otherwise. And if you say the purpose was His commandments and prohibitions, there is no doubt this was not and will never be the primary purpose. For instance, if someone were to arise in worship with all the dwellers of earth and heaven, yet be deprived of divine recognition, it would never benefit those who practice it, nor will it ever do so. In all heavenly Books this matter is evident and clear. And if someone recognizes the Truth yet abandons all divine commandments, there is hope for salvation, as is clear and evident to people of insight.

Therefore, the primary purpose of the creation of existence, the appearance of innovation, the sending of Messengers, the revelation of Books, and the bearing of countless hardships by the Messengers - all was for the recognition of the Beauty of the All-Glorious. So now if someone occupies himself with all deeds, and spends his entire life in standing and sitting, in remembrance and contemplation, and other such acts, yet remains deprived of the recognition of God, no fruit will ever return to him. And the recognition of God has ever been the recognition of the Manifestation of His Self among His creation, as hath been mentioned and demonstrated in all Books, especially in the Bayan, wherein in all its tablets this most exalted matter and this most glorious subtlety hath been set forth. Blessed, then, are they that recognize!

And were one to observe with a pure eye, it would become evident that all divine temples who have sacrificed their lives, possessions, honor and name in the path of the Beloved had, in the first instance, no purpose save to draw the servants to the stream of true knowledge. Now consider the Prophets, what countless afflictions they bore that perchance people might rend asunder the veils of fancy and become refreshed from the stream of certitude. And since the thick veils of fancy appeared so vast and overwhelming in their eyes, therefore whenever a Messenger appeared from God, all arose to oppose that divine breath, until the sending of Messengers culminated with the Guide of Ways in the year sixty. It was observed how far people had strayed from the shore of holy certitude due to their vain imaginings, to such extent that naught but desire was remembered as God among them, and naught but mere conjecture as certitude. And when the Most Exalted Beauty commanded the rending of veils, all arose to oppose Him until a small number recognized the ultimate purpose, burning away all veils of fancy and clouds of doubt with the fire of the divine Tree, and attained recognition of the Beauty of the All-Merciful. By God the Truth! Were someone to reflect on what befell that Blessed Beauty through the opposition of the divines and countless trials, they would spend their entire life in lamentation, wailing and weeping, until the malicious ones suspended that Manifest Beauty in the air and with bullets of polytheism and hatred cut down that sacred and ultimate Tree. And while that Blessed Beauty was suspended in the air, in the innermost secret, with the tongue of clear utterance spoke these firm and mighty words: “O people of the Bayan! Reflect a while upon these people who consider themselves knowers of Truth and followers of the paths of certitude, who at all times are occupied with the remembrance and words of the All-Merciful, to such degree that not for a single day have they forsaken the commands of the All-Knowing King, and if anyone did forsake them they would find themselves remorseful. Yet they have suspended and martyred the very Essence of the All-Merciful and Treasury of Glory to Whom they had clung in recognition, never truly recognizing Him and depriving themselves of all divine bounties and glorious favors. They are in the depths of fire yet count themselves among the people of paradise; they are immersed in the sea of torment yet consider themselves beloved of the Lord of Lords; in utmost remoteness from Truth they imagine themselves among those near to Him. Therefore O people of the Bayan! At all times place your trust in the Beauty of the Lord of the Worlds and take refuge in Him, lest you inflict upon My Beauty in My next manifestation what this group has inflicted at this time. O people of the Bayan! The followers of the Qur’an had no proof save the Qur’an which was the criterion between truth and falsehood in those days, and when My divine Beauty dawned from My holy and glorious horizon, I manifested Myself with that same proof and evidence, nay greater, that perchance through the previous proof they might recognize the subsequent proof and not deprive themselves from the sanctuary of certifying the Beauty of certitude.”

I revealed the Most Great Self as proof, so that perchance they might recognize the subsequent proof from the previous proof and not deprive themselves from the sanctuary of certitude in the Beauty of Truth. Yet in all days they recite the verses of the Qur’an while remaining deprived of these wondrous verses whose authenticity shines like the sun between heaven. Thus when the mighty divine verses were revealed, some claimed these verses were stolen from previous books, while others in their heedlessness proclaimed they emerged from the mine of self and desire - thus do We bear witness if you be of those who testify. Until matters reached such a state that while seeking to draw near to My remembrance, you wounded My body, and while priding yourselves on knowing Me, you fired bullets of hatred at My renowned Beauty. Such is the nature of this world and its people, until My subtle spirit, freed from the defilement of the souls of the idolaters, winged its flight to the most exalted and sublime station, the Most Holy, Most Glorious Companion. And after My blessed spirit ascended to the Most Glorious Horizon, I gazed with eyes of grace and favor upon those who claimed to love Me, to see which would act upon My counsels and obey My command. Then did the Tongue of Grandeur speak from the Most Glorious Horizon saying: “O people of the Bayan! This is My Beauty Who hath appeared through My verses and My manifestations. Why did you deny Him and turn away? Thus is it proven that you believed not in My Self, just as it was proven at the time of My manifestation that the people of the Qur’an believed not in Muhammad, the Manifestation of My Self, just as it appeared at Muhammad’s advent that the people of the Gospel believed not in My Son, just as it was shown when the Spirit came that the people of the Torah believed not in Him Who conversed with God. Therefore return and observe until the matter ends with the First Manifestation. Thus do We impart unto you of the mysteries that were, that you may become aware in your souls.”

And not many days had passed since My martyrdom when a new grace from the holy Most Glorious quarter and an exalted favor from the sublime Most High horizon dawned forth, and the Ancient Beauty appeared in the Most Great, Most Noble Beauty from the invisible Paradise, with the same proof that I established as proof, and with the same evidence that was acceptable to God - nay, with all the attributes of Divine unity, manifestations of eternal glory, hidden mysteries beyond comprehension, and glorious tokens beyond recognition. Nevertheless, O people of the Bayan, you have gathered from all directions around the Most Great Throne with swords of hatred and arrows, and at every moment you have loosed the arrows of malice against this glorious, exalted Beauty. I swear by My Beauty, were you now to observe and turn with the Supreme Companion toward reality, you would see oceans of blood flowing from My body and signs of the swords of hatred apparent in My limbs. Have you not reflected on why I sacrificed My Self and endured all those swords of indecency and bullets of enmity? It is abundantly clear that I had no purpose save the recognition of the Manifestation of My Self. Yet when the Manifestation of My Self appeared in full splendor, you have acted thus, as is evident. Now if you were to be questioned in the gathering place of the Greatest Resurrection about your deeds, what would you answer the Lord of Lords? By God! You would have no power to speak, for but few days have passed since My absence, and ye have witnessed with your own eyes all the evidences of the Revelation and the matters that have come to pass. Yet ye have become heedless of My Beauty - He through Whose word all former and latter conditions have been realized - and ye have remained veiled from the Most Exalted Horizon by the veils of self and desire.

O people! Throughout all the pages of the Bayan, I gave unto all the glad tidings of this holy and eternal Manifestation, and I warned lest at the rising of this Most Great Luminary of Glory ye should be occupied with aught that hath been created between the heavens and the earth and thus remain veiled from the Ancient Beauty. Likewise did I explicitly say: “Beware, O people, lest at the time of His manifestation ye remain veiled by a single one of the Bayan,” knowing full well that the first to believe in the Bayan is regarded by God as the first among all creation, and I gave him precedence over all others. Moreover, I explicitly declared: “Beware, O people, lest at the time of His manifestation ye remain veiled by what hath been revealed in the Bayan.” And now, O people, ye cling to descriptions revealed in the Bayan while knowing neither their meaning nor to whom they refer, for none hath ever comprehended My purpose. Nevertheless, ye have turned away from the Creator of these descriptions, their Revealer, their Manifestation and their Fulfiller–He by Whose word such temples have been and continue to be created. Would that ye had been content with this! But nay, ye have pronounced the verdict for His death. By God, at all times ye have afflicted this Essence of the All-Merciful like unto a serpent. Ye neither believed nor recognized the truth. Why then did ye consent to His murder and harm? I swear by My Beauty, ye have not drunk from the cup of fairness, nor tasted from the ocean of My good-pleasure. Ye have not walked in the path of justice, nor traversed the way of the discerning ones. Ye have mistaken error for guidance and regarded pure polytheism as the essence of unity. Ye have all witnessed with your outward eyes one who protected him for twenty years and who still lives–and despite having power over him and knowledge of his inner secrets, preserved him under the protection of His mercy. Yet he arose to kill Him, and when his intention and deed became known among the emigrants, he engaged in fabricated calumnies to conceal his reprehensible acts and cast doubt in the hearts of the doubtful, attributing his own deeds and actions to the Ancient Beauty, that he might lead the servants from the right hand of certitude to the left hand of fancy. And ye have denied what ye have witnessed with your own eyes and comprehended, remaining veiled from the Countenance of Unity by fabricated calumnies. I swear by My holy and transcendent Beauty that all they have written concerning this manifest Beauty stands as proof of the falsehood of those who speak and the truth of this manifest Cause, for they have mentioned accusations whose falsehood is more evident than the sun in midheaven, as ye have all associated with this most exalted Beauty and have understood according to your capacity. Yet because of these fabricated words, ye have turned away from the Revealer of divine verses. And even if we were to grant that they speak the truth, have ye not recognized that “He doeth what He willeth” and are ye not convinced that “He ordaineth what He pleaseth”? Beyond all these considerations, these souls who have emigrated with God on this journey and who have witnessed and comprehended most matters with their own eyes and hearts, bear witness that the Truth, exalted be His glory, was and shall ever be distinguished from all else by all His attributes. Yet even these souls ye have deemed liars.

By My beauty I swear that God’s conclusive proof hath been completed for all, and His perfect Word hath dawned from the horizon of truth. Today there is no shelter save His shelter, and no shadow visible except His shadow. Hearken unto the voice of your Beloved, and hold fast to that which you have witnessed with your own eyes, and sever yourselves from the handle of idle fancy. If you observe with the eye of truth, by God the Concourse on High are engaged in lamentation and wailing, and all the maidens of the celestial chambers are moaning and lamenting. The leaves of the Lote-Tree have withered from the tyranny of these oppressors. By the True One, the breezes of the All-Merciful’s mercy have been cut off from the realm of possibility, and the effulgence of the lights of the Face of the Glorious One hath been forbidden to the dwellers of all worlds. By the True One, ye have perpetrated such injustice that all things have been cut off from their own lives, and today no creation remaineth, whether from the Concourse on High or the dwellers of the cities of eternity or those who dwell in the ocean of names, except that all have transformed every subtlety of joy into sorrow and donned the garments of mourning. All the cherubic hosts and the realities of the Prophets and Messengers are lamenting in their lofty chambers of glory, while ye, O heedless ones of the earth, are rejoicing and traverse the lowest abyss with utmost delight. Ye have slain the essence of religion, yet fancy yourselves seated upon the thrones of faith and certitude. By God, O people, the like of this Revelation hath never appeared, nor hath the eye of creation beheld it. Hear ye My call and be not of those who were cautious among the people of the Furqan - those who exercised such caution about the blood of a gnat yet issued the verdict to shed the blood of God. They were engaged in remembrance, yet when the verses of the King of Remembrance were cast upon that group, they would cry out: “Leave these remembrances and do not make us heedless of the remembrance of God!” Such were the deeds and actions that became manifest from that group, and ye, O people of the Bayan, in these days are perpetrating the very essence of those deeds and consider yourselves to be of the truth.

Therefore I call God, His angels, His Prophets and Messengers, and those who circle round His throne, and all that hath been created in the heavens and earth, to witness that I have not fallen short in conveying My message to you. I delivered unto you God’s messages at the time of My manifestation, at the time of My ascension, and at this time when I have revealed Myself from the Most Glorious Horizon. I have cast upon you wisdom and utterance, made known to you the Beauty of the All-Merciful, and completed for you the proof, the evidence, and the demonstration. No mention remaineth but I have cast it upon you.

Therefore, O my God, Thou knowest that I have not failed in Thy Cause and have conveyed unto these people that which Thou didst command me before the creation of the heavens and earth. I have made clear unto them the paths of Thy justice and shown them the ways of Thy good-pleasure. Therefore, O my God, have mercy upon these people and make them not to be of those who turned away from me, denied my right, and disputed my signs until they shed my blood and dismembered my limbs. Therefore, O my God, assist them in Thy Cause, aid them with Thy help, and deprive them not of these breezes which are wafting from this Paradise which Thou didst create in the heart of heaven, and withhold them not from the fragrances which Thou didst send forth from the horizon of Thy name, the Most Merciful. Therefore, O my God, create in their breasts from the light of Thy words the fire of Thy attraction, that it may turn them by sheer might to the right hand of the throne of Thy mercy. Then kindle, O my God, in their hearts the torches of Thy love and yearning, that thereby may be consumed the veils that have withheld them from the court of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Then take, O my God, their hands with the hands of power and might, and deliver them from the depths of idle fancies and vain imaginations, and bring them unto the station which Thou hast sanctified from the allusions of all that hath been created between earth and heaven. Then cast upon them the word whereby Thou dost attract the hearts of them that know to the heaven of the glory of Thy favors and the hearts of them that are nigh unto the atmosphere of the holiness of Thy bounties. Then cause them, O my Beloved, to be of those whom all who are in the heavens and on earth have failed to prevent from turning to the direction of Thy grace, from standing firm in Thy Cause, from acknowledging Thy presence, and from attaining certitude in their meeting with Thee. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful, the Giving, the Mighty, the Bountiful, the Helper, the Generous.

=== END BH00006 ===

=== START BH00007 ===

He is the Most Wondrous, the All-Glorious!

Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand. Glorified is He Who revealeth His verses to those who perceive. Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I, verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!

Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend. Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation, and Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants. Glorified is He Who quickeneth whomsoever He willeth by virtue of His word “Be”, and it is! Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the heaven of grace, and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth according to a prescribed measure.

Blessed is He Who doeth as He willeth by a word of His command. He, verily, is the True One, the All-Knowing. Blessed is He Who inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth, through His irresistible and inscrutable command. Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever He desireth with the hosts of the unseen. His might is, in truth, equal to His purpose, and He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His sovereign might, and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with His good pleasure; well is it with them that understand!

Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations as have melted the hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable, the Self-Subsisting.

Blessed is He Who hath caused to rain down upon His Servant from the clouds of enmity, and at the hands of the people of denial, the shafts of tribulation and trial; and yet seeth Our heart filled with gratitude. Blessed is He Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant the burden of the heavens and of the earth�“a burden for which We yield Him every praise, though none may grasp this save them that are endued with understanding. Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His Beauty to the clutches of the envious and the wicked�”a fate unto which We are fully resigned, though none may perceive this save those who are endued with insight. Glorified is He Who hath left a��usayn to make His dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies, and exposed His body with every breath to the spears of hatred and anger; yet do We yield Him thanks for all that He hath destined to befall His Servant Who repaireth unto Him in His affliction and grief.

While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden�“the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord�”suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God’s honoured servants.

Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn aside.

O people of the Bayán! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the unseen through His command “Be”, and it is! The day is approaching when God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. He shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies and corrupt desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and shall cause them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.

O people of the Bayán! Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches? Would ye laugh to scorn and contend with Him, a single hair of Whose head excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth? O people of the Bayán! Produce, then, that which ye possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed aforetime in the Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so disdainful!

I swear by Him Who hath fashioned Me from the light of His own Beauty! None have I ever seen that surpasseth you in heedlessness or exceedeth you in blindness. Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets as ye possess, yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was lighted, ye disbelieved in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of all things in the Preserved Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and yet repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your eyes in requital for your deeds, would ye but understand. Day and night ye transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil, from Him Who hath revealed them.

In this Day the Concourse on high beholdeth you in your evil doings and shunneth your company, and yet ye perceive it not. They ask of one another: “What words do these fools utter, and in what valley are they wont to graze? Do they deny that whereunto their very souls testify, and shut their eyes to that which they plainly behold?” I swear by God, O people! They that inhabit the Cities of the Names of God are bewildered at your actions, while ye roam, aimless and unconscious, in a parched and barren land.

O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet accents of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and fervour, and that the breezes that waft from My name, the Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from this Temple, the temples of the Oneness of God, that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation, the tidings of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of them that are illumined by His light.

We, verily, have ordained this Temple to be the source of all existence in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to accomplish that which I have purposed through My word “Be”, and it is! Beneath the shadow of every letter of this Temple We shall raise up a people whose number none can reckon save God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from His Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of the rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.

These are servants who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of their Lord, and who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their path. Upon their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of Mine all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their tongues to extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would join in their anthems of praise�“yet how few are they who hear! And were they to glorify their Lord, all created things would join in their hymns of glory. Thus hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people remain unaware!

These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the Bayán, that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement that all things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all things are brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof! Through them the believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is the Object of the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the hearts of the righteous have found rest and composure, could ye but know it! Through them the earth hath been established, the clouds have rained down their bounty, and the bread of holiness hath descended from the heaven of grace, could ye but perceive it!

These souls are the protectors of the Cause of God on earth, who shall preserve its beauty from the obscuring dust stirred up by every rejected disbeliever. In the path of their Lord they shall not fear for their lives; rather will they sacrifice their all in their eagerness to behold the face of their Well-Beloved and His exaltation in this Name, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Holy.

O Living Temple! Arise by the power of Thy Self in such wise that all created things will be moved to arise with Thee. Aid, then, Thy Lord through such ascendancy and might as We have bestowed upon Thee. Take heed lest Thou falter on that Day when all created things are filled with dismay; rather be Thou the revealer of My name, the Self-Subsisting. Assist Thy Lord to the utmost of Thine ability, and pay no heed to the peoples of the world, for that which their mouths utter is like unto the droning of a gnat in an endless valley. Quaff the water of life in My name, the All-Merciful, and proffer unto the near ones amongst the inmates of this heavenly garden that which shall cause them to become detached from all names and enter beneath this blessed and all-encompassing shadow.

O Living Temple! Through Thee have We gathered together all created things, whether in the heavens or on the earth, and called them to account for that which We had covenanted with them before the foundation of the world. And lo, but for a few radiant faces and eloquent tongues, We found most of the people dumbfounded, their eyes staring up in fear. From the former We brought forth the creation of all that hath been and all that shall be. These are they whose countenances God hath graciously turned away from the face of the unbelievers, and whom He hath sheltered beneath the shadow of the Tree of His own Being; they upon whose hearts He hath bestowed the gift of peace and tranquillity, and whom He hath strengthened and assisted through the hosts of the seen and the unseen.

O Eyes of this Temple! Look not upon the heavens and that which they contain, nor upon the earth and them that dwell thereon, for We have created you to behold Our own Beauty: See it now before you! Withhold not your gaze therefrom, and deprive not yourselves of the Beauty of your Lord, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Erelong shall We bring into being through you keen and penetrating eyes that will contemplate the manifold signs of their Creator and turn away from all that is perceived by the people of the world. Through you shall We bestow the power of vision upon whomsoever We desire, and lay hold upon those who have deprived themselves of this gracious bounty. These, verily, have drunk from the cup of delusion, though they perceive it not.

O Ears of this Temple! Purge yourselves from all idle clamour and hearken unto the melodies of your Lord. He, verily, revealeth unto you, from the Throne of glory, that there is none other God save Me, the All-Glorious, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall We bring into being through you pure and undefiled ears which will heed the Word of God and that which hath appeared from the Dayspring of the Utterance of your Lord, the All-Merciful. They shall assuredly perceive the sweet accents of Divine Revelation that proceed from these most blessed and hallowed precincts.

O Tongue of this Temple! We, verily, have created thee through Our name, the All-Merciful, have taught thee whatsoever had remained concealed in the Bayán, and have bestowed upon thee the power of utterance, that thou mayest make mention of Mine exalted Self amidst My creatures. Proclaim, then, this wondrous and mighty Remembrance, and fear not the manifestations of the Evil One. Thou wert called into being for this very purpose by virtue of My transcendent and all-compelling command. Through thee have We unloosed the Tongue of Utterance to expound all that hath been, and We shall again, by My sovereign power, unloose it to speak of that which is yet to come. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee eloquent tongues that will praise and extol Me amongst the Concourse of eternity and amidst the peoples of the world. Thus have the verses of God been revealed, and thus hath it been decreed by the Lord of all names and attributes. Thy Lord, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Nothing whatsoever shall prevent these tongues from magnifying their Creator. Through them, all created things shall arise to glorify the Lord of names and to bear witness that there is none other God save Me, the All-Powerful, the Most Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Nor shall those who make mention of Me speak aught unless they be inspired by this Tongue from its heavenly garden. Few, however, are they who understand! No tongue is there that speaketh not the praises of its Lord and maketh not mention of His Name. Amongst the people, however, are those who understand and utter praises, and those who utter praises, yet understand not.

O Maid of inner meanings! Step out of the chamber of utterance by the leave of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Reveal, then, thyself adorned with the raiment of the celestial Realm, and proffer with thy ruby fingers the wine of the heavenly Dominion, that haply the denizens of this world may perceive that the Daystar of eternity shone forth above the horizon of the Kingdom with the adornment of glory. Perchance they may arise before the dwellers of earth and heaven to extol and magnify this Youth Who hath established Himself in the midmost heart of Paradise upon the throne of His name, the Most Bountiful�“He from Whose countenance shineth the brightness of the All-Merciful, from Whose gaze appear the glances of the All-Glorious, and in Whose ways are revealed the tokens and evidences of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Grieve not if none be found to accept the crimson wine proffered by Thy snow-white hand and to seize it in the name of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High�“He Who hath appeared again in His name, the Most Glorious. Leave this people unto themselves, and repair unto the Tabernacle of majesty and glory, wherein Thou shalt encounter a people whose faces shine as brightly as the sun in its noontide splendour, and who praise and extol their Lord in this Name that hath arisen, in the plenitude of might and power, to assume the throne of independent sovereignty. From their lips Thou shalt hear naught but the strains of My praise; unto this Thy Lord beareth Me witness. The existence of these people, however, hath remained concealed from the eyes of all who, from everlasting, have been created through the Word of God. Thus have We made plain Our meaning and set forth Our verses, that perchance men may reflect upon the signs and tokens of their Lord.

These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves before Adam. They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness. Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things, be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth, and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs.

O Beauty of the All-Glorious! Shouldst Thou chance upon this people and enter their presence, recount unto them that which this Youth hath related unto Thee concerning Himself and the things that have befallen Him, that they may come to know what hath been inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet. Acquaint them with the tidings of this Youth, and with the trials and tribulations He hath suffered, that they may become mindful of Mine afflictions, and be of them that are occupied with His remembrance. Recount, then, unto them how We singled out for Our favour one of Our brothers, how We imparted unto him a dewdrop from the fathomless ocean of knowledge, clothed him with the garment of one of Our Names, and exalted him to such a station that all were moved to extol him, and how We so protected him from the harm of the malevolent as to disarm even the mightiest amongst them.

We arose alone before the gaze of the peoples of earth and heaven at a time when all had determined to slay us. While dwelling in their midst, We continually made mention of the Lord, celebrated His praise, and stood firm in His Cause, until at last the Word of God was vindicated amongst His creatures, His signs were spread abroad, His power exalted, and His sovereignty revealed in its full splendour. To this bear witness all His honoured servants. Yet when My brother beheld the rising fame of the Cause, he became filled with arrogance and pride. Thereupon he emerged from behind the veil of concealment, rose up against Me, disputed My verses, denied My testimony, and repudiated My signs. Nor would his hunger be appeased unless he were to devour My flesh and drink My blood. To this testify such of God’s servants as have accompanied Him in His exile, and, beyond them, they that enjoy near access unto Him.

To this end he conferred with one of My servants and sought to win him over to his own designs; whereupon the Lord despatched unto Mine assistance the hosts of the seen and the unseen, protected Me by the power of truth, and sent down upon Me that which thwarted his purpose. Thus were foiled the plots of those who disbelieve in the verses of the All-Merciful. They, truly, are a rejected people. When news spread of that which the promptings of self had impelled My brother to attempt, and Our companions in exile learned of his nefarious design, the voice of their indignation and grief was lifted up and threatened to spread throughout the city. We forbade, however, such recriminations, and enjoined upon them patience, that they might be of those that endure steadfastly.

By God, besides Whom is none other God! We withstood all these trials with forbearance, and enjoined upon God’s servants to show forth patience and fortitude. Removing Ourself from their midst, We took up residence in another house, that perchance the flame of envy might be quenched in Our brother’s breast, and that he might be guided aright. We neither opposed him, nor saw him again thereafter, but remained in Our home, placing Our hopes in the bounty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When, however, he realized that his deed had been exposed, he seized the pen of calumny and wrote unto the servants of God, attributing what he had himself committed unto Mine own peerless and wronged Beauty. His purpose was none other than to inspire mischief and to instil hatred into the hearts of those who had believed in God, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.

By the One in Whose hand is My soul! We were dismayed by his deceitfulness�“nay, bewildered were all things visible and invisible. Nor did he find respite from what he harboured in his bosom until he had committed that which no pen dare describe, and by which he disgraced the dignity of My station and profaned the sanctity of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the earth into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me to exhaust the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do We recount that which befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand.

O Pen of Eternity! Grieve not at the things that have befallen Thee, for erelong shall God raise up a people who will see with their own eyes and will recall Thy tribulations. Withhold Thy pen from the mention of Thine enemies, and bestir it in the praise of the Eternal King. Renounce all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware lest Thou become occupied with the mention of those from whom naught save the noisome savours of enmity can be perceived, those who are so enslaved by their lust for leadership that they would not hesitate to destroy themselves in their desire to emblazon their fame and perpetuate their names. God hath recorded such souls in the Preserved Tablet as mere worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed for this Temple, that its signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and that the brightness of this Light may illumine the horizons of the world and cleanse the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in God. Thus have We set down the verses of God and made plain the matter unto those who understand.

O Living Temple! Stretch forth Thy hand over all who are in heaven and on earth, and seize within the grasp of Thy Will the reins of command. We have, verily, placed in Thy right hand the empire of all things. Do as Thou willest, and fear not the ignorant. Reach out to the Tablet that hath dawned above the horizon of the pen of Thy Lord, and take hold of it in such wise that, through Thee, the hands of all who inhabit the earth may be enabled to lay fast hold upon it. This, in truth, is that which becometh Thee, if Thou be of those who understand. Through the upraising of Thy hand to the heaven of My grace, the hands of all created things shall be lifted up to their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious. Erelong shall We raise up, through the aid of Thy hand, other hands endued with power, with strength and might, and shall establish through them Our dominion over all that dwell in the realms of revelation and creation. Thus will the servants of God recognize the truth that there is none other God beside Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. With these hands, moreover, We shall both bestow and withhold, though none can understand this save those who see with the eye of the spirit.

Say: O people! Can ye ever hope to escape the sovereign power of your Lord? By the righteousness of God! No refuge will ye find in this day, and no one to protect you, save those upon whom God hath bestowed the favour of His mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. Say: O people! Forsake all that ye possess, and enter beneath the shadow of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Better is this for you than all your works of the past and of the future. Fear ye God, and deprive not yourselves of the sweet savours of the days of God, the Lord of all names and attributes. Take heed lest ye alter or pervert the text of the Word of God. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be numbered with the righteous.

Say: O people! This is the Hand of God, which hath ever been above your own hands, could ye but understand. Within its grasp We have ordained all the good of the heavens and the earth, such that no good shall be made manifest but that it proceedeth therefrom. Thus have We made it the source and treasury of all good both aforetime and hereafter. Say: The rivers of divine wisdom and utterance which flowed through the Tablets of God are joined to this Most Great Ocean, could ye but perceive it, and whatever hath been set forth in His Books hath attained its final consummation in this most exalted Word�“a Word shining above the horizon of the Will of the All-Glorious in this Revelation which hath filled with delight all things seen and unseen.

Erelong shall God draw forth, out of the bosom of power, the hands of ascendancy and might�“hands who will arise to win victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of the outcast and the ungodly. These hands will gird up their loins to champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the Self-Subsistent, the Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the cities and will inspire with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants. Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is His might, and how justly doth He wield it! He, verily, ruleth and transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and revealeth what He desireth according to a prescribed measure.

Should any one of them be called upon to confront all the hosts of creation, he would assuredly prevail through the ascendancy of My Will. This, verily, is a proof of My power, though My creatures comprehend it not. This, verily, is a sign of My sovereignty, though My subjects understand it not. This, verily, is a token of My command, though My servants perceive it not. This, verily, is an evidence of Mine ascendancy, though none amongst the people is truly thankful for it, save those whose eyes God hath illumined with the light of His knowledge, whose hearts He hath made the repository of His Revelation, and upon whose shoulders He hath placed the weight of His Cause. These shall inhale the fragrances of the All-Merciful from the garment of His Name, and shall rejoice at all times in the signs and verses of their Lord. As for those who disbelieve in God, and join partners with Him, they shall indeed incur His wrath, shall be cast into the Fire, and shall be made to dwell, fearful and dismayed, in its depths. Thus do We expound Our verses, and make plain the truth with clear proofs, that perchance the people may reflect upon the signs of their Lord.

O Living Temple! We have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be the sign of My majesty amidst all that hath been and all that shall be, and have ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth, through My word “Be”, and it is!

O First Letter of this Temple, betokening the Essence of Divinity! We have made thee the treasury of My Will and the repository of My Purpose unto all who are in the kingdoms of revelation and creation. This is but a token of the grace of Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O Second Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the Almighty! We have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring of Our Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which My tongue speaketh.

O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the All-Bountiful! We have made thee the dawning-place of Our bounty amidst Our creatures and the fountainhead of Our generosity amidst Our people. Powerful am I in My dominion. Nothing whatsoever of all that hath been created in the heavens or on the earth can escape My knowledge, and I am the True One, the Knower of things unseen.

Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall enrich all created things, and withhold not Thy favours from the world of being. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful in the heaven of Thine eternity, and the Lord of infinite grace unto all who inhabit the kingdom of names. Look not upon the people and the things they possess; look rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts and favours. Gather then Thy servants beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind. Stretch forth the hand of bounty over all creation, and the fingers of bestowal over all existence. This, verily, is that which beseemeth Thee, though the people understand it not. Whosoever turneth his face towards Thee doeth so by Thy grace, and as to him who turneth away, Thy Lord, in truth, is independent of all created things. Unto this bear witness His true and devoted servants.

Erelong shall God raise up, through Thee, hands of indomitable strength and arms of invincible might, who will come forth from behind the veils, will render the All-Merciful victorious amongst the peoples of the world, and will raise so mighty a cry as to cause all hearts to tremble with fear. Thus hath it been decreed in a Written Tablet. Such shall be the ascendancy which these souls will evince that consternation and dismay will seize all the dwellers of the earth.

Beware lest ye shed the blood of anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men’s hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God’s mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand. Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with the sword of understanding. Keener indeed is it, and more finely tempered, than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon the words of your Lord. Thus have the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and thus have the armies of divine inspiration been made manifest from the Source of command, as bidden by God, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.

Say: The measure of all created things hath been appointed in this concealed and manifest Temple, wherein lie enshrined the knowledge of the heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future. The finger of God’s handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and most learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein temples inscrutable to all save His own Self, could ye but apprehend this truth. Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and who is numbered with them that comprehend!

Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God.

Beware lest ye speak of duality in regard to My Self, for all the atoms of the earth proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning I have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other God is there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the end that hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I am God, none other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say: Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created manifestations in the world of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified above them, would ye but ponder this truth. And Godhead is My Name, whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people of the earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye be endued with insight.

O Fourth Letter of this Temple, betokening the attribute of Grace! We have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From thee have We generated all grace in the contingent world, and unto thee shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again, through a word of Our command. Potent am I to accomplish whatsoever I desire through My word “Be”, and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the world of being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return. This, verily, is what hath been ordained in a Tablet which We have preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from mortal eyes. Well is it with them that deprive themselves not of this conferred and unfailing grace.

Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen! Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be adequately understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!

O Temple of the Cause! Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to receive Thy gifts. Thou wast created for My sake; occupy Thyself therefore with My praise amidst My servants. This is that which hath been ordained for Thee in the Preserved Tablet. Having found upon the earth many a soiled hand, We sanctified the hem of Thy garment from the profanity of their touch and placed it beyond the reach of the ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy Lord, for erelong shall He raise up sanctified hearts and illumined eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine all-encompassing and boundless grace.

O Temple of God! No sooner had the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by the Lord of all names and attributes bearing the banners of His signs, than the exponents of doubt and fancy were put to flight. They disbelieved in the clear tokens of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and rose up against Him in enmity and opposition. Amongst them were those who claimed: “These are not clear verses from God, nor do they proceed from an innate and untaught nature.” Thus do the unbelievers seek to remedy the sickness of their hearts, utterly heedless that they thus render themselves accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth.

Say: The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that comprehend. And that innate and untaught nature in its essence is called into being by the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Say: This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our transcendent Truth, whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in aught else, for all beside Myself hath been created through the potency of My word, could ye but understand.

Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine different modes. Each one of them bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. A single one of them sufficeth for a proof unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth; yet the people, for the most part, persist in their heedlessness. Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them in countless other modes.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, and allow not your tongues to utter, in their deceitfulness, that which displeaseth Him. Stand abashed before the One Who, as ye well know, hath created you out of a drop of water. Say: We have created all that are in heaven and on earth in the nature made by God. Whosoever turneth unto this blessed Countenance shall manifest the potentialities of that inborn nature, and whosoever remaineth veiled therefrom shall be deprived of this invisible and all-encompassing grace. Verily, there is naught from which Our favour hath been withheld, inasmuch as We have dealt equitably in the fashioning of each and all, and by a word of Our mouth presented unto them the trust of Our love. They that have accepted it are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered among those who are immune from the terrors of this Day. Those, however, who have rejected it have, in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Thus do We distinguish between the people and pronounce judgement upon them. We, of a certainty, have the power to discern.

Say: The Word of God can never be confounded with the words of His creatures. It is, in truth, the King of words, even as He is Himself the sovereign Lord of all, and His Cause transcendeth all that was and all that shall be. Enter, O people, the City of Certitude wherein the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, as a token of His unfailing grace. Haply ye may not make His Revelation a cause of dissension amongst you.

Among the infidels are those who have repudiated His Self and risen up against His Cause, and who claim that these divine verses are contrived. Such also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore deliverance from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that proceed from your mouths! If these verses be indeed contrived, then by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery.

What aileth this people that they speak of that which they understand not? They raise the same objections as did the followers of the Qur’án when their Lord came unto them with His Cause. They, verily, are a rejected people. They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the Ancient Beauty, and from sharing the bread of His loved ones. “Approach them not,” one was even heard to say, “for they cast a spell upon the people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.” By the righteousness of the one true God! He who is incapable of speaking in Our presence is uttering such words as none among the former generations hath ever spoken, and hath committed such acts as none of the unbelievers of bygone ages hath ever committed.

The very words and deeds of these men bear eloquent testimony to the truth of My words, if ye be of them that judge with fairness. Whosoever attributeth the verses of God to sorcery hath not believed in any of His Messengers, hath lived and laboured in vain, and is accounted of those who speak that of which they have no knowledge. Say: O servant! Fear God, thy Creator and thy Fashioner, and transgress not against Him, but judge with fairness and act with justice. Those whom the Lord hath endued with knowledge shall find, in the very objections raised by the unbelievers, conclusive proofs to invalidate their claims and vindicate the truth of this manifest Light. Say: Would ye repeat that which the unbelievers uttered when a Message came unto them from their Lord? Woe betide you, O assemblage of foolish ones, and blighted be your works!

O Ancient Beauty! Turn aside from the unbelievers and that which they possess, and waft over all created things the sweet savours of the remembrance of Thy Beloved, the Exalted, the Great. This remembrance quickeneth the world of being and reneweth the temples of all created things. Say: He, verily, hath established Himself upon the Throne of might and glory. Whosoever desireth to gaze upon His countenance, lo, behold Him standing before thee! Blessed be the Lord Who hath revealed Himself in this shining and luminous Beauty. Whosoever desireth to hearken unto His melodies, lo, hear them rising from His resplendent and wondrous lips! And unto whosoever desireth to be illumined by the splendours of His light, say: Seek the court of His presence, for God hath verily granted you leave to approach it, as a token of His grace unto all mankind.

Say: O people! We shall put to you a question in all truthfulness, taking God for a witness between you and Us. He, verily, is the Defender of the righteous. Appear, then, before His Throne of glory and make reply with justice and fair-mindedness. Is it God Who is potent to achieve His purpose, or is it ye who enjoy such authority? Is it He Who is truly unconstrained, as ye imply when ye say that He doeth what He pleaseth and shall not be asked of His doings, or is it ye who wield such power, and who merely make such assertions out of blind imitation, as did your forebears at the appearance of every other Messenger of God?

If He be truly unconstrained, behold then how He hath sent down the Manifestation of His Cause with verses which naught in the heavens or on the earth can withstand! Such hath been the manner of their revelation that they have neither peer nor likeness in the world of being, as ye yourselves beheld and heard when once the Daystar of the world shone forth above the horizon of ’Iráq with manifest dominion. All things attain their consummation in the divine verses, and these indeed are the verses of God, the Sovereign Lord, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty. Beyond this, He hath been made manifest as the Bearer of a Cause whose sovereign might is acknowledged by all created things, and this none can deny save the sinners and the ungodly.

Say: O people! Is it your wish to conceal the beauty of the Sun behind the veils of your own selfish desires, or to prevent the Spirit from raising its melodies within this sanctified and luminous breast? Fear ye God, and contend not with Him Who representeth the Godhead. Dispute not with the One at Whose bidding the letter “B” was created and joined with its mighty foundation. Believe in the Messengers of God and His sovereign might, and in the Self of God and His majesty. Follow not those who have repudiated what they had once believed, and who have sought for themselves a station after their own fancy; these, truly, are of the ungodly. Bear ye witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath borne witness, that the company of His favoured ones may be illumined by the words that issue from your lips. Say: We, verily, believe in that which was revealed unto the Apostles of old, in that which hath been revealed, by the power of truth, unto ’Alí, and in that which is now being revealed from His Throne of glory. Thus doth your Lord instruct you, as a sign of His favour and as a token of His grace that encompasseth all the worlds.

O Feet of this Temple! We, verily, have wrought you of iron. Stand firm with such constancy in the Cause of your Lord as to cause the feet of every severed soul to be strengthened in the path of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Beware lest the storms of enmity and hatred, or the blasts of the workers of iniquity, cause you to stumble. Be immovable in the Faith of God, and waver not. We, verily, have called you forth by virtue of that Name which is the source of all steadfastness, and by the grace of each one of Our most excellent Names as revealed unto all who are in heaven and on earth. Erelong shall We bring into being through you other feet, firm and steadfast, which shall walk unwaveringly in Our path, even should they be assailed by hosts as formidable as the combined forces of the former and latter generations. In truth, We hold all grace in the hollow of Our hand, and bestow it as We please upon Our favoured servants. Time and again have We vouchsafed unto you Our favours, that ye may offer such thanks unto your Lord as to cause the tongues of all created things to speak forth in praise of Me, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Arise to serve this Cause through a might and a power born of Us. Disclose, then, unto the servants of God all that the Spirit of God, the sovereign Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise, hath imparted unto Thee. Say: O people! Will ye turn away from Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and choose instead him whom We have created out of a mere handful of clay? To do so is to inflict a grievous injustice upon yourselves, if ye be of them that reflect upon the verses of your Lord. Say: O people! Cleanse your hearts and your eyes, that ye may recognize your Maker in this holy and luminous attire. Say: The celestial Youth hath ascended the Throne of glory, made manifest His independent sovereignty, and now voiceth, in the most sweet and wondrous accents, this call betwixt earth and heaven: “O peoples of the earth! Wherefore have ye disbelieved in your Lord, the All-Merciful, and turned aside from Him Who is the Beauty of the All-Glorious? By the righteousness of God! This is His Hidden Secret, Who hath risen from the dayspring of creation; and this is His cherished Beauty, Who hath shone forth above the horizon of this heavenly garden, invested with the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.”

O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have cleansed Thy breast from the whisperings of the people and sanctified it from earthly allusions, that the light of My beauty may appear therein and be reflected in the mirrors of all the worlds. Thus have We singled Thee out above all that hath been created in the heavens and the earth, and above all that hath been decreed in the realms of revelation and creation, and chosen Thee for Our own Self. This is but an evidence of the bounty which God hath vouchsafed unto Thee, a bounty which shall last until the Day that hath no end in this contingent world. It shall endure so long as God, the Supreme King, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Wise, shall endure. For the Day of God is none other but His own Self, Who hath appeared with the power of truth. This is the Day that shall not be followed by night, nor shall it be bounded by any praise, would that ye might understand!

O Breast of this Temple! We, verily, have caused all things to mirror forth thy reality, and made thee as a mirror of Our own Self. Shed, then, upon the breasts of all created beings the splendours of the light of thy Lord, that they may be freed from all allusions and limitations. Thus hath the Daystar of wisdom shone forth above the horizon of the Pen of the Eternal King. Blessed are those who perceive it! Through thee have We created other sanctified breasts, and unto thee shall We cause them to return, as a token of Our grace unto thee and unto Our favoured servants. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee men with sanctified and illumined breasts, who will testify to naught save My beauty and show forth naught but the resplendent light of My countenance. These shall in truth be the mirrors of My Names amidst all created things.

O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have made Thine inmost heart the treasury of all the knowledge of past and future ages, and the dawning-place of Our own knowledge which We have ordained for the dwellers of earth and heaven, that all creation may partake of the outpourings of Thy grace and may attain, through the wonders of Thy knowledge, unto the recognition of God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Great. In truth, that knowledge which belongeth unto Mine own Essence is such as none hath ever attained or will ever grasp, nor shall any heart be capable of bearing its weight. Were but a single word of this knowledge to be disclosed, the hearts of all men would be filled with consternation, the foundations of all things would crumble into ruin, and the feet of even the wisest among men would be made to slip.

Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lieth unrevealed a knowledge, one word of which, if We chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His omniscience, would enable every one to discover the secrets of all the sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do as well possess, not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning. Thus have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Were We to find worthy vessels, We would impart unto them the treasures of hidden meanings and apprise them of a knowledge, one letter of which would encompass all created things.

O Inmost Heart of this Temple! We have made thee the dawning-place of Our knowledge and the dayspring of Our wisdom unto all who are in heaven and on earth. From thee have We caused all sciences to appear, and unto thee shall We cause them to return. And from thee shall We bring them forth a second time. Such, indeed, is Our promise, and potent are We to effect Our purpose. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee exponents of new and wondrous sciences, of potent and effective crafts, and shall make manifest through them that which the heart of none of Our servants hath yet conceived. Thus do We bestow upon whom We will whatsoever We desire, and thus do We withdraw from whom We will what We had once bestowed. Even so do We ordain whatsoever We please through Our behest.

Say: Should We choose, at one time, to shed the radiance of Our loving providence upon the mirrors of all things, and, at another, to withhold from them the splendours of Our light, this verily lieth within Our power, and none hath the right to ask “why” or “wherefore”. For We are potent indeed to achieve Our purpose, and render no account for that which We bring to pass; and none can doubt this save those who join partners with God and question His Truth. Say: Nothing can withstand the power of Our might or interrupt the course of Our command. We exalt whomsoever We please unto the Realm of supernal might and glory, and, should We so desire, cause the same to sink into the lowest abyss of degradation.

O dwellers of the earth! Would ye contend that if We raise up a soul unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá, it shall then cease to be subject to the power of Our sovereignty and dominion? Nay, by Mine own Self! Should it be Our wish, We would return it to the dust in less than the twinkling of an eye. Consider a tree: Behold how We plant it in a garden, and nourish it with the waters of Our loving care; and how, when it hath grown tall and mature, and brought forth verdant leaves and goodly fruits, lo, We send forth the tempestuous gales of Our decree, and lay it uprooted and prostrate upon the face of the earth. So hath it been Our way with all things, and so shall it be in this day. Such, in truth, are the matchless wonders of Our immutable method�“a method which hath ever governed, and shall continue to govern, all things, if ye be of them that perceive. None, however, knoweth the wisdom thereof save God, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Would ye gainsay, O people, the very thing that your eyes behold? Woe unto you, O assemblage of deniers! That which alone is exempt from change is His own Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, were ye to gaze with the eye of insight, while all else beside Him can be altered by an act of His Will. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

O people! Dispute not concerning My Cause, for ye shall never fathom the manifold wisdom of your Lord, nor shall ye ever gauge the knowledge of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the All-Pervading. Whosoever layeth claim to have known His Essence is without doubt among the most ignorant of all people. Every atom in the universe would charge such a man with imposture, and to this beareth witness My tongue which speaketh naught but the truth. Magnify My Cause and promulgate My teachings and commandments, for none other course beside this shall beseem you, and no other path shall ever lead unto Him. Would that ye might heed Our counsel!

O Living Temple! We have made Thee the Dayspring of each one of Our most excellent titles, the Dawning-Place of each one of Our most august attributes, and the Fountainhead of each one of Our manifold virtues unto the denizens of earth and heaven. Thereafter have We raised Thee up in Our own image betwixt the heavens and the earth, and ordained Thee to be the sign of Our glory unto all who are in the realms of revelation and creation, that My servants may follow in Thy footsteps, and be of them who are guided aright. We have appointed Thee the Tree of grace and bounty unto the dwellers of both the heavens and the earth. Well is it with them who seek the shelter of Thy shade and who draw nigh unto Thy Self, the omnipotent Protector of the worlds.

Say: We have made each one of Our Names a wellspring from which We have caused the streams of divine wisdom and understanding to gush forth and flow in the garden of Our Cause�“streams whose number none can reckon save Thy Lord, the Most Holy, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise. Say: We have generated all Letters from the Point and have caused them to return unto It, and We have sent It down again in the form of a human temple. All glory be unto the Author of this incomparable and wondrous handiwork! Erelong shall We unfold and expound It again, in Our name, the All-Glorious. This is indeed a token of Our grace, and I, truly, am the Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

We have brought forth all Lights from the Orb of Our name, the True One, have caused them to return unto It, and have again made them manifest in the form of a human temple. All glory be unto the Lord of strength, might, and power! None can withstand the operation of My will or the exercise of My might. I am He Who hath raised up all creatures through a word of My mouth, and My power is, in truth, equal to My purpose.

Say: It is in Our power, should We wish it, to cause all created things to expire in an instant, and, with the next, to endue them again with life. The knowledge thereof, however, is with God alone, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck of floating dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns of infinite, of unimaginable splendour, to cause a dewdrop to develop into vast and numberless oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to empower it to unfold all the knowledge of past and future ages. This, in truth, is a matter simple of accomplishment. Such have been the evidences of My power from the beginning that hath no beginning until the end that hath no end. My creatures, however, have been oblivious of My power, have repudiated My sovereignty, and contended with Mine own Self, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: Of all that lieth between heaven and earth, naught can stir except by My leave, and unto My Kingdom none can ascend save at My behest. My creatures, however, have remained veiled from My might and My sovereignty, and are numbered with the heedless. Say: Naught is seen in My revelation but the Revelation of God, and in My might but His Might, could ye but know it. Say: My creatures are even as the leaves of a tree. They proceed from the tree, and depend upon it for their existence, yet remain oblivious of their root and origin. We draw such similitudes for the sake of Our discerning servants that perchance they may transcend a mere plant-like level of existence and attain unto true maturity in this resistless and immovable Cause. Say: My creatures are even as the fish of the deep. Their life dependeth upon the water, and yet they remain unaware of that which, by the grace of an omniscient and omnipotent Lord, sustaineth their very existence. Indeed, their heedlessness is such that were they asked concerning the water and its properties, they would prove entirely ignorant. Thus do We set forth comparisons and similitudes, that perchance the people may turn unto Him Who is the Object of the adoration of the entire creation.

O people! Fear God, and disbelieve not in Him Whose grace hath surrounded all things, Whose mercy hath pervaded the contingent world, and the sovereign potency of Whose Cause hath encompassed both your inner and your outer beings, both your beginning and your end. Stand ye in awe of the Lord, and be of them that act uprightly. Beware lest ye be accounted among those who allow the verses of their Lord to pass them by unheard and unrecognized; these, truly, are of the wayward.

Say: Would ye worship him who neither heareth nor seeth, and who is of a truth the most abject and wayward of all God’s servants? Wherefore have ye failed to follow the One Who hath come unto you from the Source of Divine Command bearing the tidings of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great? O people! Be not like unto those who entered before Our throne, and yet failed to perceive or comprehend; these are indeed a contemptible people. We recited unto them verses that would enrapture the dwellers of the heavenly Dominion and the inmates of the Kingdom on high, and yet they departed veiled therefrom, and hearkened rather unto the voice of him who is but a servant of God and a mere creation of His Will. Thus do We impart unto you that which shall guide you towards the path of God’s favoured ones.

How many those who entered within the Abode of Paradise, the Seat wherein the throne of God had been established, and stood before their Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, only to inquire about the four Gates or of some Imám of the Islamic Faith! Such was the state of these souls, if ye be of them that comprehend. It is even as ye witness in the present day: Those who have disbelieved in God and joined partners with Him cling to a single one of Our Names, and are debarred from recognizing Him Who is the Creator of all Names. We testify that such men are of a truth amongst the people of the Fire. They ask the sun to expound the words of the shadow, and the True One to explain the utterances of His creatures, could ye but perceive it! Say: O people! The sun offereth naught save the effulgence of its own light and that which appeareth therefrom, whilst all else seek illumination from its rays. Fear God, and be not of the ignorant! Among them also were those who inquired of the darkness about the light. Say: Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold the brightness which hath visibly enveloped the earth! This, verily, is a light which hath risen and shone forth above the horizon of the Dayspring of divine knowledge with manifest radiance. Would ye ask the Jews whether Jesus was the True One from God, or the idols if Mua��ammad was an Apostle of His Lord, or inquire from the people of the Qur’án as to Him Who was the Remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great?

Say: O people! Cast away, before the splendours of this Revelation, the things that ye possess, and cleave to that which God hath bidden you observe. Such is His command unto you, and He, verily, is best able to command. By My Beauty! By those words which I have revealed, Myself is not intended, but rather He Who will come after Me. To it is witness God, the All-Knowing. Deal not with Him as ye have dealt with Me. Do not object, when the verses of God are sent down unto you from the Court of My favour, saying, “these do not proceed from an innate and untaught nature”, for that nature itself hath been created by My word and circleth round Me, if ye be of them that apprehend this truth. Inhale from the utterances of your Lord, the All-Merciful, the sweet smell of the garment of inner meanings, which hath been diffused throughout the entire creation and hath shed its fragrance over all created things. Happy are those who perceive it and hasten unto God with radiant hearts.

O Living Temple! We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom of names, that Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My sovereignty, a herald unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path. We have exalted Thy Name among Our servants as a bounty from Our presence. I, verily, am the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We have, moreover, adorned Thee with the ornament of Our own Self, and have imparted unto Thee Our Word, that Thou mayest ordain in this contingent world whatsoever Thou willest and accomplish whatsoever Thou pleasest. We have destined for Thee all the good of the heavens and of the earth, and decreed that none may attain unto a portion thereof unless he entereth beneath Thy shadow, as bidden by Thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have conferred upon Thee the Staff of authority and the Writ of judgement, that Thou mayest test the wisdom of every command. We have caused the oceans of inner meaning and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the God of mercy, that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of those who are truly thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all Our creatures, and have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

Bring then into being, by Our leave, resplendent mirrors and exalted letters that shall testify to Thy sovereignty and dominion, bear witness to Thy might and glory, and be the manifestations of Thy Names amidst mankind. We have caused Thee again to be the Origin and the Creator of all mirrors, even as We brought them forth from Thee aforetime. And We shall cause Thee to return unto Mine own Self, even as We called Thee forth in the beginning. Thy Lord, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling. Warn, then, these mirrors, once they have been made manifest, lest they swell with pride before their Creator and Fashioner when He appeareth amongst them, or let the trappings of leadership debar them from bowing in submission before God, the Almighty, the All-Beauteous.

Say: O concourse of mirrors! Ye are but a creation of My will and have come to exist by virtue of My command. Beware lest ye deny the verses of My Lord, and be of them who have wrought injustice and are numbered with the lost. Beware lest ye cling unto that which ye possess, or take pride in your fame and renown. That which behoveth you is to wholly detach yourselves from all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

O Temple of My Cause! Say: Should I wish to transform, in a single moment, all things into mirrors of My Names, this undoubtedly is in My power, how much more in the power of My Lord, Who hath called Me into being through His all-compelling and inscrutable command. And should I choose to revolutionize the entire creation in the twinkling of an eye, this assuredly is possible unto Me, how much more unto that sovereign Purpose enshrined in the Will of God, My Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.

Say: O ye manifestations of My Names! Should ye offer up all that ye possess, nay your very lives, in the path of God, and invoke Him to the number of the grains of sand, the drops of rain, and the waves of the sea, and yet oppose the Manifestation of His Cause at the time of His appearance, your works shall in no wise be mentioned before God. Should ye, however, neglect all righteous works and yet choose to believe in Him in these days, God perchance will put away your sins. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Thus doth the Lord inform you of His purpose, that haply ye may not wax proud before the One through Whom whatsoever hath been revealed from all eternity hath been confirmed. Happy is he who approacheth this Most Sublime Vision, and woe to them that turn aside!

How numerous those who expend all their wealth in the path of God, and whom We find, at the hour of His Revelation, to be of the rebellious and the froward! How many those who keep the fast in the daytime, only to protest against the One by Whose very command the ordinance of the fast was first established! Such men are, in truth, of the ignorant. And how many those who subsist on the coarsest bread, who take for their only seat the grass of the field, and who undergo every manner of hardship, merely to maintain their superiority in the eyes of men! Thus do We expose their deeds, that this may serve as a warning unto others. These are the ones who subject themselves to all manner of austerities before the gaze of others in the hope of perpetuating their names, whilst in reality no mention shall remain of them save in the curses and imprecations of the dwellers of earth and heaven.

Say: Would it profit you in the least if, as ye fondly imagine, your names were to endure? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Was the idol ’Uzzá made any greater by this, that its name lived on amidst the worshippers of names? Nay, by Him Who is the Self of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling! Should your names fade from every mortal mind, and yet God be well pleased with you, ye will indeed be numbered among the treasures of His name, the Most Hidden. Thus have We sent down Our verses that they may attract you unto the Source of all Lights, and acquaint you with the purpose of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Abstain, then, from all that hath been forbidden unto you in the Book, and eat of the lawful things which God hath provided for your sustenance. Deprive not yourselves of His goodly bestowals, for He, verily, is the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. Subject not yourselves to excessive hardships, but follow the way We have made plain unto you through Our luminous verses and perspicuous proofs, and be not of the negligent.

O concourse of divines! It is not yours to boast if ye abstain from drinking wine and from similar transgressions which have been forbidden you in the Book, for should ye commit such deeds, the dignity of your station would then be tainted in the eyes of the people, your affairs would be disrupted, and your name disgraced and dishonoured. Nay, your true and abiding glory resideth in submission to the Word of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and in your inward and outward detachment from aught else besides God, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. Great is the blessedness of that divine that hath not allowed knowledge to become a veil between him and the One Who is the Object of all knowledge, and who, when the Self-Subsisting appeared, hath turned with a beaming face towards Him. He, in truth, is numbered with the learned. The inmates of Paradise seek the blessing of his breath, and his lamp sheddeth its radiance over all who are in heaven and on earth. He, verily, is numbered with the inheritors of the Prophets. He that beholdeth him hath, verily, beheld the True One, and he that turneth towards him hath, verily, turned towards God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

O ye the dawning-places of knowledge! Beware that ye suffer not yourselves to become changed, for as ye change, most men will, likewise, change. This, verily, is an injustice unto yourselves and unto others. Unto this beareth witness every man of discernment and insight. Ye are even as a spring. If it be changed, so will the streams that branch out from it be changed. Fear God, and be numbered with the godly. In like manner, if the heart of man be corrupted, his limbs will also be corrupted. And similarly, if the root of a tree be corrupted, its branches, and its offshoots, and its leaves, and its fruits, will be corrupted. Thus have We set forth similitudes for your instruction, that perchance ye may not be debarred by the things ye possess from attaining unto that which hath been destined for you by Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

It is indeed in Our power to take up a handful of dust and to adorn it with the vesture of Our Names. This, however, would be but a sign of Our favour, and not an indication of any merit it may have inherently possessed. Thus hath it been revealed in truth by Him Who is the Sovereign Revealer, the All-Knowing. Consider the Black Stone, which God hath made a point whereunto all men turn in adoration. Hath this bounty been conferred upon it by virtue of its innate excellence? Nay, by Mine own Self! Or doth such distinction stem from its intrinsic worth? Nay, by Mine own Being, Whose Essence all creation hath failed to grasp!

Again, consider the Mosque of Aqa��á and the other places which We have made sanctuaries unto the people in every land and region. The honour and distinction they enjoy is in no wise due to their own merit, but stemmeth from their relation to Our Manifestations, Whom We have appointed as the Daysprings of Our Revelation amidst mankind, if ye be of them that understand. In this there lieth a wisdom inscrutable to all save God. Inquire, that He may graciously make plain unto you His purpose. His knowledge, verily, embraceth all things. Detach yourselves, O people, from the world and all its vanities, and heed not the call of such as have disbelieved in God and joined partners with Him. Arise above the horizon of utterance to extol and praise your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is that which God hath purposed for you; well is it with them who perceive it.

Say: O people! We have commanded you in Our Tablets to strive, at the time of the promised Revelation, to sanctify your souls from all names, and to purify them from all that hath been created in the heavens or on the earth, that therein may appear the splendours of the Sun of Truth which shineth forth above the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Almighty, the Most Great. We have, moreover, commanded you to cleanse your hearts from every trace of the love or hate of the peoples of the world, lest aught should divert you from one course or impel you towards another. This, verily, is among the weightiest counsels I have vouchsafed unto you in the perspicuous Book, for whoso attacheth himself to either of these shall be prevented from attaining a proper understanding of Our Cause. To this beareth witness every just and discerning soul.

Ye, however, have broken the Covenant of God, forgotten His Testament, and at last turned away from Him Whose appearance hath solaced the eyes of every true believer in the Divine Unity. Lift up the veils and coverings that obscure your vision, and consider the testimonies of the Prophets and Messengers, that haply ye may recognize the Cause of God in these days when the Promised One hath come invested with a mighty sovereignty. Fear God, and debar yourselves not from Him Who is the Dayspring of His signs. This shall, in truth, but profit your own selves; as to your Lord, He, verily, can afford to dispense with all creatures. From everlasting was He alone; there was none else besides Him. He it is in Whose name the standard of Divine Unity hath been planted upon the Sinai of the visible and invisible worlds, proclaiming that there is none other God but Me, the Peerless, the Glorious, the Incomparable.

Behold, however, how those who are but a creation of His Will and Command have turned aside from Him and have taken unto themselves a lord and master beside God; these, truly, are of the wayward. The mention of the All-Merciful hath at all times been upon their lips, and yet when He was manifested unto them through the power of truth they warred against Him. Wretched indeed shall be the plight of such as have broken the Covenant of their Lord when the Luminary of the world shone forth above the horizon of the Will of God, the Most Holy, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! It was against God that they unsheathed the swords of malice and hatred, and yet they perceive it not. Methinks they remain dead and buried in the tombs of their selfish desires, though the breeze of God hath blown over all regions. They, truly, are wrapt in a dense and grievous veil. And oft as the verses of God are rehearsed unto them, they persist in proud disdain; it is as though they were devoid of all understanding, or had never heard the Melody of God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing.

Say: Alas for you! How can ye profess yourselves believers, when ye deny the verses of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing? Say: O people! Turn your faces unto your Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest ye be veiled by aught that hath been revealed in the Bayán: It was, in truth, revealed for no other purpose than to make mention of Me, the All-Powerful, the Most High, and had no other object than My Beauty. The whole world hath been filled with My testimony, if ye be of them that judge with fairness.

Had the Primal Point been someone else beside Me as ye claim, and had attained My presence, verily He would have never allowed Himself to be separated from Me, but rather We would have had mutual delights with each other in My Days. He, in truth, wept sore in His remoteness from Me. He preceded Me that He might summon the people unto My Kingdom, as it hath been set forth in the Tablets, could ye but perceive it! O would that men of hearing might be found who could hear the voice of His lamentation in the Bayán bewailing that which hath befallen Me at the hands of these heedless souls, bemoaning His separation from Me and giving utterance to His longing to be united with Me, the Mighty, the Peerless. He, verily, beholdeth at this moment His Best-Beloved amidst those who were created to attain His Day and to prostrate themselves before Him, and yet who have inflicted in their tyranny such abasement upon Him as the pen confesseth its inability to describe.

Say: O people! We, verily, summoned you, in Our former Revelation, unto this Scene of transcendent glory, this Seat of stainless sanctity, and announced unto you the advent of the Days of God. Yet, when the most great veil was rent asunder, and the Ancient Beauty came unto you in the clouds of God’s decree, ye repudiated Him in Whom ye had believed aforetime. Woe betide you, O company of infidels! Fear ye God, and nullify not the truth with the things ye possess. When the luminary of divine verses dawneth upon you from the horizon of the Pen of the King of all names and attributes, fall ye prostrate upon your faces before God, the Lord of the Worlds. For to bow down in adoration at the threshold of His door is indeed better for you than the worship of both worlds, and to submit to His Revelation is more profitable unto you than whatsoever hath been created in the heavens and on the earth.

Say: O people! I admonish you wholly for the sake of God, and seek no reward from you. For My recompense shall be with God, He Who hath brought Me into being, raised Me up by the power of truth, and made Me the Source of His remembrance amidst His creatures. Hasten to behold this divine and glorious Vision, the Spot wherein God hath established His Seat. Follow not that which the Evil One whispereth in your hearts, for he, verily, doth prompt you to walk after your lusts and covetous desires, and hindereth you from treading the straight Path which this all-embracing and all-compelling Cause hath opened.

Say: The Evil One hath appeared in such wise as the eye of creation hath never beheld. He Who is the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath likewise been made manifest with an adorning the like of which hath never been witnessed in the past. The Call of the All-Merciful hath been raised, and behind it the call of Satan. Well is it with them who hearken unto the Voice of God, and turn their faces towards His throne to behold a most holy and blessed Vision. For whoso cherisheth in his heart the love of anyone beside Me, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed, shall be unable to gain admittance into My Kingdom. To this beareth witness that which adorneth the preamble of the Book of Existence, could ye but perceive it. Say: This is the Day whereon God’s most great favour hath been made manifest. The voice of all who are in the heavens above and on the earth below proclaimeth My Name, and singeth forth My praises, could ye but hear it!

O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven! Step forth from the chambers of Paradise and announce unto the people of the world: By the righteousness of God! He Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds�“He Who hath ever been the Desire of every perceiving heart, the Object of the adoration of all that are in heaven and on earth, and the Cynosure of the former and the latter generations�”is now come!

Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as naught before a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours. Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace, and be not of the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for less than a moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and return him to the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them that tarry!

Pope Pius IX

O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Unrestrained. Dispel the mists through the power of thy Lord, and ascend unto the Kingdom of His names and attributes. Thus hath the Pen of the Most High commanded thee at the behest of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him without a clear token or proof. On His right hand flow the living waters of grace, and on His left the choice Wine of justice, whilst before Him march the angels of Paradise, bearing the banners of His signs. Beware lest any name debar thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath been illumined.

We have adorned the Kingdom with the ornament of Our name, the All-Glorious. Thus hath it been decreed by God, the Fashioner of all things. Take heed lest thy vain imaginings withhold thee, when once the Sun of Certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of the Utterance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beneficent. Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation liveth in the most desolate of abodes? Leave them unto such as desire them, and set thy face with joy and delight towards the Kingdom.

Say: O peoples of the earth! Destroy the abodes of negligence with the hands of power and assurance, and raise up the mansions of true knowledge within your hearts, that the All-Merciful may shed the radiance of His light upon them. Better is this for you than all whereon the sun shineth, and unto this beareth witness He Who holdeth within His grasp the ultimate decree. The Breeze of God hath been wafted over the world at the advent of the Desired One in His great glory, whereupon every stone and clod of earth hath cried out: “The Promised One is come! The Kingdom is God’s, the Mighty, the Gracious, the Forgiving.”

Beware lest human learning debar thee from Him Who is the Supreme Object of all knowledge, or lest the world deter thee from the One Who created it and set it upon its course. Arise in the name of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, amidst the peoples of the earth, and seize thou the Cup of Life with the hands of confidence. First drink thou therefrom, and proffer it then to such as turn towards it amongst the peoples of all faiths. Thus hath the Moon of Utterance risen above the horizon of wisdom and understanding.

Tear asunder the veils of human learning lest they hinder thee from Him Who is My name, the Self-Subsisting. Call thou to remembrance Him Who was the Spirit, Who, when He came, the most learned of His age pronounced judgement against Him in His own country, whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take heed, then, ye men of understanding heart! Thou, in truth, art one of the suns of the heaven of His names. Guard thyself, lest darkness spread its veils over thee, and fold thee away from His light. Ponder, then, that which hath been sent down in the Book by thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

Say: Still your pens, O concourse of divines, for lo, the shrill voice of the Pen of Glory hath been lifted up between earth and heaven. Cast away all that ye possess and take fast hold of that which We have revealed unto you with power and authority. The Hour that was concealed within the knowledge of God hath struck, whereupon all the atoms of the earth have proclaimed: “The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory! Hasten unto Him, O peoples of the earth, with humble and contrite hearts.” Say: We, in truth, have given Ourself as a ransom for your own lives. Alas, when We came once again, We beheld you fleeing from Us, whereat the eye of My loving-kindness wept sore over My people. Fear God, O ye that perceive.

Consider those who opposed the Son, when He came unto them with sovereignty and power. How many the Pharisees who were waiting to behold Him, and were lamenting over their separation from Him! And yet, when the fragrance of His coming was wafted over them, and His beauty was unveiled, they turned aside from Him and disputed with Him. Thus do We impart unto thee that which hath been recorded in the Books and Scriptures. None save a very few, who were destitute of any power amongst men, turned towards His face. And yet today every man endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth himself on His Name! In like manner, consider how numerous, in these days, are the monks who, in My Name, have secluded themselves in their churches, and who, when the appointed time was fulfilled, and We unveiled Our beauty, knew Us not, though they call upon Me at eventide and at dawn. We behold them clinging to My name, yet veiled from My Self. This, verily, is a strange thing.

Say: Take heed lest your devotions withhold you from Him Who is the object of all devotion, or your worship debar you from Him Who is the object of all worship. Rend asunder the veils of your idle fancies! This is your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, Who hath come to quicken the world and unite all who dwell on earth. Turn unto the Dayspring of Revelation, O people, and tarry not, be it for less than the twinkling of an eye. Read ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord? This indeed beseemeth you not, O concourse of learned men!

Say: If ye deny this Revelation, by what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it then. Thus hath the summons of God been sent down by the Pen of the Most High at the bidding of your Lord, the Most Glorious, in this Tablet from whose horizon the splendour of His Light hath shone forth. How many are My servants whose deeds have become veils between them and their own selves, and who have been kept back thereby from drawing nigh unto God, He Who causeth the winds to blow.

O concourse of monks! The fragrances of the All-Merciful have wafted over all creation. Happy the man that hath forsaken his desires, and taken fast hold of guidance. He, indeed, is of those who have attained unto the presence of God in this Day, a Day whereon commotions have seized the dwellers of the earth and filled with dismay all save those who have been exempted by God, He Who layeth low the necks of men.

Adorn ye your bodies whilst the raiment of God is stained with the blood of hatred at the hands of the people of denial? Issue forth from your habitations and bid the people enter the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgement. The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest. It hath been sent down in the form of the human temple in this day. Blessed be the Lord Who is the Father! He, verily, is come unto the nations in His most great majesty. Turn your faces towards Him, O concourse of the righteous!

O followers of all religions! We behold you wandering distraught in the wilderness of error. Ye are the fish of this Ocean; wherefore do ye withhold yourselves from that which sustaineth you? Lo, it surgeth before your faces. Hasten unto it from every clime. This is the day whereon the Rock crieth out and shouteth, and celebrateth the praise of its Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High, saying: “Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled!” This is the Word which was preserved behind the veils of grandeur, and which, when the Promise came to pass, shed its radiance from the horizon of the Divine Will with clear tokens.

My body hath borne imprisonment that your souls may be released from bondage, and We have consented to be abased that ye may be exalted. Follow the Lord of glory and dominion, and not every ungodly oppressor. My body longeth for the cross, and Mine head awaiteth the thrust of the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful, that the world may be purged from its transgressions. Thus hath the Daystar of divine authority shone forth from the horizon of the Revelation of Him Who is the Possessor of all names and attributes.

The people of the Qur’án have risen against Us, and tormented Us with such a torment that the Holy Spirit lamented, and the thunder roared out, and the clouds wept over Us. Among the faithless is he who hath imagined that calamities can deter Bahá from fulfilling that which God, the Creator of all things, hath purposed. Say: Nay, by Him Who causeth the rain to fall! Nothing whatsoever can withhold Him from the remembrance of His Lord.

By the righteousness of God! Should they cast Him into a fire kindled on the continent, He will assuredly rear His head in the midmost heart of the ocean and proclaim: “He is the Lord of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth!” And if they cast Him into a darksome pit, they will find Him seated on earth’s loftiest heights calling aloud to all mankind: “Lo, the Desire of the World is come in His majesty, His sovereignty, His transcendent dominion!” And if He be buried beneath the depths of the earth, His Spirit soaring to the apex of heaven shall peal the summons: “Behold ye the coming of the Glory; witness ye the Kingdom of God, the Most Holy, the Gracious, the All-Powerful!” And if they shed His blood, every drop thereof shall cry out and invoke God in this Name through which the fragrance of His raiment hath been diffused in all directions.

Though threatened by the swords of Our enemies, We summon all mankind unto God, the Fashioner of earth and heaven, and We render Him such aid as can be hindered by neither the hosts of tyranny nor the ascendancy of the people of iniquity. Say: O peoples of the earth! Scatter the idols of your vain imaginings in the name of your Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, and turn ye unto Him in this Day which God hath made the King of days.

O Supreme Pontiff! Incline thine ear unto that which the Fashioner of mouldering bones counselleth thee, as voiced by Him Who is His Most Great Name. Sell all the embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend them in the path of God, Who causeth the night to return upon the day, and the day to return upon the night. Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom, and, detached from the world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt earth and heaven. Thus hath bidden thee He Who is the Possessor of Names, on the part of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Exhort thou the kings and say: “Deal equitably with men. Beware lest ye transgress the bounds fixed in the Book.” This indeed becometh thee. Beware lest thou appropriate unto thyself the things of the world and the riches thereof. Leave them unto such as desire them, and cleave unto that which hath been enjoined upon thee by Him Who is the Lord of creation. Should anyone offer thee all the treasures of the earth, refuse to even glance upon them. Be as thy Lord hath been. Thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken that which God hath made the ornament of the book of creation.

Consider a pearl which shineth by virtue of its inherent nature. If it be covered with silk, its luster and beauty will be concealed. Likewise, man’s distinction lieth in the excellence of his conduct and in the pursuit of that which beseemeth his station, not in childish play and pastimes. Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the luxuries thou dost possess. Abandon them unto those who seek after them and turn unto God, He Who causeth the rivers to flow.

Whatever proceeded from the tongue of the Son was revealed in parables, whilst He Who proclaimeth the Truth in this Day speaketh without them. Take heed lest thou cling to the cord of idle fancy and withhold thyself from that which hath been ordained in the Kingdom of God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. Should the inebriation of the wine of My verses seize thee, and thou determinest to present thyself before the throne of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, make My love thy vesture, and thy shield remembrance of Me, and thy provision reliance upon God, the Revealer of all power.

O followers of the Son! We have once again sent John unto you, and He, verily, hath cried out in the wilderness of the Bayán: O peoples of the world! Cleanse your eyes! The Day whereon ye can behold the Promised One and attain unto Him hath drawn nigh! O followers of the Gospel! Prepare the way! The Day of the advent of the Glorious Lord is at hand! Make ready to enter the Kingdom. Thus hath it been ordained by God, He Who causeth the dawn to break.

Give ear unto that which the Dove of Eternity warbleth upon the twigs of the Divine Lote-Tree: O followers of the Son! We sent forth him who was named John to baptize you with water, that your bodies might be cleansed for the appearance of the Messiah. He, in turn, purified you with the fire of love and the water of the spirit in anticipation of these Days whereon the All-Merciful hath purposed to cleanse you with the water of life at the hands of His loving providence. This is that peerless One foretold by Isaiah, and the Comforter concerning Whom the Spirit had covenanted with you. Open your eyes, O concourse of bishops, that ye may behold your Lord seated upon the Throne of might and glory.

Say: O peoples of all faiths! Walk not in the ways of them that followed the Pharisees and thus veiled themselves from the Spirit. They truly have strayed and are in error. The Ancient Beauty is come in His Most Great Name, and He wisheth to admit all mankind into His most holy Kingdom. The pure in heart behold the Kingdom of God manifest before His Face. Make haste thereunto and follow not the infidel and the ungodly. Should your eye be opposed thereto, pluck it out. Thus hath it been decreed by the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by Him Who is the Lord of the entire creation. He, verily, hath come again that ye might be redeemed, O peoples of the earth. Will ye slay Him Who desireth to grant you eternal life? Fear God, O ye who are endued with insight.

O people! Hearken unto that which hath been revealed by your All-Glorious Lord, and turn your faces unto God, the Lord of this world and of the world to come. Thus doth He Who is the Dawning-Place of the Daystar of divine inspiration command you as bidden by the Fashioner of all mankind. We, verily, have created you for the light, and desire not to abandon you unto the fire. Come forth, O people, from darkness by the grace of this Sun which hath shone forth above the horizon of divine providence, and turn thereunto with sanctified hearts and assured souls, with seeing eyes and beaming faces. Thus counselleth you the Supreme Ordainer from the scene of His transcendent glory, that perchance His summons may draw you nigh unto the Kingdom of His names.

Blessed the one who hath remained faithful to the Covenant of God, and woe betide him who hath broken it and disbelieved in Him, the Knower of secrets. Say: This is the Day of Bounty! Bestir yourselves that I may make you monarchs in the realms of My Kingdom. If ye follow Me, ye shall behold that which ye were promised, and I will make you My companions in the dominion of My majesty and the intimates of My beauty in the heaven of My power forevermore. If ye rebel against Me, I will in My clemency endure it patiently, that haply ye may awaken and rise up from the couch of heedlessness. Thus hath My mercy encompassed you. Fear ye God and follow not in the ways of those who have turned away from His face, though they invoke His name in the daytime and in the night season.

Verily, the day of ingathering is come, and all things have been separated from each other. He hath stored away that which He chose in the vessels of justice, and cast into fire that which befitteth it. Thus hath it been decreed by your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, in this promised Day. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is none other God save He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. The desire of the Divine Sifter hath been to store up every good thing for Mine own Self. Naught hath He spoken save to acquaint you with My Cause and to guide you to the path of Him whose mention hath adorned all the sacred Books.

Say: O concourse of Christians! We have, on a previous occasion, revealed Ourself unto you, and ye recognized Me not. This is yet another occasion vouchsafed unto you. This is the Day of God; turn ye unto Him. He, verily, hath come down from heaven even as He came down the first time, and He desireth to shelter you beneath the shade of His mercy. He, verily, is the Exalted, the Mighty, the Supreme Helper. The Beloved One loveth not that ye be consumed with the fire of your desires. Were ye to be shut out as by a veil from Him, this would be for no other reason than your own waywardness and ignorance. Ye make mention of Me, and know Me not. Ye call upon Me, and are heedless of My Revelation, notwithstanding that I came unto you from the heaven of pre-existence with surpassing glory. Rend the veils asunder in My name and through the power of My sovereignty that ye may discover a path unto your Lord.

The King of Glory proclaimeth from the tabernacle of majesty and grandeur His call, saying: O people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day, tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by the power of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, and enter, then, in My name My Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who desireth for you everlasting life. He, verily, is potent over all things. Blessed are those who have recognized the Light and hastened unto it. They, verily, dwell in the Kingdom, and partake of the food and drink of God’s chosen ones.

We behold you, O children of the Kingdom, in darkness. This, verily, beseemeth you not. Are ye, in the face of the Light, fearful because of your deeds? Direct yourselves towards Him. Your All-Glorious Lord hath blessed His lands with His footsteps. Thus do We make plain unto you the path of Him Whom the Spirit prophesied. I, verily, bear witness unto Him, even as He hath borne witness unto Me. Verily, He said: “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” In this day, however, We say: “Come ye after Me, that We may make you to become the quickeners of mankind.” Thus hath the decree been inscribed in this Tablet by the Pen of Revelation.

O Pen of the Most High! Bestir Thyself in remembrance of other kings in this blessed and luminous Book, that perchance they may rise from the couch of heedlessness and give ear unto that which the Nightingale singeth upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, and hasten towards God in this most wondrous and sublime Revelation.

Napoleon III

O King of Paris! Tell the priests to ring the bells no longer. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the Will of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality in His name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, was pleased to spare. Say: He Who is the Unconstrained is come, in the clouds of light, that He may quicken the world with the breezes of His name, the Most Merciful, and unite its peoples, and gather all men around this Table which hath been sent down from heaven. Beware that ye deny not the favour of God after it hath been sent down unto you. Better is this for you than that which ye possess; for that which is yours perisheth, whilst that which is with God endureth. He, in truth, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Verily, the breezes of forgiveness have been wafted from the direction of your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso turneth thereunto shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and sickness. Happy the man that hath turned towards them, and woe betide him that hath turned aside.

Wert thou to incline thine inner ear unto all created things, thou wouldst hear: “The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory!” Everything celebrateth the praise of its Lord. Some have known God and remember Him; others remember Him, yet know Him not. Thus have We set down Our decree in a perspicuous Tablet.

Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth from the Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree, on this Sinai which hath been raised above the hallowed and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting City; “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!” We, in truth, have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit that He may announce unto you this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and Whose signs have been revealed in the West. Set your faces towards Him on this Day which God hath exalted above all other days, and whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendour of His effulgent glory upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Arise thou to serve God and help His Cause. He, verily, will assist thee with the hosts of the seen and unseen, and will set thee king over all that whereon the sun riseth. Thy Lord, in truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed over all created things; happy the man that hath discovered their fragrance, and set himself towards them with a sound heart. Attire thy temple with the ornament of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all. Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say: “O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards Him Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide unto you. He hath come to you with signs which none can produce.” The voice of the Burning Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world, and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations: “Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!”

O King! The stars of the heaven of knowledge have fallen, they who seek to establish the truth of My Cause through the things they possess, and who make mention of God in My Name. And yet, when I came unto them in My glory, they turned aside. They, indeed, are of the fallen. This is, truly, that which the Spirit of God hath announced, when He came with truth unto you, He with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at last they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to lament, and the tears of them that have near access to God to flow. Consider how a Pharisee who had worshipped God for seventy years repudiated the Son when He appeared, whereas one who had committed adultery gained admittance into the Kingdom. Thus doth the Pen admonish thee as bidden by the Eternal King, that thou mayest be apprised of what came to pass aforetime and be reckoned in this day among them that truly believe.

Say: O concourse of monks! Seclude not yourselves in your churches and cloisters. Come ye out of them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves with what will profit you and others. Thus commandeth you He Who is the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My love. This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth you, could ye but know it. He that secludeth himself in his house is indeed as one dead. It behoveth man to show forth that which will benefit mankind. He that bringeth forth no fruit is fit for the fire. Thus admonisheth you your Lord; He, verily, is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Enter ye into wedlock, that after you another may arise in your stead. We, verily, have forbidden you lechery, and not that which is conducive to fidelity. Have ye clung unto the promptings of your nature, and cast behind your backs the statutes of God? Fear ye God, and be not of the foolish. But for man, who, on My earth, would remember Me, and how could My attributes and My names be revealed? Reflect, and be not of them that have shut themselves out as by a veil from Him, and were of those that are fast asleep. He that married not could find no place wherein to abide, nor where to lay His head, by reason of what the hands of the treacherous had wrought. His holiness consisted not in the things ye have believed and imagined, but rather in the things which belong unto Us. Ask, that ye may be made aware of His station which hath been exalted above the vain imaginings of all the peoples of the earth. Blessed are they that understand.

O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war. Thy Lord, verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say: “I lay asleep upon my couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.” This is what We heard thee say, and, verily, thy Lord is witness unto what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for We tested thee, and found thee wanting. Comprehend the meaning of My words, and be thou of the discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words of condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We conferred upon thee in this mortal life. We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behoveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.

For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of those who are fast asleep. It behoveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: “Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!”

O King! We were in ’Iráq, when the hour of parting arrived. At the bidding of the King of Islám We set Our steps in his direction. Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the malicious that which the books of the world can never adequately recount. Thereupon the inmates of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats of holiness, lamented; and yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil! Say: Do ye cavil at Him Who hath come unto you bearing the clear evidence of God and His proof, the testimony of God and His signs? These things are not from Himself; nay, rather they proceed from the One Who hath raised Him up, sent Him forth through the power of truth, and made Him to be a lamp unto all mankind.

More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: “For what crime were they imprisoned?”, they would answer and say: “They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!” If that which is ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? Clear it up, O men! By My life! There is no place for you to flee to in this day. If this be My crime, then Mua��ammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God, and yet earlier He Who conversed with God. And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

Upon Our arrival at this Prison, We purposed to transmit to the kings the messages of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Though We have transmitted to them, in several Tablets, that which We were commanded, yet We do it once again as a token of God’s grace. Perchance they may recognize the Lord, Who hath come down in the clouds with manifest sovereignty.

As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from My purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of strength and of might. I have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in My love for Him, and for the sake of His good pleasure. Unto this bear witness the woes which now afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered. Every single hair of Mine head calleth out that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of My body invoketh God and saith: “O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the world might be quickened, and all its peoples be united!” Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Know of a truth that your subjects are God’s trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate. Wert thou to quaff the mystic Wine of everlasting life from the chalice of the words of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst be enabled to forsake all that thou dost possess and to proclaim My Name before all mankind. Cleanse then thy soul with the waters of detachment. Verily, this is the Remembrance that hath shone forth above the horizon of creation, which shall purge thy soul from the dross of the world. Abandon thy palaces to the people of the graves, and thine empire to whosoever desireth it, and turn, then, unto the Kingdom. This, verily, is what God hath chosen for thee, wert thou of them that turn unto Him. They that have failed to turn unto the Countenance of God in this Revelation are indeed bereft of life. They move as bidden by their own selfish desires, and are in truth accounted among the dead. Shouldst thou desire to bear the weight of thy dominion, bear it then to aid the Cause of thy Lord. Glorified be this station which whoever attaineth thereunto hath attained unto all good that proceedeth from Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Arise thou, in My name, above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy Lord, the Lord of strength and of might. Through the power of My sovereignty stand before the inhabitants of the world and say: “O people! The Day is come, and the fragrances of God have been wafted over the whole of creation. They that have turned away from His Face are the helpless victims of their corrupt inclinations. They are indeed of them that have gone astray.”

Adorn the body of thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and arise, then, to teach My Cause. Better is this for thee than that which thou possessest. God will, thereby, exalt thy name among all the kings. Potent is He over all things. Walk thou amongst men in the name of God, and by the power of His might, that thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the peoples of the earth. Burn thou brightly with the flame of this undying Fire which the All-Merciful hath ignited in the midmost heart of creation, that through thee the heat of His love may be kindled within the hearts of His favoured ones. Follow in My way and enrapture the hearts of men through remembrance of Me, the Almighty, the Most Exalted.

Say: He from whom, in this day, the sweet savours of the remembrance of his Lord, the All-Merciful, have not been diffused, is indeed unworthy of the station of man. He, verily, is of them that have followed their own desires, and shall erelong find himself in grievous loss. Doth it behove you to relate yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy, and yet commit the things which the Evil One hath committed? Nay, by the Beauty of Him Who is the All-Glorified! could ye but know it. Purge your hearts from love of the world, and your tongues from calumny, and your limbs from whatsoever may withhold you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: By the world is meant that which turneth you aside from Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Revelation, and inclineth you unto that which is unprofitable unto you. Verily, the thing that deterreth you, in this day, from God is worldliness in its essence. Eschew it, and approach the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent Seat. Blessed is he who alloweth nothing whatsoever to intervene between him and his Lord. No harm, assuredly, can befall him if he partaketh with justice of the benefits of this world, inasmuch as We have created all things for such of Our servants as truly believe in God.

Should your words, O people, be at variance with your deeds, what then shall distinguish you from those who profess their faith in the Lord, their God, and yet, when He came down to them overshadowed with clouds, rejected Him and waxed proud before God, the Incomparable, the Omniscient? Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither judge ye anyone unjustly. Thus have ye been commanded by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of all. They that commit disorders in the land after it hath been well ordered, these indeed have outstepped the bounds that have been set in the Book. Wretched shall be the abode of the transgressors!

God hath prescribed unto everyone the duty of teaching His Cause. Whoever ariseth to discharge this duty, must needs, ere he proclaimeth His Message, adorn himself with the ornament of an upright and praiseworthy character, so that his words may attract the hearts of such as are receptive to his call. Without it, he can never hope to influence his hearers. Thus doth God instruct you. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

They who exhort others unto justice, while themselves committing iniquity, stand accused of falsehood by the inmates of the Kingdom and by those who circle round the throne of their Lord, the Almighty, the Beneficent, for that which their tongues have uttered. Commit not, O people, that which dishonoureth your name and the fair name of the Cause of God amongst men. Beware lest ye approach that which your minds abhor. Fear God and follow not in the footsteps of them that are gone astray. Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbour. Be ye trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the things given unto you by God through His grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous.

Say: We have ordained that our Cause be taught through the power of utterance. Beware lest ye dispute idly with anyone. Whoso ariseth wholly for the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall strengthen him and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of the world, how much more the hearts of those who seek Him. O people of Bahá! Subdue the citadels of men’s hearts with the swords of wisdom and of utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer then with it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward.

If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God may conceal your own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of grace abounding. O ye rich ones on earth! If ye encounter one who is poor, treat him not disdainfully. Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one of you was created of a sorry germ. It behoveth you to observe truthfulness, whereby your temples shall be adorned, your names uplifted, your stations exalted amidst men, and a mighty recompense assured for you before God.

Give ear, O peoples of the earth, unto that which the Pen of the Lord of all nations commandeth you. Know ye of a certainty that the Dispensations of the past have attained their highest, their final consummation in the Law that hath branched out from this Most Great Ocean. Haste ye thereunto at Our behest. We, verily, ordain as We please. Regard ye the world as a man’s body, which is afflicted with divers ailments, and the recovery of which dependeth upon the harmonizing of all of its component elements. Gather ye around that which We have prescribed unto you, and walk not in the ways of such as create dissension.

All feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great Festivals, and in two other Festivals that fall on the twin days�“the first of the Most Great Festivals being those days whereon God shed the effulgent glory of His most excellent Names upon all who are in heaven and on earth, and the second being that day on which We raised up the One Who announced unto the people the glad-tidings of this Great Announcement. Thus hath it been set down in the Book by Him Who is the Mighty, the Powerful. On other than these four consummate days, engage ye in your daily occupations, and withhold yourselves not from the pursuit of your trades and crafts. Thus hath the command been issued and the law gone forth from Him Who is your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: O concourse of priests and monks! Eat ye of that which God hath made lawful unto you and do not shun meat. God hath, as a token of His grace, granted you leave to partake thereof save during a brief period. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Beneficent. Forsake all that ye possess and hold fast unto that which God hath purposed. This is that which profiteth you, if ye be of them that comprehend. We have ordained a fast of nineteen days in the most temperate of the seasons, and have in this resplendent and luminous Dispensation relieved you from more than this. Thus have We set forth and made clear unto you that which ye are bidden to observe, that ye may follow the commandments of God and be united in that which the Almighty, the All-Wise, hath appointed unto you. He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body. Haste ye to win your share of God’s good grace and mercy in this Day that eclipseth all other created Days. How great the felicity that awaiteth the man that forsaketh all he hath in a desire to obtain the things of God! Such a man, We testify, is among God’s blessed ones.

O King! Bear thou witness unto that which God hath Himself and for Himself borne witness ere the creation of earth and heaven, that there is none other God but Me, the One, the Single, the Most Exalted, the Incomparable, the Inaccessible. Arise with the utmost steadfastness in the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. Thus hast thou been instructed in this wondrous Tablet. We, verily, have desired naught for thee save that which is better for thee than all that is on earth. Unto this testify all created things and beyond them this perspicuous Book.

Meditate on the world and the state of its people. He, for Whose sake the world was called into being, hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities, by reason of that which the hands of the wayward have wrought. From the horizon of His prison-city He summoneth mankind unto the Dayspring of God, the Exalted, the Great. Exultest thou over the treasures thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the people of Bahá, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant? Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. Whither are gone the proud and their palaces? Gaze thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by this example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto every beholder. Were the breezes of Revelation to seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou possessest, that thou mayest draw nigh unto this sublime Vision.

We behold the generality of mankind worshipping names and exposing themselves, as thou dost witness, to dire perils in the mere hope of perpetuating their names, whilst every perceiving soul testifieth that after death one’s name shall avail him nothing except insofar as it beareth a relationship unto God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Thus have their vain imaginings taken hold of them in requital for that which their hands have wrought. Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They seek with utmost exertion that which profiteth them not, and yet wert thou to ask of them: “Is there any advantage in that which ye desire?”, thou wouldst find them sorely perplexed. Were a fair-minded soul to be found, he would reply: “Nay, by the Lord of the worlds!” Such is the condition of the people and of that which they possess. Leave them in their folly and turn thy sight unto God. This is in truth that which beseemeth thee. Hearken then unto the counsel of thy Lord, and say: Lauded art Thou, O God of all who are in heaven and on earth!

Czar Alexander II

O Czar of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King, the Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who, among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles, and Who, in the kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the All-Glorious. Beware lest thy desire deter thee from turning towards the face of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We, verily, have heard the thing for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst secretly communing with Him. Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted forth, and the sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in truth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whilst I lay chained and fettered in the prison, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid. Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station which the knowledge of none can comprehend except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away this sublime station. Thy Lord, verily, doeth what He willeth. What He pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a Guarded Tablet.

Beware lest thy sovereignty withhold thee from Him Who is the Supreme Sovereign. He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms cry aloud: “Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!” He Who is the Father is come, and the Son, in the holy vale, crieth out: “Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!”, whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: “The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.”

Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Exalted, the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice. Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God appeared, and Herod gave judgement against Him. God, however, aided Him with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Him down unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he in the midst of the seas, or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of the oppressor.

Blessed be the king whom the veils of glory have not deterred from turning unto the Dayspring of beauty and who hath forsaken his all in his desire to obtain the things of God. He, indeed, is accounted in the sight of God as the most excellent of men, and is extolled by the inmates of Paradise and them that circle morn and eve round the Throne on high.

Again I say: Hearken unto My voice that calleth from My prison, that it may acquaint thee with the things that have befallen My Beauty, at the hands of them that are the manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding My might, and how immense My forbearance, notwithstanding My power. By My life! Couldst thou but know the things sent down by My Pen, and discover the treasures of My Cause, and the pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of My names and in the goblets of My words, thou wouldst, in thy love for My name, and in thy longing for My glorious and sublime Kingdom, lay down thy life in My path. Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions, yet My spirit is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never compare.

Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Point of adoration for the world, and say: “O peoples of the earth! Have ye denied the One in Whose path He Who came with the truth, bearing the announcement of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great, suffered martyrdom?” Say: This is an Announcement whereat the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have rejoiced. This is the One Whom the heart of the world remembereth, and is promised in the Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. The hands of the Messengers were, in their desire to meet Me, upraised towards God, the Mighty, the Glorified. Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down in the sacred Scriptures by Him Who is the Lord of might and power.

Some lamented in their separation from Me, others endured hardships in My path, and still others laid down their lives for the sake of My Beauty, could ye but know it. Say: I, verily, have not sought to extol Mine own Self, but rather God Himself, were ye to judge fairly. Naught can be seen in Me except God and His Cause, could ye but perceive it. I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled, the One with Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel were adorned. Thus hath it been decreed in the Scriptures of thy Lord, the Most Merciful. He, verily, hath borne witness unto Me, as I bear witness unto Him. And God testifieth to the truth of My words.

Say: The Books have been sent down for naught but My remembrance. Whosoever is receptive to their call shall perceive therefrom the sweet fragrances of My name and My praise; and he who hath unstopped the ear of his inmost heart shall hear from every word thereof: “The True One is come! He indeed is the beloved of the worlds!”

It is for the sake of God alone that My tongue counselleth you and that My pen moveth to make mention of you, for neither can the malice and denial of all who dwell on earth harm Me, nor the allegiance of the entire creation profit Me. We, verily, exhort you unto that which We were commanded, and desire naught from you except that ye draw nigh unto what shall profit you in both this world and the world to come. Say: Will ye slay Him Who summoneth you unto life everlasting? Fear ye God, and follow not every contumacious oppressor.

O proud ones of the earth! Do ye believe yourselves to be abiding in palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation resideth in the most desolate of abodes? Nay, by My life! In tombs do ye dwell, could ye but perceive it. Verily, he who faileth, in these days, to be stirred by the breeze of God is accounted among the dead in the sight of Him Who is the Lord of all names and attributes. Arise, then, from the tombs of self and desire and turn unto the Kingdom of God, the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below, that ye may behold that which ye were promised aforetime by your Lord, the All-Knowing.

Think ye that the things ye possess shall profit you? Soon others will possess them and ye will return unto the dust with none to help or succour you. What advantage is there in a life that can be overtaken by death, or in an existence that is doomed to extinction, or in a prosperity that is subject to change? Cast away the things that ye possess and set your faces toward the favours of God which have been sent down in this wondrous Name.

Thus doth the Pen of the Most High warble unto thee its melodies by the leave of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. When thou hast heard and recited them, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all the worlds, inasmuch as Thou hast made mention of me through the tongue of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self at a time when He was confined in the Most Great Prison, that the whole world might attain unto true liberty.”

Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign, and who hath turned unto God with his heart. He, verily, is accounted of those that have attained unto that which God, the Mighty, the All-Wise, hath willed. Erelong will such a one find himself numbered with the monarchs of the realms of the Kingdom. Thy Lord is, in truth, potent over all things. He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and withholdeth what He pleaseth from whomsoever He willeth. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Queen Victoria

O Queen in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is there but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His most great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled. The land of Syria hath been honoured by the footsteps of its Lord, the Lord of all men, and north and south are both inebriated with the wine of His presence. Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the fragrance of the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place of His Beauty, in this resplendent Dawn. The Mosque of Aqa��á vibrateth through the breezes of its Lord, the All-Glorious, whilst Baa��a��á trembleth at the voice of God, the Exalted, the Most High. Whereupon every single stone of them celebrateth the praise of the Lord, through this Great Name.

Lay aside thy desire, and set then thine heart towards thy Lord, the Ancient of Days. We make mention of thee for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator of earth and heaven. He, verily, is witness unto that which I say. We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous Revelation. God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this. He, verily, will pay the doer of good his due recompense, wert thou to follow what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. As to him who turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after the clear tokens have come unto him from the Revealer of signs, his work shall God bring to naught. He, in truth, hath power over all things. Man’s actions are acceptable after his having recognized (the Manifestation). He that turneth aside from the True One is indeed the most veiled amongst His creatures. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized. It behoveth them, however, to be trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves as the representatives of all that dwell on earth. This is what counselleth them, in this Tablet, He Who is the Ruler, the All-Wise. And if any one of them directeth himself towards the Assembly, let him turn his eyes unto the Supreme Horizon, and say: “O my God! I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious Name, to aid me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants to prosper, and Thy cities to flourish. Thou, indeed, hast power over all things!” Blessed is he that entereth the Assembly for the sake of God, and judgeth between men with pure justice. He, indeed, is of the blissful.

O ye the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires and have erred grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this motive hath limited his power to heal or cure.

That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world. It failed, therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.

Consider these days in which He Who is the Ancient Beauty hath come in the Most Great Name, that He may quicken the world and unite its peoples. They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened swords, and committed that which caused the Faithful Spirit to lament, until in the end they imprisoned Him in the most desolate of cities, and broke the grasp of the faithful upon the hem of His robe. Were anyone to tell them: “The World Reformer is come”, they would answer and say: “Indeed it is proven that He is a fomenter of discord!”, and this notwithstanding that they have never associated with Him, and have perceived that He did not seek, for one moment, to protect Himself. At all times He was at the mercy of the wicked doers. At one time they cast Him into prison, at another they banished Him, and at yet another hurried Him from land to land. Thus have they pronounced judgement against Us, and God, truly, is aware of what I say. Such men are reckoned by God among the most ignorant of His creatures. They cut off their own limbs and perceive it not; they deprive themselves of that which is best for them, and know it not. They are even as a young child who can distinguish neither the mischief-maker from the reformer nor the wicked from the righteous. We behold them in this Day wrapt in a palpable veil.

O ye rulers of the earth! Wherefore have ye clouded the radiance of the Sun, and caused it to cease from shining? Hearken unto the counsel given you by the Pen of the Most High, that haply both ye and the poor may attain unto tranquillity and peace. We beseech God to assist the kings of the earth to establish peace on earth. He, verily, doth what He willeth.

O kings of the earth! We see you increasing every year your expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is wholly and grossly unjust. Fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged One, and lay not excessive burdens on your peoples. Do not rob them to rear palaces for yourselves; nay rather choose for them that which ye choose for yourselves. Thus We unfold to your eyes that which profiteth you, if ye but perceive. Your people are your treasures. Beware lest your rule violate the commandments of God, and ye deliver your wards to the hands of the robber. By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their aid ye conquer. Yet, how disdainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how very strange!

Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this, the Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own condition and that of your dependents.

O rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions. Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the Faithful.

Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples find rest, if ye be of them that comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice. Thus did We exhort you in the Tablet sent down aforetime, and We admonish you once again to follow that which hath been revealed by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. Should anyone seek refuge with you, extend unto him your protection and betray him not. Thus doth the Pen of the Most High counsel you, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Beware lest ye act as did the King of Islám when We came unto him at his bidding. His ministers pronounced judgement against Us with such injustice that all creation lamented and the hearts of those who are nigh unto God were consumed. The winds of self and passion move them as they will, and We found them all bereft of constancy. They are, indeed, of those that are far astray.

Rein in Thy pen, O Pen of the Ancient of Days, and leave them to themselves, for they are immersed in their idle fancies. Make Thou mention of the Queen, that she may turn with a pure heart unto the scene of transcendent glory, may withhold not her eyes from gazing toward her Lord, the Supreme Ordainer, and may become acquainted with that which hath been revealed in the Books and Tablets by the Creator of all mankind, He through Whom the sun hath been darkened and the moon eclipsed, and through Whom the Call hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven.

Turn thou unto God and say: O my Sovereign Lord! I am but a vassal of Thine, and Thou art, in truth, the King of kings. I have lifted my suppliant hands unto the heaven of Thy grace and Thy bounties. Send down, then, upon me from the clouds of Thy generosity that which will rid me of all save Thee, and draw me nigh unto Thyself. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name, which Thou hast made the king of names and the manifestation of Thyself to all who are in heaven and on earth, to rend asunder the veils that have intervened between me and my recognition of the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Bounteous. Deprive me not, O my Lord, of the fragrances of the Robe of Thy mercy in Thy days, and write down for me that which Thou hast written down for Thy handmaidens who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and have recognized Thee, and set their hearts towards the horizon of Thy Cause. Thou art truly the Lord of the worlds and of those who show mercy the Most Merciful. Assist me, then, O my God, to remember Thee amongst Thy handmaidens, and to aid Thy Cause in Thy lands. Accept, then, that which hath escaped me when the light of Thy countenance shone forth. Thou, indeed, hast power over all things. Glory be to Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth.

Náa��iri’d-Dín Sháh

O King of the Earth! Hearken unto the call of this Vassal: Verily, I am a Servant Who hath believed in God and in His signs, and have sacrificed Myself in His path. Unto this bear witness the woes which now beset Me, woes the like of which no man hath ever before sustained. My Lord, the All-Knowing, testifieth to the truth of My words. I have summoned the people unto none save God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds, and have endured for love of Him such afflictions as the eye of creation hath never beheld. To this testify those whom the veils of human fancy have not deterred from turning unto the Most Sublime Vision, and, beyond them, He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in the preserved Tablet.

Whensoever the clouds of tribulation have rained down the darts of affliction in the path of God, the Lord of all names, I have hastened to meet them, as every fair-minded and discerning soul shall attest. How many the nights which found the beasts of the field resting in their lairs, and the birds of the air lying in their nests, while this Youth languished in chains and fetters with none to aid or succour Him!

Call Thou to mind God’s mercy unto Thee; how, when Thou wert imprisoned with a number of other souls, He delivered Thee and aided Thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, until the King sent Thee to ’Iráq after We had disclosed unto him that Thou wert not of the sowers of sedition. Those who follow their corrupt desires and lay aside the fear of God are indeed in grievous error. They that spread disorder in the land, shed the blood of men, and wrongfully consume the substance of others�“We, verily, are clear of them, and We beseech God not to associate Us with them, whether in this world or in the world to come, unless they should repent unto Him. He, verily, is of those who show mercy the most merciful.

Whoso turneth towards God must distinguish himself from others by his every deed, and follow that which hath been enjoined upon him in the Book. Thus hath it been decreed in a lucid Tablet. Those, however, who cast behind their backs the commandments of God, and follow the prompting of their own desires, are, verily, in grievous error.

O King! I adjure thee by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, to look upon thy servants with the glances of the eye of thy favour, and to treat them with justice, that God may treat thee with mercy. Potent is thy Lord to do as He pleaseth. The world, with all its abasement and glory, shall pass away, and the kingdom will remain unto God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing.

Say: He hath kindled the lamp of utterance, and feedeth it with the oil of wisdom and understanding. Too high is thy Lord, the All-Merciful, for aught in the universe to resist His Faith. He revealeth what He pleaseth through the power of His sovereign might, and protecteth it with a host of His well-favoured angels. He is supreme over His servants and exerciseth undisputed dominion over His creation. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. Can anyone speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened.

The Pen of the Most High addresseth Me, saying: Fear not. Relate unto His Majesty the Sháh that which befell thee. His heart, verily, is between the fingers of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, that haply the sun of justice and bounty may shine forth above the horizon of his heart. Thus hath the decree been sent down by Him Who is the All-Wise.

Look upon this Youth, O King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God hath made thee His shadow amongst men, and the sign of His power unto all that dwell on earth. Judge thou between Us and them that have wronged Us without proof and without an enlightening Book. They that surround thee love thee for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat of grace, and to turn thee toward the right hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth witness unto that which I declare.

O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear unto the shrill of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity which, on the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, uttereth praises to God, the Maker of all names and Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught save the effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever might desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the light of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend thereunto through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from the Name of God!

Amongst the people are those who allege that this Youth hath had no purpose but to perpetuate His name, whilst others claim that He hath sought for Himself the vanities of the world�“this, notwithstanding that never, throughout all My days, have I found a place of safety, be it to the extent of a single foothold. At all times have I been immersed in an ocean of tribulations, whose full measure none can fathom but God. He, truly, is aware of what I say. How many the days in which My loved ones have been sorely shaken by reason of My afflictions, and how many the nights during which My kindred, fearing for My life, have bitterly wept and lamented! And this none can deny save them that are bereft of truthfulness. Is it conceivable that He Who expecteth to lose His life at any moment should seek after worldly vanities? How very strange the imaginings of those who speak as prompted by their own caprices, and who wander distractedly in the wilderness of self and passion! Erelong shall they be called upon to account for their words, and on that day they shall find none to befriend or help them.

And amongst the people are those who claim that He hath disbelieved in God�“yet every member of My body testifieth that there is none other God but Him; that those Whom He hath raised up in truth and sent forth with His guidance are the Manifestations of His most excellent names, the Revealers of His most exalted attributes, and the Repositories of His Revelation in the kingdom of creation; that through them the Proof of God hath been perfected unto all else but Him, the standard of Divine Unity hath been raised, and the sign of sanctity hath been made manifest; and that through them every soul hath found a path unto the Lord of the Throne on high. We testify that there is none other God but Him, that from everlasting He was alone with none else besides Him, and that He shall be unto everlasting what He hath ever been. Too high is the All-Merciful for the hearts of those who have recognized Him to apprehend His true nature, or for the minds of men to hope to fathom His essence. He verily is exalted above the understanding of anyone besides Himself, and sanctified beyond the comprehension of all else save Him. From all eternity He hath been independent of the entire creation.

Remember the days in which the Sun of Baa��a��á shone forth above the horizon of the Will of thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High, and recall how the divines of that age turned away from Him, and the learned contended with Him, that haply thou mayest apprehend that which, in this day, remaineth concealed behind the veils of glory. So grievous became His plight on every side that He instructed His companions to disperse. Thus was the decree sent down from the heaven of divine glory. Remember, furthermore, how, when one of these same companions came before the King of Ethiopia and recited unto him a Súrih of the Qur’án, he declared to his attendants: “This, truly, hath been revealed by One Who is All-Knowing and All-Wise. Whoso acknowledgeth the truth, and believeth in the teachings of Jesus, can in no wise deny what hath been recited. We, verily, bear witness to its truth, even as we bear witness to the truth of that which we possess of the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

I swear by God, O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear to the melodies of that Nightingale which warbleth in manifold accents upon the mystic bough as bidden by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst cast away thy sovereignty and set thy face towards this Scene of transcendent glory, this station above whose horizon shineth the Book of the Dawntide, and wouldst expend all that thou possessest in thine eagerness to obtain the things of God. Then wouldst thou find thyself raised up to the summit of exaltation and glory, and elevated to the pinnacle of majesty and independence. Thus hath the decree been recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of the All-Merciful. Of what avail are the things which are yours today and which tomorrow others shall possess? Choose for thyself that which God hath chosen for His elect, and God shall grant thee a mighty sovereignty in His Kingdom. We beseech God to aid thy Majesty to hearken unto that Word whose radiance hath enveloped the whole world, and to protect thee from such as have strayed far from the court of His presence.

Glory be to Thee, O Lord My God! How many the heads which were raised aloft on spears in Thy path, and how many the breasts which were made the target of arrows for the sake of Thy good pleasure! How many the hearts that have been lacerated for the exaltation of Thy Word and the promotion of Thy Cause, and how many the eyes that have wept sore for love of Thee! I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the King of kings and the Pitier of the downtrodden, by Thy Most Great Name which Thou hast made the Dawning-Place of Thy most excellent names and the Dayspring of Thy most exalted attributes, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures and debarred them from turning unto the horizon of Thy Revelation. Cause them, then, O My God, by Thy most exalted Word, to turn from the left hand of oblivion and delusion unto the right hand of knowledge and certitude, that they may know what Thou hast purposed for them through Thy bounty and grace, and may set their faces towards Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Cause and the Revealer of Thy signs.

O My God! Thou art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. Withhold not Thy servants from the most mighty Ocean, which Thou hast made the repository of the pearls of Thy knowledge and Thy wisdom, and turn them not away from Thy gate, which Thou hast opened wide before all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. O Lord! Leave them not to themselves, for they understand not and flee from that which is better for them than all that Thou hast created upon Thine earth. Cast upon them, O My God, the glances of the eye of Thy favour and bounty, and deliver them from self and passion, that they may draw nigh unto Thy most exalted Horizon, taste the sweetness of Thy remembrance, and delight in that bread which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the firmament of Thy grace. From everlasting Thy bounty hath embraced the entire creation and Thy mercy hath surpassed all things. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord My God! Thou well knowest that Mine heart hath melted in Thy Cause, and that My blood so boileth in My veins with the fire of Thy love that every drop of it proclaimeth with its inner tongue: “Grant that I may be spilt upon the ground for Thy sake, O my Lord, the Most High, that from it there may spring forth that which Thou hast purposed in Thy Tablets and hast hidden from the eyes of all, except such servants as have tasted of the crystal stream of knowledge from the hands of Thy grace and quaffed the soft-flowing waters of understanding from the cup of Thy bestowal.”

Thou knowest, O My God, that in all Mine affairs I have sought only to obey Thy bidding, that in Mine every utterance I have wished only to extol Thy praise, and that in whatsoever hath proceeded from My Pen I have purposed only to win Thy good pleasure and to reveal that which Thou hast enjoined upon Me through Thy sovereignty.

Thou beholdest Me, O My God, as one bewildered in Thy land. Whensoever I make mention of that which Thou hast enjoined upon Me, Thy creatures cavil at Me; yet were I to neglect that which Thou hast bidden Me observe, I would deserve the scourge of Thine anger and would be far removed from the meadows of Thy nearness. Nay, by Thy glory! I have set My face towards Thy good pleasure, and turned away from the things whereon Thy servants have set their affections. I have embraced all that is with Thee, and forsaken all that might lead Me away from the retreats of Thy nearness and the heights of Thy glory. I swear by Thy might! With Thy love in My heart nothing can ever alarm Me, and in the path of Thy good pleasure all the world’s afflictions can in no wise dismay Me. All this, however, proceedeth from Thy power and Thy might, from Thy bounty and Thy grace, and is not of Mine own deserving.

This is an Epistle, O My God, which I have purposed to send unto the King. Thou knowest that I have wished of him naught but that he should show forth justice to Thy servants and extend his favours unto the people of Thy kingdom. For Myself I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and through Thy succour I wish for naught save that which Thou wishest. Perish the soul that seeketh from Thee aught save Thyself! I swear by Thy glory! Thy good pleasure is my dearest wish, and Thy purpose My highest hope. Have mercy, O My God, upon this poor creature Who hath clung unto the hem of Thy riches, and this suppliant soul Who calleth upon Thee, saying, “Thou art, verily, the Lord of might and glory!” Assist Thou, O My God, His Majesty the Sháh to keep Thy statutes amidst Thy servants and to manifest Thy justice amongst Thy creatures, that he may treat this people as he treateth others. Thou art, in truth, the God of power, of glory and wisdom.

By the leave and permission of the King of the Age, this Servant journeyed from the Seat of Sovereignty to ’Iráq, and dwelt for twelve years in that land. Throughout the entire course of this period no account of Our condition was submitted to the court of thy presence, and no representation ever made to foreign powers. Placing Our whole trust in God, We resided in that land until there came to ’Iráq a certain official who, upon his arrival, undertook to harass this poor company of exiles. Day after day, at the instigation of some of the outwardly learned and of other individuals, he would stir up trouble for these servants, although they had at no time committed any act detrimental to the state and its people or contrary to the rules and customs of the citizens of the realm.

Fearing lest the actions of these transgressors should produce some outcome at variance with thy world-adorning judgement, this Servant despatched a brief account of the matter to Mírzá Sa‘íd Khán at the Foreign Ministry, so that he might submit it to the royal presence and that whatever thou shouldst please to decree in this respect might be obeyed. A long while elapsed, and no decree was issued. Finally matters came to such a pass that there loomed the threat of imminent strife and bloodshed. Of necessity, therefore, and for the protection of the servants of God, a few of them appealed to the Governor of ’Iráq.

Wert thou to observe these events with the eye of fairness, it would become clear and evident in the luminous mirror of thine heart that what occurred was called for by the circumstances, and that no other alternative could be seen. His Majesty himself is witness that in whatever city a number of this people have resided, the hostility of certain functionaries hath enkindled the flame of conflict and contention. This evanescent Soul, however, hath, since His arrival in ’Iráq, forbidden all to engage in dissension and strife. The witness of this Servant is His very deeds, for all are well aware and will testify that, although a greater number of this people resided in ’Iráq than in any other land, no one overstepped his limits or transgressed against his neighbour. Fixing their gaze upon God, and reposing their trust in Him, all have now been abiding in peace for well-nigh fifteen years, and, in whatever hath befallen them, they have shown forth patience and resigned themselves to God.

After the arrival of this Servant in this, the city of Adrianople, some of the people of ’Iráq and elsewhere inquired about the meaning of the term “rendering assistance unto God” which hath been mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Several answers were sent out in reply, one of which is set forth in these pages, that it may be clearly demonstrated in the court of thy presence that this Servant hath had no end in view but to promote the betterment and well-being of the world. And if certain of the divine favours which, undeserving as I may be, God hath pleased to bestow upon Me be not plain and manifest, this much at least will be clear and apparent, that He, in His surpassing mercy and infinite grace, hath not deprived Mine heart of the ornament of reason. The passage that was referred to concerning the meaning of “rendering assistance unto God” is as follows:

He is God, exalted be His glory!

It is clear and evident that the one true God�“glorified be His mention!�”is sanctified above the world and all that is therein. By “rendering assistance unto God”, then, it is not meant that any soul should fight or contend with another. That Sovereign Lord Who doeth whatsoever He pleaseth hath entrusted the kingdom of creation, its lands and its seas, into the hands of the kings, for they are, each according to his degree, the manifestations of His divine power. Should they enter beneath the shadow of the True One, they will be accounted of God, and if not, thy Lord, verily, knoweth and observeth all things.

That which God�“glorified be His Name!�”hath desired for Himself is the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of His love and remembrance and the repositories of His knowledge and wisdom. It hath ever been the wish of the Eternal King to cleanse the hearts of His servants from the things of the world and all that pertaineth thereunto, that they may be made worthy recipients of the effulgent splendours of Him Who is the King of all names and attributes. Wherefore must no stranger be allowed in the city of the heart, that the incomparable Friend may enter His abode. By this is meant the effulgence of His names and attributes, and not His exalted Essence, inasmuch as that peerless King hath ever been, and shall eternally remain, sanctified above ascent and descent.

It followeth, therefore, that rendering assistance unto God, in this day, doth not and shall never consist in contending or disputing with any soul; nay rather, what is preferable in the sight of God is that the cities of men’s hearts, which are ruled by the hosts of self and passion, should be subdued by the sword of utterance, of wisdom and of understanding. Thus, whoso seeketh to assist God must, before all else, conquer, with the sword of inner meaning and explanation, the city of his own heart and guard it from the remembrance of all save God, and only then set out to subdue the cities of the hearts of others.

Such is the true meaning of rendering assistance unto God. Sedition hath never been pleasing unto God, nor were the acts committed in the past by certain foolish ones acceptable in His sight. Know ye that to be killed in the path of His good pleasure is better for you than to kill. The beloved of the Lord must, in this day, behave in such wise amidst His servants that they may by their very deeds and actions guide all men unto the paradise of the All-Glorious.

By Him Who shineth above the Dayspring of Sanctity! The friends of God have not, nor will they ever, set their hopes upon the world and its ephemeral possessions. The one true God hath ever regarded the hearts of men as His own, His exclusive possession�“and this too but as an expression of His all-surpassing mercy, that haply mortal souls may be purged and sanctified from all that pertaineth to the world of dust and gain admittance into the realms of eternity. For otherwise that ideal King is, in Himself and by Himself, sufficient unto Himself and independent of all things. Neither doth the love of His creatures profit Him, nor can their malice harm Him. All have issued forth from abodes of dust, and unto dust shall they return, while the one true God, alone and single, is established upon His Throne, a Throne which is beyond the reaches of time and space, is sanctified above all utterance or expression, intimation, description and definition, and is exalted beyond all notion of abasement and glory. And none knoweth this save Him and those with whom is the knowledge of the Book. No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

It behoveth the benevolence of the Sovereign, however, to examine all matters with the eye of justice and mercy, and not to content himself with the baseless claims of certain individuals. We beseech God to graciously assist the King to fulfil that which He pleaseth, and, verily, that which He desireth should be the desire of all the worlds.

Later this Servant was summoned to Constantinople, whither We arrived accompanied by a poor band of exiles. At no time thereafter did We seek to meet with anyone, as We had no request to make and no aim in view but to demonstrate unto all that this Servant had no mischief in mind and had never associated with the sowers of sedition. By Him Who hath caused the tongues of all beings to speak forth His praise! While certain considerations rendered it difficult to make application to any quarter, such steps were perforce taken to protect certain souls. My Lord, verily, knoweth what is in Me, and He beareth witness unto the truth of what I say.

A just king is the shadow of God on earth. All should seek shelter under the shadow of his justice, and rest in the shade of his favour. This is not a matter which is either specific or limited in its scope, that it might be restricted to one or another person, inasmuch as the shadow telleth of the One Who casteth it. God, glorified be His remembrance, hath called Himself the Lord of the worlds, for He hath nurtured and still nurtureth everyone. Glorified be, then, His grace that hath preceded all created things, and His mercy that hath surpassed the worlds.

It is clear and evident that, whether this Cause be seen as right or wrong by the people, those who are associated with its name have accepted and embraced it as true, and have forsaken their all in their eagerness to partake of the things of God. That they should evince such renunciation in the path of the love of the All-Merciful is in itself a faithful witness and an eloquent testimony to the truth of their convictions. Hath it ever been witnessed that a man of sound judgement should sacrifice his life without cause or reason? And if it be suggested that this people have taken leave of their senses, this too is highly improbable, inasmuch as such behaviour hath not been confined to merely a soul or two�“nay, a vast multitude of every class have drunk their fill of the living waters of divine knowledge, and, intoxicated, have hastened with heart and soul to the field of sacrifice in the way of the Beloved.

If these souls, who have renounced all else but God for His sake and offered up their life and substance in His path, are to be accounted as false, then by what proof and testimony can the truth of what others assert be established in thy presence? The late a��ájí Siyyid Mua��ammad �“may God exalt his station and immerse him in the ocean of His forgiveness and mercy!�”was one of the most learned divines of his age, and one of the most devout and pious men of his time. So highly was he regarded that his praise was on every tongue, and his righteousness and piety were universally acknowledged. Yet, when hostilities broke out with Russia, he who himself had pronounced the decree of holy war, and who with blazoned standard had left his native land to rally to the support of his faith, abandoned, after the inconvenience of a brief encounter, all the good that he had purposed, and returned whence he had come. Would that the veil might be lifted, and that which hath ere now remained hidden from the eyes of men be made manifest!

For more than twenty years this people have, day and night, been subjected to the fury of the Sovereign’s wrath, and have been scattered by the tempestuous gales of his displeasure, each to a different land. How many the children who have been left fatherless, and how many the fathers who have lost their sons! How many the mothers who have dared not, out of fear and dread, to mourn their slaughtered offspring! How numerous those who, at eventide, were possessed of utmost wealth and affluence, and who, when morning came, had fallen into utter abasement and destitution! No land is there whose soil hath not been tinged with their blood, nor reach of heaven unto which their sighs have not ascended. Throughout the years the darts of affliction have unceasingly rained down from the clouds of God’s decree, yet despite all these calamities and tribulations, the flame of divine love hath so blazed in their hearts that even should their bodies be torn asunder they would not forsake their love of Him Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, but would welcome with heart and soul whatever might befall them in the path of God.

O King! The breezes of the grace of the All-Merciful have transformed these servants and attracted them unto His Holy Court. “The witness of a true lover is upon his sleeve.” Nevertheless, some of the outwardly learned have troubled the luminous heart of the King of the Age concerning these souls who revolve round the Tabernacle of the All-Merciful and who seek to attain the Sanctuary of true knowledge. Would that the world-adorning wish of His Majesty might decree that this Servant be brought face to face with the divines of the age, and produce proofs and testimonies in the presence of His Majesty the Sháh! This Servant is ready, and taketh hope in God, that such a gathering may be convened in order that the truth of the matter may be made clear and manifest before His Majesty the Sháh. It is then for thee to command, and I stand ready before the throne of thy sovereignty. Decide, then, for Me or against Me.

The All-Merciful saith in the Qur’án, His abiding testimony unto all the peoples of the world: “Wish ye then for death, if ye be men of truth.” Behold how He hath declared the yearning for death to be the touchstone of sincerity! And, in the luminous mirror of thy judgement, it is doubtless clear and evident which people have chosen, in this day, to lay down their lives in the path of the Beloved of the worlds. Indeed, were the books supporting the beliefs of this people to be written with the blood spilled in the path of God�“exalted be His glory!�”then countless volumes would have already appeared amongst men for all to see.

How, We fain would ask, is it possible to impugn this people whose deeds are in conformity with their words, and to give credence instead to those who have refused to relinquish one jot of their worldly authority in the path of Him Who is the Unconstrained? Some of the divines who have declared this Servant an infidel have at no time met with Me. Never having seen Me, or become acquainted with My purpose, they have nevertheless spoken as they pleased and acted as they desired. Yet every claim requireth a proof, not mere words and displays of outward piety.

In this connection the text of several passages from the Hidden Book of Fáa��imih�“the blessings of God be upon her!�”which are relevant to the present theme will be cited in the Persian tongue, that certain matters which have ere now been hidden may be revealed before thy presence. The people addressed in the aforementioned Book, which is today known as the Hidden Words, are those who, though outwardly known for learning and piety, are inwardly the slaves of self and passion.

He saith: O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the paths of perdition.

And likewise He saith: O ye seeming fair yet inwardly foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!

And also He saith: O essence of desire! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.

And again He saith: O bondslave of the world! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.

Therefore, in the exercise of the royal justice, it is not sufficient to give ear to the claimant alone. God saith in the Qur’án, the unerring Balance that distinguisheth truth from falsehood: “O ye who believe! If a wicked man come to you with news, clear it up at once, lest through ignorance ye harm others, and afterward repent of what ye have done.” The holy Traditions, moreover, contain the admonition: “Believe not the tale-bearer.” Certain of the divines, who have never seen Us, have misconceived the nature of Our Cause. Those, however, who have met Us will testify that this Servant hath not spoken save in accordance with that which God hath commanded in the Book, and that He hath called attention to the following blessed verse�“exalted be His Word: “Do ye not disavow us only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down unto us, and in what He had sent down aforetime?”

O King of the age! The eyes of these refugees are turned towards and fixed upon the mercy of the Most Merciful. No doubt is there whatever that these tribulations will be followed by the outpourings of a supreme mercy, and these dire adversities will be succeeded by an overflowing prosperity. We fain would hope, however, that His Majesty the Sháh will himself examine these matters and bring hope to the hearts. That which We have submitted to thy Majesty is indeed for thine highest good. And God, verily, is a sufficient witness unto Me.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord My God! I bear witness that the heart of the King is in truth between the fingers of Thy might. If it be Thy wish, do Thou incline it, O My God, in the direction of charity and mercy. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Bountiful. No God is there besides Thee, the All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all.

Concerning the prerequisites of the learned, He saith: “Whoso among the learned guardeth his self, defendeth his faith, opposeth his desires, and obeyeth his Lord’s command, it is incumbent upon the generality of the people to pattern themselves after him.…” Should the King of the Age reflect upon this utterance which hath streamed from the tongue of Him Who is the Dayspring of the Revelation of the All-Merciful, he would perceive that those who have been adorned with the attributes enumerated in this holy Tradition are scarcer than the philosopher’s stone; wherefore not every man that layeth claim to knowledge deserveth to be believed.

Again concerning the divines of the Latter Days, He saith: “The religious doctors of that age shall be the most wicked of the divines beneath the shadow of heaven. Out of them hath mischief proceeded, and unto them it shall return.” And again He saith: “When the Standard of Truth is made manifest, the people of both the East and the West curse it.” Should anyone dispute these Traditions, this Servant will undertake to establish their validity, since the details of their transmission have been omitted here for the sake of brevity.

Those doctors who have indeed drunk of the cup of renunciation have never interfered with this Servant. Thus, for example, Shaykh Murtaa��á �“may God exalt his station and cause him to repose beneath the canopy of His grace!�”showed forth kindness during Our sojourn in ’Iráq, and never spoke of this Cause otherwise than as God hath given leave. We beseech God to graciously assist all to do His will and pleasure.

Now, however, all have lost sight of every other consideration, and are bent upon the persecution of this people. Thus, if it be inquired of certain persons who, by the grace of their Lord, repose beneath the shadow of thy royal mercy and enjoy countless favours, “What service have ye rendered in return for these royal favours? Have ye through wise policy annexed a further territory to the realm? Have ye applied yourselves to aught that would secure the welfare of the people, the prosperity of the kingdom, and the lasting glory of the state?”, they will have no other reply than to designate, justly or falsely, a group of people before thy royal presence as Bábís, and forthwith to engage in massacre and pillage. In Tabríz, for instance, and in the Egyptian town of Mana��úríyyih, a number of this people were ransomed and large sums were seized, yet no account of these matters was ever made in the court of thy presence.

The reason for which all these things have come to pass is that their persecutors, finding these unfortunate ones without protection, have forgone more weighty matters and occupied themselves instead with harassing this afflicted people. Numerous confessions and divers creeds abide peacefully beneath the shadow of thy sovereignty. Let this people be also numbered with them. Nay, those who serve the King should be animated by such lofty aims and sublime intentions as to continually strive to bring all religions beneath the shelter of his shadow, and to rule over them with perfect justice.

To enforce the laws of God is naught but justice, and is the source of universal content. Nay more, the divine statutes have always been, and will ever remain, the cause and instrument of the preservation of mankind, as witnessed by His exalted words: “In punishment will ye find life, O men of insight!” It would, however, ill beseem the justice of thy Majesty that for the trespass of a single soul a whole group of people should be subjected to the scourge of thy wrath. The one true God�“glorified be His Name!�”hath said: “None shall bear the burden of another.” It is clear and evident that in every community there have been, and will ever be, the learned and the ignorant, the wise and the heedless, the profligate and the pious. That a wise and reflecting soul should commit a heinous deed is most improbable, inasmuch as such a person either seeketh after this world or hath forsaken it: If he be of the latter, he would assuredly have no regard for aught else besides God, and moreover the fear of God would deter him from unlawful and reprehensible actions; and if he be of the former, he would just as assuredly avoid such deeds as would alienate and alarm the people, and act in such a manner as to earn their confidence and trust. It is therefore evident that reprehensible actions have always emanated, and will ever emanate, from ignorant and foolish souls. We implore God to guard His servants from turning to anyone save Him, and to draw them nigh unto His presence. His might, in truth, is equal to all things.

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My God! Thou hearest the voice of My lamentation, and beholdest My condition, My distress and affliction! Thou knowest all that is in Me. If the call I have raised be wholly for Thy sake, then draw thereby the hearts of Thy creatures towards the heaven of Thy knowledge, and the heart of the Sovereign towards the right hand of the throne of Thy name, the All-Merciful. Supply him then, O My God, with a portion of that goodly sustenance which hath descended from the heaven of Thy generosity and the clouds of Thy mercy, that he may forsake his all and turn unto the court of Thy favour. Aid him, O My God, to assist Thy Cause and to exalt Thy Word amidst Thy creatures. Strengthen him, then, with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, that he may subdue every city in Thy Name, and hold sway, through Thy sovereignty and might, over all that dwell on earth, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of creation! Thou, verily, art the Supreme Ordainer in both the beginning and the end. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

So grossly hath Our Cause been misrepresented before thy royal presence that, if some unseemly act be committed by but one of this people, it is portrayed as being prompted by their beliefs. By Him besides Whom there is none other God! This Servant hath refused even to sanction the commission of reproved actions, how much less those which have been explicitly prohibited in the Book of God.

God hath forbidden unto men the drinking of wine, and this prohibition hath been revealed and recorded in His Book. In spite of this, and of the fact that the learned doctors of the age�“may God increase their numbers!�”have all prohibited the people from such a wretched act, there still remain some who commit it. The punishment which this act entaileth, however, applieth only to its heedless perpetrators, whilst those noble manifestations of supreme sanctity remain exalted above and exempt from all blame. Yea, the whole creation, both seen and unseen, beareth witness unto their holiness.

Yea, these servants regard the one true God as He Who “doeth as He willeth” and “ordaineth as He pleaseth”. Thus they view not as impossible the continued appearance in the contingent world of the Manifestations of His Unity. Should anyone hold otherwise, how would he be different from those who believe the hand of God to be “chained up”? And if the one true God�“glorified be His mention!�”be indeed regarded as unconstrained, then whatever Cause that Ancient King may please to manifest from the wellspring of His Command must be embraced by all. No refuge is there for anyone and no haven to hasten unto save God; no protection is there for any soul and no shelter to seek except in Him.

The essential requirement for whoso advanceth a claim is to support his assertions with clear proofs and testimonies. Beyond this, the rejection of the people, whether learned or ignorant, hath never been, nor shall it ever be, of any consequence. The Prophets of God, those Pearls of the ocean of Divine Unity and the Repositories of Divine Revelation, have ever been the object of men’s repudiation and denial. Even as He saith: “Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the truth.” And again: “No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn.”

Consider the dispensation of Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets and the King of the Chosen Ones�“may the souls of all mankind be offered up for His sake! After the Daystar of Truth dawned above the horizon of a��ijáz, how great were the cruelties which the exponents of error inflicted upon that incomparable Manifestation of the All-Glorious! Such was their heedlessness that they regarded every injury inflicted upon that sacred Being as ranking among the greatest of all acts, and constituting a means of attainment unto God, the Most High. For in the early years of His mission the divines of that age, both Christian and Jewish, turned away from that Daystar of the heaven of glory, whereupon all people, high and low alike, bestirred themselves to extinguish the light of that Luminary of the horizon of inner meanings. The names of all these divines have been mentioned in the books of old; among them are Wahb ibn-i-Ráhib, Ka‘b ibn-i-Ashraf, ’Abdu’lláh-i-Ubayy, and others of their like.

Finally, matters came to such a pass that these men took counsel together and conspired to shed His pure blood, even as God�“glorified be His mention!�”saith: “And remember when the disbelievers schemed against Thee, that they might lay hold upon Thee, or slay Thee, or cast Thee out; and so they schemed, and God schemed, and God, verily, is the best of schemers.” Again He saith: “But if their opposition be grievous to Thee�”if Thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven and bring to them a sign; yet if God wished, He could gather them unto true guidance; be Thou not, then, of the ignorant.” By God! The hearts of His favoured ones are consumed at the purport of these two blessed verses. Such established and undisputed facts have been forgotten, and no one hath paused to reflect, in days past or in this day, upon the things that have prompted men to turn away from the Revealers of the light of God at the time of their manifestation.

Likewise, before the appearance of the Seal of the Prophets, consider Jesus, the Son of Mary. When that Manifestation of the All-Merciful revealed Himself, all the divines charged that Quintessence of faith with impiety and rebellion. Eventually, with the sanction of Annas, the most learned of the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, His blessed person was made to suffer that which the pen is ashamed to mention and powerless to describe. The wide world in all its vastness could no longer contain Him, until at last God raised Him up unto heaven.

Were a detailed account of all the Prophets to be given here, We fear that it might lead to weariness. The doctors of the Torah in particular assert that no independent Prophet will come after Moses with a new Law. They maintain that a Scion of the House of David shall be made manifest Who will promulgate the Law of the Torah, and help establish and enforce its commandments throughout the East and the West.

The followers of the Gospel, likewise, hold as impossible that the Bearer of a new Revelation should again shine forth from the dayspring of the Will of God after Jesus, Son of Mary�“peace be upon Him! In support of this contention, they adduce the following verse from the Gospel: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words of the Son of Man shall never pass away.” They maintain that neither the teachings nor the commandments of Jesus�“peace be upon Him!�”may ever be altered.

At one point in the Gospel, He saith: “I go away, and come again.” Again in the Gospel of John, He hath foretold the advent of a Comforter who shall come after Him. In the Gospel of Luke, moreover, a number of signs and portents have been mentioned. Certain divines of that Faith, however, have interpreted these utterances after their own fancy, and have thus failed to grasp their true significance.

O would that thou wouldst permit Me, O Sháh, to send unto thee that which would cheer the eyes, and tranquillize the souls, and persuade every fair-minded person that with Him is the knowledge of the Book. Certain persons, incapable of answering the objections raised by their opponents, claim that the Torah and the Gospel have been corrupted, whereas in reality the references to such corruption pertain only to specific cases. But for the repudiation of the foolish and the connivance of the divines, I would have uttered a discourse that would have thrilled and carried away the hearts unto a realm from the murmur of whose winds can be heard: “No God is there but He!” For the present, however, since the season is not ripe, the tongue of My utterance hath been stilled and the wine of exposition sealed up until such time as God, through the power of His might, shall please to unseal it. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My God! I ask Thee by Thy Name, through which Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth, to protect the lamp of Thy Cause within the globe of Thine omnipotence and Thy bountiful favour, lest it be exposed to the blasts of denial from those who remain heedless of the mysteries of Thy name, the Unconstrained. Increase, then, by the oil of Thy wisdom, the radiance of its light. Thou, verily, hast power over all the dwellers of Thine earth and of Thy heaven.

I implore Thee, O My Lord, by that most exalted Word which hath struck terror into the hearts of all who are in the heavens and on the earth, save only those who have taken fast hold of Thy Sure Handle, not to abandon Me amidst Thy creatures. Lift Me up, then, unto Thyself, cause Me to enter beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and give Me to drink of the pure wine of Thy providence, that I may dwell within the tabernacle of Thy majesty and beneath the canopy of Thy favour. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O King! The lamps of equity have been extinguished, and the fire of tyranny hath so blazed on every side that My people have been led as captives from Zawrá’ to Mosul, known as a��adbá’. This is not the first outrage that hath been suffered in the path of God. It behoveth every soul to consider and call to mind that which befell the kindred of the Prophet when the people took them captive and brought them unto Damascus, known as Faya��á’. Amongst them was the prince of them that worship God, the mainstay of such as have drawn nigh unto Him, and the sanctuary of those who long for His presence�“may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto him!

They were asked: “Are ye of the party of the Seceders?” He replied: “Nay, by the Lord Almighty. We are but servants who have believed in God and in His verses. Through us the countenance of faith hath beamed with joy. Through us the sign of the All-Merciful hath shone forth. At the mention of our names the desert of Baa��a��á hath overflowed with water and the darkness separating earth and heaven hath been dispelled.”

“Have ye forbidden”, they were asked, “that which God hath made lawful, or allowed that which He hath forbidden?” “We were the first to follow the divine commandments”, he answered. “We are the root and origin of His Cause, the beginning of all good and its end. We are the sign of the Ancient of Days and the source of His remembrance amongst the nations.”

They were asked: “Have ye forsaken the Qur’án?” “In our House”, he replied, “did the All-Merciful reveal it. We are the breezes of the All-Glorious amidst His creation. We are the streams that have branched out from the Most Great Ocean, through which God hath revived the earth, and through which He shall revive it again after it hath died. Through us His signs have been diffused, His proofs revealed, and His tokens disclosed. With us is the knowledge of His hidden meanings and His untold mysteries.”

“For what crime have ye been punished?” they were asked. “For our love of God”, he made reply, “and for our detachment from aught else save Him.”

We have not related his exact words�“peace be upon him!�”but rather have We imparted a sprinkling from that ocean of life eternal that lieth enshrined within them, that those who hearken thereunto may be quickened and made aware of what hath befallen the trusted ones of God at the hands of a lost and wayward generation. We see the people in this day censuring the oppressors of bygone ages, whilst they themselves commit yet greater wrongs and know it not!

God beareth Me witness that My purpose hath not been to foment sedition, but to purify His servants from whatsoever hath prevented them from drawing nigh unto Him, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. I was asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of My Lord, the All-Merciful, passed over Me, awoke Me from My slumber, and bade Me lift up My voice betwixt earth and heaven. This thing is not from Me, but from God. Unto this testify the dwellers of His Dominion and of His Kingdom, and the inhabitants of the cities of His unfading glory. By Him Who is the Truth! I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him and in the way of His good pleasure. Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and heaven.

Shall a man’s wealth endure forever, or protect him from the One Who shall, erelong, seize him by his forelock? Gazing upon those who sleep beneath the gravestones, embosomed in the dust, could one ever distinguish the sovereign’s crumbling skull from the subject’s mouldering bones? Nay, by Him Who is the King of kings! Could one discern the lord from the vassal, or those that enjoyed wealth and riches from those who possessed neither shoes nor mat? By God! Every distinction hath been erased, save only for those who upheld the right and who ruled with justice.

Whither are gone the learned men, the divines and potentates of old? What hath become of their discriminating views, their shrewd perceptions, their subtle insights and sage pronouncements? Where are their hidden coffers, their flaunted ornaments, their gilded couches, their rugs and cushions strewn about? Gone forever is their generation! All have perished, and, by God’s decree, naught remaineth of them but scattered dust. Exhausted is the wealth they gathered, dispersed the stores they hoarded, dissipated the treasures they concealed. Naught can now be seen but their deserted haunts, their roofless dwellings, their uprooted tree-trunks, and their faded splendour. No man of insight will let wealth distract his gaze from his ultimate objective, and no man of understanding will allow riches to withhold him from turning unto Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Where is he who held dominion over all whereon the sun shineth, who lived extravagantly on earth, seeking out the luxuries of the world and of all that hath been created upon it? Where is the commander of the swarthy legion and the upraiser of the golden standard? Where is the ruler of Zawrá’, and where the tyrant of Faya��á’? Where are those before whose munificence the treasure-houses of the earth shrank in shame, and at whose largesse and swelling spirit the very ocean was abashed? Where is he who stretched forth his arm in rebellion, and who turned his hand against the All-Merciful?

Where are they who went in quest of earthly pleasures and the fruits of carnal desires? Whither are fled their fair and comely women? Where are their swaying branches, their spreading boughs, their lofty mansions, their trellised gardens? And what of the delights of these gardens�“their exquisite grounds and gentle breezes, their purling streams, their soughing winds, their cooing doves and rustling leaves? Where now are their resplendent morns and their brightsome countenances wreathed in smiles? Alas for them! All have perished and are gone to rest beneath a canopy of dust. Of them one heareth neither name nor mention; none knoweth of their affairs, and naught remaineth of their signs.

What! Will the people dispute then that whereof they themselves stand witness? Will they deny that which they know to be true? I know not in what wilderness they roam! Do they not see that they are embarked upon a journey from which there is no return? How long will they wander from mountain to valley, from hollow to hill? “Hath not the time come for those who believe to humble their hearts at the mention of God?” Blessed is he who hath said, or now shall say, “Yea, by my Lord! The time is come and the hour hath struck!”, and who, thereafter, shall detach himself from all that hath been, and deliver himself up entirely unto Him Who is the Possessor of the universe and the Lord of all creation.

And yet, what hope! For naught is reaped save that which hath been sown, and naught is taken up save that which hath been laid down, unless it be through the grace and bestowal of the Lord. Hath the womb of the world yet conceived one whom the veils of glory shall not hinder from ascending unto the Kingdom of his Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most High? Is it yet within us to perform such deeds as will dispel our afflictions and draw us nigh unto Him Who is the Causer of causes? We beseech God to deal with us according to His bounty, and not His justice, and to grant that we may be of those who have turned their faces unto their Lord and severed themselves from all else.

I have seen, O Sháh, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Mine acquaintances have repudiated Me, and My pathways have been straitened. The fount of well-being hath run dry, and the bower of ease hath withered. How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will soon rain, upon Me! I advance with My face set towards Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, whilst behind Me glideth the serpent. Mine eyes have rained down tears until My bed is drenched.

I sorrow not for Myself, however. By God! Mine head yearneth for the spear out of love for its Lord. I never passed a tree, but Mine heart addressed it saying: “O would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon thee, in the path of My Lord!”, for I see the people wandering distraught and unconscious in their drunken stupor. They have raised on high their passions and set down their God. Methinks they have taken His Cause for a mockery and regard it as a play and pastime, believing all the while that they do well, and that they dwell securely in the citadel of safety. Howbeit the matter is not as they fondly imagine: Tomorrow shall they behold that which today they are wont to deny!

Erelong shall the exponents of wealth and power banish Us from the land of Adrianople to the city of ’Akká. According to what they say, it is the most desolate of the cities of the world, the most unsightly of them in appearance, the most detestable in climate, and the foulest in water. It is as though it were the metropolis of the owl, within whose precincts naught can be heard save the echo of its cry. Therein have they resolved to imprison this Youth, to shut against our faces the doors of ease and comfort, and to deprive us of every worldly benefit throughout the remainder of our days.

By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger consume Me, and the bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the field, I will not complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with constancy and firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God, the Eternal King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto God under all conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty�“exalted be He�”He may release, through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His face, Who is the Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him, and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him. We further beseech Him to make of this darksome tribulation a shield for the Temple of His Cause, and to protect it from the assault of sharpened swords and pointed daggers. Adversity hath ever given rise to the exaltation of His Cause and the glorification of His Name. Such hath been God’s method carried into effect in centuries and ages past. That which the people now fail to apprehend they shall erelong discover, on that day when their steeds shall stumble and their finery be folded up, their blades blunted and their feet made to falter.

I know not how long they shall spur on the charger of self and passion and rove in the wilderness of error and negligence! Shall either the pomp of the mighty or the wretchedness of the abased endure? Shall he who reposeth upon the loftiest seat of honour, who hath attained the pinnacle of might and glory, abide forever? Nay, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on earth shall pass away, and there remaineth alone the face of My Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

What armour hath not been pierced by the arrow of destruction, and what regal brow not divested by the hand of Fate? What fortress hath withstood the approach of the Messenger of Death? What throne hath not been shattered to pieces, what palace not reduced to rubble? Could the people but taste that choice Wine of the mercy of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, which lieth in store for them in the world beyond, they would assuredly cease their censure, and seek only to win the good pleasure of this Youth. For now, however, they have hidden Me behind a veil of darkness, whose fabric they have woven with the hands of idle fancy and vain imagination. Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend an opening through the darkness of this night and unlock a mighty portal unto His City. On that Day shall the people enter therein by troops, uttering what the blamers aforetime exclaimed, that there shall be made manifest in the end that which appeared in the beginning.

Is it their wish to tarry here when already they have one foot in the stirrup? Look they to return, once they are gone? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of Lords! save on the Day of Judgement, the Day whereon the people shall arise from their graves and be asked of their legacy. Well is it with him who shall not be weighted down with his burdens on that Day, the Day whereon the mountains shall pass away and all shall gather to be questioned in the presence of God, the Most Exalted. Stern, indeed, is He in punishing!

We beseech God to purge the hearts of certain divines from rancour and enmity, that they may look upon matters with an eye unbeclouded by contempt. May He raise them up unto so lofty a station that neither the attractions of the world, nor the allurements of authority, may deflect them from gazing upon the Supreme Horizon, and that neither worldly benefits nor carnal desires shall prevent them from attaining that Day whereon the mountains shall be reduced to dust. Though they now rejoice in the adversity that hath befallen Us, soon shall come a day whereon they shall lament and weep. By My Lord! Were I given the choice between, on the one hand, the wealth and opulence, the ease and comfort, the honour and glory which they enjoy, and, on the other, the adversities and trials which are Mine, I would unhesitatingly choose My present condition and would refuse to barter a single atom of these hardships for all that hath been created in the world of being.

But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the path of God, life would have held no sweetness for Me, and Mine existence would have profited Me nothing. For them who are endued with discernment, and whose eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it is no secret that I have been, most of the days of My life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword hanging on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon or late upon him. And yet, notwithstanding all this We render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds, and yield Him praise at all times and under all conditions. He, verily, standeth witness over all things.

We beseech God to extend wide His shadow, that the true believers may hasten thereunto and that His sincere lovers may seek shelter therein. May He bestow upon men blossoms from the bowers of His grace and stars from the horizon of His providence. We pray God, moreover, to graciously aid the King to do His will and pleasure, and to confirm him in that which shall draw him nigh unto the Dayspring of God’s most excellent names, so that he may not give countenance to the injustice he witnesseth, may look upon his subjects with the eye of loving-kindness, and shield them from oppression. We further beseech God, exalted be He, to gather all mankind around the Gulf of the Most Great Ocean, an ocean every drop of which proclaimeth that He is the Harbinger of joy unto the world and the Quickener of all its peoples. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning!

And finally We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to enable thee to aid His Faith and turn towards His justice, that thou mayest judge between the people even as thou wouldst judge between thine own kindred, and mayest choose for them that which thou choosest for thine own self. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Follow ye His bidding, and praise ye God, your Lord, for that which He hath bestowed upon you. He, verily, is the Truth. No God is there but He. He revealeth what He pleaseth, through His words “Be and it is”.

=== END BH00007 ===

=== START BH00008 ===

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious Lord!

Praise be to God Who hath fulfilled His promise, sent down Him Who was promised from the heaven of His Will, and revealed that which was inscribed by His Most Exalted Pen in His Books, His Scriptures, His Psalms and His Tablets. The Resurrection hath come to pass, the Hour hath struck, the Path hath appeared, the Breath of God hath wafted, and the fragrance of His garment hath been diffused, despite the company of the Bayan who broke God’s Covenant and His Testament, and sought to build the edifices of idle fancies and vain imaginings with the hands of tyranny and oppression, even as they had built them aforetime. Perdition befall them! Destruction befall them! May they be cast far away! O company of vain imaginings! The Most Sublime Horizon hath been illumined, and that which the veils of your souls and your idle fancies had concealed hath appeared. He hath indeed appeared with a sovereignty from His presence and hath rent asunder the veils and coverings with the fingers of power, in such wise that the Concourse on High heard the sound of their being rent. Fear God, O heedless ones! Bar not the people from the Path, nor hold them back from the Evidence. This is a Day wherein the ocean of knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been wafted. Fear ye God, and invalidate not the truth with your words and deeds. The servant counseleth you for the sake of God, whereunto every fair-minded and perceiving one doth testify. And prayers, peace, glory and splendor rest upon those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness, who have arisen to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance, and who have testified to that whereunto the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of all things. These are servants whom God hath described in the Furqan and in the Bayan. Blessed is the ear that heareth and the eye that seeth, and woe unto every deceiving impostor who hath taken idle fancy as his lord instead of God and who preventeth people from the river of the mercy of their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

It is submitted that the letter of that honored one reached this evanescent servant. After reading and becoming acquainted with its contents, he sought the presence of the Lord of Creation, attained unto the presence of His countenance, and after receiving permission, that which was in the letter was honored to be heard, and these sublime words descended from the heaven of the grace of the Revealer of verses, He, exalted be His glory, saith:

We are the Wronged One, the Stranger.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Thy letter came before the Wronged One, and the servant present read it in its entirety. Praise be to God that thou hast quaffed the wine of recognition and turned thy face toward the horizon of the All-Merciful. In days when hearts and souls were agitated by the oppression of the idolators and the pillars of the House were shaken by the tyranny of the divines, they turned away at the outset of every Manifestation from the Divine Manifestation and the Dawning-Place of Divine revelation, pronouncing their verdict for the shedding of the blood of those holy souls. What was the cause and reason for the migration of the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice - from Mecca, and the ascension of Christ to the fourth heaven at whose hand matters became so difficult for that Holy Being that the hand of power caused Him to ascend and took Him to the fourth heaven? With utmost tyranny and oppression they bound the Truth with turban and cloak, and opened for themselves the door of glory and wealth in His name. If assured souls were to ponder the events of the past, by the life of God, they would lament and wail over the Wronged One of the world like those who have lost their dear ones. At the time of Our departure from Baghdad, We informed all of the raising of clamor throughout all regions. All, out of fear and trepidation, remained behind the veil while the Truth alone arose to establish His Cause. And when the effulgences of the Sun of Divine Unity cast their rays and the world became somewhat illumined and radiant, they emerged from behind the veil and first objected to the Truth Himself, arising with the swords of rejection to shed His pure blood. Such is the way of the people, should ye take heed, O men of understanding! O thou who art enkindled with the fire of the love of God! Praise the Beloved of the world that thou hast attained unto the eternal, everlasting blessing, and that is the mention which hath flowed concerning thee from the Most Exalted Pen. Whatever is visible shall assuredly be seized by extinction, save a word which God - glorified be His majesty - doth speak. Beseech God to aid thee in that which beseemeth His Day. The treasures of earth and what lies buried therein cannot equal His word. Be grateful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast mentioned me, and glorification be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the kingdom of the heavens and earth.”

What else can this servant say? God is witness and aware that his very foundations tremble and his heart is troubled, for he has observed that in all ages and centuries certain ignorant souls who fancy themselves learned have objected to the Daysprings of Divine Unity and, with utmost obstinacy, striven to extinguish God’s light. Then, when the Cause became exalted, they would grasp it with both hands and, through ascetic pretensions, gain control over the reins of the people - as you have seen and heard. And they have their likes and counterparts in these days: souls who never had any knowledge of this Cause have now arisen in tyranny and oppression, claiming complete understanding while preventing weak souls from approaching the Divine Fountain and urging them toward stagnant waters instead. May God protect His servants and preserve them from the whisperings of such souls - that is, from the hypocrites among the people of the Bayan. God protect us and you, O concourse of the monotheists, from the evil of these people.

This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist His loved ones that they may drink from the ocean of the divine meanings hidden within God’s words and become so enkindled by the fire burning therein that the promptings of devils shall not keep them back from the Lord of the Day of Judgment. In Kaf and Ra the cawing has been raised, and the source of doubt and hypocrisy, with utmost deceit and guile and through fabricated words, has prevented weak souls from the King of Oneness and summoned them to the realm of falsehood - despite having had and still having no knowledge whatsoever of this Cause. Out of mere passion has he objected to the Lord of Names, wandering in the wilderness of idle fancies. I beseech God to guide him and not deprive him of the choice wine of inner meanings and the pure water of truthfulness, and to grant him a portion from the ocean of awareness. He is indeed powerful and mighty over all things.

In the Most Holy Book, which was revealed from God’s holy kingdom in the early days of imprisonment, mention was made by the Supreme Pen of the land of Kaf and Ra and what would occur therein, and until now it remained concealed. But this year the cawer of that land has uttered words at which the heavens were well-nigh cleft asunder, the earth split open, and the mountains crashed down.

May God grant the sense of justice and bestow righteousness and truth. For twelve hundred years and more, such souls invited people to Jabulqa and Jabulsa, and whenever an enlightened soul rejected this claim and informed the people that the Qa’im was yet unborn and in the loins, they issued the decree for his death and shed his blood. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of the All-Merciful’s Revelation that among such souls is this wailer of the land of Kaf and Ra, for he walks in the footsteps of those souls. How many pure souls drank the cup of martyrdom through the decree of those heedless, ignorant ones! All the chosen ones and friends of God bear witness to the truth of what has been mentioned. They imagined they were championing the Cause of Truth and guiding people to the straight path, while that path was the path of hell, not the straight path. What intoxication has seized the people that they have not yet discovered the deception and craftiness of the company of hypocrites? Inform the friends of God to guard themselves, in the name of God, exalted be His glory, from the manifestations of deceit and hypocrisy and the dawning-places of trickery and deception, and not to trust such people. For it is observed that when they despair of someone - that is, when they see their vain imaginings have not influenced or affected him - they don the garment of friendship and outwardly associate with utmost love and affection, their purpose being to find an opportunity to implant what is hidden in their hearts. In all cases, avoidance is necessary. Through the means of friendship they strengthen the foundation of enmity. Their acceptance is rejection, their kindness is animosity, their silence is deception, and their speech is deceit. Say: O foolish ones! Today the knights in the arena of detachment should see naught but the Truth, know naught but the Truth, and speak naught but the Truth, for this is the Day of God wherein none is mentioned but Him. Today, if anyone speaks of aught but the Truth and fixes his gaze on imaginary names, he was not and is not worthy of this station, this mention, and this Cause. Say: O heedless ones! Fear God and cast not the helpless people into your snares. Let them soar with the wings of detachment in this atmosphere and enter this court with utmost joy. Would that the people knew and understood! Some time ago, in one of the Tablets, this exalted Word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of all being. His word, blessed and exalted is He:

O servant in attendance! Do these people not reflect upon the greatness of this Day? This is a Day whose magnitude hath been recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in all the divine Books. Though the days of the Manifestations of Divine Unity and the Dawning-places of Divine Light are referred to in one sense as the “Days of God,” yet these days have been specifically designated and distinguished in all the Books. By God, exalted be His glory! Even as He saith to the Seal of the Prophets: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds,” and likewise, “The Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s,” and “Thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank,” and the like thereof. And to Moses He saith: “Lead thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the Days of God.” He giveth glad tidings of this blessed Day to all the Messengers. Nevertheless, at times they speak of the Mirror, at times of the Vicegerent, and at times of the Fruit. They cling to these names and perceive not. They speak but understand not; they say but comprehend not. Say: Die in your wrath! This is the Day of God, did ye but know it, and this is the Cause of God, would ye but judge with fairness. He Who was hidden in God’s knowledge and recorded in His Books hath appeared, and through Him every sealed matter hath been revealed and every hidden secret uncovered.

Now, in their baseness, the flies raise objections against the Lord of Lords. The crow hath no portion in the realm of inner meanings, and the fly hath no share in divine melodies. This field requireth the knights of recognition, that they may spur on their steeds in the name of God, exalted be His glory! Glory be to God! Some souls speak purely out of desire, for they have drunk of the wine of idle fancies and taken gods other than God. They walk in the winds of conjecture and lead others astray by their vain imaginings. Were this servant to recount all that he hath heard concerning such matters, the pages of discourse would surely not suffice. We make mention of verses that were revealed at the beginning of imprisonment in the Most Holy Book, that perchance the heedless may become aware, the sleeping may be awakened, and they that sit still may arise. His word, exalted be His utterance and glorified His station:

“O Land of Kaf and Ra! We, verily, behold thee in a state displeasing unto God, and We see proceeding from thee that which none knoweth except God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We find also thy inner secrets, for with Us is the knowledge of all things recorded in a lucid Tablet. Sorrow not on account of that which hath befallen thee. Erelong will God raise up within thee men possessed of mighty valor, who will magnify My Name with such constancy that neither will they be deterred by the learned men, nor will they be kept back by the doubts of the perverse. With their own eyes will they behold God, and with their own lives will they render Him victorious. These, truly, are of those who are firm.”

When these verses were revealed, there was no mention of the clamorer of that land, and the Most Holy Book had been revealed ten years prior, as all are aware. Ever have ignorant souls adorned themselves with cloaks and turbans, and in the guise of knowledge blocked His path. Which of their traditions, hadiths and reports have proven true and accurate? Poor souls have for centuries wandered in the wilderness of idle fancies and vain imaginings due to the ignorance of those heedless ones. For the sake of God it is said: perchance they may not rebuild the edifice of fancy nor lay the foundation of vain imaginings upon the earth. Today they must, with the power of the Friend of all worlds, break the chains of imitation and shatter the idols of fancy. They must purify their ears from what they have heard, move beyond idle talk, and turn from words to deeds. Say: O heedless ones! Who is he that hath arisen to promote the Cause, and who is he that hath summoned all to the Supreme Horizon in days wherein the hearts of the wise were sorely shaken? Glory be to God! How have they understood this Day and what have they comprehended of this Most Great Revelation? This is the Day wherein none is mentioned save Him, and it behooveth no one to cling to similitudes, likenesses and names. This is the Day which the Books of God have extolled and to which the Prophets and Messengers have borne witness. One is bewildered what to mention. The Shi’ih sect, who counted themselves the greatest, most learned and most pious of all the sects of the world, were exposed by the dawning rays of the Sun of Revelation as the basest of all sects, for by the decree of those souls they martyred the Beloved of the worlds in that land. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! Not content with this, they issued decrees for the killing of all holy souls. How many children and women were martyred through the tyranny of those souls, and how many were left without shelter, refuge or guardian! Now again a group of the world’s prevaricators have gathered and are endeavoring to establish the former foundation. The clamorer of the land of Kaf and Ra and other clamorers seek to veil the rays of the Sun of Truth behind new clouds of fancy, and to occupy themselves for another two or three thousand years with acceptance and rejection, objection and protest, cursing and reviling one another from pulpits and gatherings. By the Sun of the horizon of sanctity, this servant is ashamed and abashed at such mentions. All the divines of the age, each of whom was a leader in Iran and occupied pulpit and prayer-niche, failed to perceive even an atom’s weight of truth. For had they perceived it, this unprecedented tyranny would not have occurred in the world. Out of desire and leadership they spoke that which caused the martyrdom of the Desired One of the world, the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. For were it not for those fabricated utterances, the Truth and His loved ones would not have been martyred. All the divines in the first year declared that all divines before and after had maintained that He must appear from Jabulqa and Jabulsa. Yet now this sect says He was born in Shiraz, and thus they all decreed His unbelief and the shedding of His pure blood. O beloved of my heart, some reflection is needed so that you may become aware of the oppression of this group and enlighten some others. Most of the people cling to imitation and are afflicted with their desires. The flood of their suspicions and fancies has destroyed the foundation of faith. Fie upon them and upon those who follow them! Heedlessness has reached such a degree that they have arranged conditions for the Manifestation through their own imaginings and have limited Him through their own intimations and perceptions. And when they found Him contrary to their suspicions, they raised an uproar. Say: This Great Announcement has never needed, nor does it need, anyone’s testimony to prove His Cause. Consider what the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him - has uttered. His blessed and exalted Word states:

“I have written the essence concerning His mention: He shall not be known through My allusion, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan…” unto His mighty and glorious Word: “For verily He is more glorious and exalted than to be known through any but Himself or to be described by the description of His creatures. Verily, I am the first to believe in Him and in His verses, and I have received from the virgin gardens of the paradise of His knowledge the gardens of His words. Yea, by His glory! He is the Truth, there is no God but Him. All are upheld by His command.”

Where are the attentive ears and where are the keen eyes that they might behold the effulgent lights of the Sun of Utterance and hear the call of the True One, glorified be His majesty? If all who are in the Bayan would observe and reflect upon even this one passage with fairness and justice, all would turn to the Most Holy Court and, becoming heedless of what is with the people, would hold fast to what is with God. But what benefit is there when ears are stuffed with the cotton of selfish desires, preventing them from hearing, and eyes are veiled by the veils of suspicion and fancy, keeping them from seeing? At one time this exalted word was revealed from the Dayspring of Revelation, the Lord of Names. His blessed and exalted Word states:

“O servant in attendance! Consider how the eyelid, thin as it appears, if it becomes a veil, prevents the eye from beholding the heavens and the earth and all that is therein - the trees, the rivers, the seas, the mountains, the fruits, the colors and whatsoever exists. Now if the thick veil of suspicion falls upon the heart, what will it do? O servant in attendance! Beseech God that He may purify all from the preventing veils, that perchance they may discover the purpose of the creation of beings, attain to the recognition of the hidden and sealed treasure, and drink of this sealed wine.”

The essence of what has been revealed, by the testimony of the Beloved of all worlds, is that the Dawning-Place of verses and the Day-Spring of evidences is not dependent upon the indication of that Sovereign of existence nor upon what was revealed in the Bayan. All are commanded to recognize Him through His own Self. In this connection certain mysteries were heard from the Tongue of the Source of Names, which this servant dareth not disclose without leave. Would that the people knew and understood! Blessed is the one who, with his own eyes, turneth toward the Most Exalted Horizon and perceiveth the lights of His countenance without the veils of allusions. The intoxication of vain imaginings and heedlessness hath veiled most people. Concerning that Ancient Beauty, whom the Point of the Bayan - may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath described as “Verily, I am the first to believe in Him and in His verses,” they have uttered that which hath caused the heavens to be cloven asunder and the Kingdom of Names to be sorely troubled. In truth, were anyone to meditate upon these blessed words which have shone forth from the Dayspring of the Bayan of God - exalted be His glory - and become informed of the pearls of utterance, he would find himself independent of all things. He would soar in the atmosphere of divine sanctity on the wings of certitude and drink from the waters of steadfastness. Today, should anyone hesitate in the least, he would be accounted among the people of the Fire. In His presence all mention is nullified, and before His utterance all utterance boweth down in submission.

On one occasion He said: “O servant in attendance! Today the Kingdom of the Bayan boweth down in submission before the All-Merciful. All books and tablets are suspended upon His Will, and all who are in the Bayan are commanded to recognize this Most Great Remembrance, this momentous Announcement.” Blessed is the one who hath broken the chains of idle fancies and vain imaginings through the Name of the Self-Subsisting, who hath forsaken that which is possessed by the people and held fast unto that which is with God.

Such objecting souls have ever existed. Were anyone to reflect upon the events that transpired after the ascension of His Holiness al-’Askari - peace be upon Him - and the machinations of the heretical divines, he would testify that all the corruption in the world hath proceeded and proceedeth from such souls. By the life of our Lord! Were it not for the lies of the leaders, the Lord Most High would not have been martyred by the tyranny of His enemies. They appointed an imaginary person to an imaginary throne, and through imaginary traditions established that which caused the blood of the Lord of the world and the essences of all peoples to be shed. At times they would produce forged documents and attribute them to the Source of existence. The curse of God be upon the people who lie! Inwardly their purpose was to exalt their own station and prestige, while outwardly they would point to ruins - sometimes to Jabulqa, sometimes to Jabulsa, and at times to the false region which they called holy. The eternal Sovereign, concerning Whom the Point of the Bayan - may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said, exalted be His remembrance: “Verily, He is too glorious and exalted to be known through aught else or to seek the counsel of His creatures.” Now the heedless souls have risen in opposition and clung to the words of this one and that.

Today the Tongue of Grandeur proclaims, exalted be His glory: “O Pen! Dost thou see anyone besides Me on this day? Where are all created things and their manifestations? Where are all names and their kingdoms? Where are all hidden things and their mysteries? Where are all outward things and their traces? Annihilation hath seized all who dwell in creation, and this is My face, the ever-abiding, the luminous, the resplendent.”

Now observe to what they cling and what ropes they grasp. They desire to erect new illusory causes for the helpless people, like the delusions of old. Again I submit: “O God protect us, O concourse of the unitarians, from the evil of these people!” Today, verily, no book among books, no tablet among tablets, and no scripture among scriptures suffices. Glory be to God above what the oppressors say! Today all must fix their gaze upon the horizon of the Revelation and what appears from His presence. If one occupies himself with delusions, conjectures and traditions, his end will surely be destruction, as has been witnessed.

Glorified art Thou, O God of land and sea! Thou beholdest me standing before Thee, with the hands of my hope upraised to the heaven of Thy bounty and grace. I beseech Thee, by Thy sovereignty that dominates all things and by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued all creation, to assist Thy servants to act with justice and equity, and enable them to turn to Thee with Thy vision and to gaze toward Thy direction with Thy light. Thou art He through Whose Name the oceans of grace and bounty surged, and by Whose Will the heaven of Thy generosity was adorned, O Possessor of Names! There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Self-Subsisting.

If today anyone gazes upon anything other than the Truth and the utterance of Truth, he will surely stray from the path and make his abode in the fire. He says that all the Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of Paradise. If it achieves acceptance, glory be to God! How lofty is the Cause and in what clay are the worms! This evanescent servant is bewildered, by God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. From the beginning of the Cause until now, I have had and have no desire save the good-pleasure of God. Now I have grown old and my strength has weakened, yet despite this and despite great occupation, I have engaged in this writing purely for the sake of God. God is my witness and is aware that I have sought and seek naught but His good-pleasure. For His sake I have spoken and for His sake I speak. “Whoso wisheth, let him accept it; and whoso wisheth, let him reject it.” Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.

Likewise, reflect upon this most exalted Word revealed from the Dayspring of utterance, the Lord of Names, namely the Primal Point (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him). In truth, this Word is considered the essence of the Bayan. His exalted Word states: “In the year Nine ye shall attain unto all good, and in the year Nine ye shall attain unto the presence of God.” And addressing His Holiness the Great One (upon Him be all the most glorious glory and the most exalted exaltation), He says - His exalted Word:

This is what We promised thee aforetime when We answered thee. Wait until nine passeth beyond the Bayan, then say: Blessed be God, the Most Excellent of Creators. Now judge fairly: in the year nine when this Call was raised, where were the ears and where were the eyes? Verily there hath been and is no escape for anyone except he repent and return unto God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Unless one turneth away from the Heaven of testimony, the Sun of certitude, the Most Great Ocean, and the Mighty Announcement, the divine verses and heavenly evidences have yielded and yield no fruit for such a soul. Every fair-minded one testifieth that the Cause of God hath been made manifest through this Most Great Revelation in days when all were occupied with preserving their lives and were concealed and veiled in corners. God, exalted be His glory, arose by His own Self and spoke, such that the droplets of the ocean of His utterance seized the world and His traces encompassed all horizons. Blessed are the fair-minded ones and they that hear.

Likewise the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - saith: “Say: This is the News of which none hath knowledge save God, but on that day ye shall not know.” Yet these unjust people have said what they have said. This is that Mighty News mentioned and recorded in all the Books, of whose time of appearance none save God Himself is aware. This is that Hour of which Christ spoke when He said: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only.”

This is that Day of which Joel in his Book saith: “For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Likewise Jeremiah saith: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it.” All that hath appeared was mentioned in the Books of the Messengers, even unto the mention of the Fortress which is now the seat of the Throne and is known as the Most Great Prison, as David saith: “Who will lead me into the strong city?” The strong city is Akka, whose fortress is well-known. This is that Fortress upon which He saith the lights of the Sun of Truth would shine and from whose horizon they would dawn. They also gave each other and the people of this earth glad tidings that God would appear in these lands in the latter days and would manifest Himself.

Isaiah saith: “Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up thy voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.” Zion and Jerusalem are in these lands, and He saith it shall be called by a new name, as in the land of Mystery it was named the Valley of the Noble One. This is that valley wherein the cry of all the Prophets was raised, speaking “Here am I, O my Lord, here am I.” Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for them - appeared in these lands, for these lands are connected to the land of Ba??a and Hijaz. Thus He saith: “Blessed is he who hath migrated to Akka.” I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that this evanescent one’s purpose hath not been and is not to display knowledge, learning and awareness, but rather it is offered for the sake of God that heedless souls may not become the cause of people’s veiling as they have done before. These indeed are the holy lands mentioned in the Qur’an and previous Books.

The Lord shall roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the shepherds’ pastures shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. And this Carmel lieth opposite to ’Akka and in former Books was known as God’s Vineyard, and mention thereof hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Verily some have attained unto it, and it is among those assured matters whereon the Tabernacle of Glory must needs be raised - and praise be to God, it hath been raised - and from Zion the Euphrates of inner meanings hath flowed, despite those who cast justice aside and took up oppression.

The greatness of this Revelation is such that David, in speaking of it, declares: “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool, for He is holy. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name.” Now this blessed verse must needs be deeply pondered. Today all trees are enraptured, and rocks and stones are stirred and moved, and the mountains are in greatest joy at His passing, for the promised Hour is come and the hidden Secret is unveiled. Were this exalted Word to be removed from the Holy Books, no other utterance would remain, and no mention would be found. But this utterance is for those possessed of insight and understanding, not for every vain person who follows delusions and idle fancies. Today the Sun of certitude has dawned. A new day it is, and new are these times that can in no wise be compared with aught else. Yet eyes are diseased and dimmed, and ears are stopped up. I beseech God to grant joy and not deprive creation of this greatest gladness. And likewise He says: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.” Were this servant to cite all the verses from previous Books and the utterances revealed therein, the readers would surely grow weary from the length of discourse. Therefore have I firmly resolved to be most brief, and I implore those souls that are assured, content and well-pleasing to make mention of me, that perchance through their prayers and remembrance I may fulfill that which I am commanded and not fail in serving the friends of God. Alas! Alas! Though this Cause is of such magnitude, and though its manifest power and overwhelming might have encompassed the world, yet the people remain veiled from beholding it and heedless of its recognition. He is the Almighty One of Whom the prophet Amos spoke, saying: “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is His name.” By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal! In this mighty verse are hidden mighty mysteries, for it gives tidings of the year eighty and likewise of the false dawn which He, the God of hosts, will darken, and of His treading upon the high places of the earth - an allusion to the journey to the great City and these parts. This servant is astonished at what the people were content with before, and what they are content with now. If they seek verses, these have filled the horizons, and if they desire proofs, it is for the servant to establish and demonstrate them. I swear by the Self of God - may the spirit of all who dwell in the kingdoms of Command and Creation be sacrificed for His sake - that mighty and wondrous things have appeared in this Revelation, and whatsoever was to occur in successive years thereafter has been revealed and sent down from the Most Exalted Pen beforehand, without any hint or allusion but rather with utmost clarity. Every fair-minded person can detect the fragrance of truth from these submissions, for whatsoever has been and is being stated is supported by clear proof and evidence. Were this servant to mention all of these things, the discourse would surely grow lengthy. However, I shall briefly mention some of them for the sake of God, although they have been mentioned in various epistles, some of which, according to what has been heard, have fallen into the hands of the enemies.

In the Name of the Most Glorious!

O Chief! Hearken to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth between earth and heaven, summoning all to the Most Glorious Horizon. Neither thy barking, nor the barking of those around thee, nor the hosts of the world can withhold Him. The world hath been set ablaze by the Word of thy Lord, the Most Glorious. It is softer than the morning breeze. It hath appeared in the form of man, whereby God hath quickened His accepting servants. Within it is a water wherewith God hath purified the hearts of them that have turned unto Him, who have forgotten the mention of all else, and whom He hath brought nigh unto the sanctuary of His Most Great Name.

O Chief! Thou hast committed that which hath caused Muhammad, the Apostle of God, to lament in the most sublime Paradise. The world hath made thee so vain that thou hast turned away from the Face through whose brightness the Concourse on high hath been illumined. Soon shalt thou find thyself in manifest loss. Thou didst conspire with the Persian Ambassador against Me, though I had come to you from the Source of majesty and grandeur with a Cause that hath solaced the eyes of those near unto God.

Didst thou imagine that thou couldst quench the fire which God hath kindled in the horizons? Nay, by His Self, the True One, wert thou of them that comprehend. Rather, by what thou hast done its flame hath been intensified and its burning increased. Soon will it encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath the matter been decreed, and none can withstand His judgment in all the heavens and earth.

Soon will the land of Mystery (Adrianople) and what is beside it be changed, and will pass out of the hands of the King, and commotions will appear, and the voice of lamentation will be raised, and the evidences of mischief will be revealed on all sides, and confusion will spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things will be altered, and conditions will become so grievous that the very sands on the desolate hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore disturbance.

O World! Dost thou possess the power of hearing, that thou mayest hear? Dost thou possess sight, that thou mayest see? In most wondrous and clear utterance hath the Beloved of all possibility spoken. The meaning of the Land of Mystery (Ard-i-Sirr) is Adrianople, which before the Most Great Prison was the seat of the Throne of that land, and its numerical value corresponds to that of ‘Mystery.’ He saith: The Land of Mystery shall be changed, and what surroundeth it. It shall pass out of the hands of kings, earthquakes shall appear, and lamentations and wailing shall be raised. Corruption shall be manifest in all regions and affairs shall be disordered. All these calamities are due to the tribulations inflicted upon these captives by the hosts of the oppressors. All these things were manifestly witnessed, and no fair-minded, truthful, or just person hath denied or will deny them. He further saith: And the government shall change - meaning the first ruler shall depart and another ruler shall be seated in his place, as was witnessed. He further saith: The matter shall become severe - so severe that the sand in the hills and mountains and the trees in the mountains shall weep, and blood shall flow from all things, for that which was inflicted upon the Truth such as hath never been inflicted upon any other. Then He saith: Thou shalt see the people in great agitation. By God’s life! Agitation had encompassed all. The Muslim forces would descend upon Christian villages, depriving men and women, young and old, of life, and then burn their homes and possessions. The Christians would do exactly the same to the Muslims. Terror had seized all and agitation had encompassed everyone. One traveler wrote that passing through a certain place, he observed three hundred corpses piled up within twenty paces. The horror of that sight shall never fade from memory. In brief, all have heard of that upheaval and know of it, and nothing like it had ever been witnessed in any age. The newspapers reported things that the mind refuses to accept. Now the people of Bayan must reflect and know with absolute certainty that whatsoever came to pass had been revealed word for word beforehand by the Supreme Pen. Glory be to Him Who giveth life to the bones when they are rotted away! And glory be to Him Who informed all beforehand, and He is the All-Knowing! But O Beloved of my heart and He Who is mentioned in my soul! All that hath been mentioned is a great glad-tiding for the friends, the chosen ones, the firm ones, and the fair-minded ones. However, it increaseth naught but loss for the oppressors, for the deaf are deprived of the cooing of the Dove of the Cause, and the blind are forbidden from the lights of the Supreme Horizon. Likewise, exalted be His mention, universal be His grace, and magnificent be His favor, He saith in the Surih of the Temple, addressing the King of Paris, glorified be His majesty: “Say: O King of Paris! Tell the priest not to ring the bells. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the Will of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, ring it out in the heaven of immortality in His Name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as thy Lord, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, was pleased to spare.”

Until He speaketh, glorified be His majesty: “O King! Hearken unto the Call from this Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree, on this elevated Mount, upon this blessed white Spot beyond the Sea of Eternity: ‘Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.’” Until He speaketh, exalted be His utterance: “Lo! The Tree of the Mount speaketh in the heart of the world and the Holy Spirit proclaimeth among the nations: ‘The Desired One hath come with manifest sovereignty.’” Until He speaketh, exalted be His glory: “O King! We have heard from thee a word which thou didst speak when the King of Russia asked thee concerning the decree of war. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thou didst say: ‘I was asleep upon my couch when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.’ This We heard and thy Lord beareth witness to what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but thine own passions, for We tested thee and found thee to be wanting. Be discerning in thy words and be thou among the perceptive. We desire not that any word untoward should return unto thee, out of respect for the station We have given thee in this mortal life. We have chosen courtesy and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Us. It is a raiment that befitteth all souls, both the lowly and the exalted. Well is it with him who adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst not have cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behooveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear thou the sighs of this Wronged One and shield Him from the darts of them that act unjustly. For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause and followest Him Who is the Spirit in this straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of them that sleep. It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: ‘Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and on earth!’ O King! We were in ‘Iraq, until the time when the leave of departure came. They brought Us unto the seat of Islam by command. But when We came unto them, there proceeded from certain among the malicious such tribulation as the scrolls cannot recount. Thereat wept the inmates of Paradise, and the dwellers of the holy precincts, but the people are wrapped in a thick veil! Say: Do ye cavil at Him Who hath come unto you with clear proofs and divine testimony, with His evidences and His signs? These are not of his own accord, but from the One Who hath sent Him and commissioned Him with the truth and made Him to be a lamp unto all mankind. More severe became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from prison and made Us, with manifest injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone asked them for what crime were they imprisoned, they would answer and say: ’Lo, they seek to renew religion!’ If the ancient Faith be that which ye choose, wherefore then have ye forsaken that which was set down in the Torah and the Gospel? Be ye clear about this, O people! By My life! There is no place for you to flee this day. If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him, the Spirit, and before Him, the Interlocutor. And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

Here follows details of this blessed Tablet: In the Land of Mystery (Constantinople) a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent specifically to the King of Paris. The cause of its revelation was that the King had spoken certain words in a public gathering, saying that “We are not only concerned with managing our own affairs, but rather if any oppressed one in the world should cry out, we will answer and take his right from the oppressors.” This was the essence of the words he uttered. And another statement he made in response to the Russian King, when asked “We and you are both of one religion - what caused you to support Islam and unite with it in war?” He replied, “I did not assist Islam, rather the cry of the oppressed ones whose ships you destroyed and sunk in the Black Sea awakened me from sleep, and I arose to remove this oppression.”

After hearing these two statements, the Divine Tablet was revealed wherein He says: “We heard two statements from you on two occasions, from which the fragrance of justice and fairness was diffused. If His Majesty the King considers himself the helper of the world’s oppressed ones, why has he not arisen to help these oppressed ones the like of whom the eye of the world has not seen? This despite their cry being raised from every land for successive years, during which time they have been under the lash of oppression and wrath, such that every person of insight has wept and every person of heart has lamented. How many lands have been dyed with their blood, and in how many cities has their sighing, wailing and weeping been raised!” In this Tablet, most of the calamities that had befallen were revealed and sent down from the Supreme Pen.

After it was sent, for some time no response came. Finally his minister submitted a petition saying: “I took your letter with the Foreign Minister to the Emperor’s presence and mentioned the details. He took the letter and placed it beside him, but until now no response has appeared from him regarding this matter.” Therefore a second Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Divine Will, and one of the clergy who had attained to recognition offered to translate it into French and send it. God knows best.

This is what He says: “O King! We heard a word that you spoke when the Russian King questioned you about what occurred in the matter of war. You answered: ‘I was sleeping in the cradle when I was awakened by the cry of the oppressed servants who were drowned in the Black Sea.’ We testify that it was not the cry that awakened you, but rather the desire of self, for We tested and found you to be far removed from the Word.” Until He says, exalted be His utterance: “If you had been true to your word, you would not have cast the Book of God behind your back.”

Then He says: “By what you have done, affairs in your kingdom will be thrown into confusion, and sovereignty will pass from your hands. Then you will find yourself in manifest loss. Earthquakes will seize all the tribes there, and from these things there is no escape except that thou arise to assist the Cause and follow the Spirit in this straight path. And likewise He saith:”Hath thy glory made thee vainglorious? By My life! This glory shall not endure, except thou holdest fast to the firm cord of Truth, exalted be His glory.” Then He saith: “We behold humiliation hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless” - meaning thou art asleep and unaware.

Now observe how these matters were clearly foretold, though most deemed their occurrence impossible and counted them as unattainable. Thus did someone once ask this servant whether the Emperor of Paris would be deposed, how his sovereignty would be taken from him, and how his glory would vanish, given that he was the foremost among the world’s monarchs. This servant replied that he knew not and was unaware, but this much he knew: that whatsoever was revealed from the tongue of Grandeur would all be manifestly realized. Ye see and hear it.

In any case, the servant’s purpose in mentioning these things is that every group might become aware of the verses and clear proofs of Truth, and know with absolute certainty that whatsoever appeared later had been revealed beforehand by the Supreme Pen. As the Tablets to the Kings revealed in the Surih of the Temple, and likewise the Tablet of Ra’is, were in the possession of most several years before their occurrence, mention is made of them. Otherwise, were this servant to recount the manifest verses and clear evidences, numerous volumes would be required, and perchance some might hesitate to accept them.

In any case, I beseech all to behold the Truth with the eye of Truth, for all are commanded thus, and this is unique to this Revelation. The Point of the Bayan, may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake, saith: “Behold Him with His own eye. If ye regard Him with the eye of another, ye shall never attain to knowing and recognizing Him.”

The polytheists have appeared with such schemes and deceits as have never been seen before, and all these things were foretold. Blessed is he who regardeth the clamor and insinuations and doubts of the people of the world as the buzzing of flies. This great Revelation and mighty Cause - I beseech God to aid His servants in that which beseemeth them.

Today the Furqan proclaimeth in most eloquent utterance: “O heedless ones! The Mother Book speaketh, the horizon of certitude is illumined, the proof hath dawned and the evidence is clear. Let not vain imaginings deprive you from the Dayspring of assurance, nor idle fancies withhold you from the Lord of all names.” Such utterances have repeatedly been heard from the Source of verses, and likewise these words were heard from the Tongue of Grandeur - blessed and exalted be His utterance:

“Today the Bayan calleth out with utmost loving-kindness and bounty, saying: ‘O My people and My companions! Today the Lord of the seen and unseen is established upon the throne of manifestation, and the Mother of the Bayan is revealed. Let not your vain imaginings withhold you from the sealed wine, nor deprive you from the Kawthar of certitude.’”

And at one time the Tongue of Grandeur uttered this blessed word: “If the eye be fixed upon the greatness of heaven and desire to turn for less than can be reckoned to another direction, it is not worthy to enter this court.”

Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of meaning and utterance! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Sun of eternity shone forth from the horizon of the world, to protect Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones from the scheming of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs, and have turned away from what Thou didst command them in Thy Books, Thy Scrolls, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. O Lord! Thou seest Thy ignorant servants who have made deceit their weapon and falsehood their refuge and shelter, who utter calumnies against Thee by night and day, whereat the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy glory and majesty have lamented. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the mysteries of Thy Cause to send down upon them that which will acquaint them with Thee and teach them Thy way and what lieth with Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Sufficient, the All-Protecting, the Ever-Abiding, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O friends of God! Strive that perverse souls may not, as before, afflict helpless people by casting them into the pit of vain imaginings. These are the souls of whom it is said, “They have changed God’s favor into blasphemy and caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition.” These are they who have ever transformed the divine bounty and turned people away from the straight path. In the Dispensation of the Furqan, a few souls, following their selfish desires, strove mightily to lead people astray. In every age such souls have existed and will continue to exist. In these days certain papers have arrived which, upon examination, clearly show that they have sprung from the essence of rancor and hatred. They have perverted certain divine utterances which constitute the true bounty. The serpent has appeared in new colors, claiming friendship while seeking to hold back the servants from the supreme horizon, deprive them of the ocean of certitude, and summon them to the pool of idle fancy. Say: O unjust one! Abandon oppression and hold fast to the cord of justice. Where were you when the darkness of tyranny encompassed the world and all were hidden through the dominion of the oppressors? In the words he has written lies concealed a deadly poison. For instance, at the beginning of his letter he mentions the Most Great Name, writing “In the Name of God, the Most Glorious, the Most Glorious, there is no God but He, say: all shall return unto Him.” Glory be to God! He has made God’s Name a snare for himself and spread a net, seeking thereby to render the assured ones, the unified ones, and the sincere ones tranquil, and then to make them taste the deadly venom hidden in the fangs of his words. One is amazed at the guile and deceit of such souls. He who acknowledges these words is freed from mention of the world, the clamor of nations, the sayings of people, and the differences of the peoples, for this is the Day of God wherein nothing else should be mentioned. This is the Day of which He says: “All things shall perish except His face.” The people of Baha are today mounted upon crimson ships, and these ships sail on sea and land. Blessed is he who holds fast to them, detached from the world, its mention, and whatsoever is therein. In any case, after mentioning the Name of God, exalted be His glory - which he imagined to be a trap - the person in question has made certain mentions unworthy of notice, writing of his own ascent to the heights of knowledge in grammar, syntax, rhetoric, exposition, logic, substances and accidents, jurisprudence, principles, peripatetic philosophy, illuminative philosophy, the philosophy of the late Shaykh, and his attendance upon Haji Karim Khan. Through these mentions he has sought to display his excellence, though outwardly he has written that he understood nothing of these sciences. Would that he had spent as much time contemplating His verses with divine insight and pondering the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom as he spent writing these words. The divines of the Dispensation of the Furqan wrote such expressions for twelve hundred years, refuting and proving against each other. What these souls have reaped from the harvest of their words, these souls too shall reap. In any case, he lies in wait for the friends and loved ones of God, and through means of love and kindness and words that neither nourish nor satisfy, he busies himself with leading helpless people astray, until he professed belief in the Tree of the Bayan and wrote: “Whatever I beheld of the words of the Point of the Bayan added perplexity unto my perplexity and opened not the door of recognition unto me.” Not that, God forbid, these words contain no lofty meanings, but rather because, as declared by the Author of the Bayan Himself, this Cause is now in the stage of a seed, and many desire to comprehend manifestly, clearly, evidently and openly from this seed the laws of all things, or to attain unto the conditions pertaining thereunto, save him whom God hath taught the knowledge of all things.

O Concourse of the Bayan and O people of the Furqan! The rays of the Sun of Manifestation have encompassed the world, and its effulgences and revelations are manifest and resplendent. The Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath declared that a one-year-old seed of the Day of His Manifestation is mightier than the entirety of the Bayan. This is the Day to which all books, scriptures and psalms have truthfully referred, and of which they have all given glad tidings. All must turn with sanctified vision and ears purified from all mention toward the Supreme Horizon, and hearken to the Call raised from the right hand of the Most Great Throne. Today, whosoever cleaveth to the Bayan and riseth in opposition is not counted among the people of truth, according to the testimony of the Point of the Bayan, for all matters are contingent upon His approval. The essence of the Bayan is this: “He shall not be indicated by any indication, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan.” After this blessed word, no fair-minded, informed and discerning person knowledgeable of the Bayan would raise objections against the Truth. Have they not heard Him say that the entire Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of His Paradise? It is not known what that heedless ignorant one intended by what he mentioned. If his meaning is that the Bayan is still in the stage of a seed and has not been perfected, the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath said: “From the beginning of this Cause until before the completion of nine existences, creation hath not appeared, and all that thou hast seen from the seed until We clothed it with flesh - then wait until thou beholdest another creation. Say: Blessed be God, the Best of Creators.” Tell that unjust one to observe and reflect upon what hath flowed from the Pen of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all in the kingdom of Command and Creation be sacrificed for Him. This is the day of the new creation. This is the Day whereon the tongue of all things uttereth the blessed words “Blessed be God, the Best of Creators.” He declareth that the Bayan shall be perfected, and explicitly stateth that before the completion of nine existences creation hath not appeared, and all that hath been seen is from the stage of the seed until it is clothed with flesh - wait until thou beholdest the new creation. Say: Blessed be God, the Best of Creators. This is the station referred to in “and breathed into him of another spirit.” So great is this Revelation that the Primal Point hath declared: “It is permitted that He before Whom none on earth is more exalted should be rejected, for all creation is in His grasp and all are submissive unto Him.” None hath comprehended the greatness of this Revelation save whom God willeth. This celestial sphere requireth another Navigator, and this ocean another Diver. Although all the days of the Manifestations of God and Dawning-places of revelation are, in one sense, referred to as the Day of God, yet these days are adorned with the ornament of distinction, as hath been detailed. All the utterances of the former idolaters have been heard and continue to be heard from the new idolaters in this Revelation; nay rather, they have said that which no idolater had ever said. O people of the Bayan! Fear God! Object not to God through your idle fancies. He calleth you to the light while you call Him to the fire. Why do ye not understand a single word from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise? No one’s knowledge hath encompassed this Revelation. All the knowledge of the world is but as a drop, nay, God forgive this limitation, before the ocean of His knowledge. The Interpreter of the Bayan - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him - hath declared, exalted and mighty be His Word:

“Verily for you after a time there shall be a Cause which ye shall come to know, and that Day shall be like unto a time, but ye perceive not. That Tree of Sinai shall speak unto you, if ye but hear. Say: This is a Announcement which none can encompass through knowledge, but on that Day ye shall not know.” Thus did He end.

By the testimony of the Bayan and all divine Books, no one hath possessed or possesseth knowledge of this Revelation. Ponder upon the mention of “after a time”, that perchance ye may inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance, and the wayward may seek the straight path and the mighty Announcement, and may purify themselves from their calumnies through the water of return. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O beloved of my heart! What can the servant submit, what proof can he grasp, what evidence can he manifest? By the life of my Beloved, the very essence of proof is feeble in mentioning this path. Glory be to God from what they have said and continue to say! Throughout ages and centuries these base people have clung to vain imaginings and risen in dispute. At times mention of the Qa’im was cause for contention, at times mention of the guardian, successor, chief and the like. And on the day of His manifestation, the fruit of their discussions, beliefs and deeds was that which they witnessed. What are these images to which they cleave? Would that they had clung to but one word and had uttered it with truth and sincerity. Fie upon them and that which their hands have wrought!

Today no art among arts, no knowledge among knowledges, no name among names, no station among stations, and no book among books can suffice or benefit man except through that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken. Exalted be His glory: “This is the Day wherein the Mother Book speaketh and the Mother of the Bayan calleth out, yet the people know not and perceive not. The Prophet is he who hath believed in My Announcement, the Messenger is he who hath delivered My Messages, the Successor is he who hath counseled people regarding that which hath been sent down from My Kingdom of My wondrous commandments and ordinances, and the Guardian is he who hath bidden people to love Me and called them to My straight path.” Thus did He end.

Blessed are they whom the doubts and intimations of the people have not barred from the abode of verses and the Manifestation of clear proofs. All names are created through His Word. The Primal Point - may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for Him - sayeth, exalted and mighty be His Word:

“He createth through His Word whatsoever He willeth, whether a Prophet, Guardian, Saint or Pure One, for all that hath been created are proofs from His presence and envoys from His court […] Beware, beware lest in His days thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid is but created before Him. And beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words revealed in the Bayan […] Look not upon Him save through His eyes, for whoso looketh upon Him through His eyes shall attain unto Him, else shall he be veiled. If thou desirest God and His presence, then desire Him and look upon Him.”

O possessors of ears! With justice speak ye, though it be in measure less than that testified to by the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all within the realms of Command and Creation be a sacrifice unto Him! Today, should anyone seek to adduce proof from the Bayan or cling unto it, the Bayan itself and whatsoever hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen would disown him. As was mentioned before, He saith: “No reference shall be made unto My signs nor unto that which was mentioned in the Bayan.” Today the Bayan is dependent upon acceptance. Blessed are they who reflect even briefly and observe the fruits of the deeds of the people of the Furqan, that they may free and detach themselves from all such sayings, proofs and objections, and soar in this atmosphere with sanctified and delicate wings. Have they not tired of the calumnies of the Manifestations of self and desire, that they now wish anew to raise disputations, mention traditions, and create acceptance and rejection? Say: With the arm of certitude rend asunder the veils that have hindered. By the life of our Lord! Today the Speaker of Sinai is manifest and speaking, and the hidden mystery and treasured secret is resplendent. For some time certain followers of the Bayan objected regarding the mention of Divinity, asking why the True One - glorified be His majesty - speaketh with these words, when in all the Holy Books it is said that His Holiness the Self-Subsisting shall in that Day speak the words “Verily I am God.” Behold then recall what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an - blessed and exalted be His words: “The Day when thy Lord cometh, or certain of the signs of thy Lord,” and “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds,” and “Thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank,” and similar verses. The Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said: “Ye shall see your Lord as ye see the full moon on the fourteenth night.”

The Prophet Isaiah says “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” Concerning the greatness of that Day, He says: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” And in another place: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.”

Today, those endowed with vision behold all the atoms of creation in joy and gladness, for that which was promised from time immemorial hath been made manifest. By the life of our Beloved and our Goal! If in any heart there existed love for God even to the extent of a needle’s eye, or were it to be illumined with the light of fairness through this utterance–an illumination that would endow the world with the warmth of the love of God–

O people of Baha! Leave these weak ones of the world to themselves, and with enkindled souls, strong hands and feet, penetrating vision, attentive ears, pure hearts and eloquent tongues, speak ye, see ye, and hear ye–despite those who claim to believe in the Bayan yet deny its Revealer, its Manifestor and its Sender. This wilderness mentioned in the blessed verse is the wilderness of Fay?a, and this is the Holy Land mentioned in previous Books and the Qur’an. He says the wilderness and the dry lands and the desert waste shall be made glad. And whence comes this joy and gladness and delight? By the life of our Lord! From the advent of the Lord, exalted be His glory. Carmel, previously known in the Holy Books as the Mountain of God, lies before ’Akka, and on the other side is Lebanon, and likewise Sharon. Indeed, all divine promises mentioned in the Holy Books of the past and present pertained to these lands.

The Prophet Isaiah further says: “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” He says to make firm the weakened hands and to make steady and straight the trembling knees. “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God.”

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=== START BH00009 ===

O Varqa, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious!

Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1303

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

Today the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree is raised aloft, and the Sun of Utterance is dawning and manifest from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings, the Path is speaking with most eloquent utterance, and the Balance is remembering with most perfect words. Nevertheless, the banner of “there is none in the kingdom but Him” is hoisted and raised high, for the world is cold and listless, nay, dead. There is no ear to hear and no eye to see, save for the few whom the veils of names and the coverings of allusions and words did not debar. They have forsaken all else but Him and clung to Him, they have heard the Call and drunk the choice wine, and have arisen to promote the Cause with such arising as hath caused the hearts of the transgressors to be troubled and the feet of the polytheists to quake. In truth, not every ear is worthy to hear, and eyes that are diseased and dim are not fit to behold. This is the Day of remembrance and praise. Who are the chosen ones? They who stand with utmost steadfastness in the Cause and who speak in praise of the Purpose of the world. Every mention and every praise beseemeth those assured, contented and well-pleased souls.

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou at Whose separation the near ones lamented and at Whose remoteness the sincere ones cried out! I beseech Thee by the lights of the morn of Thy Revelation whereby Thou didst quicken Thy servants and Thy creation and didst give glad tidings unto all in the lands of attaining Thy presence and meeting Thee, to aid Thy loved ones in that which will cause the manifestations of Thy power and the evidences of Thy might to be upraised. O Lord! Adorn with their names the scrolls of the world and the books of the nations. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Confirmer, the Bestower, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my God and the God of the world, my Purpose and the Purpose of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy most sweet call which was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and by the dawning-places of the lights of Thy countenance from the highest horizon, that Thou protect him who hath arisen to serve Thy Cause and who speaketh in Thy praise. Then aid him with the hosts of the unseen and the visible, then assist him with a company of the angels and the Spirit. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom neither the power of princes nor their might, nor the doubts of the divines nor their allusions can frustrate. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Great.

O beloved of my heart! I was observant, contemplative, grieving, and discerning regarding the manifestations of our Lord’s power, what befell Him, and what emerged from the factions. Then the door opened and there entered one bearing your letter, from which all those possessed of spiritual perception detected the fragrance of your sincerity, your love, and your turning to God, our Lord and your Lord, and your arising to serve the Cause in days when the might of the heedless had seized the dwellers of the cities of names, save those whom God, the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of the hereafter and the former times, did protect. When I read it, I found in each of its letters that which taught me what you possessed and made known to me how your heart, your very veins, your outer and inner being were attracted to the Cause of God, to whose cord you had clung and whose robe you had grasped for the exaltation of His Word and the guidance of His servants and creatures. When I became aware of this, I soared on wings of longing unto God, the Lord of the Covenant. I attained His presence and presented it until it was completed. Then arose the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree, and the Lord of all beings spoke that which this servant is unable to mention as it deserves to be mentioned. I beseech Him to assist me through His grace and bounty. Can any writer enumerate the waves of the sea when they appear and surge? Nay, by His true Self, except through His confirmation and grace. There is no God but He, Who has enumerated all things in a clear Book. And at the end of His utterances - may the spirit of all who dwell in the kingdom of Command and Creation be a sacrifice unto Him - He said, exalted be His utterance and sublime His proof:

He is the All-Seeing, the Witness, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Perceiving

The Lote-Tree of Utterance in the midmost heart of contingent being proclaims: There is no God but I, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The Divine Lote-Tree upon the luminous earth behind the Most Great Ocean proclaims: By God! The Hidden One has come with manifest sovereignty. The Lote-Tree of Certitude planted in the saffron field calls out: The King has come - sovereignty belongs to God, the Possessor of all existence. The Tree of Proof in the white spot speaks: The fragrance of the garment has been diffused and the light has shone forth from the horizon of manifestation. Hasten, O people of the earth, and follow not every ignorant and veiled one. This is the Day wherein the mountains have humbled themselves at the coming of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, with the banner of might, and it is known that there is no God but I, the Possessor of the unseen and the seen. Say: O people of Iran! Fear the All-Merciful and be not of those who know not. We have blown the Trumpet, which is My Most Exalted Pen, and have quickened thereby those who were in My preserved knowledge. Say: O people of the Bayan! Have you heard and denied, have you seen and turned away? Fear God and be fair in this Cause at whose appearance souls were troubled, save those whom God took unto Himself and delivered from the darkness of idle fancies and raised to a station wherein they heard the call of the Kingdom. O Dove! Hear the call as thou didst hear it before and wilt hear it hereafter. The servant in attendance has come with thy letter, and when it was read before the Wronged One, the Pen of thy Self-Subsisting Lord was moved and revealed for thee that which caused the mouth of utterance to smile and seized those in the graves with trembling. We have sent down for thee that which was a light unto the books of the world, a straight path for the followers of all religions, and a mighty pillar for those who have acknowledged this Great News. Say: O company of the deniers! Hear, then be fair. By God’s life! The call attracts you to a station wherein you will cast away what you possess in hope of that which is with God, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: This is the field of proof; bring forth what you possess. By God’s life! None can gallop therein save the knights of certitude who have cast away the world, turning unto God, the Lord of the Promised Day. Thus has the ocean revealed the pearls of wisdom and utterance, and the Lote-Tree its fruits, but the people do not know.

Hear the Call of the Wronged One in the Persian tongue! That which was hidden hath been made manifest, and that which was stored in the heaven of the Divine Will from time immemorial and preserved in the Preserved Tablet hath been revealed. Yet the recompense of their deeds hath deprived all from the bounties of the Day of Reckoning, even as was witnessed in the actions of the people of the Furqan and their recompense, particularly the Shi’ih sect. O dove! Ponder the lack of understanding among the deluded souls of the Bayan. Although the veils were rent asunder and they witnessed with their outward eyes the suspicions, delusions, infidelity, dissension, tyranny and oppression of the former people, they are now again occupied in organizing another Shi’ih sect, desiring to make a people Shi’ih. Indeed, vain imaginings and names have deprived mankind from the ocean of inner meanings and rendered them bereft of true unity. In truth, in one sense names are as idols, as hath been and is still being witnessed. Until now the former people have not awakened and have not arisen from the slumber of heedlessness. Each day the fire of tyranny blazeth more fiercely and the flame of rancor and hatred groweth brighter. Today it is incumbent and obligatory upon all to arise to aid the Cause by protecting the weak souls from suspicions and vain imaginings. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. Say: Strive that ye may attain unto the lights of the sun of true unity. Whosoever attaineth unto this will behold himself detached and free from the world. Well is it with them that act and well is it with them that are endued with understanding. The glory that shineth resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon whosoever hearkeneth to thy words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O beloved of My heart! The Sun of the utterance of the All-Merciful hath risen in such wise that all the utterances of the world, from the beginning of creation until now, bow down in humility and submission at its appearance and revelation. What else can this evanescent one say or express? This transient servant is perplexed as to what the babblers say and to what they cling. Now the worth and station of some is becoming evident. Although all have witnessed with their outward eyes the presumption of the former people and have seen their polytheism, heedlessness, dissension and oppression, yet they sometimes mention Mirror, sometimes Successor, sometimes Deputy, Noble, Chief and the like. Glory be to God! They have denied whatsoever was revealed contrary to the desires of the former wayward souls. They have entirely denied the Persian Bayan which is in truth among the most great books of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake - saying it hath been altered. We should all lament and cry “Alas!” The lies of old have been revived and the former calumnies have reappeared. We are God’s and unto Him do we return.

O beloved of My heart! The discerning and insightful ones of the world know and recognize the greatness of this Revelation and its all-pervasiveness, as well as that which hath been sent down from the heaven of His Will, and they behold the lights of the appearance of the Lord of all beings as bright as the sun. Nevertheless, these unclean, dust-stained, defiled creatures, like unto the divines of the Shi’ih sect who displayed asceticism in their filthy school corners while manifesting malice in their claims to knowledge and faith, are in truth neither worthy nor deserving of this court. Praise be to God Who hath sanctified His court from their presence, His light from their vision, His Revelation from their recognition, and His Call from their hearing. They have clung to cunning, deception and guile. They have attributed certain deeds to those heedless and ignorant souls that perplex every person of understanding. God protect us and you from the evil of such people.

Concerning what was written about this servant’s correspondences being less frequent, I verily acknowledge this statement, for at all times I should send forth that from which the fragrance of the loving-kindness and compassion of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and earth may be diffused. However, O beloved of my heart, letters have been and are arriving from all directions to such an extent that, in truth, this servant has not had and has not the opportunity to express what is in his heart to the friends. Two years have passed, and replies to some of the friends, upon them be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, have been and remain delayed. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to confirm and grant success. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. Nevertheless, replies to your letters have mostly been sent. The one God is witness that whenever a letter from that beloved one arrives, a new joy and delight is attained. Moreover, for some time in this land certain discussions have arisen, and wisdom is at times observed. Furthermore, you know that night and day I am engaged in the presence of God writing divine verses. Yet from this servant’s services that beloved one also has a share and portion. This word is adorned with the testimony of the Goal of all the worlds. As for the mention you made of my beloved, his honor Amin, upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness - he himself has written a letter to this servant. He has ever mentioned you in all his letters. In truth, he has been and is a well-wisher of the friends. I beseech and implore God to assist him in all conditions. Verily, He is the Compassionate, He is the Generous.

He is the Witness from His Most Exalted Horizon!

Concerning the glad tidings regarding the abandonment of harmful habits by some of the friends of God, after this matter was submitted to His Most Holy Presence, He said: “We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, for the sanctification and purification of all. Today, goodly deeds and praiseworthy character are God’s hosts on earth, and through these hosts the Truth has granted and continues to grant victory. O thou who speaketh in My Name, who gazeth toward My horizon, and soareth in the atmosphere of My love! Convey repeatedly My greetings to the friends in that land. Each and every one is mentioned in the presence of the Truth, and their names flow from the Most Exalted Pen. Convey My greetings to his honor M and S, upon him be the Glory of God. We beseech God to aid him in that which befitteth His Day, and in deeds whose fragrance shall never fade. Praise be to God, they have attained recognition and been adorned with mention by the Most Exalted Pen.”

This lowly one also beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, to sanctify them from transient conditions and to adorn them with such qualities as will cause the exaltation of the Word of God. Souls were created for this purpose, bodies were manifested for this end, and the sun, moon and all things came into being for this service. God willing, may they be assisted in remembrance, praise and the teaching of His Cause. I convey greetings and peace to them and beseech God for their confirmation.

Regarding the mention of Sohrab and his turning to the Most Exalted Horizon, this was presented in His Most Holy Presence, and these were His blessed words, exalted be His praise and mighty His proof: “O Sohrab! The Comforter hath come to speak that which hath not been spoken, to cause that which hath not been heard to be heard, and to complete that which hath been said. Praise the Beloved of the worlds that thou hast turned to the supreme height and ultimate goal, which is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy and shatter the idols of vain imaginings, that thou mayest be illumined by the lights of the Sun of Truth and certitude and attain thereunto. The Loving Father came, yet His children recognized Him not and remained deprived of His knowledge, save for a few who were not prevented from the Dawning-Place of Divine Oneness by the doubts of prelates, bishops, and priests. The call is raised, yet tongues that would utter ‘yea’ are rare. Beseech God to grant awareness and bestow understanding. Verily, He is the One Who, through His word ‘Be’, hath power over all things.”

Concerning what thou didst write about the spiritual friend, his honor A.B., upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, praise be to God that he hath been attracted by the breezes of these days. He is mentioned in God’s Book and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet. No bounty can equal this bounty, and every station boweth before this station. I beseech God, exalted be His glory and abundant His favors, to aid him to preserve this most exalted station and supreme rank. Blessed is he, happy is he, wholesome is it for him, and joy be unto him. These matters were presented before the Presence of the Lord of Revelation, and this utterance was revealed from the Kingdom of the favor of the Beloved of the worlds, exalted be His majesty and mighty His sovereignty[…]

Verily We have mentioned him with a remembrance that shall not be altered by the happenings of contingent existence, nor changed by centuries and ages. It shall remain immortalized in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. By My life! There hath been ordained for him that which surpasseth the earth and its treasuries. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in this Palace, whose very atoms proclaim: “By God! The Interlocutor of the Mount hath been established upon the Throne of Revelation, and the Tongue of Dominion and the Kingdom, then of Might and Power, then of Station and Divinity, hath spoken for My Ancient and Mighty Self.” We beseech God to open before his face the gates of grace and favor, and to draw him nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily He is the Almighty over what He willeth, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

We have mentioned him in another Tablet that he might rejoice and be among the thankful. Thus hath mercy showered its rain, and the Pen revealed its secrets, and the Sun of inner meanings shed its radiance. He is verily the Almighty, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon him and upon those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

The ocean of bounty is itself a witness to bounty, and its waves are proof thereof. The sun itself makes manifest its own station, and its effulgences are its evidence. What else can this evanescent servant mention or present that would be worthy and befitting?

They mentioned the honored Khalil, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, he hath been and continues to be successful. He hath been mentioned in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. This evanescent one beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid him to serve His Cause. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

O beloved of my heart! Most of the writings of the Supreme Pen that were in the introduction of Ta fell into the hands of the adversaries. Whoever they seized had books, scriptures and tablets with them. That beloved of the people of God must inform all so that they may exert mighty efforts to preserve and protect the Tablets and writings, and exercise the utmost care in this regard. Blessed is the land wherein the fragrance of the Supreme Pen’s movement is diffused. The preservation of these mighty, impregnable and blessed Tablets is most necessary and is beloved before God, lest their pages and lines should not remain in their original form. Direct and teach the way of preservation. What hath been mentioned in this regard was according to the Most Holy and Exalted Command. Blessed are they that act accordingly.

They mentioned Mirza Muhammad Husayn and Abbas-Quli, upon them be the Glory of God. After being presented before the Presence, two Most Holy and Exalted Tablets were revealed specifically for them and sent. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that they may attain unto the exalted heaven mentioned in the Tablet and be illumined by the lights of its suns and moons, in such wise that the vicissitudes of days may not change it and the tyranny of the Pharaohs of the age and oppressors of the lands may not veil it. This is not difficult for God, our Lord and your Lord. Thus saith the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He:

He is the Light shining from the horizon of the world.

This is the Day wherein the All-Desired One proclaimeth and beareth tidings unto mankind of His irrevocable Cause and His sealed nectar. Blessed are they who have turned with radiant faces and illumined hearts, who have taken the cup of bounty from the hand of the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, and have drunk in His Name, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. The Fire hath appeared from the Tree and He Who conversed on Sinai hath spoken from the horizon of the heaven of Revelation. O peoples of the earth! By God, the Promise hath come, and the Promised One calleth you from His glorious station unto God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. The All-Merciful hath manifested Himself unto all who are in the realm of being, and the Most Great Vision and the Lord of Destiny hath appeared, saying: O concourse of men! Turn ye to the Most Glorious Horizon and hearken unto the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen. Verily, it guideth you unto the path of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee with that which neither the peoples nor the princes and kings possess. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the tokens of My Most Exalted Pen and for being mentioned by the Wronged One whilst seated upon the throne of His Name, the All-Loving. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs and have rent asunder the veils before all faces in such wise that the might of the world hath not deterred Us. To this testifieth he who possesseth an inscribed Book.

Tribulations have encompassed Us from every direction and calamities from all regions, while the Pen of the All-Choosing continueth to proclaim at eventide and at dawn, at night and in the morning, that there is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Blessed is he who hath heard My call, turned to My horizon, uttered My praise, arisen to serve My Cause, and held fast to My stretched cord.

When thou art attracted by the fragrances of My verses and seized by the Kawthar of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Thou seest the distant one who desireth Thy nearness, the poor one who seeketh the ocean of Thy wealth, and the thirsty one who craveth the Kawthar of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the lights of the Orb of Thy utterance, the mysteries of Thy Book, Thy most exalted Horizon, and that which lieth concealed in the treasuries of Thy Pen and the repositories of Thy knowledge, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, to aid me to be steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise to serve Thee. O my Lord! Thou beholdest me confessing that which the Tongue of Thy Grandeur hath spoken in the kingdom of Thine utterance, and acknowledging that which hath descended from the heaven of Thy Will. Strengthen, O my God, my heart and my limbs in such wise that neither the power of the mighty nor the doubts of the learned may weaken them. Then make me ablaze with the fire of Thy Tree and illumined by the lights of Thy Throne. I beseech Thee, O Revealer of signs, by Thy Command whereby Thou didst raise the standards of Thy Manifestation in the horizons and the banners of Thy victory in the lands, to ordain for me by the Pen of Thy bounty that which shall abide with me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou desirest. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Most Bountiful.

Thus hath been revealed for his honor Abbas-Quli Khan, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, in My Name, the All-Compelling over all names.

O peoples of the earth! Abandon what ye possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings. This is the Day whereon the seal of the Choice Wine hath been broken, through the Name of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Draw nigh and drink thereof, despite every heedless rejected one and every veiled learned one. Blessed is the one who hath hearkened to its call and attained unto the sweetness of its utterance. I swear by the lights of the Luminary of inner meanings, shining from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, that whosoever attaineth unto hearing it shall become enkindled with such a fire that neither the opposition of the world nor the objections of the nations shall prevent or deprive him, and its effects shall become manifest and evident. From the first days until now, We have called out, without concealment or veil, before the faces of rulers, divines and religious leaders - a call for which ears were created from nothingness into being. Yet outward ornaments and ephemeral colors have deprived souls of everlasting, eternal blessings.

When thou hearest the melodies of the birds of inner meanings upon the branches of the divine utterance, purify thy heart and breast with the water of detachment and turning unto God, and say:

My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having made manifest Thy path among Thy servants and for having called the people to the Dayspring of Thy revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration, and the Source of Thy commandments and ordinances. I testify that Thou hast revealed the Way and sent down the Guide, and hast commanded all to do that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and benefit them in all Thy worlds. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence, by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the lights of the sun of Thy grace, to aid me in all conditions to be one who speaks Thy praise, who is enkindled with the fire of Thy love, who is mindful of Thy verses, who soars in Thy atmosphere, who holds fast to the cord of Thy bestowal, and who clings to the hem of Thy generosity. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy servant turning toward Thy Most Exalted Horizon, acknowledging Thy oneness and singleness, and confessing Thy grandeur and sovereignty. I beseech Thee by Him Who hastened to the place of sacrifice in His longing to meet Thee, and who advanced toward the arrows of tribulation out of love for Thy beauty, to grant me Thy favor which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Cause, and the food which Thou hast sent forth from the kingdom of Thy utterance. Verily Thou art He Whom the ranks and armies of the world cannot withstand. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Moreover, I beseech Thee, O Ancient of Days, by the Most Great Name through which Thou hast illumined the world, to ordain for me what is best in this world and the next. Verily Thou art the Lord of all names and the Creator of the heavens. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The bounty belongeth unto God, the grace is His, and the bestowal is His. For every soul who hath been present in the Most Holy Court or whose name hath been mentioned, there hath been revealed that within each word of which are concealed oceans of grace and favor. Blessed is the eye that hath attained unto it and the heart that hath drunk therefrom. This servant conveyeth to each of you greetings and salutations, and entreateth the Ever-Abiding Truth to confirm you in the service of His Cause, that through His Name ye may gain dominion over the cities of hearts. By His very Life, the sword of utterance is sharper and the penetration of the Word is beyond reckoning. In all circumstances, as commanded, wisdom must be observed. This decree taketh precedence over most other decrees, for it hath been revealed and issued forth from the Most Exalted Pen in numerous Tablets. Blessed are they that act accordingly.

Concerning what was written about Jinab-i-Aqa Khalil, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, who at first undertook to convey the Word with the two aforementioned souls - after this matter was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, a special Tablet was revealed for him from the heaven of grace and was sent. God willing, may he attain unto it and receive his portion from the surging oceans of the utterance of the Desired One of all worlds. The Lord, exalted and sanctified is He, speaks:

He is the One Who Warbles upon the Branches

We have revealed that which was hidden in the Kingdom of Utterance and made manifest that which was treasured in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. Among the people are those who have discovered the fragrance of the Utterance and have turned to the All-Merciful, and among them are those who have turned away and denied what hath come from the heaven of grace from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and been attracted by the verses of God, and woe unto every heedless and remote one. Verily, those who have found the sweetness of the Utterance, they are the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Khalil! The Wronged One remembers thee from the prison’s precincts and gives thee glad tidings of thy Lord’s favors and reminds thee of His verses. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We have revealed for thee and for those whose names were presented before the Face that which will make them independent of all the books of the world. This perspicuous Tablet, which hath been sent down at this hour from the Pen of God, the Master of the Day of Judgment, beareth witness to this. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of utterance and been seized by the attraction of thy Lord’s verses, say:

My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen and been sent down from Thy highest horizon. I beseech Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world and the Beloved of the nations, by Thy Most Great Name, which Thou hast made a light unto them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy servants and the sincere ones among Thy creatures, and a fire unto those who have turned away from Thee and Thy verses and opposed Thee in Thy days, to assist this servant of Thine to rend asunder the veils of Thy servants and the clouds of Thy creation, and to aid him in all conditions to diffuse the fragrances of Thy good-pleasure. And I beseech Thee, O Lord of all beings and Master of the throne on high and of earth below, to make me detached from all else save Thee, steadfast in the promotion of Thy Cause, and vocal in that which will draw Thy servants nigh unto the court of Thy might and beauty, O Dayspring of Beauty, and Dawning-Place of Majesty! I love existence only for the sake of Thy mention and praise, and I desire naught but what Thou hast ordained for me through the Pen of Thy decree. O Lord! Assist me in that which beseemeth Thy days and Thy Manifestation and what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. I beseech Thee by the influences of Thy Pen, the operation of Thy Will, and the power of Thy Purpose, to assist Thy servants to return unto Thee, to turn repentantly to the door of Thy grace, and to humble themselves before the revelations of Thy grandeur. O Lord! Withhold them not from the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, nor from beholding the evidences of Thy power in Thy days. Thou art He Whom the affairs of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the opposition of the nations hinder. Thou art He Who, O my God, did raise up Moses from Pharaoh’s household despite him and Thine enemies, and did deliver the Friend from the fire of fuel, manifesting Thy power and sovereignty. I beseech Thee by the signs of Thy Cause and the standards of Thy determination to ordain for Thy loved ones the good of the Hereafter and of this world, and that which will draw them nigh unto Thee, O Master of all things! There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

We beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to assist and enable the aforementioned soul, upon him be the Glory of God, to serve the Cause with spirit and fragrance, with wisdom and utterance. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.

In the Name of Him Who speaketh in the Kingdom of Utterance!

This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down unto him who desireth to quaff the sealed wine from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Self-Subsisting, that the Call may draw him nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon and strengthen him to offer praise and glorification. Well is it with him who hath heard and attained, and woe betide every heedless and veiled one.

We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee before, and at this hour, as a token of grace from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. The servant who standeth before the Countenance hath presented a letter from one who loveth Me, who hath held fast unto My cord, soared in the atmosphere of My love, and arisen to aid My Cause amongst My servants - and therein was thy name. We have sent down from the heaven of grace verses that nothing in all creation can equal, that thou mayest render thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of existence.

Beware lest the happenings of the world hold thee back from the Ancient Beauty, or the doubts of the nations veil thee from this sealed Mystery. Say: O concourse of men! The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined by the Lord of Destiny, and that which was hidden in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Loving, hath been made manifest. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which ye have been bidden by the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

We have turned from the Most Eloquent Tongue to the Language of Light. Today the world is illumined by the lights of Revelation, and all things are engaged in praise, glorification, joy and delight. In the divine Books, both of the past and of later times, this most blessed Day hath been celebrated as the supreme festival. Blessed is he who hath attained and become aware of the station of this Day. Today the scratching of the Divine Pen is raised high and its horizon is visible. Blessed is he whom the doubts and allusions of the peoples of the world have not withheld from the Ancient Beauty nor deprived of the Most Great Ocean.

Blessed art thou and blessed is he who gave thee glad tidings and guided thee to My straight path and My momentous News. Thus have We caused thee to hear My sweetest call and sent unto thee that whereby the eyes of those near unto God have been solaced. At this point We make mention of thy wife, reminding her of My verses and giving her the glad tidings of My loving kindness and mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving kindness be upon thee and upon her and upon those whom the hosts of the Pharaohs and the ranks of oppressors have not frightened from God, the Lord of all worlds. Praise be to God, the True King, the Manifest Justice.

The mention of their honor has been made before. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth the True One, exalted be His glory, to assist them that they may arise wholly to serve His Cause and in these fleeting days attain unto eternal stations. He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Likewise, I convey greetings and salutations to His Honor Hadi, that is, Huda, upon him be the Most Exalted Glory of God. Praise be to God, they are engaged in service and have attained His favors. We beseech God, our Lord and your Lord, to place in his utterance that which will attract people to His manifest horizon and His mighty Cause. Moreover, mention was made of His Honor H. Kh. A. and His Honor Mirza Muhammad Kh. A., upon them be the Glory of God. This was presented, and from the horizon of the heaven of grace, a wondrous Tablet specifically for each one dawned forth and was dispatched, that their eyes might be consoled thereby and that they might give thanks to their Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. This servant also conveyeth greetings to them and beseecheth God, exalted be His Glory, for their confirmation. Verily, He hath power over all things.

Mention was made of the friends in the land of Ya, upon them be the Glory of God. This was presented at the Most Holy Court, and one by one they were blessed with the mention of God, exalted be His Glory. These verses shone forth from the horizon of will. His words, exalted be His Glory and all-embracing be His bounty:

We are the Hearer, the Answerer. At this moment when the Speaker of Sinai is seated upon the throne of manifestation, the messenger of utterance brought this word from the garden of inner meanings: “O people of Baha! Adorn your temples with the ornament of deeds and character, that the horizons may be illumined thereby. This is a word We revealed in another Tablet and have reminded you of it in this Clear Book. Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison. Verily, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful. I have revealed Myself and called the servants unto the ocean of My grace. Among them are those who have turned towards it and those who have turned away. Blessed is he who hath turned, whom the opposition of the transgressors hath not deterred. We mentioned you before through My verses, and at this time through that which hath attracted the hearts of those who know. We have ordained victory through the fear of God. Blessed is he who holdeth fast unto it. Woe unto the heedless. Aid your Lord, the Merciful, through the hosts of goodly character. This is what ye have been commanded in various Tablets, and I am the Ordainer, the Wise. Take the cups of prosperity in the name of the Cleaver of the Dawn, then drink therefrom with My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Say: O people of the world! The lights of revelation have encompassed you. Fear the All-Merciful and be not of those who turn away. Turn unto God. That which ye behold today shall perish, and ye shall find yourselves among the greatest losers in the presence of God, the Mighty, the Great. Where are the Chosroes and their sons, and the Pharaohs and their traces? Look, then remember when Muhammad, the Messenger of God, came. Ye opposed Him and desired to extinguish His light, but God preserved Him through the hosts of the seen and the unseen and exalted His Cause.

O My loved ones in Ya! See how He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and the Ruler over whatsoever He desireth. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. O My loved ones, O My friends! Give thanks unto God for having caused you to hear His call and to see the traces of His Pen, and for having guided you to His straight path. Blessed are ye, and joy be unto you, for ye have attained unto that which the learned ones and divines of the earth have not attained. Preserve this most exalted station through the name of your Lord Who speaketh in this sublime station. Thus did the Pen speak when the Lord of Eternity walked in His Great Prison. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My favors be upon you and upon whosoever hath turned unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.” End.

Praise be to God, all have attained unto His signs and are illumined by the light of the Sun of divine utterance. I beseech God to grant success to all and confirm them in teaching His Cause. I implore His exalted presence to reinforce them with the hosts of divine utterance. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the Helper.

The other missive from that beloved of hearts, from whose horizon the Orb of unity hath dawned, hath arrived and achieved its purpose. His mention is penetrating and His word is effective. Praise be to God, its fragrance brought joy and its perfume spread the carpet of gladness. After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, this utterance was revealed from the Divine Kingdom - the Word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified:

In the Name of Him through Whom the gates of the Kingdom were opened to kings and subjects alike. Upon thee be the Glory of God, His grace and His mercy. I make mention of Myself at this moment on thy behalf, and describe Him as befitteth My station and is worthy of My most holy court, in recompense for thy deeds in My path, and thy devotion of spirit, body, tongue and pen to My remembrance, My utterance and the service of My mighty and exalted Cause. Thou hast a treasure with God. He will surely grant thee thy reward. He is thy Guardian in the Hereafter and in this world. He is the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee, upon those with thee, and upon those whom the affairs of the world have not prevented from the Cause of their Lord, the All-Knowing.

Two verses have been revealed from the heaven of supreme bounty which truly cannot be equaled by two worlds. Blessed are ye, happy are ye. Regarding the mention of the gathering of the friends of God in the home of Aqa Mirza Sulayman and Aqa Mirza Mihdi, upon them both be the eternal glory of God, who were invited to a feast by Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God - after these matters and the names of those gathered were presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Court, these verses dawned forth from the horizon of the heaven of the grace of God, exalted be His glory. The Word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified:

He Who remembereth His loved ones with a remembrance that no other remembrance can equal.

O H! The Wronged One hath turned from the prison towards thee and saith: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen, for having enabled Thy servant to turn unto Thee, to face the light of Thy countenance, to behold Thy horizon and to hold fast unto Thy cord. I beseech Thee to assist him to remain steadfast in Thy Cause and to make his deeds a treasure with Thee. Then forgive him through Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O Nabil-i-Ba! The Wronged One hath mentioned thee in numerous Tablets and hath in these days revealed for thee that which, should its fragrance be diffused, would attract the hearts of them that are endued with understanding. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

J! Thou hast attained unto My mention and the tokens of My Pen. Recognize the worth of this most exalted station and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings, for having enabled me to turn unto Thee and to acknowledge that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath uttered. I beseech Thee to assist me to preserve what Thou hast given me through Thy bounty and generosity. Verily, Thou art the Munificent, the Generous.

O Abu-Talib! The Desired One maketh mention of thee and the Wronged One hath turned towards thee. Blessed is the seeker who hath found the Sought One, and the knower who hath recognized the Known One, and the learned one who hath turned unto the All-Knowing. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him, despite those who have denied His proof and His evidence. These are assuredly among the most lost in the view of the Concourse on High in this noble station.

O Muhammad-’Ali! The Speaker of Sinai is established upon the Throne of Revelation, making thee hear His call, sending down unto thee His verses, and dispatching to thee that which every learned sage and every informed mystic is powerless to mention. O ’Ali! The Wronged One remembers thee in prison. Say: O people of the world! Today the Sun of this Word hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of divine counsel, shining and manifest: “Take ye My way and forsake the ways of others.” Blessed is the soul that hath attained to hearing and hath drunk from the cup of steadfastness. Give thanks unto God for having remembered thee. Verily He remembereth those who love Him. He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing.

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! Thou hast attained unto the writings of the Most Exalted Pen. Praise be to God! Thou hast rent asunder the veils of fancy through the Name of the Lord of all names. Today the Most Great Balance is set up before the faces of the world, calling out with the most exalted call: “Verily I am the Distinguisher, the All-Knowing.” Blessed is he whom no power hath deterred nor any might hath frightened, and who hath turned toward the Most Sublime Horizon with supreme steadfastness. He is of the people of Baha in the Preserved Tablet.

O Rida! Blessed is the soul that hath today attained unto the word of contentment. Such a one is mentioned among the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise. The vain imaginings of desires have prevented the servants from their ultimate end, depriving them of the immortal Kingdom for numbered days. Leave them to their idle fancies and say: “Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having aided me to turn toward Thee and enabled me to voice Thy beauteous praise. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. Thou art the Hearer, the Answerer.”

O Haji ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar! Thou art mentioned at the Most Great Scene and hast attained the favors of God. Today the brocade of the Book of Justice is adorned with this most exalted Word: O people of the world! Ye are the drops of one ocean and the leaves of one tree. Abandon discord and dissension, and hold fast unto unity and harmony. This is what ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of the Day of Meeting. Yet the ears of the people of the world are deprived of hearing and forbidden from understanding, for the reins of all are in the grasp of the ignorant, save whom God willeth. Blessed art thou for having recognized the Purpose when the idolaters denied Him.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Today the Sun of remembrance is dawning and manifest from the horizon of the heaven of the Most Exalted Pen. The purpose is that souls may be nurtured beneath the shadow of the Cause and arise to extinguish the fire of hatred that blazeth in the breasts of the diverse parties of the world. Perchance the eye of the world may attain unto such a day. Opposition hath ever been the cause of destruction, while unity the source of construction. Ask thou of God that those who claim association with the Most Sublime Horizon may attain true hearing and act according to that which they are commanded. Blessed art thou for having heard the call and responded to thy Lord.

O Muhammad Q! Today the world is illumined and radiant with the lights of the Most Great Remembrance, and the Wronged One hath called out with the most exalted call and guided the servants. Blessed are they who have attained unto this Day and recognized their Purpose. We beseech God to aid all and deprive them not of the fragrances of His verses.

O Karbala’i Sadiq! The deniers have rejected manifest truth. Those heedless of the beginning and the end have arisen to harm the Cause, clinging to every means that they might attain their desires, which are the ruination of both this world and the next. We beseech God to make His loved ones steadfast in such wise that the clamor of the world shall neither prevent nor deprive them.

O Muhammad Mahdi! When the attraction of My call takes hold of thee and thou attainest unto the choice wine of My utterance, say: “My God, my God! Increase the light of my vision that I may behold Thy most exalted horizon, and strengthen my hearing that I may hearken unto the crackling of Thy Most Glorious Pen. O my Lord! I am he who hath placed his trust in Thee and committed his affairs unto Thee. Ordain for me what is best in this world and the next. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

O Mahdi! The Guide came, yet they denied Him. Truth appeared, yet they rejected it. The corrupt ear is not worthy to hear the call of Truth, and the sightless eye is not fit to behold. Praise be to God that the company of His loved ones have attained unto penetrating vision. These are they of whom He saith have been given insight from God. They heard and saw, and attained unto that which was the purpose of creation.

O Leaf! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. All mention hath ended with thy mention. Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee! Thou art ever remembered in the Most Holy Court and art the recipient of the infinite favors of the Goal of all existence. Convey on My behalf greetings and glory unto the Spirit, and demonstrate the signs of kindness, favor, and the manifestations of mercy from the Wronged One, that they may grow through God’s grace and bear fruit. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Generous, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

To God belongs all grace and bounty. The stars in the heaven of knowledge have each acquired radiance and are illumined by the light of the Most Great Luminary. These mentions and descriptions are, in truth, indicative of the stations of souls. How can that which hath appeared from this servant be worthy of God’s court? Never was it, nor will it ever be. To Him be praise and glory, and to Him be thanksgiving and splendor, for He hath revealed and accepted the stations of powerlessness and nothingness. No deed, no mention, no thought - whether from the visible or invisible realm - can equal this station.

Mention was made of the handmaidens of God, upon them be the glory of God. After being presented before Him, each was adorned with the ornament of mention and attained the favors of the Kingdom of utterance. We beseech our Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven to ordain for them what is best in this world and the next. Glory be to God! The mystery of the Cause and the consummate wisdom remain hidden from view. Those who spent years acquiring knowledge to recognize the Known One turned away when the lights of His countenance shone forth, while leaves and handmaidens who never attended school nor acquired outward learning were illumined with the light of recognition and were blessed from the cup of steadfastness. Verily, grace is in His hand and within His mighty grasp. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

As for what was written concerning the one who was promised but did not come due to illness, and who sought mention of his name in the Most Luminous Presence - this refers to Aqa ’Ali-i-Milani, upon him be the glory of God. After this matter was presented before the countenance of the Lord of creation, these verses were revealed from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful utterance:

Thus saith the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He: “O ’Ali! Thy mention is remembered and the Most Clear Book is turned toward thee and speaketh. Thou didst accept that which all others have turned away from, and acknowledged that which the people deny. Thou didst drink the choice wine of recognition on a day when the people of the world were deprived and veiled therefrom. Now consider what tongue is needed and what utterance is befitting to render thanks.” Say: […]

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and glory be unto Thee, O my Hope and Creator! I bear witness that Thou hast sent down the blessing and revealed the heavenly table and made manifest the proof. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the world, by the Most Great Name, to assist me in that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in such wise that the clamor of Thy creatures shall not deter me from the court of nearness, nor shall the doubts of Thy servants keep me from attaining Thy presence. O Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the lights of the Orb of Thy knowledge and the mysteries of Thy Book to ordain for me that which shall endure through the endurance of Thy celestial dominion and Thy realm of might. There is none other God but Thee, the Giving, the Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

They also mentioned another gathering at the house of Jinab-i-Khalil, upon him be Baha’u’llah, and made mention of Aqa Mulla Mustafa, upon him be Baha’u’llah, and Aqa Mirza ’Ibadu’llah, upon him be Baha’u’llah. After this was presented, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these radiant verses, blessed and exalted be His utterance:

O Mustafa! Upon thee be My glory! The eternal Lote-Tree of the Most Glorious in the highest Paradise uttereth this most exalted Word: Blessed is he who hath recognized the station of his Lord’s Day and acted in accordance with that which beseemeth it. Praise be to God, thou hast hearkened unto the divine call and turned to the supreme horizon. Make thy resolve lofty. Verily, He is with thee and will aid thee in His remembrance, His praise, and the service of His Cause. Say:

My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. I testify that Thou hast created my tongue for Thy mention, mine eyes to behold Thy signs, mine ears to hear Thy call, my heart for Thy knowledge, my hand to grasp Thy Book, and my feet to stand firm upon Thy path. O Lord! Aid me in that which will diffuse the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure. This is better for me than all that is in the first and last worlds. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the throne on high and of the dust below. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Evident, the All-Wise.

And this is what was revealed for Aqa Mirza ’Ibadu’llah, upon him be Baha’u’llah, blessed and exalted be His utterance:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed

The True One, exalted be His glory, sent the Herald and gave the glad tidings that the people of the earth might be adorned with the ornament of joy and delight, and with utmost gladness might approach the court of the True One. However, since the hearts of the servants were occupied with vain imaginings, they remained deprived of the lights of the morn of certitude, and these life-giving glad tidings became the cause of sorrow, for their hearts were occupied with other than Him and their ears were accustomed to the most hateful of sounds. Glory be to God! The sweet waters of the Euphrates flow before their faces and the Most Great Luminary shineth from the highest horizon of the world; yet the people remain heedless. In all conditions one must beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, not to deprive His servants. Give thanks to the Goal of the world that His glad tidings bestowed life and confirmed thee in turning unto Him, in drawing nigh and in recognition. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. There is none other God but He, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This lowly servant conveys greetings and glorification to each one, and beseeches from the True One, on behalf of all, that which is everlasting and enduring in its remembrance. They mentioned the spiritual friend [name], upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and likewise mentioned the items he sent. Praise be to God, they arrived, and as they were sent with pure intention, each attained its proper station and mention was made repeatedly of the beloved sender in the Most Holy Court and the gathering of those who circumambulate. The beloved Trustee, upon him be the Glory of God, mentioned him repeatedly, and the musk which was truly the crown of all fragrances in the world was used in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court and by the dwellers of the pavilion of virtue and chastity. The beloved Trustee, upon him be the Glory of God, also did that which was beloved. This evanescent one wishes with a hundred thousand tongues to utter divine praise and thanksgiving, for He confirmed him and his offering was accepted in the Most Holy Court. May the True One, exalted be His glory, preserve His loved ones and grant them the highest attainments possible. Verily, He has power over all things. In truth, that beloved of hearts was present with each and every one of those items before His face. This is the word that His Holiness had requested - praise be to God it was illumined with the light of acceptance.

Mention was made of [name] of [place], upon him be the Glory of God, in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and likewise the prayer that flowed from the tongue of the Divine Purpose, which His Holiness asked to be conveyed on his behalf to the Most Holy Court. His request was fulfilled, for on one night these details were presented and the prayer was recited. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in reply, exalted be His glory:

He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance

O Samad! Upon thee be My Glory! He who loved Me and desired Me and held fast to My cord and clung to My robe and spoke My praise among My servants and arose to aid My Cause, has mentioned thee. We have remembered thee with verses which, were they to be revealed unto the mountain, thou wouldst hear from it: “Here am I, here am I, O Thou Goal of the Supreme Concourse and Beloved of those who dwell in the heavens and the earth!” O Samad! When thou wert present before the Throne and didst hear with thine own ears the call of thy Lord and didst behold with thine own eyes the horizon of the manifestation of God, the Lord of the worlds, say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for causing me to hear that for which Thou didst create me. Thou art He Who, O my God, didst awaken me when I was sleeping, and raised me up when I was seated, and taught me when I was ignorant, and drew me near when I was far, and gave me to drink of Thy sealed wine, and sheltered me beneath the shadow of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting. I beseech Thee by the revelations of Thy might and the manifestations of Thy grandeur to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy love, and immovable in Thy Word. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Truly a fresh bounty hath reached his honor Samad (upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]) and the aid of the One True God hath assisted him. Blessed be he and blessed be whoso hath attained unto the loving-kindness of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. Another letter from that Beloved One hath opened the gate of joy and spread wide the carpet of delight. A hundred thousand praises upon the joy and gladness that appeareth from the direction of His loved ones. That joy is the King of all joys and that gladness is the gladness of all the world’s gladness and the light of the nations’ delights. Glory be to God! The pen pauseth not and thought ceaseth not. I fear lest the abundance of writing should keep that Beloved One from necessary matters, that is, from revealing verses and manifesting proofs and reminding the servants. Praise be to God that His Holiness hath been enabled to make mention and offer praise and render service. The proof of this statement is the word of that Beloved One himself who wrote that whatsoever was in honor of the loved ones of this land - upon them be the Glory of God - was recited in three places where they had attained the presence with due regard to wisdom, and each one with their whole being offered thanks and praise to the Desired One, exalted be His bounty and mighty be His bestowal. And whatsoever was in honor of the chosen ones of other lands was copied one by one and sent, and incomplete copies of the letter were also made to be sent to all lands after completion, since in these days there is no one except this evanescent one engaged in writing, unto the end of your statement. A hundred thousand joys would not equal this joy that was attained, for through God’s infinite bounties the sight, hearing, tongue, hand, pen and ink of that Beloved One are all engaged in service and directed toward the exaltation of the Word. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that through the deed of each member, the members of the world may arise to perform their appointed tasks and act accordingly.

As to what was mentioned regarding the treatise of proofs that was revealed from the Divine Pen, it is evident that His Holiness perceiveth the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful. The nostrils of the world are stopped save whom our Lord, the Lord of earth and heaven, willeth. And those four souls were specifically summoned to attain the presence before the Throne, yet they were not enabled, and one of those four was his honor Aqa Mulla Muhammad - upon him be the Glory of God - who was with those souls for the sake of wisdom, and the other three were outwardly reckoned among the people of the Furqan, yet before the Throne they were attributed to the tree of turning away. If the whole world were to hearken, free from prejudices, those same blessed limited pages would guide all and lead them to the Most Great Ocean. I beseech God to purify all from selfish desires that they may become worthy to hearken and qualified to witness.

O my God, my Lord, my Master and my Desire! Strengthen the heart of him who desireth Thy mention and the service of Thy Cause, and his tongue in praising Thee, and preserve him in reciting Thy verses, and his feet in arising to execute Thy laws. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.

That this servant was appointed as representative to attain the presence and visit on behalf of that beloved one and His Holiness ’Ali-Qabli, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God - one night I set forth toward the Most Great Goal, attained the presence of His Countenance, and was blessed with visitation. The Tongue of Grandeur spoke the word of acceptance, saying “Well is it with you both and with him and with this servant.” Another missive from His Holiness, which began correctly and explicitly, spoke of separation from the Beloved of the worlds and indicated degrees of longing and yearning, attraction and joy and delight. A state of regret was produced, and I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to bestow these conditions upon this ephemeral servant in all circumstances. His is the praise and the bounty, for He hath bestowed that which hath no likeness or equal. Both the mention of separation from that Beloved ignited the fire of love in the heart, and the longing for attainment and meeting produced the light of joy. His is the praise in all matters and all conditions. Every letter indicates His grace and every word testifies to His bounty. He mentioned His Holiness Ismullah al-Jamal, upon him be every most glorious glory, and whatsoever flowed from his pen in praise and glorification of God, exalted be His glory, was presented before the Most Great Ocean and was honored to be heard. When it concluded, the Tongue of Grandeur in the Kingdom of Utterance spoke these manifest verses. The Lord, exalted and sanctified is He, saith:

O Dove! O thou who hast drunk of My sealed wine, who hast held fast to My Self-Subsisting Name, and who hast stood firm in My ordained Cause! The ocean of grace is surging at this moment and the sea of joy is manifest at the highest point of possibility, for the fragrance of the Most Great Love from what was mentioned in showing humility and submissiveness, steadfastness and supplication and entreaty of My Name Jamal, upon him be My glory, is diffused and spread abroad. O Jamal! Thou didst show powerlessness before the power of God, exalted be His glory. Now the All-Powerful maketh mention of thee and the Omnipotent hath turned toward thee. Thou didst manifest nothingness; the Absolute Truth from the direction of the prison hath turned toward thee. Thy powerlessness in this station is the pride of all earthly powers, and thy nothingness is the crown of all the beings of the nations. He hath mentioned thee and made mention of thy mention by him who soared in the atmosphere of My nearness and My love and My grace, and sent it to My prison, and My servant present here presented it, and the tongue of My grandeur answered thee. Thou didst seek a sprinkling; verily My ocean hath poured forth unto thee. Thou didst ask for a drop; the rain of My mercy hath showered upon thee. Blessed is he who hath mentioned thee. Reflect on nothingness and its station, for thou hast become the dawning-place of this most great favor, and observe poverty and its fruits, for He hath caused the Kingdom of wealth to turn toward thee. Both the mention of thy love by him whom I love, and his mention of thee - from these two mentions a light shineth forth in the worlds of love and affection and harmony and unity. Well is it with you both and happy are you both. We beseech God to illumine the horizons of the hearts of His loved ones with this light, that all may hold fast to the Most Great Cord of divine love. This is the Water of Life that floweth and courseth from the Pen of the Most Merciful. The Glory be upon you both, the Mercy be upon you both, the Grace be upon you both, the Bounty be upon you both.

The station of harmony and unity, particularly among those who are reckoned as the Hands of the Cause of God, is well-pleasing and beloved in the sight of God. Indeed, after reading the letter of His Holiness Ismullah, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, which they had written to that loved one, and likewise mentioning that loved one, that letter caused the Beloved to smile. That which was revealed in this station is a trustworthy testimony and a manifest witness to the loftiness of the station of harmony and unity before God, the Lord of Creation. This evanescent servant offers greetings and praise to His Holiness. I have ever beseeched the Self-Sufficient Lord for that which would cause the exaltation of His loved ones. Verily, my Lord is the Hearer, the Answerer.

Mention was made of him who bears the name of the Intended One, the son of him who ascended unto God, Aqa Mirza Mu?sin, the physician - upon them both be the Glory of God - and their brother, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ja’far - upon him be the Glory of God. After presenting this before the Divine Throne, the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, spoke these words:

Upon thee be My Glory and My loving-kindness. We make mention of the son of him who attained unto My love, lived by My love, and ascended through My love. Convey My greeting unto him and say: O namesake of the Intended One! Praise be to God that the Luminary of Grace hath shone forth from the heaven of bounty with such brilliance as to encompass the world. We beseech the Truth to aid thee in such deeds as would cause every person of discernment to inhale therefrom the fragrance of God’s good-pleasure. The door of grace is open, and the Seat of Divine Utterance is visible at the center of possibility, with the Divine Speaker seated thereon, calling out night and day in the most exalted voice with verses that are the cause of the glory of existence and counsels that are the source of exaltation. O dove! The dust of vain imaginings hath seized some. Verily thy Lord knoweth the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal.

We make mention of Mirza Ja’far as a token of Our grace, for verily We are the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Ja’far! Take what hath been revealed in the Book and set aside what the various sects possess. Some deluded souls are occupied with idle fancies, others speak forth calumnies, and yet others cling to vain imaginings and idle fancies. The Truth is sanctified above all comprehension and knowledge, and His Cause is more manifest than the sun. We beseech the Truth that He deprive not the ears and eyes, and withhold not the Kawthar of utterance from all who dwell on earth. The loved ones of God must guide people through their character, conduct, and deeds, and lead them to the Most Great Ocean.

Every person of insight, hearing, and heart is astonished at what intoxication hath seized the servants, that they cannot distinguish between the sun and the firefly, nor can they discern between them. At one time this exalted word shone forth from the Dayspring of eternal light - thus speaketh the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He:

O servant in attendance! Until now one cannot make mention of the manifest Truth. Despite the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen and the call of the Lord of Names, true hearing and sight have not been witnessed, being unworthy to behold and unfit to hear. Observe the Bayani sect: though the misguidance, error, and loss of the Shi’ih sect are clear and evident, they are again occupied with forming such a sect. By the life of God! That sect hath not inhaled the fragrance of unity. They were and are worshippers of idols and vain imaginings. The Truth hath until now spoken in measure, for the servants are weak, having been reared in vain imaginings throughout ages and centuries. Eyes dimmed with dust are not worthy to behold the light of the Sun, and souls immersed in fancy are not fit to receive the effulgences of the Daystar of certitude. Their beginning is fancy and their end is vain imagination. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Faraj, upon thee be My glory! Thy mention hath been made and thy name inscribed. We have seen and heard, and have pronounced these words in the Kingdom of proof. In these days thy mention hath repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Give thanks unto thy Lord. Beseech Him to aid thee in His mention and praise and the promotion of His Cause. Verily, He is able to do all things. Convey to the people of that land the greetings of the Wronged One, and remind them of that which beseemeth the days of God.

And likewise mention was made of Aqa Mirza Aqa, upon him be the glory of God. After it was presented, these verses were revealed, exalted be His words: We have accepted and borne the taunts of enemies, the tyranny of the wicked, and the tribulations of the world, all for the salvation of the world, yet all remain heedless save whom God willeth. Thou shouldst praise thy Lord for having aided thee, taught thee, caused thee to recognize Him, and given thee to drink of the Kawthar of knowledge from the hands of grace and bounty. We beseech Him to assist thee to remain steadfast in His firm and mighty Cause.

Mention was made of the attention of Aqa Mirza Majid, upon him be the glory of God, to that direction, and likewise of his steadfastness and enthusiasm. After presentation in the Most Holy Court, these words were revealed, exalted be His words:

O Majid! The world hath been seized by vain imaginings, and the means of conflict and corruption are evident from every direction. In this century the newspapers have gained prominence, and their proprietors consider them the cause of the world’s prosperity, the education of nations, and the progress, refinement, knowledge and awareness of the servants. In truth, they are means of gathering and dispersing. “The Day when the earth shall tell its tidings” is witnessed and heard, and “The whole earth shall be His handful on the Day of Resurrection” is manifest and evident. The earth hath wondrous and sublime secrets within, and speaketh of both new and ancient tidings, while outwardly too the bird of news flieth in all directions. Yet it is regrettable that some newspapers publish fabricated reports without investigation. Whatever anyone may say, they say, and whatever anyone may write, they write. Thus do the dawning-places of vain imaginings spread their fancies through newspapers. O Majid! Reflect upon “the Day when the heaven shall bring a manifest smoke.” In these days falsehood hath great currency. The dust of vain imaginings hath prevented the people from the Lord of Days. We beseech God to raise up souls who will speak the truth and not allow the barriers and obstacles to deprive the servants from the Day of Return. Blessed is he who hath heard My call, risen to serve Me and serve My loved ones, and spoken My beautiful praise. Praise be to God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Verily newspapers sometimes traverse the earth, and at times soar on the wings of news, and sometimes change their name and become like electric currents from which spread tidings, news and traces. However, I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to confirm their proprietors that all may act in accordance with what is befitting. It was not expected that some European newspapers would make mention without investigation or become followers of the fabricated statements of the servants. The manifestations of vain imaginings send writings to newspapers day and night, and these are published without investigation. As some seek fresh news, they publish them. I beseech God to aid all to act according to His exalted Word: “Believe not every speaker, nor be assured by every arrival.” Repeatedly from every quarter some souls have desired that an account be written and sent for publication in books and newspapers. This was not accepted; until now no word has been given. The command is in His hand. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Regarding what was written about the two Ridas: after submission, one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed from the heaven of divine favor and sent to Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Riday-i-Milani, upon him be the Glory of God. He said: “This is better than permission, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Generous.” Specifically for Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, about whom you wrote, one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent. I beseech God to make him successful in preserving this supreme bounty. Verily He is the Answerer.

Concerning the son of the late Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ’A.B., upon him be the Glory of God, what you wrote was noted. After submission to the Most Holy Court, He said that a Tablet was revealed concerning him. If it is expedient, they may deliver it; if not, then no. However, that beloved one must act with great wisdom, for if one were to counsel or advise such souls, that very word would become the cause of hatred and lead to corruption.

What was mentioned at the end of this letter concerning humility, submissiveness, and supplication to God, exalted be His glory, attained the honor of His hearing. His blessed and exalted Word: “We have heard from thee what beseemeth the court of My might and the throne of My grandeur. Blessed be thy tongue, for it hath spoken that from which the fragrance of My bounty, My grace and My mercy hath been diffused; and blessed be thine eye for what it hath witnessed and seen, and thine ear for what it hath heard - the Call of God, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thy turning to God, thy presence, thy devotion and thy supplication have been accepted in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech God to assist thee and confirm thee in spreading His Cause, exalting His Word, and disseminating His laws. Verily, He is powerful over all things.” End.

After the submission of that beloved one’s supplications and expressions of humility and entreaty, the river of mercy flowed and the sun of favor rose from the horizon of the heaven of grace, in such wise that the ocean of the Merciful’s utterance surged so that this evanescent servant is incapable and falls short of mentioning it. We beseech through His wondrous grace that He may bestow a drop of this bounty upon the worlds, that all may attain to that which is the cause of eternal permanence and everlasting life.

In another missive, that Beloved One, after mentioning praise and glorification and ascent to the heaven of recognition of the Lord of Names, made mention of His spiritual friend, Jinab-i-Nuri, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. And likewise did He inscribe their aforementioned passages. After being presented before Him, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these verses - blessed and exalted be His Word:

“O ‘B’, thou hast ever been remembered and art still remembered. His mention taught thee mention, His grace took thy hand, His mercy guided the way, and His bounty encompassed thee. He bestowed knowledge, granted vision, extended help, and confirmed thee. Praise be to God, thou hast attained that which hath no likeness. In all the letters of Varqa, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, thou wert mentioned. We beseech God to aid thee and assist thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for thee that which shall be as a light before thy face in all the worlds of His worlds. Verily, He is potent over all things.”

News of their health and wellbeing has repeatedly arrived from the Land of Ta. The loved ones of that land have repeatedly spoken well of them. Indeed, they speak the truth and stand firm in service. Mention was made of his brother, Aqa Mirza Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God. After being presented before the Most Holy Court, these verses were revealed from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance - exalted and sanctified be the word of the Lord:

“O Husayn! Upon thee be My Glory! God willing, thou shalt attain unto that which is befitting, and be among the fruitful trees whose manifestations shall appear in the Divine days. The True One hath, with the hand of grace, planted new saplings and watered them with the water of loving-kindness, that they might perchance bear fruit and provide shade. Blessed is he who attaineth unto this most exalted station. Say: O God of Names! Praise be unto Thee for having honored me, shown me, and caused me to hear. I beseech Thee to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the last and the first.”

This servant also conveyeth greetings and praise to them, and seeketh from God confirmation and assistance. Regarding what was written about Jinab-i-Ustad Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God - that he had newly entered the stream of recognition - after his mention was presented to the hearing of the Lord of all beings, the Light of Grace shone forth from the horizon of the Kingdom of utterance and these verses were revealed - exalted be His majesty and universal His bounty:

“Praise God for having aided thee to turn unto Him on a day when smoke had encompassed the inhabitants of the earth, and for having taught thee when the servants were in manifest ignorance. Say: Unto Thee be glory, O Lord of Names, and unto Thee be loving-kindness, O Lord of creation, for having enabled me to recognize the ocean of Thy utterance and the heaven of Thy bounty, and for having illumined me with the lights of the Sun of Thy Manifestation. O Lord! Aid me to be steadfast in Thy Cause, then enable me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, and worthy to answer prayer.”

And these gleaming words were revealed from the Dayspring of the Will of the Lord of Names and Attributes, specifically for the two sons of Jinab-i-Mulla Mu??afa and Aqa Ghulam-Husayn, upon them be the Glory of God. The Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, saith: […]

O sons of men! Strive that from you may be revealed that which is worthy of the Days of God. This Wronged One counseleth you with that which is the cause of glory and exaltation. Adorn your temples with the ornament of deeds and your heads with the crown of virtuous conduct, that through them the horizons may be illumined. The light is manifest and radiant, and the Cause clear and evident. The heedless souls have ever been and still are lying in wait for man. Protect yourselves through the Name of Truth. Be ye vigilant, be ye watchful. This is His counsel. Well is it with them that act accordingly.

Thanks be to the Lord of the world, whose grace encompasseth all. The spring rain of His mercy hath ever descended upon the soil of hearts without cease. His bounty hath encompassed existence, and His grace hath bestowed that which hath no peer or likeness. However, that Beloved of hearts and this servant must beseech the Truth, exalted be His glory, to rend asunder the concealing veils, that perchance they may see and recognize. Concerning what hath been mentioned about the honored lady, the mother of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Sulayman and Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Mihdi, upon her and upon them be the glory of God, after being presented before His presence, these exalted words were revealed from the Dayspring of the Will of God, exalted be His glory. His word, exalted be His utterance and His proof:

O Pen! Make mention of the leaf who left her home, advancing toward the Most Exalted Horizon, that she might attain the presence of the Countenance and stand before the Gate, and hear the call of the Wronged One and behold the horizon of Revelation. I testify that she heard the call of her Lord, believed in Him, turned toward Him, and witnessed what the Tongue of Grandeur had witnessed. Blessed art thou, O My handmaiden and My leaf! Thou art she who hath been mentioned by Me before thy ascension and after it. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the days of God and His traces on a day wherein the handmaidens of the earth and its queens turned away. We found from thee the fragrance of My love and thy turning toward the lights of My countenance. We beseech God, exalted be He, to cause thee to enter the Most Exalted Paradise, to adorn thee with the crown embellished with His Most Glorious Name, and to send down upon thee at every instant a mercy from His presence and a light from His court. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Forgiving, the Generous. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon the handmaidens who remember thee through what the Supreme Pen hath spoken on this dark night.

In truth, these are days wherein man, from one perspective, seeketh death, for after ascension he attaineth unto the verses of the Supreme Pen; and from another perspective, he desireth life in the hope that some service might be manifested from him. However, the truth is that whatever the Beloved willeth is beloved. Peace is the best conclusion. They have specifically mentioned that We console Jinab-i-Mirza Sulayman and Mirza Mihdi, upon them be My glory, and We make mention of that which openeth the doors of joy and transformeth sorrow into the greatest gladness. At the time of her ascension, there was revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning her that which is everlasting and eternal.

Before this, there was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning the aforementioned noble lady that which its fragrance shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Blessed be she! That which was mentioned regarding Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Mahmud-i-Maraghi’i, upon him be the Glory of God, has been granted, and this evanescent servant, on behalf of your honor and him, attained the presence at an appointed time and was adorned with acceptance. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to make the drop of my deed an ocean from His presence. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Likewise, they mentioned Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Mahdi Shafa’i, upon him be the Glory of God, and requested special favors. After submission, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these verses. Thus speaks the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger

God, exalted be His glory, is at all times occupied with the mention of His loved ones. His Tongue of Grandeur speaks and His Pen moves. By the life of God! Whatever is manifest and visible cannot compare with the traces of His Pen. O Mahdi! Give thanks to thy Lord with these exalted words. When thou findest the fragrances of the utterance of the All-Merciful, say:

“My God, my God! I testify that Thou hast created me for Thy knowledge, for turning to the lights of Thy countenance, for facing the horizon of Thy Manifestation, for standing before the gate of Thy grandeur, and for presence in the court of Thy might. I beseech Thee by Thy greatest signs, by the manifestations of Thy power in the world of creation, by the ocean of Thy grace and the heaven of Thy knowledge, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and a herald of Thy Name. O my Lord! Write down from the Pen of Thy bounty for this servant that which will draw him near unto Thee in all Thy worlds. Then write for him what Thou hast written for Thy servants who have not broken Thy covenant and Thy testament, and who have drunk the choice wine of revelation in Thy days from the hands of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Wise.”

The letter of that Beloved of hearts which was sent in the name of the honored friend “A.H.”, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, attained the honor of being heard by the Goal of the world. Blessed and exalted be His words:

“Praise be to God Who assisted A.H. to turn unto Him, to hold fast to the cord of His grace, to cling to the hem of His mercy, and to arise to serve His Cause. He is verily the Compassionate, the Helper, the Forgiving, the Generous. O Varqa! Upon thee be My Glory and My favor. The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to his turning, his orientation, and his service in days when the limbs of existence trembled from the might and rebellion of the people of the earth. He turned to the Truth, attained His knowledge, spoke His mention, and acknowledged and confessed His Word. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. Give him My glad-tidings and remind him of what hath been revealed from My Pen that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones.”

The beloved spiritual Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, acted in accordance with their wishes. He repeatedly mentioned them, their sons, and Aqa Mir Ali Akbar and Aqa Mir Ali Asghar, upon them be the Glory of God, as well as other loved ones from the people of M. and Y. and Sisan. He mentioned them all, and in most of their letters your honor was also mentioned. I beseech God to assist them in all conditions through love for His loved ones. Verily, He is the Helper, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Another leaf that grew from the Tree of the Love of the Beloved of all worlds arrived in the form of a letter. Praise be to that pen and that ink from which spiritual water flowed, and when that water, flowing from the spring of love, reached the surface of the pages, it caused to bloom special flowers of sincerity, humility, submissiveness, remembrance and praise. A hundred thousand praises upon that pen and that ink and that letter. After inhaling the fragrance of those flowers and examining their traces, it ascended to the most glorious and exalted station and attained the honor of being heard. The Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, speaks:

In the Name of Him by Whom the Tablet is borne and the Pen is moved. Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy. The servant is present with the letter present. We heard and saw the call of the tongue of the heart attaining the honor of being heard. Blessed is thy heart for having turned to My luminous horizon, and thy tongue for having voiced My beautiful praise, and thy face for having been illumined by the lights of the Countenance, and thy being for having been set ablaze with My love, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. O Varqa! Upon thee be God’s loving-kindness and His mercy. The days of thy presence are ever remembered before the Divine Presence. Thou didst arise in thy earliest days to serve My Cause and to guide My servants to My path and to refine souls through My verses and to purify them with the water of My loving-kindness which flowed from the clouds of the heaven of My will. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee and unto him who loveth thee for the sake of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee.

Praise and thanksgiving be unto Him, for on this blessed night His special favor encompassed all and that honored one was adorned with a special ornament. God willing, may you be confirmed and assisted in the education of the servants, the refinement of souls, and the attraction of minds and hearts. After the prayer was offered before the presence of the Most Great Sea, a wave appeared which this servant is incapable of describing. Finally the Tongue of Grandeur uttered these blessed words: “O Varqa! Upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness.” He turned toward the face of the heart and the tongue of the heart and the heart of the heart and the essence of the heart. Verily he was set ablaze with the fire of thy Lord’s love and attained the Kawthar of His remembrance, the Bountiful, the All-Compelling, the Resurrector, the Life-Giving, the Moving, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And then it was concluded with these blessed words: “Happy is he!”

Regarding the known matter, what transpired was correct and acceptable. Yes, such souls should neither be discouraged nor should personal desires be followed. A middle course should be maintained. It is strange that until now his honor the Letter Sin is still not aware of the purpose, even though he attained the Most Great Prison twice and each time dwelt in its vicinity for a period. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to make him aware of the purpose. On one occasion He said: “Ask God to confirm him in that which will preserve him and be the cause of his salvation. When association in service to kings exceeds its bounds, there is fear of harm.”

This servant implores God to strengthen His helper in elevating the Word and spreading the Cause. If they turn to this station, divine confirmations and the mercy of the All-Merciful will assuredly assist and bestow what is befitting. Mention was made of the honored servant, Mirza F.D., upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory. Some time ago, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed for him from the heaven of grace and was sent. From every letter of that blessed Tablet wafts the fragrances of eternal favors. Praise be to God, they are confirmed in steadfastness, service, remembrance and praise. I convey to them greetings, praise, glory and splendor. God willing, the signs of their grace shall become manifest and evident throughout all regions through the command of the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

All those present and circumambulating send greetings and glory and are engaged in praise. Regarding the aforementioned matter, one must follow the Shi’ih tradition which states: “There is neither compulsion nor delegation of authority, but rather a position between the two.” Glory be to God! Until now, the bounty, kindness and mercy of God, exalted be His glory, have not been recognized, although all Tablets bear witness to this. This servant beseeches his Lord to aid them to understand what He has intended. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

Mention was made in the Most Holy Court of the apple of the eye named Valiyu’llah, upon him be the glory of God. These manifest verses were revealed specifically for that apple of the eye and other apples of eyes, upon them be God’s protection and care. The Lord, exalted and sanctified, speaks:

He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance

Blessed art thou for having turned in thy early days to thy Lord, the Lord of the mighty throne. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward the heaven of Thy manifestation, speaking in Thy praise and of Thy verses, and acknowledging that which hath shone forth from the horizon of the kingdom of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee to make me confirmed in the triumph of Thy Cause and the exaltation of Thy Word, such that the standards of Thy Cause may be raised in Thy cities and lands. Verily, Thou art the Master of the world and the Educator of the nations. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.

And this is what was revealed for ’Azizu’llah, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name that shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of proof

The Wronged One hath heard thy call and hath answered thee with that which was as the sprinkling rain of mercy for the good and blessed lands, as the breeze of grace for the gardens of knowledge, as the sun of certitude for the heaven of utterance, as the water of life for the thirsty one, and as the fragrance of the All-Merciful for the people of Baha. Thank thou My Most Exalted Pen, for it hath mentioned thee with that which shall endure throughout the duration of God’s kingdom, the Lord of the worlds.

This is what was revealed for Ruhu’llah, upon him be the glory of God:

In the name of Him Who is hidden while being manifest and evident. That which the tongue of the heart uttered hath been honored to be heard. Say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having created me through Thy most exalted Word and for having manifested me in Thy days, O Lord of all beings and Lord of the throne on high and of earth below. I beseech Thee by the Ark upon which sailed the Most Great Sea, and by Thy Cause through which Thou didst subdue the world, to make me abide beneath the canopies of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace. Then ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions and aid me in the victory of Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Praise be to God that favored eyes have been blessed with the bounties of the Goal of all existence. For each one an eternal blessing and a spiritual feast hath been sent down from the heaven of grace - blessed are they! At the moment these were presented, He smiled, and the sea of bounty surged with a wondrous wave and reached a mighty crest. His is the praise and glorification, His the thanksgiving and splendor. And the new-born child, upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, who hath been adorned with the name Badi’u’llah, was at that moment honored with His approval - blessed is he! This servant beseecheth and imploreth God that He may confirm each one with such confirmation as is evident and manifest in the verses revealed. O Varaqa, upon thee be My Glory and My loving-kindness! Praise be to God that thou thyself hast attained this supreme honor and art adorned with this mighty gift. To this beareth witness the tongue of My grandeur, the tongue of My grace, the tongue of My loving-kindness, and the tongue of My wondrous utterance.

This endeth one bounty, another blessing, another mercy, and another gift from God, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Mirza Aqa, upon him be the Glory of God, and his desire to turn toward the lights of the Countenance of the Beloved and his burning with the fire of separation, these matters have reached the hearing of Him Who created ears to hearken unto His call. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in reply - the Word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed

We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning, thy devotion and thy burning in separation from thy Lord. We have mentioned thee before in such wise that through it the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted throughout creation. We beseech God to aid thee and make thee successful in His remembrance, His praise and the service of His Cause. Verily He is the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. When thou drinkest the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My utterance and findest the fragrance of the All-Merciful from My words, say:

My God, my God! Separation from Thee hath destroyed me, remoteness from Thee hath consumed me, Thy Manifestation hath bewildered me, Thy verses have enkindled me, and Thy clear signs have attracted me. I beseech Thee by the Word through which the near ones hastened to the place of sacrifice, that Thou mayest write down for me, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining Thy presence, of standing before Thy face, and of arising at the door of Thy grandeur. O Lord! Thou seest me attracted by the breezes of Thy Revelation and soaring in the atmosphere of Thy love. I beseech Thee by the rain-showers of the dawn of Thy Manifestation and by the lights of Thy Countenance, to make me in all conditions hold fast to the cord of Thy grace and act according to what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

God hath loved and continueth to love His loved ones, and hath come for their meeting and for the manifestations of His bounty and mercy. However, the oppression of the oppressors and the heedlessness of the heedless have become an obstacle. For some time now the prison-land hath been observed to be in turmoil, for a person from among the people of hatred was seated upon the throne of government for a period. Although he hath returned to hell - that is, was dismissed - yet until now the land hath not settled. Therefore We have paused in giving permission to utter the Word. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. We beseech Him for that which containeth the good of this world and the next. Verily He hath power over all things and is worthy to answer.

This endeth.

Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which hath no likeness or similitude. The details concerning this land have undoubtedly reached your ears by now. This servant also conveyeth his greetings to them and beseecheth from God, exalted be His glory, good in this world and the next. Concerning what was again written about Haji Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], on the day your letter arrived, all that you desired was presented at the Most Holy Court and was honored with approval. Well is it with him! And the beloved of hearts, Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, also presented his petitions at the Most Holy Court and heard the approval with his own ears, and likewise a Tablet was revealed and sent especially for him. The servant beseecheth his Lord to assist His loved ones in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for them the good of what hath been sent down in His Manifest Book.

And concerning what you wrote about the mention of divinity, that someone was disturbed upon hearing it, after this lowly one presented this, these exalted words shone forth from the Dawning-Place of Will:

His blessed and exalted Word: O Dove! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. The people are weak. Until now the Most Exalted Pen hath not mentioned what is befitting. The Speaker of Sinai, though His verses have encompassed the world, beholdeth Himself silent, and until now the ignorance of the people of the Qur’an hath not been fully mentioned. By the life of God! They are deprived of the cup of divine unity and forbidden from the chalice of oneness. Until now the station of true unity hath remained concealed, and this concealment is a great bounty for certain souls who have turned towards God. Although the fragrance of this station hath been diffused from the Most Exalted Pen, the purpose is that few ears are found ready to hearken unto the Call of God and few eyes are keen enough to behold what hath appeared from the treasuries of the Pen. Your honor should proceed with patience and speak of such things as would cause attraction, turning and enthusiasm, for if some of the stations and ranks of the chosen ones of the Qur’an and that which is worthy of this Revelation remain veiled, it is nearer to piety. At present, love and turning towards God suffice, and after turning and attraction, most will ascend by the cord of utterance and become aware of the stations according to their capacity. We have ordained for thee abundant good in the Book.

O beloved of my heart! Most are as nursing babes seeking milk, and are not and never were worthy of more than that. We beseech God, the Most High, to assist His servants in His remembrance and praise, in turning towards Him and placing their trust in Him. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer of prayer, and He is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

The petitions that were sent to the Most Holy Court have been answered. I beseech God that through the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth, shining forth from the horizon of the Tablet, may all the loved ones of that land be illumined and be enkindled by the sacred and exalted Fire. May they arise in unity and concord, and with hearts purified from hatred and animosity, devote themselves to the reformation of the world, so that the light of unity may envelop the earth and the hidden enmities in human hearts may be stilled and vanish.

It is hoped that the people of Baha–may the spirit of the world be sacrificed for them–will gird up the loins of endeavor and remove corruption, conflict, contention, and bloodshed from the world, that this suffering world might draw one peaceful breath. This I say, but alas, alas, I hear that certain souls have taken God’s Cause lightly. They play and comprehend not, and they speak that of which they are unaware.

In all conditions, this evanescent servant seeks divine confirmation and heavenly assistance. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As to the two written statements of the Most Great Branch - may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps - they are most excellent. His Holiness Himself will provide the details. Regarding His mention that one of the friends inquired about the Occultation, these matters shine forth like the sun in the divine Tablets. In these days all must be enkindled with the fire of the Word and engage in service to the Cause, seizing the time and enlightening the people of the world through wisdom and utterance. Whosoever today succeeds in acknowledging what God has revealed in the Book is numbered among the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise. Today is the Lord of Days, and the Master of Manifestations is seated upon the Throne of Utterance. Blessed are they who attain! The days of the Divine Manifestations are in one sense referred to as the Day of God, but these days are specifically designated in all the Books for the appearance of the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret, Who proclaims with the most exalted call before the faces of the world. The greatness of these days is recorded and inscribed in the previous Books and the mighty Qur’an. The Herald, that is the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - during the days of His journey to Maku, outwardly concealed from all, attained the honor of Our presence, and Quddus - upon him be My glory and loving-kindness - attained repeatedly. During the journey to the Land of Kha We specifically summoned him, and for numbered months he attained Our presence. The Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - named both him and the Most Great Gate as the First and the Last, and likewise interpreted them as the First to come and the Last to go, giving each the glad-tidings of this Revelation, and specifically saying to Siyyah - upon him be My glory - “Go forth, that thou mayest find.” The Universal Manifestations of the past were aware before the Revelation. They are the Dawning-places of divine knowledge. We beseech God to assist His loved ones to recognize what He has revealed in His clear and decisive Book. Some mentions become causes of veiling, and likewise cause the extinguishing of the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree in one’s being. Glory be upon those who limit their gaze to turning toward the Most Exalted Horizon, detached from idle fancies and vain imaginings. O beloved of My heart! Indeed some mentions become causes of heedlessness and indolence, especially mentions of that which God has not approved. It is hoped that all may drink from the choice wine of the utterance of the All-Merciful and appear adorned with the ornament of distinction in the assemblage of the world. Verily the party of God must be distinguished from others. Greetings and salutations have been and are conveyed to the loved ones of that land, both past and present, and this evanescent servant beseeches the Eternal Truth to assist all to that which is befitting.

Regarding the matter in question, it is abundantly clear that in the sight of God, any matter that causes harm to anyone, or afflicts any soul, or indeed causes sorrow and distress to any souls, is in this Most Great Revelation rejected and unacceptable. That which causes elevation, loftiness, and ascendancy, and brings joy and gladness to the hearts of the people of the world, is acceptable and beloved. However, wisdom requires that one act in such a way that no trace of despair may appear. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, has forbidden all from corruption and conflict, and commanded them to show forth love, kindness and affection. Yet wisdom necessitates forbearance, both now and in the past. I beseech the True One to confirm that honored person in protecting the sheep. In this case, divine assistance will surely reach him. Verily He protects whoever turns to Him, and ordains for him the good of this world and the next, and exalts him through His grace, mercy and sovereignty, and aids him with the hosts of the seen and unseen. He is verily the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

As to the matter of prayers, in response to the request of the honored and beloved Mirza F ?, upon him be the Glory of God, they were sent down from the heaven of grace, and likewise the reply to the spiritual friend Aqa Mirza Jalil, upon him be 966 [the Glory of God], and the other friends, upon them be the Glory of God. That beloved of the heart should, after perusing them, deliver them to their owners. As they requested specific prayers for sleep and waking, after presentation before the Divine Throne, these prayers dawned forth from the horizon of Divine utterance. His word, exalted be His greatness and mighty be His power:

“Thou art the Rememberer and Thou art the Remembered One!

“O my God, my Lord and my Goal! Thy servant desires to sleep in the shelter of Thy mercy and rest beneath the canopy of Thy grace, seeking aid through Thy protection and guardianship. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thine eye that slumbereth not to guard mine eye from beholding aught beside Thee. Then increase its light for the vision of Thy signs and for gazing toward the horizon of Thy Revelation. Thou art He before Whose manifestations of might the very essence of power hath waxed feeble. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the Unconstrained.

“Thou art God, there is no God but Thee!

“Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having awakened me from my sleep, and brought me forth after my absence, and raised me from my slumber. I have risen this morning with my face set toward the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, through which the heavens of Thy power and grandeur have been illumined, acknowledging Thy signs, believing in Thy Book, and holding fast unto Thy Cord. I beseech Thee, by the potency of Thy will and the compelling power of Thy purpose, to make what Thou didst show me in my dream the most firm foundation for the edifice of Thy love in the hearts of Thy loved ones, and the best instrument for the revelation of Thy grace and loving-kindness. O Lord! Ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of this world and the world to come. I testify that within Thy grasp are the reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Strong, the Faithful. Thou art He Who changeth through His command abasement into glory, and weakness into strength, and powerlessness into might, and fear into calm, and doubt into certainty. No God is there but Thee, the Mighty, the Beneficent. Thou disappointest not him that hath sought Thee, nor dost Thou keep back him that hath desired Thee. Ordain Thou for me what becometh the heaven of Thy generosity, and the ocean of Thy bounty. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

“He is the All-Compelling above all names.”

O my God, my God! How can I choose sleep while the eyes of them that long for Thee are wakeful because of their separation from Thee, and how can I lie at rest on the couch while the hearts of Thy lovers are sore troubled by their remoteness from Thy presence? O my Lord, I have entrusted my spirit and my entire being into the right hand of Thy might and Thy protection, and I lay my head on my pillow through Thy power, and lift it up according to Thy will and Thy good-pleasure. Thou art, in truth, the Preserver, the Keeper, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. By Thy might! I ask not, sleeping or waking, but what Thou dost desire. I am Thy servant and in Thy hands. Do Thou aid me to do what will shed the fragrance of Thy good pleasure. This, truly, is my hope and the hope of them that enjoy near access to Thee. Praised be Thou, O Lord of the worlds!

He is the Hearing, the Answering!

O my God! I have awakened under Thy protection, and it behooveth him that seeketh Thy protection to abide within the Sanctuary of Thy safekeeping and the Stronghold of Thy defense. Illumine my inner being, O my Lord, with the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favor.

He is the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting!

I have awakened this morning by Thy grace, O my God, and left my home trusting wholly in Thee and committing all my affairs unto Thee. Do Thou bestow upon me, then, out of the heaven of Thy mercy, a blessing from Thy presence. Then cause me to return home in safety even as Thou didst cause me to leave it in safety and with a steadfast heart. There is none other God but Thee, the One, the Peerless, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Sun of divine bounty is ever shining and manifest. It is Its own proof, and Its manifestations of grace are Its signs. It is the Evidence and the Manifest One, the Witness and the Expositor. Its grace encompasses all and Its mercy embraces everything. It hath never needed and will never need any proof.

Regarding Haji ’Ali-’Askar (may 966 [Baha] rest upon him), they wrote that after presenting the petition in the Most Holy Court, permission to return was granted. Having a family, they must surely act according to the Kitab-i-Aqdas. A hundred thousand blessings upon them that act accordingly!

Concerning the prisoner in Tiflis, Mashhadi Isma’il ’Alaqih-band, what was written was presented, and he attained divine grace and favor. His mention was made by the Tongue of Grandeur, Who said: Write to him: “Be not sorrowful. The Lord of the worlds is in the Most Great Prison. Say: O my God, my God! I have placed my trust in Thee and have committed my affairs unto Thee. Ordain for me that which will profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Thou, verily, art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

Mention was made of Aqa Muhammad ?adiq, who had migrated and attained. They said that especially for him a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the divine Will and was sent. God willing, he will attain unto it and drink from the ocean of its meanings. This servant also conveys greetings and praise to him and seeks his success.

Regarding what was written about that from which the mercy of the world is made manifest, and likewise His wrath - meaning ink, from which flow the vehicles of the world and by which the pillars of nations are made firm - in truth, were all the pens in the world to attempt to enumerate the offspring of this mother, they would find themselves powerless. Thought cannot comprehend it, registers cannot contain it. Indeed, were all its qualities to be truly described on every leaf, they would still be as nothing compared to its supreme, overwhelming influences. In any case, what was mentioned with these attributes and beyond them was received and was very good and pleasing, thus [it is] mercy made manifest through it […]

Glory be unto Thee, O God of all possibilities and Goal of all beings! Thou art the One Who hast deposited within a dark speck that which hath stirred them that lie in the graves; by it Thou hast quickened, by it Thou hast taken and seized. I beseech Thee by Thy power that overruleth all the world to guide the nations to accept Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. I beseech Thee, O my God, by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy grace, to send down upon him who hath loved Thee and mentioned Thy servant such glory as is from Thee, such peace as is from Thy presence, and such spirit as is from Thy side. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent Whom nothing that Thou beholdest and seest can frustrate, and verily Thou art the Lord of all men and the Lord of the throne on high and of the dust below. There is none other God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

=== END BH00009 ===

=== START BH00010 ===

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

Praise be to God, Who is peerless in His love and unrivalled in His affection. He, verily, is the Lord of His servants and the Creator of all things. He is the One Who uttereth whatsoever He willeth, both in the beginning and in the end. He is the fragrance that hath been wafted from the garment of God, and the light that hath shone forth from the horizon of His bounty. May His peace, which hath appeared and shone forth from the kingdom of His grace, rest upon those who have arisen to exalt His Word and to manifest His Cause, and who have acted in accordance with that which hath been enjoined upon them in His Book. These are servants through whom His commandments and ordinances have been carried out amongst the peoples, and through whom the law of sanctification hath been established among the various sects. Through them were the standards raised and the signs made manifest. The Concourse on High pray for them, and behind them standeth the Lord of Names and the Creator of the heavens.

And now, there hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of your love that which hath stirred the breezes of affection. Verily, it is a letter wherein the vessel of pure nature hath overflowed. When I perceived its fragrance and recognized your station in the Cause of God - my Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth - I repaired to that praiseworthy station wherein was established the throne of the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of the seen and the unseen. I attained His presence and laid before Him that which the nightingale of your sincerity had warbled upon the branch of faithfulness. Thereupon did the countenance of the Lord of Names turn toward me. By God! He spoke that which caused the mountains to soar, yet the mirror of my heart reflected only in proportion to my weakness, my poverty, my need and my want. O Beloved of my heart! How can the drop reckon the ocean of utterance? By the life of my Beloved and your Beloved, I speak naught but the truth. In truth do I make this assertion, and that Best-Beloved of the heart beareth witness, for by the grace of God they were and are well-aware.

He saith, exalted be His glory and His grandeur: In the name of the Wronged One of the horizons […]

O Ali! Praise be to God that the eye of the world is illumined by the kohl of wisdom and the utterance of God’s loved ones. Though this light hath been obscured from appearing and shining forth by the dark clouds of people’s vain imaginings, yet assuredly the winds of divine will shall disperse these clouds. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. His power is now hidden, yet He is secretly engaged in conquering the citadels of hearts. The utterance of the All-Merciful is a mighty key that openeth, a sun that shineth forth and beameth, and an all-encompassing ocean. It openeth, bestoweth light, and granteth life. Blessed is he whose vision neither doubt nor uncertainty, vain imaginings nor conjectures, nor the might and wrath of the peoples of the world, could debar from the Most Exalted Summit. By one word the world is agitated, and by another word it is calmed and assured. By one deed it is set ablaze, and by another deed it findeth peace and tranquility. Thus hath the Supreme Pen recorded in the sacred scriptures and tablets that spiritual virtues, praiseworthy deeds, and goodly words are among the mighty hosts of God. Beyond all stations, if people would hold fast to fairness, they would both attain unto the lights of certitude and behold the signs, proofs and evidences of God, exalted be His glory, as clear as the sun, and witness the throne of God’s power manifestly established in the world. O Akbar! Convey My greetings to the friends and on behalf of this Wronged One declare: Ye must be distinguished from all others in the world and ever fix your gaze upon the horizon of distinction. Know your own worth and recognize the station of God’s chosen ones who have arisen to serve from the beginning of the Cause. The Supreme Pen hath mentioned them all and adorned them with the robe of divine favor, yet from the tablets of those souls who are steadfast and firm wafteth the fragrance of distinction. Blessed is he who hath found it and is among the doers.

O thou who gazeth toward God! I testify that thou didst drink the wine of My love in My earliest days, didst acknowledge what God hath acknowledged, didst hold fast unto it, didst spread its signs, and didst stand firm in His service on a Day whereon feet did slip. Convey My greetings to My loved ones in Ta and its surroundings, and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. We counsel them to pure fear of God and to that whereby the Cause of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, may be exalted. Say: Have mercy upon yourselves, upon the Tree of the Cause, and upon the blood that was shed to exalt God’s mighty Word. Fear God, O people, and be among the fair-minded. Waste not your deeds and what hath come upon you in this Great Event. Ye may glory over all who are on earth, for ye have attained unto that which none among creation hath attained. To this beareth witness He Who hath spoken in the Mother Book with His wondrous and glorious mention. Make not yourselves the playthings of the ignorant of the earth. Every deed attributed to you must shine like the sun among the world. Thus doth God counsel you with true counsel, as a mercy from His presence. He verily loveth you and desireth for you what beseemeth your stations before God, the Most High, the Most Great. Beware lest ye commit that whereby mercy would be withheld in the heaven of divine Will. Thus doth He counsel you Who is more compassionate to you than your own selves. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The splendor that hath shone forth from the horizon of My loving-kindness and the light that hath beamed from the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who love thee for the sake of God, the Owner of this blessed and perspicuous Day.

God willing, may all the friends of God be adorned with the garment of sanctity. They must appear in such wise that if they should arise to counsel and exhort the people in any gathering, speaking with utmost eloquence, neither they themselves should feel any inner shame, nor should anyone on earth be able to raise objections. Now they must spend their days and nights devising means whereby they may guide a soul and give it to taste of the choice wine of divine knowledge. These are not days for conflicting thoughts, wavering purpose, contaminated intentions, contradictory deeds and harsh conduct. All deeds, actions and character must be seen as a single point - that is, their source must be well-known, that they may indicate and reflect the True One who is known. All have been and are under the glance of His favor. There is none who has not been crowned with the diadem of mention by God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

Now the friends of God must hold fast to that which is necessary. They will surely witness days of comfort, joy and glory. They have ever said that if they recognize the Herald and find the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance, they would consider the world as non-existent and would observe and cleave to that which causes the Cause to be uplifted. In brief, this servant conveys to each one greetings, glorification, and complete self-effacement, and with utmost lowliness and supplication begs those mines of the gems of God’s love to keep their exalted stations in view and to act as befits them. The supplication and lowliness are from the servant, and the acceptance from the loved ones of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

[Continues with specific mentions of two believers and Tablets revealed for them…]

O Muhammad-Quli! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from His spot and remembereth thee by His Covenant, and revealeth unto thee that which thou hast done, holding fast to His Book. Blessed art thou for having been faithful and for having acted in accordance with that which was enjoined upon thee in His love. How many a servant hath clung to the ways of idle fancy, turning away from His path, and how many a servant hath cast the world behind him, turning his face toward the lights of His countenance. Rejoice thou in that He hath aided thee to act in such wise as will draw thee nearer unto Him in all conditions. Happy art thou for having turned unto God and found the fragrance of His garment. We have made mention of thee before and after. Verily thy Lord recompenseth him who holdeth fast to the cord of His loving-kindness. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of grace be upon thee and upon them that follow His Cause.

Blessed are they both and happy are they both, inasmuch as–by God’s testimony–the fragrance of their sincerity is diffused and they have acted with joy and radiance in accordance with that which they were bidden. God willing, may they preserve this most exalted station through the name of the True One, exalted be His glory. This evanescent servant begs and hopes from the Invincible Truth that He may cause them to attain unto the Most Great Steadfastness. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Glorification and peace unto them rest with the will and grace of that Best-Beloved.

As regards what you wrote concerning the honored leaf H, upon her be the Glory of God, when it was submitted He said: “Yes, what righteous deeds were done in her regard.” May they be assisted to perform good deeds and that which bespeaks pure wisdom. May those who are related be blessed through God’s grace and adorned with supreme steadfastness, that the ringing bells of calamity may not prevent them from the pathway of divine unity. O Ali-Qabl-Akbar, upon thee be My Glory, My Mercy and My Grace! Behold and then make mention of a maidservant who returned to her abode. She exchanged light for fire and sold the kingdom of men for a piece of diamond. Despite utmost love, devotion and claims of knowledge, calamity deceived her for a single diamond. She turned away from truth and faced that which was other than Him. Such is the nature of this world and its people. From the beginning they were turned away and never had nor have any awareness, for they were not with Us. The meaningless humility and submissiveness of certain ones led those souls to declare their faith. Verily He knows what lies within breasts and hearts, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. If a single leaf were to reflect upon her deeds, actions and conduct, it would speak saying: “I am innocent of her and all that pertains to her, and I shield my face from her face.” That soul knows the Supreme Pen had refrained from mentioning such souls, but due to oppression, transgression and the flames of self and passion, these words have flowed from the Supreme Pen, that they might recognize her and become aware of her deeds and actions. May God protect Us and you from her and her like. As for this ephemeral one, I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to guide the friends of that land to the straight path of trustworthiness, religious devotion, truthfulness and sincerity, that all may find rest beneath His shadow and grace. Once this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names. He said: “O servant present! For everything there has been and is a beginning. The saying of common folk that ‘without leaven the bread is unleavened’ is a complete statement and the word of a wise and knowing one. Today the companions of God are the leaven of the world’s peoples. All must acquire from their trustworthiness, truthfulness, steadfastness, deeds and character. Ask of God that they may find the fragrance of awareness and hold fast to that which will elevate their conditions and stations.”

Some of the opposers have objected, claiming that while their own companions act with righteousness, and the companions of the Primal Point were adorned with piety, trustworthiness and religious devotion, this statement deviates from the path of truth and righteousness. For from the time of the arrival of the Ancient Beauty in Iraq, of which this servant is aware, verses and words were continuously revealed and sent forth from the innermost mystery, and all were commanded to that which God desired and forbidden from that which He prohibited in the Book. Some time ago the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this exalted word: “From Iraq and the Land of Mystery and the Land of Prison, We continually counseled the people of the Bayan and commanded them to that which befitteth the Cause of God. Yet sedition and corruption have not ceased; most are defiled and have not attained unto sanctity and detachment.” They themselves are aware of what abominable deeds appeared among this group. In truth, one is unable to describe it. None had control over their own wives, children, and possessions. Most were rebellious, wayward and tyrannical, yet considered themselves among God’s pure chosen ones. A few were seen to be sanctified from worldly attachments and doubts, and this was only in the beginning of the Cause. Later, you yourself witnessed what they did and what transpired, to such an extent that the Exalted One - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - expressed amazement, though outwardly remained silent as there was no helper or supporter. In His final days He wrote a Tablet expressing utmost complaint about those souls and showing displeasure with most of them. However this was concealed as its disclosure was not deemed wise. The people are weak, as was observed when, despite the shining of the Sun of Truth at high noon and the appearance of the Ultimate Tree from the right side of the hallowed spot, each soul would present their own vain imaginings as certainty. In any case, were we to discuss these matters, books and volumes would not suffice. However, in this Most Great Revelation, even the enemies have testified and continue to testify to its sanctity, detachment, loftiness and sublimity. One of the divines of Yazd had said that at first the deeds of this community were beyond description, but now they are seen gathering in meetings, reciting verses, chanting prayers, and manifesting complete trustworthiness and religious devotion. It is evident this is due to the command of the new Leader. Observe how many souls in this Revelation freely drank the cup of martyrdom and sacrificed themselves by their own hands, even though this was not pleasing to the Truth. Even now there are souls who are sanctified, holy and pure from all faults. Verily our All-Knowing Lord is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed. This servant mentions one word about trustworthiness and faithfulness to covenant, that perhaps some may become aware and know with certainty that God has beneath His canopies servants possessed of great trustworthiness, goodly deeds, and spiritual qualities. In Alexandria, several of the loved ones of God were engaged in their trades as commanded, for in this Most Great Revelation work is accounted as worship. We beseech Him to assist all to achieve what He desires. That word is that Jinab-i-Aqa Shaykh ’Ali, son of Jinab-i-Haji ’Abdu’r-Rahim - upon them both be the Glory of God - went to Khartoum to associate with the beloved of the heart […]

Here is that beloved one who travelled to Khartoum to associate with the beloved of heart and soul, Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, and that spiritual friend Ha and Sin, upon them be the Glory of God, as those two prisoners had written requesting one of the friends to come and associate with them and learn of events occurring in the Holy Land and surrounding regions, as well as Iran. The aforementioned Shaykh determined to undertake this journey for the sake of God. For a time, they were gathered like leaves of the tree of love, fresh and light from the gentle breezes and luminous waters, when suddenly the autumn wind began to blow and caused their separation. Those two mentioned ones, upon them be God’s praise, turned toward this direction and attained their purpose, while the honored Shaykh remained engaged in business in that land. After several consecutive years, by firm command Haji ’Abdullah, upon him be 669 [the Glory of God], travelled to that region to associate with the honored Shaykh and assist him in outward affairs and support his return journey. However due to unsettled conditions this was prolonged until the honored Shaykh, upon him be the Glory of God, ascended. After his ascension the aforementioned Haji ’Abdullah attended to settling affairs. The Iranian consul in that city wrote details of the deceased’s affairs as well as his goods and possessions to the chief agent of the sublime Iranian state residing in Cairo. He in turn, according to established legal procedure, made claim upon the assets and estate. The two most exalted names Muhammad and ’Ali, upon them be the Glory of God, wrote from Alexandria that whatever was rightfully theirs would be received. Some of the believing merchants of Cairo told the aforementioned agent that this sum would reach him, as the words of these honored ones were true and free from any doubt. Afterwards Alexandria was overturned and Cairo thrown into turmoil, with the thunder of cannons rising and the clamor of ranks and thousands and rifles manifest, such that all people were agitated and fearful, and the turmoil spread until it reached these lands. Were it not for God’s grace and mercy, the earth would have swallowed all upon it, for due to the heedlessness and rebellion of the people they deserved what befell them. In brief, Alexandria in a matter of hours was turned upside down, as previously mentioned in some petitions of this evanescent one and also revealed from the Supreme Pen. The friends in Alexandria and Cairo sent petitions to the Most Holy Court seeking guidance for their situation, and likewise sent petitions to His Holiness the Name of God M.H., upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, who was present in this land at that time. He instructed that the friends of A. and S. should move according to circumstances and turn toward the Most Holy Court, while the friends in Egypt should remain settled and at rest in their places. Afterwards when these ones arrived in the Holy Land, the heedless ones and traitors set fire to Alexandria and either burned or plundered people’s possessions of every kind, and all the properties of the friends were plundered and their storehouse destroyed.

Their storehouse was demolished and destroyed, and in the direction of Khartoum the fire of strife was ablaze and a person raised the banner of rebellion. Due to the turmoil in Egypt, all those regions were in upheaval and disturbance, and Haji ’Abdu’llah was confined there until the order for departure arrived. Placing his trust in God, he departed, and the Lord, exalted be His glory, protected him from a hundred thousand calamities. Praise be to God, he arrived and was honored in the desired land. As for the friends in Alexandria, despite their utter destitution, and although the Consul in Cairo had been dismissed and news had reached Istanbul of the arrival of a new Consul, nevertheless, in view of the promise that had been made, Aqa Siyyid ’Ali, upon him be the glory of God, endeavored to fulfill that promise. Through God’s grace and favor, funds became available which he took and journeyed to Egypt, delivering fifty English pounds. The believing merchants and the Consul himself were greatly amazed and astonished. At first the Consul refused to accept it, swearing that “I have no complaint. These qualities of yours suffice me, and in your praise this much is enough: that even those who oppose you speak in your praise.” In any case, this incident became a cause of exaltation in those regions. Aqa Siyyid ’Ali, upon him be the glory of God, has written describing the love of the friends in Egypt in such a way that the birds of love take wing in the hearts of the near ones. Love for God’s sake truly bestows true life and quickens the dead. This fulfillment of their promise is among the most excellent of deeds before the All-Possessing One and is acting in accordance with what was commanded in My perspicuous Book. Thus ends these conclusive utterances, beyond counting, that were heard from the tongue of the Lord of all beings. Blessed are they that act.

As to what you wrote concerning your heart’s beloved, Jinab-i-Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, and mentioned his services in the path of God - after being presented before the Most Holy Court, these words were repeatedly uttered from the Tongue of Grandeur: “Upon him be the Glory of God, upon him be the Glory of God.” The news from Mazandaran was written in detail by that beloved one, and in these days petitions have arrived from every direction containing mention of his services in Q. However, after being presented, outwardly for several days no command was issued in this matter from the Dawning-Place. Then one day this supreme word emerged from the Dayspring of utterance of the Lord of Names - His words, exalted be His grandeur and His majesty: “O servant in attendance! If We say it occurred with wisdom, the barking of swine and clamor of the ignorant is observed to have risen. And if We were to consider only the clamor, We have not and do not wish to conceal this manifest service. Therefore from the Source of Divine Command this decree is issued: We say he had recourse to speech and utterance, and God, exalted be His glory, in view of His grace and favor made him the place and supreme source of the Word. And though this exaltation caused clamor, yet considering the recourse there was and is no harm, rather it is accepted before the Throne. We have adorned his deed with the ornament of acceptance and have mentioned him in various Tablets. Verily thy Lord is the Kind, the Forgiving, the Merciful, the Generous.” This lowly one submits that if a copy of this petition were to be written, confirmed and sent to various regions, it would not be without benefit, as it is adorned with verses and words of God, exalted be His glory, which are in truth the cause of the enkindling of the world and its peoples. Perhaps they may find its sweetness and arise to do what God loves, and perhaps the fragrance of goodly deeds and virtuous character may waft to all regions and awaken the heedless. The Command is in His hand and I am but a penitent servant. As for the Tablets specifically requested for the loved ones of the land of M, they were revealed in those same days but their sending was delayed due to upheavals and wisdom. In these days the command to send them has been given and God willing they will be sent. What that heart’s beloved wrote concerning them truly caused joy to the heart and the realm of love became manifest. God willing may that beloved one and they ever speak what God has willed and stand firm in service to the Cause. And the second letter from that presence dated the first of the blessed month of Ramadan gave fresh hearing and caused new melodies in love of the Lord of Oneness to be sung, and after hearing and understanding, the Holy Station was intended beyond mention and utterance, and details were presented after permission. Then flowed the river of mercy and favors and surged the sea of grace in such wise as cannot be described in words. He spoke and His word is the truth:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Unique […]

O thou who gazest toward the prison and uttereth praise of the Desired One, who drinketh from My choice sealed wine! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The servant present hath come with what thou didst send unto him, and presented before the Wronged One that which the dove of thy heart sang in praise and remembrance of God. Blessed be thy tongue and thy utterance and he who heareth thy words concerning God’s Cause, the Mighty, the Loving. We have sent down to those near unto Us that which, were it to be cast upon the earth, would cause the sun of knowledge and utterance to rise therefrom. Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful spoken, yet most people understand not. Thou art he who was present and beheld the sea and its waves, the sun and its lights, and heard what the Speaker of Sinai uttered when seated upon the throne of manifestation. Verily thy Lord remembereth him who hath turned unto Him, spoken His praise, and arisen to serve His Cause, the Mighty, the Forbidden. Grieve not for what they do. By My life! Were the receptive ones to be fair and to know, they would act according to what they were commanded in various tablets from God, the Lord of all beings. Thus did the Mother Book speak aforetime, and the Preserved Tablet in this praiseworthy station. Convey My greetings to My loved ones and remind them of that which profiteth them, preserveth them, and elevateth them to My Kingdom, which God hath made the circling-point of all in the invisible and visible realms. Say: O My friends! We counsel you to deeds from which the Concourse on High will perceive the fragrance of sanctity. By My life! Through them My Cause and your stations shall be exalted beneath the canopies of My loving-kindness, the pavilion of My glory, and the tabernacle of My mercy, which hath preceded existence. Say: We are with you under all conditions. We hear and see, and We are the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We see and conceal; We hear and keep silent. Were We to detail for thee what hath appeared and shall appear, grief would seize thee. Therefore ask God to transform it through His authority. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Mighty. Glory and light be upon thee and upon My loved ones and upon those who have fulfilled God’s Covenant and His Testament on this mighty, wondrous Day.

This servant submitteth to that beloved one that although responses to letters may be delayed, yet afterward all matters descend one after another from the heaven of divine will and are dispatched. Fortunately, the cause of delay in serving your honor is evident, clear and proven. In any case, we hope for forgiveness, and moreover this evanescent servant is assured of your honor, for you are aware and informed. That you wrote news of receiving divine tablets, and likewise of the gathering of friends and sharing these with them, and mentioned the degrees of eagerness, joy, attraction and enchantment of His exalted party - this truly bestowed boundless joy. God willing, may they partake in all conditions of the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance and arise as befitteth them. How beloved from those attracted, enkindled souls is the manifestation of deeds and good, pleasing character! The horizons of the human world are illumined by these lights. The deed of an upright seeker is like a tree: its root in the earth of steadfastness, its branch reaching wheresoever God willeth, its fruits enduring throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. In truth, none but the mirror of divine knowledge hath or shall enumerate these stations. Blessed be your honor and them. We beseech God to grant all the people of the world a portion of this good bounty and heavenly feast, and leave none deprived. Verily He hath power over all things.

And as to their expression of gratitude, joy and delight concerning the Second Feast, the newly risen Sun, and the recurring bounty - this bestowed upon all pillars a most delicate joy, nay, a joy more subtle than can be reckoned. Regarding the dawning of divine Tablets from the horizon of favor yet again, you wrote these words - your statement: “This nothingness has, this time, so drunk deep and become so enraptured by this supreme gift that it finds itself master over all who dwell on earth.” After this statement was presented at the Most Holy Court, the Divine Tongue spoke these blessed words - His words, exalted and mighty be He: “This utterance of Ali-Qabli-Akbar is like a branch of love that has been grafted onto divine love.” A hundred thousand souls and oceans be sacrificed for this blessed word that has risen like the sun from the horizon of favor. Glorify thy Lord with praise and be of the thankful ones.

And concerning your mention of God’s loved ones, you wrote that they too were attracted by the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful, to such extent that they spoke in ecstasy the praise of God, and likewise denied consciousness, understanding and humanity to the souls who turned away among the people of the Bayan. After this passage was presented, these perfect and binding words dawned from the Dayspring of divine utterance. He said: “O thou who art present! God willing, may the friends of God ever be gathered together, engaged in the remembrance and praise of the Truth. Whosoever has drunk from the Most Great Ocean beholds the world beneath his shadow. These birds have been taught the flight of Truth, and they soar above the birds of understanding and reason. Blessed are they! Blessed are they!”

[… continues with the rest of the text about movement and consultation, Mirza Lutfullah, etc.]

O thou who hast turned thy face unto the Countenance! These are the Days of God; a single moment thereof cannot be compared with centuries and ages. A particle in this Day is beheld as the sun, and a drop as an ocean. Should anyone draw but a single breath for the love of God and His service, it hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen as the most meritorious of deeds. Were the excellences of this Day to be mentioned, all would fall unconscious save whom thy Lord willeth. Therefore it is well-pleasing that in this Day thou shouldst strive to attain the lights of the Sun of divine good-pleasure. One word is better, loftier and more enduring than a hundred thousand children. God willing, thou shalt attain unto this most exalted station, that thy mention may endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Be thou never despondent. Hold fast to the hem of God’s robe and place thy trust in Him. Say: O my God! I am he who hath turned unto Thee with my spirit, my being, my soul and all that I possess, and have laid my hopes, my supplications, my will and my desire before the throne of Thy grandeur. Aid me in that which Thou desirest, through Thy grace and bounty. Thou knowest that I know not what profiteth or harmeth me. Ordain for me that which is best for me. Verily Thou art the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Merciful, the All-Wise.

As to what thou didst write concerning Haji Aqa, upon him be the Glory of God, after it was submitted to the Most Holy Presence, this blessed Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will. God willing, may they drink from the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful and be illumined by the lights of His knowledge. His word, exalted be His glory:

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

Verily the Light calleth aloud and the Fire proclaimeth. Blessed is the ear that hath heard and attained unto that which God hath desired in His glorious and wondrous Day. He hath come for the life of the world, yet the people desired to slay Him. Woe unto them! Verily thy Lord is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed. Say: By God! The Sinai circleth round Me and the lights have prostrated before this resplendent Light. Among the people are those who speak according to their desires, those who have risen in calumny, and those who have clung to them that have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament. Thus hath the matter been decreed, and I am of those who bear witness. O peoples of the earth! Abandon what ye possess in hope of that which is with God. Thus doth command you He Who speaketh the truth. Verily there is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed art thou for having been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, and there hath been revealed for thee from His presence that which shall suffice thee in every world of the worlds of thy Lord, if thou be of them that are steadfast. Hold fast unto the Book of God and that which hath been sent down from Him. Verily thy Lord is the Supporter, the Forgiving, the Merciful. The Books have testified to My Book, and it is this Temple which hath been established upon the Throne, to the detriment of every remote denier. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken, as a token of My grace. Rejoice thou at this great bounty. The Glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon those who have cast away all else save Me, who have held fast unto My grace and clung to My luminous hem.

The lights of grace have encompassed all and the morn of bounty hath dawned. A hundred thousand blessings upon those souls who have in this Day attained unto their goal, whom the conditions and appearances of these numbered days have not withheld from the everlasting station. The greetings and salutations of this servant be upon the honored Mirza and upon them and upon each of the friends of God. If possible, in every morn and eve, nay rather in every hour, nay in every moment, they are dependent upon the favor of that Beloved One.

Regarding what was mentioned about Rida-Quli Khan (upon him be the Glory of God), it was presented before Him from Whom nothing is hidden. This is what the Tongue of Grace, Generosity and Bounty has spoken, exalted be His glory and magnificent be His grace: “O ’Ali the Most Great, upon you be My mercy which has preceded all humanity.” The Truth, exalted be His majesty, has created all the world for His recognition and has desired comfort for all, and has manifested means according to the requirements of His wisdom. By My life! If the people of earth were to be illumined by the lights of the heaven of knowledge - that is, if they were to hold fast to and act upon that which has been sent down from the Supreme Horizon and the Most Exalted Summit - they would all find themselves in the utmost joy, security and tranquility. What you have done regarding them is beloved at the Divine Throne. Convey greetings from the Wronged One and say: Be not grieved by what has befallen you, for greater than this befell the Truth. I swear by the lights of the Divine Countenance, this world, with all the grandeur that you observe, was not and is not worthy of even one of God’s friends. Be steadfast in the Cause - verily He does what He wishes and ordains what He desires. God willing, may they fix their gaze upon Him at all times and cling to His robe. Verily He ordains for him what He desires and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory be upon him, and patience be with him, and forbearance be yours, and the Command be Mine, and I am the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”

Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-i-Tabib (upon him be the Glory of God), and likewise concerning his intelligence, wisdom, receptivity, perfection and capacity - all these matters were presented before the Divine Throne at noon on Sunday in the month of Safar. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, exalted be His glory: “God willing, may they be blessed with divine favors, illumined by the lights of His knowledge, given to drink of His choice wine, and sustained by His heavenly food. How wonderful is this blessed and mighty Day! Its fragrance has encompassed the world and its breeze has wafted over all. Blessed is he who has been awakened by this breeze and recognized it, and has arisen saying, while turning towards the Supreme Horizon: ‘I was asleep, O my God! The breezes of Thy grace awakened me and caused me to stand before the horizon of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee and in remaining steadfast in Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all things, both hidden and manifest.’ O ’Ali, the glances of favor are directed towards him. Give him the glad tidings of what the Wronged One has uttered in His mighty prison. Progress has been and will be for existence in all worlds. This is a truth in which there is no doubt. The Glory be upon you and upon him and upon whoever holds fast to that which is good and through which the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds, is exalted.”

Regarding the brief answer to his question that was sent down from the Supreme Kingdom - that beloved one knows that concerning these ranks and stations, that which would suffice all who are on earth has been revealed, and in these days the Supreme Pen loves to speak on every matter. Verily there is no God but He, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes that the Truth, exalted be His glory, will assist them in all conditions to do that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God. And regarding what you wrote about Aqa Khudadad and Aqa Shah-Virdi (upon them be the Glory of God), truly they are blessed with divine favors. After presentation before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these sublime words, exalted be His glory:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing […]

O Khudadad! The Supreme Pen testifieth that whenever mention was made of thee, thou wast honored with the Divine Word and His remembrance. Beseech thou God to assist thee to recognize this noble and great station. From the beginning of thy turning unto the Most Exalted Horizon, every time thou wert mentioned, a special Tablet was revealed, and apart from this, the gaze of loving-kindness hath ever been directed towards thee. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in earth and heaven, Who took thy hand and delivered thee from the darkness of the earth and brought thee beneath the shade of the Tree of His providence and exalted thy mention amongst His near servants. His grace and mercy have ever preceded all else. Verily He saved thee and guided thee to the straight path and gave thee to drink of the pure wine by the hand of His bounty and made thee one of the people of that station. Be thou steadfast in My service, speaking My praise, and holding fast unto My grace which hath encompassed the horizons.

Likewise these resplendent verses have been revealed from the heaven of the Will of God, exalted be His glory, concerning Haji Shah-Virdi, upon him be the glory of God. His word, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the Compassionate, the Generous

O Shah-Virdi! Thou hast attained unto that whereof the peoples of the world are heedless and veiled, save whom God willeth. Thou didst journey and turn and direct thyself until thou didst reach the Dayspring of guidance and didst hear that which the Tongue of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, did speak. How many a friend died in his yearning to meet Me, how many a beloved one sought My presence, how many a ruler lamented in his separation from Me, and how many an intimate one gave up his spirit for union with Me. And thou didst purpose and resolve, placing thy trust in God, until thou didst attain the court round which circle the Spirit Faithful, and didst hear from the Wronged One what the ears of them that are nigh have heard. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee and drawn thee nigh unto the Water of Life and revealed for thee that which nothing in all creation can equal, and caused thee to hear what Moses did hear. Reflect upon the bounty of God, that He may free you from all earthly sorrows of these fleeting days. Such grace is worthy of attention, and such attention worthy of freedom from sorrow. The glory be upon thee and upon them that are with thee.

This evanescent servant hath ever sought and continueth to seek blessing, bounty, grace, steadfastness, favor and everlasting mention for those whom the Supreme Pen hath named the children of Abraham and the heirs of Moses. This will surely be answered in due time, for by the testimony of the Supreme Pen and that beloved one’s witness, they have devoted and continue to devote most of their time to serving the Cause. Such souls have been and will be remembered by the whole world. These scattered things and diverse colors will soon perish, but that which is with God shall endure. Well is it with them! They are in truth confirmed, among their confirmations being that that beloved one hath expressed satisfaction with them. May they ever be assisted, God willing.[…]

In the name of Him who speaks from the horizon of the Kingdom!

As to what was written concerning Aqa Muhammad and Aqa ’Ali-A?ghar, upon them be the Glory of God, praise be to God that they have attained to the divine remembrance before and after. Their mention hath been sent down from the heaven of the loving-kindness of our Lord and your Lord, our Beloved and your Beloved, and hath been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen. This is through the grace of our Purpose and your Purpose. These exalted words were revealed and sent down from the tongue of the Lord of creation in this station. His word, exalted and mighty is He: “O Muhammad! Blessed art thou for having fulfilled thy covenant, and blessed is he who hath done therein what was acceptable before the Throne. Thy deed hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance in this glorious and praiseworthy station. Give thanks unto God for this bounty and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the seen and the unseen! And We make mention of ’Ali before A?ghar, and We glorify him and give him glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded him. Blessed is he in that he hath attained unto My remembrance before and after, and hath drunk of My choice sealed wine.”

Their deeds were most acceptable, and the deed of Aqa Muhammad was likewise adorned with the ornament of acceptance. To this do testify the verses of God, our Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

As to what thou didst write concerning Aqa Mirza Muhammad-’Ali and his family, upon them be the Glory of God, after it was presented before the Most Holy Court, the waves of the divine sea of utterance appeared and became manifest in these resplendent words. He saith, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the Mighty, the Great

“O Muhammad-’Ali! We have heard thy mention in the letter of one who hath loved Me and whom God hath loved, and We have sent down for thee verses that cannot be equaled by what lieth in the treasuries of kings. Blessed is he who hath today attained unto the knowledge of God, He at Whose appearance all things have spoken. The Promise hath come, and this is the Promised One. We have manifested the Cause and sent down the verses and called all unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Among the people are those who have cast guidance behind their backs and followed their desires, in that they have followed every heedless and veiled one. There hath befallen the Wronged One in the path of God that which hath caused the Concourse on High to lament and the dwellers of the cities of names to weep, yet most of the people understand not. Under all conditions We have arisen to promote the Cause in such wise that neither the weapons of the world nor the hosts arrayed in ranks have deterred Us. The first to oppose Us were the divines of the earth. They have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament and have risen against Us even as they rose aforetime against Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and before Him against the Spirit. The Balance calleth unto them, yet they hear not, and the Path warneth them, yet they perceive not. They have clung to idle fancies and vain imaginings, turning away from the lights of certitude. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen recount unto thee in this forbidden prison. Preserve My verses, then recite them amongst the people of Baha. This is what is commanded thee from Him with Whom is a preserving Book. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy wife who hath attained unto the choice wine of her Lord’s love, the Mighty, the Loving.”

O beloved of my heart! According to His command, convey these mighty and sublime verses unto them and extend greetings from the True One, that perchance they may attain unto true joy through the breathings of the utterance of the Sovereign of all possibility and be preserved from the great terror. This servant also extendeth greetings and salutations unto them.

Mention was made of Aqa Siyyid ’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, from the people of Kha, and likewise mention of his being set ablaze with the fire of divine love. After attendance, permission and presentation, the Sun of loving-kindness shone forth in these exalted words. His word, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name which speaketh from the horizon of the Kingdom[…]

This is a Book revealed by the Wronged One for him who hath turned unto God on a Day whereof God’s Messengers had given glad-tidings aforetime - yea, every revealed Book. O ’Ali, call thou to mind what caused thee to arise to serve this Cause, what awakened thee on this Day, who made thee hear the call of the Wronged One - He Who hath endured in God’s path that which caused the near ones to weep - who informed thee of this Prisoner, and who told thee of this Cause whereby the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing was raised up, the Supreme Horizon was illumined, and all things spoke forth in the kingdom of creation. He Who was hidden in God’s knowledge and inscribed by the Pen of Command in His sealed Book hath come. Blessed art thou for having heard, recognized and turned unto Him Who came from the heaven of Command with manifest sovereignty. Leave the people to their vain imaginings and hold fast to the hem of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all existence. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which gladdeneth the heart of the Wronged One and exalteth the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Verily, should He perceive the fragrance of His qualities and what He hath enjoined upon His servants in His Book, He would rejoice. Thus hath the Tongue of utterance spoken in the kingdom of understanding, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Glory be upon thee and upon him who hath been set ablaze with the fire of God’s love in His days, and upon everyone who hath arisen, having cast away idleness, on this Promised Day. Moreover, glory and remembrance be upon him who hath been awakened by the breezes of revelation wafting from the direction of My prison, the Mighty, the Beloved.

At this moment, such verses are being revealed and such evidences are shining forth that in truth a hundred thousand souls like this servant would be powerless and incapable of mentioning, describing, recording or relating them. Glory be to God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who dwell in the earthly and heavenly kingdoms. I know not what intoxication hath seized these people. The followers of previous dispensations would argue that because certain matters foretold in their Book had come to pass, this constituted proof and evidence of its truth. Yet now thou and all the friends bear witness that matters which no rational being could have conceived have been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen with perfect clarity, and all have been fulfilled one after another, emerging from the hidden to the manifest realm. Indeed, whatsoever hath appeared or shall appear in the future hath been recorded one by one in the Book and witnessed in manifest reality. This matter is not limited, for it hath been manifested in one, two, three instances and beyond that, and even beyond that. Nevertheless, all remain heedless and asleep, as though dead, except those preserved by the hand of grace. Can anyone claim that in any previous Revelation the verses were more perfect, or the evidences more manifest, or the tree of proof more fruitful than this blessed and lofty Tree? Nay, by my Lord, unless they be utterly bereft of fairness. Whatever this servant hath submitted or may submit remaineth veiled, for he hath not had and hath not permission to present certain matters. God hath sealed his lips. The Command is in His hands; He doeth and decreeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

Mention has been made of His honor Zein, upon whom be glory, who migrated unto God and attained His presence in the Land of Mystery. God willing, may he ever be the recipient of the special favors and bounties of the Truth. He has always been and continues to be before Our eyes. Never has he been forgotten, nor shall he ever be forgotten. God willing, throughout all ages and centuries may he be remembered for the name of the Truth and service to the Truth. At times special mention of him has issued from the tongue of the Lord of Eternity: “O thou beloved of My heart!” He has transcended all stations. The tree of faithfulness is a blessed tree. Its fruits are beloved and its traces and mysteries are enduring and everlasting. If one observes carefully, it is the leader of the hosts of love and the vanguard of the people of affection and truthfulness. From the depths of My heart I convey to him greetings and salutations. His petition reached the presence of the Most Great Branch - may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps - and God willing He will bestow a response. That certain matters have been delayed is due to wisdom. These are days when should distinction become manifest, it may well cause harm - that is, to the distinguished one - since the enemies now know with clear certainty that the Truth, exalted be His glory, has forbidden sedition, corruption, persecution and murder. Therefore there is some delay in certain matters, but they are secretly vigilant. If they truly know someone to be a source of major influence in those parts, they will through various machinations prove some offense outwardly, like the offense that tyrannical bird proved against the helpless partridge before tearing it apart. This servant’s purpose is that for these reasons some divine commands have been delayed. Regarding the handmaiden of God, Hudhud, upon her be the Glory of God - what you wrote - at one time this servant made special mention of her again and she was honored with the ornament of the favor of the Truth, exalted be His glory, and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this supreme word - exalted be His utterance: “O thou who gazest upon My face and standeth in service to My Cause! Give her glad tidings from Me and glorify her by command of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. Verily We made mention of her before, and of the daughter of My Most Truthful Name who turned and directed himself toward the court of God by His command, until he entered the prison and stood before the gate and heard the call of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. Verily We glorify her and her mother and My handmaidens who have turned to God, the Lord of all beings, and We counsel them to perform pure deeds and whatsoever is befitting for the days of God, the Lord of lords.” Thus did the ocean of utterance surge when the All-Merciful walked in the most exalted station. End. Praise be to God, she attained what she desired. She has been mentioned and there hath been revealed for her and her daughter that which hath diffused the fragrance of the loving-kindness of our Lord, the Generous.

O thou who drinkest the choice wine of My utterance! We have verily exalted thee and aided thee and raised thee up and made mention of thee, that thou mayest make mention of the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Bountiful. This glory shall not be altered, and the hosts of the world are powerless to conceal it, inasmuch as God hath bestowed it and it is from God. Soon shall its signs be made manifest upon earth. Hold fast unto My remembrance and arise to serve My Cause with spirit and fragrance, with wisdom and utterance. Thus doth the All-Merciful command thee from this glorious and exalted station.

Consult with that soul and with such friends as are faithful and sincere, who are truly adorned with the ornament of love, and arise to that which promoteth unity and accord. By My life! God shall soon exalt him whom He loveth and make manifest his station among His creatures. Verily He is the Protector of those who turn unto Him and the Helper of those who help Him in this wondrous and glorious Day.

In My Name, He Who is mentioned in the Scriptures, the Sacred Books and Tablets.

This is a Book sent down from God, the Lord of eternity, unto all parties and peoples. Blessed is he that heareth and seeth, and woe betide every doubting denier. O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of them who have clung to the hem of the robe of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, with a mention that shall draw unto it hearts and spirits. Make mention of My servant, the Great, who hath acknowledged this Most Great Announcement and drunk the choice wine of understanding from the hands of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, Who uttereth in every state that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

We made mention of thee aforetime from the direction of the Snow-White Spot, from the Divine Lote-Tree, with a mention through which the fragrance of eternity was wafted among the peoples. Give thanks unto God for this most great remembrance in My Most Great Prison and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Source of Revelation and Revealer of verses! By My life! A single letter of My verses is worth more than all the treasures of the earth - to this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book.

Say: O concourse of the peoples! By God, the Book crieth out in the midmost heart of the world and summoneth the peoples unto the Lord of eternity, yet the people are in a strange sleep. Say: He hath come, before Whom all the books of the earth have bowed down. Take heed, O ye who are endued with discernment! Fear the All-Merciful, O people of all existence! Judge fairly in this Cause at whose appearance the Trumpet was sounded and the mountains passed away. Say: Bring forth what ye possess, O peoples of the earth, that We may weigh what We have and what ye have in this Balance which hath been set up with justice by God’s command, the Lord of Lords. This is a Day wherein the Balance proclaimeth with its loudest voice: I am the Distinguisher, the All-Knowing, from the presence of the Lord of all religions.

We make mention of him who was named Haydar from this Most Great Scene, to give him glad tidings of My mercy and loving-kindness, and draw him nigh unto the station which God hath made the object of circumambulation for the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names at morn and eventide. By My life! Wert thou to become aware of that which is with thy Lord, such joy and gladness would seize thee that all pens would be powerless to describe it. Be thou steadfast in serving My Cause, and vocal in My praise, and directed towards My horizon, and clinging to the hem of the robe of My loving-kindness. Thus did We command thee before, and in this Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the sun of wisdom and utterance. O Haydar! Counsel My servants concerning My qualities and that which hath been revealed in My Book. Verily thy Lord is the Commander, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Beware lest the affairs of men debar thee from the Truth. Cast aside all else but Me, then turn thy face towards My direction and say: I bear witness that Thou wert recorded by the Most Exalted Pen and concealed within God’s knowledge, the Lord of all men. Praise God for having been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, Who hath sent down for thee that which hath illumined the horizons.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory and My mercy. Rejoice that the Most Great Ocean hath turned towards thee from this Most Luminous, Most Ancient Station, and hath desired to make mention of thy uncle and his son, that they may rejoice in God’s remembrance on a Day whereon faces were darkened and feet did slip. Blessed is he who heard and turned towards God; woe unto him who turned away from Him Who made mention of him by night and day. We give them glad tidings and proclaim from this Station Our glorification unto them, that they may arise to serve My Cause before which necks have bowed. And We make mention of God’s loved ones and His friends in the land of Sin and Nun, and give them glad tidings of the Sun and its radiance, and the Sea and its waves, and the Heaven and its elevation, and the Stars and their lights, and that which hath been inscribed for them by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Scroll. Thus doth God recompense His servants as a token of His grace, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Yahya! Hearken unto the Call from the precincts of ’Akka, from the right hand of the Luminous Spot, from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is no God but I, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Dost thou know Who speaketh unto thee, and dost thou recognize Who hath turned towards thee? Say: Yea, by Thy Self! The One Who conversed on Sinai speaketh unto me, and the Lord of the Manifestation hath turned towards my face as a token of His grace, for He is in truth the Self-Sufficient, and I am the poor and needy one. O Yahya! Counsel My servants to trustworthiness and truthfulness, and to that whereby God’s remembrance may be exalted in the cities and lands. Open ye the hearts through the hosts of goodly character. Thus have We commanded Our servants before, and in this Book, and thus have We adorned the pages of the Book of Existence with mention of the Intended One, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind.

And We make mention of him who was named Mawla in this Most Exalted Station with My sweetest call, and I am verily powerful over whatsoever I desire. Arise to make mention and offer praise, and glorify thy Lord, the Lord of the Final End. We have remembered you with such remembrance as hath caused the valley of Batha to overflow, and the Euphrates of My mercy to stream forth from every direction. Say: O people! Deprive not yourselves of the Water of Life. Fear ye the All-Merciful Who hath come with the hosts of divine revelation and the standards of His verses. Say: Will there remain with you what ye behold this day? Nay, by My true Self! All that is on earth shall perish, and sovereignty shall remain with Him alone. To this beareth witness every tree, stone, clod and pebble.

We make mention of the Guide whom We guided to the straight path. O Hadi! The Wronged One makes mention of thee and bids thee and them that have believed to observe that which ye have been commanded by Him Who causes the dawn to break. By God! The Day of God speaketh the truth in this Castle which God hath made the Most Great Horizon. Know this, O ye men of understanding! Say: Cast aside that which the people possess. The Monarch of existence hath come with the standards of revelation and inspiration. O people of the earth! Fear God, and deprive not yourselves of Him through Whom was manifested that which lay hidden in the Books and Tablets. Take hold of the Book of God with might, and follow not every doubting ignorant one. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of knowledge with the light of utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto every heedless imposter.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath heard thy shrill voice and turned toward thee, who hath been named Yusuf, that he may rejoice in this remembrance before which, when it appeared, all remembrances bowed down in adoration. We have appeared and manifested the Cause in such wise that hearts were stirred and eyes were fixed in wonder, except for those who cast behind them idle fancies, turning unto God, the Dawning-Place of lights. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the hearing of My call and found the fragrance of My garment and was awakened by the breezes of My loving-kindness as they wafted forth at dawn. This is a Day wherein all things have been attracted by the call of Him Who is the Lord of Names, yet the people remain in heedlessness and slumber. Well is it with him who hath found the fragrance of the utterance and hath arisen to serve the Cause in the morning and in the evening. We have heard thy mention and have made mention of thee, and We have seen thy turning and have turned toward thee from the Dayspring of remembrance.

We make mention of Ali-Qabl-Muhammad and give him and those who have believed the glad-tidings of My mercy and My loving-kindness and My bounty, to which all atoms bear witness. Put thy trust in all things in Him Who conversed with the Tree, and hold fast unto that which hath been sent down in the Book from Him Who sendeth the winds. Beware lest the imaginings of the divines hold thee back from Him Who created the heavens, or the might of rulers deter thee from the Dawning-Place of certitude. Pay no heed to numbered days; they shall pass away, and the unitarians shall find themselves in the highest paradise. We bid you in all circumstances to observe wisdom, lest the clamor of them that have denied the ultimate end be raised. Thus hath the fragrance of utterance been wafted throughout the contingent world. Blessed is he who hath found it, and woe unto every denying impostor.

We make mention of My loved ones in Shin and Ha, and give them glad-tidings of My turning toward them, and We pronounce greetings upon their faces from this Station which hath been adorned with the lights of the countenance of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. O My loved ones! Rejoice in that which hath been sent down unto you from the heaven of the Command, then thank your Lord, the All-Merciful, at all times. He hath forgiven you and guided you and preferred you above most of His servants. We have made mention of everyone whose name was mentioned before the Face, and then those whose names were not mentioned. Verily, He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

We make mention of him who hath been named Khanlar and give him glad-tidings of My inexhaustible favors. Rejoice in Our having made mention of thee and of those who have believed in verses for which souls would be sacrificed. Confine thy affairs to the remembrance and praise of God. When one of His loved ones visits thee, arise to serve him with spirit and fragrance. Let not the affairs of the world and what transpireth therein sadden thee. Leave them behind thee and hold fast unto the cord of God, the Lord of creation. Glory be upon thee and upon thy children and thy family and upon every patient believer.

After the waves of the ocean of inner meanings and the dawning of the lights of divine utterance, what can this servant mention and what can he submit? At one time this most exalted Word issued from the tongue of the Lord of Names - indeed it caused the heart to burn, sighs to ascend and tears to fall - His word, exalted be His grandeur:

“O servant in attendance! Thou dost witness and hear that in the nights and days the scratching of the Pen of Grace is raised and the call of the Wronged One is loud, and all hath been for the guidance of the servants and salvation of all on earth. Would that, in return for this supreme gift and this mighty favor, they would unite on the Cause of God and hold fast to that which is the cause of its loftiness and elevation, that perchance a sweet fragrance might waft from pure deeds and spiritual qualities and inform the world of that which hath appeared. This fragrance, should it be diffused, is a truthful messenger and perfect herald and expositor. Blessed is he who hath attained unto My utterance and recognized what the Kingdom of My Will desired.”

This poor one hath ever been astounded and bewildered at what hath appeared. They turn to the buzz of a spider and turn away from the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen. They count a foul odor as beloved while depriving themselves of the fragrance of the supreme Paradise. All matters are evident and manifest - soon thy holiness shall see them. Thus hath informed Me He with Whom is the Mother Book.

At this time thy third letter arrived like the breeze of true spring upon this withered, prostrate form. It bestowed bounties and showed favors. Praise be to God, the herald of love is appearing and passing by, and God willing this herald shall not be prevented and shall not cease from movement.

After reading and becoming informed, it was presented at the peerless station, and after attaining presence and permission, thy beloved prayer was offered before the throne of the All-Merciful with the utmost joy and fragrance. This is what the Tongue of Eternity and Lord of the worlds uttered, blessed and exalted be His words:

“O thou who hast turned to My face and art attracted by My verses! We have heard thy call and that wherewith thou didst commune with God, thy Lord. We heard thy sighs and saw thy tears in thy love for God, thy Beloved and thy Goal. We witnessed the fire of thy love and the burning of thy heart and thy humility and submissiveness and the trembling of thy limbs in thy passion and devotion to God. We were with thee in the gatherings and assemblies when thou didst speak of this Most Great Name and this News wherewith We had given glad tidings to the Prophets and Messengers. Blessed art thou and blessed are they whom the circumstances of vain imaginings prevented not, who arose and said: ‘God is our Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne.’ Convey My greetings to My loved ones. Say: By God, My heart lamenteth and Mine eye weepeth for what hath befallen My Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Hold fast to the cord of unity and what hath passed you by in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus have We lit the lamp of counsel with the oil of grace and the fire of love. If ye preserve it not from the winds, be not the cause of its extinction. Fear the All-Merciful and reflect on the favor of your Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Arise to serve the Cause - it is better for you than whatsoever hath been created in the heavens and earths.”

With a hundred thousand tongues this evanescent servant beseeches the friends of God to arise with all their hearts and strive together, that perchance the peoples of the world may become aware and cognizant of that which God, exalted be His glory, hath willed. Were they to enumerate the differences and perceive the unseemly deeds, by the life of your Beloved and my Beloved, they would flee and mock. In one of the Tablets He saith: The friends must be even as the arteries in the body of the world. Therefore must all manifest such deeds and character that the whole world may, by reason thereof, be drawn to them and set in motion. A hundred thousand souls be sacrificed for them that act for the sake of God! Where are they who prefer God before themselves and who act in His path that which conduceth to the progress and love of the peoples of the world? Through God’s grace it is hoped that the seeds of bounty deposited in hearts will sprout forth and be adorned with delicate fruits. His is the Command, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

The mention of Aqa Shaykh ’Abbas, upon him be the Glory of God, was recorded by His pen. This matter was presented before the throne whence shineth forth the light of oneness, and this most exalted Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of grace. God willing, may he drink from the flowing waters in the divine Tablet and attain the honor of meeting and the bounty of our Lord, the Lord of Names. His word, exalted be His utterance, sublime be His grace, and glorified be His majesty:

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

O Abbas! The Wronged One remembers thee with a remembrance whereby those who are nigh unto God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, are attracted. The Hour has come, the Call has been raised, the Cry has appeared, the mountains have passed away, yet the people remain unaware. The world has been revolutionized, the Throne has been established, and upon it is seated the Lord of Manifestation, He Who conversed on Sinai, yet most people comprehend not. The Mother Book has appeared and calls out between earth and heaven with the most exalted call, summoning all to the praiseworthy station. Among the people are those who deny, those who turn away, those who dispute the signs of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, and those who violated God’s Covenant and His Pact with such tyranny as caused the dwellers of the cities of names and the inhabitants of the Kingdom to lament. When We observed closely, We found most of Our enemies to be among the divines. Thus does the Most Glorious Tongue recount unto thee from the Supreme Horizon. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

We revealed knowledge for the recognition of Him Who is known. Yet when the horizon of Revelation shone forth and the Known One appeared, the divines denied Him at the outset, save those whom God, the Lord of existence, willed. Say: O concourse of divines! Cast aside what ye possess. By God! The Most Exalted Pen has raised its shrill voice and gives glad tidings to all of the appearance of Him Whom ye sought at eventide and at morn. Say: What aileth you, O heedless ones, that ye seek the House yet turn away from Him Who raised it by His command? Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come unto you with a manifest Book, before Whom, when He appeared, all the books of the world bowed down in submission, if ye be fair-minded. Be not of those who denied the Witness and the Witnessed. This is the Day promised unto you in God’s scriptures and Books, and this is the Cause whose pledge was taken by Him Who knoweth what was and what shall be.

Say: O company of oppressors! Ye have committed that which caused the Concourse on High to cry out, the denizens of Paradise to lament, and caused the sighs of the Most Exalted Paradise and the tears of the angels and the Spirit to descend. Say: If ye possess something greater than what hath come from the heaven of divine Will, then produce it, and follow not every rejected ignorant one. Say: Come, that I may show you that of which ye were heedless on this Day which hath been attributed to God, the Mighty, the Loving. This is the Day whereon the fragrance of the All-Merciful was diffused, the breezes of Revelation wafted, and the Nightingale of the Cause sang upon the branches: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all sovereignty.”

O Abbas! Arise to serve the Cause in the name of thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, and remind the people of this Most Great News, at whose appearance the limbs of vain imaginings and idle fancies trembled. Beware lest the might of princes and the doubts of divines hold thee back from the Lord of Names. Be as an immovable mountain in this irrevocable Cause. Say: He hath come with the truth and payeth no heed to your acceptance or rejection. He hath appeared and revealed what He desired despite your wishes, did ye but know. He it is Who speaketh in every condition: “There is no God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beloved.”

Thus have We opened before thy face the gate of grace with the key of justice. When thou hast attained unto it, say: “Praise be to Thee, O God of the seen and unseen! I testify that Thou hast forsaken comfort for the elevation of the nations, accepted abasement for the glory of the world, and chosen exile that Thy servants might reach the Supreme Homeland, the station which God hath made sanctified beyond the comprehension of minds.” O thou who hast turned to the Countenance! Take the sealed wine in the name of the Wronged One, then drink thereof with this remembrance whereby souls have been attracted.

I chose exile that the servants might attain unto the Most High Homeland, the Station which God hath made sanctified beyond the comprehension of minds. O thou who hast turned towards the Countenance! Take the Sealed Wine in the name of the Wronged One, then drink thereof with this remembrance whereby souls and hearts have been attracted. We have written for thee the reward of attainment unto Our presence with My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet. Rejoice, then give thanks to the Lord of the Frequented Fane. We have accepted thy turning, thy devotion and thy deeds in the path of God. Blessed art thou for having adorned thy deeds with the ornament of acceptance.

O beloved of my heart! It seems that upon every word of the divine utterances there is a herald who calls out at the top of his voice to all who dwell on earth. Glory be to God! What has befallen the world that they have deprived themselves of this most great favor and occupied themselves with that which neither nourishes nor enriches. In any case, praise be to God that the aforementioned person has attained the supreme honor and has been distinguished by mention from the Most Exalted Pen. God willing, may they recognize the worth of this most exalted station and partake and share with others from the Salsabil, Kawthar and Tasnim of divine utterance, that both that beloved one and this servant may speak the word “Welcome” and say “Well done!” How excellent is this fragrance - I know not whence it comes! Praise be to its Manifestation, its Sender, its Source, its Creator, its Originator and its Author. This ephemeral one also conveys greetings and salutations to them and begs for prayers for divine confirmation. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful over all things.

And concerning what your honor mentioned about Muhammad Karim who emigrated in the previous year, he has attained unto the hearing of our Lord, the All-Merciful, and there was revealed for him that which gladdeneth the hearts of the knowing ones. His Word is complete and His proof perfected.

In My Name through which every perspicuous Book hath been sent down.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear tokens and dispatched the Messengers to bring glad tidings to the servants of this Revelation, whereby hath appeared that which was mentioned by the tongue of the Prophets and inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. When the Cause was revealed and the verses were sent down and the Temple of the Revelation was established upon the throne, the people arose in opposition, save those whom the hand of Divine power preserved from a Mighty, Ancient Source. O Karim! Hearken unto that which the Wronged One calleth out to thee from the precincts of the Prison, and remembereth thee with that from which thou dost find the fragrance of eternity. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is the face that hath turned toward the Most Sublime Horizon, and the one who hath walked the path of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We have heard thy call when thou didst catch the fragrance of My raiment from the direction of Hijaz, the place which We illumined with the lights of the countenance of Muhammad, the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets. We heard mention of thee before, and remembered thee in a Book which none hath known save the One, the All-Informed. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain desire and followed that which he was bidden by God, the Lord of all men. He is among the most exalted of creation in His perspicuous Book. Well is it with thee for having cast behind thee idle fancies, turning unto the Dayspring of thy Lord’s revelation, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. He, verily, aideth whom He willeth through a sovereignty from His presence, and guideth those who turn unto His straight path. This is a Day wherein hath appeared that which had not appeared from all eternity. To this testifieth He Who speaketh the truth in every circumstance - there is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. When thou dost attain unto My Book and find the fragrance of My utterance, glorify thy Lord with praise, then thank Him for this bounty the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld. To this testifieth every fair-minded scholar and every discerning mystic. Grieve not over anything; what thou hast done in His path hath been accepted. He, verily, doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost. Thus hath the horizon of utterance been illumined with the light of the mention of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

This is yet another bounty, another mercy, and another favor for those who have turned unto Him, drawn nigh unto His holy court, and inhaled the air that was adjacent to the air of this exalted Prison. God willing, may they be set ablaze by the fire of divine love which is manifest and resplendent from each of its letters, and may they speak His praise with complete steadfastness through wisdom and utterance. His is the favor and the bounty in all conditions, and He is the All-Bountiful throughout all eternity.

And regarding the mention which that beloved one made of the souls who have turned unto God - upon them be the Glory of God - these were presented one by one in the Most Holy Court - God was, and there was nothing else beside Him - and there was sent down from the heaven of Will for each one specially that which would guide the stranger to his homeland, lead the thirsty to the Salsabil, unite the lover with the Beloved, and draw the seeker to the direction of the Sought One. Great is His beneficence, exalted is His grandeur, all-encompassing is His grace, and supreme is His dominion.

O thou who hast dawned from the horizon of the heaven of My mighty Kingdom […]

O Salim! The All-Bountiful remembers thee from the prison, purely for His sake, that thou mayest hear the scratching of My Most Exalted Pen and the cooing of the Bird of Eternity upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree. Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is the heart that is drawn to the verses of God, the face that hath turned toward Him, and the tongue that hath spoken His wondrous remembrance. Look not to the divines and their pride, but look to Him Who remembereth thee from this mighty prison. Say: He hath appeared with the truth and hath arisen to fulfill His Cause with a sovereignty that the affairs of vain imaginings have not hindered, nor have the veils of the wayward obscured it. How many a learned one hath been deprived of God’s grace and mercy, and how many an unlettered one hath attained unto this radiant wine! Give thanks unto God for having made thee recognize the Dawning-Place of His Cause and the Dayspring of His Revelation, and for having protected thee from the doubts of those who have denied His mighty proof. Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause in such wise that the unified may inhale from thee the fragrance of steadfastness in this Great Announcement, whereat the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise have rejoiced in a noble station.

This is what hath been revealed for him who was named Mirza Abu’l-Hasan–in My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise: O Abu’l-Hasan! Thou wert mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, and the heaven of the All-Merciful’s utterance hath turned toward thee. This is a heaven whose planets have not been and never shall be numbered, and whose suns and moons perpetually shine and rise at the point of decline. Every sage is bewildered in enumerating them, and every mighty one powerless to comprehend and define them. He counseleth thee to be truthful and fair, for had all the peoples of the world been adorned with the ornament of fairness, they would not have been deprived of the recognition of the Most Great Name and the Lord of Eternity. This Wronged One hath, according to the fancy of the suspicious, judged contrary to God’s judgment. What fault had the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets–may the souls of all else be sacrificed for His sake–that for successive years they rose up to persecute Him? Some called Him a liar, others a madman, some a sorcerer, and yet others an impostor. All that hath been mentioned, this servant and other servants have heard and known. Consider, beyond His blessed person, Jesus Christ–what was the cause that made those on earth rise up to deny Him? That which befell the Manifestations of God’s Cause hath caused every fair-minded person to weep and lament. The cause and source of denial in every age and century were the divines of that time, whose love of leadership prevented them from turning towards God. Lo! They are in manifest error. We hope that thou wilt reflect upon what hath passed and discover the straight path of God. There is and hath been no doubt that this Wronged One speaketh for God’s sake and summoneth unto God. Neither doth denial harm Him, nor doth acceptance profit Him. Leave the suppositions and idle fancies of the people to the people, and turn with an illumined heart to God, glorified be His majesty, that perchance the gate of recognition may be opened before thy face and thou mayest not be deprived of the lights of His countenance after the passing away of all things. Verily, He speaketh the truth and guideth mankind to His luminous horizon.

This is what hath been revealed for his honor Mashhadi Nasru’llah–in My name, the One Who ruleth over all names […]

O Nasru’llah! The Lord of mankind makes mention of thee while imprisoned in this remote spot, and gives thee the glad tidings of God’s bounty and mercy. There is none other God but Him. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Bear thou witness as God hath borne witness that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. Thou wert remembered before the Wronged One, and there have been revealed for thee these verses which nothing created on earth can equal, thy Lord, the All-Knowing, beareth witness to this. Blessed art thou for having cast aside the doubts of the people and drunk from the ocean of certitude. Know thou the station of Him Who hath guided thee, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Helper, the Generous. Let not the affairs of men grieve thee, nor the kings and rulers frighten thee. It behooveth everyone who hath turned to My horizon to forsake the earth and all that is therein, and to turn toward the conquest of hearts through My Name, the Mighty, the Wise. Riches belong to the people of glory, but hearts belong to God, the Lord of the worlds.

We make mention in this place of him who was named Abu’l-Qasim, who migrated until he attained the presence of his Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. We counsel him to remain steadfast in this Most Great Cause and We invoke for him that which befitteth the grace of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Glory be upon the people of glory who have won the mention of My Beautiful Name.

This evanescent servant hopes that through the mercy and loving-kindness of the Purpose of the worlds, His hand of bounty will take hold of all and lead them from the nethermost fire to the most exalted paradise. Nothing can frustrate Him and no affair can escape His knowledge. He giveth through grace and withholdeth through wisdom. He is the Powerful, the Commander, the Ordainer.

Concerning what thou didst write about Mulla Muhammad (upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah]) from the people of Ya, and likewise his ascent upon the steps of utterance to the heaven of knowledge of our Lord, the All-Merciful - this was presented, and these sublime words were revealed from the Manifestation of divine knowledge and the Source of the Lord’s command, and verily a station that cannot be known or described was made manifest and revealed concerning him. His blessed and exalted Word:

In the name of the Everlasting Speaker […]

O Muhammad! We beseech God to aid thee to attain knowledge and certitude and to serve His Cause in such wise that should all the peoples of the world arise to prevent thee, they would be powerless to do so. Today the Spirit of God calleth in the wilderness of the Holy Land, and the Light of God dawneth from the horizon of His Will, and the fragrance of His Robe is diffused, and the breezes of revelation are passing by; yet the servants remain fixed in their own heedlessness. Strive thou to drink from the Kawthar of the knowledge of the All-Merciful and partake of the descended feast, that thou mayest guide the people of the world to the Most Exalted Horizon through wisdom and utterance. The people are heedless; an expounder is needed. Arise to serve the Cause of God that thou mayest become the servant of the world, and be enkindled with the fire of His love that thou mayest become the beloved of all horizons. Though some mysteries have been unveiled, most remain hidden and concealed in Divine knowledge, for were the mysteries of the Day of God and the stations of the assured and tranquil souls to be revealed even to the extent of a needle’s eye, thou wouldst behold all people circling round the dawning-places of what was and what shall be. Stand firm in the Name of Truth and arise to make good what hath been lost. Time is most precious, nay more precious than the red sulphur. Counsel the people to spiritual attributes and goodly deeds. Blessed are they who act for God’s sake and are turned toward Him.

Say: O concourse of the earth! Beware lest the books of the world hold you back from the Book of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, which hath been sent down from the heaven of grace from the presence of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Say: By God! That which the people possess will profit you not. Fear the All-Merciful, then turn unto Him with radiant faces and illumined hearts. Thus doth He command you in Whose grasp is the control of all knowledge. Say: O concourse of divines! Purify your hearts from that which ye possess that ye may hear the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing from this glorious station. This is a Day wherein the treasures of the world and the ranks of nations will not suffice you. Cast them behind you, seeking that which is with God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We counsel thee and them who have believed to manifest the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause whereby the pillars of names have been shaken, save whom God willeth, the Lord of existence. Thus surgeth the ocean of My utterance and wafteth the fragrance of My loving-kindness. When thou seest and findest, arise and say: “I testify that Thou hast accepted the world’s tribulations for the exaltation of God’s Cause and hast borne afflictions in the love of God, the Creator of the heavens and the Lord of Names, until Thou wast imprisoned in the Most Great Prison for the salvation of the peoples. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name through which Thou hast subdued the kingdom of names, that Thou disappoint me not of what is with Thee and withhold me not from what Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones and chosen ones. O Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and holding fast to Thy cord. I beseech Thee to confirm me in steadfastness in this Cause whereby the feet of most of Thy creatures have slipped. There is none other God but Thee, the Most High, the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”

God willing, may they be confirmed in that which hath been commanded from the Tongue of Grandeur and drink from the cups of bounty in such wise that the prevention of the oppressors shall not hold them back. In truth, if in these days one fails to gain his portion and remains deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful, what else can bring him contentment and joy? It would be most regrettable should these precious times pass while one remains heedless. God willing, all the friends should arise with utmost endeavor to serve, first with perfect sanctification[…]

May all the friends strive to render service with full detachment, purity, fairness and consultation. First they must seek to remedy whatever they observe that causes division, and then engage in service with joy, fragrance and wisdom. The affairs of the people and the world will all be set aright. Such utterances have been heard repeatedly from the Ancient Tongue. A hundred thousand blessings and joy to those souls who arise to do that which causes the exaltation of the Cause and comfort of the peoples of the world. In truth, exaltation itself is comfort, but people in their ignorance are heedless of this. God willing, that loved one and this servant pray that they may be led from the left hand of ignorance to the right hand of knowledge.

As for what you wrote concerning the sister of the King of Martyrs, may our spirits be sacrificed for him - it was presented before the Throne. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak: “O Ali, the glance of favor has been and will continue to be directed toward her and those related to the Two Luminous Ones. We have instructed Ismu’llah Mahdi to give complete instructions to Sadiq, upon him be Baha, regarding her rights. Likewise from the Supreme Pen it was written that if the sister has any rights they must be fulfilled - justice and fairness must prevail. We, from this station, glorify her and give her the glad tidings of My grace and mercy.” And regarding her orientation toward the Point and the arising of a leaf among leaves in a way that God loves and is pleased with - this matter attained the honor of being heard by the Lord of Names. He said: “O servant present, blessed is she, again blessed is she. It behooveth that there descend upon her from the heaven of My bounty that which shall immortalize her remembrance as a reward for her deed. My Most Exalted Pen shall write for her and give her glad tidings of the acceptance of what appeared from her. We command the Branch to write for My handmaiden and My leaf that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of her Creator and hath appeared from the horizon of the loving-kindness of her Fashioner, that it may be a treasure and honor for her in all the worlds of her Lord.”

The light of the Sun of grace illumined the worlds of the seen and unseen. O beloved of my heart, observe how a pleasing deed is beloved in the sight of God. Should one spend seas of elixir and the treasures of the world, they would surely not attain to such mention. A deed appeared and was adorned with the ornament of acceptance in such wise that from the Dayspring of the utterance of the All-Merciful there appeared that whose fragrance shall never cease throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Convey on behalf of this servant glorification and greetings to that leaf. Upon her be the glory of her Lord, upon her be the glory of her Lord. And this is what was sent down for her from the heaven of the grace of our Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. In My Name, the Manifest, the Evident[…]

O my leaf! Upon thee be my Baha! Rejoice thou in what hath been sent down unto thee from the Supreme Pen. Verily He hath made mention of thee and given thee glad tidings of that which hath appeared from thee in the path of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Be thou thankful and hold fast to the hem of grace and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, for having aided me to perform a deed which hath won the ornament of Thy acceptance and been adorned with Thy good-pleasure. By Thy life, O Beloved of my heart! That which Thou hast bestowed upon me cannot be equalled by whatsoever hath been created in Thy heaven and earth. Verily Thou art the Bountiful, the Generous.

The Truth, exalted be His glory, shall assist all to that which causeth the sweet savors of His good-pleasure to be wafted. One accepted deed today is equivalent to a hundred thousand deeds - nay, I seek God’s forgiveness for this limitation. Likewise concerning deeds that are not good, the Tongue of Grandeur once uttered this most exalted word - His word, exalted and glorified be He: “O thou who art present! The favors of the Truth have made the people presumptuous in such wise that mention thereof is not befitting. The souls who have accepted must be made aware. Today, as the Sun of Manifestation is shining and the light of His countenance hath encompassed the world, many unseemly deeds are concealed and continue to be concealed. Verily He is the Concealer, the All-Wise.”

Today is the day of gladness and the day of supreme joy. The ocean of bounty is surging, the breeze of generosity is wafting, and the sun of grace is shining. However, it is now observed that unseemly deeds have reached such a point that they are nigh to touch the hem of the Truth, exalted be His glory, and rend the veil of reverence. All that hath transpired from the beginning of the Cause until now and which We have accepted was for the exaltation of God’s Word and the elevation of souls that are serene, steadfast, content and well-pleasing. Now the deeds of some have been and are being scattered to the winds, unless God, exalted be His glory, protecteth through His complete power, as indeed He hath done.

O thou who art present! Write to ’Ali - upon him be My Baha and My loving-kindness - that he should remind all the friends in that land and make them aware of that which profiteth them, that perchance they may return from that which hath escaped them and hold fast unto the Truth, and that which hath become the cause of harm and the source of the abasement of souls may be purified by the water of return. Verily He is the Oft-Returning, the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

These utterances have repeatedly streamed forth from the Tongue of Him Who revealeth the verses, and sometimes when this servant was present, he would observe the Ancient Beauty in such a state of grief and sorrow that trembling would seize this evanescent one’s frame. The cause of the Ancient Beauty’s sorrow is clear and evident and needeth no mention. Today the goodly deeds of the friends of God are heralds of His Cause amongst His servants. Such matters have repeatedly been revealed in the divine tablets that perchance they may prove beneficial and cause awakening. Otherwise, verily He is independent of all worlds.

Some time ago certain souls outwardly began to complain, yet no answer was revealed from the Most Holy Court. “My concealment hath preceded disclosure, and My patience hath preceded haste.” However, there is fear that our transgressions may lift the veil and rend the covering. I take hold of the hem of His bounty and beseech Him to assist His loved ones in that which He loveth and is pleased with, to protect them from that which harmeth them, and to guide them to that which profiteth them. Verily He is the Powerful, the All-Possessing, the Kind, the All-Forgiving.

According to His command, convey greetings from the True One to the emigrants in the land of Sad, may the Glory of God be upon them. God willing, may they be illumined by the light of unity and arise to serve the Cause, so that the effects of light may shine forth and become manifest in all regions. All have to some degree understood God’s good-pleasure; let them hold fast unto it and act accordingly. This is the cause of salvation in this world and the next. Your migration and tribulations have ever been beneath His gaze; God willing, they shall remain preserved.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Aqa Baba, may the Glory of God be upon him, mention was made of him in the Most Holy Court, and he has been blessed with the lights of favor from the Sun of Truth. Blessed is he! In these days, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ahmad, may the Glory of God be upon him, from or resident in Shah, sent a letter to this servant regarding Jinab-i-Mirza H-Y, may the Glory of God and His favors be upon him. Several names were mentioned therein, including that of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Aqa Baba. Most holy Tablets were revealed and sent specially for each one; God willing, they shall attain unto them. In truth, the matter is as that beloved one wrote, for the journey of Jinab-i-Mirza to those regions caused the Word to be uplifted. This suffices him, by the Lord of all worlds. When these words were heard from the beloved’s tongue, mention was made; otherwise this servant was not and is not worthy to make mention of his services.

Regarding what was written about the leaf, the wife of Jinab-i-Mirza H and Sin, may the Glory of God and His favors be upon them, it caused grief, and all the inmates of the pavilion of chastity were visibly overcome with utmost sorrow, and mention was also made in the Most Holy Court. On behalf of this evanescent one, convey condolences to Jinab-i-Mirza, and God willing, this servant himself shall also express what bespeaks his weakness and lowliness.

And concerning the mention of the ascension of Jinab-i-Haji Mirza Hasan-i-Harati, may the Glory of God be upon him, it was presented in the Most Holy Court. These exalted words were revealed especially for him, purely out of grace and favor. His words, exalted be His glory and mention and praise:

He is the Rememberer, the Helper

O Hasan! The Wronged One visits thee from His Most Exalted Station, which God hath made the point of circumambulation for the people of the highest paradise, and remembers thee with a remembrance through which the fragrance of divine favor hath wafted among all created things. Blessed art thou, and blessed is thy ascension, thy turning unto God, and thy arrival in the Supreme Companion and Most Glorious Station. I testify that thou didst turn toward the Ultimate Goal and the Most Exalted Horizon when the rustling of the Sidrat al-Muntaha was raised between earth and heaven. Thou didst bear witness to that which the Tongue of Grandeur did testify, and didst accept that which was sent down from His presence and appeared from His side. Blessed art thou for having attained forgiveness from the All-Merciful, and for the Supreme Concourse having detected from thee the fragrance of My love. Blessed is he who remembers thee as the Wronged One hath remembered thee in this forbidden station. Thou wert God’s and hast returned to the ocean of His mercy. This is naught but of His grace, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Praise be to God that they have been honored with such supreme bounty. Blessed are those souls who attain unto this most great favor and recognize its station. Pure, steadfast, and assured souls have had and continue to have their portion from the heaven of the grace of the All-Bountiful, which descends and flows upon them without cessation, whether in life or in death.

As to what you wrote concerning the ascension of the exalted and blessed Aqa Seyyed Abu-Talib, upon him be all the most glorious Glory of God, some time ago mention of him was sent to the Most Holy Court through Hadba and His name Zein, upon him be all the most glorious Glory of God, along with certain matters from the tongue of his family members, upon them be the Glory of God [669]. A detailed response was revealed and sent, and mention was also made of them in that blessed Tablet. His is the praise and favor in all conditions. May the Glory shining and gleaming from the horizon of our Lord’s favor be upon you and upon those with you, both men and women.

It is submitted that for some time two Most Holy and Most Mighty Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will specifically for the sons of the exalted and blessed Jenab-i-Zabih, upon him be the Glory of God and the sea of His mercy. These were not sent during this period and were delayed until these days when they were dispatched. Perchance through divine favors they may become mindful and arise to that which is befitting and loved by God. The service of every soul is mentioned and considered in the Most Holy Court, even if it be to the extent of a needle’s eye. The exalted Zabih, upon him be the Glory of God, attained the honor of acceptance and faith in the early days. He has ever been and continues to be mentioned in the Most Holy Court. After hearing the Call, he tarried not for less than that moment - He Who possesses the Clear Book bears witness to this. Therefore consideration has been shown to them in all conditions and, God willing, will continue to be shown. This ephemeral one beseeches from God, exalted be His glory, their confirmation. Their loved ones should protect them with kindness. It is the prime of life, and the winds of youth have a different blowing place […]

Another matter: the honored Khadijih Bigam, upon her be the Glory of God, has sent several letters to this servant, and this servant, due to the upheavals and conflicts in various regions, had not sent a reply until now when she forwarded a letter written several months ago to be delivered to that beloved one. Similarly, this evanescent one wrote and sent a reply to the letter which his honor Aqa Muhammad Karim (upon him be the Glory of God) had sent to His Holiness the Name of Bounty (upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God). God willing, may they drink from the chalices of success at all times and act in accordance with what befits the Days of God. News has arrived from various quarters that his honor has acted according to what God has revealed in the Book and has specifically appointed a deputy for teaching. Blessed is he and joy be unto him! Whosoever acts according to what God has willed will surely bear fruit in this world and the next, will manifest influence, and will prove beneficial in both worlds. Convey repeated greetings and salutations to the other friends in that land. Give glad tidings to his honor ’Ali Pasha Khan, upon him be the Glory of God, for his carpet arrived and was spread out one day, and the Ancient Beauty proceeded to the garden, and it was honored and blessed by the footsteps of His Holiness the Desired One (may my spirit be a sacrifice for His advent). They summoned his honor Haji Ghulam-’Ali Musafir (upon him be the Glory of God) and said: “If thou shouldst see his honor Pasha, upon him be my Glory, give him the glad tidings of the acceptance of what he has sent. Joy be unto him and congratulations be unto him!” God willing, may they be so enkindled that their radiance may be manifest and evident. This evanescent one beseeches God, exalted be His Glory, to assist His chosen ones and loved ones to recognize what has been ordained for them, for if they become aware, the floods of the world would not be able to extinguish the fire of their love, and darkness would not overcome its light. Among the new bounties is that special Tablets, wondrous and exalted, have been revealed for the mentioned names, both in this evanescent one’s handwriting as recorded in the letter, and in the blessed handwriting of His Holiness the Most Great Branch (may my spirit, my being, and my essence be a sacrifice for the dust of His footsteps). In truth, the recipients of the Tablets have become possessors of two stations, two Tablets, and two mentions. We must say with all our limbs and members: “Praise be unto Thee, O Ancient Bestower, and glory be unto Thee, O Desired One of the worlds!” Light and glory from the horizon of our Lord’s grace, the King of Names, be upon you all and upon those with you and upon God’s chosen ones and loved ones.

The Servant

13th of Safar 1300

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In the name of Him of Whom all are heedless! Praise, hallowed above the tongues of contingent beings and sanctified beyond the mention of all created things, beseemeth the court of the sanctity of the Ancient King, Who through a single sprinkling from the ocean of His eternal glory hath guided all the atoms of existence to the eternal, goodly city of His own Self, and through one breath of His holy fragrances hath directed all the realities of things to the paradise of His glorious oneness. The clouds of His divine bounty have bestowed such grace that every atom regardeth itself as rich and independent of all else, and the sun of His heavenly favors hath risen with such splendor from the horizon of His most glorious heaven that in all the mirrors of contingent beings is reflected, through His essence and by His essence, the form of the dawning rays of that Sun. Exalted be His grandeur, elevated His dominion, perfected His bounty, manifest His Cause, and resplendent His countenance! Verily He is the Sovereign, the Abiding, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And it is in reference to these stations that some have made claims and, having lost all self-control through the wine of divine mercy and the chalice of heavenly grace, have ascended to stations beyond their rank - in the realm of words and utterances, not in the world of meaning and truth and essence. Prayers primordial and quintessential grace be upon the first Divine Lofty Tree and the first manifestation of the Sun of Oneness, through Whom the mystery of existence was revealed and the Beauty of the Desired One dawned forth and all contingent things returned to seats of hallowed glory, and through Whom the Beauty of the Unseen shone forth and the Nightingale of glory sang and the Dove of the Cause warbled and every hidden matter was made manifest, and upon His guides and loved ones until the Day whereon the Sun of Eternity shall dawn from the horizon of the glory of the Beloved.

And concerning the question about the Sun of Truth and the mirrors reflecting It: Know that since winds of discord are blowing from every direction and breaths of rancor and hatred encompass all regions, this servant is prevented from mentioning the wondrous hidden knowledge and the treasured pearls of wisdom. For if this matter were truly explained as God, glorified be His majesty, desires, thou wouldst find all rendered unconscious and thunderstruck. Indeed, if the veil were lifted and thou wert to emerge from the imaginary city wherein all people, heedless of God, now dwell and seclude themselves, thou wouldst find the noblest beings and most exalted souls reduced to utter nothingness.

However, since the exalted Truth doth not wish that those who seek should be deprived of His gate of mercy, therefore a drop from the ocean of His bounty is bestowed upon thee and the people of the contingent world, that each may attain his destined portion.

Know thou that in the estimation of those endowed with knowledge and insight, the Sun of Oneness and the Essence of Detachment hath ever been, and will forever be, rising, dawning and shining from Its seat of glory and sanctity and Its retreat of holiness and transcendence. Thus do all possessors of keen vision and subtle perception, all who partake of divine nature and drink the wine of mystic meanings, behold that divine Sun and royal Essence in Its station with the eye of insight, which is sanctified from these darkened and veiled eyes, in such wise that no setting, decline or eclipse can affect It.

As for those who are veiled by their selfish desires and deprived of beholding the lights of the true morn which hath ever been illumined by the grace of the Sun - this affects not the radiance of the Sun’s lights, for It continueth to shine forth and radiate from Its station. This lack of perception pertaineth to the seeing eye and observing gaze, and ever will. Likewise, all affirmation and negation, whether from those who accept or those who reject, relate back to the stations of these weak or strong souls, and in no way pertain to that Sun of Truth. For that Essence of existence dwelleth in the heights of Its elevation and the summit of Its inaccessibility, sanctified from the acceptance of those who turn towards It or the denial of those who turn away.

However, every eye that perceiveth that Ancient Essence with its original nature shall be reckoned as being of It and shall be gathered eternally beneath Its shade, entering the most exalted Paradise which is the highest of all gardens. And those who fail shall enter the darkness of self and the fire of negation, wherein they shall abide as long as God willeth.

Furthermore, were that shining Sun not to appear and were that absolute bounty to withhold Its outpouring from the mirrors of created things, thou wouldst find nothing whatsoever existing upon the face of the earth. Moreover, the existence of the mirrors of Oneness is not of themselves by themselves, as hath been recorded and inscribed in all holy tablets and scriptures, and is evident to every illumined sage and spiritual adult. Rather, the existence of mirrors dependeth upon the existence of the Sun, whether or not they are conscious of this exalted station […]

It is not hidden from an illumined and mature person that the existence of mirrors depends on the existence of the Sun, whether the perceiver be conscious of this exalted station or heedless of it, for the grace of that Sun which has dawned from the horizon of oneness has been and ever will be bestowed without regard to direction. This is the station of God’s all-embracing mercy which is granted without request or seeking, and without recognition or certitude. At most, some mirrors that have recognized this most exalted station and most glorious rank will be in a higher station and rank than others. Furthermore, observe that if the Sun did not exist, the mirrors would have no existence whatsoever and would forever remain in the veils of nothingness. And when the Ancient Sun dawns from Its holy horizon, all mirrors reflect It according to their orientation and proximity. Should the Sun set, assuredly the images reflected in the mirrors, which are but shadows, will also set. This matter is more evident than for any person of perfect understanding to fail to comprehend it. Let any stubborn denier who would deny this evident truth observe the visible sun and its firmly-positioned mirrors: as long as they face the sun, its reflection and manifestation are visible in the mirrors, but after the sun sets no trace will remain. Indeed, he will observe all to be absolute nothingness, utter evanescence, and complete non-existence. In brief, O questioner, cleanse the eye of spiritual insight, which is a divine trust, from the dust of dark and perverse words, that thou mayest behold the Sun of Eternality now in Its exalted station at the zenith of the heaven of justice. By God! Should thine eyes behold It and attain unto Its beauty, they would be solaced. Yea, that which is recorded in the revealed tablets of the Bayan is the truth in which there is no doubt, and we all believe in it. As that divine Sun and Ancient Essence - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Its sake - hath said, the Suns of Truth dawn and appear in every age and cycle from the holy horizon. The intention is the universal Manifestation, meaning in the revelation of verses and the sending down of words and the changing of the law and the renewal of the affairs of the religion. It is with regard to this station that such utterances have appeared from that Essence of creation. I swear by that spiritual Beauty and holy, eternal Mystery that if He had found the people mature, He would not have mentioned such utterances, for that holy station is sanctified above mention of universality and particularity, manifestation and concealment, since change and transformation occur in the realm of limitations, while that essential Purpose abideth in Its holy dwelling place - glorified be God above what ye imagine! How many Suns of infinite grace have arisen who never changed or transformed any matter, but called the people to the same religion that was current before, for all are from God and all return unto God and appear from God. In brief, turn thy gaze away from observing the earth and its people and consider the most great vista and most manifest station, that thou mayest behold the divine Sun in the garment of concealment and veiling, though It hath ever been like the sun of the heaven, manifest […]

Consider the most manifest station, that thou mayest behold the divine Sun in the garment of concealment and veiling. Though it hath ever been manifest, radiant and luminous like the celestial sun, yet for numbered years it hath remained hidden from the eyes of the mystics by the veil of envy and hatred - how much more from the limited and the veiled ones. In any case, swim with keen insight in the deep ocean of inner meanings, that thou mayest attain unto the pearls of the sea of oneness and become independent of all else.

Furthermore, entrust not the reins of insight wholly to others, and be not content with the mere outward meaning of certain expressions and allusions. For all these outer words, sacred allusions and glorious references undergo change in every dispensation. From this very change and transformation and renewal it becometh evident that beyond every utterance there lieth concealed in divine knowledge that which transcendeth all wisdom, treasured in the divine repository of wisdom. As was observed in past religions, the meaning of the words and manner of expression in the Torah were transformed after the melodies of the Holy Spirit were revealed, and likewise until the appearance of the Point of the Bayan and the divine Countenance - may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him - Who brought forth all the gems and pearls from the depths of the Quranic seas and adorned them with new and lofty forms.

Similarly in the day of the Sovereign of Eternity and the Most Great King, Him Whom God shall make manifest, all these exalted words and wondrous expressions shall be transformed. It is as though that Essence of Divine Unity and Ancient Beauty, when He appeareth from the divine realm without how or where or sign, and establisheth Himself upon the Most Exalted Paradise and the Most Glorious Throne - which is none other than the consecrated land where that Sun of Eternity dwelleth - shall make manifest all the mysteries deposited in the Bayan. None save that Ancient Beauty can truly comprehend the pearls hidden in this Most Great Sea, for He is the Manifestor and Interpreter of the mysteries and knowledge ordained in the Bayan.

Yea, the mirrors reflecting Him perceive according to their stations and capacities, not as things truly are. Therefore none shall be able to draw nigh unto the Tree of inner meaning on the Mount of the Bayan save whom thy Lord willeth. Hence it hath been mentioned that thou shouldst not be content with certain expressions according to thine own understanding, for minds fall short of comprehending it. Otherwise, one letter of these revealed Books is more precious to this servant than all who are in the heavens and earth - and none knoweth this save those possessed of understanding.

Likewise shall that Holy Being elevate these exalted expressions of today. For instance, the mention of the “sun” which is the greatest mention and mightiest expression in the Bayan - perchance He shall bestow this mention and station upon one of His servants, not through merit but through His grace, mercy and generosity will He grant this most great bounty and mighty favor. And His own noble Self, which is the dawning-place of the fire of the Primal Tree and the rising-point of the Final Light, He shall designate as the “heaven,” for from its horizon shall the sun arise.[…]

And He will designate it as the Heaven of the End, for the Sun shall rise from its horizon and shall be upheld by His existence. And just as thou dost observe today in all the Bayan the mention of the Sun, in the tablets of that holy heaven of meaning thou shalt observe the mention of Heaven, referring to that same sanctified and most holy Essence of the Unseen. If I wished, I could mention until the endless end all that the holy Manifestations would speak at the beginning of their Revelation, through my Lord’s grace. However, since I have been and am imprisoned amidst vain imaginings, I have not deemed it fitting to convey the songs of the Dove of the divine Unseen, for the beauty of the eternal Rose and the paradise of divine oneness befitteth not the mention of the spiritual nightingale among these weak, idolatrous souls who have become so nonexistent and lost in the veils of fancy that should they observe the Essence of the Unseen through the most evident holy utterances and most glorious divine manifestations, they would turn away and close their eyes. In any case, O questioner, transform Satan’s footsteps into the steps of the All-Merciful, and walk in the expanded land of divine knowledge with the power of witnessing and discovery, that thou mayest attain the ultimate destination of certitude, which is the station of recognition - the dwelling-place of these words - and mayest be illumined by the Egypt of divine unity, which is the very Paradise of Glory. Blessed are they who attain!

This rising and setting that is mentioned regarding the ancient Manifestations is not the rising and setting that these souls comprehend, for that rising and setting falls under vision, while that essential Purpose stands beyond sight in the greatest prospect. Rather, the intent of setting is the failure of the eyes of the veiled ones and the limited vision to perceive. For instance, if the visible sun should pass behind a cloud, outward eyes would be prevented from beholding it, and in their view the sun would be absent, though it would remain brilliant and luminous in its station. But the cloud does not prevent those possessed of spiritual vision, nor are they veiled by the clouds, and they observe from behind a hundred thousand veils and coverings. Observe how most of the people of the earth, despite the lofty elevation of the Sun that hath risen in the Bayan, have remained utterly heedless, abiding in darkness, hidden and veiled. Likewise consider the people of the Bayan, how despite the exalted grandeur and sublime greatness of this most elevated Cause that hath appeared and shone forth in the most glorious holy heaven, none hath comprehended it, and all have walked and will walk according to their own desires. Yet this heedlessness will not prove the nonexistence of that ancient Sun, even though that Supreme Pen, that most glorious Essence, that most resplendent Reality hath counseled in all revealed books and sent scriptures that should a soul, or an essence, or a light, or a manifestation dawn from the divine horizon of will, they should not be veiled by anything but should enter beneath that blessed shadow which is the very shadow of God. And they have declared that all the Bayan and prescribed deeds and sanctified acts therein culminate in the recognition of that holy Being. Nevertheless, they have remained so veiled by the clouds of fancy, self and imagination that they have never intended the divine shore […]

Self and fancy have remained so veiled that they have never sought the Divine Stream, the Ancient Ocean, and the Everlasting Paradise of the Lord. Indeed, they have not even sought to know that Holy Being Who is the very essence of the knowledge of God. All consider themselves firmly established upon the seat of faith and the throne of certitude, unaware that today they are not and never will be mentioned in the presence of God. God will not look upon them, nor speak with them, nor turn to them ever. Despite the fact that all proofs have been manifested in their highest splendor and ultimate ascension, such that none has any excuse to turn away or close their eyes, unless they wholly reject all revealed Books and Messengers sent forth.

O worthless and immature servants! If but a drop from the cloud of mercy were bestowed upon all the earth, thou wouldst witness all temples of existence proclaiming the divine fire and declaring “I am God!” And if a sprinkling from this Most Great Ocean were to be shed upon all the mirrors of created things, thou wouldst behold all beings adorned with holy and sanctified glory. Indeed, the flight of this divine Falcon is far too lofty for earthly birds to attain, and the melody of this sacred Dove is far too subtle to be heard by the ears of these senseless ones steeped in the mortal realm. God speaks the truth, but people hear not.

Verily, through these unceasing effusions, all contingent beings and realms have become ready. Yet how long must they wait before they attain to the station of nearness before the Merciful One - the ultimate degree of the throne of manifestation and concealment - whether in heart or in body? Perchance the holy breeze of the unknowable might waft from the paradise of the incomprehensible, drawing distant souls who dwell in the lowest realm of limitations to this most exalted station and highest horizon, that they might not be deprived of this wondrous bounty and glorious favor. God provides for whomsoever He wishes, but I am not the provider of the dead. Verily, He is the Provider, the Bestower, the Generous One.

And furthermore, thou didst ask about the multiplicity of the dawning-places of Oneness and holy Manifestations. It must be evident to thee that the divine Cause, the celestial Will, and the heavenly Purpose have never been confined by limitations. In some ages there hath been a single Soul, and in other times multiple Temples have appeared from the Dayspring of the Cause, as is recorded and evident in all the Books of old and recent times. Were this servant to undertake a detailed exposition, a lengthy volume would need to be written. And if in certain utterances of the Manifestations of the Cause and holy Dawning-places thou perceivest limitation to one, be not veiled thereby but consider the origin of the divine Tree and holy Sapling, for the Cause of God hath ever appeared and shall ever appear without limit or number. Indeed, these limitations are but firm mirrors intended to preserve and protect God’s Cause from tyrannical souls and pharaohlike temples, lest they dare approach and defile the sanctuary of the Cause with their treacherous glances and hearts, and lest satanic manifestations set foot in the holy Solomonic seat. As is witnessed today, every soul is possessed by some desire, and every devil of the commanding self is lost in the delusions of its own fancy, and from every corner a cry is raised. How many dead bodies and hearts have arisen, moved by the croaking of their own vain desires, and have set foot in the land of Pharaoh! Yet for the possessors of pure hearts and those who have attained the City of Unity, truth hath ever been and shall ever be distinguished and separated from falsehood, never to be confused. In brief, in no Manifestation hath the Truth, in its holy essence, ever been limited by the limitations of the pen that floweth with ink, nor veiled by the veils of words. The Cause is in His grasp; He manifesteth whatsoever He willeth. Verily, He doeth what He pleaseth. All else is as naught before Him and can never attain unto Him. He cannot be numbered, nor limited, nor indicated by any sign, nor associated with any token, nor veiled by any veil, nor hindered by any word. Verily, He is the Single, the Self-Subsisting, Who hath ever been the Willing One through His Will, and shall ever be the Powerful One through His Purpose, and all act by His command. It is due to the immaturity of the People of the Book that in each Manifestation of the divine Manifestations, they have remained veiled from the Source and Originator of the Cause, cast into the darkness of their vain imaginings, nay, reduced to nothingness. Glory be to God! How can any will take precedence over His Will, when all else hath been given life by His Word and gathered into the resurrection of its own existence in its appointed places? As was mentioned in the Persian Tablet written some years ago, wherein most matters that were hidden from the eyes of the mystics were revealed. Should anyone observe with the eye of his heart, he would comprehend all holy knowledge and the meanings of perfect utterances, nay, would witness them manifest before him. Therefore, leave the flimsiest of dwellings, which are the vain imaginings of rejected, ephemeral souls, and enter the holy, pure, and impregnable City, and exchange not the utterances of the contemptible earthly ones, who are created in darkness and falsehood, for the melodies of the Dove of divine Unity.

Exchange not the songs of the Divine Dove for invented melodies, and be not content with a murky, transient draught in place of the holy Salsabil that flows from the right hand of the Merciful Throne. Kindle instead the Mosaic Flame, and inhale with thy heart the Holy Spirit’s breath of Jesus. Like the Friend of God, with resignation and tranquility, enter into this Ancient Fire and this blazing Flame. Annihilate thy heart, thy soul, and thy will within the heart, soul and will of thy Beloved, that God may grant thee light and mercy - and verily He is the Protector of them that do good.

With complete attention, be vigilant lest thou remain veiled from the First Name that was revealed in the Prayer of the Night of Power. Let not the opposition of the opposers nor the denial of the deniers prevent thee from reaching and entering the shore of the Most Great Ocean. For this blessed Name, which precedeth all names, hath ever been illumined by the rays of the Holy Sun and will forever be lit by the gleaming lights of the Divine Invisible Presence. A radiant eye is needed to behold the manifestations of the Fire of the Sinaitic Tree from the holy and goodly Mount of Revelation. Both the Exalted One and the Most Glorious Beauty have spoken at length regarding this Name and its precedence over all other names - return ye to the Bayan if ye wish to know.

Though the revealed verses and manifest evidences are too clear to require further proof, yet the people of fancy and conjecture, who speak naught but their own desires, have looked to such proofs, and today they remain as they were before. And if anyone today claims that the world of the Divine Command has been limited or can be explained by mere allusion, such a soul is most remote from the straight path of justice. For the realm of the Divine Command hath from all eternity been sanctified above limitation and restriction. Were pure and sanctified hearts to face, even less than that, the Sun of Unity - which today remaineth imprisoned in the suspicions of men and confined in the imaginings of the servants - all the mysteries of what was and what will be would be impressed upon those hearts according to their capacity and receptivity.

Yet now, not only have they failed to accept such a supreme grace, but hatred and rancor have appeared from most souls. Still they consider themselves believers in the Bayan and are pleased with themselves, unaware that the entire Bayan, in all tongues, curseth those who turn away from this station. In brief, all the veiled ones now dwell in association of partners with God, in the fire of negation and remoteness, and in the depths of torment and the abyss of wrath. To such a degree are these heedless ones unaware that they have become as lifeless things, unmoved by the breeze of grace that in every moment wafteth from the treasury of divine bounty with manifest fragrances - much less would they pitch their tents toward the Ancient Beauty or raise their pavilions on the shore of the Most Great Ocean. All these utterances are mentioned in the Tablets due to the expectation and seeking of the servants; otherwise the resplendent, manifest, and shining Sun is sanctified above being described by any description, characterized by any attribute, or mentioned by any mention. All mention […]

When anything is mentioned in His remembrance, all mention and attributes appear and shine forth through His effulgence. Hearken unto the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking from this exalted and glorious Tree, through one melody of which extinct and perishing bodies are quickened to enter the everlasting and eternal Kingdom, until thou beholdest all the earth and its peoples, both high and low, beneath its extended shade, and through the decisive nature of these lustrous and manifest verses, thou art delivered from the dubious fancies of idle imaginings to enter the Paradise of Truth, which is the station of the Divine Throne’s establishment, attaining the sweet fruits of the Garden of Oneness. Was it not witnessed in the Divine Springtime, which marked the days of the manifestation of the Ultimate Tree and the dawning of the Most Exalted Countenance, how many holy souls and glorious temples became illumined by that Ancient Sun, each claiming lofty stations and infinite ranks? All existing creation has witnessed with their own eyes how His Holiness Quddus, who was the highest and most glorious fruit of the Tree, appeared with such sovereignty that it was as though the Tree of Fire called out at one of his revelations. Likewise did the countenance of ?a appear, and others who exist among you. Yet despite all these peoples witnessing and hearing these stations with their own eyes and ears and comprehending them, they have clung to certain sayings and words, remaining deprived of the Source and Sender of this vast mercy. Though scarcely any time has passed since what they witnessed with their own eyes, they have cast such doubt upon their own visual testimony that they raise questions anew. They are so immersed in idle fancies that if someone should present, according to their own desires, two proofs flimsier than a spider’s web and declare all God’s infinite bounties to be limited and finite, all would willingly and uncompelled accept it, treating what they themselves had seen and heard as though it had never existed. A hundred thousand expressions of wonderment and regret upon such weak, unsettled, and unsteady souls who, with the slightest breeze, turn from the right hand of knowledge and steadfastness to the left hand of doubt and error. Like past peoples, they have limited all successive divine bounties and endless divine manifestations according to their vain imaginings, and have been and will remain worshippers of their own desires instead of God. Yet in all books, tablets, psalms, scrolls, and writings, it is explicitly stated without any allusion that the Ever-Flowing Grace shall never cease, nor shall the Bountiful One’s favor ever be delayed or cut off, nor shall infinite manifestations ever end. Nevertheless, all upon the earth are now seen to acknowledge and accept the limitation and cessation of grace and bounty, indeed they are content and pleased with this. Thus the people of the Furqan (Qur’an) are occupied and pleased with a few names they have arranged and recorded, while remaining heedless and deprived of the Essence of Names and their Creator and Manifestor, by one attraction of whose blessed name the oceans of names and attributes surge and overflow. And God guides whom He willeth unto His path, for verily He is the Guide of the Way, and verily He is the Beginning.

Verily He is the Guide to the Path, and He is in truth the Beginning and the End, and unto Him ascendeth the cry of His servants, and He is the Mighty, the Beautiful. Beyond all these luminous, resplendent, sound and firm utterances, that Manifestation of Divine Unity and Primal Sun hath, in all His verses, utterances and discourses which have descended from that heaven of divine Will and that Source and Dawning-Place of knowledge and wisdom, beseeched the King of the Unseen and the undoubted Reality - which is the hidden, inner, invisible station - to raise up in every year a mirror, nay rather in every city, nay in every hour. How then can it be that every soul should follow his own idle fancy and set limits to the Cause of God? Exalted is He above what they know and say! Consider the transient mirage as though it had never been, and hasten to the everlasting, divine Kawthar. Flee with thy self, thy spirit, thy heart and thy feet unto God, unto Whom is thy return and abode, and turn not unto the dwelling-place of the wrongdoers and the idolaters. Then give thanks to Him at all times for having sent down unto thee the verses in truth, that perchance mankind might be guided by the signs of God. Take heed of the holy breezes of the divine presence which are wafting and passing from the musk-laden fragrance of these exalted, manifest and firm words, and pay no attention to all shadowy, unreal utterances and rejected, unheard words. These breezes have ever been and shall ever be wafting, yet none hath perceived them. The life of all who are in the heavens and on earth dependeth upon them, yet all remain veiled from this essence of creation and this primary nature. Were this radiant, luminous and manifest grace to be cut off from the mirrors of existent beings, thou wouldst find them all to be utter nothingness, nay rather absolute non-existence. Exalted be this spiritual breeze which hath not been and shall not be limited by attention and awareness or the lack thereof. It hath ever blown and shall ever blow upon lifeless bodies, decayed bones and enduring temples, whether any soul be aware of it or remain heedless and veiled. For example, the spring breeze bloweth upon all things and passeth over all who dwell on earth, both those who are unconscious in the sleep of negligence and those who are conscious through God’s mercy. Yet blessed are they that are aware, for the heedless have ever been rejected and unacceptable in the sight of God, as hath been mentioned. Today all who profess the Bayan and others among diverse peoples are commanded to enter beneath the shade of this exalted Tree, this Speaking Tree, this all-embracing Word, this conclusive Proof, this clear Evidence and this manifest Path. No soul hath or shall have any refuge, shelter or resting-place save this. All are personally responsible for this Cause, wondrous and exalted. Moreover, acknowledgment of this Word hath never been and shall never be dependent upon or conditional on any soul’s acceptance, as is clear and evident to every person of insight. How can it be that he who is asked about it should himself be heedless, even as the peoples of the Qur’an, having fixed their gaze upon this very thing, have remained deprived of the divine revelation and the fountainhead and source of absolute divine bounty.

They have remained deprived of the source of absolute divine bounty, and have made all eyes and ears dependent upon the words and deeds of their leaders. The Point of Existence and Beauty of the Desired One (may the spirit of all in the kingdom be sacrificed for Him) has, in numerous passages of the Bayan, given exalted counsels and eloquent exhortations regarding this rugged and harsh station of Dhikvan. Thus in one passage He says that those among the people of the Bayan who attain to the Day of the Manifestation of the dawning Suns of the glory of Oneness must, by themselves and of their own accord, draw nigh unto that divine Tree, and must attain to the station of His recognition - which is the reality of the wondrous Paradise and the Ridvan of Oneness - through their own intellect, heart and ears, rather than making themselves dependent upon the acceptance or rejection of the leaders of the age. And He has elevated this theme further and specifically mentioned that if any of the Letters were to exist in that Day and deny Him, none should be prevented by their prohibition nor deprive themselves of the bounty of the heaven of glory. What if they remain deprived of nearness to the Tree due to their attention to transient causes or outward leadership? And in another passage He states that on that Day none should be veiled by anything, for perhaps even the guides to My light might remain veiled. Therefore hold fast, O people, to the cord of God and His grace, and be not among the questioners. Turn to none but Him in recognizing Him, for His proof is His verses and His existence is His evidence, if ye be of the assured ones. Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye be veiled by books, even if all the heavens and earth were filled with decisive books, nor by the revealed verses, for nothing can excel Him in anything. Thus know Him, if ye be of those who know. For all the sublime words and consummate wisdom in the books, scriptures and psalms are all confirmed by His Word, if ye be of those who know.

In any case, exercise the utmost care and vigilance lest thou measure the surging, billowing Most Great Ocean by a drop, for naught else is mentioned before Him. Glory be to God above what ye say! The purpose of mentioning these words is that perchance heedlessness might not encompass and seize thee, and that at the time of the dawning of the rising Suns thou mightest not cling to anyone’s acceptance or rejection. In short, seek not to cling to anyone, but rather turn with thine own being to the dawning of that Sun of bounty and grace, for that same dawning is more evident than all conclusive proofs and greater than all decisive arguments, and ever shall be. This meaning is recorded in the revealed Books. Now, O people of fancy and desire, come to your senses and reflect upon the loftiness of God’s Cause and the exaltation of God’s Word, that perchance limited souls and thick veils might not become a barrier between you and the recognition of the King of Names. And beyond all this, a person is either mad or sane - the mad one bears no responsibility and is charged with no duty, while the sane one, who possesses an upright mind, an illumined heart, a seeing eye and a hearing ear, surely has the capacity to recognize that Sun of Certitude, for if one possessed not this most great station, one would not be charged with this most mighty command[…]

And one whose hearing hath heard it must surely possess the capacity to recognize that Sun of Certitude, for had he not possessed this most exalted station, he would not have been entrusted with this supreme command and the recognition of the Most Perfect Word. Thus doth God perfect His proof unto you and manifest unto you the paths of His knowledge, that His proof may be fulfilled against you, that perchance ye may ponder the signs of God. In brief, the essence of all that hath been said is this: It is incumbent upon everyone in this Day to take fast hold of the Ark of Guidance of the Noah of His Cause, that they may perchance be saved from drowning in the sea of self and passion and the vain imaginings and idle fancies of the people of wickedness and iniquity. Well is it with them that draw nigh unto this divine Lote-Tree, that inhale these most holy breezes, and that turn unto this Ancient Light. And should any soul in the western regions become prepared to receive the effusions of this exalted Cloud and this glorious Mist, assuredly will the outpourings of the Holy Spirit and Its breath, which is nearer than nearness itself, encompass him from all directions, and all the exalted stations and universal words and lofty ranks that lay hidden and concealed within him will be made manifest and revealed to him through his own self. Consider, for instance, the grain - how limited is its size and weight! Yet when it is deposited in pure earth and the holy city of existence, and is nurtured by the sun and the blowing of the winds, how its hidden splendors - its branches and offshoots, its leaves and fruits - become manifest through its own essence unto its own essence! Now, O ye who are veiled by the veils of fancy, prepare yourselves for this most great bounty and most mighty grace, that through a drop thereof the hidden bounties and treasured pearls may become manifest and visible from illumined breasts. Deprive not thyself of His boundless mercy, and despair not of His everlasting breath. None despaireth of God’s Spirit save the people who are corrupt.

Another question was asked concerning the Sun of Baha–in what station it now appeareth. By God! The heavens are well-nigh rent asunder by thy words, and the earth of divine purpose cleft, and every lofty and towering mountain brought low. Turn unto God Who created thee and fashioned thee, then return unto Him from thy words, then seek His forgiveness for what thou hast imagined within thyself, and be thou of the contrite. Beware lest thou mention again what thou hast mentioned, for thereby will every exalted one be perturbed and the feet of the mystics slip. And since this servant loveth not to disappoint those who hope in Him, or turn away those who seek Him, or sadden those who love Him, or trouble those who yearn for Him, therefore doth He cause to rain down upon thee from this pure and luminous cloud according to what God hath willed for thee, not according to what it was, that thou mayest be of the thankful. Pledge thyself that thou wilt not ask about such matters, from Me or from any other, nor let their like occur to thy heart, nor move thy tongue to speak of them. Be thou in an impregnable fortress. Fear God and ask not about things which, if revealed to thee, would grieve thee. Be content with what We have revealed unto you in the year eighty and before it in the ninth year, if ye be of them that are assured. By God! Were it not for My love for thee, I would have restrained the Pen and would not have released it unto all eternity, lest it move upon that whereupon thy pen hath moved. Glory be to God above what thou didst intend within thyself! Exalted is He above that which the tongues of these prattlers utter! Beware, beware, O servant, lest thou mention that which would raise the clamor of the perplexed, then the cry of the monotheists, then the tumult of the mystics. And wert thou capable within thyself, We would have commanded thee to seek God’s forgiveness for seventy thousand ages of the ancients. And wert thou possessed of earthly riches, We would have commanded thee to spend a quintal of gold in amends for what hath issued from thy mouth and appeared from thy pen. And We are, verily, the Ruler. And wert thou possessed of physical strength, We would have inflicted upon thee a thousand lashes in requital for what thou didst ask, that thou mayest be of the mindful. Doth it beseem a mere clot of blood to ask about Him Whom no possessor of excellence, however lofty, can know? Or for dust to inquire about the Lord of Lords? Exalted is He above all that ye are upon and all that ye inquire about! Can the non-existent be mentioned before the Sovereign of existence? Or can nothingness appear before the Ancient of Days? Or can the evanescent ascend to the heaven of eternity, that holy and exalted seat? The blind can never know the sun in its entirety, and must needs be content with what is revealed unto him of its heat which proceedeth from its effects. Therefore know thou thy station and the station of them that ask. Verily the clot hath the right to ask its Lord about the station of the embryo, and likewise the embryo about the bones, then the bones about the clothing of flesh, until it reacheth the station which hath been ordained for it in its rank, if ye be of them that understand. And were the embryo to ask God to raise it at once to the station of every learned and discerning one, such a request would be rejected, for it cannot attain to this except by ascending the steps until it reacheth this lofty and glorious station. Consider the seed that is sown in the earth: certain months pass over it, and the hands of providence nurture it according to what God hath ordained in the earth itself, until there emergeth from it that which ye behold.

The hands of divine disposal shall administer it according to what God hath ordained in the earth itself, until there emerges from it that which ye witness and of which ye are among the witnesses. And when the earth bringeth it forth, none shall benefit thereby except it attain unto its appointed station. Thus must ye understand the wisdom of God, if ye be among them that seek. Consider likewise the tree: when it is planted, it beareth not fruit immediately, but must ascend through the stations God hath ordained for it. Then shall it yield fruits of exalted glory. Though thy Lord is verily able to manifest all that hath been and shall be from a handful of clay, for He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And should He wish to bring forth from a single drop the creation of the first and the last in less than a moment, He would be able, for He is verily the Ordainer, the Administrator, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. However, as He hath ordained stations, degrees and measures for all things, He loveth that each thing should attain what He hath ordained of these stations, that ye may be among those who perceive God’s wisdom. Strive thou to see all things in their proper stations as they are, that thou mayest be upon a straight and just path.

And as I find My love for thee, I counsel thee to guard thyself in these days wherein every soul is seized with intoxication and is in manifest heedlessness. For God created them, sustained them, caused them to die and brought them to life, then raised them up to know the Manifestation of His Cause. Yet all are veiled and cling to their own suppositions and idle fancies. They oppose the very purpose for which they were created, and perceive it not. Among them are those who read God’s words at all times, yet turn away from His beauty. They speak of what was revealed in the Bayan, yet themselves understand it not. They imagine themselves in the highest paradise while they abide in the nethermost fire, did they but perceive it. They bid others to righteousness while forgetting their own selves, as ye witness in their deeds. They attribute themselves to God, yet show pride before His beauty.

Consider in these days all that thou hast heard and seen in the days of God aforetime, wherein no decree was altered, if ye but know. When ’Ali came unto them with the truth with a manifest Book, they opposed and proudly rejected him with all their might. They turned away, then sought to adduce proofs from the Book of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Each day they took verses from the Qur’an whereby to refute the truth, as ye witness from these people. They move their tongues with falsehood, saying “This is from God” when it is not from God but from their own selves, if ye could understand. Had it been from God, they would not have opposed God Who created them and fashioned them. Thus did their souls entice them to earn what they earned. Each day they cling to a word from the Book and oppose Him through Whom the Scriptures of God, the Mighty, the Beloved, were revealed. Say: Nothing shall suffice you after His manifestation, though ye cling to all things. Say: All books bear witness to this and all scriptures prove it, if ye would but read. Ye shall not find in the books a single letter that hath not testified within itself that this is the Truth of Truth from the presence of One Mighty, Self-Subsisting. Apart from this, I ask you, O people of the Bayan, one word in pure truthfulness, if ye be fair: If ye possessed a thousand books […]

Say: She hath testified within herself that this is indeed the Truth of truth from the presence of One mighty and self-subsisting. Apart from this, I ask you, O people of the Bayan, for a word of pure truth, if ye be fair: Should there be in your possession a thousand books - nay, beyond count, indeed beyond your power to number - and should ye outwardly witness these books and draw proofs from what is contained therein concerning your belief, even as all peoples thus act, and should someone come to you with something different from what ye possess and know of the Book’s decree - what then would ye say? Would ye contend against him who hath come to you with the signs of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, as ye now witness with your own eyes? Or would ye attribute error to yourselves, having read God’s Books yet failed to grasp their meaning? Alas for you, O heedless ones! Even as after Muhammad, the Messenger of God, all who followed the Qur’an drew proofs from the Book that Messengership and Prophethood were sealed with Him and that none would come after Him with a Cause from God or laws from His presence - this ye witnessed with your eyes and heard with your ears from them. And ye, O people of the Bayan, were of them and thus did ye argue in your days until ’Ali came with the truth. Then were your suppositions and knowledge turned back upon yourselves, and God’s Cause shone forth through His command “Be!” and it was. Thus comprehend the Cause in these days unto an end that hath no end, if ye doubt not what ye have seen and are among those who are certain of what they witness. Say: He hath appeared with the truth and naught in your possession can veil Him, nor can anything in the heavens and earth hinder Him. He speaketh the truth with His most exalted voice in the dominion of Command and Creation, and feareth no one, as ye witness. Whether ye accept or turn away is equal, for He is independent of what ye comprehend. We now set forth for you a parable through grace, that ye might attain to what ye love. Verily, the ocean remaineth as it is in its station - if none approaches to draw water from it or extract its pearls, doth anything decrease from it, if ye but know? Likewise doth the sun shine as it ever hath - if none looketh upon it, is its light and radiance diminished? Reflect then on God’s wisdom, if ye be of those who reflect. Nay, whoever turneth to it - this is God’s grace upon him, for he benefiteth from it what he cannot benefit from aught else. Thus do We set forth parables that ye might understand. O people! Leave what ye possess and take what is with God through His power, and beware lest ye be veiled. Then be immersed in God’s hue in these days, then enter the pavilion that hath been raised in truth, and rely upon Him, and be of those whom no blame of the blamer, nor gloating of the transgressor, nor turning away of any rejected denier can deter. Say: Today We observe with holy vision servants who claim faith within themselves yet are veiled from what they formerly knew, and thereby their falsehood is exposed though they perceive it not. Consider then within thyself: if all who are in the heavens were to be veiled today […]

And yet they perceive not. Reflect then within thyself: were all who are in the heavens and on earth to be veiled this day from their Creator, would any loss revert to Him? Nay, by the glory of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting! Rather would the loss revert entirely to themselves, did they but know it. And verily in this We find Ourselves in an exaltation that no exaltation can approach, and in a joy whereof were but a drop to overflow upon all existence and its manifestations, they would all fall in a swoon. Say: Glorified art Thou, O Lord, my Best-Beloved! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause, then number me among those who have not broken Thy Covenant nor followed the idols of their vain imaginings. Assign me then a seat of truth in Thy presence, grant me mercy from Thy grace, and join me with those servants of Thine upon whom no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. O Lord, leave me not to myself, nor deprive me of recognizing the Manifestation of Thine Own Self, nor reckon me among those who have forgotten Thy presence. Make me, O my God, among those who gaze upon Thy Beauty and find such delight therein that they would not exchange a single moment thereof for the sovereignty of the kingdom of the heavens and earth and all that was and shall be. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, in these days wherein heedlessness hath seized all the dwellers of Thy earth. Then grant me, O my God, the best of what lieth with Thee, for verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Gracious, the Forgiving. Make me not, O my God, among those whose ears are deaf, whose eyes are blind, whose tongues are dumb, and whose hearts understand not. O Lord, deliver me from the fire of ignorance and desire, then cause me to enter within the precincts of Thy most great mercy. Send down upon me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, for verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

O concourse of the Bayan! Fear ye God, and follow not your idle fancies, but rather follow the decree of God as revealed in all the Tablets from the heaven of sublime glory. Say: With Him is the knowledge of all things. He knoweth the mysteries of the heavens and the earth, and the knowledge of what was and what shall be, and knoweth what is within your hearts and souls, whether ye conceal it or declare it openly. Nothing whatsoever is hidden from God your Lord, nor doth anything escape His knowledge, if ye but knew.

If ye desire God to protect you from every test and from these people, fear God with true fear, then turn away from them and put thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Say: We believe in God and His angels and His Messengers and in all that they have brought of every scroll and tablet and hidden scripture, and in what was revealed unto Muhammad the Messenger of God, and in what was revealed unto ’Ali, and in what was with him and what shall be, and in what hath been and what is now being revealed of the verses of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Thus did We counsel thee before, and now again, that thou mayest be of those who are assured.

Say: This is My path, if ye would behold the path of God. This is My proof, if ye would heed the proof of God. Say: This is My testimony, if ye would be certain of God’s testimony. Say: This is the path of God in the heavens and on earth, if ye desire to traverse it. Say: If God were to punish anyone for believing in these revealed and dispatched verses, by what proof would He then punish those who believed not in the Point of the Bayan, and before Him in Muhammad the Messenger of God, and before Him in the Son of Mary, and before Him in Moses the Prophet, until the matter returneth to the Primal Beginning, if ye be fair-minded.

Know thou that whosoever hesitates in this Cause that hath appeared hath verily hesitated in every Cause, if ye would understand. And he who believeth not in this, hath disbelieved in all the Messengers before, even unto the Primal Creation, and this is a manifest truth. Consider within thyself: if thou believest not in the Point of the Bayan, can the designation of belief in any of God’s Messengers before Him be true for thee? Likewise, if thou believest not in any of the Messengers until the endless end, can the designation of belief in any of them be true for you? Glory be to God above what ye imagine! There is no doubt that belief cannot be true for anyone except through believing in all that hath been revealed from God or shall be revealed, and this is what hath been inscribed upon every preserved tablet.

Thus know thou God’s Cause and His way in every age, that matters may not become confused for you. Look upon the Manifestations’ relationship to God in what is revealed unto them, not in their differences. Behold in the revelation naught but the beauty of the Revealer, and in the revelation naught but its Revealer, if ye would see. Then witness the beauty of every Manifestation in His words, that the truth may become evident to thee and thou mayest be of those who know. For God hath made their words mirrors of their souls, and casteth upon each one according to how they face the Sun, and thus do ye witness. By these degrees are their stations made manifest, if ye would understand. All these are degrees in the stations of the mirrors’ manifestation when facing the Sun, but concerning the Sun in these days ye do not inquire. Then bear witness that It hath ever been one in Its essence[…]

And by these stations their ranks become manifest, if ye would understand. All these are stations in the manifestations of mirrors when the Sun shines forth, yet in these days ye inquire not about the Sun. Then bear witness that It hath ever been one in Its essence, one in Its attributes, and one in Its deeds, and apart from this no verdict of absolute unity can be established for It, nor can the sanctification of Its essence from similitude and limitation be confirmed, if ye would understand. Beware lest ye associate partners with God or call upon another god besides Him, or take for Him a partner or likeness or minister or peer - this is the truth of faith, if ye would know. We have forbidden thee from mentioning that with a mighty prohibition, and We have commanded thee to seek forgiveness from thy Lord and return unto Him for what thy fingers have wrought in mentioning this hidden matter and this treasured mystery. But when this Bird ascended in the pole of this heaven to the station wherein all things are witnessed in Its shadow, and found thee in the land of bewilderment, therefore It casteth upon thee what God causeth to flow from My pen according to what people are capable of understanding. Know thou that God thy Lord hath never withheld His outpouring grace and bounty from anything that was or will be. Rather, He created all things and ordained in them every known bounty and that which none hath discovered, if ye would understand. This is the station of the capacities that have been ordained in all things, manifesting therefrom as days pass until reaching the end of what was destined for it, as ye witness in all things. If thou art able to detach thyself from all thou hast heard and ascend to this mighty, praiseworthy station, then witness all names as rising suns - as there is no end to the names, likewise there is no end to the suns. For example, one of God’s names is the All-Bountiful - it is a sun in its station, shining upon the mirrors of all created things, and the lights of this radiance appear upon all things according to their capacity, as ye observe. And the effect of this sun is first witnessed in man, such that thou findest in every human being the effect of the manifestation of this name. The difference is that in some it appeareth in the fullness of perfection, bestowing bounty upon themselves in all God hath provided them, and upon their kindred and loved ones, and upon those who draw nigh unto them, and likewise upon all who enter into faith, and beyond that upon every person of sound and unsound mind. And in others thou findest not this perfection, such that they show bounty to themselves and those of kinship and relation, but withhold it from others. And in some thou findest bounty only to themselves and withholding from all else. Thus know the stations of the manifestation of this sun in these temples according to what they do. Blessed is he who looketh not to himself and his kindred, but rather looketh with the eye of grace, showing bounty to himself and others, turning toward no direction save the direction of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, and bestowing upon the believers what God hath given him through His generosity of goodly character, exalted attributes, and praiseworthy manners.

Behold the praiseworthy manners and accumulated wealth, both of himself and others, that he might fully reflect this Sun and be among those who have spent all they possess in the path of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. And if thou wert to look upon all who are in the heavens and the earth, thou wouldst find naught except that wherein thou wouldst discover the lights of this Sun, save in those who turn not towards it. Yet We have found none like unto this, if ye be of them that perceive. Thus observe thou the reflection of this Sun in all created things besides man, then ponder thereon. Consider, for example, the tree, how it bestoweth upon every soul that which appeareth from it of forbidden fruits - this is the effect of that reflection within it, if ye be of them that are assured. Likewise the earth bestoweth all that God hath stored within its depths of everything, including the ears of grain whereof ye eat. Thus learn thou of all the suns of the names as We have taught thee in truth, that thou mayest be of those who know and who reflect upon the wisdom of God. Then witness the manifestation of the Sun’s reflection through His name ‘the Governor’ in all things that were and shall be, and thou shalt witness the manifestation of this name and all other names in man most completely and perfectly, as ye know and observe, whereby every form of governance appeareth from him by the command of the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. This reflection from this blessed and manifest Name is not confined to any one person to the exclusion of others, as ye hear and witness among the various sects who follow not the truth. They have attained in governance unto a station that none before them hath attained, and this is from God’s bounty unto them, though they perceive it not. Thus hath His mercy preceded all created things and His grace encompassed all from the highest creation down to the most limited mineral. When these people strove to manifest this reflection within themselves and turned toward this Sun, the hand of grace withheld them not from this station - this from His all-pervading bounty that encompasseth all things, though most men understand not. But these people occupied themselves with this name in this station and were heedless of God’s other beauteous names and their manifestations, as ye witness, and they remained fixed in that condition, then devoted themselves to it according to their own desires rather than what God desired for them. Therefore their names were recorded among the worshippers of names, for they were devoted thereto. For God desired through this name their governance in their religion in the primal reality, yet they veiled themselves therefrom as ye know. When they believed not in the Manifestations of justice, it was proven that they had not attained unto the true governance of this blessed and beloved Name. Then observe the reflection of this Name in the earth, how whatsoever is entrusted to its atmosphere is not betrayed therein, but is governed throughout days and months until it reacheth its station, whereupon it emergeth therefrom in a beautiful and pleasing form. Thus witness thou the reflection of this Sun from this Name in all things, that thou mayest become aware of the suns of the names and be of those who are informed of the mysteries of the Cause. Were I to mention the suns of the names and their reflections as God hath ordained for them unto an end that hath no end, it would never be exhausted, if ye but knew.

And her effulgences shall continue, as ordained by God, unto the end that hath no end, would ye but understand. We have sufficed with what We have expounded unto thee; be thou content with what hath been ordained for thee from this Hidden Pen. We have opened before thy face the gates of knowledge and wisdom in what We have cast upon thee in truth, that thou mayest draw forth from this ocean whatsoever thou desirest of the pearls of hidden knowledge. Shouldst thou desire to bring forth from each gate a hundred thousand gates, thou wouldst be empowered to approach this Hidden and Treasured Name, which hath been tried at the hands of those who believed not in God for the twinkling of an eye, though they claim within themselves to be the essence of faith. Say: Knowledge appeareth from His presence, and He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of all knowledge. Should anyone come with all the knowledge of the first and the last, and enter not beneath this shadow, naught would be accepted from him, would ye but be assured. Even as when Muhammad appeared with the truth, naught was accepted from the divines of the Gospel, and likewise in the Bayan. Consider how when ’Ali came with the truth, the knowledge of the divines of the Qur’an profited them not, save those who entered beneath His shadow, would ye but perceive. Know this likewise from the beginning that hath no beginning unto the end that hath no end, and be of them who discern all things with the eye of God. Should anyone come who possesseth not a single letter of knowledge, yet entereth beneath this shadow, he is more learned than every erudite scholar, for the knowledge that hath ever been mentioned before God is His recognition and the recognition of the Manifestations of His Cause, would ye but look unto the Books of God. All this ye shall find in the Bayan, would ye but read. My Pen moveth only as moved by the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O people of the Bayan! Take Me not to task for the revelation of verses unto Me. By God! This fault is not Mine, but the Spirit moveth Me at all times, would ye but hearken. Were ye to sanctify your souls, ye would surely find the breezes of God wafting from this most fragrant musk; but since ye have debarred yourselves from this Paradise, ye shall find naught, even as the people of the Qur’an found not the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. And thou, O questioner, ponder what We have cast upon thee, and take for thyself what thou desirest. If thou seekest from the sun these shining suns, We have surely revealed unto thee their names and their mysteries, and have shown thee their effulgences upon the mirrors of all created things, and their dawning upon all that was and shall be. And if thou seekest the Sun of suns, and the Sovereign of existence, and the King of the desired One, around Whom circle these suns and their realities, say: Glorified be the Possessor of grandeur, before Whom boweth down every possessor of grandeur and power! Glorified be the Possessor of might, before Whom prostrateth every possessor of might and exaltation! Glorified be the Possessor of glory, before Whom is abased every possessor of glory and independence! Glorified be the Possessor of power, before Whom is brought low every possessor of power and splendor! Then know that none besides Him can attain unto Him, and all else is as nothing before Him. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Best-Beloved. All names are raised up by His Word, and all attributes appear by His command, would ye but know. Beware lest thou ascribe this station to any besides Him.

And all attributes appear by His command, if ye only knew. Beware lest thou ascribe this station to any besides Him, nor make mention of anyone when mentioning Him, nor associate with Him any sign or expression, for He, exalted and glorified be He, will never be indicated by any sign save His own, nor be associated with the recognition of His creatures, if ye only knew. Verily, the highest recognition of those who recognize and the utmost attainment of those who attain returneth unto His creation which was created by His word “Be! and it is.” All else besides Him is created by His command, brought into being by His will, prostrate before His countenance, and submissive before His presence, and all are preserved with Him in a guarded tablet. Verily, He shall appear in truth as God hath promised you in the Book. Fear God, then speak not concerning His Cause, and await His Day even as all who are in the heavens and on earth await His days, though in their souls they perceive it not. Know thou that I believed in Him before His manifestation, and after His manifestation, and at the time of His manifestation, and I await His days according to what hath been inscribed upon the tablets of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Beware lest thou mention this Name or harbor evil thoughts concerning His Cause, and be of those who seek forgiveness every day. We have forbidden thee to mention this Name lest anyone imagine in himself nearness unto this Hidden Tree, and lest thou be questioned about anyone as thou hast been questioned, and mention not anyone by this Name, for this is exclusively His, if ye would but hearken unto what this Dove teacheth you through what the Spirit hath cast upon Him of the words of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. O people! Be not neglectful of the Book, nor alter the Word of God, nor be of those who speak of that which they know not. By God! The dust of His footsteps is more exalted than all that hath been and shall be created, than all that was and that will be. If thou knewest that souls would not be disturbed, I would say that it is the Throne of God on earth, for upon it resteth His mighty and beloved foot. Be thou steadfast in what We have imparted unto thee such that thy feet shall not slip, and be not of those who know not and who attribute this station to those who desire it. By God! This is an error the like of which existeth not in all creation. Fear God, O people, and transgress not beyond what hath been ordained in the Book of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Who hath inspired me with the wondrous tokens of Thy remembrance, and then prevented me from revealing them to Thy creatures, and hath placed me in such a position wherein I am forbidden from manifesting the entirety of the mysteries of Thy wisdom, due to the appearance of heedlessness among Thy creation. For if I, O my God, were to conceal from the people that which Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy bounty, I would be ungrateful for Thy favor; and if I were to disclose to them that which Thou hast honored me with through Thy grace, then the clamor of Thy servants would be raised. I see naught of this save from Thee, for Thou hast raised me up and manifested me in days wherein Thou hast never raised up any of Thy chosen ones, and I know not what Thou hast intended through the manifestations of Thy decree and ordainment, and the operations of Thy command and direction. By Thy might, O my Beloved! I testify that Thy knowledge hath never encompassed a day greater and more severe than these days, for in them all servants, both lowly and noble, are being tested. Yet I, despite my powerlessness, poverty, distress and destitution, shall remain steadfast in Thy Cause through Thy might and power, even if no one should accept this Countenance in their quest to meet Thee. I thank Thee for that which Thou hast granted me and honored me with - a steadfastness which none can remove from its station, even if the swords of the deniers and the opposition of the idolaters be raised above my head. I testify that a particle of this steadfastness is better than the worship of both humans and jinn. Through this my heart finds rest and my soul becomes tranquil, and I behold all who are in the heavens and earth as but a handful of clay, nay, more contemptible than that, except for those who have entered beneath Thy shadow in this Most Great Name, whereby all names have been transformed and all attributes have been changed in the dominion of origination. For those who know Thee not have no station with Thee, nor any mention before Thee. Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, that my feet slip not from Thy Cause, beside which nothing can endure. Then confirm me through Thy bounty and grace, and sever me from all else but Thee. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the Self-Subsisting. We were writing these Tablets in Persian when God stayed the Pen and returned it to a clear Arabic tongue. Therefore, We have cast upon thee from the mysteries of knowledge and wisdom in this tongue, then We shall return to the Persian language that God’s proof, His evidence, His testimony and His signs may be complete unto thee, that thou mayest be of those who turn toward God Who created Me and you, and we are among His worshippers. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

From these utterances, shining forth from the horizon of divine exposition, it hath been made clear and evident that the attribution of the name “Sun” to each of these aforementioned manifest Names hath been and is most fitting. Thus, if in the utterances of the Manifestations of Divine Unity and the Daysprings of eternal holiness mention is made of the Sun, the intent is these resplendent Suns and luminous Lights, except as thy Lord willeth. Furthermore, it is clear and manifest to those endowed with knowledge and wisdom, possessed of pure nature and enlightened character, that in every age and dispensation when the veils of glory are lifted from the countenance of Beauty, and the hidden, veiled and concealed Countenance emerges from behind the mystic veil, that Tree of divine Reality and celestial Fruit must be recognized by His own Self, for all else hath been and shall ever be under His shadow, and the hidden stations of that Treasury of Unity can be comprehended only through His luminous utterances. Although the penetrating vision, sanctified from all limitation and restriction, perceiveth in all that proceedeth from Him the signs of God’s grandeur - for the effulgences of that all-encompassing Sun are too manifest to remain hidden from the eyes of the knowing, and the surging waves of that mighty Ocean are too evident to be concealed from the sight of them that are nigh unto God - yet since men differ in their stages of knowledge and certitude, therefore, as a token of His grace and bounty and as evidence of His loving-kindness unto all created things, He hath made the verses sent down from the heaven of His Will and the evidences shining forth from the horizon of grace to be His testimony, that all men, both high and low, might through these conclusive proofs and these radiant, gleaming verses recognize that Ancient Being and Most Perfect Word. All this is of His grace toward His servants, though they deserve it not, that haply they may not be deprived of the divine outpourings and holy favors. Otherwise, the rejection of all created things or the acceptance of all contingent beings would be equal in that most holy Court. Moreover, on the Day of the manifestation of that Most Great Luminary, no excuse from any soul shall be accepted. For example, should all who are on earth adduce proofs from all the heavenly Books and Scriptures in support of some matter, and that Essence of being should appear in opposition to that accepted and established matter, none hath the right to object, for all command and prohibition are conditional upon His will and acceptance, and the utterances that proceed from that heaven of Divine Unity have not been and shall never be conditional upon anything. O seeker with enlightened heart! Enter this Sinai of the spirit that thou mayest behold in the mount of the heart the radiance of the Sun of inner meanings, and with the power of Abraham break the idols of fancy and conjecture, and being purified and sanctified from blind imitation, restriction and limitation, mayest ascend to the heights of certitude, steadfastness and constancy. Consider further that if all who are within the Bayan should, through all that is in the Bayan, adduce proofs concerning the conditions of the subsequent Manifestation and hold as established that Promised Beauty […]

Let them acknowledge that the Promised Beauty and Sun of Being must needs appear with this mentioned sign, but should that Essence of free choice manifest contrary to it, what then wouldst thou do? Wouldst thou remain content with thine own understanding, independent of the recognition of that Sun of knowledge? Nay, by Him Who hath taught this Pen the mysteries of eternity! Nothing will suffice thee save clinging to the hem of His loving-kindness. Hast thou not observed how the peoples of old, by clinging to the idols of fancy and desire, remained deprived of the grace of the Day of Distinction? In all circumstances, take refuge in God, that thou mayest not be withheld from the Tree of Purpose and His knowledge - which is identical with the knowledge of all the Primary and Ultimate Manifestations of God - by whatsoever thou beholdest in the heavens and on earth, be it established utterances or outward conditions. Strive that ye may not be veiled from the copious rain of the exalted divine clouds. Although the clouds of grace are ever elevated and know no cessation, yet not every cloud is the manifestation of universal bounty, nor will it ever be. Consider the sun and its rising and setting. Though in its essence it is sanctified above rising and setting, yet through the changing of its stations and signs it appeareth in different measures. For instance, in the sign of Leo it manifesteth with utmost brilliance and heat, while in other signs it appeareth otherwise. And now that, by God’s grace, the clouds of mercy have encompassed the whole earth and its inhabitants, and the Sun of favor hath appeared with perfect radiance and heat, occupy not thyself with the promptings of the satanic self and the embodiments of rancorous envy. In all circumstances and conditions, know God to be the Sovereign Doer and the Executor of whatsoever He willeth, and remain firm and steadfast in this all-embracing word, which is the greatest of all revealed words, that perchance thou mayest remain constant in the religion of God and His Cause. This is pure truth and genuine verity[…]

What then is beyond truth but error? And just as the sacred Essence of Truth is its own proof, and all else falls short and is incapable of knowing It as It deserves and merits to be known, likewise the verses sent down from the heaven of His Command attest to His Revelation, and all else is utter nothingness, sheer non-existence, and wholly unmentioned in that realm. And God sufficeth as a witness. One must exercise the utmost reflection and contemplation upon these comprehensive revealed words, that through each of their gates infinite doors of knowledge may be opened unto infinity before the faces of the seekers and the sincere. This is a station wherein none can tread save through the essence of their nature and the purity of their innate disposition. Should the mirrors of hearts be tarnished by even a hair’s breadth with the dust of all else, never shall the radiance of this glorious Light and wondrous Cause be reflected and manifested therein. How exalted and inaccessible is this station that accepteth naught but pure sanctification! How lofty and transcendent that it receiveth naught but absolute detachment! Ah, above all sighs! Ah, beneath all sighs! Ah, that filleth the heavens with the yearning of lovers! Ah, that filleth the earth with the cry of the longing ones! Ah, that causeth crimson tears to flow from eyes! Ah, again ah, again ah, from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that no learned one can reckon! Ah, whose fire appeareth in existence and whose anguish ariseth in manifestation, causing all created things to grieve, and behind it the denizens of the highest Paradise! Ah, that hath consumed hearts and shaken lands! Ah, that none knoweth save God, the Mighty, the Beautiful! How the people have veiled themselves from the Beauty of God and His manifestation, from the Countenance of God and His dawning, and He hath fallen before these people with an abasement incomparable to any abasement, and with a sorrow that no sorrow can match, neither among the former nor the latter generations. Thereby hath the life of every person of understanding been transformed and the pillars of the mighty throne have quaked. Yet the people remain heedless and joyous, in evident gladness. Thus doth God render vain the work of those who have been heedless of His remembrance and have denied the signs in their possession from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. And the Spirit be upon the people of the spirit from this ancient, resplendent Glory!

In these days, preserve thyself during this great testing, lest thou slip from the straight path, for ere long thou shalt witness all people disturbed and shaken, nay turned away, save whom thy Lord willeth. Two years ago in the City a leaf was revealed wherein all subsequent events were recorded. If thou turnest today to attain understanding, refer to that blessed leaf, that perchance thou mayest deliver thyself from the abyss of extinction and enter the abode of immortality, and passing beyond the city of names and its kingdom, thou mayest enter the holy and generous realm which is the station of pure sanctification and absolute detachment, and through the riches of God be freed from the abasement of questioning. For questioning itself hath ever been and shall be evidence of the wavering and lack of steadfastness of the questioner, although the exalted Truth hath loved and loveth to be questioned, for the sake of bestowing grace and conferring bounty. However, true knowledge hath another station, and it pertaineth to sight and heart and inner vision, not to the mention of pen and ink. Thus doth the Pen of righteousness impart unto thee on this Day, unto which returneth the decree of the beginning and the end.

And further, thou didst ask what station and rank this servant hath claimed for himself. I am naught but a servant who hath believed in God, His Messengers, His Books, all that hath been revealed from Him, that which was revealed unto ’Ali in truth, that which is now being revealed, and that which shall be revealed in the time of the One Whom God shall make manifest, when all who are in the heavens and on earth shall be renewed. Then shall the Hour come, the Balance be set up, the Bridge be laid down, and God shall come with His Cause, if ye be of them that know. All that God hath ordained concerning me beareth witness to this, if ye be of them that testify. For numbered years, each moment of which hath passed like fifty thousand years, tribulations have followed one upon another and calamities have succeeded each other without cease. Beyond these outward tribulations, by Him Who hath manifested the very essence of all created things through His sovereignty and power, there have been at all times and seasons inner tribulations, hidden from all eyes, minds and souls, which none save God hath known. Apart from what hath been mentioned, ye have surely heard what manifold calumnies and false imaginings the people of the Bayan have attributed and referred to this blessed, goodly Tree of Divine Unity. Indeed, not content with what the enemies have brought forth, this group hath spared no effort in what they were capable of doing, although the existence of this servant hath at all times been the cause of the exaltation of the Good Word, as ye all know and have witnessed. Now if some are prevented by their vain imaginings from sincere belief and deny this sublime grace, that is another matter, and unto God do all matters return. Consider the inner like the outer, if ye look with the eye of the spirit. Throughout all these tribulations, afflictions and trials, both hidden and manifest, naught hath appeared from this imprisoned servant save absolute servitude, and as ye have observed, during the period of sojourn in the City of Peace, this servant associated with all the people of that land and its surroundings, both learned and otherwise, and strove to the extent possible, nay beyond that, to promote the Cause and exalt it, not neglecting a single moment, such that the Word was elevated to a degree that encompassed all the people of the earth. Never did he compromise with the enemies of God, but rather exerted the utmost effort and mighty endeavor in mentioning the Word of Remembrance. Finally, matters led to departure from the city, and it is evident to every person of insight how this exodus and migration manifested the glory of this Cause and its exaltation, until we became imprisoned and confined in this place. We thank God for all this, we praise Him, we remember Him, and we are patient in His trials, for verily He rewardeth the patient ones. Praise be to God for all this; there is no refuge save in Him and no help except through Him, and verily He is the Mighty, the Glorious, the Merciful. Yea, throughout all these past years, praise be to God, the oceans of inner meanings and divine lights have surged in the heart […]

The divine lights were surging and shining in the heart to such extent that, without intention, their dewdrops were bestowed upon all created things, and the favors of the Lord of Glory encompassed all in such measure that their enumeration and limitation are beyond the realm of possibility and its people. And if mention was made by this servant regarding these stations in revealed tablets, it was only in obedience to that exalted word which states: “But as for thy Lord’s favor, proclaim it!” However, your honor has considered the root of the matter, which has never been and will never be confounded with aught else. And if thou canst not recognize and perceive the exalted Truth by His own Self, and besides Him, if thou gazest upon the words revealed from the heaven of holy oneness, then turn to the books revealed from the heaven of Will, wherein thou wilt witness, both explicitly and implicitly, mention of this all-embracing and hidden Word in most of them. Observe in the great Epistle and others, and likewise most of the verses of the Qayyumu’l-Asma indicate the dominion of this lofty and exalted Tree. I swear by God, I am ashamed to mention these utterances, for but few days have passed since the manifestation of that Dawning Sun of Oneness, and all have witnessed with their own eyes the circumstances of its appearance, yet all remain veiled. And what mention and utterance could be more evident than the Manifestation itself, that one should seek proof thereby? Consider now how much the concealment and delay of this Cause indicates and proves the loftiness of this Revelation, as if its delay had no cause save the testing and trial of all who are in the heavens and on earth. And likewise He says: “In the ninth year ye shall attain unto the Presence of God.” Although some have sought to interpret this holy and eternal Manifestation and the dawning of the divine light as referring to other than the Tree itself, and have striven mightily to distort this all-embracing Word, yet “the Command is in God’s hands; He guideth whom He pleaseth unto the straight path.” O people of the Bayan! Exercise the utmost effort lest ye become like the people of the Furqan, who attributed all names and attributes, from the highest station of the heaven of might down to the lowest degree of the mortal realm, to invisible entities, while remaining and continuing to remain heedless of the Dawning-Places of Oneness and the Manifestations of Eternity who actually exist. Now, O servants, observe with the eye of justice and fairness that this servant - I swear by Him Whom God shall make manifest - if during my stay in the Abode of Peace I imagined I would survive a day or night, for enemies surrounded me on all sides with the utmost determination to destroy me, as all the inhabitants of that place know well, until divine destiny prevailed over satanic scheming, and the Sovereign of the highest heaven triumphed over the forms of the nethermost fire. And despite this elevation and fame, I emigrated with a group of other emigrants, and the exaltation of this name and fame and its manifestation occurred without intention. What more can I say about what has befallen and been visited upon this servant? By God, neither one possessed of love nor one possessed of heart could bear to hear it […]

Verily, divine mysteries have ever been and shall forever remain treasured within the repositories of infallible protection and preserved behind the veils of divine safekeeping. Were it not that the mountain of men’s souls would be utterly shattered, I would make mention of a symbol from among the veiled, concealed, and hidden mysteries. But God reveals whatsoever He willeth, and I am not one to reveal that which is hidden. It is known to all of you and to the peoples of the earth what degree of servitude and humility hath been manifested by this servant to all the friends and loved ones from the first dawning of the Sun of Truth until this day. Yet what false accusations have been directed at this servant, and none hath arisen to dispel them. Unto God do I commit my affairs, in Him do I place my trust, and in Him let His detached servants place their trust.

Furthermore, it was asked how it is that the words of the exalted ones can be transformed into those of the debased, and how the letters of affirmation can be reckoned among the manifestations of negation. It should be known to you that when that Sun of divine grace and Ocean of heavenly bounty shone forth upon all the mirrors of creation, in some that faced It directly Its disk became reflected, while in others only Its radiance was apparent. Thus when that Ancient Sun, after being reflected in the forms of mirrors, describeth the mirrors with Its own infinite attributes, It is in truth describing Its own Self, for It beholdeth Its own lights in the mirrors, and all these exalted attributes in reality return unto It. This bounty exists in mirrors by virtue of their facing It, and after they turn away it will vanish and be no more. Now cleanse thy vision from the dust of all else save Him, that thou mayest recognize that Sun which, were all the mirrors of existence to face It in the slightest degree, would be reflected and imprinted in them all with the lights of truth and the traces of Divine Unity, from time immemorial unto eternity. And besides this, God eraseth what He willeth and confirmeth what He willeth, and with Him is the Mother Book. The All-Powerful hath power to erase after confirming, and likewise the reverse. It is in this connection that He saith: “Grieve not for what hath escaped you, neither exult in what hath been given to you.” This is the point of justice, whereby all things besides God have been and shall ever be both fearful and hopeful. Every exalted one feareth erasure, and every lowly one hopeth for confirmation. By Him Who holdeth the soul of Husayn in His hand! Were I to explain this station as it hath been ordained, thou wouldst find most of mankind wavering. Call to mind His words, exalted be His remembrance: “Had We willed, We would have taken away what We have revealed unto thee.” By My life! Were more than this to be cast upon thee, the falsifiers would surely doubt.

I do not wish to mention more than this in this connection, for people are immersed in pure fancy. And regarding certain events about which thou didst inquire that occurred in this servant’s absence, their good and evil return unto their doers and performers. In brief, all matters are clear and evident, were the veils of people’s fancies to be rent asunder and were they to observe the Cause of God with their own eyes - they would witness all mysteries as manifest realities. We hope, God willing, that a bounty from the Source of generosity and favors of the Lord of Glory and Grandeur may be revealed and draw all the veiled ones from the veils of darkness unto the pavilions of unity. God bestoweth what He willeth, and verily He is the Ancient Bestower. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And another testament of this servant to all is that they should not be heedless for a moment but rather be vigilant in the Cause of God, and exercise the utmost diligence and effort in its protection and preservation, for this is the source of all good and its foundation, inasmuch as the first duty has been and will ever be the recognition of God, and all that hath been heard and witnessed revolveth around this Cause, since all things have appeared from it and unto it do they return. And after recognition of the One True God, obedience to His Cause and the observance of His laws are of the most mighty matters, and have been and will forever be. The breezes of remembrance have ever wafted from the City of the Divine Command, and the signs of God, through this holy and eternal Fragrance, shall remain established amongst humanity. In brief, God willing, may they turn with pure and sanctified hearts to their Source at all times and seasons, and become detached from all else but God, that perchance in these darkened days they may not remain veiled from the recognition of that Sun of Unity. This servant beseecheth the Lord of Glory to bestow upon all a vision and hearing sanctified from limitation and imitation. God granteth whatsoever He willeth, and verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the Most Generous. And I seal these spiritual melodies with the mention of God, the Most Great, the Most Mighty, the Supreme, that its ending may be musk–yea, by this are the souls of the sincere attracted at all times. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

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The essence of the divine mysteries in the journeys of ascent set forth for those who long to draw nigh unto God, the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving - blessed be the righteous that quaff from these crystal streams!

He is the Exalted, the Most High!

O thou who treadest the path of justice and beholdest the countenance of mercy! Thine epistle was received, thy question was noted, and the sweet accents of thy soul were heard from the inmost chambers of thy heart. Whereupon the clouds of the Divine Will were raised to rain upon thee the outpourings of heavenly wisdom, to divest thee of all that thou hadst acquired aforetime, to draw thee from the realms of contradiction unto the retreats of oneness, and to lead thee to the sacred streams of His Law. Perchance thou mayest quaff therefrom, repose therein, quench thy thirst, refresh thy soul, and be numbered with those whom the light of God hath guided aright in this day.

Encompassed as I am at this time by the dogs of the earth and the beasts of every land, concealed as I remain in the hidden habitation of Mine inner Being, forbidden as I may be from divulging that which God hath bestowed upon Me of the wonders of His knowledge, the gems of His wisdom, and the tokens of His power, yet am I loath to frustrate the hopes of one who hath approached the sanctuary of grandeur, sought to enter within the precincts of eternity, and aspired to soar in the immensity of this creation at the dawning of the divine decree. I shall therefore relate unto thee certain truths from among those which God hath vouchsafed unto Me, this only to the extent that souls can bear and minds endure, lest the malicious raise a clamour or the dissemblers hoist their banners. I implore God to graciously aid Me in this, for unto such as beseech Him, He is the All-Bounteous, and of those who show mercy, He is the Most Merciful.

Know then that it behoveth thine eminence to ponder from the outset these questions in thy heart: What hath prompted the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth to reject the Apostles whom God hath sent unto them in His might and power, whom He hath raised up to exalt His Cause and ordained to be the Lamps of eternity within the Niche of His oneness? For what reason have the people turned aside from them, disputed about them, risen against and contended with them? On what grounds have they refused to acknowledge their apostleship and authority, nay, denied their truth and reviled their persons, even slaying or banishing them?

O thou who hast set foot in the wilderness of knowledge and taken abode within the ark of wisdom! Not until thou hast grasped the mysteries concealed in that which We shall relate unto thee canst thou hope to attain to the stations of faith and certitude in the Cause of God and in those who are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Daysprings of His Command, the Treasuries of His revelation, and the Repositories of His knowledge. Shouldst thou fail in this, thou wouldst be numbered with them that have not striven for the Cause of God, nor inhaled the fragrance of faith from the raiment of certitude, nor scaled the heights of the divine unity, nor yet recognized the stations of divine singleness within the Embodiments of praise and the Essences of sanctity.

Strive then, O My brother, to apprehend this matter, that the veils may be lifted from the face of thy heart and that thou mayest be reckoned among them whom God hath graced with such penetrating vision as to behold the most subtle realities of His dominion, to fathom the mysteries of His kingdom, to perceive the signs of His transcendent Essence in this mortal world, and to attain a station wherein one seeth no distinction amongst His creatures and findeth no flaw in the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Now that the discourse hath reached this exalted and intractable theme and touched upon this sublime and impenetrable mystery, know that the Christian and Jewish peoples have not grasped the intent of the words of God and the promises He hath made to them in His Book, and have therefore denied His Cause, turned aside from His Prophets, and rejected His proofs. Had they but fixed their gaze upon the testimony of God itself, had they refused to follow in the footsteps of the abject and foolish among their leaders and divines, they would doubtless have attained to the repository of guidance and the treasury of virtue, and quaffed from the crystal waters of life eternal in the city of the All-Merciful, in the garden of the All-Glorious, and within the inner reality of His paradise. But as they have refused to see with the eyes wherewith God hath endowed them, and desired things other than that which He in His mercy had desired for them, they have strayed far from the retreats of nearness, have been deprived of the living waters of reunion and the wellspring of His grace, and have lain as dead within the shrouds of their own selves.

Through the power of God and His might, I shall now relate certain passages revealed in the Books of old, and mention some of the signs heralding the appearance of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones, that thou mayest recognize the Dayspring of this everlasting morn and behold this Fire that blazeth in the Tree which is neither of the East nor of the West. Perchance thine eyes may be opened upon attaining the presence of thy Lord and thy heart partake of the blessings concealed within these hidden treasuries. Render thanks then unto God, Who hath singled thee out for this grace and Who hath numbered thee with them that are assured of meeting their Lord.

This is the text of that which was revealed aforetime in the first Gospel, according to Matthew, regarding the signs that must needs herald the advent of the One Who shall come after Him. He saith: “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days…”, until the mystic Dove, singing in the midmost heart of eternity, and the celestial Bird, warbling upon the Divine Lote-Tree, saith: “Immediately after the oppression of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.”

In the second Gospel, according to Mark, the Dove of holiness speaketh in such terms: “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.” And it singeth later with the same melodies as before, without change or alteration. God, verily, is a witness unto the truth of My words.

And in the third Gospel, according to Luke, it is recorded: “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, know that the kingdom of God hath drawn nigh.”

And in the fourth Gospel, according to John, it is recorded: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness.” And elsewhere He saith: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” And: “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you…” And yet again: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” And: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

Such is the text of the verses revealed in the past. By Him besides Whom there is none other God, I have chosen to be brief, for were I to recount all the words that have been sent down unto the Prophets of God from the realm of His supernal glory and the kingdom of His sovereign might, all the pages and tablets of the world would not suffice to exhaust My theme. References similar to those mentioned, nay even more sublime and exalted, have been made in all the Books and Scriptures of old. Should it be My wish to recount all that hath been revealed in the past, I would most certainly be able to do so by virtue of that which God hath bestowed upon Me of the wonders of His knowledge and power. I have, however, contented Myself with that which was mentioned, lest thou become wearied in thy journey or feel inclined to turn back, or lest thou be overtaken by sadness and sorrow and overcome with despondency, trouble and fatigue.

Be fair in thy judgement and reflect upon these exalted utterances. Inquire, then, of those who lay claim to knowledge without a proof or testimony from God, and who remain heedless of these days wherein the Orb of knowledge and wisdom hath dawned above the horizon of Divinity, rendering unto each his due and assigning unto all their rank and measure, as to what they can say concerning these allusions. Verily, their meaning hath bewildered the minds of men, and that which they conceal of the consummate wisdom and latent knowledge of God even the most sanctified souls have been powerless to uncover.

Should they say: “These words are indeed from God, and have no interpretation other than their outward meaning”, then what objection can they raise against the unbelievers among the people of the Book? For when the latter saw the aforementioned passages in their Scriptures and heard the literal interpretations of their divines, they refused to recognize God in those who are the Manifestations of His unity, the Exponents of His singleness, and the Embodiments of His sanctity, and failed to believe in them and submit to their authority. The reason was that they did not see the sun darken, or the stars of heaven fall to the ground, or the angels visibly descend upon the earth, and hence they contended with the Prophets and Messengers of God. Nay, inasmuch as they found them at variance with their own faith and creed, they hurled against them such accusations of imposture, folly, waywardness, and misbelief as I am ashamed to recount. Refer to the Qur’an, that thou mayest find mention of all this and be of them that understand its meaning. Even to this day do these people await the appearance of that which they have learned from their doctors and imbibed from their divines. Thus do they say: “When shall these signs be made manifest, that we may believe?” But if this be the case, how could ye refute their arguments, invalidate their proofs, and challenge them concerning their faith and their understanding of their Books and the sayings of their leaders?

And should they reply: “The Books that are in the hands of this people, which they call the Gospel and attribute to Jesus, the Son of Mary, have not been revealed by God and proceed not from the Manifestations of His Self”, then this would imply a cessation in the abounding grace of Him Who is the Source of all grace. If so, God’s testimony to His servants would have remained incomplete and His favour proven imperfect. His mercy would not have shone resplendent, nor would His grace have overshadowed all. For if at the ascension of Jesus His Book had likewise ascended unto heaven, then how could God reprove and chastise the people on the Day of Resurrection, as hath been written by the Imams of the Faith and affirmed by its illustrious divines?

Ponder then in thine heart: Matters being such as thou dost witness, and as We also witness, where canst thou flee, and with whom shalt thou take refuge? Unto whom wilt thou turn thy gaze? In what land shalt thou dwell and upon what seat shalt thou abide? In what path shalt thou tread and at what hour wilt thou find repose? What shall become of thee in the end? Where shalt thou secure the cord of thy faith and fasten the tie of thine obedience? By Him Who revealeth Himself in His oneness and Whose own Self beareth witness to His unity! Should there be ignited in thy heart the burning brand of the love of God, thou wouldst seek neither rest nor composure, neither laughter nor repose, but wouldst hasten to scale the highest summits in the realms of divine nearness, sanctity, and beauty. Thou wouldst lament as a soul bereaved and weep as a heart filled with longing. Nor wouldst thou repair to thy home and abode unless God would lay bare before thee His Cause.

O thou who hast soared to the realm of guidance and ascended to the kingdom of virtue! Shouldst thou desire to apprehend these celestial allusions, to witness the mysteries of divine knowledge, and to become acquainted with His all-encompassing Word, then it behoveth thine eminence to inquire into these and other questions pertaining to thine origin and ultimate goal from those whom God hath made to be the Wellspring of His knowledge, the Heaven of His wisdom, and the Ark of His mysteries. For were it not for those effulgent Lights that shine above the horizon of His Essence, the people would know not their left hand from their right, how much less could they scale the heights of the inner realities or probe the depths of their subtleties! We beseech God therefore to immerse us in these surging seas, to grace us with the presence of these life-bearing breezes, and to cause us to abide in these divine and lofty precincts. Perchance we may divest ourselves of all that we have taken from each other and strip ourselves of such borrowed garments as we have stolen from our fellow men, that He may attire us instead with the robe of His mercy and the raiment of His guidance, and admit us into the city of knowledge.

Whosoever entereth this city will comprehend every science before probing into its mysteries and will acquire from the leaves of its trees a knowledge and wisdom encompassing such mysteries of divine lordship as are enshrined within the treasuries of creation. Glorified be God, its Creator and Fashioner, above all that He hath brought forth and ordained therein! By God, the Sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsisting, the Almighty! Were I to unveil to thine eyes the gates of this city, which have been fashioned by the right hand of might and power, thou wouldst behold that which none before thee hath ever beheld and wouldst witness that which no other soul hath ever witnessed. Thou wouldst apprehend the most obscure signs and the most abstruse allusions, and wouldst clearly behold the mysteries of the beginning in the point of the end. All matters would be made easy unto thee, fire would be turned into light, knowledge and blessings, and thou wouldst abide in safety within the court of holiness.

Bereft, however, of the essence of the mysteries of His wisdom, which We have imparted unto thee beneath the veils of these blessed and soul-stirring words, thou wouldst fail to attain unto even a sprinkling of the oceans of divine knowledge or the crystal streams of divine power, and wouldst be recorded in the Mother Book, through the Pen of oneness and by the Finger of God, amongst the ignorant. Nor wouldst thou be able to grasp a single word of the Book or a single utterance of the Kindred of God concerning the mysteries of the beginning and the end.

O thou whom We have outwardly never met, yet whom We inwardly cherish in Our heart! Be fair in thy judgement and present thyself before Him Who seeth and knoweth thee, even if thou seest and knowest Him not: Can any soul be found to elucidate these words with such convincing arguments, clear testimonies, and unmistakable allusions as to appease the heart of the seeker and relieve the soul of the listener? Nay, by the One in Whose hand is My soul! Unto none is given to quaff even a dewdrop thereof unless he entereth within this city, a city whose foundations rest upon mountains of crimson-coloured ruby, whose walls are hewn of the chrysolite of divine unity, whose gates are made of the diamonds of immortality, and whose earth sheddeth the fragrance of divine bounty.

Having imparted unto thee, beneath countless veils of concealment, certain hidden mysteries, We now return to Our elucidation of the Books of old, that perchance thy feet may not slip and thou mayest receive with complete certitude the portion which We shall bestow upon thee of the billowing oceans of life in the realm of the names and attributes of God.

It is recorded in all the Books of the Gospel that He Who is the Spirit spoke in words of pure light unto His disciples, saying: “Know that heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall never pass away.” As is clear and evident to thine eminence, these words outwardly mean that the Books of the Gospel will remain in the hands of people till the end of the world, that their laws shall not be abrogated, that their testimony shall not be abolished, and that all that hath been enjoined, prescribed, or ordained therein shall endure forever.

O My brother! Sanctify thy heart, illumine thy soul, and sharpen thy sight, that thou mayest perceive the sweet accents of the Birds of Heaven and the melodies of the Doves of Holiness warbling in the Kingdom of eternity, and perchance apprehend the inner meaning of these utterances and their hidden mysteries. For otherwise, wert thou to interpret these words according to their outward meaning, thou couldst never prove the truth of the Cause of Him Who came after Jesus, nor silence the opponents, nor prevail over the contending disbelievers. For the Christian divines use this verse to prove that the Gospel shall never be abrogated and that, even if all the signs recorded in their Books were fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He would have no recourse but to rule the people according to the ordinances of the Gospel. They contend that if He were to manifest all the signs indicated in the Books, but decree aught besides that which Jesus had decreed, they would neither acknowledge nor follow Him, so clear and self-evident is this matter in their sight.

Thou canst indeed hear the learned and the foolish amongst the people voice the same objections in this day, saying: “The sun hath not risen from the West, nor hath the Crier cried out betwixt earth and heaven. Water hath not inundated certain lands; the Dajjal hath not appeared; Sufyani hath not arisen; nor hath the Temple been witnessed in the sun.” I heard, with Mine own ears, one of their divines proclaim: “Should all these signs come to pass and the long-awaited Qa’im appear, and should He ordain, with respect to even our secondary laws, aught beyond that which hath been revealed in the Qur’an, we would assuredly charge Him with imposture, put Him to death, and refuse forever to acknowledge Him”, and other statements such as these deniers make. And all this, when the Day of Resurrection hath been ushered in, and the Trumpet hath been sounded, and all the denizens of earth and heaven have been gathered together, and the Balance hath been appointed, and the Bridge hath been laid, and the Verses have been sent down, and the Sun hath shone forth, and the stars have been blotted out, and the souls have been raised to life, and the breath of the Spirit hath blown, and the angels have been arrayed in ranks, and Paradise hath been brought nigh, and Hell made to blaze! These things have all come to pass, and yet to this day not a single one of these people hath recognized them! They all lie as dead within their own shrouds, save those who have believed and repaired unto God, who rejoice in this day in His celestial paradise, and who tread the path of His good-pleasure.

Veiled as they remain within their own selves, the generality of the people have failed to perceive the sweet accents of holiness, inhale the fragrance of mercy, or seek guidance, as bidden by God, from those who are the custodians of the Scriptures. He proclaimeth, and His word, verily, is the truth: “Ask ye, therefore, of them that have the custody of the Scriptures, if ye know it not.” Nay rather, they have turned aside from them and followed instead the Samiri of their own idle fancies. Thus have they strayed far from the mercy of their Lord and failed to attain unto His Beauty in the day of His presence. For no sooner had He come unto them with a sign and a testimony from God than the same people who had eagerly awaited the day of His Revelation, who had called upon Him in the daytime and in the night season, who had implored Him to gather them together in His presence and to grant that they may lay down their lives in His path, be led aright by His guidance and illumined by His light - this very people condemned and reviled Him, and inflicted upon Him such cruelties as transcend both My capacity to tell and thine ability to hear them. My very pen crieth out at this moment and the ink weepeth sore and groaneth. By God! Wert thou to hearken with thine inner ear, thou wouldst in truth hear the lamentations of the denizens of heaven; and wert thou to remove the veil from before thine eyes, thou wouldst behold the Maids of Heaven overcome and the holy souls overwhelmed, beating upon their faces and fallen upon the dust.

Alas, alas, for that which befell Him Who was the Manifestation of the Self of God, and for that which He and His loved ones were made to suffer! The people inflicted upon them what no soul hath ever inflicted upon another, and what no infidel hath wrought against a believer or suffered at his hand. Alas, alas! That immortal Being sat upon the darksome dust, the Holy Spirit lamented in the retreats of glory, the pillars of the Throne crumbled in the exalted dominion, the joy of the world was changed into sorrow in the crimson land, and the voice of the Nightingale was silenced in the golden realm. Woe betide them for what their hands have wrought and for what they have committed!

Hearken then unto that which the Bird of Heaven uttered, in the sweetest and most wondrous accents, and in the most perfect and exalted melodies, concerning them - an utterance that shall fill them with remorse from now unto “the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds”: “Although they had before prayed for victory over those who believed not, yet when there came unto them He of Whom they had knowledge, they disbelieved in Him. The curse of God on the infidels!” Such indeed are their condition and attainments in their vain and empty life. Erelong shall they be cast into the fire of affliction and find none to help or succour them.

Be not veiled by aught that hath been revealed in the Qur’an, or by what thou hast learned from the works of those Suns of immaculacy and Moons of majesty, regarding the perversion of the Texts by the fanatical or their alteration by their corruptors. By these statements only certain specific and clearly indicated passages are intended. In spite of My weakness and poverty, I would assuredly be able, should I so desire, to expound these passages unto thine eminence. But this would divert us from our purpose and lead us astray from the outstretched path. It would immerse us in limited allusions and distract us from that which is beloved in the court of the All-Praised.

O thou who art mentioned in this outspread roll and who, amidst the gloomy darkness that now prevaileth, hast been illumined by the splendours of the sacred Mount in the Sinai of divine Revelation! Cleanse thy heart from every blasphemous whispering and evil allusion thou hast heard in the past, that thou mayest inhale the sweet savours of eternity from the Joseph of faithfulness, gain admittance into the celestial Egypt, and perceive the fragrances of enlightenment from this resplendent and luminous Tablet, a Tablet wherein the Pen hath inscribed the ancient mysteries of the names of His Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. Perchance thou mayest be recorded in the holy Tablets among them that are well-assured.

O thou who art standing before My Throne and yet remain unaware thereof! Know thou that whoso seeketh to scale the summits of the divine mysteries must needs strive to the utmost of his power and capacity for his Faith, that the pathway of guidance may be made clear unto him. And should he encounter One Who layeth claim to a Cause from God, and Who holdeth from His Lord a testimony beyond the power of men to produce, he must needs follow Him in all that He pleaseth to proclaim, command and ordain, even were He to decree the sea to be land, or to pronounce earth to be heaven, or that the former lieth above the latter or below it, or to ordain any change or transformation, for He, verily, is aware of the celestial mysteries, the unseen subtleties, and the ordinances of God.

Were the peoples of every nation to observe that which hath been mentioned, the matter would be made simple unto them, and such words and allusions would not withhold them from the Ocean of the names and attributes of God. And had the people known this truth, they would not have denied God’s favours, nor would they have risen against, contended with, and rejected His Prophets. Similar passages are also to be found in the Qur’an, should the matter be carefully examined.

Know, moreover, that it is through such words that God proveth His servants and sifteth them, separating the believer from the infidel, the detached from the worldly, the pious from the profligate, the doer of good from the worker of iniquity, and so forth. Thus hath the Dove of holiness proclaimed: “Do men think when they say ‘We believe’ they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?”

It behoveth him who is a wayfarer in the path of God and a wanderer in His way to detach himself from all who are in the heavens and on the earth. He must renounce all save God, that perchance the portals of mercy may be unlocked before his face and the breezes of providence may waft over him. And when he hath inscribed upon his soul that which We have vouchsafed unto him of the quintessence of inner meaning and explanation, he will fathom all the secrets of these allusions, and God shall bestow upon his heart a divine tranquillity and cause him to be of them that are at peace with themselves. In like manner wilt thou comprehend the meaning of all the ambiguous verses that have been sent down concerning the question thou didst ask of this Servant Who abideth upon the seat of abasement, Who walketh upon the earth as an exile with none to befriend, comfort, aid, or assist Him, Who hath placed His whole trust in God, and Who proclaimeth at all times: “Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”

Know thou that the passages that We have called “ambiguous” appear as such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of grace. For otherwise, unto them that have recognized the Repositories of divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His allusions are clear. Such men discern the inner mysteries that have been clothed in the garment of words as clearly as ye perceive the heat of the sun or the wetness of water, nay even more distinctly. Immeasurably exalted is God above our praise of His loved ones, and beyond their praise of Him!

Now that We have reached this most excellent theme and attained such lofty heights by virtue of that which hath flowed from this Pen through the incomparable favours of God, the Exalted, the Most High, it is Our wish to disclose unto thee certain stations in the wayfarer’s journey towards his Creator. Perchance all that thine eminence hath desired may be revealed unto thee, that the proof may be made complete and the blessing abundant.

Know thou of a truth that the seeker must, at the beginning of his quest for God, enter the Garden of Search. In this journey it behoveth the wayfarer to detach himself from all save God and to close his eyes to all that is in the heavens and on the earth. There must not linger in his heart either the hate or the love of any soul, to the extent that they would hinder him from attaining the habitation of the celestial Beauty. He must sanctify his soul from the veils of glory and refrain from boasting of such worldly vanities, outward knowledge, or other gifts as God may have bestowed upon him. He must search after the truth to the utmost of his ability and exertion, that God may guide him in the paths of His favour and the ways of His mercy. For He, verily, is the best of helpers unto His servants. He saith, and He verily speaketh the truth: “Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways shall We assuredly guide him.” And furthermore: “Fear God and God will give you knowledge.”

In this journey the seeker becometh witness to a myriad changes and transformations, confluences and divergences. He beholdeth the wonders of Divinity in the mysteries of creation and discovereth the paths of guidance and the ways of his Lord. Such is the station reached by them that search after God, and such are the heights attained by those who hasten unto Him.

When once the seeker hath ascended unto this station, he will enter the City of Love and Rapture, whereupon the winds of love will blow and the breezes of the spirit will waft. In this station the seeker is so overcome by the ecstasies of yearning and the fragrances of longing that he discerneth not his left from his right, nor doth he distinguish land from sea or desert from mountain. At every moment he burneth with the fire of longing and is consumed by the onslaught of separation in this world. He speedeth through the Paran of love and traverseth the Horeb of rapture. Now he laugheth, now he weepeth sore; now he reposeth in peace, now he trembleth in fear. Nothing can alarm him, naught can thwart his purpose, and no law can restrain him. He standeth ready to obey whatsoever His Lord should please to decree as to his beginning and his end. With every breath he layeth down his life and offereth up his soul. He bareth his breast to meet the darts of the enemy and raiseth his head to greet the sword of destiny; nay rather, he kisseth the hand of his would-be murderer and surrendereth his all. He yieldeth up spirit, soul, and body in the path of his Lord, and yet he doeth so by the leave of his Beloved and not of his own whim and desire. Thou findest him chill in the fire and dry in the sea, abiding in every land and treading every path. Whosoever toucheth him in this state will perceive the heat of his love. He walketh the heights of detachment and traverseth the vale of renunciation. His eyes are ever expectant to witness the wonders of God’s mercy and eager to behold the splendours of His beauty. Blessed indeed are they that have attained unto such a station, for this is the station of the ardent lovers and the enraptured souls.

And when this stage of the journey is completed and the wayfarer hath soared beyond this lofty station, he entereth the City of Divine Unity, and the garden of oneness, and the court of detachment. In this plane the seeker casteth away all signs, allusions, veils, and words, and beholdeth all things with an eye illumined by the effulgent lights which God Himself hath shed upon him. In his journey he seeth all differences return to a single word and all allusions culminate in a single point. Unto this beareth witness he who sailed upon the ark of fire and followed the inmost path to the pinnacle of glory in the realm of immortality: “Knowledge is one point, which the foolish have multiplied.” This is the station that hath been alluded to in the tradition: “I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is.”

In this station, were He Who is the Embodiment of the End to say: “Verily, I am the Point of the Beginning”, He would indeed be speaking the truth. And were He to say: “I am other than Him”, this would be equally true. Likewise, were He to proclaim: “Verily, I am the Lord of heaven and earth”, or “the King of kings”, or “the Lord of the realm above”, or Muhammad, or ’Ali, or their descendants, or aught else, He would indeed be proclaiming the truth of God. He, verily, ruleth over all created things and standeth supreme above all besides Him. Hast thou not heard what hath been said aforetime: “Muhammad is our first, Muhammad our last, Muhammad our all”? And elsewhere: “They all proceed from the same Light”?

In this station the truth of the unity of God and of the signs of His sanctity is established. Thou shalt indeed see them all rising above the bosom of God’s might and embraced in the arms of His mercy; nor can any distinction be made between His bosom and His arms. To speak of change or transformation in this plane would be sheer blasphemy and utter impiety, for this is the station wherein the light of divine unity shineth forth, and the truth of His oneness is expressed, and the splendours of the everlasting Morn are reflected in lofty and faithful mirrors. By God! Were I to reveal the full measure of that which He hath ordained for this station, the souls of men would depart from their bodies, the inner realities of all things would be shaken in their foundations, they that dwell within the realms of creation would be dumbfounded, and those who move in the lands of allusion would fade into utter nothingness.

Hast thou not heard: “No change is there in God’s creation”? Hast thou not read: “No change canst thou find in God’s mode of dealing”? Hast thou not borne witness to the truth: “No difference wilt thou see in the creation of the God of Mercy”? Yea, by My Lord! They that dwell within this Ocean, they that ride upon this Ark, witness no change in the creation of God and behold no differences upon His earth. And if God’s creation be not prone to change and alteration, how then could they who are the Manifestations of His own Being be subject to it? Immeasurably exalted is God above all that we may conceive of the Revealers of His Cause, and immensely glorified is He beyond all that they may mention in His regard!

Great God! This sea had laid up lustrous pearls in store;

The wind hath raised a wave that casteth them ashore.

So put away thy robe and drown thyself therein,

And cease to boast of skill: it serveth thee no more!

If thou be of the inmates of this city within the ocean of divine unity, thou wilt view all the Prophets and Messengers of God as one soul and one body, as one light and one spirit, in such wise that the first among them would be last and the last would be first. For they have all arisen to proclaim His Cause and have established the laws of divine wisdom. They are, one and all, the Manifestations of His Self, the Repositories of His might, the Treasuries of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His splendour and the Daysprings of His light. Through them are manifested the signs of sanctity in the realities of all things and the tokens of oneness in the essences of all beings. Through them are revealed the elements of glorification in the heavenly realities and the exponents of praise in the eternal essences. From them hath all creation proceeded and unto them shall return all that hath been mentioned. And since in their inmost Beings they are the same Luminaries and the self-same Mysteries, thou shouldst view their outward conditions in the same light, that thou mayest recognize them all as one Being, nay, find them united in their words, speech, and utterance.

Wert thou to consider in this station the last of them to be the first, or conversely, thou wouldst indeed be speaking the truth, as hath been ordained by Him Who is the Wellspring of Divinity and the Source of Lordship: “Say: Call upon God or call upon the All-Merciful: by whichsoever name ye will, invoke him, for He hath most excellent names.” For they are all the Manifestations of the name of God, the Dawning-Places of His attributes, the Repositories of His might, and the Focal Points of His sovereignty, whilst God - magnified be His might and glory - is in His Essence sanctified above all names and exalted beyond even the loftiest attributes. Consider likewise the evidences of divine omnipotence both in their Souls and in their human Temples, that thine heart may be assured and that thou mayest be of them that speed through the realms of His nearness.

I shall restate here My theme, that perchance this may assist thee in recognizing thy Creator. Know thou that God - exalted and glorified be He - doth in no wise manifest His inmost Essence and Reality. From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the eternity of His Essence and concealed in the infinitude of His own Being. And when He purposed to manifest His beauty in the kingdom of names and to reveal His glory in the realm of attributes, He brought forth His Prophets from the invisible plane to the visible, that His name “the Manifest” might be distinguished from “the Hidden” and His name “the Last” might be discerned from “the First”, and that there may be fulfilled the words: “He is the First and the Last; the Seen and the Hidden; and He knoweth all things!” Thus hath He revealed these most excellent names and most exalted words in the Manifestations of His Self and the Mirrors of His Being.

It is therefore established that all names and attributes return unto these sublime and sanctified Luminaries. Indeed, all names are to be found in their names, and all attributes can be seen in their attributes. Viewed in this light, if thou wert to call them by all the names of God, this would be true, as all these names are one and the same as their own Being. Comprehend then the intent of these words, and guard it within the tabernacle of thy heart, that thou mayest recognize the implications of thine inquiry, fulfil them according to that which God hath ordained for thee, and thus be numbered with those who have attained unto His purpose.

All that thou hast heard regarding Muhammad the son of Hasan - may the souls of all that are immersed in the oceans of the spirit be offered up for His sake - is true beyond the shadow of a doubt, and we all verily bear allegiance unto Him. But the Imams of the Faith have fixed His abode in the city of Jabulqa, which they have depicted in strange and marvellous signs. To interpret this city according to the literal meaning of the tradition would indeed prove impossible, nor can such a city ever be found. Wert thou to search the uttermost corners of the earth, nay probe its length and breadth for as long as God’s eternity hath lasted and His sovereignty will endure, thou wouldst never find a city such as they have described, for the entirety of the earth could neither contain nor encompass it. If thou wouldst lead Me unto this city, I could assuredly lead thee unto this holy Being, Whom the people have conceived according to what they possess and not to that which pertaineth unto Him! Since this is not in thy power, thou hast no recourse but to interpret symbolically the accounts and traditions that have been reported from these luminous souls. And, as such an interpretation is needed for the traditions pertaining to the aforementioned city, so too is it required for this holy Being. When thou hast understood this interpretation, thou shalt no longer stand in need of “transformation” or aught else.

Know then that, inasmuch as all the Prophets are but one and the same soul, spirit, name, and attribute, thou must likewise see them all as bearing the name Muhammad and as being the son of Hasan, as having appeared from the Jabulqa of God’s power and from the Jabulsa of His mercy. For by Jabulqa is meant none other than the treasure-houses of eternity in the all-highest heaven and the cities of the unseen in the supernal realm. We bear witness that Muhammad the son of Hasan was indeed in Jabulqa and appeared therefrom. Likewise, He Whom God shall make manifest abideth in that city until such time as God will have established Him upon the seat of His sovereignty. We, verily, acknowledge this truth and bear allegiance unto each and every one of them. We have chosen here to be brief in our elucidation of the meanings of Jabulqa, but if thou be of them that truly believe, thou shalt indeed comprehend all the true meanings of the mysteries enshrined within these Tablets.

But as to Him Who appeared in the year sixty, He standeth in need of neither transformation nor interpretation, for His name was Muhammad, and He was a descendant of the Imams of the Faith. Thus it can be truly said of Him that He was the son of Hasan, as is undoubtedly clear and evident unto thine eminence. Nay, He it is Who fashioned that name and created it for Himself, were ye to observe with the eye of God.

It is Our wish at this juncture to digress from Our theme to recount that which befell the Point of the Qur’an, and to extol His remembrance, that perchance thou mayest gain into all things an insight born of Him Who is the Almighty, the Incomparable.

Consider and reflect upon His days, when God raised Him up to promote His Cause and to stand as the representative of His own Self. Witness how He was assailed, denied, and denounced by all; how, when He set foot in the streets and marketplaces, the people derided Him, wagged their heads at Him, and laughed Him to scorn; how at every moment they sought to slay Him. Such were their doings that the earth in all its vastness was straitened for Him, the Concourse on High bewailed His plight, the foundations of existence were reduced to nothingness, and the eyes of the well-favoured denizens of His Kingdom wept sore over Him. Indeed, so grievous were the afflictions which the infidels and the wicked showered upon Him that no faithful soul can bear to hear them.

If these wayward souls had indeed paused to reflect upon their conduct, recognized the sweet melodies of that Mystic Dove singing upon the twigs of this snow-white Tree, embraced that which God had revealed unto and bestowed upon them, and discovered the fruits of the Tree of God upon its branches, wherefore then did they reject and denounce Him? Had they not lifted their heads to the heavens to implore His appearance? Had they not besought God at every moment to honour them with His Beauty and sustain them through His presence?

But as they failed to recognize the accents of God and the divine mysteries and holy allusions enshrined in that which flowed from the tongue of Muhammad, and as they neglected to examine the matter in their own hearts, and followed instead those priests of error who have hindered the progress of the people in past dispensations and who will continue to do so in future cycles, they were thus veiled from the divine purpose, failed to quaff from the celestial streams, and deprived themselves of the presence of God, the Manifestation of His Essence, and the Dayspring of His eternity. Thus did they wander in the paths of delusion and the ways of heedlessness, and return to their abode in that fire which feedeth on their own souls. These, verily, are numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the Pen of God in His holy Book. Nor have they ever found, or will ever find, a friend or helper.

Had these souls but clung steadfastly to the Handle of God manifested in the Person of Muhammad, had they turned wholly unto God and cast aside all that they had learned from their divines, He would assuredly have guided them through His grace and acquainted them with the sacred truths that are enshrined within His imperishable utterances. For far be it from His greatness and His glory that He should turn away a seeker at His door, cast aside from His Threshold one who hath set his hopes on Him, reject one who hath sought the shelter of His shade, deprive one who hath held fast to the hem of His mercy, or condemn to remoteness the poor one who hath found the river of His riches. But as these people failed to turn wholly unto God, and to hold fast to the hem of His all-pervading mercy at the appearance of the Daystar of Truth, they passed out from under the shadow of guidance and entered the city of error. Thus did they become corrupt and corrupt the people. Thus did they err and lead the people into error. And thus were they recorded among the oppressors in the books of heaven.

Now that this evanescent One hath reached this exalted point in the exposition of the inner mysteries, the reason for the denial of these uncouth souls will be described briefly, that it may serve as a testimony unto them that are endued with understanding and insight, and be a token of My favour unto the concourse of the faithful.

Know then that when Muhammad, the Point of the Qur’an and the Light of the All-Glorious, came with perspicuous verses and luminous proofs manifested in such signs as are beyond the power of all existence to produce, He bade all men follow this lofty and outstretched Path in accordance with the precepts that He had brought from God. Whoso acknowledged Him, recognized the signs of God in His inmost Being, and saw in His beauty the changeless beauty of God, the decree of “resurrection”, “ingathering”, “life”, and “paradise” was passed upon him. For he who had believed in God and in the Manifestation of His beauty was raised from the grave of heedlessness, gathered together in the sacred ground of the heart, quickened to the life of faith and certitude, and admitted into the paradise of the divine presence. What paradise can be loftier than this, what ingathering mightier, and what resurrection greater? Indeed, should a soul be acquainted with these mysteries, he would grasp that which none other hath fathomed.

Know then that the paradise that appeareth in the day of God surpasseth every other paradise and excelleth the realities of Heaven. For when God - blessed and glorified is He - sealed the station of prophethood in the person of Him Who was His Friend, His Chosen One, and His Treasure amongst His creatures, as hath been revealed from the Kingdom of glory: “but He is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets”, He promised all men that they shall attain unto His own presence in the Day of Resurrection. In this He meant to emphasize the greatness of the Revelation to come, as it hath indeed been manifested through the power of truth. And there is of a certainty no paradise greater than this, nor station higher, should ye reflect upon the verses of the Qur’an. Blessed be he who knoweth of a certainty that he shall attain unto the presence of God on that day when His Beauty shall be made manifest.

Were I to recount all the verses that have been revealed in connection with this exalted theme, it would weary the reader and divert Us from Our purpose. The following verse shall therefore suffice Us; may thine eyes be solaced therewith, and mayest thou attain unto that which hath been treasured and concealed therein: “It is God who hath reared the heavens without pillars thou canst behold; then mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the sun and moon: each travelleth to its appointed goal. He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear, that ye may have firm faith in the presence of your Lord.”

Ponder then, O My friend, the words “firm faith” that have been mentioned in this verse. It saith that the heavens and the earth, the throne, the sun and the moon, all have been created to the end that His servants may have unswerving faith in His presence in His days. By the righteousness of God! Contemplate, O My brother, the greatness of this station, and behold the condition of the people in these days, fleeing from the Countenance of God and His Beauty “as though they were affrighted asses”. Wert thou to reflect upon that which We have revealed unto thee, thou wouldst undoubtedly grasp Our purpose in this utterance and discover that which We have desired to impart unto thee within this paradise. Perchance thine eyes may rejoice in beholding it, thine ears take delight in hearing that which is recited therein, thy soul be enthralled by recognizing it, thy heart illumined by comprehending it, and thy spirit gladdened by the fragrant breezes that waft therefrom. Haply thou mayest attain unto the pinnacle of divine grace and abide within the Ridvan of transcendent holiness.

He, however, who denied God in His Truth, who turned his back upon Him and rebelled, who disbelieved and made mischief, the verdict of “impiety”, “blasphemy”, “death”, and “fire” was passed upon him. For, what blasphemy is greater than to turn unto the manifestations of Satan, to follow the doctors of oblivion and the people of rebellion? What impiety is more grievous than to deny the Lord on the day when faith itself is renewed and regenerated by God, the Almighty, the Beneficent? What death is more wretched than to flee from the Source of everlasting life? What fire is fiercer on the Day of Reckoning than that of remoteness from the divine Beauty and the celestial Glory?

These were the very words and utterances used by the pagan Arabs living in the days of Muhammad to dispute with and pronounce judgement against Him. They said: “Those who believed in Muhammad dwelt in our midst and associated with us day and night. When did they die and when were they raised again to life?” Hearken unto that which was revealed in reply: “If ever thou dost marvel, marvellous surely is their saying, ‘What! When we have become dust and mouldering bones, shall we be restored in a new creation?’” And in another passage: “And if thou shouldst say, ‘After death ye shall surely be raised again’, the infidels will certainly exclaim, ‘This is naught but palpable sorcery.’” Thus did they mock and deride Him, for they had read in their Books and heard from their divines the terms “life” and “death”, and understood them as this elemental life and physical death, and hence when they found not that which their vain imaginings and their false and wicked minds had conceived, they hoisted the banners of discord and the standards of sedition and kindled the flame of war. God, however, quenched it through the power of His might, as thou seest again in this day with these infidels and evil-doers.

At this hour, when the sweet savours of attraction have wafted over Me from the everlasting city, when transports of yearning have seized Me from the land of splendours at the dawning of the Daystar of the worlds above the horizon of ’Iraq, and the sweet melodies of Hijaz have brought to Mine ears the mysteries of separation, I have purposed to relate unto thine eminence a portion of that which the Mystic Dove hath warbled in the midmost heart of Paradise as to the true meaning of life and death, though the task be impossible. For were I to interpret these words for thee as it hath been inscribed in the Guarded Tablets, all the books and pages of the world could not contain it, nor could the souls of men bear its weight. I shall nonetheless mention that which beseemeth this day and age, that it might serve as a guidance unto whosoever desireth to gain admittance into the retreats of glory in the realms above, to hearken unto the melodies of the spirit intoned by this divine and mystic bird, and to be numbered with those who have severed themselves from all save God and who in this day rejoice in the presence of their Lord.

Know then that “life” hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end with physical death, which is a God-ordained and inescapable reality. That life, however, which is mentioned in the Books of the Prophets and the Chosen Ones of God is the life of knowledge; that is to say, the servant’s recognition of the sign of the splendours wherewith He Who is the Source of all splendour hath Himself invested him, and his certitude of attaining unto the presence of God through the Manifestations of His Cause. This is that blessed and everlasting life that perisheth not: whosoever is quickened thereby shall never die, but will endure as long as His Lord and Creator will endure.

The first life, which pertaineth to the elemental body, will come to an end, as hath been revealed by God: “Every soul shall taste of death.” But the second life, which ariseth from the knowledge of God, knoweth no death, as hath been revealed aforetime: “Him will We surely quicken to a blessed life.” And in another passage concerning the martyrs: “Nay, they are alive and sustained by their Lord.” And from the Traditions: “He who is a true believer liveth both in this world and in the world to come.” Numerous examples of similar words are to be found in the Books of God and of the Embodiments of His justice. For the sake of brevity, however, We have contented Ourself with the above passages.

O My brother! Forsake thine own desires, turn thy face unto thy Lord, and walk not in the footsteps of those who have taken their corrupt inclinations for their god, that perchance thou mayest find shelter in the heart of existence, beneath the redeeming shadow of Him Who traineth all names and attributes. For they who turn away from their Lord in this day are in truth accounted amongst the dead, though to outward seeming they may walk upon the earth, amongst the deaf, though they may hear, and amongst the blind, though they may see, as hath been clearly stated by Him Who is the Lord of the Day of Reckoning: “Hearts have they with which they understand not, and eyes have they with which they see not….” They walk the edge of a treacherous bank and tread the brink of a fiery abyss. They partake not of the billows of this surging and treasure-laden Ocean, but disport themselves with their own idle words.

In this connection We will relate unto thee that which was revealed of old concerning “life”, that perchance it may turn thee away from the promptings of self, deliver thee from the narrow confines of thy prison in this gloomy plane, and aid thee to become of them that are guided aright in the darkness of this world.

He saith, and He, verily, speaketh the truth: “Shall the dead whom We have quickened, and for whom We have ordained a light whereby he may walk amongst men, be like him whose likeness is in the darkness, whence he will not come forth?” This verse was revealed with respect to Hamzih and Abu-Jahl, the former of whom was a believer whilst the latter disbelieved. Most of the pagan leaders mocked and derided it, were agitated, and clamoured: “How did Hamzih die? And how was he restored to his former life?” Were ye to examine carefully the verses of God, ye would find many such statements recorded in the Book.

Would that pure and stainless hearts could be found, that I might impart unto them a sprinkling from the oceans of knowledge which My Lord hath bestowed upon Me, so that they may soar in the heavens even as they walk upon the earth and speed over the waters even as they course the land, and that they may take up their souls in their hands and lay them down in the path of their Creator. Howbeit, leave hath not been granted to divulge this mighty secret. Indeed, it hath been from everlasting a mystery enshrined within the treasuries of His power and a secret concealed within the repositories of His might, lest His faithful servants forsake their own lives in the hope of attaining this most great station in the realms of eternity. Nor shall they who wander in this oppressive darkness ever attain unto it.

O My brother! At every juncture We have restated Our theme, that all that hath been recorded in these verses may, by the leave of God, be made clear unto thee, and that thou mayest become independent of those who are plunged in the darkness of self and who tread the valley of arrogance and pride, and be of them that move within the paradise of everlasting life.

Say: O people! The Tree of Life hath verily been planted in the heart of the heavenly paradise and bestoweth life in every direction. How can ye fail to perceive and recognize it? It will in truth aid thee to grasp all that this well-assured Soul hath disclosed unto thee of the essence of the divine mysteries. The Dove of holiness warbleth in the heaven of immortality and admonisheth thee to array thyself with a new vesture, wrought of steel to shield thee from the shafts of doubt concealed in the allusions of men, saying: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.”

Wing then thy flight unto this divine Tree and partake of its fruits. Gather up that which hath fallen therefrom and guard it faithfully. Meditate then upon the utterance of one of the Prophets as He intimated to the souls of men, through veiled allusions and hidden symbols, the glad-tidings of the One Who was to come after Him, that thou mayest know of a certainty that their words are inscrutable to all save those who are endued with an understanding heart. He saith: “His eyes were as a flame of fire”, and “brass-like were His feet”, and “out of His mouth goeth a two-edged sword”. How could these words be literally interpreted? Were anyone to appear with all these signs, he would assuredly not be human. And how could any soul seek his company? Nay, should he appear in one city, even the inhabitants of the next would flee from him, nor would any soul dare approach him! Yet, shouldst thou reflect upon these statements, thou wouldst find them to be of such surpassing eloquence and clarity as to mark the loftiest heights of utterance and the epitome of wisdom. Methinks it is from them that the suns of eloquence have appeared and the stars of clarity have dawned forth and shone resplendent.

Behold, then, the foolish ones of bygone times and those who, in this day, await the advent of such a being! Nor would they ever bear allegiance unto him except that he appear in the aforementioned form. And as such a being will never appear, so too will they never believe. Such indeed is the measure of the understanding of these perverse and ungodly souls! How could those who fail to understand the most evident of the evident and the most manifest of the manifest ever apprehend the abstruse realities of the divine precepts and the essence of the mysteries of His everlasting wisdom?

I shall now briefly explain the true meaning of this utterance, that thou mayest discover its hidden mysteries and be of them that perceive. Examine then and judge aright that which We shall reveal unto thee, that haply thou mayest be accounted in the sight of God amongst those who are fair-minded in these matters.

Know then that He who uttered these words in the realms of glory meant to describe the attributes of the One Who is to come in such veiled and enigmatic terms as to elude the understanding of the people of error. Now, when He saith: “His eyes were as a flame of fire”, He alludeth but to the keenness of sight and acuteness of vision of the Promised One, Who with His eyes burneth away every veil and covering, maketh known the eternal mysteries in the contingent world, and distinguisheth the faces that are obscured with the dust of hell from those that shine with the light of paradise. Were His eyes not made of the blazing fire of God, how could He consume every veil and burn away all that the people possess? How could He behold the signs of God in the Kingdom of His names and in the world of creation? How could He see all things with the all-perceiving eye of God? Thus have we conferred upon Him a penetrating vision in this day. Would that ye believe in the verses of God! For, indeed, what fire is fiercer than this flame that shineth in the Sinai of His eyes, whereby He consumeth all that hath veiled the peoples of the world? Immeasurably exalted shall God remain above all that hath been revealed in His unerring Tablets concerning the mysteries of the beginning and the end until that day when the Crier will cry out, the day whereon we shall all return unto Him.

As to the words “brass-like were His feet”, by this is meant His constancy upon hearing the call of God that commandeth Him: “Be thou steadfast as thou hast been bidden.” He shall so persevere in the Cause of God, and evince such firmness in the path of His might, that even if all the powers of earth and heaven were to deny Him, He would not waver in the proclamation of His Cause, nor flee from His command in the promulgation of His Laws. Nay rather, He will stand as firm as the highest mountains and the loftiest peaks. He will remain immovable in His obedience to God and steadfast in revealing His Cause and proclaiming His Word. No obstacle will hinder Him, nor will the censure of the froward deter Him or the repudiation of the infidels cause Him to waver. All the hatred, the rejection, the iniquity, and the unbelief that He witnesseth serve but to strengthen His love for God, to augment the yearning of His heart, to heighten the exultation of His soul, and to fill His breast with passionate devotion. Hast thou ever seen in this world brass stronger, or blade sharper, or mountain more unyielding than this? He shall verily stand upon His feet to confront all the inhabitants of the earth, and will fear no one, notwithstanding that which, as thou well knowest, the people are wont to commit. Glory be to God, Who hath established Him and called Him forth! Potent is God to do what He pleaseth. He, in truth, is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

And further He saith: “Out of his mouth goeth a two-edged sword.” Know thou that since the sword is an instrument that divideth and cleaveth asunder, and since there proceedeth from the mouth of the Prophets and the Chosen Ones of God that which separateth the believer from the infidel and the lover from the beloved, this term hath been so employed, and apart from this dividing and separating no other meaning is intended. Thus, when He Who is the Primal Point and the eternal Sun desireth, by the leave of God, to gather together all creation, to raise them up from the graves of their own selves, and to divide them one from another, He shall pronounce but one verse from Him, and this verse will distinguish truth from error from this day unto the Day of Resurrection. What sword is sharper than this heavenly sword, what blade more trenchant than this incorruptible steel that severeth every tie and separateth thereby the believer from the infidel, father from son, brother from sister, and lover from beloved? For whoso believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him is a true believer and whoso turneth away is an infidel, and such an irrevocable separation occurreth between them that they will cease to consort and associate with each other in this world. And so it is between father and son, for should the son believe and the father deny, they will be severed and forever dissociated from each other. Nay rather, thou witnesseth how the son slayeth the father and the father the son. Consider in the same light all that We have explained and related unto thee.

Wert thou to behold all things with the eye of discernment, thou wouldst indeed see that this divine sword doth cleave asunder generations. Would that ye could understand it! All this is by virtue of the word of separation that is manifested on the Day of Judgement and Separation, were the people to take heed in the days of their Lord. Nay, couldst thou but sharpen thy sight and refine thy heart, thou wouldst witness that all the material swords which in every day and age have slain the infidels and waged war against the impious proceed from this divine and invisible sword. Open then thine eyes, that thou mayest behold all that We have revealed to thee and attain unto that which none other hath attained. We verily exclaim: “Praise be to God, He Who is the Lord of the Day of Reckoning!”

Yea, inasmuch as these people have failed to acquire true knowledge from its source and wellspring, and from the ocean of fresh and soft-flowing waters that stream, by the leave of God, through hearts that are pure and stainless, they have been veiled from that which God hath intended by those words and allusions and have remained confined within the prison of their own selves.

We render thanks unto God for that which He hath bestowed upon us of His grace. He it is Who hath caused us to be assured of the truth of His Faith - a Faith which the combined forces of earth and heaven are powerless to resist. He it is Who hath enabled us to acknowledge Him in the day of His presence, to testify unto Him Whom God shall make manifest in the latter Resurrection, and to be among them that have believed in Him ere His appearance, that His favour may be made complete unto us and unto all mankind.

But hear, O My brother, My plaint against them that claim to be associated with God and with the Manifestations of His knowledge, and yet follow their corrupt inclinations, consume the substance of their neighbour, are given to wine, commit murder, defraud and slander each other, hurl calumnies against God, and are wont to speak falsely. The people attribute all these deeds unto Us, whilst their perpetrators remain shameless before God. They cast aside that which He hath enjoined upon them and commit that which He hath forbidden. Yet it behoveth the people of truth that the signs of humility should shine upon their faces, that the light of sanctity should radiate from their countenances, that they should walk upon the earth as though they were in the presence of God and distinguish themselves in their deeds from all the dwellers of the earth. Such must be their state that their eyes should behold the evidences of His might, their tongues and hearts make mention of His name, their feet be set towards the lands of His nearness, and their hands take fast hold upon His precepts. And were they to pass through a valley of pure gold and mines of precious silver, they should regard them as wholly unworthy of their attention.

These people, however, have turned aside from all this and placed instead their affections upon that which accordeth with their own corrupt inclinations. Thus do they roam in the wilderness of arrogance and pride. I bear witness at this moment that God is wholly quit of them, and likewise are We. We beseech God to suffer Us not to associate with them either in this life or in the life to come. He, verily, is the Eternal Truth. No God is there but Him, and His might is equal to all things.

Quaff then, O My brother, from the living waters that We have caused to flow in the oceans of these words. Methinks the seas of grandeur are surging within them, and the gems of divine virtue are shining within and upon them. Divest then thyself of that which debarreth thee from this fathomless crimson sea, and to the cry of “In the name of God and by His grace!” immerse thyself therein. Let the fear of no one dismay thee. Trust in the Lord, thy God, for He is sufficient unto whosoever trusteth in Him. He, verily, shall protect thee, and in Him shalt thou abide in safety.

Know thou, moreover, that in this most hallowed and resplendent city thou shalt find the wayfarer to be lowly before all men and humble before all things. For naught doth he behold save that he perceiveth God therein. He beholdeth the effulgent glories of God in the lights of His Revelation that have encompassed the Sinai of creation. In this station the wayfarer must not claim the seat of honour in any gathering or walk before others in the desire to vaunt and exalt himself. Rather must he regard himself as standing at all times in the presence of his Lord. He must not wish for anyone that which he doth not wish for himself, nor speak that which he would not bear to hear spoken by another, nor yet desire for any soul that which he would not have desired for himself. It befitteth him, rather, to walk upon the earth with undeviating steps in the kingdom of His new creation.

Know, however, that the seeker, at the outset of his journey, witnesseth change and transformation, as hath already been mentioned. This is undoubtedly the truth, as hath been revealed concerning those days: “On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth.” These are indeed days the like of which no mortal eye hath ever seen. Blessed is he that attaineth thereunto and realizeth their full worth. “We had sent Moses with Our signs, saying unto him: ‘Bring forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.’” And these are in truth the days of God, could ye but know it.

In this station, all changing and varying realities are manifest before thee. Whosoever denieth this truth hath verily turned aside from the Cause of God, rebelled against His rule, and gainsaid His sovereignty. For it is indeed within the power of Him Who changeth the earth into another earth to transform all that dwell and move thereon. Wherefore marvel not at how He turneth darkness into light, light into darkness, ignorance into knowledge, error into guidance, death into life, and life into death. It is in this station that the law of transformation taketh effect. Ponder thereon, if thou be of them that tread this path, that all thou didst ask of this lowly One may be made plain unto thee and that thou mayest abide within the tabernacle of this guidance. For He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth. Nor shall He be asked of His doings, whilst all men will be asked of their every deed.

O My brother! In this stage, which marketh the beginning of the journey, thou shalt behold divers stations and differing signs, even as was mentioned in connection with the City of Search. All these hold true in their respective planes. It behoveth thine eminence in this station to consider each created thing in its own place, neither abasing nor exalting its true rank. For instance, if thou wert to reduce the unseen world to the realm of creation, this would be an act of sheer blasphemy, and the converse would likewise be the essence of impiety. Wert thou, however, to describe the unseen world and the realm of creation within their own stations, this would be the undoubted truth. In other words, wert thou to witness any transformation in the realm of the divine unity, no greater sin could be conceived in all creation, but wert thou to consider transformation in its own place and understand it accordingly, no harm could befall thee.

By My Lord! Notwithstanding all that We have revealed unto thee of the mysteries of utterance and the degrees of exposition, methinks I have spoken not a single letter of the ocean of God’s hidden knowledge and the essence of His inscrutable wisdom. God willing, this We shall erelong accomplish in its appointed time. He verily, remembereth all things in their own place, and we, in truth, all yield praise unto Him.

Know thou, moreover, that the bird that taketh flight in the atmosphere of the realm on high will never be able to soar unto the heaven of transcendent holiness, nor taste of the fruits which God hath brought forth therein, nor quaff from the streams which He hath caused to flow in its midst. And were it to partake but a drop thereof, it would perish forthwith. Even as thou dost witness in these days with regard to those who profess allegiance unto Us, and yet perform such deeds, utter such words, and advance such claims as they have. Methinks they lie as dead within their own veils.

Comprehend, in like manner, every station, sign, and allusion, that thou mayest perceive all things in their own place and consider all matters in their proper light. For in this station, the City of Divine Unity, are to be found those who have entered within the ark of divine guidance and journeyed through the heights of divine unity. Thou shalt behold the lights of beauty upon their faces and the mysteries of glory in their human temples. Thou shalt perceive the musk-laden fragrance of their words and behold the signs of His sovereignty in all their ways and doings. Nor wilt thou be veiled by the deeds of them that have failed to quaff from the crystal springs or to attain unto the cities of holiness, and who follow their selfish desires and spread disorder in the land, all the while believing themselves to be guided aright. It is indeed of them that it hath been said: “These are the abject and foolish, who follow every clamorous impostor and who bend with every changing wind.” The stages of this journey, station, and abode are clear and manifest to thee and require no further explanation.

Know then that all thou hast heard and witnessed that Daystar of Truth, the Primal Point, ascribe to Himself from the designations of former times is only on account of the weakness of men and the scheme of the world of creation. Otherwise, all names and attributes revolve round His Essence and circle about the threshold of His sanctuary. For He it is Who traineth all names, revealeth all attributes, conferreth life upon all beings, proclaimeth the divine verses, and arrayeth the heavenly signs. Nay, shouldst thou gaze with thine inner eye, thou wouldst find that all save Him fade into utter nothingness and are as a thing forgotten in His holy presence. “God was alone; there was none else besides Him. He remaineth now what He hath ever been.” Since it hath been established that God - hallowed and glorified be He! - was alone and there was none besides Him, how can the law of change and transformation apply here? Shouldst thou reflect upon that which We have disclosed unto thee, the daystar of guidance would shine resplendent before thee in this everlasting morn, and thou wouldst be numbered therein with the pious.

Know, moreover, that all that We have mentioned concerning these journeys is intended for none but the elect amongst the righteous. And shouldst thou spur on the charger of the spirit and traverse the meads of heaven, thou wouldst complete all these journeys and discover every mystery in less than the twinkling of an eye.

O My brother! If thou be a champion of this arena, speed within the lands of certitude, that thy soul may be delivered in this day from the bondage of misbelief, and that thou mayest perceive the sweet savours that waft from this garden. Verily, the perfume-laden breezes that carry the fragrance of this city blow over all regions. Forfeit not thy portion thereof and be not of the heedless. How well hath it been said:

His fragrant breaths diffused in Eastern lands could well

To sick ones in the West restore their sense of smell!

After this heavenly journey and mystical ascent the wayfarer will enter within the Garden of Wonderment. Were I to disclose unto thee the reality of this station, thou wouldst lament and bewail the plight of this Servant Who remaineth in the hands of these infidels, Who hath grown perplexed at his plight, and is lost in bewilderment in this fathomless ocean. They conspire each day to put Me to death, and seek at every hour to banish Me from this land, even as they banished Me from another land. Yet this Servant standeth ready before them, awaiting whatsoever the Almighty hath ordained and decreed for Us. Nor do I fear any soul, encompassed as We may be by such trials and tribulations as are inflicted by the wicked and the malicious and surrounded at this hour by a myriad woes and sorrows. “Noah’s flood is but the measure of the tears I have shed, and Abraham’s fire an ebullition of My soul. Jacob’s grief is but a reflection of My sorrows, and Job’s afflictions a fraction of My calamity.”

Were I to recount unto thine eminence the dire adversities that have befallen Me, thou wouldst be so grieved as to forsake the mention of all things and to forget thyself and all that the Lord hath created on earth. But as this is not Our wish, I have concealed the revelation of the divine decree in the heart of Baha and veiled it from the eyes of all that move in the realm of creation, that it may lay hid within the tabernacle of the Unseen until such time as God will have revealed its secret. “Naught in the heavens or on the earth can escape His knowledge, and He, verily, perceiveth all things.”

As We have digressed from Our theme, let Us leave aside these allusions and return to Our discussion of this city. Verily, whoso entereth therein shall be saved, and whoso turneth aside therefrom will assuredly perish.

O thou who art mentioned in these Tablets! Know thou that he who embarketh upon this journey will marvel at the signs of the power of God and the wondrous evidences of His handiwork. Bewilderment will seize him from every side, even as hath been attested by that Essence of immortality from the Concourse on high: “Increase My wonder and amazement at Thee, O God!” Well hath it been said:

I knew not what amazement was

Until I made Thy love my cause.

O how amazing would it be

If I were not amazed by Thee!

In this valley the wayfarers stray and perish ere they attain their final abode. Gracious God! So immense is this valley, so vast this city in the kingdom of creation, that it seemeth to have neither beginning nor end. How great the blessedness of him who completeth his journey therein and who traverseth, through the assistance of God, the hallowed soil of this heavenly city, a city in which the favoured ones of God and the pure in heart are overcome with wonder and awe. And We say: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.”

And should the servant ascend to even loftier heights, quit this mortal world of dust, and seek to ascend unto the celestial abode, he will then pass from this city into the City of Absolute Nothingness, that is, of dying to self and living in God. In this station, this most exalted habitation, this journey of utter self-effacement, the wayfarer forgetteth his soul, spirit, body, and very being, immerseth himself in the sea of nothingness, and liveth on earth as one unworthy of mention. Nor will one find any sign of his existence, for he hath vanished from the realm of the visible and attained unto the heights of self-abnegation.

Were We to recount the mysteries of this city, the dominions of the hearts of men would be laid to waste in the intensity of their longing for this mighty station. For this is the station wherein the effulgent glories of the Beloved are revealed to the sincere lover and the resplendent lights of the Friend are cast upon the severed heart that is devoted to Him.

How can a true lover continue to exist when once the effulgent glories of the Beloved are revealed? How can the shadow endure when once the sun hath shone forth? How can a devoted heart have any being before the existence of the Object of its devotion? Nay, by the One in Whose hand is my soul! In this station, the seeker’s complete surrender and utter effacement before his Creator will be such that, were he to search the East and the West, and traverse land, sea, mountain and plain, he would find no trace of his own self or of any other soul.

Gracious God! But for fear of the Nimrod of tyranny and for the protection of the Abraham of justice, I would reveal unto thee that which, wert thou to abandon self and desire, would enable thee to dispense with aught else and to draw nigh unto this city. Be patient, however, until such time as God will have proclaimed His Cause. He, verily, rewardeth beyond measure them that endure with patience. Inhale then the sweet savours of the spirit from the garment of hidden meanings, and say: “O ye that are immersed in the ocean of selflessness! Hasten to enter the City of Immortality, if ye seek to ascend its heights.” And We exclaim: “Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”

From this most august and exalted station, and from this most sublime and glorious plane, the seeker entereth the City of Immortality, therein to abide forever. In this station he beholdeth himself established upon the throne of independence and the seat of exaltation. Then will he comprehend the meaning of that which hath been revealed of old concerning the day “whereon God shall enrich all through His abundance”. Well is it with them that have attained unto this station and drunk their fill from this snow-white chalice before this Crimson Pillar.

Having, in this journey, immersed himself in the ocean of immortality, rid his heart from attachment to aught save Him, and attained unto the loftiest heights of everlasting life, the seeker will see no annihilation either for himself or for any other soul. He will quaff from the cup of immortality, tread in its land, soar in its atmosphere, consort with them that are its embodiments, partake of the imperishable and incorruptible fruits of the tree of eternity, and be forever accounted, in the lofty heights of immortality, amongst the denizens of the everlasting realm.

All that existeth in this city shall indeed endure and will never perish. Shouldst thou, by the leave of God, enter this sublime and exalted garden, thou wouldst find its sun in its noontide glory, never to set, never to be eclipsed. The same holdeth true of its moon, its firmament, its stars, trees, and oceans, and of all that pertaineth thereunto or existeth therein. By Him besides Whom there is none other God! Were I to recount, from this day unto the end that hath no end, its wondrous attributes, the love that My heart cherisheth for this hallowed and everlasting city would never be exhausted. I shall, however, bring My theme to a close, since time is short and the inquirer impatient, and since these secrets are not to be openly divulged save by the leave of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

Erelong shall the faithful behold, in the day of the latter Resurrection, Him Whom God shall make manifest descending with this city from the heaven of the Unseen, together with a company of His exalted and favoured angels. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him that attaineth unto His presence and beholdeth His countenance. We all, verily, cherish this hope, and exclaim: “Praise be unto Him, for verily He is the Eternal Truth, and unto Him do we return!”

Know, moreover, that should one who hath attained unto these stations and embarked upon these journeys fall prey to pride and vainglory, he would at that very moment come to naught and return to the first step without realizing it. Indeed, they that seek and yearn after Him in these journeys are known by this sign, that they humbly defer to those who have believed in God and in His verses, that they are lowly before those who have drawn nigh unto Him and unto the Manifestations of His Beauty, and that they bow in submission to them that are firmly established upon the lofty heights of the Cause of God and before its majesty.

For were they to reach the ultimate object of their quest for God and their attainment unto Him, they would have but reached that abode which hath been raised up within their own hearts. How then could they ever hope to ascend unto such realms as have not been ordained for them or created for their station? Nay, though they journey from everlasting to everlasting, they will never attain unto Him Who is the midmost Heart of existence and the Axis of the entire creation, He on Whose right hand flow the seas of grandeur, on Whose left stream the rivers of might, and Whose court none can ever hope to reach, how much les His very abode! For He dwelleth in the ark of fire, speedeth, in the sphere of fire, through the ocean of fire, and moveth within the atmosphere of fire. How can he who hath been fashioned of contrary elements ever enter or even approach this fire? Were he to do so, he would be instantly consumed.

Know, moreover, that should the cord of assistance binding this mighty Pivot to the dwellers of earth and heaven be severed, they would all assuredly perish. Great God! How can the lowly dust ever reach unto Him Who is the Lord of lords? Immeasurably exalted is God above that which they conceive in their hearts, and immensely glorified is He beyond that which they attribute to Him.

Yea, the seeker reacheth a station wherein that which hath been ordained for him knoweth no bounds. The fire of love so blazeth in his heart that it seizeth the reins of constraint from his grasp. At every moment his love for his Lord increaseth and draweth him nearer unto his Creator, in such wise that if his Lord be in the east of nearness, and he dwell in the west of remoteness and possess all that earth and heaven contain of rubies and gold, he would forsake it all and rush forth to the land of the Desired One. And shouldst thou find him to be otherwise, know assuredly that such a man is a lying impostor. We, verily, all belong unto Him Whom God shall make manifest in the latter Resurrection, and through Him shall we be raised again to life.

In these days, inasmuch as We have lifted not the veils that conceal the countenance of the Cause of God, nor disclosed unto men the fruits of these stations which We have been forbidden to describe, thou beholdest them drunk with heedlessness. Otherwise, were the glory of this station to be revealed unto men to an extent smaller than a needle’s eye, thou wouldst witness them gathering before the threshold of divine mercy and hastening from all sides to the court of nearness in the realms of divine glory. We have concealed it, however, as mentioned before, that those who believe may be distinguished from them that deny, and that those who turn unto God may be discerned from them that turn aside. I verily proclaim: “There is no power nor strength except in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

From this station the wayfarer ascendeth unto a City that hath no name or description, and whereof one heareth neither sound nor mention. Therein flow the oceans of eternity, whilst this city itself revolveth round the seat of eternity. Therein the sun of the Unseen shineth resplendent above the horizon of the Unseen, a sun that hath its own heavens and its own moons, which partake of its light and which rise from and set upon the ocean of the Unseen. Nor can I ever hope to impart even a dewdrop of that which hath been decreed therein, as none is acquainted with its mysteries save God, its Creator and Fashioner, and His Manifestations.

Know, moreover, that when We undertook to reveal these words and committed some of them to writing, it was Our intention to elucidate for thine eminence, in the sweet accents of the blessed and the well-favoured of God, all that We had previously mentioned of the words of the Prophets and the sayings of the Messengers. Time, however, was lacking, and the traveller who came from thy presence was in great haste and eager to return. Thus have We cut short Our discourse and contented Ourself with this much, without completing the description of these stages in a seemly and befitting manner. Indeed, We have omitted the description of major cities and mighty journeys. Such was the haste of the courier that We even forsook the mention of the two exalted journeys of Resignation and Contentment.

Yet, should thine eminence reflect upon these brief statements, thou wouldst assuredly acquire every knowledge, attain, unto the Object of all learning, and exclaim: “Sufficient are these words unto all creation both visible and invisible!”

Even so, should the fire of love burn within thy soul, thou wouldst ask: “Is there yet any more?” And We say: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!”

=== END BH00012 ===

=== START BH00013 ===

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

Praise be to Him Who has rent asunder the veils on the Day of Return, Who has shattered the idols of vain imaginings in the name of the Lord of all Days, and who has arisen to serve the Cause in such wise that the might of the oppressors of the earth - they who have adorned their heads with turbans and have taken control of God’s servants in the name of their Lord, the Creator of all things - could not deter him. They would enter mosques and temples to make mention of God and to recite what He had revealed unto His Beloved and Chosen One. Yet when the horizon of the world was illumined and there shone forth from it the Sun of His Most Great Name - through which the Cause of every Prophet was established and the Mission of every Messenger was fulfilled - they turned away from Him, denied Him, cast His Cause behind their backs, broke His Covenant, and perpetrated that which caused the atoms to lament and the Maids of Heaven to swoon in their chambers. By God! Through their deeds, the eyes of the denizens of the most exalted Paradise and the supreme Heaven have shed tears. They took pride in His Name amongst the people, yet after His manifestation they visited upon Him that which the Kingdom of Utterance is powerless to describe. They denied the Day of God, whose mention had adorned the Books, the Psalms, the Scrolls and the Tablets. This servant and all things bear witness to their heedlessness, their ignorance and their error. These are they against whom the word of punishment in the Book has been fulfilled. Sufficient unto them is what God hath revealed in the Qur’an: “And We had given them ears and eyes and hearts; but their ears and eyes and hearts availed them nothing, since they denied the signs of God; and that which they had mocked at encompassed them.” They have taken the book of their own selves and cast the Mother Book behind their backs. By God! They are the idols, the sources of superstition, the wellsprings of vain imaginings, and they are the oppressors and pharaohs of the earth. They have clung to self and passion, turning away from the Lord of all mankind, relying upon their pens while turning away from what hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen.

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose verses those in the graves were stirred, and through the fragrance of Whose raiment the Mountain was caused to soar when the Light shone forth from the horizon of Revelation! I beseech Thee by the lamp of Thy Cause and the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance to aid Thy loved ones to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee, and to arise to serve Thee. Then protect them, O my God, through Thy power and might, from those who have denied Thy truth, rejected Thy proof, and disputed Thy signs. Then make them, O my God, the emblems of Thy victory in Thy lands and the standards of Thy glory in Thy realms. Furthermore, I beseech Thee, O Beloved of the world and the Manifest One through the Most Great Name, to assist him who hath turned toward Thy most exalted horizon and hath arisen to serve Thy Cause amongst mankind. O Lord! Thou seest him as one who aideth Thy Faith, who standeth firm on Thy path, and who uttereth Thy Name amongst Thy servants. Strengthen him with such confirmation that the conditions of the world and the clamor of the nations will not hold him back. Thou art He in Whose grasp are the reins of power and might, and around Whose will revolve the Manifestations of grandeur and authority. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the All-Seeing.

And now, O beloved of my heart and desire of my soul, the whistling of the bird of your utterance hath informed me, the warbling of the nightingale of your praise hath attracted me, and the wine of your remembrance hath intoxicated me in such wise that I desired to soar on the wings of longing to a station which God hath sanctified from the mention of all who dwell on earth. When I attained and was blessed with the lights of the Sun of Glory, I presented what was in your letter before Him Who hath sent down the Mother Book through a movement of His Most Exalted Pen in the kingdom of creation. And after its contents were blessed by the hearing of the Lord of all mankind, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, saying, exalted be His glory:

“O Dove! O thou who gazest toward the Most Exalted Horizon! Say: […]”

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, Who art sanctified above my mention and utterance and above that which Thy creatures express in Thy kingdom and Thy servants speak in Thy land. I thank Thee for having caused me to traverse the realms of inner meaning until I reached its pole - the station which was named the Luminous Spot and the White Land, and which Thou didst name in another station the Land of Resurrection. Therein didst Thou show me Thy Beauty and give me to drink the choice wine of Thy utterance, and taught me that which drew me away from myself and caused me to forget all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by this supreme gift and this mighty favor to preserve for me this most exalted station. Verily Thou art the Lord of the latter and the former. This evanescent one beareth witness, O my God, to Thy permanence, this weak one to Thy power and might, and this poor and loving one to the effulgences of the light of the Sun of Thy Beauty. Thou art He Who, O my God, my Lord, my Support and my Desire, through one letter of Thy most exalted Word, didst manifest Thyself on Sinai’s Mount, whereupon the branches and leaves, and beyond them the atoms, spoke as spoke the Tree on the Mount of Knowledge from the presence of the All-Merciful. And Thou didst manifest Thyself through another letter unto the Kingdom of Utterance, whereupon the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur’an were sent down. And through one drop from the Euphrates of Thy mercy flowing from Thy Most Exalted Pen hath appeared the Kawthar of life in all existence. Exalted is Thy power and great is Thy sovereignty! I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Quickening Pulse beating in the body of the world through Thy Most Great Finger, to draw me near unto Thee in all conditions and remind me of the days wherein I drank the Kawthar of Thy reunion from the perspiration of Thy grace and bounty. Thou art He Who, O my God, called me unto Thee and caused me to enter the pavilions of Thy greatness and established me before Thy presence in Thy service, remembrance and praise. O Lord! Thou seest and knowest that my joy is in Thy remembrance and my turning unto Thee, and my gladness in Thy grace and loving-kindness. Send down, then, upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause me to smile in Thy days. Verily Thou art the Possessor of bounty and bestowal, and within Thy grasp is the kingdom of names. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Blessed art thou, O beloved of my heart! Thou hast drunk the water of loving-kindness and life from the cups of the favors of my Beloved and thy Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and the earth, in such wise that the atoms should say: “Blessed art thou and happy art thou, O thou who hast attained unto this supreme grace!”

As to what thou didst write concerning that Mirza ’Abdu’llah had borne the troubles of that Beloved One and sought recompense - these matters were presented at the Most Holy and Exalted Threshold. This is what the Tongue of God spoke, exalted be His glory: “O Dove of the Lord of Names! My favors concerning him have flowed from the Most Exalted Pen such that nothing in the world can equal it. This is the essence of recompense which hath been and is beloved in the presence of God, exalted be His glory. But outward favors shall also reach him, God willing. Give him the glad tidings of that which My tongue hath spoken, and I am the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”

As for what thou didst write concerning the apple of thy eye, Mirza Ruhu’llah, it was presented. This is what was revealed from the Kingdom of Will and Utterance, exalted be His grandeur: “O Dove! Thou shouldst recite in his right ear three times: ‘Thou hast come by God’s command and appeared for His remembrance and wast created for His service, the Mighty, the Beloved.’ We mentioned him before when his [mother] cried out, and at this time too, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Manifest. Make mention on My behalf to his mother and give her the glad tidings of that which the Wronged One hath spoken in His mighty prison.”

Know that concerning what you wrote about certain prayers and supplications that have been revealed with ‘make him’ (va aj’alahu), whether it would be considered alteration if recited as ‘make me’ (va aj’alni) which refers to the speaker - it is submitted that this is not an alteration and both forms are permissible. Similarly, regarding the blessed words “Say: O God” and “Say: Praise be to God,” both the omission and inclusion of the word “Say” are correct. However, its inclusion is preferred due to the nobility of the blessed word which has issued from the mouth of the Lord of Oneness, while its omission is permitted as it makes more evident the station of servitude and dedication in this regard.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, upon him be Baha’u’llah, and the extent of his acceptance, steadfastness, sincerity and service - this detail was submitted before the Divine Throne. He, exalted be His grandeur, said: “Praise be to God, he is aflame with the fire of love and adorned with the light of recognition. The Kawthar of reunion, which is the most precious of the world’s jewels and more exalted than the water of life - praise be to God, he hath attained unto its preservation and manifested its fruit. God willing, may these effects be ever manifest from him. Blessed is the soul that hath attained His presence and hath arisen as befitteth this station. From this station We send Our greetings upon him and upon My loved ones there who have cast away the world and taken hold of that which they were commanded by God, the Lord of eternity.”

And concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Yusuf (from the people of Naraq), upon him be Baha’u’llah, it was submitted before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. This is what was revealed from the heaven of the will of our All-Wise Lord:

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

O Yusuf! The Wronged One remembereth thee with such an accent that were all existence, both seen and unseen, to hear it, they would assuredly abandon life and immortality, hastening to the place of sacrifice in this Path, which, when it appeared, the Straight Path proclaimed: “The Promised One hath come with His manifest, clear, and evident Path!” By God! Thou wert created for this Day, that I might circle round this Path and announce before it unto the people this Revelation, concerning which God took a covenant from the Prophets and Messengers. O Yusuf! The garment hath been stirred by the breeze of thy Lord’s will, whereby the divine breeze hath wafted over all lands and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath been diffused throughout the heavens and the earth. We made mention of thee before, and at this time when the Wronged One is established upon the throne of His Great Name. We counsel thee and those who have believed to that which causeth the sun of virtues to shine forth from the horizon of a pure heart. O My loved ones! Aid the All-Merciful through goodly deeds - this is a word We have revealed in numerous Tablets, as beareth witness He Who hath spoken in every instance that there is none other God but Me, the All-Commanding, the All-Knowing. Glory be upon the people of Baha who have drunk the wine of immortality from the cup of the bounty of their Lord, the Generous.

God willing, may all attain to that which is befitting. The essence of the world is seen speaking with one tongue, crying out at the highest pitch “The Lord of Heaven hath come!”, yet none attaineth unto hearing save whom God willeth. Strange that one should himself speak yet himself be heedless. Glory be unto Him Who hath commanded me to silence and to veil His mighty and glorious Cause, even though revelation hath reached such a degree that tongues and pens are powerless to describe it. Again, glory be unto Him Who hath appeared and revealed what He desired, and spoken and caused all things to speak that He is the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The Sun of Truth is manifest in the utmost brilliance and the Divine Lamp shineth with perfect radiance, yet all remain veiled and deprived. This evanescent servant beseecheth, and do ye also beseech, that He may heal through the medicine of His grace the chronic diseases of the people which have afflicted them through ignorance. Verily He is the Healer, the Wise. Praise be to God, for He is the Omnipotent, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Concerning what you wrote about Aqa ’Ali-Muhammad, son of Haji Ahmad-i-Milani, upon them be the glory of God - what you had requested was specially granted for him and sent through his brothers. At this moment when this servant is engaged in writing this letter, the Most Great Branch - may my spirit, my being, and my essence be a sacrifice for the dust of His most pure footsteps - is not present, having gone to the outskirts of this city. God willing, after His return and when I attain His presence, this evanescent servant will show to His blessed sight the new writing which you had sent, and I will present whatever you had written.

As for your mention of Aqa Faraj Aqa and his degrees of sincerity, God willing may he ever be assisted to serve the Beloved of all possibility and be confirmed in His praise and glorification. Regarding what was inquired about the trust, it arrived complete and perfect. The servant beareth witness to this, and behind him He Who created him, fashioned him, and caused him to speak His beautiful praise. And since you mentioned him, and this servant also wished that mention of him be made in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, therefore these details were presented before His countenance on the seventh night of the month of Safar, and these manifest verses and perfect words were revealed from the heaven of grace. His word, exalted be His glory:

He is the Manifest, the Hidden

O Faraj! We have mentioned thee before with a mention that all the books of the world cannot equal. Verily thy Lord is He Who keepeth count, the All-Knowing. Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned time after time, and the face of the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from this mighty Prison. Wert thou to discover what hath been ordained for thee from My Most Exalted Pen, thou wouldst soar upon the wings of joy and ecstasy in this atmosphere from whose rushing winds is heard what the Manifestation heard on Sinai. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Trustworthy. Blessed art thou for having turned and heard the call of God when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven. By My life! All that eyes see and minds comprehend shall perish, but there shall endure for thee what hath been revealed from this Perspicuous Pen. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast enabled me to turn to Thy horizon, caused me to hear Thy call, and adorned me with the ornament of certitude while the divines of the age were in grievous doubt. Be content with what hath been ordained for thee, and steadfast in this Cause which, when it appeared, caused the feet of the mature to slip.

We make mention of him who was named Muhammad, who traversed land and sea until he attained the Most Great Sea upon this shore wherefrom was raised the call of the Prophets and Messengers. He presented himself and stood before the Gate, heard the call of the Wronged One, and drank from the hand of His bounty the choice sealed wine. Thus have We made mention of him as a token of Our grace, for verily I am the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. The glory rest upon thee and upon him and upon whosoever hath inhaled this mighty, wondrous fragrance.

Indeed, His Excellency Haji Aqa Muhammad attained the presence and was honored with the glory of meeting, and time after time outside the prison land he was blessed with that which was intended, namely visiting the Beloved of the worlds.

And concerning what was written about His Excellency Haji Ali Asghar and his pupil, upon them be the glory of God, after being presented, the Sun of favor dawned and the Most Great, Most Holy Tablet was revealed. God willing, they shall be blessed with its honor. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Hearing, the All-Seeing

O Ali before Asghar! The Lord of Eternity hath appeared, yet the peoples remain veiled from Him. The Sun of Truth hath risen, yet eyes are deprived of beholding it. The river of mercy floweth, yet the people are forbidden therefrom. The Most Exalted Pen moveth and speaketh, yet all are heedless of its sound save whom God willeth. Whosoever today hath attained the recognition of the Lord of existence is among those souls whose mention was recorded by the divine Pen in previous Books. Give thanks to the Beloved of the worlds that He enabled thee to accept His grace and bounty. All the peoples of the world, whether learned ones, mystics or rulers, eagerly longed for this most mighty, most luminous Day, yet when the Sun of Manifestation shone forth and the Call was raised, they failed to turn and hearken. The greatest cause that held back the peoples were and are the divines of the age. The Messenger lamenteth on account of the oppression of those heedless souls, while those foolish ones remain absorbed in and delighted with their own vain imaginings. The heedlessness of these souls hath caused the heedlessness of the world, and their tyranny hath occasioned the tyranny of the nations. However, the Finger of Power shall rend asunder the veils, as indeed it hath done.

And We make mention of Muhammad before Husayn that he may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. God willing, mayest thou be adorned with the ornament of trustworthiness and manifest divine qualities. Praiseworthy attributes are as lights for the horizon of the heaven of man. Whosoever attaineth unto them, his light shall shine and his relationship to God, exalted be His glory, shall become evident and manifest. God willing, may all attain to that which causeth the exaltation of the Cause. Verily, He ordaineth that whereby the station of man is exalted in the contingent world. To this testifieth every fair-minded, perceiving one.

Praise be to God that the fresh divine table and the enduring, eternal bounty descendeth and floweth continuously from the heaven of oneness. Should anyone reflect even slightly, he would become aware of the ocean of the compassion of God, exalted be His glory. In the nights and days the tongue of grandeur is occupied with the mention of His friends and speaketh to counsel His enemies. He hath invited all the peoples of the world to the most exalted horizon with utmost kindness and mercy. However, blessed is he who hath heard and turned, and woe unto the heedless. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And concerning what thou didst mention about the son of his excellency who ascended unto God, who was named Rida, the Spirit in the Book of Names, it was presented and this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed for him from the heaven of the will of the Beloved of all possibility. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the One Who Shineth from the Horizon of Utterance […]

This is a Remembrance revealed by the All-Merciful for one who has turned to His Face on a day when the world’s unity was shattered and lamentation rose between the heavens and earth, that he may rejoice in My remembrance, which God has made the choice wine of life for all creation, the Most Great Spirit among the nations, and the supreme gift to humanity. Exalted is the Lord of Religions Who has come from the heaven of grace with manifest justice.

O Hadi! We sent forth the Qaim, but all the divines of the age denied Him, save those whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willed. 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 repeatedly - once in the land of Ta, again in Mim, yet again in Ta, and in the Land of Mystery, and in this Great Prison. In all these circumstances We give thanks to God and have 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 throughout all possibility and who attained the presence of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have remembered him in such wise as nothing on earth can equal, and We remember him throughout the everlasting dominion of the kingdom, for We are indeed the Compassionate, the Generous.

O Rida! Rejoice that the Lord of Names makes mention of thee from the prison with such remembrance as draws to it the Concourse on High, 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, as ordained by My Most Exalted Pen, and stands before thy noble resting place. Thou art he who turned to God’s horizon and set thy face toward Him on a day when every heedless and remote soul turned away.

The first remembrance uttered by the tongue of the Ancient of Days among the nations is upon thee, O thou who speaks in remembrance of God and who has turned thy face to Him after the passing of all things. I bear witness that thou didst drink the sealed wine from the hand of His Name, the Self-Subsisting, cast vain imaginings behind thee, and took firm hold of certitude through the power proceeding from God, the Strong, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou, for thy head hath been adorned with the crown of acceptance and thy temple with the ornament of God’s favor in His wondrous Day. Glory and remembrance and spirit and peace and the fragrant breezes wafting from the garment of thy Lord’s mercy be upon thee, O thou who hast attained the favor of thy Lord when He came with manifest sovereignty.

As to thy mention of the people of Sisan and the enkindled souls, God willing, may they all attain His grace. This prayer has now been answered. A most mighty and holy Tablet has been revealed specifically for those accepted and assured souls, who have previously also been blessed with divine Tablets. His word, exalted be His glory and majesty:

In the Name of the All-Seeing, the Peerless One […]

I announce to the beloved ones of Sisan glad tidings through the bounty of the All-Merciful. All are and have been beneath the gaze of His grace and have taken up their abode in the shadow of the lofty divine Tree. Reflect upon God’s bounty: the divines of the world who counted themselves the most learned, knowledgeable, understanding and exalted among all peoples have not attained to a drop from the ocean of utterance nor been honored with mention before the All-Merciful. Yet those souls have, through God’s grace - exalted be His glory - attained to such a station that the Supreme Pen in the Most Great Prison is engaged in their mention. Exalted be this most high and resplendent station, and exalted be this most great and sublime mention! Who can fulfill the obligation of gratitude to God? By the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of this Prison, if a soul possessed tongues numbering as the atoms and offered praise and thanksgiving from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end, it would not equal a single “O My servant” issuing from the Dayspring of utterance. And now the tongue of the All-Merciful speaketh “O My loved ones in Sisan.” God willing, may all regard this station as mighty and strive to become aware of its greatness. And if they truly attain to this station, they will find themselves detached from the world and all therein. O friends! The Beloved of all possibility maketh mention of you and hath designated for each one a station in the Kingdom of grace. Rejoice in what God announceth unto you. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful. We have mentioned you before in verses which none hath comprehended save God, the Numberer, the All-Knowing. We bid you observe wisdom and guide you to His straight path. Hold fast to the cord of wisdom and deal with the servants lest the clamor of those who are heedless of My mighty Cause be raised. The glory be upon you and upon My handmaidens there who have heard and responded to that which hath been raised from My luminous horizon.

That which was revealed aforetime specifically for the friends of God in Sisan is such that its fragrance shall never be cut off from the world. Praise be to God, the cloud of bounty is raised up in such wise that it encompasseth every atom, how much more those souls who have turned to God and are at peace, who have drunk from the chalice of certitude and attained the station of assurance. They have a station with their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This servant, with the utmost humility and contrition, conveyeth his greetings to each one of them as an expression of his sincerity toward them and proclamation of his love for them.

As to what was written regarding the mention of the friends of God and their gathering in the house of Aqa Muhammad Hasan - upon them and upon him be the glory of God - these matters were presented before the Beloved of the worlds. This most mighty and holy Tablet hath risen and shone forth from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Oneness specifically for those souls and the owner of that house. God willing, may they be illumined by its lights and drink from the ocean of its meanings. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

His word - exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Expositor, the All-Knowing […]

The Tongue of Grandeur gives glad tidings to those who have gathered for the remembrance of God and have drunk, in His name, from the Kawthar of praise. These are sincere servants upon whom the denizens of the supreme Paradise pray, and behind whom stand the near-stationed angels. Blessed is the ear that has attained to the hearing of My verses and blessed the house wherein My forbidden remembrance is raised. We created the servants for My remembrance, My praise and the service of My Cause; yet when I manifested My Self, they turned away from Me, save whom God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, willed. O loved ones of the All-Merciful! Arise for remembrance and praise in such wise that the world shall not withhold you. Thus doth the Lord of Names make mention of you. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Loving. Rejoice in that ye have been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One and in that this irrevocable Book hath been sent down unto you. Glory be upon you and upon those whom the might of the divines hath not deterred from God, the Lord of all that was and that shall be.

The names of those assured souls whom you mentioned and who were present in that house for the remembrance of God were submitted, and each, by God’s grace and favor, attained His true bounties. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Moreover, praise and thanks be to God that mention hath been and is being made of J.B, upon him be the Glory of God. The gaze of favor is directed towards him. In these days, this evanescent one repeatedly heard mention of him from the Tongue of Grandeur. God willing, may he be assisted in accordance with the wisdom sent down. The servant beareth witness that he hath attained to turning unto God, to His love, His service, His remembrance and His praise, and assuredly they shall attain the recompense of these deeds. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Generous, the Benevolent, the Merciful, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

And in another letter you mentioned the elevated Jinab-i-Dhabih, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. A special Tablet was revealed for Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, wherein mention of him who ascended flowed from the Supreme Pen. May he ever be and continue to be the recipient of God’s favors. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!

The inner meanings have soared for a thousand years to attain to the station of this Word which the Tongue of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, hath uttered. The Spirit hath soared through centuries which none can reckon save God, to visit this Body that walketh in the Supreme Paradise which hath been named, by the Tongue of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, as the Most Great Prison. God hath testified unto His own Self that He hath appeared in truth and speaketh in this Castle wherein all matters have been confined to the mention of this Most Great Remembrance through which the great terror hath appeared in the world and every heedless and veiled one hath lamented.

O servant! The Lord of all beings makes mention of thee and calls to thy remembrance the time when thou didst stand before His presence at the gate which was opened by the finger of might unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus does the Ancient Beauty speak from this exalted station. Look thou and remember when thou didst hear the call of thy Lord, and He conversed with thee with loving-kindness and grace. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Loving. We make mention of thy father who attained the ornament of certitude and testified to that which God had testified, and uttered that which was inscribed in the Preserved Tablet. We bear witness that he hesitated not in this Cause, and when he heard the call from the direction of his Lord, the Lord of Names, he said: “Here am I, here am I, O God of the seen and unseen!” He heard and responded and submitted when the Command came to him from the Dawning-Place of the revelation of his Lord, the Lord of existence. We have adorned the heaven of his heart with the luminary of My love, the Mighty, the Beloved. He attained the pure wine when Iraq was Our Greatest Scene. He took and drank in My Blessed Name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Once he attained in Iraq and again when the heedless expelled Us from the Land of Mystery. Thus does the Ancient Beauty speak before the face of the world, but most of the people understand not.

O Dhabih! Thy Lord makes mention of thee and of what befell thee in this path wherein the Guide Himself was guided by what was attributed to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. I testify that thou didst believe in God when He appeared with the truth, and neither the veils of learning nor the imaginings of those who denied God, the Lord of the worlds, held thee back. Thou didst cast away what was with the people and took what was with God, thy Lord and the Lord of the glorious throne. Thou didst turn away from the people, turning unto My Self-Subsisting Name, and abandoned all else in thy longing for the presence of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thou art he whom neither the howling of wolves frightened nor the barking of those who turned away from the truth, clinging to their vain imaginings - verily they are in manifest loss.

O Dhabih! The Goal of the world has turned toward thee and makes mention of thee with that which quickeneth every mouldering bone. He remembers thee and remembers thy days and what thou didst utter on this mighty, wondrous path. Thou art he who took hold of the Book with the power of thy Lord and cast aside the book of the wicked in the lowest depths of hell. Thou art he who acknowledged what God had acknowledged and drank the wine of steadfastness on a day wherein the limbs of all names trembled and all who dwell in the kingdom of creation were shaken. Verily thy Lord is the Rememberer, the Compassionate, the Generous. Thou didst hear for God’s sake the taunts of every oppressor and didst bear from the aggressors that which caused every just and discerning one to weep. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who draws nigh unto thee and makes mention of thee with that which the Most Great Remembrance hath uttered, through whose name the gate of heaven was opened and the sea of names surged and the fragrance of God, the Forgiving, the Merciful, was wafted. The peace that shone forth from the horizon of the Abode of Peace and the glory that dawned and gleamed from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon him who speaks in remembrance and praise of thee and visits thy grave, by the command of a mighty and powerful Ordainer.

Is there any tongue in the world worthy of thanksgiving or deserving of praise? Even if all the oceans with their waves, the whole world with its winds, the trees with their branches and leaves and fruits, the earth with its grass and all that is upon it of hills and mountains and thickets, and the heavens with all that is therein of suns and stars and moons, were to speak in praise of the Beloved of all horizons, they would surely confess their shortcoming and acknowledge their failure to attain. Not an atom’s weight of deeds is lost or will be lost in the Most Holy Court. O beloved of my heart! Reflect upon the oceans of mercy, compassion and bounty of God, exalted be His glory. If a soul has uttered or utters one word for the sake of God, its recompense has been and will be recorded by the Supreme Pen in the most excellent manner. There are many matters which this servant, due to lack of permission, has veiled. One of the mirrors of divine knowledge is the manifestation of the Name “Swift to Account.” God is Most Great! The mention of this station is most mighty and great. That mirror, moment by moment, reflects the movements, stillness, utterances, gestures, signs and manifestations of the world. At one time, out of pure grace, this evanescent servant was summoned to His presence, and by His command, less than that was revealed to this servant - I was nearly struck with thunderous awe. This word is not of suppositions and imaginings, but rather is the manifestation of the countenance of certitude. There is no power nor strength except through Him. What more can be said of the mirrors above that? All matters are in the grasp of His power and dependent upon His leave, His will and His desire. This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, not to leave him to himself in any condition and to keep him steadfast through His grace. Verily, He is my Protector in this world and the next. Praise be to God! All that your honor sought from the Goal of the worlds was granted, one after another. This is attested by what was revealed concerning him whose mention you desired, from God, the Single, the All-Informed. That beloved one should convey to His Honor Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, and to those who have ascended, what has been revealed. The mention of glorification from this evanescent one to them is dependent upon the grace of that beloved one. And concerning what you wrote about His Honor Aqa Muhammad-Rida, upon him be the Glory of God, son of him who circumambulated the Throne and attained the presence - the Kawthar of reunion in numbered months - blessed be he and may it be wholesome unto him! The Tongue of Grandeur has testified to his humility and submissiveness before God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. These details were presented in the presence of Him from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden, and these wondrous, sublime, decisive and comprehensive verses were revealed from the horizon of grace of the King of Oneness. His word, exalted be His grandeur: In the name of the One, the Seeing God […]

The lights of the Manifestation have encompassed the world to such an extent that every stone of Sinai cries out with the same cry as did the Burning Bush, yet the people of the earth have not succeeded in hearing it, save for a few souls who have drunk of the wine of immortality in the name of Baha and have become purified and cleansed from the dust of the world. Every person of insight in the past has been occupied with the mention of this most exalted, most mighty, most holy Day, beseeching from God, exalted be His glory, the blessing of attaining His presence. But since the understanding of the people and their power of recognition were tainted with idle fancies and vain imaginings, they remained deprived of the Dawning Place of the hidden Mystery and the treasured Secret, and were forbidden from the lights of the Sun of certitude. Give thanks to the Beloved of the world that He assisted thee to turn unto a Cause from which the learned of the age have turned away. Blessed are they whom the might of the Pharaohs–namely, the divines–did not prevent from the most pure wine, nor deprive of the most great prospect. Remember those days when the Exalted Name was circumambulating and engaged in service. Blessed be he and his days. Verily, he did not violate God’s Covenant and His Testament. He was recorded by the Pen of Command as one of the faithful. Be not grieved by the world and its conflicts and conditions. That which endureth not is unworthy of mention and attention. God willing, strive after that which is worthy and befitting. Great is this Day and mighty His Cause. Not every blind one is capable of beholding, nor every deaf one worthy of hearing. Know thou the value of the station thou hast attained, and preserve it in the name of the Preserver. Blessed is he who remaineth steadfast in this mighty Cause. We have mentioned thee before, and thy father. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have preceded others in recognizing God, the Lord of this luminous Day.

Praise be to God! The Sun of loving-kindness hath risen, and He hath bestowed upon each of the friends and loved ones who are turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon a portion and share of His light. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Bestower, the Munificent.

As to their request for permission–in these days this land is somewhat disturbed, and this inner turmoil was previously revealed from the Most Exalted Pen and foretold. He is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Therefore, turning hither is not permitted. The Command is in His hands. He writeth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of attaining His presence. He is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Wise. This evanescent one conveyeth greetings and salutations to the one mentioned, upon him be the glory of God, and beseecheth God that he may ever be found in the gathering of the people of Baha with a luminous countenance and an illumined heart, giving voice to the praise of the peerless Friend.

As regards what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali-i-Milani, who attained permission and returned with permission - in truth he is enkindled with the fire of the love of God. A few days ago, this evanescent one heard mention of him from the blessed tongue of the Truth, exalted be His glory. The servant testifies that he attained the presence and drank the wine of immortality. Blessed is he for what he drank, and blessed am I for mentioning him out of love for God, our Lord and your Lord, our Beloved and your Beloved, and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and the earth. Some time ago, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to him, that it might bring joy to the eyes of the people in the cities of names who have held fast to the cord of the favor of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.

As for the aforementioned one’s request for mention and favor from the Truth, exalted be His glory, on behalf of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Ja’far and Aqa Muhammad Husayn and his sister - this request was granted by the True Desired One, may the spirit of all in the kingdom of command and creation be sacrificed for Him. Verily He is the Answerer of every supplicant, the Giver to every seeker, the Helper of every weak one, the Haven of every stranger, and the Goal of every wayfarer.

This is what was sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance to him who was named Muhammad Ja’far. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Most Holy, Most Glorious Name

This is a Book sent down by the All-Bountiful to him who answered his Lord when He came with the truth to guide all to His straight path. Verily He has appeared with grace and manifested with justice what He desired. He is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Those who have heard and responded, they are indeed of the people of this noble scene. The Concourse on High pray for them and those who circle round the will of their Lord, the All-Informed.

How many a servant has attained this most exalted station, and how many a servant has denied and turned away from God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou, O Ja’far, for having desired to drink the most pure wine from the hand of the Lord of Destiny, Who speaks from His most great scene: “Verily there is no God but I, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

When thou dost find My fragrance from My utterance and the wine of My verses intoxicates thee, turn thy face toward My prison and say:

“I testify that Thou hast manifested what was hidden in the treasury of the Unseen, and made clear what was concealed in knowledge and inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. My spirit be a sacrifice for Thy prison, O Thou Wronged One, the Stranger. My soul be a sacrifice for Thy sorrow, O Thou Who hast borne hardships in Thy straight path. I beseech Thee to assist me to be steadfast in this Cause whereby the feet of the mystics have slipped. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.”

And this is what was sent down from the Heaven of Proof to him who was named Muhammad Husayn. His word, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the One Who Rules over all names […]

The Book hath been sent down by the Lord of the Throne and of earth unto him who hath turned unto the Dayspring of Revelation, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. O Muhammad-Qablih-Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, from Whom His servants have turned away and against Whom every remote scholar hath objected. He calleth at all times them that are in the contingent world unto the All-Merciful, yet most of the people are in manifest error. They have cast their God behind their backs, turning instead unto those who have followed without any clear proof from God, the Lord of all worlds. Grieve not at anything, place thy trust in all matters in the Strong, the Almighty. He is with those who have believed - He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge, nor can the power of the mighty weaken Him. He is, verily, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

O people of Baha! Abandon that which leadeth you to extinction. Take the cup of immortality in My Most Generous Name. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the Book with the mention of God, the Lord of all men, and have sent down that which delighteth the eyes of them that are nigh. Glory be upon the people of Baha, who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and who have been so inebriated with the choice wine of their Lord’s utterance that they have cast the world and its peoples behind their backs, turning unto the ocean of light in this Revelation, at whose appearance all faces prostrated themselves before God, the Lord of all worlds.

And this is what was sent down from the Kingdom of Grace to His sister:

In the name of the Beloved of all worlds! O handmaiden of God! If thou didst know the value of this blessed word, thou wouldst forsake the world out of joy and occupy thyself with the mention of the Peerless One. How many kings and queens of the world who, throughout the nights and days, beseeched God, exalted be His glory, to grant them the presence of the Dawning-Place of His verses, yet remained deprived of Him on the day of His appearance. They neither perceived the fragrance of His raiment nor hearkened unto His call, returning to their abodes in complete heedlessness.

O handmaiden of God! Thy mention hath been made in the Most Holy Court, and the Wronged One of the horizons hath remembered thee with these brilliant words. Know thou thy station and recognize the rank of this Cause, and beseech God, exalted be His glory, at all times to adorn thee with the ornament of steadfastness and to keep thee sanctified and pure from the doubts and allusions of the people. Verily thy Lord is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all who are in the kingdoms of creation. He is, verily, the Overseer, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

Furthermore, let that beloved one convey these Tablets in whatever manner he deemeth advisable, that they may become the cause of joy, tranquility and steadfastness. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth unto His presence, the Mighty, the Wondrous, and sendeth down for whomsoever He willeth that which draweth him nigh unto Him, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous. All the letters of that beloved one, adorned with supplications to God, glorified and exalted be He, reached the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court, and all that was requested was presented before the Presence of the Desired One of all worlds. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, exalted be His majesty[…]

O Warqa! O you who speak in praise of the Lord of Names! Give praise to the Beloved of the worlds, in that you have attained to that which was the purpose of the world’s existence. You have heard and turned to God and won the presence of God, the Lord of the worlds. All existence is for this: that souls might attain to the word of acceptance from the Supreme Pen. With a hundred thousand tongues must thanks be rendered for your attainment to this station. Preserve this bounty and be of the thankful ones. The glances of God’s favor have been and will ever be directed towards you. God willing, you shall at all times achieve that which He loves and with which He is well-pleased. Convey My greetings to the friends of God in every land and place you visit, and make them aware of what befits this Most Holy and Most Luminous Day, that perchance the doubts and imaginings of the divines and the world’s distractions may not withhold God’s loved ones from the Most Pure Nectar. We enjoin upon all goodly deeds and spiritual qualities, that the fragrance of deeds may enlighten the world and reveal the purpose of the appearance of the True One, exalted be His glory, and likewise that the fragrance of virtues may gladden and bring joy to the Concourse on High. Say: Today the Tree of Fire is ablaze, speaking, and manifest at the heart of the seas. Strive that you may not be deprived of the lights of His manifestation. Man must not be seen as inferior to dry kindling–a single flame can set alight a whole wilderness of wood, yet now an entire world of fire appears before all faces, and an ocean of light is manifest and visible from the light of His countenance. Hearken to the call of the Peerless Friend and with perfect steadfastness and certitude hold fast to His mention, praise, and the teaching of His Cause, which is the greatest of all deeds. In all circumstances you must be mindful of wisdom. O Warqa! O you who circle round Me, who gaze upon My face and speak My praise! We, from this station, send Our greetings and peace upon you and upon those who hearken to your words concerning the Cause of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. […]

O Sulayman! The days draw near to their end, and the people of the earth are seen to be in manifest heedlessness and evident error. The tongue of morn speaketh “The Truth hath come,” and the Day proclaimeth “I am the Day of God,” and all things declare “The Mother Book hath been sent down.” Few are the ears that attain unto the call, and few the hearts that are adorned with the love of God, the Lord of Names. Morning and evening, the peoples of the earth, of diverse faiths, turn to mosques, temples, shrines and churches for the remembrance of God, yet remain heedless of Him Who is remembered. The One remembered standeth before their eyes, yet they remain veiled and recognize Him not. They hear, yet comprehend not. All this heedlessness and error and ignorance that hath encompassed the world - its primary cause hath been and is the divines of the earth, for they have devised vain imaginings and through countless wiles and promptings have instilled these into the minds of the ignorant of the earth. So long as these imaginings persist, they remain deprived of the splendors of the Sun of certitude. Thus both they and their hapless followers are forbidden the outpouring grace and deprived of that which profiteth them. Were the rulers of the earth truly obedient to these heedless souls, the Truth and its evidences would not be found in the world save with those souls who are sanctified from the doubts, veils and imaginings of men. They are honored in the name of Truth, yet in the abasement of Truth they cling to diverse means. Would that they were content with this! Nay, by My life! Every possessor of insight witnesseth the traces of the oppression of those heedless ones. Blessed is the learned one who hath recognized Him Who is the Known. Strange that despite such deeds, they reject the divines of other lands and regions, counting themselves the saviors, guides, most learned and most God-fearing. Perdition betide them and those who follow them without proof, evidence, testimony or sign! O Sulayman! Praise the Beloved of all possibility, Who aided thee to recognize this bounty the like of which heaven hath not witnessed nor earth borne. Rejoice thou and be of the thankful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. These two most holy, most exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of favor for two brothers. God willing, may they attain His presence, perceive their fragrance, and arise to accomplish that which God hath willed. At one time this exalted word shone forth from the Dayspring of the Kingdom of utterance - exalted be His glory: The essence of knowledge hath appeared as a bird, singing between earth and heaven this most exalted word in the sweetest of melodies: “O people of the world! Set aside your wishes and desires, and take what God, your Beloved and your Goal, hath willed.” May God grant that all the friends, chosen ones and pure ones of God attain to this most exalted station. Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, upon him be the Glory of God, mention of him and his circumstances were submitted in the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Presence. A Tablet hath dawned from the horizon of grace. God willing, may he attain unto its presence and be sustained by the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful. His words, exalted be His grandeur: In the Name of the Peerless Friend […]

Today the teaching of God’s Cause is the greatest of all deeds and ever shall be, but it must be done with such wisdom as has been decreed by the Most Exalted Pen. The Truth, exalted be His glory, hath appeared for the reformation of the world, that all upon earth may be seen as one soul. He hath commanded all to speak in one language and to adopt one script, that the whole earth may be regarded as one homeland. We have uttered this exalted Word so that the rays of the Sun of Justice may illumine all the differing parties and lead them to the station of unity. Glory is not to him who loveth his country, but to him who loveth the world. Should anyone hearken to the song of this Bird of Inner Meanings, which wingeth its flight in this luminous atmosphere, he will be adorned with the ornament of supreme detachment. This is the true meaning of liberty, but most people are unaware of it. For the teaching of the Cause, conditions have been revealed in God’s Book. The peoples of the earth are seen as children; therefore one must first speak to them with mild and gentle words which are like milk, that through education they may attain to maturity, which is the station of recognition of God. We have formerly said that one word is like milk and another like a sword. Blessed is he who acteth with wisdom and depositeth the Word of God in blessed and goodly soil. Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One, both before and after, and the glance of His favor is directed towards thee. God willing, thou shalt drink from the ocean of wisdom and knowledge and engage in that which is acceptable this day. As this land is somewhat in motion, We have therefore paused in giving permission. He verily ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth and prescribeth for whomsoever He desireth the reward of His presence, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Give thanks unto God for having made thee attain unto this Most Great, this Impregnable Tablet, and for having revealed for thee that which shall not change throughout the duration of the names of God, the Lord of all worlds. The end.

And as for what thou didst write concerning his attaining the presence of His Holiness the King of Martyrs, may my spirit be a sacrifice for his sacred dust, and his companionship with him - how pleasing and delightful this is for him! Praise be to God that he hath been blessed with that which God desired and hath attained the presence of him who loved God and whom God loved. This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings to him and giveth him the glad tidings of the favor of God, exalted be His glory.

And concerning what thou didst write about His Honor Mirza Jalil, upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful King - some time ago a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed specially for him and was sent with the son of His Honor Haji Ahha, upon him be the Glory of God, and this is yet another bounty upon you both. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Responsive. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the One Who speaketh in the Kingdom of Utterance […]

Today is the Day of mention and utterance, and today is the Day in which its proof and essence calls out between the worlds, saying: O people of earth! If you are thirsty, the Choice Wine has been unsealed and flows forth from the Finger of the Self-Subsisting - deprive not yourselves of it. If you seek the Manifestation, the Hidden and Treasured Lord is visible and evident. If you seek verses, the horizons are filled with them. If you seek proofs, they have appeared in such wise that none deny them save every sinful transgressor. Say: O friends! The Sun of Truth has risen from the horizon of the world and the Ocean of Knowledge is manifest before all faces. Deprive not yourselves and withhold not yourselves from God’s infinite bounties. Today is the Day of sight, for the Face of God is risen and manifest from the Most Exalted Horizon. It is the Day of hearing, for the Call of God, exalted be His glory, is raised. O people of Baha! The Crimson Ark awaits you in the midst of the Most Great Sea. Turn ye unto it, then embark upon it in the Name of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven. O Jalil! God willing, thou shalt kindle cold souls with the fire of the Friend, and bestow upon the thirsty ones the Living Waters in the name of the True One. Arise with perfect steadfastness to serve the Cause of the Lord of all beings, and with His mention, conquer hearts and souls, that all may attain to that for which the worlds were created. Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God, my Beloved, my Purpose, the Master of my destiny, and the Sovereign over my spirit, my soul, my essence and my frame! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy utterance and the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance to […] make my mention and my call effective in the hearts of Thy servants and a living water for the dead among the people of Thy realm. Move them, O my God, by the hands of Thy grace, then grant them the sweet flowing waters of Thy knowledge. O Lord! Thou art He Whose grace hath preceded all, Whose generosity hath encompassed all, and Whose mercy hath embraced all. Take the hands of Thy servants through Thy loving-kindness, then deliver them from the depths of self and passion. Verily Thou art the Lord of all creation and the Master of the hereafter and the former times. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

God willing, through this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet, the dead in the valley of heedlessness shall be quickened and attain unto new life. Whosoever speaks for God’s sake with moderation this day, assuredly his utterance will be effective, his mention prevailing, and his will victorious. Every matter is difficult for us but not difficult for God. Convey my greetings to his honor and express my complete sincerity, and I beseech the Exalted Truth to manifest through him that which shall be eternally remembered and preserved in the book of the world. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Concerning what was written about the friends attaining the presence of his honor Aqa Mirza ’A.B., upon him be the Glory of God, on Friday - blessed are the people of Baha whom the heat of the love of God has so seized that the near ones behold the radiance of the All-Merciful in their faces and hear His beautiful praise from their tongues. This matter was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and these blessed, decisive words were sent down from the heaven of favor - His words, exalted be His grandeur: […]

They who in this day speak forth the praise of God and remain firm and steadfast in His Cause – upon them shall the Concourse on high send down their blessings both at eventide and at dawn. Blessed is the house that hath been illumined with the light of My remembrance, and wherein the voice of My loved ones hath been raised – they who have cast behind them all else save Me and followed that which was ordained in My perspicuous Book. His honour A.B., upon him be My glory, hath attained, praise be to God, unto the mention of the Truth, the grace of the Truth, and service to the Truth. This station is, in the sight of God, more exalted than what hath been witnessed. May he, God willing, ever remain steadfast therein. However, with wisdom […]

O Varqa! O thou who gazest toward the Most Sublime Horizon! In all circumstances hold fast to wisdom and cleave thereunto. The gatherings of friends, when they exceed the bounds of moderation, will become a cause of agitation among souls, for until this time the people of the earth, their divines, and their rulers have not been informed of the purpose of God, exalted be His glory. Through the instigation of certain ignorant ones who consider themselves learned men of the earth, they have regarded and continue to regard the Source of Divine Revelation and the Dawning-Place of inspiration as the cause and origin of sedition and the fountainhead of mischief. For this reason, they have considered the gatherings of the friends of God as a means of disrupting people and scattering what they possess. Therefore, in all matters one must observe moderation, owing to the weakness of heedless souls. I swear by the reality of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing that were they to gain awareness even less than a needle’s eye and become cognizant, all would soar on the wings of longing and yearning and hasten toward their Ultimate Goal, the Most Exalted Summit and the Supreme End. Greed hath deprived the people of the world from the All-Possessing Lord. They know not what hath come to pass and what tidings have appeared, for they have neither sought nor do they seek enlightenment. In one of Our Tablets We have stated that the eyelid, thin as it is, can deprive the physical eye from beholding the world and all that is therein. Consider then what the veil of greed will do when it descends upon the heart. The fire of fancy hath consumed the world; conjectures and idle fancies have darkened man’s realm of perception. The rulers of the earth are not, in truth, opposed to anyone’s religion or faith today, but when they observe any gathering that might lead to the association and coming together of people, they exercise the utmost caution and restraint, for various forms of mischief and sedition have arisen from such matters in the past. Now, when they witness people’s inclination toward this Cause, they make comparisons with the past and arise to obstruct and prevent it. Implore God to enable those souls to partake of a drop from the ocean of knowledge and to illumine them with a ray from the Sun of wisdom, that all may become sanctified from their own desires and arise to carry out the Divine Will, that they may not compare this Cause, which is the Source of life to the world and the Dawning-Place of its cultivation, with past events, and that they may distinguish between corruption and righteousness. God, exalted be His glory, is able to raise up one among the rulers who will become informed and enlighten others. The tongue of wisdom declareth: Grant unto each day that which befitteth it; observe the requirements of every hour. Verily, He doeth what is right and guideth to the straight path. The Command is God’s, the Mighty, the Beauteous. O Varqa! I have said before: “Believe not every speaker, nor trust every newcomer” and the like. Nevertheless, some of the friends accept anyone upon mere claim and consider him trustworthy. This hath been and will continue to be an error. Although, praise be to God, the gatherings, meetings, and assemblies of the loved ones are sanctified and free from sedition and mischief, yet knowledge of such gatherings and the coming and going of God’s friends is a matter that stirreth up the hearts and thoughts of the heedless ones. Since they are unaware of the fundamental nature of the Cause, they become agitated by such matters.

Since those who are heedless are unaware of the essence of the Cause, they become disturbed by these matters and strive with all their might to extinguish the divine light, though they were and are powerless to do so. Thus have We cast upon thee that which telleth of My grace, My mercy, My loving-kindness, My tenderness and My bounties, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous.

God willing, through the attention of that beloved one, these matters in those lands shall be adorned with the ornament of rectification. Great care must be taken in preserving the divine Tablets, and supreme effort is obligatory. Likewise, in concealing the epistles and Tablets that are sent from the Most Holy Court to various regions, effort must be made to the utmost degree. For if some weakling or hypocrite should become aware and make mention of it, harm might come to the Most Holy Court or to the friends of God in various regions. In any case, the concealment and secrecy of these matters is necessary and is counted as prudence. God willing, that beloved one, through the loving-kindness of the Beloved of the worlds, is assisted and confirmed in service to the Cause. Verily, He is the Protector of the sincere ones.

As for thy question regarding the passage about interpretation that was revealed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Most Holy Book, it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke […]

The purpose of interpretation is that they should not deprive themselves of the outward meaning nor remain veiled from the intended meaning. For instance, if from the heaven of Divine Will it is revealed “wash your faces”, they should not interpret it to mean that the intent of washing is to wash the inner face and that it must be cleansed with the water of knowledge, and similar interpretations. Often it happens that due to such interpretations, a person’s face remains soiled and unclean while in their imagination they have fulfilled God’s command, whereas in this instance it is clear and evident that it means washing the face with physical water.

Some divine words can be interpreted, that is, interpretations that do not cause doubts and delusions and do not deprive one of the divine purpose. Reflect on what the All-Merciful has revealed in the Qur’an, His exalted Word: “And whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good.” Some maintain that by wisdom is meant the divine laws revealed in the Book. Others hold that this wisdom refers to medical science, and whoever attains it has attained much good, as it pertains to humanity and knowledge of bodies, and this science is nobler than other sciences, as the tongue of wisdom has previously uttered this supreme word: “Knowledge is of two kinds: knowledge of bodies and knowledge of religions.” Knowledge of bodies is given precedence in this blessed word, and in truth it is precedent, for the manifestation of truth and divine laws have all been and will be for the education of humanity, its advancement, and the preservation of the people of the world and the like. Therefore, whatever causes and leads to the preservation, health and well-being of human existence has been and will be precedent. This point is clear and evident.

Some believe that wisdom is the knowledge of the realities of things, and whoever attains this station will possess lofty stations. Some hold that wisdom is acting upon that which benefits humanity; whoever succeeds in this has much good. Many believe that wisdom is that which preserves man from what debases him and guides him to what exalts him. Some maintain that wisdom is the science of association with people and treating servants of God with moderation. Others have said that wisdom is theology according to the principles of previous philosophers. Likewise, they have said wisdom is the knowledge of substances and accidents, as well as astronomy and the like. Some have said wisdom is the knowledge of livelihood in this world. Some assert that wisdom is the knowledge of principles. Some souls maintain that wisdom pertains to matters of justice, which is and will be giving each their due right. Some believe it is the science of elixir - whoever attains it has attained much good. Some hold it to be geometry and similar sciences. Each group, according to their understanding, has presented proofs and evidence for each of what has been mentioned, which if detailed would add to weariness. Glory be to Him Who spoke this supreme word: “The head of wisdom is the fear of God,” for the fear of God […]

For each of what has been mentioned they have given proofs, which if detailed would add to weariness. Glorified be He Who hath spoken this most exalted Word: “The head of wisdom is the fear of God.” For the fear and awe of God restraineth man from whatsoever causeth abasement and degradation of human station, and aideth him in that which leadeth to elevation and glory. The wise man avoideth shameful deeds, for he beholdeth punishment in their wake. The pavilion of world order is upheld upon two pillars: Reward and Punishment. Some time ago this blessed verse shone forth from the Dayspring of the Divine Mouth: “Justice hath a mighty force. It is none other than reward and punishment for men’s actions. By these two are the tent of order raised up in the world, and every transgressor restraineth his own self, through fear of retribution.” Thus hath spoken the Lord of Names; He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

In the past, certain souls have called themselves people of the Path, as evidenced by their traces that exist in the world today. Various groups have each adopted a path, whereby Islam became divided and channels branched off from the Most Great Ocean, until at length there befell the religion of God that which did befall it. Islam, with all its mighty power, was transformed through the deeds and actions of those who claimed adherence to it into utter weakness, as all have observed and continue to observe. Some souls who call themselves dervishes have interpreted all divine laws and commandments. If it be said that prayer is among God’s binding ordinances, they say prayer means supplication and we came into being with supplication, thus we have performed the true prayer, while this poor one is deprived of the outer form, let alone its inner meaning. The vain imaginings of heedless souls have exceeded all reckoning. In brief, through indolence and sloth they have interpreted all divine commandments which are as an impregnable fortress for the preservation and security of the world, and having secluded themselves in their convents, they have chosen no occupation save eating and sleeping. In matters of knowledge they affirm whatever is said, yet thus far no trace of the warmth of the love of God hath been witnessed from them, save for a very few who have tasted the sweetness of the Word and have to some extent become aware of the purpose of the Revelation. Some of these interpretations mentioned regarding wisdom are each correct in their proper place, as they do not conflict with the fundamental divine laws. The verses that pertain to divine commands and prohibitions, such as those concerning worship, blood money, crimes and the like - their outward meaning was and is intended to be acted upon. However, the divine verses that were revealed concerning the Resurrection and the Hour, both in previous Books and in the Qur’an, are mostly to be interpreted, “and none knoweth its interpretation save God.” These matters are clearly and evidently set forth in the Book of Certitude. Whosoever pondereth thereon will become aware of that which hath been hidden from the eyes of all. Consider what the All-Bountiful hath revealed in the Book, these words of the Almighty: “It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day.” This blessed verse the divines of old […]

“Nor can the night outstrip the day” - this blessed verse has been interpreted and explained by the divines of the past and present, each finding its meaning according to their own understanding. But this station is beyond knowledge, and these are ranks of conjecture and fancy. One who is called the Sultan of Interpreters, namely Qadi Baydawi, said this verse was revealed to refute the sun-worshippers. Observe how far this is from the source of knowledge, despite his supposed erudition in the eyes of men. The reins of all knowledge are in the grasp of divine power - He bestows it upon whomsoever He willeth. In the books of old, most of what flowed from the Supreme Pen concerning this Revelation is allegorical. For instance, it is said “The valleys shall melt like wax before the Lord,” and likewise “His tent shall be raised upon the mountains” as indeed it has been, and in another place “His is a tent whose cords shall not be severed, whose stakes shall not be uprooted, and which shall not be moved from place to place.” These passages are allegorical. The fair-minded person understands which station calls for interpretation and which for literal acceptance of the text. In any case, that which today can purify mankind from defilement and lead them to true tranquility is the religion of God, the Faith of God, and the Cause of God. Thus have the rains of utterance poured down from the heaven of knowledge as a bounty upon thee. Give thanks and say: “Praise be to Thee, O Beloved of the mystics! Glory be to Thee, O Desire of the worlds! Thanks be to Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp lies the kingdom of the heavens and the earth!”

From what hath been revealed from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance, it is clear and evident that certain divine verses concerning association, conduct, behavior, transactions, ordinances and the like - were their meaning to depart from the literal sense, God’s Cause would be suspended and impeded. To this every discerning scholar beareth witness. Beseech ye God to adorn the people of the world with the ornament of fairness. They profess belief in minor matters, limited miracles, and counted verses, while turning away from their oceans. Man is bewildered. Glorified be He Who hath concealed from them and revealed to us!

As to thy question regarding pure water and the limit of what constitutes “used” water, it was submitted before the Throne. This is what God hath pronounced: A small amount of water, such as one, two or three cups, in which hands and face are washed, is considered “used.” However, if it reaches the amount of a kurr, washing one or two faces does not change it, and there is and has been no objection to its use. If one of the three qualities appears therein - that is, if the color of the water changes even slightly - it is considered used. O thou who drinkest from the cup of My loving-kindness! The intention is cleanliness. Thou art aware of the pools [of Persia] - the more effort is expended on cleanliness, the more beloved it is in the sight of God.

Concerning what you wrote about the mention that some of the friends of God rise before sunrise and engage in the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory, while this remembrance pertains to the day, and the day during the Fast is defined from sunrise to sunset - this matter was presented before the Most Holy Presence of Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes. This is what the Truth, exalted be His glory, has pronounced: The day is indeed defined from sunrise to sunset in the exposition, but for those souls who rise before sunrise out of love for God and engage in remembrance - this is beloved and acceptable before the Throne. No reiteration is necessary. Similarly, in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, the friends of God, adhering to what was revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, turn to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar at dawn and engage in the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds. For them too, if they engage in remembrance at sunrise and for an hour after sunrise, it is acceptable. The Truth has desired comfort for the servants in all conditions, and His remembrance, if it proceeds from one who remembers with complete joy and fragrance, has been and will always be beloved and acceptable. Blessed is the soul that breathes with love for its Lord, and blessed is the servant whom the fragrances of the love of God have awakened.

Regarding what you wrote mentioning Aqa Khalil-i-’Attar, upon him be the Glory of God, and the ascension of his brother, this is what God revealed for him. His words, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Most Ancient, the Most Great

This is a Book sent down in truth for him whom the attraction of the utterance of the All-Merciful seized and who answered his Lord when He came with a mighty command, and who calls out on the Day of God to all else. Blessed is he who hath heard and listened, and he whose heart hath turned to Him with evident joy. Verily, the Sun, despite its radiance, deriveth light from His light, yet most of the people are heedless. All that was hidden behind the veils of the Unseen hath been revealed, and all that was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, hath appeared. Among the people are those who have found the fragrance of My garment and hastened to the ocean of My grace, and among them are those who turned away and objected to what was sent down from the kingdom of My wondrous utterance. How many a learned one hath violated God’s Covenant and His testament, and how many a heedless one hath heard the call from the Supreme Horizon and turned with his heart to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O Khalil! We have mentioned thee before and sent unto thee that which told of My manifestation, My power, My mercy, My compassion, and My grace that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Grieve not for what hath befallen thee. He who believed in God, the Lord of this luminous Day, hath attained unto the Supreme Companion. We make mention of him as a favor from Us unto thee and unto him, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed is he for having attained unto acceptance while most of My servants whom We created for the service of My Cause, the Firm, the Impregnable, turned away from Me. Verily thy Lord forgave thy brother at the time of his ascension, purified him from sins, and admitted him to a station whose description hath exhausted the tongues of the knowing ones. We send from this station Our greetings unto My loved ones there who have drunk the choice wine of My utterance and have attained unto that which hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. The Glory from God, the Lord of Names, be upon thee and upon those whose names were sent down in My Preserved Tablet.

Praise be to God! The Sun of generosity has risen, the Ocean of favor is manifest, and the Euphrates of utterance flows unceasingly. This evanescent one beseeches the True One and hopes that He will not deprive any soul on earth of the fragrant breezes of this most holy and transcendent Day, and will aid all to achieve that which He loves and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Convey greetings on behalf of this evanescent one to all the friends and say: These days are unlike other days, and this time unlike times past and future. Strive that ye may receive your portion of the lights of the divine dawn. Verily, He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Great.

Blessings be upon you and upon those with you, and upon those who have turned with illumined hearts unto God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

After the completion of the letter and attendance in the Most Holy Court, the Tongue of the Beloved uttered these blessed supreme words: “O Nightingale! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My favor!” Some mention was made of wisdom and its meanings, but the wisdom of today consists in such conduct, deeds and words as will guide people to the highest horizon without raising any clamor or causing any mischief or corruption. Verily, the people are in a strange sleep and manifest doubt, worshipping suppositions while understanding not, and hastening toward vain imaginings while perceiving not. The heedless must be awakened with kindliness and compassion and guided to the ocean of grace. Some ignorant ones who soar on the wings of passion and desire and are aflame with the fire of hatred lie in wait to find some pretext to object against the Truth, exalted be His glory, and His loved ones.

God willing, may all divine friends be adorned with the ornament of wisdom, and may there appear from each one that which betokens and indicates the exaltation of the Cause. May God grant fairness and the eye of grace to the divines of the age, that they may behold the lights of the Sun of Truth shining resplendent at its meridian and not remain deprived thereof. These souls have ever been and continue to be the cause of waywardness and error, save whom God willeth. The servant beseecheth his Lord to make them know and learn what they have ignored and draw them nigh unto Him through His grace. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Another submission regarding the departed and honored father who attained the presence at the time of his ascension […]

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light of His grace, revived the dead mystic body of the universe. He who was in reality the Dayspring of glory hath submitted to what We have mentioned, that He might make manifest in the realm of spirit and matter the mysteries of the regeneration of being and the cause of the purification of hearts. These holy verses were revealed from the heaven of divine oneness–blessed are they that understand. Say: this is that Word which hath caused the limbs of disbelievers to quake. Say: by God! The Bugle hath sounded through which the spirits have swooned, save those whom God hath exempted as a grace on His part–verily He is the Bestower, the Ancient of Days. Say: O concourse of divines! Exchange not the gift of God whilst ye have yet the power; verily He will take it back if He pleaseth; He, verily, hath power over all things. These are the melodies sung by Jesus, Son of Mary with glorious notes. We have made them clear for thee as a bounty on Our part; verily We are the Bestower. These are the mysteries of the Word which were unveiled and manifested, but the people do not understand. Verily He said–and His word is the truth: “Be” and it is. Verily He is the One Who giveth life and death; He, verily, is the Vivifier, the Destroyer.[…]

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=== START BH00014 ===

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

Praise be to God - praise whereby the clouds pour forth their bounty and the near ones inhale the fragrance of the garment of our Lord, the All-Bestowing; praise whereby the lovers seek the presence of God, the Lord of the Covenant; praise whereby the sincere ones hasten to the station of unveiling and meeting, and the unitarians to the supreme heights; praise whereby rivers flow and trees yield fruit. I testify that there is none other God but Him, alone with no partner. Glory and splendor, remembrance and praise be upon His loved ones and chosen ones, whom no blame of the blamer held back from God, no oppressor’s might deterred, and no ignorant one’s clamor frightened. These are honored servants, no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they grieve.

And then, the letters of that beloved one are in truth like successive rains pouring from the clouds of love. This servant thanks Him Who strengthened you, assisted you, and caused you to know Him, and beseeches Him to exalt you in His kingdom and honor you among His servants. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

One letter from that beloved one, dated the 12th of the month of Safar, adorned the heart with the fragrances of joy and illumined the eye with the lights of love. A hundred thousand thanks to the Goal of all the worlds, for He has granted success and His aid reaches us every moment; otherwise, existence would return to nothingness. After its observation, consideration and reading, it was taken to the Most Exalted Station and Most Supreme Dwelling. After permission was granted, it was presented before the countenance of the Lord of Names. This is what was revealed in response, His word, exalted be His majesty and universal be His bounty:

He is the Dawning-Place from the Horizon of Utterance

O Amin! Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy, which have preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. Praise be to the Ancient Lord Who enabled thee to turn unto Him, to mention and extol Him, and to serve His Cause. Verily, He made thee know His path, guided thee to His way, enabled thee to serve His Cause, and raised thee to a station wherein the Supreme Pen makes mention of thee from the Most Glorious Horizon - the station which all beings acknowledge their inability to describe. Rejoice thou in this most great favor and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds!

O Amin! In most of the Tablets to the loved ones, mention of thee hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who guided thee, showed thee, caused thee to hear, directed thee, and praise be to Him Who strengthened thee and enabled thee to recognize Him Whom most of the servants have been prevented from recognizing. To this beareth witness the Lord of creation in this exalted station. Convey My greetings to the loved ones of God, exalted be His glory, and make mention of them on behalf of this Wronged One, that they may be set ablaze with the fire of remembrance and may occupy themselves with the promotion of God’s Cause through wisdom and utterance. The people are deeply heedless. This Wronged One at all times summoneth them with the most exalted utterance to the horizon of the All-Merciful, yet all are deprived of hearing and sight, save whom God willeth. Veils have prevented eyes from beholding, and the cotton of idle fancies hath stopped ears from hearing. God have mercy! Of justice and fairness naught remaineth save the name - the name existeth but the reality is lost. The Cause is in God’s hands, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.

O Amin! The ocean of utterance hath encompassed all possibilities, and the Call of God hath been raised from the most exalted horizon of the world. Nevertheless, none hath become aware save a few. Yet this hath caused, and causeth, no harm. Ere long shall appear that which hath flowed from the Pen of God in His Tablets. The rain of the mercy of our Lord hath poured upon you and upon us, and the Sun of His bounty hath shone before our faces. Who is able to make mention of Him as He deserveth to be mentioned, or describe Him as He deserveth to be described, or praise Him as He deserveth to be praised? I turn unto Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness for whatsoever hath passed through my mind, been uttered by my tongue, or written by my pen.

The mention of that Well-Beloved hath ever been manifest through the dawning signs of the favors of God, exalted be His glory. A hundred thousand praises and thanks that in these days the fruit of that Most Exalted Word which He spoke at the time when news arrived of the imprisonment of the Most Great Name and those who were with Him - upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God - hath become manifest and apparent. His blessed and exalted Word was: “They seek victory over Us through the hosts and cannons, while We seek victory over them through the Strong, the Dominant, the Powerful.”

The horizons of the human world are today adorned and blessed with a new attire. The prayers of the sincere ones, the devoted ones, the hopeful ones, the supplicants, and the seekers have been answered. All had sought deliverance for the prisoners and captives, especially for His Name (Ism’u’llah), upon him be all the most glorious glory, and those who were with him - upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Praise be to God that that which is the cause of joy and gladness hath appeared.

O beloved of my heart! The people are heedless. Were they to reflect for but a moment, they would witness the transience of the enemies and likewise the manifestations of God’s might and power. Despite imprisonment, captivity, and a hundred thousand evident afflictions, He seized the mischief-makers of the land of Sad with the grip of the Mighty, the Powerful, yet none became mindful. Likewise did He deal with the hard-hearted ones of the land of Ta, from the liar known as Sadiq, then the one who intended the most great calamity for the people of Baha. Now both dwell in hell, yet the people have not awakened even to the extent of a needle’s point. Were this servant to mention such matters, he would need to compose a book. One marvels at the intoxication and heedlessness of the people. What has become of their consciousness? Where has their understanding gone? Wonder upon wonder!

Indeed, regarding the incident in the land of Ta, one must be thankful. The divines who consider themselves leaders and count themselves as guides and chiefs are at every moment inflamed with the fire of enmity. Each day its flame groweth higher, its blaze more evident, and its harm more intense. A thousand times have they attacked the people of Baha, yet their rancor hath not subsided even to the extent of an atom, nor their hatred abated. If one of those malicious souls had found manifest power or become a prince, what would he not have done? Now consider the leaders of the people and His Majesty the Sultan: although they had no satisfaction with this community, and the enemies, seeking to demonstrate their service, were constantly engaged in fabrications day and night, nevertheless His Majesty the Sultan, of his own pure inclination and without any intermediary, granted freedom to the prisoners and bestowed deliverance from captivity. Although the sincere ones would not exchange a single moment of imprisonment and tribulations in the path of God for the whole world - I swear by the Lord of both worlds that every moment of imprisonment in God’s path is a blessing for which […]

They would not exchange the afflictions they bear in the path of God for all the world. I swear by the Lord of both worlds that every moment spent in prison for the sake of God is a bounty for which there hath been and can be no likeness or equal. In all circumstances must man observe justice and speak with fairness. This evanescent servant beseecheth God - exalted be His glory - to aid and assist His Majesty the King at every moment, for verily He is powerful over all things.

As to what was written concerning the Tablets of the sons of him who brayed in the land of Kaf and Ra, this was presented before the Most Great Countenance in the presence of the Lord of Destiny. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, exalted and mighty be His words: From before and after it was decreed that whenever any soul sought wondrous and exalted Tablets, they would be sent down from the heaven of divine grace, that perchance the heedless might become aware and the slumbering be awakened. We previously entrusted their disposition to the Hands of the Cause in every locality, permitting them to act according to wisdom and expediency, that the principle of consultation might be firmly established in the world.

They said: “Well done!” - meaning the Afnan and that loved one. The Tablet which was specifically requested for the friends of Bahram was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and these resplendent verses shone forth from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Names and Attributes. Exalted be His utterance and mighty His proof:

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

O people of Bahram! The Lord of all beings remembereth you from His Most Great Prison and summoneth you unto Him. Verily He is the Overseer of whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Single One, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hath come with the Kingdom of verses and the standards of clear proofs, yet most of the people are heedless. The Call hath been raised, and all things have been attracted by it, yet most of the people are fast asleep. This is the Day wherein every seeker hath sought the Purpose of earth and heaven, and every fair-minded one the Most Exalted Horizon, and every sincere one the direction of his Most Glorious Beloved. Blessed be this Day and blessed be he who hath recognized it and who hath arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We counsel you to remain steadfast in this Cause in such wise that the braying of those who have denied God and turned away from His straight path shall not deter you. We counsel you to remember and praise God and to turn unto Him with illumined hearts and with that which will exalt His firm and mighty Cause. Verily the Trusted One, upon him be My glory, mentioned you, wherefore We make mention of you in truth. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O friends! We have forewarned the people of the divine cities, both past and present, of the barking of the dogs, the denial of the deniers, and the plots of the transgressors. Now in some cities, that which the Most Exalted Pen foretold has become manifest and evident, and with a hundred thousand tricks and plots they are occupied with leading souls astray. Those souls who are illumined by the splendors of the Sun of Truth and have drunk from the Kawthar of inner meanings and the Salsabil of utterance have attained such steadfastness that all the peoples of the world are and were powerless to prevent them. Blessed is the soul that hath clung to the cord of grace and held fast to the hem of divine bounty. For twelve hundred years the divines of those regions and the ecclesiastics of those parts summoned the people to the Promised Qa’im, and with utmost longing beseeched the Lord of all creation for His presence. Yet after all their striving, seeking, yearning and waiting, they denied His appearance and with complete tyranny cut down that blessed Tree, which is neither of the East nor of the West. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Now too, these same souls have girded up the loins of wickedness to lead the people astray. O party of God! Arise to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance - an arising that will neither be moved nor slip by the winds of discord. Know ye the value of these days and occupy yourselves with that which is befitting. This Day hath no peer or likeness; in the divine Books it is known as the Day of God. The Throne of the Lord, exalted be His glory, hath been established upon the white spot. With illumined hearts and radiant faces, be ye occupied with the remembrance of the Lord of all beings, and be free and detached from the world and all that is therein. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, not to deprive you from the ocean of His Revelation and the sun of His grace, and to confirm all to that which shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. He is, verily, powerful over all things. This servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to grant new sight to the eyes and fresh hearing to the ears, that they may hear His verses with new ears and behold His evidences with new eyes. Today the enemies of truth, namely those who count themselves among the people of the Bayan and are the cause of leading the servants astray, appear in every garment and form - some with turbans, staffs and cloaks, and in the guise of piety and devotion, some with utmost love and affection, and others with different means, have set out to entrap God’s helpless servants. All the divines of Persia, save a few, despite their piety, devotions, sermons and asceticism, pronounced the death sentence upon the Lord of the world - may the spirit of all in the kingdoms of Revelation and creation be sacrificed for Him. The field of Adhirbayjan beareth witness, and beyond that every possessor of sight and hearing, and beyond all, God, exalted be His glory. By the decree of these tyrannical souls, they suspended and martyred that Divine Countenance. Now too, some of the same kind have appeared with devilish whispers and satanic deceptions. May God slay them and protect us and you from the evil of these people. A Tablet hath also been specifically revealed for the handmaidens of that land and region. His word, exalted be His grandeur and glory, is:

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful[…]

O handmaidens of God in the land of Ba and Ha and its surrounding regions! Ponder the waves of God’s ocean of grace. He dwells in prison, yet calls you, for the sake of God, to the highest horizon and guides you to the straight path. He has come from the world of the unseen to the visible realm that He might cause all to attain the outpourings of the True Bestower of abundance. Hold fast to the mighty cord of God and turn your faces to His horizon of manifestation. Today, whosoever has attained the recognition of the Beloved has attained all good. Pass ye beyond the plane of this world and enter with utmost joy and delight into the court of the Lord. Every soul who today gazes toward the highest horizon and is engaged in the remembrance of the Lord of Names is accounted before God as one of those admitted to His presence. All that is witnessed shall soon pass away. Strive ye that ye may achieve deeds from which the fragrance of eternity may be inhaled. Give thanks to the One desired by all the world, Who has enabled you to recognize a Cause from which the world is veiled. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Praise be unto Him, for He is the Lord of all worlds and the Desire of them that have recognized Him.

Praise be to God! The light of the Sun of divine bounty has encompassed His handmaidens. The whole world yearns to hear the words “O My servant,” while the handmaidens of God have attained unto the blessed words “O My handmaiden.” This is a great and mighty bounty. Blessed is the one who has recognized and known, and woe unto the heedless!

As for the mention of Master Ahmad (K.F.), upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence of the Lord of all beings. This is what was revealed in response, His Word, exalted be His majesty and all-embracing be His bounty:

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing

O Ahmad! The Desired One of the world makes mention of thee and gives thee glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is the face that has turned unto Him, the heart that has turned toward His court, the eye that has beheld the Most Exalted Horizon, and the tongue that has proclaimed before all faces that there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Loving. We have renewed the world through the breaths of revelation and have manifested the springtime of inner meanings, yet most of the people understand not. The ocean of utterance has surged, and the All-Merciful is seated upon the throne of evidence, yet the people recognize not. They have forsaken their God and taken their vain desires for gods. Verily, they know not. Blessed is he who has shattered the idols of idle fancies and believed in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. O Ahmad! A letter has come from the Trustworthy One wherein mention was made of thee and those who have believed in that land. We have remembered you from this praiseworthy station. Know thou this most exalted station. By the life of God! All that is seen and witnessed cannot equal My remembrance. Of this beareth witness He with Whom is the Sealed Wine.

O Siyyid before Hashim! Hearken unto the call of God which hath been raised once in ?a, again in Zawra, at another time in the Land of Mystery, and in this station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names by God, the Lord of all beings. To this testifieth He Who hath testified that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Rejoice thou in My remembrance, then speak forth the praise of thy Lord at eventide and at dawn.

We make mention of him who was named Siyyid before Muhammad, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Verily We have made mention of them that have turned toward the Supreme Horizon, and We mention them as a mercy from Us, that their remembrance may endure through the continuance of God’s most excellent names and His most exalted attributes. There is none other God but He, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. God hath made His mention a treasure for His loved ones who have turned unto Him with faces luminous and who have acted in accordance with what was commanded in His perspicuous Book. O friends of the All-Merciful! We counsel you to preserve your treasures. Thus doth He admonish you, from Whom is the knowledge of all things, and around Whom circle the Concourse on High in His noble station. And We make mention of My friends in that place who violated not the Covenant when the clamor was raised. They, verily, are of them that are firmly established. Blessed is the servant whom the doubts of the wicked have not caused to slip, and whom the signs of them that err have not hindered - they in whose breasts the cauldron of hatred boils and from whose faces is reflected the gloom of hellfire. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O people of God in that place, and upon them that circle round the Throne in My exalted station.

[Here endeth that which was revealed for his honor Ustad Baqir, upon him be the glory of God. His word - exalted be His majesty and glory and greatness:]

In My Name, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful

Glorified be He Who hath subdued the Kingdom and the Realm through His command. He is the Strong, the All-Conquering, the Almighty. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth. He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Baqir! We have mentioned thee before and at this time. By My life! Wert thou to know the station of My mention, such joy would seize thee that neither the conditions of men nor the might of the heedless would sadden thee. Be steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and articulate in His beauteous praise. This will profit thee and My loved ones in the hereafter and in this first life. He Who is established upon His mighty throne doth testify to this. Be thou steadfast in the service of My Cause and turn with thy heart toward My horizon. Verily He aideth him that hath turned toward Him with an illumined heart. My Most Exalted Pen hath testified for thee - know thou this and be of the thankful ones. Beware lest the conditions of the wicked who speak according to their desires and hinder people from My straight path veil thee. The glory be upon thee and upon him who hath heard the call and answered the Lord of the exalted Throne.

[Here endeth that which was revealed for his honor Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the glory of God. His word - exalted be His majesty and glory:]

In My Name, the Speaker, the Trustworthy

O Abu’l-Qasim! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee in a station round which circle the Concourse on High, and counseleth thee to fear God. Verily thy Lord is the Counselor, the All-Knowing. He maketh mention of him who hath turned toward Him and desireth him who hath desired Him. He hath created faithfulness and made it one of His most excellent names in His perspicuous Book. Blessed is he who hath clung thereunto - he is among the knights of the arena of utterance before the All-Merciful. To this testifieth every knowing, discerning one. Rejoice thou in My mention of thee, then thank thy Lord Who created thee, aided thee, and guided thee to His luminous horizon. We make mention of Our loved ones there and give them the glad-tidings of Our mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. The Trustworthy One mentioned thee; We made mention of thee. Be thankful unto Him Who saved thee and delivered thee and revealed for thee that from which the near ones perceive the fragrance of the mercy of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

[Here endeth that which was revealed for his honor Mulla Hasan, upon him be the glory of God. His word - exalted be His signs and His sovereignty:]

He is the Straight Path […]

This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down, wherein He maketh mention of them that have turned unto God, the Lord of all worlds, and responded when His call was raised from this Station which He hath made the most exalted of stations. Eyes have been created to behold Mine horizon, ears to hearken unto My call, and tongues to make mention of Me, through which the horizons have been illumined. O Hasan! Hearken unto the call of Him Who conversed with the Burning Bush in this Revelation, then render thanks unto thy Lord for having aided thee to recognize this Cause whereby feet have slipped. We have named this Day in the books of old as the Day of God, yet most of the people remain heedless and veiled. The veils of glory have prevented them from beholding the Most Sublime Horizon, and doubts have barred them from Him Who hath come from the heaven of might with the standards of His signs. Be thou vocal in the remembrance of thy Lord and act according to that which thou hast been commanded in the Books and Tablets. Blessed is he who, being athirst, hath hastened to the Kawthar of My presence, and he who hath turned his face toward God, the Lord of all religions. Say: Cast aside your idle fancies and vain imaginings, hastening unto the Kingdom of certitude with joy and radiance. Thus have the rains of My mercy showered from the heaven of My bounty. Well is it with him that hath attained, and woe unto every heedless doubter. The glory that proceedeth from Us rest upon those whom the veils of the divines have failed to shut out and whom the tyranny of those who have turned away from the Source and Ultimate Goal hath failed to deter.

And this is what hath been sent down for His Honor Ghulam-Rida from God, the Lord of Names. He, exalted be His glory and mighty be His utterance, saith:

In My Name, the All-Subduing over all names

O Ghulam-Rida! The smoke of doubt and the dust of idle fancies have debarred the world from the Lord of all men. The veils of self and desire have so seized the people that they cannot distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. They are polytheists yet account themselves monotheists, idol-worshippers yet reckon themselves among the people of high station. Heedlessness hath reached such a degree that they have exchanged everlasting blessing for transient pleasures. They have forsaken that which the All-Glorious Truth desired for all and are occupied with the promptings of self and passion. Fie upon them and upon that which their hands have wrought! Praise be to the Goal of all creation Who hath aided thee to turn unto Him. Know thou the value of this great bounty and through His Name preserve the pearls of divine love from treacherous eyes and thieving souls. This is the counsel of the Most Exalted Pen on this darkest night. Hearken and be of the thankful ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And this is what hath been sent down for His Honor ’Ali-Akbar (SMS) from God, the Lord of Power. Blessed and exalted is He Who saith:

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering […]

O party of God! Today it is incumbent upon all to make mention of God–glorified be His majesty–and to serve His Cause. Throughout centuries and ages people awaited this blessed Day, yet when the door of the grace of the All-Merciful was opened by the key of utterance, and the Promised One and the One Who converseth on Sinai manifested Himself for the salvation of the world and the guidance of all nations, all were found to be veiled, nay, thunderstruck, nay, dead, save for a few souls who are mentioned among the letters of the countenance in God’s Book. O friends! Be not content with words. This is the Day for deeds. Know ye the value of these days and occupy yourselves with that which is befitting. Say: Let not the transient, varied colors of these fleeting days prevent you from the enduring favors and perpetual bounties of God. Ere long all shall witness that of which they are now heedless. At that time regret will be of no avail, and remorse will bear no fruit. This is the Day of service. Strive ye, that perchance ye may achieve that which is meet and seemly. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all things, and He is the Protector of all who are in the invisible and visible worlds.

This was revealed for Jinab-i-Mirza Mahdi, son of him who ascended. Upon them be the glory of God. His word–exalted be His grandeur and glory:

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of the Kingdom. This is a Tablet which the All-Merciful hath sent down and from it the fragrance of utterance wafteth upon all creation. Exalted is He Who hath sent it down, and exalted is He Who hath manifested it, and exalted is He Who hath spoken and caused all things to speak that there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Call hath been raised, and the tongue hath spoken, yet most of the people are fast asleep. Their own selves have debarred them from the Most Exalted Paradise and their desires have kept them back from the Lord of all creation. These are indeed among the most lost in God’s Book, the Lord of all worlds. He Who was mentioned by the tongues of the chosen ones and recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, hath come. Among the people are those who heard and denied, and those who heard and hastened until they attained unto the Kawthar of utterance and drank therefrom in His Name, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. O people of Baha! Hearken unto the Call from the direction of the luminous Spot and the white Land. He, in truth, summoneth you and giveth you glad-tidings of God’s favor, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Beware lest love of the world hold you back from the Lord of all creation, or the intimations of the heedless sadden you. Be ye so steadfast in the Cause that the doubts of the people of the Bayan who have turned away from the Truth when it came unto them with manifest sovereignty shall not cause you to slip. By God’s life! They have not attained unto the Bayan nor have they drunk the choice wine of knowledge from the hands of the All-Merciful’s bounty, and they have denied Him for Whose service they were created–His decisive and mighty Cause. O concourse of the Bayan! By God, neither the books of the world nor the kingdom of names will profit you today except through this Book which speaketh during nights and days and announceth unto all what lieth with God, the Most High, the Most Great. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken, yet most of the people are heedless. Glory be from Us upon those who have cast away what the people possess, hoping for that which is with God. These are indeed among those who are firmly established. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

This was revealed for Jinab-i-Baqir, son of Mulla Muhammad-’Ali. His word–exalted be His glory and sublime be His utterance:

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of the world through His Most Great Name[…]

In commemoration of those who seek the Face, from Our presence, and I am the All-Knowing Remembrancer. We have remembered those who have believed in God, and We have shown them Our most exalted horizon, caused them to hear Our sweetest call, and guided them to My straight path. O people of Baha! By the True One, the Lord of all beings remembers you from His Most Exalted Station, which was once named the Prison and at another time the Heaven of heavens, which was raised up by My command, the All-Compelling over all who are in the heavens and earths. Aid your Lord, the Most Merciful, through deeds and virtuous conduct, wherewith We have commanded you in Tablets sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O Baqir! One of My servants who circled round Me, attained My presence, drank the choice wine of My love, and devoted himself to serving My Cause, made mention of thee. We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace, for I am the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Beware lest anything keep thee from God or the allusions of the heedless prevent thee–they who claim to have faith yet have made the Bayan a snare for the people of certitude. They are indeed among the godless, as recorded in a clear Book. Say: Fear God and refute not the truth by what ye possess. The world shall pass away, then shall ye find yourselves in manifest loss. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, while most of the people were fast asleep. The waves apparent from the ocean of My loving-kindness are upon those who have not violated God’s Covenant and His Testament and who have circled round His wondrous Cause.

This was revealed for him who was named Husayn (’A??ar). Upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]. His blessed and exalted Word:

In the name of the Peerless Lord God!

O Husayn! Arise to serve the Cause through divine love and the flame of heavenly affection. Today, whosoever desires to render assistance must detach himself from all save God and fix his gaze upon that which is with Him. O Husayn! Today the ocean of generosity is surging and the effulgences of the Sun of bounty have encompassed all existence. Whosoever has arisen for God’s sake shall not be seen to sit, and hesitation shall not overtake him. With the hosts of utterance, in a spirit of joy and radiance, he shall guide the wayward and strengthen the weak. Let none marvel at this exalted word. The Son of Mary–upon Him be God’s peace and the peace of His Prophets–observed a fisherman busy catching fish and said: “Leave thy net and come, that I may make thee a fisher of men.” After this word, the tongue-tied gained speech, the ignorant entered the ocean of knowledge, the poor found their way to the kingdom of wealth, the lowly aimed for the summit of glory, and the wayward became illumined by the light of the dawn of guidance. For he had detached himself from all else and joined with the Truth. He consumed his desires in the fire of love and rent asunder the veils with the finger of certitude. Throughout his life in this world, he spoke in remembrance of the Spirit of God, and when he turned toward the next world, he attained a station which the pens of the world are powerless to describe. Blessed are they whom neither the doubts of the deniers, nor the hints of the rejecters, nor the clamor of the people of the Bayan have prevented from the Purpose of all creation. Today is the day of steadfastness and the day of service. Strive that perchance ye may attain to that which is mentioned with God and recorded in His Book. The Glory be upon thee and upon all who are firm and steadfast.

This supreme bounty can be likened neither to the oceans, nor to the rains, nor to the leaves of trees, nor to the sands of the desert, nor to the atoms of creation. How can the receptive servants, the monotheists, and the sincere ones adequately render thanks for a blessing whose reckoning is difficult? Its gratitude, like His grace and mercy, surely transcends human understanding. As His grace and mercy took precedence, He granted permission, and this became the great cause and supreme reason for those who remember Him, the sincere ones, and the monotheists. Otherwise, what relation hath dust to the pure spirit? What connection, what resemblance, what conformity? We are utter nothingness, and by His will we exist. Whosoever that Beloved One mentioned has attained to infinite bounties; for each one specifically, an ocean of verses hath flowed. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One to aid those mentioned to achieve that which is befitting and praiseworthy today.

And concerning what was mentioned about the friends of Ni, upon them be the Glory of God, both men and women, and likewise the mention of those souls who have attained to the payment of the Rights of God - all were presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and each was honored with the mention of the Goal of all the worlds and adorned with the effulgences of the Sun of Grace. His word, exalted be His glory and universal His bounty:

He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon. We convey Our greetings to the friends of God and give them the glad-tidings of the ocean of the bounty 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 those on earth were heedless. There befell you in the path of God that which caused the Concourse on High to grieve. Whatsoever hath occurred and whatsoever will occur 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. His Honor the Trustee (Amin) hath made mention of you; ye have been and are honored with the mention of God, both in the past and now. 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 will be the teaching of His Cause and the guidance of the people. And this cannot be achieved except through praiseworthy character, goodly deeds, and kindness and love. We beseech God to aid all to that which is pleasing unto Him.

Know that previously a Tablet was especially revealed and sent to Mulla Muhammad-Shafi’, as well as a visitation tablet for His Holiness Vahid and the loved ones of God, glorified be His majesty. Today is a day of joy and gladness, for the Truth is manifest, His call is raised, and the horizon of the world is illumined and adorned with His light. Seek steadfastness from God. Soon shall the cawing of the raven be silenced. This is news that the Supreme Pen has given before and after. Some followers of the Bayan are engaged in plagiarizing divine verses, while others lie in wait with feigned humility and submissiveness, assuming any guise that might ensnare the loved ones. We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of steadfastness, such that none in the world can prevent them. Take hold of the Book of God with His strength; verily it suffices you in truth. Beware lest anything prevent you from this straight path and this momentous news. Praise be to God, the Powerful, the Bestower, the Generous.

The people of that land have ever been and continue to be blessed with God’s favors. In these days a letter arrived from Aqa Mirza Jalal and his brother, upon them be the glory of God. God willing, this evanescent servant will be enabled to respond both outwardly and inwardly. I beseech God not to cut off His assistance. He is the One Who oversees and encompasses all things.

As for what they wrote mentioning F.T. and Aba, each of the steadfast, assured souls has been blessed with the mention of God. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. When these matters were submitted in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, these supreme words were uttered from the tongue of the Will of the Lord of creation, exalted be His grandeur:

“O Abu’l-Hasan! Your letter to this servant calls to mind this blessed verse of the Qur’an: ‘It leaves out nothing small or great.’ You mentioned God’s loved ones wherever they dwell and sought bounties for all. Blessed art thou, for thy goodness has encompassed all. Each has attained what is befitting.”

And concerning their mention of Mulla Mahdi and the loved ones of Khuy, upon them be the glory of God, it was presented in the Most Holy Presence. This is what was revealed for them from the heaven of our Lord’s and your Lord’s will, the Lord of the mighty throne. He says, exalted be His glory:

“He is the Compassionate, the Generous

O Mahdi! The eye of the world has been illumined by the appearance of Him Who conversed with Moses in this Manifestation, while the peoples remain veiled by a thick veil. He Who was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, has appeared and come today. He has come with truth and called the people to the supreme horizon. Among the people are those who denied and turned away, those who heard and said ‘Here am I, O Goal of the mystics,’ those who were prevented by the might of princes, and those who were veiled by the allusions of the divines who cast the truth behind their backs and were among the transgressors in a clear Book. These followed their vain desires and pronounced judgment against Him at Whose mention they used to say ‘may God hasten His relief.’ Thus did their souls entice them. Verily they are among the oppressors. By their oppression the dwellers of the highest Paradise and the exalted Garden have lamented, and smoke has overtaken the inhabitants of earth and heaven. To this bears witness He Who speaks: ‘There is no God but I, the Single, the All-Informed.’”

Say: O people of the Kha’ and the Vav! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Creation on the Day of Return, then remember Him in the nights and days. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer. Beware lest the insinuations of the oppressors hold you back from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Leave the people to what they possess, placing your trust in God, the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Soon shall the sincere behold what they were promised in the Book of God, and the idolaters their station in hellfire. Rejoice in the mention of My Most Exalted Pen, for it draweth you nigh unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon you and upon those whom the cawing of the cawers - who profess faith in the Bayan while denying Him Who hath come with manifest sovereignty - hath not held back.

Praise be to God! The lights of the Kingdom of Divine utterance have encompassed the people of that land. God willing, may they be assisted to achieve unity and concord, and to aid the Cause through mention and utterance. This servant conveyeth greetings and salutations to his honor Aqa Mulla Mahdi, upon him be the glory of God, and the other friends of that land, and seeketh confirmation and assistance for each one.

Regarding what you wrote about his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad (T.B.) Ibrahim, upon him be the glory of God, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed especially for him from the heaven of the Lord’s Will. His word - exalted be His majesty and glory:

In the Name of Him Who ruleth over all names

A remembrance from Us to him who attained unto the lights of faith when the Furqan ascended and the Bayan came, and who gave glad-tidings of the appearance of the All-Merciful in days wherein trembling seized the inhabitants of earth, save whom God, the Lord of lords, willed. Blessed is the soul whom neither the doubts of the people nor the insinuations of every sinful doubter could cause to slip - they who cast the Book behind their backs and took their vain imaginings as lords besides God. They are assuredly the companions of the fire. Blessed is the tongue that acknowledged God and confessed what He hath truly revealed. He is among the righteous in the Book of God, the Lord of all men. The Trustworthy One presented a letter wherein was thy mention. We have mentioned thee with a mention before which all mention boweth down. By the life of God! Nothing in all things can equal My mention. He with Whom is the Mother Book beareth witness unto this. Blessed art thou and those who broke not their covenant with their Creator and turned with radiant faces toward the horizon which God hath made the Dawning-Place of lights. Take My Book with a strength from Me and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Name mysteries were revealed, verses sent down, clear proofs brought forth, standards raised, and banners unfurled, that Thou mayest write from Thy Most Exalted Pen for this servant who hath turned unto Thee, O Lord of all men, that which shall be as a lamp unto him in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the Almighty over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Powerful.

Praise be to God! Divine favor is beyond reckoning and mention. It behooveth all to occupy themselves with praising and glorifying the Lord of Names in the nights and days, and to beseech with utmost humility and supplication the acceptance of the Lord of all destiny. For when man observeth his own station and rank and praise, and likewise witnesseth the infinite favors of the True One, he becometh bewildered. Yet we have not been, nor are we, in despair of the All-Bountiful Lord. I beseech Him - exalted be His glory - to assist and enable the aforementioned Mirza in what is meet and fitting.

O servant who stands before Me! For some time now the fragrance of love from Abdul-Wahhab has been restrained. Glory be to God! He was among those souls mentioned before the Throne and witnessed the grandeur of the Truth and His Manifestation through the banners of verses and standards of clear proofs. What has happened? Have the oppressors’ assaults become a veil, or the doubts of atheistic divines? Say: O Abdul-Wahhab! The All-Bountiful Lord declares: “Leave them to their vain disputations.” Were you granted a hundred thousand years of life, it would not equal one step taken today in the path of God, or one word uttered for His sake. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One of the horizons and occupy thyself with utmost determination in the remembrance and praise of God. Whatever has been mentioned and is mentioned is due to the favors of God, exalted be His glory, which have been extended to you. Arise and say: “Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call and recognize Thy Beauty. I beseech Thee to make me so enkindled with the fire of Thy love that it befits Thy Manifestation and Thy days.”

Know thou with certitude that caution and prudence add not to life, nor do steadfastness and uprising diminish it. Stand for God and speak for God, but with wisdom and utterance, being mindful in all conditions. Know the value of this station and preserve it as thou wouldst thy life. Verily, He is the Protector, the Helper, the Succourer. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

In truth, for some time no news of him has reached the Most Holy Court - neither a trace of fragrance has passed nor a sweet scent diffused. Since they were previously mentioned in prison for successive years, we beseech God, exalted be His glory, to confirm them with such confirmation that the fragrance of steadfastness may be inhaled therefrom. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

According to the command, if deemed appropriate, that which has descended from the heaven of Will should be conveyed. He said: “Verily, We desire to find in him what We found before.”

Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Abdullah (upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]). It was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what was revealed for him from the heaven of the bounty of our Answering Lord. His Word, exalted be the ocean of His utterance and the encompassing lights of the sun of His grace:

He is the One with power over all who are in earth and heaven. O Abdullah! Thou wast mentioned before the Wronged One, and thy petition reached the Most Holy Court some time ago and was heard. Praise be to God, thou art gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon and art adorned with the love of God, exalted be His glory. What thou didst mention became known before the Throne. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to confirm thee in steadfastness. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance, steadfastness is today among the most great attributes before the Face. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto it. The souls mentioned in the petition have each attained to the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory. We beseech God to open before thy face the door of blessing. Verily, He is the Powerful over what He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and the earth. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this wise remembrance.

They and their brothers who were in Shahrud, as well as other souls, were repeatedly blessed with God’s favors. This ephemeral one conveys greetings and salutations to each one and seeks divine confirmation for all.

O Amin! For years We made no mention of the Huquq, although this provision hath ever been a means of divine protection and blessing and hath yielded other effects. How many were the souls who, of their own accord, sent their wealth to Our presence, yet We accepted it not and returned it, for it was not needed. Now thou art well aware of the conditions in this land, and likewise of the means required for the exaltation of the Cause. Yet none should solicit from another. Should anyone be moved to pay the Huquq, it may be accepted; otherwise, nay. The loved ones of God must in all conditions safeguard the dignity of the Cause. Until now, none hath been commanded to make such demands. Verily, He is independent of all that was and shall be.

As to what was written concerning certain ones who collect and spend funds, claiming authorization - no such permission hath ever been granted to anyone. The loved ones in that land must ever keep their gaze fixed upon whatsoever will cause the Word to be exalted. These days are fleeting; the friends must act with justice, fairness, truthfulness and sincerity, and hold fast to that which will dignify the Cause. This hath been repeatedly mentioned so that thou mayest know that no such thing hath been ordained.

When the beloved of Our heart, Haji Mirza H.Y.A. and Aqa Mirza Husayn, upon them be the glory of God and His favors, attained Our presence, the Tongue of Grandeur made mention of thee, saying: “Praise be to God, thou art favored by His grace and adorned with the word of His good-pleasure. Blessed art thou, and again blessed art thou.” At this moment, as I was engaged in writing this letter, I attained the presence of the Goal of all the world, Who spoke these blessed words - exalted be His glory and all-encompassing be His grace: “O servant present! We love to make mention of those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness in that land, as a token of Our grace, for We are the Rememberer, the Compassionate, the Generous. We mention them while concealing their names, in Our wisdom, for We are the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have mentioned the Sad with a mention that hath diffused the fragrance of Our favor throughout Our mighty and impregnable Kingdom, and We mention him now with a beautiful mention. The Glory shining from the horizon of My favor be upon those whose names We have not mentioned and upon those who have quaffed My sealed wine.”

Every atom in existence hath testified and doth testify to the grace, mercy, compassion and favor of God, exalted be His glory. We beseech Him to adorn this servant and His loved ones with that which pleaseth Him and to aid them to remain steadfast in His Cause. This is the station that the chosen ones of God, past and present, have ever sought from Him, glorified be His might. This lowly one, with utmost humility, seeketh for all what he seeketh for himself, and for the friends what he deemeth himself unworthy of. The waves of the ocean of divine mercy have appeared in such wise as though the tree of despair hath been cut down and the saplings of hope have been raised up in all directions. Exalted, exalted be His bounty, His grace, His sovereignty, His might, and His remembrance. Glory and praise be upon thee and upon those who have heard and responded to their Lord, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

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

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His is the dominion and power, His is the might and authority. He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth others. He is the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And then, regarding that beloved one’s previous letter, due to the multitude of occupations and affairs, the reply was delayed. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist this servant to compensate for what was missed. The letter arrived, opened the gate of reunion, and the fragrance of nearness wafted. Praise be to God, the showers of remembrance and utterance flow from the pen and tongue of His loved ones. In truth, remembrance and utterance are keys to the gate of nearness and reunion.

Mention was made of his honor Aqa Muhammad-Rida (of Muhammad-Abad), upon him be the glory of God, and likewise his degrees of longing, yearning and enthusiasm were presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and these manifest verses were revealed especially for him from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s loving-kindness. His mighty utterance and holy station declare:

In His Name, the One Who Rules over all who are in earth and heaven!

O Muhammad-Rida! Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having opened before the faces of Thy loved ones the gate of meeting, and glory be to Thee, O Lord of all names, for having opened the gates of understanding through the keys of utterance, and splendor be to Thee, O Creator of the heavens, for having illumined the world with the lights of Thy Most Great Name, and majesty be to Thee, O Dawning-Place of Beauty, for having guided Thy loved ones to the straight path, and grace be to Thee, O Dayspring of Justice, for having called the servants to Thy most exalted horizon in both beginning and return, and light be to Thee, O Speaker of the Mount, for having made known to the people of inner meaning the horizon of Thy manifestation, and revelation be to Thee, O Bestower of spirits, for having made us to be attracted by Thy verses, turned toward Thy horizon, enkindled with the fire of Thy love, soaring in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and speaking in Thy beauteous praise.

Say: O my God, my Lord, my Worshipped One, and my Desire! Thou hearest what the tongues of all created things utter and seest what all beings do. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge, and by Thy mercy that hath preceded Thy creation and Thy servants, and by Thy hidden mystery and Thy treasured Name which manifested itself in the kingdom of creation and established itself upon the throne amidst humanity, that Thou shouldst send down from the heaven of Thy bounty the rain of Thy mercy and protect Thy loved ones from the evil of Thine enemies. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of the nations, by Thy Most Great Name, to assist Thy loved ones through Thy power and might and the hosts of Thy hidden realm, even as Thou didst assist them before. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in earth and heaven.

O Lord! Thou seest this servant of Thine who hath testified to Thy oneness and singleness and to that which hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen in the kingdom of creation, and who beareth witness to that which Thy tongue hath spoken, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens. O Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty, holding fast to the hem of Thy loving-kindness, and hoping for that which is with Thee. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me through Thy generosity, grace and favors. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Hearing, the Answering.

These verses, each letter of which is a gate of mercy for creation, were revealed especially for the aforementioned person. God willing, he will attain unto them. Its fragrance shall renew the world of utterance and freshen the trees of existence. Previously too he had attained the mention of our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all who are in earth and heaven. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, and hope that He will assist him in all conditions. Verily He hath power over all things.

In His name, the All-Hearing, the Responding One!

O Muhammad-i-Tahir! He Who is circled round by the Concourse on High, the denizens of Paradise and the angels drawn nigh, makes mention of thee on this night. Give thanks unto God and make mention of Him throughout the nights and days. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe trustworthiness and fidelity and that whereby the Word of God, the Lord of all being, the Self-Subsisting, may be exalted.

When thou hast received My verses and perceived the fragrance of My utterance, say: “Glory be unto Thee, O Thou Wronged One, the Imprisoned One! I testify that Thou hast chosen tribulation for the salvation of all who dwell in the kingdom of creation, and Thou hast dwelt in prison for the deliverance of all who are on earth. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all names. Thou art verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

“I beseech Thee, O Mystery of existence and O Thou in Whose grasp lie the reins of the hidden and the manifest, to assist me in that which befitteth Thy wondrous Cause and beseemeth Thy glorious Day. Then write down for me, through Thy bounty and Thy favors, that which will preserve me from the croaking Thou hast foretold and from its transgression. O my Lord! I am the helpless one, the wretched one, standing before the door of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of that which is with Thee. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the mystics and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and on earth.”

[…]

O My handmaiden! God, exalted be His glory, is the All-Merciful, His grace encompasseth all things, as doth His knowledge. No cry is raised but that an answer descendeth from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance. He hath adorned the female believers with the blessed word “O My handmaiden” and hath distinguished the men with the wondrous and sublime word “O My servant.” How many among the first and last have sacrificed their lives upon hearing these words! This word is like unto a sapling planted by the hand of divine power - it must be watered by the waters of love and steadfastness, and protected in the name of God from poisonous winds. Know thou the value of this word. By the life of God! Were all the peoples of the world to comprehend it, they would all be set ablaze and turn towards the supreme horizon. We send greetings to all the handmaidens in that land and counsel all to sanctification, detachment, and adherence to that which We have revealed in the Book. Blessed are they that act, both men and women.

Mention was made of Haji Muhammad Husayn, upon him be the glory of God. His mention was accepted in the Most Holy Court. This is what was revealed for him from the presence of the All-Wise Revealer. His words, exalted be His mention and sublime be His utterance:

In My Name which shineth forth from the Supreme Horizon!

Whosoever hath today attained recognition is mentioned in the Kingdom of utterance before the All-Merciful. The whole world was created for the Day of God, yet when the Most Great Name rent asunder the veils through His conquering might, all were found heedless and veiled save whom God willed. This is the Day whereon whatsoever lieth hidden in every soul shall be made manifest. This is the Day whereon “secrets shall be tried” and the Day whereon “the mountains shall pass away.” Every hidden thing shall be revealed and every concealed thing made manifest. Blessed is the soul that hath been set ablaze with the fire of divine love - a blazing that neither the might, power and glory of the people of creation, nor the doubts and allusions of the divines could prevent from the Lord of Names or deprive of the ocean of inner meanings. Every deed performed today in the path of God - its effects shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. O people of God! Strive that ye may attain to that which beseemeth this Day of God, exalted be His glory. Know the value of the All-Merciful’s utterance and preserve it as thou wouldst thy life. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon My loved ones there who were not frightened by the might of the aggressors nor weakened by the power of the opposers.

Mention was made of Aqa Siyyid ?adiq, Aqa Siyyid Yusuf, Aqa Abu’l-Qasim and Aqa Siyyid ’Ali-Rida, upon them be the glory of God. It was presented before His countenance and there was revealed specifically for each that which shall endure as long as the most beautiful names endure. This is what was revealed for Siyyid ?adiq, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Sempiternal, the One!

This is a mention from Our presence for him whom the Trustworthy One hath mentioned, that he may rejoice in his Lord’s bounty and be of the thankful. Verily, he who hath today attained unto My verses hath attained unto all good, as attesteth He with Whom is the mighty Book. O ?adiq! We have turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison and have revealed for thee that which guideth the servants unto My straight path. Say: O people! Set aside what ye possess. That which was hidden in knowledge and recorded in God’s Book, the Lord of all worlds, hath been made manifest. Thus have We sent down the verses, expounded them in truth, and dispatched them unto thee as a gift from thy Gracious Beloved[…]

We make mention of Yusuf as a bounty from Us, for verily We are the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. O Yusuf! Put aside what the people possess and take what thou hast been given from thy Lord, the Ancient Bestower of Bounties. All the treasures of earth cannot equal a single letter of My verses - to this every seeing and discerning one beareth witness. The glory from Us be upon those who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament - verily they are among those firmly established in a perspicuous Book.

And this is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Abu’l-Qasim. His word, exalted and mighty is He: He is the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Abu’l-Qasim! Know thou the value of these days and arise to that which behooveth thee. Today a goodly character and pure deeds are the means for exalting the Word of God. All the friends must render assistance to the Wronged One through these, and in all conditions strive for the elevation of the Cause. This is Our counsel from before and after. We beseech God that He may set all ablaze with such fire that neither the oppression of the oppressors nor the clamor of the ignorant may quench it. Whosoever hath attained unto a drop from this ocean, the hosts of the world and the defenses of nations have not been, nor ever shall be, able to prevent him. God, the All-Knowing, beareth witness and uttereth this most exalted Word: Blessed is every hearer who hath responded.

And this is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Siyyid Ali-Rida. His word, sanctified and exalted is He: In My Name, which shineth forth from the Most Exalted Horizon. A Book sent down by the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison for him who was mentioned by one of My loved ones who hath arisen to serve My mighty Cause. O servants of the All-Merciful! Hearken unto the call of Him Who summoneth you unto the All-Informed One. The Day of Return hath come, yet most of the people are heedless. The Hour of Resurrection hath arrived, yet most of the people are sleeping. They have cast the commandments of God behind their backs - verily they are among the most lost. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to acknowledge that which My Most Exalted Pen hath spoken, then make mention of Him in the nights and days. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. The Promised One hath come, the Hidden One hath been revealed, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken: The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all worlds. When thou hast attained unto My verses and drunk the choice wine of My utterance from the hands of My bounty, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee.

The sprinkling of the ocean of meanings and utterance hath encompassed the world. Were all atoms to offer praise with the tongues of the first and the last, they would never be worthy of this bounty nor deserve this generosity. Praise be to God! The friends of this age have attained unto that for which multitudes of the first and the last grieved in their longing to attain its presence. This most great joy hath been allotted to the people of the most great vision. This evanescent one beseecheth the Eternal Truth that He deprive not any soul on earth from this everlasting bounty and heavenly sustenance. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

And concerning the mention that was made of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-’Ali Simsar, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before the countenance of the Ancient Lord. This is what was revealed for him from the heaven of the bounty of our Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. His word - mighty is His utterance and great His proof: He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.[…]

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! The Truth, exalted be His glory, hath appeared and hath guided all to the straight path, and hath summoned them to the Most Great Announcement which was promised in the Books and Scriptures of the past and future. Some souls were prevented from the Dayspring of Divine Unity by their selfish desires, while others were deprived of recognizing the Lord of Names through following the ignorant. The primary cause and reason for all this were the divines of the age. They are the dawning-places and daysprings of self and passion. Few indeed turned away from the world and all that is therein and set their faces toward the supreme horizon. These are the treasures of the earth and its repositories. Whosoever in this day is not hindered by the veils of the doubtful ones is recorded and inscribed among the people of the supreme Paradise in the Book of Names. The honored Amin mentioned a number of those who have turned towards God, and each hath been blessed by the favors of the Wronged One. Verily He is the All-Forgiving, the Generous, verily He is the Kind, the Merciful.

This evanescent servant beseecheth the Truth, exalted be His glory, to aid them and the other friends to preserve that which He hath bestowed. He is, verily, powerful over all things. The servant submitteth that each of those who have drunk from the sealed wine and attained unto the new life should keep before their eyes the word “steadfastness”, for many are the satans and deceiving souls. We hope that each one may be assisted in that which beseemeth the Day of God.

Furthermore, mention was made of Aqa Siyyid Javad-i-Pusht-Baghi, upon him be the Glory of God. After this matter was submitted before the presence, these verses were revealed from the heaven of grace. His word, exalted be He: “His mercy hath preceded all and His bounty hath encompassed all. He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed.”

O Javad! The Wronged One declareth: We have accepted all the tribulations of the earth for the exaltation of the people to the sublime summit and the supreme horizon. When the call was raised and the fire of divine love was kindled, the heedless souls arose to quench and prevent it, and with complete tyranny and utmost effort strove to extinguish the divine light. However, the hand of power preserved His Cause and made the sanctified souls aware. Say: O friends! The satans are lying in wait and expectant. Each one of you must, like a piercing flame, prevent the satans from ascending to the heavens of hearts. This is the primary station and the first rank that hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto the heedless. Under all conditions, keep thy gaze fixed on the Truth and hold fast unto Him. Verily, He is with His successful servants. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

This is what was revealed for the son of him who ascended unto God (Aqa Mirza Muhsin), upon them both be the Glory of God.

In My Name, the All-Encompassing, the Self-Subsisting.

[…]

O Husayn-i-’Ali! Hearken unto the Call: Verily there is none other God but Me, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. I created creation for the knowledge of Myself and the recognition of My Day. Yet when I came with the banners of signs, they turned away, following every heedless and rejected one. Say: O people of Baha! Abandon that which ye were forbidden in the Book and take hold of that which ye were commanded by God, the Lord of the Promised Day. Sanctify yourselves from all that your desires command you; thus did We command you before in My inscribed Tablet. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain imaginings, clinging to the mountain of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Blessed is he who hath held fast to My hem and acted according to that which was commanded by the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Remind those who are with thee on My behalf, say: Fear God and be not of those who know not. The proof hath come and the way hath been made manifest, yet most of the people perceive not. Say: By God! The Day hath appeared and He Who conversed on Sinai speaketh from the throne of Revelation. Blessed is he who hath heard and attained, and woe unto every heedless and veiled one. The glory from Us be upon thy father who ascended unto My horizon and attained My grace, My mercy and My bounty which have encompassed the seen and the unseen, and upon thee and those with thee who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and who have witnessed that which God did witness when He came with manifest sovereignty.

As for the mention of the brethren from A. and R., Jinab-i-Nasru’llah and Husayn and Muhammad-’Ali, upon them be the glory of God, it was presented before the presence of the Lord of Revelation. This is what was sent down for them from the heaven of the grace of our Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. He says, exalted be His utterance and His station:

He is the Ruler in truth and He is the Commander, the All-Wise

O servants of the All-Merciful! The Purpose of all possibility mentioneth you in this Most Great Prison and counseleth you with that which is the cause and source of true greatness and nobility. The world hath been seized by the power of extinction, and its signs are manifest and evident at every moment. The friends who are associated with the Truth and are mentioned by His Name should, through the might and power of the One True Object of Desire, arise to perform such deeds that every person of insight may perceive therefrom the fragrance of sanctity and detachment. Today is the day of service and pure deeds. We beseech God to sanctify all from the defilement of rejected deeds and to enable them to attain true repose. Praise ye the Desired One Who hath illumined you with the lights of the Sun of utterance. The Trusted One made mention of you, We have mentioned you as a favor from Us, and verily I am the Bountiful, the Generous.

And this is what was revealed for the loved ones in D. and H. He says, exalted be His majesty and His utterance:

He is the Hearing, the All-Seeing […]

O people of God! The Wronged One summons you from the precincts of the prison to that which draws you nearer to God, the Lord of all worlds. The ocean of utterance has surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful has wafted, yet most of the people remain heedless. The river of mercy has flowed among creation, yet most of the people remain deniers. They have turned away from the Supreme Horizon, turning instead to every ignorant remote one. Blessed is he who has shattered the idols of vain desire and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.

We make mention of him who turned to the Supreme Horizon and traversed land and sea until he arrived in a valley wherein was raised the call of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. He presented himself and stood before the Gate, and was blessed to hearken unto the words of his Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. We testify that he attained and gained the presence, and drank the choice wine of his Lord’s bounty, the Compassionate, the Generous.

We make mention of his son who was named Badi’, and We counsel him with that which befitteth man, and I am the Counselor, the All-Knowing. O Badi’! Thy Lord makes mention of thee with that which shall cause thy remembrance to endure throughout the kingdom. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon those who have attained this exalted station.

We make mention of ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar who perceived the fragrance of the Revelation and turned to Him from Whom every doubting ignorant one turned away. We make mention of his brother who was named Musa and give him the glad tidings of My mercy which has preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. We counsel all with that which shall exalt the Cause of God amongst His servants and with that which befitteth this glorious, wondrous Day.

The Trusted One hath mentioned you; We mention you that ye may thank your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O people of Dal and Ha, rejoice in that God hath manifested from among you His Name, Who was imprisoned in His path and bore hardships out of love for His beauty, and spoke His praise when the people were behind a manifest veil. We make mention of My male and female servants there and give them glad tidings of My loving-kindness and bounty, and We counsel them to perform pure deeds and to observe that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. The glory be upon them and upon every steadfast, upright one.

Thus endeth the matter. Praise be to God! Every one who hath turned unto Him hath attained his reward, nay more than that, and every steadfast one is adorned with his recompense. Most of the friends remain secluded in their homes and gatherings while God, exalted be His glory, in prison, despite incoming sorrows and the manifestation of unpleasing matters, is occupied day and night with the mention of His loved ones - a mention that shall never perish nor be altered. In the words of the renowned Shaykh, may God’s mercy and forgiveness be upon him: “From hand and tongue what praise can come that would suffice for His thanksgiving?”

I swear by the Sun of Truth that if all the world were to voice praise and thanksgiving throughout the duration of the kingdom and dominion, they would not be capable of matching a single letter that floweth from the Supreme Pen. Were the station of divine mention to be made manifest, all would speak that which this ephemeral one hath mentioned. The call is raised, but few are the ears. The steed is present, but the field is narrow. The day shall come when the veils shall be rent asunder and the hidden stations shall become manifest and evident.

Regarding what was written about Khan Sarkar Sir, may the glory and loving-kindness of God be upon him, and the mention of what was placed in his saddlebag, these matters were presented before the countenance of the Ancient King. His word, exalted be His glory: In My Name, the Witness, the All-Knowing […]

O Amin! Verily, We have been with him. Thy Lord, in truth, heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hath ever arisen to serve the Cause and hath attained unto a remembrance that shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Today from the murmuring of the Water of Life and the rustling of the Lote-Tree of utterance, this most blessed and exalted Word was heard: “Blessed is he who hath attained, and found, and recognized, and arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds.” Every created thing hath testified to his faithfulness to the Covenant and Testament. This station is most great. We, from this station, glorify him and those who are with him. Shouldst thou meet him, convey to him My remembrance and gladden him with the tidings of My loving-kindness, and that which hath flowed from My Pen, and that which My tongue hath testified to in this exalted station. Glory be upon him and upon every steadfast, firm and upright soul.

In truth, the fragrances of the verses in this station have detached this servant from all mention, thought and imagination, to such extent have the verses of God been revealed and are flowing at this hour that a hundred like this evanescent one could not and would not be equal to describing and recording them. I truthfully declare this and God sufficeth as witness. What joy was attained when it was observed that the glance of loving-kindness was directed towards the Khan, upon him be the glory of God. This servant conveyeth to him greetings, glory and praise, and at all times implore divine confirmation from the True One, exalted be His glory. They are worthy of the love of all. Should God will, that which is ordained for him shall be made manifest. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.

As to what was mentioned regarding his arrival in Sirjan and his meeting with Haji Siyyid H.S., upon him be the glory of God alone - these matters were honored to be heard in the presence of the Lord of Names. His word, exalted be His glory: “Some of the friends should journey through the villages and, with the utmost wisdom, engage in the refinement of heedless souls, that they may not remain deprived in the Days of God. Today the greatest bounty is manifest; it is incumbent upon everyone to occupy themselves with guiding souls. Blessed is the Afnan who was mentioned in My presence and attained unto My meeting when the Light was shining from the horizon of Zawra.” For Haydar-Qabli-’Ali, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, mentioned his propagation of his deputyship, and likewise the visitation of this passage was truly victorious and accepted by God.

The aforementioned Haji hath attained unto the mention of God, exalted be His glory. Convey My glory to him on behalf of this evanescent one. They must strive to spread the Word of God in that land. How many souls who had not heard a single word of outward learning have, through the enkindlement of the fire of love, opened their tongues and been assisted in promoting the Cause and refining souls. Today the Holy Spirit confirmeth. All friends must deal with the entire world in love and friendship. In this way love will be generated and hearts will become receptive - that is the time to impart the Word, but with joy and fragrance. The Cause is in the hand of God, our Lord, the All-Merciful.

Mention was made of the Land of Shin and the friends of God, upon them be the Glory of God. Each has been blessed with divine favors, and especially for Haji Shukru’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and given to the beloved Aqa Mirza Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, to deliver. At this moment the Ancient Tongue speaks these blessed words, exalted be His glory:

“O Abu’l-Hasan! O Trustee! Thou hast made mention of the divine friends. Praise be to God, thou hast been assisted by the grace and favor of God. Time and again thou hast drunk from the ocean of reunion, partaken of the Kawthar of the Merciful’s utterance, beheld the supreme horizon, and been enabled to make gracious mention of God’s chosen ones, His elect and His friends. We beseech God to aid thee forever and to confirm thee in that which will exalt His Cause, exalted be His glory. By the life of God! Should someone sacrifice all the treasures of the world, or offer up all souls, yet diminish an atom’s weight from the glory of God’s Cause, this was not and is not permissible. In all conditions, keep thy gaze fixed upon the exaltation of God’s Cause, the upliftment of God’s Word, and the elevation of His station. This is what We counseled thee before, in Our presence, and on this night wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaims: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all worlds.”

This servant conveys a hundred thousand greetings and glorifications to that beloved one and the friends of God, and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to confirm all in rendering victorious assistance and grant them success. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Glory, praise and honor be upon you, upon those with you, and upon those who hearken to your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Another matter: Repeatedly letters arrived from the spiritual friend Aqa Muhammad ?ahir, upon him be the Glory of God, and some friends, containing that which brought joy to this servant, for they spoke in praise of God, exalted be His glory, and were adorned with acceptance, humility, submissiveness, and arising to serve for the sake of God, our Lord and the Lord of all in the heavens and earth. I convey greetings and praise to all, and it is hoped that, God willing, all shall attain His special favors.

The mother of Aqa Muhammad ?ahir, upon them both be the Glory of God, in these days when the Mansion has become the seat of the Throne, has attained the honor of His presence. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The queens of the world, despite their seeking and waiting, did not attain, while this noble lady has, by the wondrous grace of God, attained that for which most people of the world died in yearning.

Likewise in these days a letter arrived from Haji Aqa Muhammad (’Alaqih), upon him be the Glory of God. It was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted threshold, and they were blessed with mention by God, exalted be His glory. Happy is he! It is hoped that hereafter too there shall be sent that which is as the spirit of inner meanings for the temples of the sincere ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds, and glory be upon those who are nigh and sincere.

The revealed Tablets, as commanded, have been sent separately in this servant’s hand, except for one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet specifically for the physician. If there could be found there someone with fine handwriting to transcribe the sent Tablets, taking utmost care in comparing and checking them, this would be most beloved. Likewise, they should be preserved in a secure place, for divine verses are scattered in various regions. Therefore, in that land and every land, whatever is received therein should be gathered together - this is beloved and acceptable.

The Servant

On the 2nd of Jamadi’ul-Avval [1302]

=== END BH00014 ===

=== START BH00015 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whom the Essence is realized in the Essence, and through Whom the Being of Eternity is adorned with the mantle of Names and Attributes! Through Thy Name, the Manifest, all manifestations have been made manifest from a beginning that hath no beginning, and through Thy Name, the Hidden, all that lay concealed remained hidden in the mystery of mysteries, such that naught hath appeared from pre-eternity, nor will appear unto a end that hath no end. Through the dawning of the Sun of Thy most glorious Beauty, the Luminary of the heights hath risen from the horizon of origination, bearing glad-tidings unto them that dwell in the heaven of the divine cloud, the Concourse of eternity, and the denizens of worlds which no pen can describe nor the minds of the wise comprehend, and then unto them that dwell in this nether realm, that this indeed is the Most Glorious Beauty and the Most Resplendent Countenance, Who hath appeared in a manner sanctified above my mention, my indication, my knowledge, my description, my glorification, my praise, my sanctification, my exaltation, my attestation of His unity, and my recognition of His uniqueness, and above whatsoever lieth in the essence of my essence and the reality of my reality when His remembrance and His glory are concerned.

Therefore, O ye who were created in the Bayan through My verses to know Him, be not veiled from Him for Whom the entire Bayan is but as a ring upon the finger of His Will and a leaf in the paradise of His Cause. Glorified art Thou, O Thou Whom the Most Great Remembrance is powerless to remember, and the Pen of eternity is unable to praise! How then can this evanescent one, who is the most abject of servants before the gate of Thy grace which hath been opened unto all nations, venture to extol Thee save through a drop from the oceans of Thy bounty which surge over all created things, and through an outpouring from the fathomless deep of Thy favors which encompass all who dwell in the kingdoms of the first and the last? Whereupon the tongues of all things have been loosened with the most wondrous praise in glorification of Thy chosen Self, and the call hath been raised from the heart of the solid rock in the depths of the seas and from all the heights, that Thou art God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.

Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee by this bounty which hath encompassed all things, and by this mercy which hath preceded all who dwell in the realm of creation, that Thou wilt send down at this moment upon this evanescent one a breath from the breezes of Thy most bountiful grace and a waft from the fragrances of Thy creativity, whereby decayed bones are quickened and lifeless bodies are raised up - for verily Thou art God, the Ever-Abiding, the Everlasting, the Ancient of Days - that I may arise to praise Thy loved ones and make mention of those whom Thou hast made the lights of guidance amidst Thy creation and the torches of unity among Thy servants and Thy creatures, and that I may speak that which Thou dost confirm and inspire within me, for I know nothing and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Thou knowest, O my God, that my love for them and my remembrance of them are purely for Thy sake and sanctified from beholding aught else but Thee. I desire, O my God, that they may become fully aware of the truth of all matters in Thy days, and recognize that which had been hidden from them with true recognition, that thereby their beings, their realities, their spirits, and their likenesses may endure in every world of Thy worlds, knowing Thy truth, perceiving that which hath appeared from Thee, and understanding what Thou hast desired for them in the pavilion of Thy bounty and grace. For verily, O my God, should they become aware of all things yet remain veiled from even a single thing, they would be veiled to that extent from Thy most great perspective and would not turn to Thee with complete vision. This can only be achieved through sanctification from all that Thou hast created and wilt create, all that Thou hast manifested or wilt manifest, even as Thy true and perspicuous Tongue hath spoken: “Were vision to be as vast as the heavens […]”

Yea, Thy tongue of truth hath spoken thus, and were the eyes, though as vast as the heavens and earth, to turn for less than the twinkling of an eye toward any direction save this, they could not behold this Most Exalted Vision as befitteth its right to be seen. Exalted, exalted is Thy Cause, O my God, and sublime, sublime is Thy Revelation, O my Beloved! Most grievous is it unto this servant, beyond all grief, that anyone should be veiled in such days as these, the like of which the eyes of creation have never witnessed, nor hath any in all existence beheld their parallel - days wherein Thou hast appeared with the pure essence of Thy Beauty, the camphor of Thy Countenance, and the pristine nature of Thy Beloved-ness, and wherein the heavens and earth have been encompassed by the manifestations of Thy grace and the evidences of Thy favors, such that every hidden matter, treasured secret, and guarded mystery hath been revealed, and the Sun of Meanings hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of exposition, manifesting itself through the revelations of Thy most beauteous Names and most exalted Attributes unto all who dwell in the realm of possibility and the kingdoms of creation.

They who desire to enter upon this most mighty and impregnable carpet, this most exalted and lofty station, must needs have their hearts sanctified from the mention of the allusions of the past and the words established by the ignorant ones who have become renowned for learning and excellence. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having assigned unto them that enter upon this most exalted and most sublime carpet a station that cannot be attained by the birds of the hearts of them that dwell in eternity, nor by the realities of any in all creation, even as hath been uttered by the Manifestation of Thy Revelation, the Dayspring of Thy Inspiration, and the Point of Thy Will: “A single drop from the ocean of that Manifestation is mightier than all utterance.” Thus too hath it been revealed in the Qayyumu’l-Asma and other Tablets concerning this most exalted station, in such wise as to stupefy the minds of them that are possessed of understanding.

How sublime then is the loftiness of these beings whom Thou hast created from the essence of Thy Cause and brought into existence from the substance of Thy nature! How then, O my God, can it be befitting that this wondrous creation and this most exalted and sublime handiwork - I am astonished, O my God, at the heaviness of certain ears, the covering of eyes, and the veils over certain hearts, such that by Thy Call the Thrones were shaken, the heavens were cleft asunder, the endless veils were rent, and the mountains of the realities of all contingent things were crushed through but a single gleam from the effulgences of the lights of Thy Countenance. Yet despite all this, some among Thy servants and creatures have not awakened, though Thou callest out at all times with the most exalted call above their heads, and standest before their eyes with all lights. Thou hast brought forth from the sleeve of Will the Hand of Divine Purpose, and sayest with the sovereignty of might and grandeur: “Behold this Hand of My power which I have stretched out over the heaven of My grandeur, the realm of My might, the kingdom of My sovereignty, the domains of My eternity, the regions of My Cause, and I have rolled them all up, and all that I have ordained in them through My all-encompassing knowledge, in My hand - and lo, it is white with the lights of My Countenance, radiant with the splendor of My Beauty, and gleaming with the lights of My brow. Through My grace and bounty have I bestowed it upon whoso entereth My kingdom and My realm of might.” Yet they make mention, amidst the surgings of these oceans of light, of the utterances of them that are steeped in darkness and pride.

O my God! All existence is ashamed of their remembrances, yet they are not ashamed. All contingent things are abashed by their words, yet they feel no shame. Can one who hath been awakened by Thy call, who hath arisen through the spirit of Thy Cause, and been quickened by the breath of Thy mercy […]

Every soul quickened by the breath of Thy mercy and having drunk from the chalice of Thy bounty moveth his tongue to make mention of vain imaginings which were upon the tongues of the heedless among Thy creatures and the ignorant among Thy people. Nay, by Thy Chosen Beauty! Save him for whom Thou hast made hearing a sign of torment from Thee and sight a pit of hell in his face by Thy command. O my God! I have committed transgressions through these mentions before the Sovereign of Thy grandeur, but verily Thou knowest that fire consumeth my very hairs when I hear the words of those who have not discovered the mysteries of Thy Cause and the hidden things within Thy knowledge, and who have forsaken the lofty stations and contented themselves with base ranks as though they had forgotten what was sent down from the heaven of Thy Command. Thou didst say–and Thy word is the truth–“O son of the Supreme Horizon! I have ordained for thee from the Divine Tree the purest fruits. How is it that thou hast turned away from them and art content with that which is inferior? Return unto that which is better for thee in the supreme horizon.” And I see some of them, O my God, who have been veiled by a word from the Book, although it was revealed explicitly, without allusion, that all the Bayan cannot equal one word from Him. All that hath been mentioned of proof and evidence, then of argument and verses and clear tokens and signs, was naught but for this Most Great, Most Great Revelation, wherein no word was mentioned and no thing was found and no letter was uttered except it was a sign of Thy Cause and an evidence of Thy sovereignty, even as the Tongue of Will from Thy presence hath spoken: “All that hath been created and shall be created is a sign unto Him. He created by His word that it might be His proof unto Himself on the Day of His manifestation.” Nay, He hath made, O my God, all the Bayan dependent upon Thy leave and acceptance. Say: His word is the truth. By Thy glory! If Thou shouldst forgive the Bayan and all that is therein, it would not diminish anything from Thy dominion, and if Thou shouldst not accept the Bayan and all that is therein, it would not add anything to Thy dominion. Rather, if Thou acceptest it, those enchanted hearts will enter beneath the shade of the canopy of Thy love, and if Thou rejectest it, it will perish as though it had never been mentioned before. Therefore I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and King of the seen and unseen, to aid all to turn toward the horizon of Thy grace and bounty, sanctified from the allusions of before and after, and to make them know what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book, that they may hold fast unto the essence thereof, for this is Thy purpose in what was truly revealed and Thy beloved in what Thou didst send down in Thy Books and Thy Tablets. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Supreme, the Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O my eternal God! Thou art witness and well aware that this servant hath at all times and under all conditions sought naught but Thy good pleasure, and God willing, through Thy grace will continue thus. At all times the eyes of this servant have been fixed upon the Most Great Horizon and his heart turned to the Source of Thy Cause. Whatsoever he hath seen and become cognizant of, he hath, purely for Thy sake, conveyed to Thy friends in service, that perchance worthy souls might drink from the Living Waters which in these days of manifestation have streamed forth from the Finger of grace and bounty, and might turn toward the Dayspring of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Place of revelation. For some time this servant chose silence over speech, until in these days it was observed that a dark and gloomy dust had arisen from the direction of heedless souls, and there was fear lest it might darken some weak eyes. Therefore did this servant, placing his trust in Thee and detached from all else besides Thee, deem it necessary to lay before Thy loved ones who recline upon the couch of steadfastness and have quaffed the wine of Thy tender mercy, certain matters that have transpired, that perchance they might protect the weak from the darkness of selfish desires and satanic doubts. I swear by Thy greatness, O my Lord, that at this moment all my limbs tremble and my frame doth shake. How can this servant be worthy that his words find acceptance or his utterances be remembered? How can utter nothingness raise the banner of existence, and how can absolute nothingness manifest itself before the revelation of the Ancient of Days? For to present such matters is itself a claim to existence, which is counted among the gravest of sins. Yet since it is offered for the sake of drawing near Thy servants to the shore of nearness and reunion, and for the turning of souls to the Qiblih of all who are in earth and heaven, therefore do I seek forgiveness from the ocean of Thy pardon, even though this servant knoweth with certainty that Thou hast ever been and art sanctified above the mention, recognition and acceptance of men. Their acceptance profiteth Thee not, neither doth their rejection harm Thee. No description can reach Thy most holy court, and no mention can attain the threshold of Thy oneness. Indeed, the very mention of oneness in Thy most holy court is pure sin and sheer heedlessness, for its dignity deriveth from its relation to Thee, not from Thy relation to it. Were Thou to cast them all away, who could prevent Thee in this? And wert Thou to exalt them as Thou hast exalted them, who could object to Thy deed? Thou art the One Who is praised in all that Thou hast willed and willest, in all that Thou hast said and sayest, and in all that Thou hast manifested and manifestest. By Thy might, O my God! I love not to choose for myself save what Thou hast chosen for me, nor do I wish to speak save what Thou hast commanded me. Let the gaze of my very essence be directed to the horizon of Thy commandments and the Dawning-Place of Thy laws. Wert Thou to roll up the carpet of mention that is spread throughout the earth, I would say: Thou art the Ruler in Thy Cause. And wert Thou to command me to that which all in the kingdom would deny, I would say: Thou art the One to be obeyed in Thy judgment. I beseech Thee, O my God, to make me one of those who speak not except by Thy leave, and move not except by Thy will. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

It is submitted that upon the arrival of the Ancient Beauty in the prison of ’Akka, the Cause was under severe restrictions for a time, the details of which were conveyed in those days to some of the friends and need not be repeated. All were in the utmost difficulty and hardship until one day a Tablet was revealed from the Source of the Cause, and this servant was transcribing in His presence when a verse descended from the heaven of divine will, designating this prison as the Most Great Prison. This servant supposed that it was named thus due to these afflictions that had befallen us, until one day verses were revealed with this purport: “Ponder ye why We have named this prison the Most Great Prison.” When this utterance was manifested from the Dayspring of divine revelation, this servant found himself greatly perturbed and unsettled. However, trusting in God, I remained silent and in no way ventured to inquire, until one day mention was made before the Divine Throne of the love and devotion of one of the inhabitants of this city. A Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of divine unity, wherein the events that were to transpire in this land were detailed, and that Tablet exists to this day. After its revelation, this servant understood that the reason this prison was designated “Most Great” was due to the universal tribulations that would befall the Countenance of the Divine Unity, until one day when one of the companions arose in dispute and contention with certain others. Though he himself was the transgressor and wrongdoer, he submitted a petition to the Most Holy Court wherein he proclaimed his own innocence. In response, a Tablet in the Persian tongue was revealed from the divine clouds of sorrow, and this is its content:

He is God!

It beseemeth not a lover to express his existence and self before his Beloved. Should he take but one step beyond this path, he would no longer be counted among the true lovers. Love accepteth not a living soul; The falcon preyeth not on lifeless game.

Yea, certain lovers have recounted their grievous trials in the presence of the Best-Beloved of all possibility, their purpose being communion with the Beloved and attentiveness to the Lord of their adoration, not the mention of self and desire. Now a messenger from the most exalted purposes of glory’s Object hath descended and uttereth certain words - understand ye who speaketh and what He saith. By God! Were ye to know and learn what lieth behind the veil of grandeur of the mysteries of your Lord, the Most Exalted, ye would sacrifice yourselves out of love for God, the Lord of all names. In any case, the aforementioned messenger related a tale that once, when We were at the Mount of Splendor, and the Beloved of all horizons went forth to the mountains, He implored with utmost humility those who claimed to love Him, saying that though this journey and migration might outwardly seem easy and simple, yet inwardly it was severe and a test, and though appearing as sovereignty and power, in reality it concealed countless hardships and distress. “Consider not your own desires and burden not yourselves - let Me migrate alone.” Whatever words of love and kindness He spoke, whether by allusion or clearly stated, proved ineffective. This servant and a group, claiming we desired naught save the good-pleasure of the Friend and had no purpose but the countenance of the Beloved, secluded ourselves in our own imagination, heedless of the counsel and certainty of the Friend, and resolved to journey forth. We became fellow-travelers and companions with the Countenance of the Beloved. After traversing some distance in the wilderness, the fire of love was extinguished and the beauty of longing was veiled, until we passed beyond that place. We began to see good deeds as evil and counted evil deeds as good, until we arrived at the Green Island. There the divine ark settled upon the Judi of the Cause. Thereafter we traveled morning and night upon the steeds of desire through the wilderness of suspicion and fancy - sometimes together, sometimes apart, sometimes in love, sometimes in heedlessness we passed our days and nights. The Salsabil of utterance flowed constantly from the Kawthar of the mouth of the All-Merciful, yet thirst was absent; the lights of His countenance shone from the horizon of glory, yet acceptance was not to be found. Each day we increased in conjecture and imagination while decreasing in attention to the Truth. In such unacceptable conditions and unseemly circumstances, we became so immersed in the depths of heedlessness and desire that we grew unconscious even of our own state. Throughout all conditions we observed the Countenance of the Beloved showing perfect kindness and gentleness. Some of us wondered: if divine all-encompassing knowledge exists, how could we be accepted despite such reprehensible deeds? Finally we considered the Truth heedless and ourselves wise and knowing, unaware that the Most Great Mercy preventeth the rending of veils. If we rendered any service, we followed it with reproach and injury. After that land, He desired to migrate and again forbade all from accompanying Him. We neither perceived nor awakened to what was the cause of this prohibition and what was its reason. Once again we migrated and traversed wildernesses with the Lord of our adoration until we arrived at another land and settled with the Friend in one place, secretly occupying ourselves with the desires of self until the fire of passion prevailed […]

And secretly we became occupied with the desires of self until the fire of passion prevailed and we were debarred from the Most Glorious Horizon. Through the frequency of attainment, we lost sight of the value of union, and the veil of shame was rent asunder. And now we have imprisoned the Beloved in a place and at all times, to the extent of our ability and power, we spare no effort in hurling at Him the arrows of conjecture and the spears of fancy, for we have found Him imprisoned, incarcerated and alone. Heedlessness has reached such a point that in that blessed place, to which all the denizens of the Supreme Concourse turn their gaze and from which they seek assistance, we openly utter the most abominable words and commit the most erring and base of deeds. Woe unto us! The words of God have not affected us, and yet we have not awakened. If we could not be faithful, at least let us not be treacherous. Not a night do we engage in remembrance, nor occupy ourselves with turning to Him.

It is related that Fu?ayl of Khurasan was among the most wicked of men and would waylay travelers. He fell in love with a maiden and one night went to her. As he climbed the wall, he heard someone reciting this verse: “Has not the time come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble at the remembrance of God?” This affected his heart and he said: “Yes, O my Lord, the time has indeed come!” He turned back, repented, and set out for the Sacred House of God where he remained for thirty years until his spirit ascended to the highest horizon.

Strange it is that he heard the Word of God from the tongue of one of His servants and it so affected him that in an instant he returned from the lowest depths of existence to the horizon of the All-Merciful, while we, night after night and day after day, continuously and successively hear the melodies of the Spirit from the tongue of power and majesty, yet they have not affected us enough that we might at least become aware of the repugnance of our deeds, actions, conjectures and fancies.

When the narrative reached this point, the heavens of utterance were struck unconscious and bewildered upon the Mount of the Tongue, and the pen fell senseless from the fingers. “Naught shall befall us save what God hath prescribed for us.” We beseech God to open our eyes and make us aware of ourselves and our deeds. If we are not enabled to know His exalted Self, may we at least be enabled to know our heedless selves, and may He remove from our faces the veils that prevent us from beholding Him rising from the horizon of grace and bounty, that we may detach ourselves from all who are in the realms of creation and turn wholly unto Him, for He is our All-Merciful Lord. And we implore Him to enable us to repent and turn unto Him every morn and eve, and to protect the Dawning-Place of the lights of His countenance from the spears of His loved ones, for He desireth no helper other than Himself, and He is their Source and their Ultimate End, and He declareth: “There is no God but God.” The End.

Though revealed for all, He stated it was specifically for those contrary souls who outwardly profess love at present, but what lies in their hearts shall later be revealed. It was read to several of the friends while being concealed from him. All people knew and know that certain claimants to divine love in Iraq and other cities were engaged in unseemly acts, but the divine mercy prevented the veil from being rent and their deeds exposed. Thus that oppressive soul, during his stay in Iraq, secretly engaged in drinking wine and certain other acts, and toward the end of the Iraq period would occasionally transgress from secrecy to openness. Nevertheless, those circling round would conceal it, even though counseling words continuously descended from the Dawning-Place of divine verses, as is recorded in most of the revealed Tablets. The acts and deeds of certain people of the Bayan in the early days of the Cause were not and are not hidden from anyone, yet they considered such matters acceptable and believed themselves authorized by God, exalted be His station, although the foundation of God’s commands has been sanctified from evil, unacceptable deeds and His most holy court purified from repugnant, unseemly conditions. By His very truth, during the years in Iraq and the days of exile, night and day clear and explicit verses descended from the heaven of will, forbidding the servants from all that God had not ordained, and these were dispatched to all regions, until, praise be to God, some of the servants came to know and act upon what God desired, and the fragrance of the divine sanctification and purification wafted among creation. In view of people’s lack of awareness of the divine commands, this word was heard from the tongue of oneness as a favor to them: “God forgives what is past.” We beseech God to assist them to achieve sanctification and purification and to act in accordance with what they have been commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

In truth, that oppressive soul and Rida-Quli were ever secretly engaged in reprehensible deeds, and this servant repeatedly counseled them both - whether in Iraq, in the Land of Mystery, or in the Most Great Prison - that perchance they might take heed and awaken from their slumber of heedlessness. But it had no effect whatsoever. Neither words of counsel nor manifest healing utterances influenced them, until Rida-Quli openly engaged in drinking and shameful acts with certain Christians. Thus did God banish him by His authority, whereupon he allied himself with the evil ones - namely Siyyid Muhammad and Aqa Jan. Some time passed, and one day he sent a petition to the Most Holy Court expressing repentance for his past transgressions, followed by another petition some days later. However, since he had repeatedly repented yet violated God’s Covenant and Testament, his petitions were not accepted. Moreover, certain deeds emerged from him that were without precedent or parallel, causing the Cause of God to be compromised among the servants. This evanescent servant does not wish to mention them, though perhaps the angels who spread tidings will broadcast throughout the earth the deeds of that rejected evil one. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! Through the association of that evil one with other evil ones, the fire of sedition and hatred was kindled to such an extent that neither pen nor utterance can reckon it. However, the All-Merciful extinguished and quenched it. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Every person of insight perceives from the Ancient Beauty’s rejection of these souls the fragrance of sanctification and detachment, for the deeds of Rida-Quli and the evil Aqa Jan and his transgression are evident and manifest to all. We beseech God to open people’s eyes and make known to them, through His deeds and judgments - exalted and glorified be He - that which demonstrates the sanctity of His Essence, the detachment of His Being, and the purity of His Cause. Though most people are asleep, there exist, through divine grace, certain pure souls and penetrating eyes who distinguish truth from falsehood and recognize from the fragrance of every matter that which brings tranquility to their hearts and souls. Verily, they are honored servants.

The matter reached such a state that the Ancient Beauty secluded Himself in the house and commanded that the door be closed to all. No one could attain His presence by any means, and outwardly, no directive emerged from the Dayspring of divine commands in response to all that was heard of the calumnies of the polytheists and the schemes of the malicious ones. Then one day in the month of Rajab or Sha’ban, a letter arrived from Aqa Siyyid ’Ali, titled “The Most Great,” son of the brother of Aqa’i Ism’ullah - upon him be all the most glorious Glory. After its contents were presented before His countenance, there was revealed from the Dawning-Place of the All-Merciful’s utterance an answer in the form of a most mighty, most holy Tablet which God made a mercy unto the sincere ones and a punishment unto the polytheists. After the revelation of that blessed Tablet, the horizon of this land changed and appeared crimson red, increasing each day, until one day verses of grace were revealed from the Dawning-Place of mercy. Upon hearing them, this servant was assured, praise be to God, that divine wrath had been specifically directed toward those evil souls. Some verses of that blessed Tablet concerned the longing and yearning of the lovers, while others dealt with the wrath and overwhelming power against the people of hypocrisy. And here is that blessed Tablet, these are His words, exalted be His grandeur: […]

O My Name Mahdi! There hath appeared before Our face that which thy nephew hath composed in praise of his Lord. We have perceived therefrom his longing and yearning, and have revealed for him that which shall kindle ardor and burning in the love of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Blessed is he who readeth and pondereth that which hath been sent down from God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great!

The sincere ones are consumed by the fire of separation - where is the radiance of Thy meeting, O Beloved of the worlds? The near ones are left in the darkness of remoteness - where is the dawning of the morn of Thy reunion, O Desire of the worlds? The bodies of the chosen ones tremble in the land of exile - where is the ocean of Thy nearness, O Thou Who drawest the worlds? The hands of hope are raised to the heaven of grace and bounty - where are the rains of Thy generosity, O Thou Who answereth the worlds? The idolaters have risen in oppression on every side - where is the conquering power of Thy destiny’s pen, O Subduer of the worlds? The barking of dogs is raised from every quarter - where is the lion of the forest of Thy might, O Vanquisher of the worlds? A chill hath gripped all creation - where is the warmth of Thy love, O Fire of the worlds? Tribulation hath reached its utmost bound - where are the signs of Thy relief, O Relief of the worlds? Darkness hath enveloped most of creation - where are the lights of Thy radiance, O Radiance of the worlds? Necks are stretched forth in hypocrisy - where are the swords of Thy vengeance, O Destroyer of the worlds? Abasement hath reached its lowest depth - where are the emblems of Thy glory, O Glory of the worlds? Grief hath afflicted the Dawning-Place of Thy Name, the All-Merciful - where is the joy of the manifestation of Thy Revelation, O Bliss of the worlds? Sorrow hath seized all peoples - where are the banners of Thy gladness, O Gladness of the worlds? Thou seest the Dayspring of Thy signs within the veils of allusions - where is the finger of Thy power, O Power of the worlds? The trembling of thirst hath seized all beings - where is the river of Thy bounty, O Mercy of the worlds? Greed hath gripped all creation - where are the dawning-places of detachment, O Lord of the worlds? Thou seest the Wronged One lonely in exile - where are the hosts of the heaven of Thy Cause, O Sovereign of the worlds? He is left alone in the land of exile - where are the daysprings of Thy faithfulness, O Faithfulness of the worlds? The pangs of death have laid hold on all regions - where are the waves of the ocean of […]

And where are the signs of Thy zeal, O Thou Who stirrest the worlds? Dost Thou see any who would help Thy Cause, or who would ponder what hath befallen it in Thy love? The Pen hath paused, O Beloved of the worlds! The branches of the Lote-Tree have been shattered by the blasts of destiny - where are the banners of Thy triumph, O Thou Who aideth the worlds? The Face remaineth covered in the dust of calumny - where are the breezes of Thy mercy, O Thou Most Merciful of the worlds? The hem of holiness hath been sullied by the deceivers - where is the adorning of Thy sanctity, O Thou Who adornest the worlds? The ocean of bounty is stilled by what the hands of men have wrought - where are the waves of Thy grace, O Desire of the worlds? The door of meeting is barred through the tyranny of Thy foes - where is the key of Thy generosity, O Opener of the worlds? The leaves are yellowed by the poisonous winds of deceit - where is the outpouring of the clouds of Thy bounty, O Thou Most Bountiful of the worlds? The universe is altered by the dust of disobedience - where are the breezes of Thy forgiveness, O Forgiver of the worlds? The Youth remaineth in a barren land - where is the rain from the heaven of Thy grace, O Succorer of the worlds?

O Most Exalted Pen! We have heard thy most sweet call from the immortal realm. Hearken unto what the Tongue of Grandeur doth speak: O Thou Who art wronged by the peoples of the world! Were it not for the cold, how would the heat of Thy utterance be made manifest, O Thou Expounder of the worlds! And were it not for tribulation, how would the sun of Thy patience shine forth, O Thou Radiance of the worlds! Be not dismayed by the wicked. Thou wert created for patience, O Thou Patience of the worlds! How sweet is Thy dawning from the horizon of the Covenant amidst the people of hypocrisy, and Thy yearning for God, O Thou Love of the worlds! Through Thee was raised the standard of independence upon the highest peaks and the ocean of bounty was made to surge, O Thou Rapture of the worlds! Through Thy oneness the sun of unity shone forth, and through Thy banishment the land of detachment was adorned. Be patient, O Thou Stranger of the worlds! We have made abasement the garment of glory, and affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Thou Pride of the worlds! Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate, yet Thou showest forbearance, O Thou Concealer of the worlds! When Thou seest a sword, advance! When an arrow flieth, move forward! O Thou Sacrifice of the worlds! Shouldst Thou lament, or should I lament? Nay, I shall cry out because of the paucity of Thy helpers, O Thou through Whom the lamentation of the worlds is raised! I have heard Thy call, O Best-Beloved of the Most Glorious! Thereupon the face of Baha was illumined by the fire of tribulation and the light of Thy luminous word, and He arose with faithfulness at the place of sacrifice, gazing toward Thy good-pleasure, O Thou Ordainer of the worlds! O ’Ali-Akbar! Give thanks unto God for this Tablet through which thou canst inhale the fragrance of My oppression and that which hath befallen Me in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. Were all the servants to read it and ponder its contents, such a fire would be kindled in their very veins as would set ablaze the worlds.

In those days, this servant had never heard verses of divine wrath expressed with such majesty, and thus was deeply contemplative about what would transpire and what matter would emerge from the dawning-place of the unseen. In any case, each day the corruption and opposition of the wicked increased, until Rida-Quli took a large collection of writings in his possession, mixed certain passages with blasphemous statements, and distributed them to many of the townspeople, claiming: “I was one of their followers but have now repented and become Muslim.” He, Aqa Jan and Siyyid Muhammad, all three declared their remorse before the people, claiming to be followers of Islam. The town became so agitated that most people openly engaged in cursing and hatred. When the wicked Siyyid Muhammad observed that the Ancient Beauty was confined to His house, the door apparently closed, and the Most Great Branch separated from the companions, he seized the opportunity to establish friendship and association with some of the companions. These servants remained quiet and patient, with no word issuing from the Source of Command regarding these matters, relying upon God and waiting to see what would appear and what would emerge from the pavilion of the unseen into the realm of manifestation. Then on Monday the twelfth of Dhi’l-Qa’dah, at eleven o’clock, an uproar arose. It was observed that the Pasha of the town with all his soldiers, bearing drawn swords, had surrounded the house. They likewise arrested all the companions. This servant was occupied with writing the revealed verses. Such commotion and disturbance was witnessed in the city that nothing could exceed it. Suddenly all the townspeople along with soldiers and officers were stirred up, raising such shouts and clamor that the pen is powerless to describe it. At that moment, being in His presence, He said: “Pay no attention to their clamor.” Then the blessed tongue spoke verses while this servant was occupied with recording them. The Most Great Branch came before Him and reported that they had summoned Him to the government house. The Ancient Beauty went with the Most Great Branch. The Most Great Branch and Aqayi Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Quli and this servant wished to accompany them but were forbidden. After an hour they returned and took the Greater Branch and this servant also. Upon arrival at the government house, the officials stated that seven Persians had gone and killed Aqa Jan, Siyyid Muhammad and Rida-Quli. How excellent are these words about the youths of the hosts of divine wrath:

Their assaults left no sound or fame for thunder

A people who, when encountered, were angels in beauty

But when fought against became as demons

And all the people were observed to be agitated and fearful, and the signs of wrath so encompassed them that most of the townspeople and government officials were deprived of food and sleep that night. Strange it is that although the Ancient Beauty had, for several months, along with the Two Most Great Branches, closed His door and had no association whatsoever with anyone from within or without - and Siyyid Muhammad himself had written to various places that all the companions had turned away - yet after this vile and false incident occurred, upon which be the curse of God and His loved ones, he went to the government council and claimed that the Ancient Beauty had ordered these people to be killed. Yet, by God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, no such command was ever outwardly issued from the Seat of Authority, and He had always forbidden all from committing such acts, saying: “The dog barks and the wolf howls; leave them be and do not confront them. Be ye of the patient ones.”

In any case, one of the divine loved ones inquired of this servant from a distant land about the details of the government council meeting. This servant submitted what was remembered to him, and now it is recorded again in this paper so that all creatures may benefit from the divine utterances of that night. It was the first night, at the time of the evening prayer, when He went to the Pasha’s council. A large gathering was assembled there, all in utmost terror and agitation. The Ancient Beauty was seated reclined at the head of the council and uttered not a word, as the council members were occupied in consultation and discussion among themselves. None accompanied Him to that council except the Most Great Branch. Then the Pasha rose and submitted that He should proceed to another location, as they now wished to interrogate those who had been arrested. Thus He went to another place known as the police detention center, and in that prison we were present before His face: the Two Most Great Branches, Aqay-i-Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Quli, Aqa Muhammad-’Ali Isfahani, Aqa Muhammad-Javad, and Aqa Muhammad-Husayn ibn Haji ’Ali-’Askar, along with some officials and others from the government. Until the seventh hour He remained in that place, continuously uttering verses of grandeur. Among other things, He said to this servant: “Do you remember the verses that were revealed the night before?” Then in the most exalted voice He recited these verses: “In the Name of the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Mighty, the Great…”

The ocean of tribulation hath surged, and its waves have encompassed the Ark of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Fear not, O Mariner, the tempestuous winds, for He Who causeth the dawn to break is with thee in this darkness that hath enveloped the worlds. Put thy trust in God under all conditions, and fear not the violent gusts of the winds of hatred. Take refuge in God, thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing. He, verily, protecteth whomsoever He willeth through His sovereign might. He is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In the midst of darkness, the Face was radiant with a light that encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. In that state We summoned all created things unto God, and We were not daunted by the gathering of those who disbelieved in God when He came with a wondrous Cause.

The thief hath stolen that which was revealed from the Throne and presented it before those who rule over the servants. Thus did that distant idolater. Say: Die in thy wrath, O thou ignorant one! Dost thou imagine that thou canst outstrip Us? Nay, by My Name, through which the fragrances of the Spirit have wafted over all things small and great! We delivered Our Cause through Our messengers, for verily We were powerful. Then We spread it through the hands of those who turned away. The schemes of the schemers can never harm it.

The sneaking whisperer came before the people with My Book, thinking thereby to assault the Dayspring of the Cause and to demean God’s station in all else. Thus did his soul entice him, and the word of chastisement was realized from the presence of the Almighty, the All-Encompassing. Say: Thereby is His Cause exalted, His verses spread abroad, and this Remembrance elevated, whereby every wise matter hath been ordained.

Would that the servants would gather against Us and shed Our blood in this straight Path! We have sacrificed what We possess in the path of God. This is attested by the tribulations We endure, and beyond them the Pen whereby God’s Cause, the Mighty, the Wise, hath been established. Say: I await the day wherein I shall behold Myself among the parties of the oppressors’ hosts. By God! Then shall they hear what they have never heard before, and shall see what no eyes of those who preceded them have ever seen. He, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth, and He is the Strong, the Powerful.

Say: O thou fly! Canst thou soar with the Dove in this atmosphere wherein no birds of the worlds have ever soared? All that befalleth Us is a mercy unto Us - to this every discerning believer beareth witness. The atoms lament Our affliction, while We are in manifest joy. We have manifested gladness from the horizon of sorrows. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.

In those moments, He paid no attention to the officials. The Blessed Countenance was turned toward the Most Great Branch and the Greater Branch (may my spirit be sacrificed for them both) and some of the loved ones who were present in service. Then the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance surged forth, and among other things He said:

“God, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed to one of His Prophets in His revelation: ‘By My glory and majesty! I shall surely cut off the hope of every hopeful one who hopes in other than Me, and I shall clothe him in the garment of humiliation before all people, and I shall keep him distant from My grace and My relief. Does My servant hope in other than Me in times of hardship while the key is in My hand? Why do I see My servant turning away from Me when I have given him what he has not asked of Me? Shall I be asked and not be generous? Never! Does not generosity and bounty belong to Me? Are not this world and the next in My hands? If everyone in the heavens and earth were to ask of Me the equivalent of the heavens and earth, and I were to give it to them, it would not diminish My dominion by so much as the wing of a gnat.’”

And similar utterances which most are not recalled continually flowed from the divine lips. The cups of utterance were filled with the wine of thy Lord’s remembrance, the All-Merciful. What this servant remembers has been presented. How can I describe how the signs of power, grandeur and sovereignty flowed, streamed and descended on that blessed night! It was as if the Salsabil of utterance was bestowed upon all creation, and the sea of generosity sprinkled upon the nations, and the mystery enveloped in mystery was manifested to all in the unseen and visible realms. Many utterances are not remembered at all.

Then at the seventh hour one of the officers came […]

Thou knowest what the Sun in its mansion declareth unto the flowers and the palm trees, and Thou knowest what pure water sayeth unto the flowers and saplings.

Verily, this servant hath been and shall ever be powerless to mention the divine utterances and heavenly expressions. Later the Pasha sent word requesting a return to the house and apologized for what had transpired. They said returning to the original prison was preferable since many were imprisoned there. Some who were in His presence submitted that since the people of the city were in commotion, the prisoners could not be brought out, and it would be better to wait some days. Then they returned to the house, and this was at eleven o’clock on Thursday. In brief, from the time of the Blessed Beauty’s departure from the sanctuary until His return, sixty-nine and a half hours had elapsed: five and a half hours’ stay in the palace the first night, eighteen and a half hours in prison near the barracks, thirty-eight and a half hours confined above the barracks, and seven hours in the palace the second time. Thus was the matter ordained by God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise.

Furthermore, there is one among the people of dissension, upon whom be God’s curse - when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when trusted he betrays. These are the attributes of the hypocrites, and a hundred thousand times worse are found in that vile one. Before these mentioned events occurred, he arrived in this land and dwelled among the polytheists, associating with evil souls for some time. Then he returned spreading false and erroneous accounts. Wherever he went, he spread fabrications. He and Aqa Jan, upon them both be God’s wrath, became narrators of fabricated falsehoods from the realm of lies. After the upheavals in the great city and the dismissal of the counselor and death of the Grand Vizier, they attributed these events to persecution against us, claiming the chief of the polytheists had foretold this - all of this is pure falsehood. Any fair-minded person who has attained even a trace of justice would testify to their lies, for all souls from Arab, Persian and Turk were pursuing the Ancient Beauty with complete enmity, not considering others worthy of notice, and whatever befell others was merely incidental. In any case, the seizure of the oppressors and what befell them and what will befall them have all been clearly revealed in the Tablet of Ra’is and other Tablets. Now this servant shall mention some of these so all may know those souls were and are liars, and that the Dawning Place of divine verses and Source of merciful bounties had foretold what would transpire. Among these is the Tablet to Ibn-i-Nabil, upon him be the Glory of God, which was revealed upon first arrival at the Most Great Prison. The original tablet is with the aforementioned person and copies are with Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Glory of God, and the friends. Let them investigate and verify so they may know with certainty that the reins of knowledge have been and shall ever be in the hands of the Mighty, the All-Knowing. None knoweth the unseen except Him. He revealeth to whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and concealeth from whomsoever He desireth whatsoever He desireth. He is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Some of the verses revealed in the Tablet of Ibn-i-Nabil are these:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious […]

When We called unto thee from beyond the Sea of Grandeur on the crimson earth from the horizon of tribulation: ‘Verily there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. Stand firm in My Cause, and be not of those who, when given what they desired, denied God, the Lord of Lords. God shall soon seize them with His might, for He is the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling.’ Know thou that God hath already seized with power and dominion the greatest of those who pronounced judgment against Us. And after several verses were revealed, it reaches His word, exalted be His grandeur: ‘Soon shall We depose one like unto him and seize their prince who ruleth the land, for I am the Mighty, the Compelling.’ Not long passed before the one who was the direct cause of the exile of the Truth and the Family of God was himself exiled from the great city, and their leader from whom all decrees issued forth perished. Now observe that despite these verses which were revealed aforetime in God’s Book and spread throughout the lands, the Zanjani spoke after the fact, claiming the Chief of the Misguided had foretold it. Nay! The curse of God be upon the liars! Likewise consider the Suriy-i-Ra’is which was revealed after the exile to the Land of Mystery and arrival at the seashore, and also the verses of the Temple specifically revealed for the King of Paris and the people of that land, foretelling what would later befall him. His word, exalted be His grandeur: “O King! Hearken to the call from this Fire kindled within the verdant Tree upon this elevated Mount on the white holy spot behind the Sea of Eternity: ‘Verily there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful’” until His words, exalted be His grandeur: “O King! We heard from thee a word thou spokest when the Russian monarch asked thee concerning the war decree. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thou didst say: ‘I was asleep upon my couch when the cry of the oppressed subjects awakened me, until they were drowned in the Black Sea.’ Thus did We hear, and thy Lord beareth witness to what I say. We testify that it was not their cry that awakened thee, but rather thy passions, for We tested thee and found thee heedless. Know thou the meaning of words and be among the discerning. We desire not to address thee with harsh words, out of respect for the station We have given thee in this outward life. We have chosen courtesy and made it the attribute of them that are nigh unto God. It is a garment that befitteth all, both great and small. Well is it with him who adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy word, thou wouldst not have cast the Book of God behind thy back when it was sent unto thee from the presence of Him Who is the Mighty, the Wise. We have tested thee thereby and found thee other than what thou didst claim. Arise and make amends for what hath escaped thee. Soon will the world and all that thou possessest perish, and the kingdom will remain with God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. It behooveth thee not to conduct affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear thou the sighs of this Wronged One and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly. For what thou hast done, affairs shall be altered in thy kingdom, and the empire shall depart from thy hands, as a punishment for thy action. Then wilt thou find thyself in manifest loss, and commotion shall seize all the people there, unless thou arisest to help this Cause and followest Him Who is the Spirit in this straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast to this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, while thou art of the heedless.”

Be informed, O friends of God, that during Our sojourn in the land of mystery, exalted Tablets were revealed and sent to certain monarchs to complete God’s testimony. Among these was a Tablet to the King of Paris who was, in those days, preeminent among kings. The reason for this was that one day, while in the presence of the Divine Throne, it was mentioned how after the Russian-Ottoman dispute, the King of Paris had risen to aid the Ottomans. After conflict, strife, bloodshed and plunder, several monarchs intervened and a peace treaty was established. Subsequently, the Russian King inquired of the King of Paris: “We both belonged to the same nation - what caused you to dishonor those of your own faith and assist those of another?” He replied in writing that there was no reason save that when Russian forces had suddenly attacked and drowned Ottoman subjects in the Black Sea, the cry of those oppressed ones had awakened him from slumber, and he had risen to assist them.

After relating this incident, it was declared: “Now We shall send him a Tablet and test him. If he rises to assist the oppressed people of Bayan, We shall confirm the truth of what he claimed. Otherwise, his falsehood in what he asserted and declared will become evident.” Thus a Tablet was revealed and sent to him, but no response ever came, despite the fact that one of his ministers, who secretly professed love for the Cause, had reported to the Most Holy Court that he had personally delivered the Tablet to the king and had verbally conveyed all details. Nevertheless, no answer was received.

It was then that, following the absence of any reply to that Tablet, this second Tablet was revealed and sent, written in French. Now observe what was revealed explicitly, without any ambiguity, in that Tablet concerning what would later befall him. Blessed are they who read! Blessed are they who ponder! Blessed are they who are fair-minded!

Likewise, reflect upon the new creation and its dispatch with power and majesty. Observe how after the completion of proof and the demonstration of power, calamities of famine, scarcity, and fear encompassed Persia. News of these matters was revealed in numerous Tablets. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Were souls to reflect upon the new creation, its dispatch, its Tablet, and what subsequently transpired, it would suffice them all, and God’s proof, more manifest than the sun, would become evident and clear to all. Yet artificial beings remain occupied with their own world, deriving no share from the divine breaths and the fragrance of the verses of the All-Merciful, nor will they ever do so, save whom God wills.

As is observed, despite this most great proclamation, this supreme manifestation, and these evident signs, some servants have chosen to follow those souls who have always been and will remain behind a veil, and from whom no matter has ever become manifest. What benefit is there, as this servant has no time; otherwise, he would have presented all that has appeared and continues to appear from God’s verses which have been revealed explicitly without interpretation. We beseech God to aid the servants to be fair-minded.

We ask God to assist all people to be fair and to dispel whatever vain imaginings they possess and whatever was mentioned by those of old. How strange are those who followed falsehood after the fragrance of the Beloved had been diffused throughout the worlds - like those who remain veiled from the Most Holy, Most Exalted Truth by following Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani and his utterances, though he was never aware of the root of the Cause and was perpetually engaged in corruption. Although it is a common saying, it befits this station: “Behold a blind man leading another blind man!” By God! By God! Any person of insight and discernment who saw him but once perceived the signs of hellfire in his countenance and detected from his breath the stench of the people of hell. Each day he was occupied with some deception. When We arrived at the Most Great Prison, he named himself Quddus Effendi, supposing that a meaningless name would exalt its bearer. Woe unto him and those who followed him! Similarly, he called Aqa Jan “Chief of the Polytheists” and “Sword of Truth” and promised him Iraq, as evidenced by Aqa Jan’s own extant letter written to the “Chief of the Polytheists” pleading, “When will that promise you made be fulfilled?” In short, in this land he told everyone, “I am the Sword of Truth and I shall soon conquer most lands.” Behold! The curse of God be upon the liars! At this point, verses were revealed from the heaven of divine will. His glory be exalted! He says:

The Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious

Verily in the tribulations of the Lord of all possibility in every time there are signs for all who dwell in the realms of being. He has accepted hardship for the ease of all creatures, and difficulty for the comfort of all who dwell in the realm of possibility. My self be a sacrifice for His favor, my being be a sacrifice for His mercy, and my spirit be a sacrifice for His grace that has encompassed all horizons. No morning dawned except that He was surrounded by the darkness of allusions from those who denied God, the Revealer of verses. Yet nothing can prevent Him from what He desires in God’s Cause, the King of the Day of Mutual Calling. At times He calls out with His clear tongue, and at others He beckons with the finger of certitude, summoning all to God, the Lord of all men. Were We to recount what has befallen Us, the heavens would be cleft asunder and the mountains would crumble. Those who denied took pride in their titles. The mute one named himself Quddus and claimed what the slinking whisperer claimed, while the other named himself the Sword of Truth and said “I am the conqueror of lands.” God has sent one who struck his mouth, that all might be convinced that he is the tail of Satan, cut off by the sword of the All-Merciful. He continued to await the days of his glory and manifestation as promised by him who denied God, the Cleaver of daybreak. Thus does God seize those who turn away from Him and arise to waste His Cause among the servants. When they perished, the spring breezes blew and the gates of heaven were opened and the clouds rained. Blessed is he who has attained the knowledge of God in His days and has completely detached himself from all directions. Say: Does not the Lord of the heavens and earth suffice you? He has indeed come with the truth in His Name, the One Who oversees creation. Illumine your heart with the Most Great Lamp which the Lord of Eternity has lit, then stand firm in the Cause through the sovereignty of your Lord, the Powerful, the Chosen One.

Any person who appeared in this city was among the divines of the great city, and Aqa Jan frequented him and related to him in detail: “I am the Sword of Truth, and soon most lands will be conquered by my hand.” That ignorant divine, though far from the path of truth, uttered a fitting word, as if the Holy Spirit spoke through his tongue. Thus, after the slaying of the idolaters, he immediately appeared with the Pasha of the land before Aqa Jan’s corpse and declared: “This accursed one claimed ‘I am the Sword of Truth,’ but now it is evident that the Sword of Truth was that which struck his waist and consigned him to the lowest depths of hell.”

Praise be to God, after this incident and the return of the idolaters to the lowest depths of hell, the rains of mercy poured forth day and night, after having been withheld for several years during which people suffered from drought and famine.

When We were in Adrianople, that vile one had written a letter to someone. Among its contents, We observed that he had plagiarized a passage from a Tablet revealed in Iraq and attributed it to himself. That passage reads: “We are as the rising sun and as the manifest moon.” That filthy ignorant one failed to realize that the realm of the Phoenix has never been, nor will ever be, the playground of flies, and darkness has no right to claim the station of the sun. By God! Seeing some people as weak and foolish, he arose with his personal fabrications, such that some have taken his forged writings and read them. The writer and reader have both lost, and through various whispers and intrigues, he prevented people from the Lord of mankind and led some astray through past delusions.

Thus did someone meet this servant in the marketplace and said he wished to meet privately, though this servant had never seen him before. I said “Very well,” and a time was set. When he came, various matters were discussed, and it became clear that he had association with that one who associated partners with God. He mentioned, “I have been told you are among the Shi’ites.” At this point, such laughter overcame this servant that all restraint was lost. The man was puzzled and asked the reason for the laughter. I said: “O poor, destitute one! The Shi’ites who are scattered throughout Iran like pebbles - what station have they achieved, or what standing do they have with God, that you now wish to follow in the footsteps of those rejected deluded ones? Have you not seen that they were all false and in pure misguidance, such that they martyred the exalted Truth with their own hands? Behold, the curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people!”

After these words were spoken, he became very thoughtful. Then, for the sake of God, I conveyed to him some of the exalted words I had heard from the Source of the Cause. It was observed that he was not devoid of capacity. Among other things, I said to him: “Consider - of all that the Shi’ites possessed and counted as fundamental to their religion and community, which of it was true, that you now wish to follow those vain imaginings […]”

Which of these claims that they considered as the truths of their Faith were genuine, that you now wish to enter the ocean of divine truth and wisdom based on such vain imaginings and false utterances? Did these Shi’ihs of whom you speak truly comprehend the meaning of the Resurrection? “No,” he replied. I asked: Did they recognize the Balance? “No,” he replied. Did they understand the gathering and raising of the dead? “No,” he replied. Was that which they understood concerning the Mention of the Qa’im, as they comprehended it, the truth? “No,” he replied. Then I stated: You yourself bear witness that all was false. Now this matter which they have told you - how do you know it to be true? Then I sat upright facing him and spoke what I had memorized of the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, and I conveyed to him that which I was commanded by God, the Mighty, the Beloved. I said: O servant! Have you not heard what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken when He was established upon His throne, supreme over all who witness and are witnessed? His word is truth: “Abandon what you possess of vain imaginings, then hearken unto that which your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, doth speak. How long will ye follow your desires? The Sun of Guidance hath dawned. Turn ye towards it, sanctified from that which was mentioned aforetime by your divines. By God! This is the Manifestation of God and the sign of His hiddenness from all else. It cannot be compared with what was mentioned in the remotest past, nor can it be known through the words of the contentious. Draw nigh unto Him with illumined eyes and radiant faces. Thus have ye been commanded in the Tablets from God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” And His word, exalted be His grandeur, addressing someone: “We behold thee immersed in the pool of the veiled ones and the waters of the heedless ones’ imaginings. Come forth therefrom through My name and My sovereignty, then plunge into this Most Great Ocean, whereof every drop proclaimeth ‘There is none other God but Me, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Generous.’”

I said: “O man, for the sake of God I speak, and purely for God I make mention. Cast away these vain imaginings and ascend from these base, limited, and fanciful stations, that you may soar on wings of divine mercy to the heavens of the Lord’s command and attain success. Today is the day of ‘Say: Allah!’ then leave them to amuse themselves in their vain discourse.’ This blessed verse was revealed aforetime specifically for this Day, for in this Revelation it has become clear and evident that the Truth alone is sovereign over all and has not taken, nor will ever take, any partner or likeness. Though the followers of religions previously acknowledged this statement, most were false in their claim, for each day they would set up a partner for God. Then, at this point, this servant submitted what was befitting and mentioned what is required today. I said to act upon this same verse which I have cited - leave these vain souls and their utterances and enter into the sweet and wondrous expanse, that you may drink of the everlasting wine from the verse of divine mercy which states: ‘Through My manifestation is established the decree of innovation, and this is truly the innovation of the heavens and the earth.’ Pass beyond before and after, and with the eye of manifestation behold the Manifestation itself, for all are commanded thus in this Most Great Revelation, and this is specific to this Revelation. Then I mentioned that certain weak souls were prevented by that evil being from the Chosen One through such utterances, just as Yahya writes to some ‘You are of my followers’ - and the intent of this statement is clear. Every lying scribe has gone astray. Now observe where stands the station of that evil being’s utterances and where stands the station that the Lord of Lords has desired for His servants. O brother, cast away all the limited, unworthy phrases of the past and soar with new wings in the sweet and wondrous expanse, that through divine grace you may drink of the new wine and fathom the mystery of this wondrous Cause. Furthermore, some servants have complained about certain actions of weak souls who circle round, attributing these to God, exalted be His glory. Thus has one person mentioned how it can be that while this Cause proclaims its truth and its exaltation has encompassed the world, certain souls who claim connection with the Truth occupy themselves with unseemly deeds. In any case, this matter stems from that heedless one’s negligence. It seems he has not heard this poem famous among people which says: ‘Should all creation turn to unbelief, No dust would settle on His garment’s hem.’”

One day I was present before the Throne when the Countenance of God turned toward me and He said: “Hast thou heard that the sincere ones are in great danger?” O servant present before the Throne! The outward divines have differed concerning the companions of the Messenger as to whom the title of “companion” may truly be applied. Some have said the companions were those who were in His presence for a year or more and who arose to strive in the path of God. Others have said that whoever attested to the oneness of God and met the Messenger was counted among the companions, even if but once. Some have said this title applies to those whom the Messenger Himself specifically addressed by this name. Others have said they were those who were trusted by Him and were present in His journeys and at home. But most of the divines have said that whoever accepted Islam and saw the Prophet, peace be upon Him and His companions, even for the briefest time, was among the companions. According to this, forty thousand souls were with Him during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and on the day of His passing, one hundred and twenty-four thousand gathered in Medina. According to the latter view, all these souls were called companions. Nevertheless, there were but few who had drunk from the pure wine of certitude and had entered the source of the merciful outpourings.

In any case, such words arise from heedlessness and continue to do so. We beseech God to assist all to do what He loves and is pleased with. O friends of Truth! Be not content with mere hearing, nor attach your hearts to past imaginings. For by God, today malicious souls have prevented the weak ones from the Divine Law through past imaginings. Hear the petition of this servant present before the Throne, and with steadfast feet stand firm upon the path of oneness. Truth hath been made so manifest that none hath any excuse to turn away. All divine books bear witness and point to this, as some time ago one of the friends from different religions submitted a petition containing two well-known traditions that had been translated from Greek to Arabic in ancient books.

The first passage states: “Satan shall appear in the Isle of Qaf and shall prevent the people from the All-Merciful. When that time cometh, turn ye toward the Holy Land from whence the Breath of God passeth.” And Qaf is Cyprus, which is well-known, as all Turks call it “Satan’s Isle.” And the Holy Land is known to be where the Throne is now established.

The second passage states: “Hubab shall appear in the isle ascribed to him. He is short of stature, with a long beard, narrow of forehead and chest, with yellow eyes and hair, with camel-like fur on his back and goat-like hair on his chest. When that time cometh, draw ye near unto Carmel, even if ye must crawl, then turn toward the Holy Valley, the gathering place, the white spot.” It is known that Hubab is the name of Satan and serpent. He says Satan will appear in the isle ascribed to him, which is Cyprus, known as Satan’s Isle. And He says “When that time cometh, draw ye near unto Carmel” - and Carmel is the mountain facing Akka - “even if ye must crawl on your chest, then turn toward the Holy Valley, the gathering place, the white spot” - these three being titles of the land of Akka, as is well known to all.

Mount Carmel stands opposite to Akka, and though it be with difficulty, even if it be upon its breast, then turn ye towards the holy valley, the land of the gathering, the white spot - these three titles belong to the land of Akka, as is renowned amongst all and recorded in the books. Would that someone might journey to Cyprus and with their own eyes behold in that person all these attributes that have been mentioned. In any case, O servants of God, there is no need for such mentions, and examples of such mentions are purely out of grace, for this lowly servant has supposed that through such examples some might awaken from the slumber of heedlessness. Otherwise, Truth is sanctified from the mention of this or that. He cannot be known except through His own Self, nor can He be described except by that which His Essence hath described for His Essence. All else are created by His command and return to their places in the worlds of His creation and invention. We hope that the petitions of this servant, having been offered purely for the sake of God, may become healing for hearts and light for breasts, that all may arise in the love of God in such wise that none shall have opportunity for turning away or objection, and may regard as utter nothingness all that the idolaters have said or will say. Therefore I say: I turn unto Thee, O my God, for what I have committed in Thy presence. Forgive me then by Thy sovereignty and grace. Verily Thou art the Most Generous of the generous. And praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds.

The Servant of God

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=== START BH00016 ===

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

Praise be unto our Lord Who hath made manifest from the drop the waves of the sea, and from the atom the lights of the sun, and hath detailed from the Point the books of what hath been and what shall be. He it is Who hath created creation as a token of His bounty and as a manifestation of His might, His grandeur and His sovereignty. He hath made them the mines of His knowledge and wisdom, the treasuries of the pearls of His remembrance and utterance, the dawning-places of justice and equity, and the manifestations of munificence and grace. He hath deposited within them two signs: the sign of light and the sign of fire. When creation was completed, He adorned it with character, and through it revealed the station of man in the contingent world. Exalted be the Lord of Destiny, Who hath appeared at the Greatest Scene, Who on the Day of Gathering called the servants unto the Most Sublime Horizon and the Ultimate Goal. Among them were those who denied their Lord by following their desires, and those who were inflamed with the fire of hatred such that they turned away from God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens. Among them were those who pronounced judgment against Him Who created them by a word from His presence, and those who said “In the Name of God” and “By God” and broke the chains of idle fancy through the strength of might, and rent asunder the veils of vain imaginings through the Name of God, the Lord of all mankind. They hastened like lightning, crying: “Here am I, here am I, O Lord of the Kingdom and Sovereign of Might! Here am I, here am I, O Breaker of the might of the aggressors and Light manifest and gleaming on the Day of Judgment!”

They have prospered who were attracted by the breezes of revelation and acted in accordance with what they were commanded in the Book. And they have lost who broke God’s covenant and His testament - they went astray and led others astray until they caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition. Do those who denied God’s proof and His evidence suppose they follow a command from His presence? Nay, by His Self that rules supreme over all names and His power that encompasses all things! Say: Die in your wrath! The Chosen One hath come, and He Who revealeth the mysteries hath appeared with the standards of power and might. Neither the veils of your idle fancies nor the obscuring clouds of your allusions can hinder Him. He it is Who hath spoken from His most exalted station, and through Him the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken in the kingdom of creation. O people of the Bayan! Have ye forgotten God’s covenant and His testament, and neglected what He commanded you in His Book? What aileth you that ye understand not and perceive not? Ye have taken fancy for truth and cast truth behind your backs, imagining that ye do well. Nay, by the Lord of the Throne and of earth! The Point of the Bayan disavoweth you, as did before Him the Revealer of the Furqan. To this all things bear witness, yet ye comprehend not. Through dust ye have been withheld from the Lord of Lords, and through clay ye have been heedless of the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Say: The dust is your own selves and the clay your vain imaginings, did ye but know it.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through a drop from the clouds of the heaven of Whose bounty the oceans of Thy knowledge have surged in the hearts of them that yearn for Thee and are sincere among Thy servants and creatures! Through a light from the lights of Thy countenance the earth of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy grace have been illumined, and through a breath from Thy garment the trumpet was sounded and the dwellers of the graves arose at Thy manifestation and Thy establishment upon the throne of Thy Will. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through a single letter of which appeared that which none has understood save Thyself, and by Thy Command whereby Thou hast subdued the people of Thy cities and lands, to protect Thy loved ones from the evil of the oppressors among Thy creatures. O my Lord! Thou seest how one of Thy loved ones is encompassed by the wolves from the thickets of rancor and hatred and the beasts from the forests of heedlessness and misery. Take his hand, O my God, with the hand of Thy power, then assist him with the hosts of the unseen and the visible. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all creation. O my Lord! Thou seest how the people of the Bayan have turned away from Thee and from Thy proof, and have disputed Thy verses after Thou didst come to them with a sovereignty that transcended all names and with evidences clearer than the sun at noontide, clinging to the letters of their own selves, turning away from the ocean of verses, holding fast to the hem of idle fancies, and denying that which has shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of power and might. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the breezes of the dawn of Thy Revelation and by Thy fragrances which have perfumed the places wherefrom appeared the Manifestations of Thy Self and the Daysprings of Thy verses, to enable them that have turned away to turn towards the horizon of Thy oneness, to face Thy countenance, and to ponder that which hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy Scriptures and Tablets. O my Lord! Deprive them not of the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. O my Lord! My heart lamenteth their heedlessness and remoteness. Teach them, O my God, Thy path and make known unto them that whereof they were heedless in Thy days. Who is able, O my God, to describe himself by any description before the court of Thy glory, O Lord of all names! The servant testifieth in this his station that all bounty is within Thy grasp and all mercy is in Thy right hand. Thou singliest out whom Thou willest with Thy care and Thy favors and Thy compassion and Thy gifts. Were it not for Thy grace and bounty, all creation would be in nothingness. There is none other God but Thee, the Lord of eternity, the Possessor of knowledge, and the Ordainer of good for the peoples. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Thereafter, your letter adorned with the traces of your pen reached me. When I opened it, I found therein the fragrance of your love for our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth. The servant asketh his Lord to enable you to serve the Cause with a power that the power of the world cannot frustrate and with a might that the might of the nations cannot prevent, and through you to guide the heedless to the path of guidance and protect you from the evil of those who have denied the Source and the Return. O beloved of my heart! Thy remembrance is the cause of my joy and thy letter the reason for my gladness, my delight and my expansion, for it proclaimeth with most eloquent utterance and mentioneth your turning unto God, your sincerity and your steadfastness in the Cause of God, our Lord and your Lord. Well is it with you and pleasant it is unto you. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist you and grant you success in all conditions. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. After I read and understood it, I approached the Most Exalted Station and the Supreme Summit until I attained the presence before the Face and presented what was therein after the sun of permission shone forth from the horizon of grace. When this was completed, the Tongue of the All-Bountiful spoke in reply, exalted be His utterance: “Verily, I am the Hearer, the Answerer.”

O Muhammad! The servant present has delivered what thou didst send unto him, and mention was made thereof before the Face of the Wronged One, Who hath borne tribulations for the life of the world and the salvation of all nations. We have heard and respond to thee through this perspicuous Tablet. Blessed art thou for having turned toward the Supreme Horizon when the people turned away, save those whom God, the Lord of all worlds, did will. Thou art he who hath drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hands of the bounty of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, and hast believed in Him when the divines of the earth and its doctors and those who followed them without clear proof from God, the Commander, the All-Wise, did deny Him. Say: O concourse of men! He Who is the Lord of Destiny hath come, through Whom every hidden matter hath been revealed. Fear ye God and be not of those who turn aside. Judge fairly concerning that which hath appeared in truth and be not of those who would make mention of God throughout the days and nights, yet when the Dawn of His Manifestation broke forth and the Speaker on Sinai spoke, they turned against Him with swords of hatred and slew Him with such injustice as caused the pillars of the Temple to shake and the eyes of the near ones to weep. Behold the people of the Bayan and their vain imaginings. They have denied Him through Whom God’s Cause was revealed from time immemorial and through Whom the Books were sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers. Say: Be fair before God - if ye deny this Most Great Cause, by what proof can ye establish your faith in God? Produce it then, and be not of the patient ones. Say: By God’s life! Nothing shall profit you this Day save through this Manifestation, which was mentioned in the hearts of the chosen ones and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Cast away vain imaginings and be not of the heedless. Say: This is God’s Day, were ye of them that know. None is mentioned therein save Him - to this testifieth every seeing believer. Say: Consider the people of the Furqan, their deeds and words, and what they committed when the Desired One came with manifest sovereignty. They deemed themselves the most excellent and learned of all peoples, yet when the test came, We found them the most worthless of all sects - to this testifieth every fair-minded and upright just one. O Pen! Leave the mention of these people and remember the party of God who have cast behind their backs the dawning-places of vain imaginings, turning unto the One, the All-Informed - they who broke not God’s Covenant and His Testament, who arose and said: “God is our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth.” Thus did the Pen speak when the Ancient of Days was established upon the throne of His Most Great Name. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those whom neither the doubts of the people of the Bayan nor the allusions of the people of the Furqan prevented, who turned with radiant faces unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

After the rustling of the Divine Lote Tree has been raised among humanity and the waves of the ocean of inner meanings have surged from the Word of God, the Lord of all names, how can this servant speak or utter or make mention or say anything? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth! He sees his tongue faltering and his pen halted. How can the ailing one describe or make mention of Him Who created the water of life through a word from His presence? The mention of one such as I and my like before His countenance was and is as nothingness and non-existence. Were I to describe Him through metaphors, the fragrance of existence would be diffused therefrom. This befitteth not one who is as naught. Though this servant hath arisen to render a service whose greatness hath been testified to by the tongue of his Lord and Master, and though he is occupied at all times before His face with His mention and the inscription of His verses, he is ashamed to make mention of himself before the court of His might and greatness and majesty. Nay, by His glory, he is ashamed to make mention of those who have circled round His Cause and spoken His praise and arisen to serve Him and testified to that which the tongue of His grandeur hath spoken forth when He unfurled the banner of His Revelation on the day when He was established upon the throne of His Most Great Name. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist your honor with the hosts of wisdom and utterance and to protect you from the evil of those who have arisen in hypocrisy and broken the Covenant, who have gone astray and led others astray. By the life of the Lord! This servant is astonished at their words and deeds. They know not, neither do they understand. They have followed their own desires and today they perceive not.

As to what you wrote regarding the beloved of the heart and Haji Amin, upon him be the Glory of the Most Glorious, and their expressions of love - praise be to God, they have arisen to serve from the earliest days. They turned to God, acted for the sake of God, and have been and are focused on God. The Supreme Pen hath made mention of them in the Books and Scriptures and Tablets. There was and is no need for this evanescent one to make mention of them. After this matter was presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, He spoke these blessed words: “Excellent is what the Trustworthy One hath done. He assisteth those who have arisen to serve the Cause. They have done what is befitting. All the friends should show love to him. We beseech God to assist all to serve Him and serve His friends and loved ones. Verily, He hath power over all things.” End quote.

And regarding what you wrote about Aqa Siyyid Javad, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise your mention of his love and kindness and steadfastness - these matters were presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence of the Goal of the worlds. These are His blessed and exalted words in response:

He is the Compassionate, the Generous

Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One from the precincts of the prison and ponder upon what hath befallen Him. Perchance through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, thou mayest attain unto such steadfastness that neither the divines of the earth nor its rulers, nor those above them or below them, can prevent thee therefrom. The vain imaginings of the divines of the Shi’ih sect have deprived those poor souls from the ocean of divine affluence and the rain of infinite mercy. Would that they had been content with this much! Nay, rather, in the early years all were engaged in cursing, denouncing and that which the pen is loath to describe. That Beloved One, Whose remembrance they had uttered night and day, and Whose presence they had yearned to attain–when the horizon of the world was illumined with the dawning light of His Revelation, they all turned against Him with faces darkened by hatred and hearts filled with rancor, and all gave verdict to shed His most pure blood. Such was the fruit of the deeds of that heedless people. They considered themselves the best of all creation, yet were observed to be the most debased of servants. Now the people of the Bayan, those souls who have turned away from God, have clung to these same vain imaginings. Arise ye for the sake of God, that perchance ye may protect the servants from the vain imaginings of the past. Should the person of insight reflect even briefly, he would find himself bewildered by the heedlessness, misguidance, malice and hatred of that people. O Javad! We beseech God to assist thee and grant thee success, that thou mayest exert thy utmost in service to His Cause to the extent of thy capacity. Verily, He is with whomsoever desireth Him, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have cast away vain imaginings, holding fast unto My strong cord.

The light of the All-Merciful’s utterance has encompassed the world, and His call has been raised before the faces of all people from the beginning of this Cause and continues to be. Despite this, the heedless and veiled remain. For what day are ears created, and sight for what time? If they remain deprived today, when will they attain?

May God, exalted be His glory, bestow justice. The Lord of all desire, from Whose heaven of grace verses have been sent down like rain, equivalent to all divine books before and after, nay more, is now present. Yet the cawers persist in leading people astray, whispering into people’s hearts. The station which the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - describes saying “Verily, I am the first of worshippers,” Ibn Ja’far Kirmani and Hadi Dawlat-Abadi have spoken of in ways that no unjust one has spoken before, despite having no knowledge of the Cause whatsoever. Where is justice? Where has fairness gone? What has become of vision? We belong to God and to Him we return.

One stands bewildered. This evanescent servant beseeches the True One, exalted be His station, to grant justice and provide guidance, that they might return and at least not hold back the helpless people from the path, lest they become afflicted like the Shi’ih sect in the wilderness of fancy and vain imaginings. That sect which counted itself the highest of creation did what neither the Jews nor Christians committed - no people committed what that sect perpetrated, for they issued the death warrant for the Master of the world and occupied themselves with cursing and execration from pulpits, and still do. Yet again they have firmly girded themselves to lead astray the people of the Crimson Ark. The fruits of that sect’s deeds were witnessed; the fruits of these souls will likewise be seen after another thousand two hundred years. I beseech the Most High to adorn His servants with the ornament of justice and fairness and guide them to His straight path.

Regarding the mention made of the loved ones of Kermanshah, Sahneh, Kangavar, Asadabad and Kurdistan - all were presented before the Most Holy Court, and the loved ones of each city were honored with the mention of the Lord of Names. Blessed are they. This evanescent servant beseeches the Truth to assist and confirm all, that they may attain to the recognition of God’s Day and be adorned with true unity. As commanded, convey greetings to each of the mentioned souls and give them glad tidings of the mention of the Wronged One of the horizons. He said: Today is the day of service, triumph, mention and praise. Count time as precious and deprive not yourselves of the outpourings of these days of the true Generous One. Make an effort - an effort that the might of the world cannot prevent. Arise - an arising that the doubts of the people of the Bayan and the allusions of the people of the Furqan cannot disturb or shake.

He also mentioned the land of Qaf and Za, and those souls who broke the chains of vain imaginings and held fast to the cord of the grace of God, glorified be His majesty. He said all were presented before Him. His blessed and exalted word:

O Muhammad! Blessed art thou for having turned thy face toward a land wherefrom thou didst inhale the fragrance of My glorious and inaccessible love. His honor Abdu’r-Rahim, upon him be My glory, the fragrance of whose love hath been and still is diffused. Likewise Ababasir and Ashraf and his honor Hakim - all attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness. The friends in that land, one and all, have been and are beneath the glances of grace. Blessed are they who have rent asunder the veils and turned toward the Point of God. Convey to each one greetings from the Wronged One and give them glad-tidings, saying: O friends! Some of you have witnessed the waves of the ocean of utterance and have heard the call of the Ultimate Tree. Know ye the worth of this most exalted station and cling to His most pure hem with such tenacity that the world shall have no power to separate you therefrom.

This evanescent one offered thanks to God that his honor Aqa Naqd-Ali had attained, for it would have been most regrettable had he remained deprived. This servant beseeched the True One day and night, seeking confirmation and assistance for him. In any case, I convey greetings and salutations to him and all others. O beloved of my heart! Most were and are unaware, and those who became aware remained silent and mute as commanded. Thus some are seen to be veiled, but there is hope that the dawn of manifestation will overcome the darkness and illumine all the peoples of the world.

Mention was made of the beloved of the heart, his honor Samandar, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God. He is among those who arose in the earliest days to serve God and to make mention of Him and praise Him. He hath not for a moment failed in his mission. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ordain for him from the Supreme Pen that which befitteth His bounty and generosity.

And as for the mention made of his honor Aqa Mirza Ali, son of him who ascended unto God, and his honor Ustad Kazim, brother of his honor Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon them be the glory of God, it was presented in the Most Holy Court. His mighty utterance, exalted be His proof: “His honor Ali, upon him be My glory, hath repeatedly been mentioned by the Supreme Pen. We have mentioned him in numerous tablets and We give him glad tidings at this moment with My glorious and wondrous remembrance.” We beseech God to assist him and the relatives of the deceased and exalted one in that which He loveth and is pleased with. “And We give glad tidings to Kazim with My remembrance both before and at this moment, that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones.”

And regarding the mention of the lands between Qaf and Ya and Ash and Sa and Kaf, and meeting with the friends in those regions - each one hath attained the grace of God, exalted be His glory. Mention of all hath been uttered from the Tongue of Grandeur. Happy are they and blessed are they. This evanescent one also conveyeth greetings to all and beseecheth God for the success of each one. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer. Mention was made of Alif and Ra and their association with the friends of God. This matter was presented in the Most Holy Court. His word, exalted be His remembrance above all mention:

O Muhammad! All that thou hast mentioned hath attained unto true remembrance. The loved ones in that land are each and all remembered in the presence of the Wronged One and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen. We beseech God to aid them all to drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness - a draught whereby neither the might of the peoples of the world nor the opposition of nations shall hold them back. Implore God not to afflict His loved ones with the vain imaginings and idle fancies as befell the Shi’ih sect. May they all gaze towards the Most Exalted Horizon alone and be illumined by the lights of true unity. Until now most remain heedless and veiled from the blessed words “There is none other God but Him.” We beseech God, exalted be He, to protect them from the clamor of the atheists, the croaking of the croakers, and the imaginings of the idolaters.

Regarding thy mention of the distinguished, steadfast, firm, upright and sanctified souls of that land - this attained unto the hearing of the Lord of Names. His mighty utterance, exalted be His words above all expression:

He is the Hearer, the Answerer

O Hassan! Upon thee be the Glory of God and His praise! Blessed art thou for having drunk the choice wine of inner meanings from the cup of thy Lord’s bounty, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We have made mention of those who have believed in God and His signs with such remembrance as shall cause the sincere to perceive the fragrance of their Lord’s loving kindness, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Blessed be thy face for having turned unto the Countenance of the Ancient of Days, and thy tongue for having voiced His praise and glorification, and thy heart for having turned unto Him on a Day whereon the people turned away and opposed Him, following the desires of those who cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to their vain imaginings - these are indeed among the lowly ones. Take thou the reins of the Cause by My command and remind the people of that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance, lest they be led astray by the People of the Bayan who have turned away from the All-Merciful, and lest their feet slip through the doubts of the suspicious ones. Say: By God! The horizon of Revelation hath shone forth and He Who conversed on Sinai calleth aloud amidst all beings. Joy unto them that have turned towards Him and heard, and woe unto those that have turned away. We made mention of thy father before, and We mention him at this time with that which all things cannot equal - to this beareth witness He with Whom is the perspicuous Book.

We make mention of thy brother Husayn and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. O Husayn! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the precincts of the Prison, at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from the people of the Bayan who have violated God’s Covenant and Testament and were among the wrongdoers. Arise to promote the Cause with such steadfastness that neither the clamor of the divines nor the power of princes shall deter thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Commanding, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe wisdom, lest there appear that which might agitate the souls of the weak ones. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Mighty, the Wondrous. We make mention of Nuru’llah as a token of Our grace, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. Take, O people of God, the chalice of salvation in the name of Him Who sendeth the winds, then drink ye therefrom in remembrance of Him by Whom the hearts of them that are nigh have been attracted. Beware lest the doubts of the people debar you from the Self-Subsisting One Who hath come riding upon the clouds of utterance with manifest sovereignty. O ’Ali-Qabli-Muhammad! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One from the precincts of the Prison and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world! I testify that Thou hast appeared and revealed that which was hidden in God’s knowledge and recorded in the Books of the Messengers. When the appointed time came and the Manifestation of clear evidences appeared with the standards of signs, all the divines turned away from Him and pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice as caused the dwellers of the highest Paradise and the people of this exalted station to lament. Thus did their souls entice them, and they are assuredly among the wrongdoers in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We make mention of Husayn and ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar and then those who have believed in that place, and We beseech God to grant them success and assist them to be steadfast in the Cause and preserve them from the evil of the barking ones who have turned away from Him through Whom God’s decree was established in the past and will be in the future. They are assuredly among the most lost ones in My manifest Book. Blessed is My servant Muhammad for having remembered you in his letter which he sent to the servant who attends the Wronged One. When it was presented and read, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which hath perfumed the worlds of inner meanings and utterance and the realms of justice and fairness. He mentioneth whom He willeth as a token of His grace, and He is the One with power over whatsoever He pleaseth and the Protector of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Praise be to the Beloved of the world! They have attained unto verses from every letter of which the Sun of grace dawns and the Moon of bounty shines forth. Glory be to God! One is astonished at what the polytheists have said and continue to say. They utter that which their own foundations deny, yet they neither hear nor perceive. The signs have encompassed the world, and the evidences are more manifest than the sun, yet through the sayings of this one and that, they have remained deprived of the Purpose of all the worlds. It is not known by what proof they establish their own faith, and by what evidence they deny this Most Great Announcement. Fie upon them and their loyalty! It is not known where they have been until now - behind what veil were they concealed in the years of adversity, and by what barrier were they barred? The atoms of creation bear witness that the One True God stands before the faces of the world, calling out with the most exalted voice. Now that some signs have appeared and they have emerged from behind the veil, bringing that which none had brought before, we must beseech the Truth that He deprive none, illuminate all with the lights of the Most Great Name, and guide them to the straight path.

This evanescent servant, upon hearing mention of those loved ones whom your honor had described, observed boundless joy within himself. Praise be to the Purpose of all worlds, Who confirmed them and granted them such success that there was revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning them that which its fragrance shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven shall last. Happy are they and blessed are they! I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ordain them among the steadfast ones, the firm ones, and the promoters of His Cause. Convey greetings and salutations to his honor Aqa Mirza Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, and to the others. I beseech God for confirmation and assistance for each one. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful, and praise be to Him, for He is the Purpose of all worlds and the Beloved of those who know. This much I submit: that all the souls of that land, both the gentlemen and the women, have been honored before God with the greatest mention. Upon them be the Glory of God and the glory of His chosen ones, His pure ones, and His loved ones.

And regarding the mention made of Abbas, it was presented before His presence. His mighty utterance, exalted be His proof: “O Abbas! If less than a needle’s eye of the station of those who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and have drunk from the wine of recognition were to be made manifest, thou wouldst behold all the people of the world having forsaken what they possess, turning toward and advancing to the Friend. We beseech God to confirm thee in steadfastness, for the beginning of the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and acting according to what He hath revealed in the Book, and its end is steadfastness in His Cause, for this Cause hath been and is mighty. All divine Books, both of the past and present, have testified to its greatness. Blessed are they who know, and blessed are they who are steadfast.”

This evanescent servant beseeches the Ever-Abiding Truth to confirm that honored one in wisdom, for this matter hath streamed forth and been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen in numerous Tablets. Today, whosoever acteth according to that which God hath commanded him shall be recorded among those near unto Him in the Perspicuous Book. The other letter from that beloved one, dated the twenty-second of the month of Shawwal, was received, and its effect was like that of flowing water to one who thirsteth, for it was adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds, and the fragrance of love was wafted therefrom. After reading and perusing it, I approached the Most Exalted Presence, and, having gained permission, presented it. He–may the spirit of all who dwell in the kingdoms of Command and Creation be sacrificed for His sake–said: “O servant in attendance! His honor Muhammad–upon him be My glory in the path of God–hath turned towards the outlying regions. Beseech the Truth to create new ears and fresh eyes through His wondrous and blessed Word, that perchance they may hear the divine verses and recognize the Truth with their own eyes. The people of the world have been reared in vain imaginings. They have ever been deprived of the splendors of the Sun of certitude and forbidden from the ocean of divine knowledge. Throughout ages and centuries they have been occupied with the mention of that which is imagined and have soared in the atmosphere of idle fancies. When the Sun of Truth, by the will of the Ancient Lord, shone forth from the horizon of the world, all engaged in cursing and execration from pulpits in their mosques, even though the Truth, exalted be His glory, had rent asunder the veils and coverings with the finger of power. Nevertheless, all have been and still are awaiting an imaginary manifestation. Strange it is that the children of the Friend and the inheritors of Him Who conversed with God have attained, and have drunk from the ocean of the favors of the Truth, exalted be His glory, and have received their portion of the sealed wine by My Name, the Self-Subsisting. Likewise, some of the people of this land and its surroundings, who in the eyes of the Shi’ih faction were regarded as the most abject of all the peoples of the world, have drunk from the cup of reunion; yet that heedless faction remaineth until now oblivious and veiled. They have not been awakened by the call, the cry, and the trumpet blast. In the wilderness of error, they are observed to be intoxicated with the wine of heedlessness and pride, nay rather, they appear as dead. And since in this Most Great Revelation, conflict, contention, cursing, execration, killing and the like have been forbidden, the people of God must guide all the peoples of the world with joy and fragrance to the horizon of the All-Merciful, and must beseech the Truth to guide all unto the Dayspring of favors and the Source of His Command, and to make them aware. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.” Thus did it end. Exalted is His mercy, glorified His grace, magnificent His bestowals and favors! Despite the tribulations that have befallen Him, the evident hatred, and the manifest oppression against His servants, He hath mentioned and continueth to mention such words from which flow and spread the rivers of mercy. Exalted is His generosity, His grace, His munificence and His beneficence!

Concerning what you wrote about Aqa Rida, his petition arrived some time ago and was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and a response descended from the heaven of divine will and was sent forth. The petition was forwarded by Aqa Shaykh Mahdi, upon him be the glory of God, in accordance with what that beloved one had written in a letter to this servant. This servant wrote a letter in response to them containing the verses of God. I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, that it may reach them and they may receive their full portion from the ocean of divine verses. I send greetings and praise to Jinab-i-Shaykh and beseech God for confirmation and success, that He may aid him to teach His Cause in such wise that no obstacle may hinder him. Likewise, I pray for success for Aqa Rida, that in his youth he may arise to serve the divine Cause with steadfastness and firmness. The purpose is that he may spend his days in love for the Revealer of verses and the Manifestation of clear proofs. Give him the glad tidings that he has attained the ornament of forgiveness. This is what I heard with mine own ears from the tongue of grandeur. You mentioned the love of Jinab-i-Shaykh and his hospitality - this was accepted in the divine presence. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. Good deeds are the cause of divine success and confirmation. Blessed are they that act.

As for what you wrote concerning Aqa Mirza ’Ali, upon him be the glory of God, it was presented before Him Who conversed on Sinai, and these exalted words descended from the Dayspring of verses. His word, exalted be His glory: “O ’Ali! Vain imaginings have seized the world and deprived eyes from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon. All have clung to that which is vain and remained heedless and veiled from the True One. Throughout ages and centuries they awaited His appearance, yet when the horizon of the world was illumined with the lights of the Most Great Luminary, all turned away. And the Shi’ih sect, who considered themselves the most exalted of all sects and the most learned, rose up with utmost tyranny against the Divine Lote-Tree and brought about that which caused every seeing one to weep and every person of heart to lament. Such is the condition of these worthless creatures that thou observest. We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to make thee aware and grant thee a portion from the ocean of knowledge, that thou mayest discover the fragrance of the garment of His Revelation and not be deprived of the sweet savors of His days. Say:

My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have aimed for the Ultimate Goal, the Most Exalted Summit, and Thy Most Sublime Horizon. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, the mysteries of Thy Book, and the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge, to confirm me in steadfastness in Thy Cause and in Thy love, whereby the feet of the learned ones and divines of the earth have slipped. O my Lord! I have turned to Thee. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of what lieth with Thee. Then write down for me, with the pen of Thy grace, that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

Praise be to God, they have attained unto the waves of the ocean of the Merciful’s utterance. This evanescent servant beseeches the exalted Truth to aid them in that which is pleasing to Him, to strengthen them in steadfastness in His Cause, and to bestow upon them that from which the fragrance of His presence may be diffused. He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. How many are the learned who are seen to be deprived and forbidden, and how many are the souls who, though not counted among the learned, are yet regarded by God as people of insight, hearing, vision and knowledge. The key of grace is in the right hand of His power. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the Strong, the Powerful.

As to your mention of the presence of the friends of God at the gathering where that honored one was called with sincerity - from the honored Chief and his eminence Sir, and the honored Sheikh and Aqa Rida-Bala and the honored Aqa Muhammad-’Ali, upon them be the glory of God - blessed is the land that in these days becometh the seat of the friends. By the life of our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven, the heaven declareth in most eloquent utterance: “Blessed art thou, O earth, in that God hath made thee the footstool of His feet and the dwelling-place of His friends! Blessed is the people among whom His remembrance is raised!” Today the earth glorieth, and with justice. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to favor that gathering with His special grace, that each one may drink from the ocean of divine knowledge and fix their gaze solely upon the supreme horizon.

As to their mention that before his acceptance of the Truth, the idolaters incited Aqa Rida-Bala to harm his eminence Sir 1111 [Ali-Rida], upon him be the glory of God - after this matter was presented before the throne of the Lord, exalted be His glory, the Tongue of Grandeur uttered this most exalted and blessed word - His utterance, blessed and exalted be He: “The Truth, exalted be His glory, preserved him twice from the evil of those heedless, heretical, and wicked souls. Verily God preserved him twice through the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and He will preserve him as a grace from His presence and will open before his face the gate of His mercy. Verily, He is powerful over all things.” End quote.

As to what you wrote regarding the honored Aqa Mirza Husayn, upon him be 966 [the glory of God], and his acceptance, steadfastness, firmness and constancy - this account, together with his petition, was presented before the Intended One of all the worlds on Wednesday night, the fifteenth of the month of ?afar, two hours after nightfall. A most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace and was sent. It is hoped that they will attain unto it and drink from the Water of Life that is concealed within the divine words, and that this evanescent one may, without delay or hesitation, utter the words “Well done! Well done!” This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in reply - His utterance, exalted be His exposition and mighty be His proof:

He is the Hearer, the Answerer

The book sent by thee hath reached the Wronged One, and from it We perceived the fragrance of thy turning toward the Most Exalted Horizon on a Day wherein the divines and princes of the earth turned away. Blessed is he whom the doubts of men have not kept back, and blessed the steadfast one whom the clamor of those who have broken God’s Covenant and Testament did not cause to sit, when the Promised One came with a sovereignty that subdued all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Husayn! The Wronged One calleth thee from the precincts of the Prison, and remembereth thee with that which will never cease to spread its fragrance throughout the eternity of My Best Names and Most Exalted Attributes. Verily, thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

We have heard thy call and have answered thee, and have seen thy turning toward Us and have turned toward thee, and have cast upon thee that which shall be with thee in every world of the worlds of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Thus have We sent down the verses and expounded them in truth, and sent them unto thee that thou mightest thank thy Lord, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We found thy book purified from doubts and idle fancies, giving voice to the praise of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid thee and make thee successful, and to ordain for thee through His Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world, and to decree for thee what He hath decreed for His chosen ones. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the Answerer.

Remember My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of My bounty, My mercy, and My loving-kindness which have preceded existence itself. To this beareth witness the Most Great Book of God in this exalted station. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those whom the doubts of the followers of religions have not kept back from the Daystar of Certitude, and whom the might of every remote oppressor hath not frightened.

Every word of God’s utterances, exalted be His grandeur, is like a lamp that shall accompany you. In one station it is the living water, for the life of all created things depends upon and is connected to it. In another station it is like the sun, nay its light is seen to be greater and its effect more perfect. This evanescent servant beseeches and implores God, exalted be His glory, not to deprive any of creation from this light, nor withhold from them that living water, so that all may, as one soul, engage in His praise and glorification beneath the blessed Tree, and at all times be sustained by the heavenly food and true bounties. Yet most difficult is the attainment of this supreme station - not every soul is capable. Until now, the deniers have failed to comprehend the station of this Day. They occupy themselves with the doubts, vain imaginings, and limitations of the past which, after twelve hundred years, resulted in the martyrdom of the Beloved of the world. They walk in those same footsteps. This evanescent one mentions here one word, and this is the word that has been revealed by the Supreme Pen in numerous tablets. Thus speaks He, blessed and exalted be He: “O concourse of divines! Not one among you at the dawn of the Manifestation attained to faith. You all, along with your ignorant followers, engaged in cursing and denouncing. Throughout ages and centuries, you imagined yourselves to be commemorating God and following His commandments. Yet when the dawn of hope appeared and the blessed Tree sprouted forth, you arose with swords of hatred to cut it down and issued decrees for the shedding of His most pure blood. From the beginning of Islam until now, not one among you has understood the truth of the Cause, nor attained even an atom’s weight of true knowledge, for none of you, from beginning to end, achieved the recognition of the Promised One and the existence of that Essence of Being in the loins. Now set aside your ignorant prejudices and speak with justice and fairness. The horizon of the world is illumined and adorned with the lights of the manifestation of Him Who conversed with Moses. Behold Him with His own eyes. This is a firm command - the Primal Point counseled all concerning it, and it is specific to this Most Great Manifestation. Now some among the people of the Bayan have opened the door of misinterpretation. If a word is spoken from any station, they say it has been misinterpreted. Say: O oppressors! The people of the Furqan, because of such sayings, remained deprived of the supreme horizon, the ultimate goal, and the knowledge of the Lord of Names, and committed injustices that none among previous peoples - neither Jews, Zoroastrians, nor Christians - ever perpetrated. If one truly contemplates what has flowed from the Supreme Pen in this leaf, he would cry out and find himself immersed in the ocean of wonderment. O people of the Bayan! Abandon the sayings of this one and that. Today the Primal Point proclaims ‘I am the first of the worshippers’ and speaks as ‘the first of them that bow down in adoration.’ Fear God, O people, and be not of the transgressors. By God! The world has been stirred with longing for My manifestation and My presence. The dwellers of the graves have arisen through My sweet savors, and the decomposed bones through My call, while you remain among the slumberers, nay among the dead. Say: The Pen counsels you for the sake of God and informs you of what you have missed in the days of your Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and relates to you the tales of old for your awakening and return to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Say: Be fair, O people! Turn unto Him! Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

The followers of vain imaginings and idle fancies have committed such acts as no faction hath ever committed. They have called disbelief faith, and reckoned turning away as turning towards. They have failed to distinguish between the buzzing of a fly and the call of the Lord of Lords. Once again the veins of the neck have swollen in pride and unseemly words have gained currency. For some time the market of vanities was bereft of splendor and esteem; now it hath appeared and they sell perpetual loss. I beseech the Truth to confirm and protect His party in all conditions. O My beloved! Concerning the events that have transpired - the first letter from that beloved one shall be answered last, as the letters were each placed in different locations. Whichever was at hand, its contents and matters were mentioned. The letter dated the 12th of Rajab was one containing true and sincere words, from which, in truth, the fragrances of firmness, steadfastness and constancy were diffused. The servant praised God for having confirmed you in utterances that no person of insight and fairness, no one possessed of justice and hearing, could deny. In any case, it was read until reaching the false statement of Fath’u’llah who claimed “We have a hundred volumes of books from the Point and Yahya.” After this matter was presented to the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, this supreme word was revealed: “Say: By the Lord of the Ka’bah, thou hast lied!” In any case, whatever is from the Primal Point must be sent to the Holy Presence, as its acceptance depends on that, and whatever is from others, read it and judge fairly. By God’s life, it does not equal a single verse. End quote. What that beloved one hath mentioned in response to the heedless souls was true and right, the Truth in which there is no doubt. The Truth, exalted be His glory, hath protected and will protect His Holiness Sh R (upon Him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]), otherwise it would have been a great plot and mighty deception. However, “the prayer of the disbelievers is naught but in error.” Soon that which is hidden shall be made manifest. The Command is in His hand - He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth.

O Mahmud! Reflect upon what transpired in the centuries and ages past, and likewise at the inception of the manifestation of the Point of the Bayan. The faction that counted itself foremost among all factions and deemed itself possessed of the pearls of the ocean of divine knowledge, who in the nights and days waited in such wise that their tears flowed in separation and their sighs ascended–when the horizon of the world was illumined with the lights of the manifestation of the Herald, namely the Point of the Bayan, all the divines of that faction and their followers pronounced anathema and turned away, issuing the death warrant for the Lord of mankind. This Wronged One seeketh justice: What were the fruits of the deeds of the Shi’ih who counted themselves more entitled than all the factions of the world, and what became of them? Now again the people of the Bayan cling to the same vain imaginings, desiring to afflict anew the helpless servants in centuries and ages to come. The fruits of these souls’ deeds will ultimately be as before. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, observe with thine own eyes and hear with thine own ears. The treacherous lie in wait, and the thieves pursue this Wronged One. From the people of the world We have sought and seek naught but justice and fairness. In the days when the world was agitated and distressed by the might of monarchs, We openly proclaimed before all faces, without any veil or covering, and summoned all to the supreme horizon. No fair-minded person can deny this fact, for they are witness and aware, if they speak truthfully. Yet when the lights of the Countenance shed but a glimmer of radiance, they emerged from behind the veil with the swords of malice, striving to cut down the Divine Tree, and continue to do so. They have made calumnies their pretext, and the helpless people, like sheep, move by the movement of these souls and turn by their bidding. How pitiful the state of a people whose leader is their most oppressive one and whose shepherd is their most misguided one. Would that a wolf were the leader of the people! Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God and the God of all things, the Purpose and Purpose of all created beings! I beseech Thee by Him Who came forth from the Hiding Place of the Unseen with the standards of the verses, to make me turn toward Thy most exalted horizon and stand firm in Thy Cause, O Creator of the heavens and Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names! O Lord! Thou seest me wavering in Thy Cause. Make clear to me Thy path even as Thou didst make manifest to me Thy proof. Verily Thou art the Powerful One Whom neither the might of hosts can withhold nor the clamor of multitudes can deter. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power that hath encompassed all things, and decreest what Thou pleasest through Thy command that hath pervaded earth and heaven. Give me to drink, O my God, of Thy sealed wine whose seal was broken by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, that my heart may be assured and mine eyes be gladdened and my breast be dilated and my foot made firm. Verily Thou art He Who hath never disappointed those who have hoped in Thee, nor turned away those who have sought Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praised be God! The waves of the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance have appeared in such wise that no fair-minded soul can find cause for hesitation, rejection or objection. Should anyone observe with an eye of fairness and reflect, he would discover the truth and station thereof even through the objections of heedless souls, for the fire of hatred blazeth in their hearts. Those possessed of keen sight and attentive ears perceive that which is concealed and hidden in the hearts of the deceivers. This evanescent servant is bewildered. If he remaineth silent, he witnesseth how oppressive souls, although utterly unaware of this Cause, have, out of their opposition to God, said whatsoever they have said. Therefore, this servant is compelled to mention certain matters, yet if he were to do so, he seeth that it would lead to increased enmity and hatred. Would that this servant had never become aware of the truth of this Cause from the beginning; perchance he might have maintained silence for a few days. O people of God! By the life of Him Who is our Purpose and your Purpose, our Beloved and your Beloved, these heedless and calumnious souls are unaware of the Cause, speaking and acting according to their desires. Their vain imaginings move them as they please, and they neither understand nor perceive this Day. Convey my greetings and praise to that distinguished person, and mention that in regard to the Qa’im, the truth lay with the Sunnis, for the Desired One appeared from physical descent in accordance with their beliefs, while the Shi’ih divines have been and continue to be in error from the beginning of Islam until now. Even now they await the appearance of an imaginary person from an imaginary Jabulqa. God protect us and you from the evil of such people. Nevertheless, they show no shame. The likes of these turbaned ones that are seen today, together with Ja’far and his sons before them, have led the helpless people astray and cast them into the well of vain imaginings. The Sun is shining and manifest, yet they shut their eyes and blindly search for Jabulqa and Jabulsa. Such is the station of these souls and the divines that preceded them back to the beginning of Islam. May God protect the sheep of the earth and guard them from wolves. Verily, He hath power over all things.

O Ali! The Wronged One of the world sends greetings and salutations and summons thee to the light of the Sun of Truth. Today the Sun of Divine Unity has risen and none is mentioned save God alone. The heedless people in all ages and centuries have perpetrated against the Manifestations of Truth that which ye have heard. Read what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “There cometh not unto them a Messenger…” and so forth. Today the gate of grace is opened wide and the fragrances of revelation waft from the garden of inner meanings. The fragrance of the Word of God is distinct and separate from all else. Should one be enabled to observe with his own eyes, he would behold the Sun of Truth at its meridian. The people have forsaken the Self-Subsisting Lord and cling to their own idle fancies, holding fast to the hem of self and desire. Say: Today a mere drop sufficeth not, and a single word bestoweth not independence. The Most Great Ocean surgeth and the Mother Book is manifest and speaketh. Deprive not yourselves of the purpose of all worlds through the sayings of this one or that. Say: O people of the Bayan! Like unto the people of the Furqan, ye defile yourselves with conflict, disputation, rancor and hatred. The lies and calumnies of twelve hundred years suffice. O Ali! By the life of God! The people are in manifest error. Beseech the Truth that He may enable thee to serve His Cause and to mention His praise, detached from the world and holding fast to the wisdom We have revealed in the Book. Stand for God’s sake and speak for God’s sake, that perchance the servants may be educated and arise to that which profiteth them. The honored Shaykh hath made mention of thee, wherefore this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of the utterance of the All-Merciful, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We are immersed in the ocean yet are unaware of the water; we are bathed in the light yet know not of the sun. If God, exalted be His glory, bestoweth not insight, all shall remain deprived. We beseech Him not to shut the door of His mercy and to pour forth the rain of His bounty. May He assist His servants that all may return and arise to compensate for that which hath escaped them. Yet this appeareth most difficult, for it is the recompense of deeds and actions that hath overtaken them. In any case, the tree of hope hath not been cut down. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Concerning what thou didst write about Haji Muhammad Rahim and Aqa Muhammad Rafi’ and their love and enthusiasm in the fire of divine love, this matter was presented before the throne of the Lord, exalted be His glory. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in the Kingdom of Knowledge. He saith, exalted and mighty be He:

O thou Merciful One! Reflect upon the deeds of those factions which, though destined for perdition, counted themselves among the saved. Say: Whither went those lamentations? What became of those sighs? Why were those tears shed? Through nights and days they bewailed and beseeched the Almighty, pleading for the appearance of the Qa’im, and at His mention would cry “May God hasten His advent!” Yet when the veil was rent asunder by the finger of might and the light of His countenance shone forth, they all arose to slay Him and issued decrees to shed His most pure blood. This same Ahmad who now stands in opposition - at first, like all the Shi’ih divines who turned away from Truth and clung to falsehood - perpetrated such acts as no denier or idolator had ever done since the beginning of the world. The opposition and denial of the people of Persia stemmed from the opposition of the divines, as in the early years all were occupied with cursing and execration, as you have surely heard and witnessed. Now the faction that claims adherence to the Bayan is afflicted with these same diseases. At first they were opposers, deniers and hypocrites, but when some measure of peace and security prevailed, they counted themselves among the foremost believers and busied themselves with leading astray the helpless people, rushing from city to city. By the life of God! They are engaged in deceit and guile at every moment, though they perceive it not. Such is the condition of heedless souls. Leave them to themselves; verily God is quit of them. We beseech God to assist thee to aid His Cause with wisdom and utterance in such wise that none can resist or prevent it. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

We make mention of thy brother as a token of Our grace, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. Say: By God! The appointed time hath come, and the Lord of Days hath appeared, and with Him are the tribes of the Concourse on High and the Kingdom of Names. He hath spoken before the faces of all the world: “The Most Great Name hath come with a sovereignty that hath conquered all who are in earth and heaven.” Thus hath the Cause appeared from the Dawning-Place of signs. Say: O people of the Bayan! Come ye, come ye, that I may show you My most exalted horizon and cause you to hear My sweetest call. Say: By God! This is the Day of Revelation wherein the Mount speaketh: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower.” Be fair, by God - by what proof did ye believe in the Primal Point, and before Him in Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before Him in the Spirit, and before Him in Him Who conversed with God? Fear God, O people, and be not of those who disputed God’s signs after they came to them from the heaven of Command with the standards of wisdom and proof. Among them were those who said “He hath forged a lie against God,” and among them were those who arose in opposition, to such extent that the clouds cried out: “Look not to the creatures and what issueth from their mouths, but to the Truth and His sovereignty that hath encompassed the horizons.” Glory be upon thee and upon him and upon every people that hath believed in God, the Lord of Lords.

O my beloved! His honor Aqa Shaykh Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God and His care, hath made mention of thee and thy brother, and likewise of the handmaidens of God. Therefore this most holy, most exalted Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of bounty. It is hoped that ye may drink from the ocean of its meanings and may bestow thereof, that perchance the heedless people may become sanctified from vain imaginings and doubts and may turn to the most exalted horizon of certitude.

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of the heaven of divine knowledge!

When mention was made of Aqa Siyyid Asadu’llah, it was submitted at the Most Holy Court, whereupon He said: “O thou who art present! Beseech God that He may strengthen him in turning unto Him, in recognition, in certitude and in steadfastness, in such wise that the doubts of the divines, who have been the cause and reason for the greatest hindrance to the servants in the days of every Manifestation, may not withhold him from the straight path and the clear and evident proof, and that the attractions of the world may not deprive him of true tranquility. The life of this world is like unto a bird that entereth through one door and goeth out through another - it hath not been, nor is it, worthy of attention. We beseech God not to deprive him who hath been mentioned of the choice wine of revelation, nor to withhold him from the fragrances of His days. Today the Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of all and summoneth all to the supreme horizon. Blessed are they that advance, blessed are they that attain, and woe unto the heedless and the transgressors.”

And likewise concerning Aqa ’Ali-’Askar these sublime words were revealed from the Dawning-Place of verses - blessed and exalted be His utterance: “The world was created for the knowledge of God, glorified be His majesty. All were brought from nothingness into being, and the divine hand of training hath nurtured all with the utmost spirit and joy until they reached maturity. Thereafter did He bestow His grace and showed the way. The proof and evidence were made manifest and the path became visible, yet thieves and betrayers held back the people from the path of God. Thus were some hindered, but others, through the finger of divine power, rent asunder the veils and tore away the shrouds, detached themselves from all else but God and turned unto the supreme horizon. These are souls who, like lightning, have passed over the bridge; the gulf of vain imaginings hath not deprived them of the ocean of inner meanings. Blessed are they, and unto them be a goodly beginning and end. O ’Ali-’Askar! The Wronged One of the world maketh mention of thee in the Most Great Prison. For the sake of God hath He spoken and doth speak. Know thou the value of this mention and arise with wisdom and utterance to make mention of the Goal of the worlds. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with. There is none other God but He, the Lord of the worlds to come and of the first.”

As to their mention of the people of Ravar and Sirjan, that they are ablaze with the fire of love and are awaiting the bounties of God, exalted be His glory - these details were submitted before the face of Him Who is our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in reply - blessed and exalted be His utterance:

A mention from Our presence to the friends of God and His loved ones who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and who have turned with radiant faces to the Most Exalted Horizon, and who heard when the Call was raised and answered their Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous, that the Call might draw them to the Divine Lote-Tree and bring them near to a station wherein naught is seen save the lights of the face of their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O people of Ravor! Hear the call of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, then judge with fairness concerning that which hath appeared by His firm and irrevocable Command. This is a Day wherein the heaven of divine knowledge hath been adorned with the stars of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is the soul that hath turned unto it and attained, and woe unto them that have turned away.

When the fragrance of the Revelation was diffused and the Speaker of the Mount gave voice, the people opposed Him. Some turned away, some objected, some denied and disbelieved, and some pronounced judgment against Him without any clear proof from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We found the people of the Bayan to be the most vehement in opposition after We came to them from the Dayspring of Power with verses that all the books of the world cannot equal, as every fair-minded and clear-sighted one doth testify. We informed all of the clamor when the Light was shining from the horizon of Iraq, as attested by that which was sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the Ancient Sender.

O people of the Bayan! Fear the Most Merciful and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come to you with a clear authority. By God! He Who was treasured in the hearts of the trustees and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, hath come. Fear God and oppose not Him through Whom every proof was established and every wise matter was made manifest. Were it not for Him, neither would the Point of the Bayan have come, nor Muhammad the Messenger of God, nor the Spirit, nor before Him the Interlocutor. Every luminary hath shone forth through My Name, and every Prophet hath attained through My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Verily, the Revealer of the Bayan hath circled round Me and made the Bayan contingent upon My acceptance, as testified by that which was revealed by Him, if ye be of them that know. O people of Sirjan! The Most Merciful remembereth you in His Most Great Prison that He might draw you nigh unto the ultimate goal and the most exalted summit. Give thanks unto God for this great bounty. Cast behind you all idle fancies, turning unto the horizon of certitude by the command of God, the Lord of this blessed and mighty Day.

Remember, then remember what the people of the Furqan committed when there came unto them the Manifestation of My most beautiful Names and My most exalted Attributes, Who was named ’Ali before Muhammad in My Book, which none hath known save My all-knowing Self. When He rent asunder the veil and revealed Himself, they rose against Him with such injustice as caused the Faithful Spirit to lament. Say: O people of the Furqan! Judge fairly by God - for what crime did ye rise against Him and decree the shedding of His pure and radiant blood? By the life of God! The people of the Bayan are more oppressive and more lost than they. They have risen up and said that which none before them had ever said, save that they are among the companions of the Fire in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

We counsel you and the party of God with that whereby His Cause may be exalted among His servants, and with trustworthiness, religiosity, truthfulness and faithfulness. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken at this time when the Most Great Announcement hath been established upon the throne of His Great Name. Praise be to God, the Lord of this mighty and glorious Day.

Glorified be God! The blind ones of the world have objected to the Lord of the world. To what cord do they cling and to what hem do they hold fast? Do the people of the Bayan intend to walk in the ways of the Shi’ih sect and hold to the deeds of those souls, or to speak words like unto theirs? O ye who are endowed with sight! Ye have witnessed with your outward eyes the fruits and consequences of their deeds. Ask ye of God, exalted be His glory, whatsoever conduceth to salvation and prosperity. That sect, after twelve hundred years, committed that which neither Shaddad nor Pharaoh perpetrated. For Pharaoh did not, by mere word, pronounce judgment against the Interlocutor, whereas this erring Shi’ih sect, in the first year of the Manifestation, caused both the divines and their followers to decree the death of that Essence of being. Haji Mirza Karim Khan, who was the chief of the Shaykhis, committed that which caused the denizens of the all-highest Paradise to lament. Every year he would write a book in refutation of the Truth, exalted be His glory. And now those who were at first counted among his dead followers raise objections against the Divine Lote-Tree. Fie upon them and their sense of fairness! The fruits of these souls’ deeds will, after a thousand years and more, be like unto the fruits of the former sect. O people of God! Wherever ye are dwelling and in whatever land ye reside, arise to serve the Cause, trusting in God and detached from all else. Perchance through the hosts of wisdom and utterance ye may protect the helpless people, lest they be again deprived of the Sun of Truth through the vain imaginings of the leaders and be forbidden from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon. Are there to be found in the world those possessed of hearing ears? Do penetrating eyes exist? This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth the King of the Kingdom of inner meanings to protect His loved ones from the chains of idle fancies and the arrows of vain imaginings. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. This servant conveyeth greetings and salutations to the people of God wherever they may be found, and entreateth God, exalted be His glory, to raise up each one like unto a banner in His praise and glorification, that all may find in them the attributes and characteristics of God and thereby be guided to the Most Great Ocean. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Glory and praise and exaltation rest upon you and upon those who are with you and upon those who hearken unto your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. And praise be to Him, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

=== END BH00016 ===

=== START BH00017 ===

In the Name of the Most Great, Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious!

O Nightingale! Hear thou the Call, for verily it appeareth at times in the name of the Beloved, and at other times in My name the Well-Beloved, and yet again in the name of My Most Exalted Pen, and at times by this Name whereby the limbs of all names have trembled and all who are in earth and heaven have been thunderstruck, save whom God willeth–thy Lord, the Protector of all things. He, verily, is the Single One, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We have mentioned thee before in such wise that the fragrance of utterance was wafted throughout all possibility and the breeze of God passed over all who are in the heavens and on earth. By God! The Sacred Valley hath perceived the fragrance of the garment of the Lord of Names, and the Hijaz hath quivered and cried out: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds, for having manifested Thyself unto Thy servants and honored Thy lands with Thy footsteps!” I testify that through Thee the Object of desire hath appeared and every beloved one hath turned toward God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. The Spirit in the wilderness of longing calleth unto the Lord of creation, saying: “Here am I, O Desired One of the world! Here am I, O Beloved of them that know!”

This is the Day whereon all things have been illumined by the lights of the Manifestation, yet most of the people remain heedless. The Mount of Sinai crieth out before the Manifestation and summoneth all unto the gathering-place of the Messengers. Behold then the people and their stations. They were waiting through nights and days for Him Whom they were promised aforetime in the Book of God, yet when the time came and the banner of the Manifestation was raised, they turned away from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We shall cease mention of them and make mention of those who have believed there, with such mention as shall draw their minds and hearts in such wise that the divines of the earth shall not deter them from My straight path. By God! They are worshippers of fancy and idle imaginings. Knowledge itself hath disowned them, as doth My tongue testify in My mighty and glorious kingdom. They are they who turned away from the Countenance and opposed God when He came with an evidence that hath conquered all things and with a Cause before which all in the heavens and earth are powerless.

The letter which thou didst send to the Name of Bounty hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant present before the Throne hath read it. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. We have desired to mention every name that was in thy letter, that they might rejoice in the bounty of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O Mahdi! The Book, in the form of My Most Great Name, speaketh throughout the world: “There is none other God but I, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.” Blessed is the ear that hath been honored to hear the Call of God, and woe unto him who hath turned away and followed every heedless doubter. At all times it calleth unto all who are in the realm of possibility and summoneth the people unto God, the Lord of all men. Thy mention hath been made in the prison, and there hath been sent down for thee that which hath made the lips of utterance to smile. Rejoice thou in My mention, then thank thy Lord Who created thee and made thee to know the Dawning-Place of His verses and aided thee in this Cause whereby feet have slipped. Blessed art thou, and blessed are thy father, thy mother, thy sister and thy spouse. We send Our greetings upon him and upon them from this Spot which God hath made the Dawning-Place of His verses.

O Ali! Give thanks for the tongue of grandeur hath made mention of thee from its most exalted horizon and calleth thee and all who are on earth to the Most Great Ocean which hath appeared before all faces through My Name, the One Who holdeth dominion over all created things. We desired to draw the peoples near unto God, the Lord of eternity, yet they rose up to harm Us in such wise as caused the Concourse on High to lament, and the dwellers of Paradise and they who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn to weep. We have heard thy call and have answered thee from the Most Great Scene wherefrom the Lord of Decree proclaimeth: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.” Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto My days, and the tongue that hath spoken My praise, and the eye that hath turned toward My horizon, and the house wherein My remembrance is exalted, and the one who hath hastened to the straight path. We make mention of Baqir and Asghar and give them glad-tidings of the Most Great Remembrance which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen in the most exalted station. The glory of God rest upon thee and upon them and upon thy mother and thy sister from God, the Revealer of verses.

We make mention of Our handmaiden and say: O My handmaiden! How many a queen hath failed to recognize God, and how many a king hath remained heedless of Him Who remembereth him night and day. How many a prince hath been deceived by the world, and how many a great one hath been veiled by all things. Yet thou hast turned unto thy Lord and recognized Him and composed in His remembrance that which hath gladdened the hearts of them who are endued with understanding. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee in His Cause and made thee know the Dawning-Place of His names from Whom the servants are veiled. Blessed is the tongue that hath spoken My praise, and the heart that hath been adorned with the ornament of My love, and the countenance that hath turned toward God, the Lord of all religions. Thy praise hath been read before the Throne and We have accepted it as a bounty from Us and recorded it in the Book. Sing, O My handmaiden, upon the branches of the tree of My knowledge. Verily it shall profit thee in all the worlds of My worlds. Thy Lord, the Sender of winds, beareth witness unto this.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath believed in God, the Lord of Names, that he may rejoice and be of them that are steadfast. O Joseph-‘Ali! We have observed thy turning unto Us and We have turned unto thee from this Station which God hath made the seat of His mighty Throne. God hath elevated the station of the Prison to such a degree that every lofty station is beneath it. I bear witness to that which God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth: There is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh is verily the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery. He hath appeared in truth with a sovereignty that the hosts of the earth could not withstand, nor could the oppressors’ might prevent it. Say: O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the Name that hath been sanctified from letters and words and exalted above tongues and voices, to aid me to be steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise in Thy remembrance and praise. O my Lord! I am he who hath turned his face toward Thy face. I beseech Thee to cause me to be immersed in the ocean of Thy forgiveness and to hold fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O Messenger! The Lord of existence and the Lord of Hosts makes mention of thee from this praiseworthy station. We inform thee of the Messenger who soared in Mine atmosphere and spoke My praise amongst My servants and was seized by the Kawthar of Mine utterance to such extent that he sacrificed his spirit in My path. Thus doth mention thee He with Whom is the preserved Book.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of My servant, the Messenger, who was martyred in Zawra. He it was who was entrusted with the giving of water at My Sacred House after the servant who stood present before the Throne of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He went forth at dawn to give water at the House of God on the Day of the Covenant, whereupon the idolaters slew him with tyranny. All things lamented for him, as did those who circle round the Throne with humility and reverence.

Make mention of him on My behalf and say: O thou who didst speak in remembrance of the Lord of Names and who didst turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon! The first fragrance that wafted from the rose-garden of inner meanings be upon thee. I testify that thou didst hear the Call and didst turn toward Zawra, the seat of thy Lord’s throne, the Creator of heaven, until thou didst enter the praiseworthy station and didst attain the presence of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. Thou art he whom the clamor of the nations did not deter, nor did the affairs of the world. Thou didst turn with thy face, thine eyes, thy heart and all thy limbs toward God, the King of Kings, and thou didst circle round the House until thou didst drink the choice wine of martyrdom in the path of the Wronged One. Upon thee be the glory of God and the glory of all who are in the heavens and the earth, and the glory of all who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving.

Verily We make mention of him who hath turned towards My horizon and clung to the cord of My loving-kindness, he who hath been named Muhammad-before-Mahdi, that he may rejoice in My remembrance, He at Whose appearance the Nightingale of Utterance warbled upon the branches “There is none other God but Him,” and all things between earth and heaven proclaimed “The Promised One hath come from the heaven of grace and favor.” The Kingdom hath cried out: “By God! The Lord of Dominion hath appeared with such sovereignty that none in the heavens and earth can withstand!” And the Maids of Paradise cried out from the Most Exalted Paradise: “Blessed be the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, Who hath appeared and manifested Himself through His most beautiful names unto all who dwell in the kingdom of command and creation. Draw nigh, O people of earth, and be not of the heedless! By God, the Day of God hath appeared and the veil hath been lifted from that which was hidden, treasured, and concealed behind the veils of the Unseen. When the appointed time was fulfilled, He revealed Himself as a favor from His presence. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful. This is the Day whereon the Herald of Sinai speaketh and the Lord of Hosts proclaimeth before all the world: ‘There is none other God but I, the Peerless, the All-Informed.’ Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils and turned unto the All-Bestowing One, while every heedless and remote one turned away. Behold those who claim allegiance to the Qur’an and profess knowledge - they pride themselves in My name amongst My servants, yet when I revealed Myself they turned away and denied Him in Whom they had believed. Thus doth the Wronged One make mention of thee that thou mayest be among them that know. Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned by My Most Exalted Pen. By God, this is better for thee than all that is on earth - to this My tongue in My remote prison doth testify.

We make mention too of thy son who hath attained unto the loving-kindness of his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Whoso hath today turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon and acknowledged that which the Lord of Names hath acknowledged, he is of the people of Baha in a preserved Tablet. We beseech God to assist thee and him and to strengthen you both to remain steadfast in this mighty Cause. Blessed art thou, O Huda, for having turned unto God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, the Lord of the Beginning and the End, on the Day whereon the earth was cleft asunder and the mountains were crushed. Joy be to the one who hath shattered the idols in the name of the Lord of all men, and hath drunk the sealed wine in His name, the Self-Subsisting, and hath voiced His praise amidst the factions. We have seen thy devotion and have turned toward thee, and have heard thy call and have answered thee with this Book, at whose revelation in truth the books of the world cried out and proclaimed: “By God, the Mother Book hath appeared, having dawned from the horizon of utterance in the name of thy Lord, the Most Merciful!” Say: O people of creation! By God, the gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come upon the clouds. Come ye forth from the dwellings of fancy and vain imaginings. By the life of God! The Days have come whose mention hath adorned the holy Books and Tablets.

Hearken, O Javad, to the scratching of the Pen of My Will, and the flowing of the water of My loving-kindness, and the rustling of the breezes of Revelation in My days, and the murmuring of the Divine Lote-Tree which hath been raised up through this Name before which all necks have bowed low. Beseech thou God to make thee enkindled with the fire of His love and speaking in praise of His Self, and turning in all conditions toward the door of His grace, for which no doorkeeper hath been ordained. Take thou the chalice of eternity in the name of thy Lord, the Most Glorious, then drink from it the crystal pure water once in My name and again in remembrance of Me, before Whom all remembrances bow down. Thus hath the brocade of the Book of Utterance been adorned with the mention of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. When thou hast attained unto this, render thanks and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Revealer of the verses!”

O Ali! The Wronged One addresses thee from this station that the rapture of thy Lord’s utterance, the Lord of all being, may seize thee. I bear witness to that which God hath witnessed, that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is the tongue that hath confessed what the Tongue of Grandeur hath confessed, and the face that hath turned toward the face of God, the Lord of the Kingdom. Say: This is the Day whereof Muhammad, the Apostle of God, gave tidings aforetime, and before Him the Gospel and the Psalms. Fear ye God, O people, and deny not this bounty that hath encompassed both the seen and the unseen. Cast away what ye possess and take what is with God. Thus doth the Dawning-Place of Revelation command you in this perspicuous Tablet. Shun, O people, those who have followed their own desires and disbelieved in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Hold fast unto the hem of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and say: Praise be unto Thee for having made known unto me the Manifestation of Thy Self and enabled me to remember and glorify Thee on a Day whereon faces were darkened. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have fulfilled Thy Covenant and aided Thy irrevocable Cause.

O Muhammad-’Ali! We give thee the glad-tidings of God’s manifestation, His sovereignty, His power and His might, that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that render thanks. The horizon of the world hath been illumined with the Most Great Name’s splendor, yet the nations are wrapt in a manifest veil. All things have been set ablaze by the fire of thy Lord’s Word, the Lord of all names, yet the concourse of creation hath followed their desires and turned away from that which was promised them in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Whenever the Pen is restrained from mentioning the Ancient King, it seizes the hem of its Lord, the Creator of the heavens, with the hands of supplication and saith: O Lord of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name not to deprive me of Thy remembrance in Thy days. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Grant me leave, O my God, to inform the people of what Thou hast taught me of the mysteries of Thy wisdom and shown me of the pearls of Thy knowledge, that by them may be attracted the hearts of Thy servants who have turned unto Thee when most of Thy creation turned away.

Thus was the matter decreed when the Ancient Beauty walked in this noble scene. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as the face of God hath turned toward thee, and the Speaker of Sinai converseth with thee as a token of His grace. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

O Mahmud! Hear My call from My glorious station, then bear witness to that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath witnessed: that there is none other God but Me, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. We have sent the Messengers and revealed the Books, and have expounded therein that which will raise the servants to the ultimate goal and the supreme Paradise. Yet the people turned away, having followed every rejected barker. How many a scholar hath clung to the Law and thereby condemned its Revealer! The dwellers of the pavilion of My majesty and the tabernacle of My protection bear witness to this, yet most people are heedless. Blessed is the seeing one whom desires have not kept back from the Lord of all beings, and the hearing one who hath turned and heard the call of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Loving.

O Rida! By God! Whoso hath gained My good-pleasure, he is of the people of My Kingdom. The Concourse on High pray for him and the dwellers of the Cities of Names. The Creator of heaven beareth witness to this in this irrevocable Book. He that attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good, and he that is debarred therefrom is of the people of the tomb. Blessed is the soul that hath cast away what it desired and taken what God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, hath willed. In God’s knowledge there is no station greater than this. Well is it with him who hath quaffed this choice wine from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Forgiving. Didst thou but know the sweetness of thy Lord’s utterance, thou wouldst soar in the air and walk upon the water, and cry out in the wilderness of the world: “Here am I, here am I, O God of existence! Here am I, here am I, O Lord of the seen and unseen! Here am I, here am I, O King of kings!” I testify that through Thee the world hath been honored, and at Thy manifestation the Mount was stirred, and it proclaimeth, saying: “All praise be unto Thee, O Thou through Whom all things have spoken and the hidden treasures have appeared!” Thus have We adorned the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the sun of knowledge. Give thanks, then praise thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

O ’Ali-Qabl-i-Naqi! We make mention of thee purely for My sake, that My call may draw thee unto My Kingdom and bring thee nigh unto the ocean of My grace. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. One word of thy Lord excelleth all the treasures of the earth. Know thou this and be of them that give thanks. Reflect upon thy Lord’s favor - He remembereth thee in the Most Great Prison with a mention that surpasseth what the kings and rulers possess. When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of My utterance and attained unto My Book, arise, turning toward the Qiblih of all existence, and say:

O God of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the fragrances of Thy days and the sweet scents of the garment of Thy grace, to make me steadfast and firm in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and within Thy grasp is the Kingdom of Names. Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou desirest.

O Lion! Hearken unto the call of the One, the Unique. He calleth thee unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Among the people are those who desire to extinguish the light of God. Say: Woe betide thee, O heedless and remote one! He hath established His Cause upon a foundation firm and unshakeable, which neither the winds of the world nor the signs of the nations can move. Thus hath the matter been decreed in a guarded Tablet. Say: O concourse of divines! Why have ye turned away from Him through Whom your names were exalted and your stations elevated? Fear God and be not of those who have disbelieved in God’s proof after its appearance and have turned away from God’s favor after its descent. Thus doth the Lord of all beings counsel you as a favor from Him, and He is the All-Wise Counselor. Say: Through your tyranny the Messengers of God have lamented in the most exalted station and the denizens of Paradise in a noble place. Fear God and pronounce not judgment against Him by Whom the Balance hath been set up and the path of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, hath appeared. Would ye slay Him Who calleth you to the most sublime horizon and sendeth down to you from the heaven of the Spirit that which attracteth the minds of the discerning? Fear God and be not of the oppressors. The ocean of knowledge hath appeared before your faces while ye wander bewildered in the desert of idle fancies. Raise your heads, for the Sun is at its zenith. Thus doth God remind you as a favor from Him. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O Nasrollah! Let not the affairs of the world grieve thee, nor the might of nations cause thee fear. Place thy trust in all conditions in the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Verily He witnesseth and seeth, and within His grasp is the Kingdom of the beginning and the end. He ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of them that have attained His presence and have drunk from the ocean of His reunion. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. Say: That which was never manifested in the world hath appeared. Hearken, O people, unto the call of Him Who speaketh amidst the nations. Beware lest the affairs of creation debar you from the Truth. Leave them to themselves and turn ye unto the Mighty, the Praised. The glory from the Lord of Heaven be upon every servant who hath turned and believed, and upon every maidservant who hath heard and drunk the pure water of her Lord’s love, the Self-Sufficient, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O Most Exalted Pen! Turn toward them that have believed in God, the Creator of the heavens, and withhold not from them thy most sweet voice. We have made thee the interpreter in the kingdom by thy Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Give glad-tidings to Our servant who hath been named Iskandar of that which the Lord of Destiny hath mentioned him from the Most Sublime Vision, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Say: Thou hast drunk from the Water of Life, from which the first Alexander was debarred. To this beareth witness the King of nations and the Remover of ills, Who speaketh in the Most Great Prison amidst the nations. There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He traversed the lands but attained not his desire, whilst thou hast attained it in thine abode, through the bounty of One Who is Forgiving, Generous. Say: The Water of Life is the love of the All-Merciful in creation. Exalted is he who hath taken and drunk in My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Reflect upon the generations of old. Where is Alexander and his like? Where are their victorious standards and their upraised banners? Where are their brandished spears and their flying arrows? Where are their outstretched necks and their lofty palaces? Where are their pitched tents and their raised pavilions? Where are their effective commands and their towering strongholds? Where is the clash of their swords and the neighing of their steeds? Where are the warbling of their birds and the melodies of their singers? Where is the cooing of their doves and the murmuring of their rivers? Where is he at whose might the world trembled and nations were distressed? Where is he who prided himself in dominion while turning away from the Kingdom? Where is he whom vainglory seized until he turned away from the Lord of Might? Where is he who ruled the horizons? Where is he who broke the Covenant? Where is she at whose swaying and stature the willow branch was put to shame, and at the unveiling of whose beauty and countenance the sun stood still? Where are the palaces of the Caesars and the branches of the Pharaohs? Where is the might of the Chosroes and the tyranny of oppressors? Where is he whom ranks deceived and who saw thousands behind him? Where is he who soared in the atmosphere of vainglory and turned away from God, the Lord of Resurrection? Where are their carpets and their delights, their glory and their power? Where are their treasures and their ornaments, their commands and their temples? God hath brought them down from the highest chambers of their palaces to the lowest depths of their graves. Were anyone to search therein, could he distinguish the skulls of kings from subjects, or the fingers of the wealthy from the destitute? Nay, by the Lord of the Kingdom and the Sovereign of the Realm! They have returned to their dwellings and rest in their tombs. Their stations and conditions have been taken from them. Verily, we are God’s and to Him we shall return. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken amongst creation. Read and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the worlds. Therefore, beseech God to make thee steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and to bring thee to a station wherein the hosts of the oppressors shall not prevent thee.

A mention from Us to him who was named Muhammad-Hasan, that the remembrance of God may draw him nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, from whose surging waves can be heard: “There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Loving.”

O people of the earth! Make not God’s religion a cause of variance among you. Verily it hath been sent down in truth for the unification of all who dwell in the world. Fear God and be not of the ignorant. Blessed is he who loveth the world purely for the sake of his Lord, the Bountiful. Hold fast unto the Most Holy Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down from His holy and inviolable Kingdom. Verily it is God’s Balance amongst you, whereby all deeds are weighed, from the presence of One mighty and powerful. Blessed is he who hath found in it the sweetness of his Lord’s utterance and hath drunk from its words the Kawthar of God’s commandments, the Lord of all worlds.

Revile no one among you, nor follow in the footsteps of the heedless. We have come for the unity and concord of all who dwell on earth. To this beareth witness that which hath appeared from the ocean of Mine utterance amongst My servants, yet most of the people are in manifest remoteness. Should anyone revile you or harm befall you in God’s path, be patient and put your trust in the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. He verily witnesseth and seeth, and doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty. He is, in truth, the Powerful, the Mighty.

Ye have been forbidden to engage in conflict and contention in God’s Book, the Lord of the mighty Throne. Hold fast unto that which profiteth you and the peoples of the world. Thus doth command you the Lord of all being, Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name. He is, in truth, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

When thou receivest My Book, say: “I testify that Thou art He by Whom the Bridge was erected, the Balance was set up, the Trumpet was blown, and all in the heavens and earth were struck down, and there appeared a preserved tablet.”

God’s countenance hath willed to turn toward one of His servants and mention him as a bounty from His presence. He is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O Siyyid Asad! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee and calleth thee to God, the Lord of the worlds. Be thankful that My Pen hath moved to remember thee, My face hath turned toward thee, and there hath been sent down for thee from the kingdom of My revelation that which, were it to be laid upon the mountains, thou wouldst behold them humbled and brought low before God, the Single, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Say: My God, my God! At every stone I love to call Thee by Thy gracious Name, and at every clod to remember Thee by Thy merciful Name. In the mountains I love to raise my cry in love for Thy beauty, and upon the hills my lamentation and call in yearning for Thy presence. Ordain for me, O my God, what hath been decreed by the Pen of Thy ordainment in Thy path and Thy good-pleasure. Thou seest, O my God, my tears in my separation from Thee and my sighs in my reunion with Thee. I beseech Thee by the Most Exalted Word whereby Thou art extolled between earth and heaven, that Thou write down for Thy servant from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall render him wholly detached unto Thee, holding fast unto Thee, standing firm in Thy service, and awaiting Thy command. O Lord! The ocean of poverty hath been stirred within itself when it beheld the waves of the ocean of Thy riches. Ordain for him, O my God, what beseemeth Thee in Thy days. Thou art verily the Powerful over what Thou willest. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Thus have We opened unto thy face the gate of utterance that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Informed.

And We make mention of him who was named Sadiq, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of his Lord and be of those who have turned with their whole being unto God, the Lord of all men. Say: […]

O my God, my God! Wherefore didst Thou create eyes for Thy servants and bestow upon them insight through Thy grace? If Thou didst grant them to behold Thy beauty and to gaze upon the lights of Thy countenance, then remove from them the veils through Thy bounty and favors that they may behold Thee established upon the throne of Thy greatness in Thy days. And if Thou didst create them, O my God, for aught else, then all things bear witness that they are in a loss than which there can be none greater in Thy dominion. By Thy glory, O Beloved of my heart and Purpose of my being! I would rather Thou shouldst chastise me with a chastisement than which there can be none greater in Thy knowledge, and ordain for me the sweetness of meeting Thee. O Lord! I was asleep when the breeze of Thy day of manifestation stirred me, and when it awakened me, Thou didst inspire me with that of which I had been heedless in Thy days. O Lord! I perceived Thy fragrance and hastened unto Thee. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of what Thou hast ordained in Thy Book from the wonders of Thy grace, nor to forbid me from standing firm in Thy Cause. Write down for me then, O my God, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the good of this world and the world to come. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful.

O ‘Ali! The heart of the world hath turned to its loved ones and counseleth them with that wherewith We counseled one of Our Branches who was named Badi’u’llah in the Book of Names and ’Ali-Muhammad in the Tablet wherein He speaketh that there is none other God but I, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We counsel all to patience, calmness and trustworthiness, which is God’s trust among His creatures. Blessed are they who raise high its standards and preserve its station. We said: O Badi’! Be generous in prosperity and grateful in adversity. Be trustworthy in all things, cheerful in countenance, a treasure to the poor and a counselor to the rich. Be answering to the call, faithful to thy promise and fair in thy judgment. Be silent in the multitude, just in thy verdict, submissive unto man. Be as a lamp in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, a helper and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a stronghold for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We ask God to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred. He verily is nigh, ready to answer. Thus hath My tongue spoken unto one of My Branches and We have mentioned it unto Our loved ones who have cast away idle fancies and taken that which they were commanded in the Day in which the Sun of Certitude hath shone forth from the horizon of the Will of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn! Hear what the Wronged One calleth unto thee. He mentioneth thee purely for the sake of God, that thou mayest arise to celebrate His praise and glorification amongst His servants. Let not the affairs of men grieve thee, nor the intimations of those who have denied the Beginning and the End cause thee fear. Cast aside what the people possess, as bidden by Us, and take what thou art given in the Book. Say: O concourse of earth! By God, the Preserved Tablet hath appeared, and He walketh among His servants, saying: “This is the Day ye were promised in God’s Books of old.” Fear God, and follow not every doubting idolater. Rend asunder the veils in My Name and burn away the shrouds with the fire of My love. Thus commandeth you He Who speaketh the truth from the most exalted station.

Blessed is the stranger who seeketh his true home, the distant one who hasteneth to the ocean of nearness, and the ailing one who turneth to the Kawthar of healing on the Day when all things proclaim: “The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of lords!” Know thou the worth of these days and take the chalice of detachment in the name of thy Lord, the Possessor of all mankind. Then drink thereof with joy and fragrance. Behold, then mention the world and what thou observest therein of its conditions, its changes and variations. By God! It constantly calleth unto its people, saying: “Take ye warning, O ye who are endowed with insight!” It remindeth men and informeth them of its transience and evanescence, yet the people remain in wondrous drunkenness.

Hear My call and act in accordance with what thou art bidden in this Book, to which the atoms themselves bear witness. How many a man of learning hath been misled by his knowledge and learning, and how many an ignorant one hath drawn nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast caused me to know the Dawning-Place of Thy signs on this Day when the thunder lamenteth and the clouds cry out by reason of what hath befallen the chosen ones of God at the hands of such as have been kept back by their wealth and their souls from God on the Day of Return!” Blessed is the eye that hath won illumination from the light of the Countenance and the heart that hath turned toward the Qiblih of all horizons.

O Bird of Utterance! Warble upon the branches in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Then make mention of him who hath been named Baha’u’d-Din, that the rapture of his Lord’s verses may so grip him that he may soar on the wings of longing at all times unto God, the Lord of the Day of Separation. This is a Book sent down by the All-Bountiful when He came upon the clouds, and all parties turned away save whom God, the Lord of all men, willed. By God! This indeed is the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery. He hath come from the Dawning-Place of the Spirit with verses which all who are in the heavens and on earth were powerless to comprehend, save whom God aided through His grace. He is, in truth, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

We have heard what the Nightingale–who was thus named by the tongue of God, the Lord of creation–warbled, and We have heard thy mention. We make mention of thee through this Book which proclaimeth throughout the world that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Blessed art thou and thy father who soared to My horizon, heard My call, and was so enraptured by My verses that he offered up his life in My path. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from the most exalted station. We make mention of him as We mentioned him before, as a token of Our grace, for We are the Mighty, the All-Bounteous. Upon him be My glory and the glory of the denizens of My Kingdom and My Realm, and the glory of them that circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. Hold thou fast unto the cord of wisdom, then beseech God to give thee to drink, with the hands of grace, from the Kawthar of steadfastness, and to ordain for thee what He hath ordained for every patient believer.

O Muhammad-Sadiq! Rejoice in that which the Countenance of God, the Sovereign Lord, the Self-Subsisting, hath turned towards thee, and remembereth thee with that which causeth the fragrance of the All-Merciful to be diffused throughout all creation. Blessed be God, the Lord of what was and what shall be! When the horizon of the heaven of knowledge was illumined and the river of wisdom flowed forth, the divines turned away therefrom and pronounced their verdict against Him, the mention of Whom adorneth the Preserved Tablet. They had awaited the days of God, yet when He appeared with the truth, they disbelieved in both the Witness and the Witnessed. Say: O concourse of divines! Fear God and follow not your idle fancies. Leave your abodes, turning towards God, the Lord of all being. Your knowledge and all that ye possess will profit you not this day. Cast away your vain imaginings and take hold of that which hath been given you by God, the Lord of the Kingdom. How many a mystic hath given verdict against Him Who is known, how many a learned one hath passed judgment against Him Who is the All-Knowing, and how many an unlettered one hath entered the Kingdom in the name of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving. If thou art intoxicated by the choice wine of My utterance and attracted by the living waters of My knowledge, take thou the chalice of detachment in My Name, then drink from it in remembrance of Me, the Well-Beloved. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken when the Lord of all names was established upon the most exalted heights with a sovereignty that subdued both the seen and the unseen.

O Supreme Pen! Make mention once again of the Nightingale who hath turned towards God, the Lord of creation, while every learned one turned away from Him, every mystic opposed Him, and every judge pronounced his verdict of unbelief in God, the Lord of all worlds. By God! My sighs have ascended, My tears have fallen, the eye of My loving-kindness hath wept, and My heart hath lamented to behold the servants turning away from the ocean of My mercy, the sun of My bounty, and the heaven of My generosity which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. The tongue of Him Who is the Desired One giveth them glad-tidings and calleth them to the praiseworthy station, yet they pronounce judgment against Him with manifest tyranny. They have violated the Covenant of God and His testament, and have disbelieved in Him in Whom they had formerly believed. He Who possesseth the pearls of knowledge from the presence of One knowing and wise doth testify to this. This is a Day wherein the Balance crieth out, saying: “By God! The All-Merciful is come, and I am the All-Discerning, the All-Informed,” wherein the Straight Path proclaimeth: “The Straight Way hath appeared,” and wherein the atoms cry out: “O peoples of earth and heaven! The Revealer of verses hath come with a sovereignty before which neither the hosts of the world can prevail, nor the might of those who have been heedless of this momentous Cause.” That which had never appeared in creation hath been made manifest, yet most of the people remain heedless.

O Ashraf! Thou art he who hast followed the example of thy Lord. The clamour of all who dwell on earth deterred Him not from the Cause. He proclaimed with loudest voice and summoned all to the Almighty, the All-Praised. Thou hast verily aided the Faith of God and His Cause, and hast occupied thyself with teaching in these days wherein the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, and whereby the Books of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beauteous, have been adorned. Thou art he whom the affairs of the world have not withheld from the mention of the Lord of all creation. To this beareth witness the Lord of the throne and of earth in this exalted station. Grieve not at anything. Put thy trust in God. He is with thee under all conditions. He is verily the All-Seeing Witness. Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear God and follow not your desires. Hasten unto the Most Great Ocean which hath surged amongst creation through a sovereignty that hath subdued the worlds. Remember when the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in the Most Great Prison at the beginning of days: The ocean of tribulation hath surged and its waves have encompassed the Ark of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. O Mariner! Be not dismayed by the winds. Verily the Cleaver of the Dawn is with Us in this darkness that hath encompassed the worlds. Thus hath shone forth the Sun of Utterance from the horizon of thy Lord’s will, the All-Merciful, yet most of the people are sunk in slumber. They have not been awakened by the Call of God nor have they found the sweetness of His verses. To this testifieth every knowing, perceiving one. Say: O peoples of the earth! By God, the Ship of God hath sailed upon the ocean of utterance, and verily it passeth over land and sea, were ye of them that comprehend. Hold fast unto it in the name of God, your Lord. He will save you through His grace. He is verily the Forgiving, the Bountiful. When thou didst inhale the fragrance of My utterance from My raiment and didst attain unto My Book, say: Unto Thee be glory, O Beloved of the worlds, and unto Thee be praise, O God of those who are in the heavens and on earth. Rejoice in that the Wronged One hath mentioned thee time and again with verses whose sweet savours shall never be cut off from the world. To this beareth witness the Lord of eternity from this luminous horizon. O Most Exalted Pen! Say: Through My most sweet call have all things been enraptured, and through My Most Great Name hath surged the ocean of names, and the fragrance of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, hath been wafted. Say: Through this Revelation hath returned the discourse of Sinai, the trumpet hath been blown, and the servants have stood before God, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: By My finger hath been broken the seal of the Choice Wine, and the Self-Subsisting hath appeared and hath arisen to promote the Cause in such wise that neither the clamour of the people nor the might of hosts could deter Him. O ’Isa! Rejoice that the Lord of the throne and of earth maketh mention of thee. By God! This is a station with which nothing on earth can compare. Ponder and say: Unto Thee be praise, O God of the seen and the unseen. Say: This is the land wherein was raised the call of the Son of Mary, who gave the glad-tidings to the people of this Revelation, at whose appearance the Concourse on High proclaimed: The Hidden Mystery hath come with evident sovereignty. This is a station round which circled the Spirit and the denizens of the highest Paradise. To this testifieth the Lord of Names, yet the people hear not. Cast aside all else and take hold of My Book. Thus commandeth thee the Tongue of My grandeur from this Spot wherein naught can be seen save God, the Lord of existence.

O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One Who hath appeared with His Name, the Self-Subsisting. He summoneth all to the supreme horizon and the most exalted station. To this testifieth all things, yet most of the people are turned away. Bear ye witness as God hath borne witness before the creation of the heavens and earth that there is none other God but I, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We counsel you with that wherewith We counseled one of Our Branches through Our Pen, who was named Diya’u’llah in Our Preserved Tablet. God beareth witness that I have believed in Him through Whose remembrance the near ones have quaffed the choice sealed wine, and the sincere ones that which none in the heavens and earth can comprehend, save whom God willeth, the Lord of all worlds.

O Diya! Be patient in tribulation, content in all matters, assured in truth, swift to good works, submissive unto God, a concealer of people’s faults, detached from passion, hastening unto truth, like unto a cloud for mankind, tender in error, forgiving in transgression, steadfast in the Covenant, and firm in the Cause. Thus doth the Wronged One counsel thee. Moreover, He counseleth thee to fear God, then to be trustworthy and truthful. Hold fast unto these - yea, hold fast unto these. Blessed art thou and those who love thee for the sake of God, and woe betide those who hate thee and turn away from that which is ordained in the Book.

O Abraham! Hear the call of God, the Single, the Wise. He hath heard thy call and answered thee through His grace. He is verily the Forgiving, the Generous. When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My utterance, turn thy face toward My direction and say: I testify that by Thee the Resurrection hath appeared, by Thy manifestation the trumpet hath been blown, and by Thy supreme Word all things have spoken: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Single, the All-Informed.” Shouldst thou taste the sweetness of Mine utterance, thou wouldst soar on the wings of yearning in Mine atmosphere and witness that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath witnessed in the kingdom of Mine utterance. Thy Lord is verily the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. We make mention of thy brother and those with you who have turned unto God on a day wherein the limbs of every remote oppressor did quake. Thus have We adorned the ocean of utterance with the ark of inner meanings, which saileth thereon through My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous. It behooveth you to thank God in all conditions for this supreme bounty.

O Safa! The Lord of Names, Who hath appeared with His Name, the Self-Subsisting, maketh mention of thee - He through Whom the seal of the choice sealed wine was broken. Blessed is he who hath sought, drunk, and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!” Say: He hath come with God’s proof and His evidence, and uttereth at all times: “The Kingdom is God’s, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not those who have turned away from the Face whereby the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Great, hath been illumined. By God! By the movement of My Pen the Concourse on High was stirred, and by My call the cry was raised from the Retreats of Grandeur, yet most of the people are heedless. He calleth all unto the Most Great Ocean, yet most of the nations are turned away. Thus hath the horizon of utterance been illumined by the Luminary of My wondrous utterance.

O Vahhab! Hear the call of Him Who summoneth thee from the Final Goal and calleth all to this horizon whereby appeared what was inscribed in the Books of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Let nothing grieve thee. Leave the world behind thee and hold fast unto the Most Great Name through which appeared what was hidden behind the veils of the Unseen and treasured within God’s knowledge, the Lord of existence. Be thou of such constancy that the affairs of the earth shall not shake thee from this Cause whereby every firm edifice hath been shaken. The earth and all that is therein and thereon shall perish, and there shall endure what hath been ordained for My loved ones in My Preserved Tablet.

O Abu-Talib! The One, the Single, maketh mention of thee with such remembrance as causeth the sincere ones to inhale the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: O people of the Furqan! The All-Merciful hath come with manifest sovereignty. Beware lest the affairs of creation debar you from the Truth. Cast away your idle fancies and take hold of that which ye are bidden by God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen. Say: O people of the Gospel! The gate of heaven hath been opened and He Who ascended thereunto hath come. Indeed, He calleth aloud on land and sea and beareth unto all the glad-tidings of this Revelation through which the Tongue of Grandeur hath proclaimed: “The Promise is fulfilled and this is the Promised One.” Be thou in such wise that the affairs of earth cause thee not to slip. Take thou the chalice of steadfastness in the name of the Lord of creation, then drink therefrom by the leave of God, the Sovereign of the Kingdom. The clamor hath been raised throughout all regions - this is that whereof We informed the servants in a perspicuous Book. Should one who is perverse bring you the book of hell, cast it behind you, turning unto God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Soon shall tablets of fire be spread abroad throughout the lands. Thus doth He inform you, with Whom is the knowledge of what hath been and what shall be. Hold ye fast unto the cord of God and unto His mercy that hath preceded both the witness and that which is witnessed.

Verily, We make mention of the Alif and the Qaf before the Alif and the Jim, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. O people of the earth! The Day of Victory hath come, and He Who conversed on Sinai hath appeared with such verses as have rendered impotent all who are in the heavens and on earth. We have forbidden all from corruption and conflict, and have ordained victory through remembrance and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed by the All-Merciful in His manifest Book. Say: Spread not corruption in the earth and follow not your idle fancies. Follow that which ye are commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. Hold fast unto the Greater Steadfastness in the days of your Lord, the Lord of all mankind. He commandeth you that which profiteth you. There is none other God but He, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

When thou attainest unto God’s Tablet and findest the fragrance of the garment, turn thy face toward the Prison and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to hear Thy call and recognized in me the Dayspring of Thy signs, and taught me Thy straight path. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which Thy Most Exalted Pen hath written for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. Thou art He to Whose generosity, grace, bounty and power all created things have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.

O Masum! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee and counseleth thee concerning the protection which We have sent down in the Psalms and Tablets. Whoso achieveth the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause, whereby the limbs of all names have quaked, is accounted among the protected ones in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords. Blessed is the servant whom God hath protected from turning away and guided unto the Dayspring of His signs. We created all mankind for this Day, yet the people have turned away therefrom, having followed the dawning-places of vain imaginings. We have ordained knowledge that it might give glad-tidings unto men and guide them unto this Revelation whereby the realm of possibility hath smiled; yet the divines thereof have turned away from the Dayspring of Revelation and have waxed proud before God, the Cleaver of daybreak. Blessed is the mighty one who hath rent asunder the veils through My Name, the All-Bountiful. The glory be upon thee and upon thy kindred and upon those who have been faithful to the Covenant.

O Tongue of Utterance! Turn thy face toward them that have believed in God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Then make mention of him who was named Ghulam-i-Qabli-Husayn and give him the glad-tidings of the breath of God that hath wafted from the garden of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Bountiful. Say: This is the Day wherein every wise decree hath been made manifest, the Day wherein they that are nigh unto God have prospered while the idolaters are in manifest loss. This is the Day whereon God calleth out with the tongue of grandeur and summoneth all to His straight path. O peoples of the earth! Fear ye God and follow not every remote ignorant one. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which ye have been bidden by God, the Single, the All-Informed. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the kingdom of utterance, yet most of the people are heedless.

O Muhammad-i-Qabli-?adiq! The One, the Single, maketh mention of thee from this spot round which circle the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise at eventide and at dawn. Blessed is he that hath purposed to attain unto My horizon, and blessed is he that hath spoken in My praise, and blessed is he that hath turned unto this exalted and impregnable station. Say: By God! That which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath been made manifest. He, verily, is He Who was named in the Torah as Jehovah, in the Gospel as the Spirit of Truth, and in the Qur’an as the Great News. Hold fast, O people, unto that which ye were promised aforetime by the tongue of the Prophets and Messengers. Beware lest the tablets of fire withhold you from the Chosen One and the book of the wicked withhold you from the manifest Truth. O thou who hast turned unto Me! Drink from the Kawthar of utterance in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all worlds!

A missive from the Wronged One unto him who desireth the sealed wine from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed art thou, O ?amad, for having turned unto God and turned away from them that disbelieved when the Speaker of the Mount uttered His call. By My life! This is the Day of profit, yet the people perceive not; this is the Day of Resurrection, yet mankind comprehendeth not. Joy unto him who is set ablaze this Day with the fire of the love of God, and woe unto every heedless and deprived one. The ocean of utterance hath appeared at the pole of possibility, yet the people know not. They have cast certainty behind their backs and taken hold of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Beware lest the intimations of the people withhold thee from My Self-Subsisting Name. Be steadfast in the Cause and speak forth this Name at Whose appearance the Kingdom proclaimed: “The dominion belongeth unto God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible!” We have manifested the Cause and revealed the verses, yet most of the people are turned away. The Sun of knowledge hath shone forth from the horizon of divine Will, yet the people are in gross ignorance. The star of nearness hath risen, yet the people are in manifest remoteness. The Tree hath spoken betwixt the Mount and creation, saying: “Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of them that know!” Every station hath been honored by the advent of its Lord and every Book by this Most Great Name. This is the Day wherein the sighing of the lovers can be heard from every horizon, to which testifieth the Lord of the Covenant Who hath come with manifest glory.

Blessed art thou, O Ghulam-i-Qabli-Husayn, for having turned unto Me and having won that which nothing on earth can equal. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Give thanks unto God for having turned unto thee and revealed for thee that from which the fragrance of the All-Merciful was wafted between earth and heaven. O Concourse of Names! The Creator of the heavens hath come with a Cause against which the hosts of earth and heaven cannot prevail. Say: The Preserved Tablet hath appeared, yet ye remain heedless. This is an inscribed Tablet, traced by My Most Exalted Pen through My binding and wise command. The Cry hath been raised in truth, and the Proof hath prostrated itself before the face of the All-Merciful, and the Evidence hath circled round My mighty Throne.

O Jim-before-Alif! The Mother Book hath appeared and all the books of the world have bowed down before it, yet the peoples are in grievous opposition. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain imaginings and turned with his heart to the All-Knowing One. O people of insight! The Most Great Vision hath appeared, wherein the Lord of Destiny calleth out amidst humanity, summoning them unto God, the Revealer of verses. O concourse of religions! Abandon that which ye possess. By God! The All-Merciful hath come with proof and evidence. Be fair in God’s name and reflect upon that which the All-Giving hath revealed in the Book. Beware lest earthly affairs hold you back from the Lord of Names, or the intimations of creation debar you from the Truth that hath come with power and sovereignty.

O Mahdi! Rejoice in that the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from this Station, whereunto the Finger of Grandeur pointeth, saying: “By My life, this is My station, upon which I have gazed from time immemorial.” This indeed is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret, through whose mention the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets have been adorned. Thus have We adorned the heaven of utterance with the sun of proof. Blessed is he who hath discerning eyes to recognize, and hearing ears to hearken unto this sweet call.

O Husayn! The Wronged One remembereth thee while sorrows encompass Him from those who have denied God, the Lord of Lords. Thou didst stand firm in the Cause on a day when limbs trembled and foundations shook. When God’s Cause was exalted, the buzzing of flies emerged from behind the veil. They cast aside fairness and embraced tyranny when the morn breathed and the horizons were illumined by the lights of the countenance of God, the Lord of Return. Beware lest any mention hold thee back from this Most Great Remembrance, or anything veil thee from the Dayspring of verses. Hold fast unto God; verily He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Thus did the Ark sail, the rivers flow, and the seas proclaim: “Dominion belongeth unto God, the One, the Concealer.”

O Letter B after B! The Glory remembereth thee, at Whose appearance all in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willed. Do people hear yet comprehend not? Do the folk see yet deny? What aileth them that they believe not in God, the Mighty, the Loving, Who hath come with the banners of verses and proclaimeth: “Verily I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” Say: This is the Day of Supreme Joy, yet ye perceive not. The ocean of knowledge surgeth before your eyes, yet ye see not. Say: The gate of My most exalted Paradise hath been opened, yet the people turn away therefrom. Verily God remembereth who remembereth Him, and turneth unto who turneth unto Him, and draweth nigh unto those who have cast aside their desires and taken what God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, hath willed. Say: None should turn toward the Prison except by His leave. Thus have We sent down the command and that which the Desired One hath willed.

O Muhammad-Qablih-Ibrahim! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from this horizon whereby the horizon of the world was illumined and every wise decree was made manifest. Hearken unto the call from the precincts of My Most Great Prison, then summon the servants unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Say: O people! He cannot be pointed to by your gestures, nor does He walk in your ways. He hath appeared with truth and made manifest His straight path. He is the One mentioned in the ancient scriptures and the Promised One in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. He is the One through Whom the veils were rent asunder, the verses were sent down, and the clear proofs appeared, yet most of the people are heedless, and most of mankind are among the deniers. They have cast certitude behind their backs and followed every doubting learned one. Say: We have ordained knowledge that it may guide people to the path of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Blessed is the learned one who hath found the fragrance of the All-Knowing and turned with clear certitude to the Most Exalted Horizon. And woe unto every learned one who hath waxed proud before God and turned away from His binding and mighty Command. Beware lest the tales of old withhold thee from the Lord of all creation. Break the idols of the servants in the name of thy Lord, the Possessor of Creation. Thus doth command thee He Who hath summoned all unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The Wronged One makes mention of thee for the sake of God and commands thee to that which shall profit thee in the Hereafter and in this first life. To this testifieth every fair-minded and discerning one. Say: O people! The Day of Rising hath come. Arise from your seats and glorify your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By My life! If thou shouldst discover the fragrance of My utterance and hear with the ear of the heart My call, thou wouldst arise to serve the Cause in such wise that neither the hosts of the world nor the cannons of those who are heedless of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, would deter thee. The Cry hath been raised, the Hour hath come, and the Calamity hath appeared, yet the people are in thick veils. Leave what the people possess and take what hath come from the Dawning-Place of thy Lord’s revelation with power from Him and might from His presence. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Say: O Thou in Whose hand are the reins of all beings and the control of all things! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst rend the veils and didst manifest Thy Cause in the end, to aid me in recovering what hath passed me by in Thy days. Then make me among those who have soared in Thy atmosphere and drunk the wine of martyrdom in Thy name and for love of Thee. O my Lord! I am the poor one who hath turned to the horizon of Thy grace, and the ignorant one who hath sought the ocean of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of what is with Thee. O my Lord! Enable me to rend asunder the veils of Thy servants and Thy creation that I may make known to them Thy mighty Book and Thy straight path, and remind them of that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and hold them back from all else besides Thee. Thou art the Almighty, to Whose greatness and power all atoms have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the Most Exalted Pen and by Thy Most Holy, Most Great, Most Impregnable, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Name to forgive me through Thy bounty and grace, and to absolve my sins through Thy loving-kindness and favors. Then make me steadfast in Thy service and speaking in Thy praise and glorification. Thou art, verily, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O Lion! Hear thou the call of the Wronged One Who hath endured tribulations and trials in the path of God, the Lord of all names, until He was cast into the most desolate of lands. He summoned the people unto the exalted Paradise, yet they seized Him and paraded Him through cities and lands. How many a night did sleep flee from the eyes of My loved ones through their love for Me, and how many a day did the factions rise against Me. At times I found Myself upon the highest mountains, and at others in the prison of ?a, bound in chains and fetters. By the life of God! In all conditions I remained thankful, speaking, remembering, turning towards Him, content, submissive and humble. Thus did My days pass until they ended in this Prison, whereby the earth was shaken and the heavens lamented. Blessed art thou for having cast away idle fancies when the Hidden Unseen came with the banners of divine verses. He hath informed the people of what hath appeared and what shall appear, yet the people are in strange drunkenness - they hear the verses of God and deny them. Thus have their souls beguiled them on this Day which is the Dawning-point of all days. Before their faces surgeth the ocean of life, yet they hasten toward the mirage. Thus have We illumined the heaven of hearts with the sun of wisdom and utterance.

We make mention at this hour of the third letter, he who believed in Me, against whom the Dayspring of tyranny pronounced judgment without proof or scripture. He turned toward Zawra until he arrived and stood before the gate, and entered after permission into the presence of the Countenance, and heard and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen, and glory be unto Thee, O Lord of lords! I testify that Thou wert hidden in the eternity of eternities and hast manifested Thyself in this Thy Day. Blessed is he who hath believed in Thee and drunk the choice wine from the hand of Thy bounty, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of all things.”

The glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon him and upon those whom the buzzing of flies hath not kept back from God, the Mighty, the Bestower.

O Joseph! Joseph of Baha calleth thee from this darksome pit and summoneth thee to the station of nearness and holiness - the station which none save God, the Lord of all worlds, can comprehend. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and in His love to such an extent that the utterances of the polytheists who dispute God’s verses and proofs and turn away from Him when He came with manifest sovereignty, shall not deter thee. Blessed is he who hath found the fragrances of God in His days and witnessed what God had testified before the creation of the heavens and earth that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Let not the affairs of the people grieve thee. Put thy trust in God - verily He loveth those who trust in Him. Know thou the value of these days, then give thanks to thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, Who hath sent down for thee that which naught in all creation can equal. To this doth the Lord of Names bear witness in this noble station.

O ’Ali! Verily My name ’Ali gave thee glad tidings and informed thee of this Promised Day. He spoke–and His words are most sweet–saying: “Expect the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai.” By God! It is He, and He proclaimeth with the most exalted call: “God hath come upon clouds of light, yet the people understand not.” This is a word taught to him by the Messenger of God aforetime. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a Preserved Tablet. Say: The Divine Lote-Tree calleth out with the most exalted call, and Sinai speaketh: “He that was hidden hath come with manifest sovereignty.” Is there any possessor of scent who can inhale the fragrance of My raiment? Is there any possessor of sight who can behold My horizon and My countenance? Is there any possessor of hearing who can hear this most sweet Call whereby all things were attracted? And is there any fair-minded one who will judge justly concerning that which God hath sent down from this glorious station? O ’Ali! The Lord of all creation remembereth thee and giveth thee glad tidings of that wherewith the Herald of the Primal Point gave glad tidings. He spoke–and His words are most sweet–saying: “I have taken an essence in His remembrance, namely that He cannot be indicated by My indication nor by what was mentioned in the Bayan. The Bayan was revealed only for My remembrance, and it is but a leaf from the garden of My utterance and a ring upon My finger. Thy Lord doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth.” Say: He weigheth all things with the Most Great Balance and revealeth that which was hidden in the Books and Tablets. They who failed to recognize Him despite all that was mentioned in the Bayan opposed Him because of a single word therefrom. Lo! They are among the people of error. They have cast the Revealer of the Bayan behind their backs and clung to that which profiteth them not in the days of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Say: Die in your wrath! He hath appeared with the truth and all the books of the world cannot withhold Him. He hath come from the heaven of immortality with power and sovereignty. O ?adiq! Truth crieth out between earth and heaven saying: “Is there anyone who loveth me and chooseth me for himself for the sake of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise?” We have sent down concerning truthfulness a Tablet. Blessed is he who readeth it and holdeth fast unto it, as bidden by the Ordainer, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou, O ?adiq, for having attained unto the recognition of God in thy early days and for having turned unto the horizon from which every stubborn tyrant hath turned away. Hold thou fast unto the Sure Handle and cleave unto the hem of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken in this station which hath been adorned with the sweet savors of the revelation of thy Lord, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

O Husayn! Hearken unto what the Speaker of the Mount uttereth, and cast aside what thou hast heard of tales and reports. Reflect upon what thou beholdest today, for it shall suffice thee and guide thee to the straight path. The Wronged One hath come to remind you and guide you to the most exalted station. Among the people are those who have heard and turned towards Him, and those who have turned away from God, the Lord of Lords. The Kingdom hath appeared and the Throne hath been established thereon, then He, with Whom is the Mother Book, settled upon it. Say: O people! Deprive not yourselves of the Most Great Bounty, and follow not every ignorant doubter. Arise and make good what hath escaped you, then return unto God with humility and contrition. By God! All that ye behold today shall perish, and that which hath been ordained by the Supreme Pen shall endure, by God’s leave, the Controller of the winds.

O Supreme Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Husayn in the Kingdom of Names, and give him glad tidings of that which the Tongue of Eternity hath spoken at the station which God hath made the seat of His mighty Throne. He verily speaketh the truth and remembereth those who have turned unto Him with radiant faces. He is, in truth, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. We counsel Our loved ones with that whereby the Cause of God may be exalted above all else, and with trustworthiness, through which man’s station is uplifted and his glory made manifest among the servants. He Who hath subdued the world through His Name, the Mighty, the Powerful, beareth witness unto this.

Be thou grateful that My Pen and My Tongue have been moved to make mention of thee in My glorious and impregnable Kingdom. Say: O people! Spread not corruption in the earth, shed not blood, consume not the substance of others wrongfully, and follow not every clamorous evil one. When thou attainest unto the verses of thy Lord, arise from thy seat, turning unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God of existence, both seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the earth was shaken, the heaven was cleft asunder, the mountains were moved, and the regions were convulsed, to aid me to remember Thee and praise Thee in such wise that the veils of them that have turned away from the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration may not hinder me. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

O Nasir! The All-Informed remembereth thee and remembereth the days when thou didst stand before the Gate and didst hear the call of God, the Lord of Lords. Thou art he who turned towards the Supreme Horizon and traversed land and sea until thou didst enter and attain the presence, and didst witness and hear the verses of thy Lord, the Master of all necks. He remembereth thee now as He remembered thee before, and draweth thee nigh when thou turnest towards Him, and sanctifieth thee when thou ascendest unto God, the Lord of creation. Behold and remember when the Speaker of the Mount conversed with thee and the Countenance of the Manifestation turned towards thee in this station, round which circle the Frequented Fane, at eventide and at dawn. Blessed are they who observe the rights of My friends and serve them for love of My Beauty. They are assuredly of the people of the pavilion of My glory and the tabernacle of My grace that hath encompassed all creation. We counsel the servants of God to be patient and forbearing, calm and dignified, that the Cause of God may be made manifest to all who are in the heavens and on earth. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have cast away idle fancies and chosen for themselves a path unto God, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning.

O Muhammad-’Ali! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the Most Great Prison, that He may draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds, Who hath manifested Himself through the Manifestation of His Self and the Dawning-Place of His signs. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed is he who hath turned towards My horizon, and blessed the hearer who hath hearkened unto My verses, and blessed the seer who hath witnessed that which the Tongue of Grandeur did witness before the creation of the heavens and earth - that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Great. Give thanks unto God that the face of the Wronged One hath turned towards thee and hath sent down for thee that wherefrom the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Beware lest the affairs of the world withhold thee from the Lord of all names. By God’s life! All on earth shall perish, and there shall endure for thee what hath been sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s will, the Mighty, the Gracious. Thus hath the horizon of the Tablet been illumined by the light of thy Lord’s utterance, the Kind, the Merciful.

O Muhammad-’Ali! Hearken unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree which hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven. Verily it beareth glad-tidings unto the world, yet the people remain behind a clear veil, save him who hath shattered the idols of vain fancy in the name of his Lord, the Lord of all beings, and hath arisen to serve the Cause in such wise that the doubts of the divines who have turned away from God, the Lord of the worlds, have failed to deter him. Behold, then make mention of the generations of old who cast the signs of God behind their backs and pronounced judgment against the Manifestations of the Cause with manifest tyranny. How many a learned one lamented in separation and yearned, beseeching through nights and days, to attain the presence of one of the Names, yet when the Creator of the heavens appeared, he turned away from Him and denied God’s proof and evidence, and rose up in such oppression as caused the eyes of the Messengers to shed tears. Be thou not grieved at anything. Put thy trust in God in all affairs. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Thus have We adorned thee with the ornament of remembrance. Be thankful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world!” We have seen thee and heard thy call. We have answered thee with this utterance, round which circle the Concourse on High and the dwellers of this luminous Station. Arise to make mention of Me and to praise Me amongst My servants, and say: “By God! The appointed time hath come and the Revealer of verses hath appeared with a wondrous Command. Verily He is the Originator of the heavens and earth. Blessed is he who hath recognized and witnessed this great Day.” Blessed art thou for having quaffed the choice wine from the hand of thy Lord’s bounty, the Gracious. We counsel thee and My loved ones to observe supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby feet have slipped and the hearts of the mystics have been perturbed. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this Most Great, Most Mighty Remembrance.

O Nightingale! We have sent down verses for every name that was in thy letter, as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Arise to serve the Cause and remind the people of the Day of God and His appearance through the wisdom We have sent down in a clear Book. Convey My glorification to the faces of My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of My mercy, My providence and My favor which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. We counsel them at the end of the Book with that which shall manifest man’s station in the contingent world. This is better for them than all that is on earth. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Manifest, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: Beware lest transient affairs withhold you from the Lord of creation. Leave what ye possess and take what ye have been commanded with power from God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Glory be upon you and upon My handmaidens who have turned towards Me, hearkened, and responded to the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00017 ===

=== START BH00018 ===

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

Praise be to God Who hath through His sovereignty revealed whatsoever He willeth, Who hath adorned this Day through its association with Him and hath named it in the Books of heaven the Day of God. On this Day there hath appeared that wherewith His Messengers, His Books and His Scriptures had given glad tidings. When the Promise came to pass, the Sun of Manifestation shone forth. He verily is the One Who spoke on Sinai with such sovereignty that neither the might of the divines and princes, nor the power of tyrants, nor the oppression of Pharaohs could deter Him. He stood before all faces and proclaimed: “By God! I am the Hidden One, I am the Treasured One, I am He through Whose remembrance the heaven of proof hath been adorned with the stars of utterance and all creation with the light of knowledge.” Exalted is He Who hath manifested Himself, sent down His proof, and caused all to hear His verses. Glory and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause among His servants, whom He hath made the interpreters of His Revelation and of that which He hath sent down in His Book. Through them the ocean of knowledge hath surged amidst all religions, the Sun of learning hath shone from the horizon of possibility, its light hath illumined all regions, and by it have the hearts of lovers been stirred on this Day of the Covenant.

O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of divine knowledge and gazest toward the horizon of thy Lord’s mercy, the All-Merciful! We have withheld the Pen by reason of that which the hands of the nations have wrought, and We have seized its reins for a time due to the sorrows that have encompassed Us from those who have cast behind them righteousness and fear of God, and have taken up wickedness and lewdness. These are they who have been consumed by the fire of greed and passion, and have betrayed the wealth of the people without permission from God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, the Master of the Hereafter and of this world. Say:

My God, my God! Drive me not from the ocean of Thy bounty, nor withhold me from beneath the shade of the tabernacles of Thy grace. By Thy might, O Sovereign of existence and King of the realms of generosity and bounty, I have taken no sovereign besides Thee, nor any lord other than Thee. I beseech Thee by the murmuring of the Kawthar of utterance, by the rustling of the breezes of Thy manifestation throughout creation, by Thy most great signs, and by the whispering of the Divine Lote-Tree, to assist Thy servants to act with justice in Thy Cause and with equity in Thy Revelation. O Lord! Thou seest them turning away from the court of Thy glory and clinging to their vain imaginings in Thy days. They have cast the ocean of knowledge behind their backs, turning instead to the pool of fancy. I know not, O my God, by what proof they follow what they possess, and by what evidence they deny that which Thou hast sent down to them from the heaven of Thy grace and revealed to them from the shells of the ocean of Thy Will. I testify that by Thy manifestation the Way hath appeared, the Evidence hath been sent down, the Proof hath been perfected, and the Blessing hath been completed. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I remain turned toward the lights of Thy countenance, holding fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness, acknowledging the ocean of Thy utterance and the heaven of Thy wisdom, and confessing that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken and that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Books. O Lord! Aid the heedless to acknowledge that which Thou hast manifested through Thy power, the turning away to turn toward the gate of Thy mercy, and the deniers to confess Thy unity and oneness. O Lord! Enable them to return unto Thee and to arise to make up for what they have missed during the dawning of the lights of the Sun of Thy manifestation. Thou art He Who through Thy will hath raised the banner of Thy Name, the All-Bountiful, in the final abode, and hath caused the pavilion of Thy glory to be lifted before the faces of Thy loved ones. Blessed is the stranger who hath sought Thy shelter, and the poor one who hath desired the ocean of Thy riches, and blessed is the seeker who hath held fast to the cord of Thy nearness and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and blessed is the one who hath aimed at the stream of Thy mercy and the treasury of Thy generosity, and blessed is the detached one who hath cast aside all else save Thee and taken that which Thou hast commanded in Thy perspicuous Book.

Hear thou in Persian the Voice of the Wronged One. The immature ones of the world have wrought that which no oppressor hath ever wrought, and uttered that which no idolater hath ever spoken. Souls immersed in the clay of fancy and idle imaginings are not, nor shall ever be, capable of comprehending the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth. Until the heart is freed from the fire of vain imaginings, it shall assuredly not attain unto the light of certitude. Where are those illusory, darkened souls, and where are those who have passed beyond this world and pitched their tents upon the shores of the sea of detachment?

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! For some time We withheld the Pen from inscription, and the cause thereof was the sorrows that had befallen Us. For the Lord of Piety was seen beneath the claws of self and passion. The fire of greed and covetousness inflicted upon the Temple of Sanctity that which the Pen is powerless to recount and pages insufficient to bear. The souls that now exist are not, nor shall ever be, capable of comprehending the stations of the Great Announcement, save whom thy Lord willeth. The wing of vain desire is powerless to soar in this holy and blessed atmosphere. Say: O people! Fear ye God and be not of the heedless ones. Cast away what ye have heard and seen and taken, and take what hath been given unto you from God, the Lord of all worlds. By the life of God! That which ye possess shall not profit you, nor shall that which the factions possess benefit you. Cast away vain imaginings and idle fancies, turning unto the horizon from which the Day-Star of Certitude hath shone forth from the All-Merciful. This is what ye were commanded aforetime in diverse Tablets and in this perspicuous Tablet.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory! Today, should any soul desire to turn unto the Sun of Truth shining from the horizon of the heaven of the Prison, he must sanctify his perceptive powers from the tales of the past, adorn the crown of knowledge with detachment and the temple of being with the ornament of piety, and then plunge into the depths of the sea of oneness.

O Ali! Upon thee be the everlasting glory of God! Today is the day of the blessed word “Say: God; then leave them to their vain discourses.” They who seek must, at their first step, drink from the fountain of this blessed verse, and likewise at their second step before the Divine Ka’bah, recite with the tongue of truth this verse: “Verily, I have abandoned the ways of a people who believe not in God and who deny the life to come.” If the seeker attaineth unto that which hath been mentioned, he is worthy of drawing nigh and entering the presence, and capable of soaring in this holy atmosphere. Otherwise, he must follow the vain imaginings of the deniers and corrupters, even as they have done.

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! Not every bramble and chaff is worthy of this threshold, nor can it be. Verily the means of drawing nigh unto the shore of the sea of inner meanings and of approaching the lights of the Sun of Truth are as was mentioned; without these the path is blocked and the quest rejected. We have summoned all, with the most exalted call, to the supreme horizon, yet the heedless and the wayward accepted it not. Beseech God - exalted be His glory - that He may aid His servants and grant them strength and power to ascend the ladder of names, that is, to transcend them and seek the heaven of inner meanings.

We counseled Hadi Dawlat-Abadi with kindly advice and wise admonitions, that perchance he might turn from the north of fancy to the right hand of certitude, and from vain imaginings to the direction of the Self-Subsisting, and attain unto the lights of the All-Knowing Lord. The counsels of the Most Exalted Pen left no impression upon that rock-like hardness, and yielded no fruit. Now a group, like unto the Shi’ih sect, has been formed and is occupied with misleading those heedless souls, devoted to the idols of names. Glory be to God! What profit did the former party gain from trafficking in names, and what triumph did they achieve? On the Day of Reckoning all were seen to be deprived of the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree, and they cut down the Blessed Tree with hands of tyranny and transgression, and were and are engaged in cursing and reviling from their pulpits. Observe how God hath made their highest to become their lowest, and their lowest to become their highest.

A person from among the Sunnis and the Community claimed the station of the Qa’im in a certain region, and until recently nearly one hundred thousand souls obeyed him and arose to serve him. The true Qa’im arose in Iran with divine light to establish the Cause, yet they martyred Him and strove with all their might to extinguish His light, and wrought that which caused the reality itself to weep. From the time of this Wronged One’s arrival in Zawra until now, the tablets of the Desired One of all worlds have rained like showers upon the people of Iran. Nevertheless, they remained unaware, abiding in their ancient heedlessness and wretchedness. Had such bounty been directed from that quarter to these regions, you would now find all turned towards God. He verily speaks the truth, but the people are in evident veils.

Hearken to the call from the direction of ’Akka, and take in thy right hand a cup of the choice wine of thy Lord’s utterance, the Lord of all beings, and in thy other hand a goblet of My Most Glorious remembrance, despite those who dwell in the world of creation who have denied My greatest signs in that they followed the people of tyranny and transgression and the manifestations of self and passion. O thou who art turned to the lights of the Face! In the name of God - exalted be His glory - drink at every moment from this choice wine. This wine is the source of joy and delight, not of intoxication and corruption. Say: My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise for having mentioned me by Thy Most Exalted Pen, and adorned me with the ornament of Thy might and bounty, and illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose name the unity-professing ones soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and the hearts of the sincere ones were attracted by the drops from the ocean of Thy utterance, to aid Thy servants to acknowledge what Thou hast manifested unto them through Thy generosity and bounty and what Thou hast sent down upon them from the heaven of Thy knowledge. Thou art verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Great.

Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, the Lord of the mighty throne and the exalted seat, for having sent down unto thee that whereby thy name and remembrance shall endure through the duration of His most excellent names and most exalted attributes. He is verily the All-Bestowing, possessed of great bounty, and He is the All-Bountiful, possessed of manifest grace. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Nabil-i-A’zam! The bats of the world are preventing the servants of God from the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth through a hundred thousand idle fancies and vain imaginings. The Kawthar of steadfastness and utterance, and the choice wine of certitude and assurance, are the portion of the one who gazes toward the Most Exalted Horizon with the eye of justice and inclines his ear to hearken unto His call. Today the waves of the ocean of utterance of the Desired One of all worlds are manifest before the faces of all religions, and the effulgent lights of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on Sinai are visible, and the Divine Lote-Tree is speaking in the midmost heart of the highest Paradise. Would that My people knew! Would that My people heard! Would that My people saw!

In these days the divine sheep are afflicted among the wolves of the earth, and this Wronged One is beneath the talons of hatred. Yet We are thankful that the True One hath graciously aided and empowered Us to such extent that We have, without any veil or concealment, proclaimed amongst all peoples that which is the greatest means for the reformation of the world and the salvation of nations. We have shown no compromise with anyone, nor have We hesitated in implementing the divine commandments. The oppression of the oppressors and the harm of the aggressors have not prevented the Most Exalted Pen from revealing the Most Great Word. Whenever anyone from among journalists or others would rise in opposition, the officials and members of the government would secretly and openly encourage and support them. In short, both outwardly and inwardly, they strove diligently to destroy the Cause of God. Yet this Wronged One, detached from the world and its peoples, mentioned that which would purify the world from rancor and hatred and extinguish the fire of wickedness and depravity. No helper or supporter was to be seen. From every direction the arrows of calumnies of the deceivers and the spears of the atheists were striking the body of the Cause. Throughout successive years, this Wronged One uttered these exalted words:

“Glorified art Thou, O my God! Were it not for the tribulations suffered in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials endured for love of Thee, how could the station of those who yearn for Thee be revealed? By Thy might! The companions of Thy loved ones are their tears, and the comforters of Thy seekers are their sighs, and the food of them who hasten to meet Thee are the fragments of their broken hearts. How sweet is the deadly poison in Thy path, and how precious are the arrows of Thine enemies for the exaltation of Thy word! O my God! Give me to drink in Thy Cause whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all that Thou didst ordain. By Thy might! I wish only what Thou wishest, and love only what Thou lovest. In Thee have I ever placed my trust.

“I beseech Thee, O my God, to raise up for the triumph of this Cause one who is worthy of Thy name and sovereignty, that he may remember me among Thy creatures and raise the standards of Thy victory in Thy realm. Thou art, verily, powerful to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Pervading, the Self-Subsisting. Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Strengthen the hearts of Thy loved ones by Thy power and might, lest they be affrighted by those on earth. Then make them, O my God, dawning places of Thy grandeur and daysprings of Thine authority. O Lord! Adorn them with the ornament of justice and equity, and illumine their hearts with the lights of bounty and grace. Thou art, verily, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Great. I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Sovereign of nations and Goal of all peoples, by Thy Most Great Name, to transform the throne of tyranny into the seat of Thy justice, and the seat of pride and oppression into the throne of humility and equity. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

Say: O people of God! From every direction the enemies have surrounded Us with the swords of hatred, and there hath been no helper or champion in outward appearance. Some heedless and deluded souls, through the display of enmity and calumnies, have hoped and yearned for station and prestige for themselves. And seeing this Wronged One without helper or champion, they have attacked with the swords of hatred and animosity. Glory be to God! For forty years We counseled and admonished the servants, forbidding them from conflict, corruption and strife. Through divine grace and merciful bounty, this people turned from weapons to reformation, and preferred God’s will to their own desires. Each day some tyranny appeared from the oppressors and some fire was kindled; nevertheless they showed patience and left matters to God. In some lands the oppressors were occupied each year with shedding blood, while the oppressed people held fast to these words We had previously uttered: “To be killed is better for you than to kill.” Praise be to God, they were slain in God’s path but slew not, for they were focused on God’s command and still are. In the land of Sad and ’Ishqabad the oppressors kindled the fire of tyranny and shed the blood of God’s loved ones. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones beneath the scourges of the oppressors and Thy sheep among the wolves of Thy earth. I beseech Thee by Thy power that hath encompassed all created things, and by Thy sovereignty that hath embraced all existence, to illumine the hearts of Thy servants with the light of Thy justice and adorn them with the ornament of righteousness and piety in Thy kingdom. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

In these days the rebellion of the calumniators and the hatred of the treacherous ones hath exceeded all bounds. One who was occupied day and night in that which is forbidden - whom We banished for his own protection - hath gone to the great city and united with his like, busying himself with undermining the Cause of God. They have taken the most abject one as their helper and champion in spreading their calumnies. And that person who was banished from the Holy Land joined with Shaykh Muhammad Yazdi, and following his brother’s ruling they arose to harm the Wronged One and consume people’s wealth. Since they know the rulers and divines of Iran to be opposed and antagonistic, therefore the most abject one and others have arisen in enmity - especially the most abject one who, merely to obtain money and prestige, hath written that which he himself testifies is false. By the life of God, he is in manifest error! Assuredly, none rising from the dawning-places of transgression, indecency, tyranny and oppression would sincerely speak of or cling to that station which most of the world’s people have denied - that which would cause the most great terror. However, this Wronged One, through God’s grace and favor, regardeth all else but Him as a handful of dust, and their clamor and uproar as the buzzing of flies - except those souls who, through divine grace, are adorned with justice, trustworthiness, truthfulness and purity. They heed neither the prestige and dissimulation of the mystics nor the clamor of the divines. Before all faces We manifested the Cause of God. Naught shall befall us save what God hath decreed for us. Although in these days the dawning-places of oppression and tyranny have arisen to harm this Wronged One, God shall soon reveal His treasures for the victory of His Cause and His Message. And these treasures are men whom no authority deterreth, no power frighteneth, and no hosts or legions weaken. They shall conquer the realm of possibility through wisdom and utterance.

Say: O people of God! Know with clear certainty that corruption, conflict, murder and plunder are traits of the beasts of the earth. The station of man and his distinction lie in knowledge and deeds. In most Tablets, We have forbidden the servants from that which harmeth them and commanded that which profiteth them. O people of God! Associate with all the peoples of the world with love and fellowship. Corruption and all that pertaineth thereunto have been strictly forbidden in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Although in the early days there was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen that which outwardly appeared to conflict with God’s new Cause - such as passages like “The necks have been stretched forth in hypocrisy; here are the swords of Thy power, O Subduer of the worlds!” - the intent was not strife and corruption, but rather to demonstrate the extent of the oppression of the oppressors and the wickedness of the idolaters, that all might know that the tyranny of the pharaohs of the earth had reached such a degree that such verses were revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. And now We counsel the servants of God not to cling thereafter to certain utterances and become the cause of harm to others. Victory in this Most Great Revelation is confined to wisdom and utterance. The hosts of God have ever been pure and goodly deeds and holy, pleasing character traits, and the commander of these hosts is the fear of God. This utterance hath repeatedly been revealed in the Scriptures, Books and Tablets: Take, O people, that which ye are bidden by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He commandeth you that which shall protect and profit you. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Gracious.

Today steadfastness is accounted as the greatest of all deeds before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Glory be to God! Certain souls who for years laid claim to steadfastness, when tested even slightly, fled like frightened asses fleeing from a lion. Some time ago a letter was sent from the village of Manshad to the Most Holy Court, wherein the writers sought supernatural signs from God, exalted be His glory, for the assurance of souls and the conviction of hearts. However, the petitioners were certain doctors of the Qur’an. It was observed that were mention to be made of this Revelation and its proofs and evidences in the name of those souls, it might cause an uproar among the doctors of the Qur’an. We therefore altered and modified the references, and there was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance that which would cause any fair-minded person who readeth it to exclaim “I turn to Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world!” for the rest of his life. And one of those souls had expressed belief, but after observing the modification of references was seen to waver. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is supreme over all who are in the heavens and on earth. We hope they may pass from agitation to certitude and from hesitation to return. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious. Although the people of that village are present in this land and outwardly their affairs are known and evident, yet there occurred that which was unworthy. How vast is the difference between the station of such souls and those who have transcended doubt, misgiving, conjecture and the imaginings of men, and have set their faces toward the ocean of inner meanings. The Primal Point hath said: Were He to pronounce upon the earth the judgment of heaven, or upon heaven the judgment of earth, none hath the right to question why or wherefore.

Verily, certain heedless souls in every land are secretly engaged, like Satan, in sowing the seeds of dissension, though they are manifest in the sight of God. O party of God! We make mention of you for the sake of God and counsel you, that perchance ye may ascend from the lowest depths to the loftiest heights, and turn from vain imaginings to the light of certitude, and be content with whatsoever appeareth from His presence. God, exalted be His glory, hath come with “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and the banner of “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth” is raised before His face. Fix your gaze upon it and be detached from all else. Know of a certainty that whatsoever is revealed by Him is the truth, wherein there is no doubt. We cherish the hope that through God’s grace and loving-kindness His chosen ones - namely those souls who are counted among the companions of the Crimson Ark and the people of Baha - may not be debarred or kept back from the sealed wine and the Self-Subsisting Name by the doubts of the peoples of the world.

Some among mankind are ever intent upon denial and objection, as evidenced by how the people of the Bayan have repeatedly inquired why the Point (the Bab), may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake, made mention of David, the Psalmist, before Moses, peace be upon Him, when historically David came after Moses. This seems to them contrary to the Holy Books and the traditions of the Messengers. Say: Fear God and object not to Him Whom God hath adorned with the Most Great Infallibility, His most beautiful names and His most exalted attributes. It behooveth the servants to affirm whatsoever proceedeth from the Dayspring of God’s Cause, for none save God is aware of the requirements of His consummate wisdom. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

We summoned four souls from among the people of Manshad that they might appear before Us to hear that for which ears were created to hearken unto, but they came not. Vain imaginings have withheld them from the light of certitude. We beseech God to aid all to be submissive and content. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. It is incumbent upon the people of God in this day to beseech the Lord of Lords, the Possessor of the seen and unseen, from the ocean of His bounty, that the people of the earth may not be afflicted with the vain imaginings of former religious communities. However, certain souls like Hadi Dawlat-Abadi and Mahdi Najaf-Abadi have devoted all their energies to leading people astray and have manifested such deception and guile as to leave the dwellers of the cities of knowledge and understanding bewildered. Would that someone had asked such questions of that Soul dwelling on the Isle, that there might have been revealed unto him what hath been sent down in truth from this glorious and impregnable station. Say: O friends of God! Hearken unto the voice of this Wronged One with the ear of the spirit and gaze upon His signs with the eye of truth. By My life! Then shall be revealed unto you that which had been concealed from the eyes of men. Verily, God is the All-Counselling, the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Generous.

O thou who art attracted by My verses! Hear what We have revealed to one of Our friends. We have desired naught in the world save reformation. The Lamp of the world beareth witness to this - a Lamp which neither requireth glass nor crystal nor any other protection. By God’s life! Baha hath not spoken out of desire, but rather that which will draw people nigh unto a station wherein their hearts shall find tranquility and their souls find rest. Thou knowest, and God knoweth beyond thee, that I have taken no helper for Myself and have aided God’s Cause through a power before which the might of the world and the prowess of the nations - who have cast off the fear of God and embraced wickedness without any clear proof or evidence - have proven powerless.

Say: O servants, hear ye the counsels of the Wronged One. The first of all things is the recognition of Him Who is the Eternal Truth. He is the Sustainer of all, the Teacher of all. The first fruit of recognition is love and unity among all men, for through unity the horizons of the world are illumined and made radiant. The purpose of unity is association, and the purpose of association is mutual aid. That which outwardly promoteth unity, fellowship, amity and love is forbearance and righteousness. In one of Our Tablets We have uttered this exalted word: Blessed is he who retireth to his bed at night with a heart purified from rancor and hatred. Glory is not his who loveth his country, but glory is his who loveth the world. The fear of God hath ever been a sure stronghold and a safe guardian against the promptings of the evil self. It is the cause of the refinement of souls and the sanctification of being, both outwardly and inwardly. We have repeatedly stated that the assistance mentioned in Our Books, Tablets and Scriptures hath been through wisdom and utterance, and also through goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. By the life of God! The hosts of praiseworthy character and goodly deeds are, verily, the most powerful armies of the world. The sword of virtue is keener than blades of steel, could ye but understand it. Without concealment or hindrance have We proclaimed the Cause of God before the faces of the peoples, and have enjoined upon all that which shall draw them nigh unto Him, preserve them and exalt them. From the first day until now, We have borne whatever hath befallen Us in the path of the One Beloved, and have shown patience. Through God’s grace and bounty, We have been and are sanctified from anything that would spread corruption, even to the extent of a needle’s eye. That which is worthy of mention today is that which promoteth unity, harmony and the exaltation of all. A goodly deed is as a tree, and from it appear delicate and pleasing fruits. This is the day of goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Let not the counsels of the Wronged One be forgotten. We cherish the hope that the fragrance of love and fellowship may waft among the friends, and that they may consort with one another in love and kindness. In one of Our Tablets We have uttered these words: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. The tabernacle of world order is upheld upon the two pillars of reward and punishment. Such matters pertain to the kings of the age. They are the manifestations of God’s power and the daysprings of His divine majesty. After recognition of the Lord, exalted be His glory, two things are necessary: service to and obedience to the just government, and adherence to consummate wisdom. These two ensure the elevation and progress of being and its advancement. We beseech God to illumine His Majesty the Shah - may God assist him - with the splendors of the Day-Star of justice. If the divines of the Shi’ih sect would but allow it, his royal benevolence would embrace all, and he would rule with justice and equity. This Wronged One hath ever loved and still loveth faithfulness. O that one of the kings of the earth might be confirmed in assisting the oppressed ones of the world! The path of truth and its balance have ever been justice and equity. We beseech God, exalted be His glory […]

We beseech God–glorified be His majesty–whose hallmark is justice and fairness, not to deprive His servants of that which hath been mentioned. The divines of Persia have become the cause of preventing the servants from the Divine Path. Say: O concourse of divines! Cast aside your pens, for the scratching of the Supreme Pen hath been raised between earth and heaven. Cast aside that which ye have composed with the hands of idle fancies and vain imaginings. The ocean of knowledge hath surged, and the day-star of certitude hath shone forth from the horizon of the Will of God, the Lord of the worlds. Once again We counsel the loved ones of God to trustworthiness, godliness, chastity, and the fear of God, the Leader of the hosts of justice from God, the Commander, the All-Wise.

My God, my God! Aid Thy loved ones to perform such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure and be adorned with the glory of Thy acceptance. O Lord! Thou hearest their sighs, beholdest their tears, and knowest what hath befallen them without any clear proof from Thee. Verily Thou knowest what is in the hearts of Thy servants, and nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge. All created things have testified that Thou art the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

Blessed is the soul that hath held fast unto the cord of patience and resignation in whatsoever hath befallen it in the path of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne. The Wronged One’s Pen hath, at all times, counselled the servants to that which profiteth them and draweth them nigh unto Him. We hope that God–glorified be His majesty–will purify the ears of the world that they may hearken with the ear of acceptance to the counsels and exhortations of the Wronged One and act accordingly.

My God, my God! Aid Thy heedless servants to return unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, the All-Giving, the All-Pardoning, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

One of God’s chosen ones, upon whom be the Glory of God, who had drunk from the chalice of steadfastness and to whom all save God was as naught, met Hadi Dawlat-Abadi in the land of Sad. That heedless one mentioned that the Primal Point had decreed the purity of seminal fluid out of respect for the seed of “Him Whom God shall make manifest,” and at that time the Ancient Beauty was twenty-five years old. His intention in making this statement was to deny the Manifestation of God, reject Him, and establish his own vain imaginings. First, this statement is from the Bayan, and He says that on that Day the Bayan will profit none and you should not cling to it. He has said, and His word is the truth: “He cannot be known through My attributes nor through what was revealed in the Bayan.” And by what he mentioned, his opposition to the Primal Point is clear and evident to those possessed of insight, for the Exalted One says: “Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by what hath been revealed in the Bayan.” He has clearly opposed this and is unaware of it. Say: By God’s life, none can find in the Bayan aught save the fragrance of the revelation of Him Who conversed on Sinai, Who proclaims in the most exalted call: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all mankind!” O Hadi, be not the cause of discord and misguidance. The lights of the Sun of Truth have illumined the world of inner meanings and utterance, and divine verses are being sent down and showered forth like rain from the clouds of grace. All the Bayan circles round Him today, would that ye could understand. Glory be to God! Hadi does not realize what he is saying, nor what he has understood from the Primal Point’s statement regarding the seed. Secondly, say: O heedless one! The seed of “Him Whom God shall make manifest” - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - was and is pure and purifying, and that blessed seed hath no need of anyone’s mention. I adjure thee by God Who created thee and fashioned thee: in one moment purify thy heart from hatred, then ponder on what thou hast mentioned. Perchance thou shalt be enabled to utter the blessed words “I turn unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds.” Is the purity and sanctity of the seed of “Him Whom God shall make manifest” dependent upon the word of His servants? I seek God’s forgiveness from this manifest delusion! I seek God’s forgiveness from this great wrong! I seek God’s forgiveness from this grievous error! Say: O Hadi, if at this moment thou wouldst purify thine ears from false tales, thou wouldst hear from the tongue of the Primal Point: “Verily, I am the first of them that worship Him.” “Him Whom God shall make manifest” - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - was All-Encompassing, not encompassed. The station of the Point was and is established through His word. Verily, He is independent of all who are in the heavens and on earth. All are in need of Him, and in these stations the Primal Point uttered the aforementioned word. Hear, then be fair, and be not of the wrongdoers. And if thou sayest the Primal Point’s purpose in mentioning the seed was to make the people aware - if people are like thee, they will never become aware, for they prevent their eyes and ears from seeing and hearing. And if the purpose was to make fair-minded souls aware, they have understood the station of that pure seed and that sanctified divine essence from the mention of “Him Whom God shall make manifest” and His Word, which the Primal Point foretold, saying: “Verily, He shall speak forth in every condition, ‘I, verily, am God’” to the end of the verse.

Know and understand that pure, divine mystery. In any case, His purpose in mentioning these remembrances was to be engaged in the remembrance of that Beloved One. “Know and be of the thankful.” “Know and be of the repentant ones.” “Observe and be of the fair-minded.” He declares that the Tree of Affirmation becomes the Tree of Negation through turning away from Him. By God’s life! The call of the Bayan is raised, lamenting and crying out: “O people! The Day is God’s Day, and the Cause is His Cause. Be not debarred by a drop from the ocean, nor deprived by a particle from the Sun of Revelation.” By My life, O Hadi! Thou hast taken the pond and cast the Sea of God behind thee. Fear God, then be fair in what hath been revealed in truth. Verily He enricheth thee above all else and guideth thee to His mighty announcement. O Hadi! Can he whom thou desirest race with the Divine Horseman in the arena of wisdom and utterance? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Merciful! Take hold of the reins of thy passion, then return unto thy Lord. Verily unto Him is thy return and abode. O Hadi! Say to the Mahdi: “Thou art not of the horsemen of this field. Know thy station and be not of the transgressors. Purify thy heart from the promptings of men and thine eyes from the disease of desire, that thou mayest recognize Him Who hath come from the horizon of power with the standards of verses, and be of them that know.” O Mahdi! For this Day wert thou created. Cling not to deception and craft, be not the cause of misguidance, and oppose not the Primal Point. The ocean of utterance surgeth before thy sight, and the sun of truth shineth resplendent above thy head. Look and say: “Thine is the praise, O Goal of the world! And Thine is the glory, O Beloved of those who are in the heavens and the earth!”

O Hadi! Be fair in what hath been made manifest. Every day thou schemest to protect thine own life while preventing the people from the Truth through money and unseemly utterances. Have mercy upon thyself and upon the people. In thy ignorance thou hast reached such a state as to make the purity of Him Whom God shall make manifest contingent upon the word of the Point. I seek God’s forgiveness from this clear delusion! I seek God’s forgiveness from this great injustice! I seek God’s forgiveness from this grievous tyranny! I seek God’s forgiveness from this error which hath no likeness or parallel! I swear by the Sun of proof which today shineth resplendent from the highest horizon of the world that this Wronged One counseleth thee for the sake of God, that thou mayest perchance take heed or fear. Thou wast not with Us and art not aware of the root of the Cause. Return to the sacred writings that perchance the door of justice and fairness may be opened before thy face and thou mayest be numbered with them that are assured. After mentioning the seed before the person in question - upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness - he said: “I have fifty volumes of Yahya’s books with me. Stay tonight and see.” Although he had heard conclusive answers to his objections, his hatred prevented him from turning to the Most Exalted Horizon. God is witness and aware that he spoke falsely. Yahya had two volumes of the prayers of the Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - and had copied them repeatedly. Perhaps he gave what he wrote to Hadi. Furthermore, even if he possessed a thousand books, on this Day neither he nor his like would derive any benefit therefrom. A single diamond is better than a hundred thousand loads of stone. A hundred pounds of iron and copper cannot equal one ruby. Apart from these matters, the equivalent of all heavenly books from the Point and before Him is now present and available. Come and see, and be present at the time of revelation, that perchance the breezes of divine revelation may attract thee, or the fragrance of inspiration may lead thee to thy goal. O Hadi! If thou art prevented from being present, appoint a deputy or representative. Perchance ye may find that of which ye are now heedless and turn towards that from which ye have turned away. The Wronged One calleth and saith:

My God, my God! Prevent not Thy servants from the shore of the ocean of Thy grace, and cause them not to be numbered with them who have denied Thee and Thy signs and have rejected what Thou hast revealed from Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy days. O Lord! Make them aware of Thy message and teach them Thy path and station. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Ever-Forgiving.

Say: O Hadi! When this Wronged One was in chains, thou wast reclining upon thy couch in utmost comfort. Throughout the days and nights, We bore tribulation and adversity for the exaltation of the Word of God. The afflictions and trials of this Wronged One are beyond reckoning. In days when the world was darkened by the wrath of divines and rulers, this Wronged One, detached from all else, arose before the faces of all peoples through divine power and heavenly might to proclaim the Cause. From all directions wafted the sweet savors and shone forth the light of the Day-Star of clear evidence. When the Sun of the Cause began to shine from the horizon of every city, thou and thy like emerged from behind the veil with swords of hatred, malice, falsehood and calumny, and sought to harm the Wronged One without proof or evidence. Fear God, O Hadi, and be not of the wrongdoers. We call you to the light while you call Me to the fire. What ails you that you do not use your reason and reflect upon that which has appeared? Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, then present thyself before God, then judge with fairness in this Most Great Announcement and be not of the wrongdoers. By what proof didst thou accept and acknowledge the Point (the Bab) - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake? With the eye of fairness observe that which is greater, that thou mayest take God as thy helper and find a way unto Him. By the waves of the ocean of utterance, We have dispensed with the faith of thee and thy like. Create not hatred in hearts. Hear the counsel of the faithful Counselor and turn to His signs in complete detachment. By the life of God! They will guide thee and lead thee to the straight path of God. Each day thou dost cling to some vain imagination and persist in turning away and raising objections. One of you came to this land and mentioned that those who have turned away from the Bayan prevent those who have accepted it from turning towards God, instilling thoughts of murder, oppression and the like, thus depriving the faithful of the straight path. God, exalted be His glory, is sanctified and exempt from the comprehension and minds of those who have turned away. One must look to establish the truth and hold fast to proof and evidence. Once truth is established, then whatever proceeds from Him is truth. Doubt and uncertainty have no place in that realm. Some time ago this blessed sermon was revealed from the Supreme Pen. Now it is mentioned again, that perchance thou mayest ascend the heights of fairness and reflect upon that which hath appeared, attaining unto that which is the greatest means for the salvation of nations and the reformation of the world.

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

Praised be God Who is established upon the throne with grandeur, might and majesty, and Who spoke whereat the trumpet was sounded, they that lay in their graves were quickened, and all who dwell on earth and in heaven were thunderstruck, save those whom God, the Lord of Names, willed to spare. Through Him was raised the standard “He doeth whatsoever He willeth,” and was unfurled the banner “The kingdom on that day shall be God’s,” the Lord of all mankind and the Possessor of the throne of eternity and of all existence. He is the One from Whose realm of glory the decree of truth is inseparable, even should He adjudge existence to that which hath no existence. From the atmosphere of His sanctity no flutter of the wings of the bird of rebellion can be heard, even should He make lawful that which from time immemorial had been forbidden. He is the One Worshipped, to Whose grandeur and sovereignty all atoms bear witness, and to Whose power and might all created things testify. The One Who standeth firm is he who hath arisen to make mention of Him and to voice His praise, and the Self-Subsisting is he who hath attained unto steadfastness in His Cause. Exalted, immensely exalted, is He Who speaketh the truth! Exalted, immensely exalted, is He Who hath been tried among the people! Exalted, immensely exalted, is He Who seeth Himself alone amidst the multitude, and single among the concourse of men! Praised be God Who hath made tribulation an adornment for His loved ones, and through it hath decked them among His creation and His creatures. Verily, He is the Judge Whom the veils of the world have not hindered, nor the mists of the nations prevented. None hath comprehended that which lieth with Him save His own Self, as attested by him who hath knowledge of the Tablets.

The intention is that His sanctified presence is exalted above error and transgression, and whatsoever appears from the Kingdom of His commandments and ordinances, all must grasp and act upon without hesitation. The deeds of this faction have been and are evident and clear to you and all the people of the Bayan - they showed no restraint in shedding blood, seizing people’s property, and committing oppression and transgression. After the dawning of the Day-Star of Revelation from the horizon of Iraq, We forbade all from reprehensible deeds and detested behavior. The atoms of creation bear witness that in all conditions We have commanded the servants to that which exalts them and forbidden that which leads to abasement and humiliation. We have had and have no purpose except the exaltation of the Word of God, the reformation of the world, and the salvation of nations. Is there any fair one who will judge with fairness in this Most Great Cause? Is there any just one who will speak with justice regarding this Momentous News? We beseech God to aid His servants in that which will elevate them and acquaint them with that which will draw them near unto Him. Verily He is the True One, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. What sayest thou regarding the manifestation of the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake, when in three days seven hundred souls were beheaded in the wilderness of Syria, and many people in surrounding areas were deprived of existence? In any case, God has authority over all deeds and actions. Reflect upon what was mentioned, perchance thou mayest become aware and find that which leads to eternal life. After the establishment of truth, neither rejection nor objection is permissible. Nevertheless, by His very Self, the Truth, that which was revealed in this station is such that every fair-minded one testifies that this Wronged One’s purpose has been and is the protection of people and the extinguishing of the fire of hatred in hearts and souls. Look in the revealed Books, sacred Scrolls and luminous Tablets, that thou mayest attain to that which is the cause of the manifestation of justice and fairness. Praise be to God, through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, and His all-encompassing will, for forty years the fire of contention, conflict and corruption has been extinguished and subdued in Iran. Consider what occurred in Ishqabad - one of the friends was martyred by a rebellious, transgressing group, and the wounds inflicted exceeded thirty. Nevertheless, the Party of God did not retaliate and held fast to this blessed verse which was repeatedly revealed from the Supreme Pen: “Verily He is the Concealer, He commandeth you to conceal; and He is the Most Patient, He commandeth you to exercise beautiful patience.” Their compassion and love reached such a station that they interceded for the murderers and oppressors. Blessed are they! We testify that they have partaken of the Kawthar of contentment from the hands of the bounty of their Lord, the Ever-Flowing, the Forgiving, the Merciful. If you deny the grace of this Revelation, assuredly God, exalted be His glory, will raise up souls who will arise for the sake of God and speak the truth. Reflect upon the deeds and actions of the friends of the past, and likewise upon the deeds of these days, that perchance thou mayest remove oppression through the sword of righteousness and turn to fairness. Say: O my God, my God! I testify that Thou didst turn to me when I was turning away, and called me when I was silent. I beseech Thee, O Subduer of hearts and souls, by Thy Best-Beloved Name, to assist Thy servants in that which will exalt them through Thy Name and make them standards of Thy guidance in Thy land. O Lord! Illumine their hearts with the lights of the Day-Star of justice and fairness, and ordain for them that which will adorn them with the ornament of Thy forgiveness and Thy good-pleasure. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O people of God! Fix your gaze upon the horizon of the Will of Him Who subsisteth by His own Being, and hold fast unto that which beseemeth His days. Great is this Day, and mighty this Cause! Strange indeed that some among the people who count themselves followers of the Bayan are afflicted with the same vain imaginings as the people of the past. Today none of the books of the world can provide deliverance save through a single word that hath shone forth from the dayspring of the mouth of God’s Will. Every utterance adorned thereby attaineth the honor of acceptance. Today from the blessed Word the fragrance of true unity is wafted. Well is it with him who hath perceived it, and woe betide the heedless! Say: O people of God! Cast away that which the deniers possess and take hold of that which ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of all worlds. By My life! The books of the world cannot compare with His Word. Now with pure and sanctified hearing, hearken unto this most exalted verse revealed by the Primal Point. His glorious Word declareth: If thou shouldst recite but one verse from the verses of Him Whom God shall make manifest, this would be more meritorious in the sight of God than if thou wert to set down the entire Bayan, for on that Day that single verse would grant thee salvation while the entire Bayan would not. Now ponder the loftiness of His station and the sublimity thereof, that ye may not be debarred from drawing nigh unto God through the doubts of those who cause others to err and the allusions of the transgressors. Glory be to God! Some have made the word “Mustaghath” a veil, and by that word have debarred the people from the Truth, even though the mention of Mustaghath is itself from the Bayan. He saith: Let not the Bayan and its ordinances keep you back from Him Who is the Sovereign and the Source thereof. Moreover, He saith: None knoweth the time of the Revelation except God. Whenever it appeareth, all must recognize the Point of Truth and render thanks unto God. Today the people of Baha have found their dwelling place beneath the canopy of the greatness and infallibility of God, exalted be His glory, and have chosen their habitation. They have manifested such steadfastness as hath no peer or likeness. Every person of insight is indeed amazed, and every possessor of knowledge astounded. For in this Most Great Revelation there hath appeared what hath never appeared from the beginning of creation until now. The Sun of Power shineth before all faces, the Ocean of Knowledge is manifest, and the heaven of grace is raised high. Nevertheless, We summon the people unto the dawning-place of Revelation with proofs and evidences, that they may not be deprived. Such bounty hath been vouchsafed that the Lord of the Kingdom of Utterance adduceth the words of others as proof for the establishment of His Cause. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye God, and consider with justice and fairness that which hath appeared, and observe it, that ye may attain unto that for which ye were created. The people of former times were occupied with vain imaginings throughout the ages, and these imaginings became a barrier that debarred them from the House of God and prevented them from recognizing the place of circumambulation of them that are nigh unto God and are sincere. Each day one party would execrate another, and they have had and continue to have no peer in rejection and protest.

In the days of Our childhood, one day We went to visit the grandmother of the Most Great Branch during the time when she was married to the late Mirza Isma’il-i-Vazir. Upon arrival, We observed a person wearing a large turban sitting there with another individual. From behind a special curtain, that holy and believing leaf made inquiries. Among other things, she mentioned that we must know and understand who was higher - Gabriel or Qanbar, the servant of the Prince of Believers. Although this Wronged One had not yet reached physical maturity, He was greatly amazed at the understanding of those two heedless ones. In any case, that person, in his own imagination, counted such utterances among divine knowledge and supposed himself to have ascended to the highest station of mystical insight, unaware that he was recorded and numbered before God as among the worshippers of names. After pausing for a few minutes, this Wronged One stated that if Gabriel was the one referred to in the Mighty Book where it states “The Faithful Spirit hath descended with it upon thy heart,” then Qanbar had no station in comparison. And when We journeyed to the land of Qum, this same person was present there. Repeatedly, similar words were heard from him in several places. Among them, one day he mentioned that we must know who was higher - Salman or ’Abbas. What fruit or effect have they observed from such discussions, and what is gained from such mentions? The purpose is that the people of God should know that those people were worshippers of vain imaginings and for this reason were deprived of the recognition of Truth, exalted be His glory, in the days of His Manifestation. We hope that such matters will not appear in this Revelation. May they know the Truth as Truth and creation as creation. Blessed are the fair-minded.

Fear God, hear with thine innate ear the call of the trustworthy counselor, and even as Moses accepted what he heard, do thou accept what cometh from the blessed human Tree. By God’s life! The blessed word “Verily I am Man” is greater in the sight of the Wronged One than all that they have comprehended. Say: O Ibn Baqir, ponder this Revelation. He Who by the power of the Supreme Pen hath manifested that which hath amazed most of the servants, both rulers and ruled, surely possesseth the treasuries of wisdom and utterance. Ye must adorn yourselves with fairness and seek understanding, turning with complete submission and contentment, that perchance ye may attain the hidden pearls in the shells of the Most Great Sea. The loftiness of the call was intended to attract the servants, that after their turning and attention We might impart that whereby every soul would see himself wealthy and independent beneath the shade of the Tree of bounty. And the Secret of existence is witness to what I say. Say: O Ibn Baqir, recognize thy station and transgress it not. He guideth thee and directeth thee to that which enricheth and preserveth thee. It behooveth thee to thank thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, thy Lord, the Munificent, thy Lord, the Generous. Obtain and read the Tablet of Proof which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of the All-Merciful specifically for thy father, that perchance thou mayest turn from the left hand of fancy and idle imaginings to the right hand of certitude and assurance, and be illumined by the light of justice. O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Say: O Ibn Baqir, We mention one word for the sake of God, that perchance thou mayest pass beyond the world of tyranny and oppression and, by the ladder of trust and detachment, seek the cities of justice and fairness. Hath there ever appeared in the world a light or manifestation or radiance which thou and thy like have accepted and not rejected? Specify who it was and what was his name. In any case, set aside insolence and be content with what God hath decreed. In a previous Tablet this prayer was revealed - read it, that thou mayest acknowledge the authority of Truth and accept that which hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s Will […]

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and the earth, to protect the lamp of Thy Cause within the glass of Thy power and favor, lest the winds of denial from the direction of those who have been heedless of the mysteries of Thy chosen Name should blow upon it. Then increase its light through the oil of Thy wisdom. Thou, verily, hast power over all who are in Thy earth and heaven.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Word, whereby all who are in earth and heaven were struck with terror, except such as took fast hold of the Most Firm Handle, not to abandon me among Thy creatures. Raise me up unto Thee, cause me to enter beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and give me to drink of the pure wine of Thy bounty, that I may dwell within the tabernacle of Thy glory and the pavilions of Thy favor. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

O son of Baqir! The Truth hath appeared with “He doeth whatsoever He willeth.” Thy denial or acceptance hath never been, nor shall ever be, of consequence. The mention of Divinity and Lordship hath ever belonged, and shall continue to belong, to God–glorified be His majesty. This Wronged One hath ever been speaking these sublime words:

My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty, and to Thy power and Thy might, O God of all possibilities and Lord of all beings! I long to lay my face upon every spot of Thy earth and upon every fragment thereof, that perchance it might be honored by attaining the station of having been blessed by the footsteps of Thy loved ones. O Lord! Thou hearest my cry and my lamentation and my call in Thy days, and Thou knowest that I summon Thy servants unto the light while they call me unto the fire. I beseech Thee to assist Thy servants to return unto Thee and to repent before the door of Thy grace. Thou, verily, art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Would that thou hadst perceived the fragrances wafting from the verses! Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One: Turn from oppression to justice, and from tyranny to equity. Present thyself before the Face, that thou mayest behold the waves of the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance and the effulgences of the light of the Sun of proof. Beware lest leadership debar thee from the Dayspring of the Light of Oneness. Cast away what thou hast and take what thou art bidden by God, the Lord of all worlds.

The bounty of this Revelation is of such magnitude that no fair-minded and just person can deny it. For nigh upon forty years this Wronged One hath forbidden the servants from corruption, conflict, contention and bloodshed. Night and day hath the Pen moved and the Tongue spoken. Praise be to God, the loved ones of Truth have accepted and acted upon the counsels of the Wronged One, such that in Ishqabad when they were slain they slew not, but rather interceded for their oppressors and murderers. Likewise in the Land of Sad and other regions, whatsoever befell the people of God, they showed patience and left it to God. All know that previously, every year witnessed strife and conflict, with many souls slain on both sides - one year in Tabarsi, another in Zanjan, another in Nayriz. But after this Wronged One’s departure to Iraq, by permission of His Majesty the Sultan, We forbade all from corruption and strife. If thou deniest this, the world beareth witness, though certain slanderers and deniers have concealed the good deeds of the Most Exalted Pen and spoken and continue to speak according to their desires. But by the life of God! Baha speaketh not from desire, but rather uttereth that which draweth mankind unto the Most Sublime Horizon.

O people of God! Hold fast with justice to the right of the sovereign, and seek for him that which beseemeth his generosity. In truth, he hath repeatedly rendered assistance and protected the divine sheep from wolves. Surely all have heard and know this. Therefore we must beseech God that He may illumine the world through the lights of the sun of his justice. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

My God, my God! Thou seest the oppression of the tyrannous among Thy servants and the wickedness of Thy evil creatures, and what hath befallen Thy chosen ones and trusted ones. O Lord! Aid His Majesty the Sultan that he may assist them through Thy might, power and sovereignty. Then open before their faces the doors of Thy grace, mercy and bounty. O Lord! Illumine the horizons of hearts with the light of Thy knowledge and purify them from rancor and hatred through Thy wisdom which encompasseth all things. Then ordain for those who have sacrificed their souls in Thy path and accepted the arrows of the enemy to exalt Thy Word, the reward of attaining Thy presence. Thou art He Whom the power of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the might of nations weaken, nor can anything escape Thy knowledge. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

The loved ones and chosen ones must, by night and day, seek confirmation for all. If today the claimants of love would hold fast to and act upon what hath been revealed in the Tablets from the Most Exalted Pen, ere long the divine traces would become manifest to all. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this in this manifest hour.

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! Thou hast been mentioned in such wise that its fragrance shall never cease, and thou hast attained unto that which shall endure as long as the kingdom and the heavenly dominion endure. We beseech God to make thee among those whom nothing whatsoever deterreth, whom the clamor of the divines feareth not, and whom the swords of the enemies weaken not.

O Lord! Aid Thy party to assist Thy Cause through the hosts of utterance, and ordain for them that which will exalt their stations among Thy servants and draw them near to the court of Thy glory. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy firm, decisive, and mighty Word.

This Wronged One chose solitude for two years, wandering alone through deserts and mountains. During these days of seclusion, chaos and confusion appeared. Some were seized by heedlessness, such that they turned away from that which is with God and clung to their own desires. Finally, the fire of tyranny was kindled and they perpetrated against His Holiness the Dayyan that which caused the stars of the heaven of joy to fall, the moon of justice to be deprived of light, and the sun of equity to be barred from radiance. In the Book of the Temple, specifically concerning His Holiness the Dayyan, the Point of the Bayan revealed from the heaven of knowledge, these exalted words: “O Name of the Dayyan! This is a hidden, treasured knowledge which We have entrusted unto thee and given thee as a glory from God, as the eye of thy heart is refined and knoweth its worth and exalteth its splendor” unto the end of His utterance–exalted be His utterance.

At the beginning of the Book of the Temple these sublime words are inscribed: “That which was revealed for His Holiness the Lion, the Unique, the One, Who is illumined with the Light of the Eternal, the Name of God, the Dayyan.” And in another place He saith: “O Manifestation of Oneness” unto the end of His utterance. Likewise, in one place, addressing him, He saith: “O Third Letter who hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest.” The meaning of this name is “the Recompenser of the Day of Recompense,” and he was the third letter who attained to recognition, faith and presence. The purpose of the Book of the Temple was to make mention of this Most Great Cause and the Great Announcement, yet none perceived it. In one place He saith: “This knowledge is, in the sight of God, more precious than all else.” The intention was to give glad-tidings to those who are detached concerning the appearance of the Hidden Treasure, which would not exceed nineteen years nor reach twenty. Now the fair-minded must judge: if this was not the intention, what could have been the reason for its precedence over other knowledge and its excellence above other utterances? In brief, desire maketh man to be deprived of justice and equity. They martyred His Holiness the Dayyan with such tyranny as caused the greatest joy to be transformed into supreme sorrow. Some have supposed the Book of the Temple to be about alchemy and divination. Vain indeed are their imaginings! The purpose of the Book is clear and evident as the sun. Blessed are they who perceive! Likewise, they issued the verdict for the martyrdom of Mirza ’Ali-Akbar and martyred him, and similarly Aqa Abu’l-Qasim and others. In truth, the transgressions of these souls are beyond reckoning. This Wronged One hath never liked nor likes to make such mentions. The purpose is that some might become aware and speak the truth. They named the Dayyan “the father of evil” and Jinab-i-Khalil–concerning whom He saith in the Bayan “O My Khalil in the Scriptures! O My Remembrance in the Books after the Scriptures! O My Name in the Bayan!”–they called him “the father of calamities.” Then they arose to cut down the Blessed Tree, but God drove them away through His power and sovereignty, despite their will. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Effusive, the Protector, the Generous.

In nights and days We have arisen to render assistance, in such wise that the opposition of all the world’s peoples could not deter Us, and We have had and have no purpose except to reform and to extinguish the fire of enmity and hatred. To this beareth witness that which hath flowed from My Pen before the faces of men and that which My tongue hath spoken amongst the servants. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to adorn all with that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to assist them to turn and return unto Him. Verily He is the Strong, the Mighty.

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! We testify that thou hast attained unto a Book whose fragrance, whose call and whose remembrance shall never cease. It behooveth thee to thank God in the nights and days for this manifest grace, and to give the glad-tidings of this mighty announcement unto the servants with wisdom and utterance. Convey My greetings to the loved ones on behalf of the Wronged One, and give them the glad-tidings of the dawning lights of divine bounty. Verily We have mentioned each one of them in such wise as cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth. Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained, and woe unto the heedless.

And concerning that which thou didst subsequently ask, verily it shall be made manifest unto thee as a promise from God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Thy later petition hath attained unto the Most Holy Court. We praise God Who hath caused thee to know His Cause, taught thee His remembrance, and guided thee to His straight path. The world and all that is therein shall perish, but there shall endure thy deeds in the days of God and that which flowed from thy pen in praise and remembrance of the Wronged One. We beseech Him to strengthen thee, to prosper thee, and to aid thee with the hosts of utterance that thou mayest guide the people and draw them nigh unto Him. Verily He is the Helper, the Mighty, the Powerful, and praise be to God, the Glorious, the All-Praised.

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