=== START BH00146 ===

In the Name of God, Exalted is His Station, to Him belongs all Grandeur and Power!

Praise be to God, the Sovereign of the kingdom of earth and heaven, and the Lord of might and glory, Who hath made His throne the world of humanity and ruleth therein as He pleaseth over all who possess and all who are possessed, and over all the kings. And peace and blessings be upon Him Whom He hath sent to sanctify the world and to purify it from all that withholdeth it from the Ancient King - the Essence Who hath appeared from the Mine of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. And upon His family and companions who conquered the lands and guided the people to the straight path.

Thereafter, my spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance! Your blessed letter dated the 19th of Dhi’l-Qa’dah was received on the 16th of Dhi’l-Hijjah. In truth it was an ornament adorning the temple of love. God willing, may the world not be deprived and forbidden from this ornament. It was presented before His face and answers to each matter dawned from the horizon of grace.

Regarding the book of Shahverdi, may the Glory of God rest upon him, He said: “Excellent is what he hath done.” The Most Glorious Name hath given it to a trustworthy person to deliver it. And likewise regarding the book of Haji Ahmad, may the Glory of God rest upon him, and concerning sending the book to the Land of Ta for binding, patience is preferable and most fitting these days. After news of ease following hardship, they will send it.

Concerning Darvish Mahdi, He made mention and these words were revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance:

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O Zein! We have heard mention of him who is named Mahdi and have answered thee, and We have beseeched God, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for him the good of the hereafter and of this world, and to make him among those on whom shall come no fear, neither shall they grieve. O Mahdi, say:

Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of existence! I beseech Thee by Thy Hidden Name and Thy Treasured Symbol which was concealed in Thy knowledge and inscribed in Thy Books, to assist me in all conditions to remain steadfast in Thy Cause, the irrevocable Decree whereby the foundations of the world were shaken and the pillars of the nations were made to tremble. O my Lord! I have turned to Thee and faced toward Thy horizon, whereupon the hand of Thy decree prevented me. Verily Thou didst say, and Thy word is the truth: “Whoso seeketh to attain unto My prison without My leave is not of Me.” When I heard Thy command, I turned to another land, awaiting the wonders of Thy bounty and the manifestations of Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee by the Mother Book which none hath known save Thyself, and by the Day of Return which the heedless among Thy servants have denied, to ordain for this servant of Thine that which will draw him nigh unto Thee, O Lord of all names! Thou art He Whom nothing can frustrate and no affair can hinder. Strengthen me in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book, then cause to appear from me that which will spread the fragrance of eternity throughout the kingdom of Thy creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

O Zein! We have made mention of him and have prayed for him. Give him the glad-tidings from the Wronged One that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones.

Concerning what was written about Shir Ali Khan, it was presented and this is what the Kingdom of Utterance pronounced:

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O Shir Ali! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted. He remembereth thee from the precincts of His Most Great Prison and summoneth thee unto God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. The oppressors have imprisoned My loved ones without any proof from God. They are indeed worshippers of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Say: […]

Glorified art Thou, O my God and the God of all created things, my Sovereign and the Sovereign of all existence! I beseech Thee by the kingdom of Thy signs, by the ocean of Thy knowledge, and by the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance, to aid me and Thy servants in Thy love, Thy remembrance, and Thy praise. O Lord! I am he who was attracted by Thy verses, and the sweetness of Thy utterance seized me in such wise that I became detached from all else but Thee in my longing to meet Thee. I left my home, turning my face toward Thy presence, but when I entered the city of Thy loved ones, Thy decree and ordinance prevented me, and when I heard Thy command I returned, trusting in Thee and committing my affairs unto Thee. I beseech Thee, O Ultimate Goal of them that are near unto Thee, and Ultimate Hope of them that are sincere, to inscribe me among those who have attained the living waters of Thy presence and have discovered the fragrance of Thy robe. O Lord! I implore Thee by Thy greatness not to keep me distant from the seat of Thy nearness, nor to disappoint me of that which is with Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Shir-’Ali! God willing, mayest thou be the recipient of divine favors. Blessed be thy father and those with him and with thee who have not violated God’s Covenant and Testament, and who have acted according to that which was enjoined upon them in His Manifest Book. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.

And likewise, regarding Mirza Habib, after being mentioned in the Most Holy Presence, these exalted words were revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance:

He is the Everlasting, the Eternal!

O Zayn! Some of the friends have borne trials, tribulations and hardships in the path of God. Whatsoever is endured in the path of God has assuredly been and will be recompensed. One deed performed today is equivalent to numerous deeds in any other day. Blessed is the beloved one upon whom there hath descended in the Path that which hath grieved hearts. God willing, may they be gladdened through the favors of the Lord and be occupied with the mention of the Best-Beloved of the worlds. His is the right to say:

O my God, my Lord, and my Master! I beseech Thee by the repositories of Thy Cause, the dawning-places of Thy revelation, and by Thy Name through which the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge appeared among Thy creation, to accept from me what I have wrought in Thy path and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily, Thou art the Almighty Whom the conditions of creation cannot weaken, nor can the intimations of Thy servants prevent Thee. Thou doest what Thou willest and decreest what Thou pleasest, and Thou art the Commander, the All-Wise. Furthermore, I beseech Thee, O my God, to forgive me, my father, and those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

As for the five Blessed Tablets, as commanded they should remain in your safekeeping. The letter of the honored beloved, Nabil the traveler, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, was received. God willing, may they be confirmed through the confirmations of the True Sovereign in that which God loves and with which He is well-pleased.

Regarding the mention that was made of the son of Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah, upon them both be the Glory of God and His favors, it was presented, and this is what the Tongue of Utterance spoke: O Zayn, upon thee be My glory! The mention of ’Abdu’l-Mahdi was made before the Wronged One. God willing, may they be occupied with the mention of God, exalted be His glory, and with His praise. The true divine bounty has been and is His mention and praise, and in one station His Cause, and in another His knowledge, and in yet another certitude, unto whatsoever God willeth. We beseech God to aid all to accomplish that which hath been revealed in the Book and is acceptable before the Throne. We send Our greetings to him from this distant spot and counsel him with that which will draw him nearer unto God in all conditions. Verily thy Lord is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted, and with Him is the decree of the beginning and the end.

To the presence of His name 66 [Allah], upon him be all 9 [Baha], I convey this servant’s greetings and remembrance, and they too remember that presence in all conditions. May God grant us both bliss in the Hereafter and in this world.

Regarding the question about the Huquq threshold, due to haste there is no opportunity to present the answer now. God willing, it will be sent later.

Your previous letter dated the 15th of the blessed month of Ramadan gave life to the soul and attained the hearing of the Intended One, may our spirits be sacrificed for His sake.

Concerning what you wrote about the trusts of Haji Khavar, upon him be 66 9 [Baha’u’llah], they all arrived through Haji Muhammad Baqir, upon him be 66 9 [Baha’u’llah], and likewise the petitions sent in the company of Aqa Nuru’llah were received.

Regarding what you wrote about Akbar, son of Aqa ’Abdu’l from Kirmanshah, it was presented before His presence, and this utterance emerged from the horizon of proof:

He is God!

O Akbar! God willing, may you attain unto the divine bounties, both outward and inward, exalted be His glory. The world is encompassed by the smoke of oppression. We beseech God that He may illumine the people of Baha in these dark times with the light of justice and sanctify the horizon of equity from the clouds of tyranny. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou knowest and seest that this servant hath desired to turn unto the lights of Thy countenance and to visit Thy Sacred House which Thou hast ordained for all people. I beseech Thee to ordain for me the reward of its visitation and to decree for me what Thou hast decreed for Thy loved ones. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

And this is what was revealed for Ja’far from N.J.:

He is God, exalted is He!

O Ja’far! It behooveth thee to make up for what hath passed thee by. We counsel thee with what God hath revealed in the Book and We pray for thee and beseech Him to send down upon thee from the heaven of His grace that which will profit thee and draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily, He knoweth thee better than thou knowest thyself, as attested by that which was revealed unto the Prophets and Messengers. Adorn thyself with the ornament of submission and say:

O my Merciful Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to send down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will make me content with what Thou hast chosen for me by Thy mighty and great command. Verily, Thou art God, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And regarding what you wrote about ’Ali-Akbar, whom God honored through his relationship to your presence, it was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and He said: He is the Witness, the All-Hearing.

O Ali-Qabil-Akbar! Mention hath been made of thee before the Wronged One, Who remembereth thee from the prison, while sorrows encompass Him on all sides by reason of that which hath befallen His loved ones at the hands of the armies of the oppressors. Verily, he who knoweth not his right hand from his left is established upon the throne of tyranny and uttereth that which Pharaoh uttered when he said: “Is not mine the kingdom of Egypt and these rivers flowing beneath me? Do ye not then see?” Thus was it decreed aforetime and in these days. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We counsel thee and My loved ones in that land to be patient and forbearing, and to manifest that whereby the signs of justice may be revealed amongst the servants. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Forbearing. Say: O concourse of the beloved! It behooveth you to commit all affairs unto God and to hold fast unto His strong cord. We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him and to give thee to drink of the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of bounty, and to ordain for thee from the Pen the recompense of that which thou didst desire in His straight Path. Be thou content with that which He hath willed, and glorify on behalf of the Wronged One the faces of the loved ones whom the clamour of the heedless hath failed to deter. Say: Seize ye the value of these days and cleave unto that whereby your names shall be established by the Pen of God, the Lord of all worlds. Glory be upon thee and upon them, and upon My handmaidens who have believed and hearkened and responded and believed in God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

And as to what was written concerning Mulla Ahmad, brother of him who was martyred in the path of God, it hath been presented to His sublime attention. He saith, and His sweet utterance is:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed

O Ahmad! Mention hath been made of thee by him who hath arisen to serve My Cause, who hath voiced My remembrance and praise, who hath soared in the atmosphere of My will and hath acted according to that which was commanded by Me. By My life! He hath tasted the sweetness of My love and hath testified to that which My tongue hath testified, and hath acknowledged that which the kingdom of Mine utterance hath acknowledged, and hath drunk the choice wine of My presence and the Kawthar of My reunion. We make mention of thee through this remembrance whereby the fragrance of proof hath been wafted throughout all possibilities. Exalted be the All-Merciful Who hath caused all things to speak His praise and remembrance while the people were wrapped in a manifest veil. Blessed be thy brother who was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. He hath attained unto a mention from which the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of sincerity. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Rejoice thou in that God hath forgiven thee and strengthened thee and hath sent down for you both that which nothing on earth can equal. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Blessed be ye both and those who are with you, and those whom God shall manifest from you both. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Kind, the Merciful.

In remembrance of Ibn-i-’Ali Nur, upon them both be 966 [Baha’u’llah], mention was made in the Most Holy Presence. He said: “God willing, may they be steadfast and fixed upon one purpose. Divine favor has encompassed him and the one who ascended unto Him, and, God willing, will continue to do so. We make mention of the Lion and counsel him with that which shall perpetuate his remembrance. We beseech God to assist all in such wise that they be neither saddened nor veiled by the oppression of the oppressors. They who oppress the friends of God are like unto children playing with clay. We counsel all to patience, forbearance, calm and dignity. None should object, dispute or argue with anyone. They should hold fast to the cord of forbearance and the hem of patience. The Command is God’s, the Knower of the hidden and the manifest.

“O Zayn! We have made mention of him who was named ’Ali, whom We adorned with light, with such remembrance as the mention of all peoples cannot equal, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willeth. We have mentioned his wife and counsel her at this time to trustworthiness, truthfulness, and purity, and to that which beseemeth these days. Thus doth the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Wondrous, counsel her.”

That which is necessary today is that each soul should preserve whatever of the Sacred Writings they possess in a place where no one else has knowledge thereof. This year in the Land of Ta [Tehran] many divine verses fell into the hands of the oppressors. Whomsoever they seized had Writings with them, as if the Writings were kept in a designated place by the gate. In any case, many Writings were plundered. It behooveth the people of truth to preserve them and conceal them from every treacherous one, from every thief, and from every accursed hypocrite.

As to what was written concerning Aqa Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah] and His favor, he had written the names of certain ones to be presented at the Most Holy Court. These were presented, and He said: “O Zayn! We have made mention of Our loved ones in that place and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor and grace. We counsel them to preserve the pearls of their Lord’s love that are in their possession, the Forgiving, the Generous. The smoke of oppression hath encompassed the dwellers of the City of Fidelity through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. O My loved ones! Be not grieved by that which hath befallen My Name and My loved ones. Rather, rejoice in this Most Great Remembrance which hath turned towards you from this distant place. God shall soon seize those who have oppressed without clear proof or manifest Book. Can anyone prevent that which God hath willed? Nay, by His Self, the One Who ruleth over all who are in the heavens and on earth. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, despite those who have denied the Day of Judgment. We counsel them to patience in these days wherein the raven of oppression hath croaked and every ignorant doubter hath cawed. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of grace be upon them and upon those who have acted according to that which they were commanded in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Great.”

Praise be to God that all have been blessed with His favor and have been mentioned in the Most Holy Court. It behooveth them to thank God for this great bounty.

O Zein! When mention was made of these souls, divine favors encompassed them and forgiveness was sought from the Goal of all the worlds. Say: O friends of God, glorified be His majesty! Out of pure grace He created all, and through the tongue of the Prophets He hath mentioned whatsoever conduceth to tranquility, glory, nearness and attainment unto His presence. Blessed is the soul that hath heard, turned to Him and attained, and woe unto them that slumber. Verily, whosoever is enabled to perform a deed in this day shall witness its recompense in all the divine worlds. We make mention of him as We mentioned him before, that he may rejoice and be among those who are steadfast. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

As to what was written regarding Mashhadi Hasan, this is what the Kingdom of Knowledge hath spoken:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing

O Zein! We have made mention of every soul that hath turned unto Us and have deprived no one who hath set his face towards Us. Today regard hath been and is unto acceptance, turning, mention and praise, even though one may be deprived of the ornament of truth. However this matter pertaineth especially to God, exalted be His glory. The chosen ones, the pure ones and the loved ones must conduct themselves with the utmost wisdom and speak accordingly. O Zein! Write to him: Thou wast mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. May God willing, thou mayest be blessed with divine favors and act in accordance with that which God loveth. We counsel thee and the friends to be trustworthy, religious, chaste, truthful and to manifest that which beseemeth the station of man. Thus hath the Wronged One remembered thee and guided thee to the straight path of God. Look not unto the people and their clamor. Act in accordance with what thou hast been commanded in the Book. We beseech God to adorn the whole world with the ornament of justice and to illumine it with the light of equity. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.

[…]

O Javad! Your mention was made in the prison. We have remembered thee with this clear remembrance. Behold and then recall what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an. Verily it is the lamp of guidance before all creatures and the Most Great Light before all nations. He spoke, and His word is the truth: “O my son! Observe prayer, and enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong, and be patient under whatever befalleth thee; for this is a bounden duty.” Should anyone act according to this blessed verse sent down from the Kingdom of his Lord’s Will, the Possessor of Oneness, it would suffice him. To this testify the tongues of all created things and beyond them the tongue of thy Lord’s will, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is he who acteth according to that which he hath been commanded by God, the Lord of the worlds. The Wronged One beseecheth God to ordain for thee from the Supreme Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily He hath power over all things. Praise be unto Him Who is the Goal of them that know and the God of all the worlds.

As to what was written concerning Hasan-’Ali Khan, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented to the Intended One. He speaks, and His sweetest utterance is:

He is the Hearing, the Responding One.

O Hasan-’Ali! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He hath turned toward thee, having perceived from thee the fragrance of submissiveness unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. We have heard thy call and answered thee, and have seen thy turning and have turned toward thee from this luminous horizon. The world hath been encompassed by the smoke of tyranny, and the fabrications of false pretenders have veiled the lights of the Sun of Truth. The highway robbers stand at their posts, waiting - these robbers are in truth the divines of the age who have forbidden and deprived the people from the straight path and the Great Announcement, which adorneth all divine Books with its mention. Do people consider these objecting souls to be among the learned and count them among the righteous? Nay, by the Self of God Who overshadeth the world! The learned one is he who hath recognized the Truth and hath drunk from the Kawthar of utterance in the days of the All-Merciful. He is the learned one, and he is as the spirit to the body of the world and as the fruit to the Sadratu’l-Muntaha. Blessed is he and blessed is he who holdeth fast unto him. Praise the Intended One Who hath made thee aware and caused thee to attain thy goal. This station is mighty - preserve it in the name of the Peerless Friend, and strive that there may appear from thee that which will cause its fragrance to persist throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Every good deed today is recorded with God as the king of deeds. Know thou this and be of the thankful ones. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this mighty station.

As to what was written that […]

O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! This Wronged One makes mention of thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from every side, and gives thee the glad-tidings of the Most Great Joy. The world’s grief hath not deterred Him, nor can it deter Him, and the clamor of the nations cannot prevent Him from proclaiming His Cause. The martial array, the clashing of swords, the guns of the enemy and the weapons of the wicked have been as though non-existent. No hosts can frighten Him, no multitudes or ranks can render Him powerless. He speaks before the face of all the world, despite those who have denied God’s signs and His proof, and who desired to extinguish His light. Say: Perdition befall you! He hath appeared and manifested whatsoever He desired with power and sovereignty. Blessed art thou for having held fast to the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and turned toward the horizon before which all horizons have bowed down. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon him who was named Mirza Kuchik, that he may rejoice and thank his Lord, the Possessor of all existence.

O thou who art mentioned! Thy mention hath come, We have remembered thee and turned toward thee, and We counsel thee and those who have believed to show forth the Greater Steadfastness in this Day wherein the limbs of all names have trembled for fear of God, the Lord of Lords. Behold and make mention of those who enter temples and mosques for the remembrance of God, yet when He came with the truth, they cast it behind their backs, clinging to suppositions and idle fancies. By God’s life! They are indeed worshippers of idols, as testifieth He with Whom is the Mother Book. When the attraction of thy Lord’s verses seizes thee and thou findest the sweetness of the Merciful’s utterance, arise and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, for having given me to drink, from the hand of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy knowledge, and for having awakened me when I was sleeping, taught me when I was ignorant, and raised me up when I was seated. I testify that Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

As to what was written before concerning the rosary and the other rosary: if found in the city, a crier should announce it once. If the owner is found, it should be given to him; otherwise, one should wait for one year. If the owner is found, he should pay what was spent on the crier and receive his property. If one year passes and the owner is not found, one may dispose of it as he wishes, for this is lawful according to God’s Book.

Regarding what was written about him who is mentioned by name having become a bearer of books and tablets, may God confirm him and protect him so that the trusts may reach their owners.

Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God, and his daughter, upon her be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. He said: “Blessed is Muhammad, for he hath spoken the truth and that which is befitting, and blessed is his daughter for what she hath uttered. She hath spoken what beseemeth her in the days of her Lord. We send Our greetings upon them both and make mention of them and give them glad-tidings of that which the Kingdom of Utterance hath spoken in this clear station.” The Glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee, O Zayn, and upon those who have attained unto God’s favors, the Goal of the mystics. God willing, may she be successful and confirmed in serving her father.

We make mention in this station of My most truthful servant who hath attained unto pure servitude unto God, the One, the Single, the Unique, the All-Informed. He is among the Hands of the Cause. God hath honored him with attaining His presence and established him at His exalted gate.

It is requested that thou convey greetings and salutations from this evanescent one to all the friends in that land. May God willing, they all be confirmed and illumined by the lights of His countenance.

Another submission: this servant addressed a brief letter to Your Presence, and it was arranged that Sheikh Salman would come and take it and deliver it to Your Presence. Later it became known that they had forgotten. Now it is being sent to your august presence, and the petition of Ustad Abdul-Karim has been submitted and sent. May the Glory that is manifest and evident from the horizon of the heaven of our Lord’s grace be upon Your Presence and upon those who love you and who hear your word concerning God, the Lord of all worlds. And praise be to God, the Master of the Day of Judgment. The Servant. On the 18th of the month of Dhi’l-Hijjih al-Haram, year 1300.

=== END BH00146 ===

=== START BH00147 ===

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

Magnified is the All-Merciful Who hath, through His Most Exalted Word, attracted all who are in earth and heaven, and guided all through it on a Day wherein the foundations of the cities of names were shaken. He it is Who hath subdued all things through His Most Exalted Pen, and through it hath opened the door of reunion unto all who dwell in the kingdom of creation, and the Dove of the Cause hath warbled upon the branches of the Tree of Eternity. Exalted, exalted is He through Whose Name the world was illumined, and through Whom the feet of the peoples did slip - they who cast the path of God behind their backs and followed their vain desires. These are servants who went astray and led others astray until they pronounced judgment against Him Who created and fashioned them. Thus did their souls entice them. The Servant and God’s loved ones on earth bear witness that they failed in their duty towards God when the standard “He is the Truth” was hoisted in the most exalted station. Exalted is He Who caused to flow from the tongue of His chosen ones the waters of knowledge and utterance. They are the lamps of guidance amongst mankind - servants whose praise every book hath voiced and every tongue hath mentioned. They are the standards of divine knowledge in the realm of possibility and the banners of utterance from the All-Merciful. Exalted, exalted is He Who created them, caused them to be known, gave them utterance, brought them nigh, and chose them to serve His Cause among His servants, enabled them to make mention of Him among His creation, and made them the hands of His Cause in His kingdom. Through them the cock crowed and the clouds proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful!”

Glory be to Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the pearls of divine knowledge appeared from the ocean of Thy mercy and the fragrance of the garment was diffused through Thy command and will! I beseech Thee by Thy Will which transformeth darkness into light and sorrow into joy, to send down from the heaven of Thy grace upon Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee in all conditions and protect them from those who have denied the Beginning and the End. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

My spirit be a sacrifice unto your steadfastness! The birds of your knowledge have caused Me to hear, from the atmosphere of your certitude, that whereby I perceived the fragrance of your sincerity and your steadfastness in the Cause of our Beloved and your Beloved. When the scratching of your pen attracted Me and your words delighted Me, I soared on the wings of longing until I attained the station of nearness and holiness and beauty. And when I was present, that which was in your letter was presented, whereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that whereby the Balance was set up and the mountains were moved. His word, exalted be His glory:

In My Name that shineth forth from the horizon of utterance […]

O thou who drinkest the choice wine of My utterance and soarest in My atmosphere! Hearken unto My call, for verily it draweth thee to My Kingdom and My dominion. By My life! The Word through whose breezes We quickened the kingdom of creation now lamenteth My sorrow and that which hath befallen Me at the hands of them that have violated My Covenant and Testament, and have chosen for themselves a loved one other than Me. Thus hath My tongue spoken that thou mayest know what hath befallen the Wronged One from the hosts of the oppressors. From every word of thy Lord hath flowed the living waters of proof and evidence, yet the people are in manifest doubt. The ocean of wisdom hath surged before all faces, yet most of the people remain heedless. Consider and remember when thou wert with Me and didst witness the waves of the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Behold the people of the Bayan! They claim faith for themselves, yet deny Him Who revealed the Bayan from His inaccessible and glorious Kingdom. The world hath been illumined by the Sun of My most exalted Word, yet the people remain behind a thick veil. Verily the Word at times singeth and at times lamenteth - the former for what it containeth and the latter for what hath befallen it from them that have disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds. This is the Day whereof Adam gave tidings, and after him Noah, and after him Hud, until Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came with a perspicuous Book. We revealed unto Him the Furqan wherein mention was made of this All-Wise Remembrance, and We gave tidings unto all therein of this Day which is the Lord of all ages and centuries, from God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. He gave tidings unto all of the Days of God and spoke in praise of this Revelation, whereat, when it appeareth, all mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. O thou who gazest upon My countenance! Do ears hear? Nay, by the life of thy Lord, the Speaking, the All-Seeing! Do eyes behold? Nay, by My sanctified and luminous Beauty! By God! Were anyone to hear the call of thy Most Glorious Lord from the Supreme Horizon and taste the sweetness of His utterance, he would soar on the wings of detachment in this atmosphere wherefrom the near ones hear: “There is no God but Me, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.” Remind the people of thy Lord’s most great signs, that perchance they may cast away what they possess, turning unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Blessed is he who hath spoken forth this Most Great Remembrance, and blessed the ear that hath heard the Call, and blessed the heart that hath turned unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. It behooveth thee to speak that whereby the birds of certitude may soar throughout all regions and cities. Thus doth He Who hath given thee to drink the choice wine of inner meanings command thee, in His Name, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Convey My greetings unto My loved ones who have turned away from all else save Me and have held fast unto My Strong Cord. Glory be upon thee and upon them that have attained unto this glorious and wondrous station.

The Sun of Grace shineth with such brilliance that none need establish Its reality through proofs and evidences. Praise be to God! That Beloved One hath ever been and remains remembered in the Most Holy Presence and Supreme Horizon. The principal cause for the delay in writing this letter was thy movement and travels, as successive letters from thee and other friends gave news of movement and intention to travel. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, that He may enable him to occupy himself with His remembrance in his remaining days and to make up for what hath passed. And concerning what thou didst write in thy last letter about the gathering of those who drink the choice wine of inner meanings in the house of Karbila’i ’Abdu’l-Baqi, upon him be the Glory of God, occupied in the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds - blessed art thou and they, and those who have attained unto the knowledge of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. This matter too was presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance. His word, exalted be His majesty:

In My Most Ancient and Most Great Name […]

When the Sun of inner meanings dawned forth in the mirror of knowledge, the blessed word “I am the One manifest above all things” became manifest, and in every instance an utterance appeared and a word was witnessed. The Divine Cause has been and shall forever be all-encompassing, and ere long its effects shall be witnessed in the world. The degrees of that honored one’s love, devotion and steadfastness are known and evident before the Wronged One. God willing, you shall bring to life the dead in the valley of heedlessness and ignorance with the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterance, that all may drink from the Euphrates of divine mercy and turn to the supreme horizon. This is a Day the like of which hath never been. God willing, may those near and sincere ones succeed in deeds that are likewise without peer or likeness. Under all conditions, keep the friends fresh and verdant through the fragrances of the All-Merciful’s raiment. I swear by the Life of the Beloved of creation that all the pens of the world and tongues of the nations fall short and are powerless to praise and extol this wondrous Day. That which was in the former Books hath now become manifest and evident. Say: By God, He hath appeared Who made the dawn as darkness and walked upon the borders of the earth. Be thou a cup-bearer among My servants, then give them to drink of the Kawthar of My loving-kindness and the choice wine of My bounty - at times in My Name, at others through My remembrance, and at times through My love, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Ere long these days shall be rolled up, and most people shall find themselves in manifest loss. Strive that a handful of dust may attain everlasting life through the Salsabil of utterance. Today every soul is able to possess that which shall endure throughout the sovereignty of earth and heaven. Blessed are they who have attained unto this Day and recognized its Lord. Say: Where are the hosts and the parties, and where is he who turned away from the Lord of Lords? Where are the ranks and the banners, and where are the crowns and the thrones? Say: Where is the joy of Chosroes and the lamentation of the bereaved? Ask thou God to aid all to that which beseemeth His appearance and His days, and to assist them in His remembrance, His praise and the service of His Cause, the Mighty, the Great. Thou shouldst, through God’s grace, speak that which will set the world ablaze and bestow the water of steadfastness at all times, that those on earth may be purified from the defilement of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and be adorned with the ornament of knowledge and certitude. He commandeth thee that which profiteth the servants. Thy Lord is verily the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

And likewise these exalted words were revealed from the Source of verses regarding Aqa ’Abdu’l-Baqi, upon him be the glory of God, whose house became a gathering place for the friends of God. His glory be exalted:

In the Name of the Peerless Lord

O ’Abdu’l-Baqi! Thou hast attained the presence of the All-Merciful, heard the divine call, and beheld the supreme horizon. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of God’s Cause that this station is sanctified and exalted above the mention of all on earth. However, thou must preserve it in the name of the Friend and keep it hidden from the thieves and treacherous ones. O ’Abdu’l-Baqi! Forget not the counsels of the Wronged One. He counseleth all in that which profiteth them in this world and the next. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He is with thee, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Blessed is the soul that today standeth firm in serving the Cause with wisdom, and blessed is the house from which the mention of God is raised. We make mention of those who gathered there and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy, which have preceded existence in both the seen and unseen realms. Blessed are their tongues for having uttered the praise of God, the Lord of all worlds, and their ears for having heard the mention of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Nabil, O Muhammad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Single, the One! Glorify on My behalf the countenances of My loved ones whom thou hast mentioned in thy letter, convey to them My remembrance and praise, and remind them of My verses and that which hath been revealed from My Pen. Say: By God! This is He by Whose will the Mother Book was sent down, by the movement of Whose Pen the Supreme Pen was moved, and by Whose call the Call was raised from the Dawning-Place of Grandeur. Sovereignty belongeth unto Him Who speaketh the truth. Blessed is he who hath drunk from the cup of His utterance, and woe unto the heedless. Thus have We opened the gate of the Kingdom of utterance with My finger, and I am, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty.

By the life of God! If all who dwell on earth were to truly perceive the fragrance of but a single verse from the divine verses, all would turn to the Manifestation of the Cause, become detached from what they possess and turn unto what is with God.

O thou beloved of My heart! The Kingdom of utterance is stirred by the divine utterance, yet the people are heedless, nay withered, nay dead. They have not partaken of nor received their portion from the Kawthar of immortality which floweth before all faces from the Supreme Pen. At one time this blessed word dawned from the horizon of utterance of the King of Oneness, addressing one of His names. Though the original divine utterance is not at hand, its purport is this: Beseech the exalted Truth that such fragrances may be diffused as would draw hearts and spirits to stations and bring to mind such realms that the mentions and conditions of this world would become to them a thing forgotten. The friends of God must attain to such a station that neither the might of the oppressors nor the signs of the Pharaohs - who in one instance are called the denying divines and in another the objectors among the people of the Bayan - should prevent them from the divine Kawthar. The greater the Cause, the greater its trials and tribulations. Yet today trials and tribulations are not visible, for the heaven of grace is raised high and the ocean of bounty is manifest. If from one direction the cups of trials and tribulations are witnessed, from another the Most Glorious Beauty with the white hand bestoweth the Kawthar of immortality. If croaking is raised, the pure wine is also flowing and circulating.

In one of the Tablets these words were revealed from the source of verses - His word, exalted be His majesty and might: Say: O friends of Truth! Be not saddened by the derision of the deniers and the denial of the objectors, for these matters have ever been and will ever be proof of the truth of the Truth, exalted be His glory. If ye should hear unseemly words from some ignorant, heedless, unknowing one, it mattereth not, for he and all that is with him shall soon return to nothingness, while ye today drink from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and hear the words “Ye are of Me.” At this moment, one of the near angels circling round made supplication: “O my God, my Lord, my Goal, my Beloved, and Beloved of all in the heavens and earth! I beseech the ocean of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy grace that I may hear a hundred thousand curses, revilings and denunciations in Thy love, if but once this ear might be blessed with hearing the most sweet words ‘Verily thou art of the people of Baha.’”

Most of those on earth today have turned away from the Truth and are deprived of the ocean of knowledge. It hath been said […]

Write to Nabil, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness: Arise to serve the Cause of Truth through the power of Truth, the grace of Truth, and the might of Truth - arise with such steadfastness that the very essence of constancy shall be made to tremble thereby. With the fire of love set ablaze the hearts and souls of men, and with the light of knowledge illumine their countenances, that the hearts and souls of the sincere may be sanctified from all doubts, conditions and allusions, and that they may, detached and free, occupy themselves with His mention, His praise and the teaching of His Cause throughout His realms and domains.

Say: O ye who thirst for the stream of flowing mercy, O ye who yearn for the surging ocean of attainment, O ye who await the presence of your Lord - for what day have ye reserved your eyes? For what hour have ye kept your hearts? And for what moment have ye preserved your tongues and ears? Today the eye proclaimeth at the highest pitch, “The Day is mine!” for the Goal of all existence hath spoken the words “Look, thou shalt behold Me.” The ear declareth, “By God, the time is my time!” for the Most Sweet Call hath been raised from the realm of grandeur. And the tongue in the kingdom of utterance proclaimeth “Verily, this Day is my Day!” A hundred thousand blessings rest upon him whom the conditions of the world and its changing hues have not withheld from the Essence of all essences, and whom perishable things have not debarred from the everlasting kingdom.

In that moment such verses were revealed from the Dayspring of Divine Revelation that, by God besides Whom there is none other God, this servant was struck with wonderment and amazement, and in truth found himself utterly powerless to utter a single word thereof. Unless the confirmations of God, exalted be His glory, shall assist, how can this servant be capable of writing, or worthy of setting forth the truth? I beseech you and all the friends to supplicate God, exalted be His glory, to aid this servant in this most great and mighty service. Verily, He is the Helper of the world, and within His grasp lie the reins of all nations. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

A beloved and honored missive from his honor Samandar, upon him be the Glory of God, was sent to his honor Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the Glory of God, and he forwarded it to the Most Holy Court. All of it was presented, and answers to some passages descended from the heaven of grace, but will be sent at a later time. The Command is in His hands - He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. In truth, they have not fallen short in serving the Cause. God willing, may they be confirmed in all conditions. Their mention has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court. God willing, they shall attain the answer to the aforementioned missive. Blessed be he and his honor Nabil Ibn Nabil. This servant has always wished to be occupied with the praise and glorification of the friends of God, but finds no time and opportunity is lacking. In every post, observe how correspondence and missives arrive from most directions. Many times this servant has felt utterly embarrassed due to lack of time. On one hand, occupied with writing divine verses in His presence, on another hand engaged in making copies thereof, and beyond that answering correspondence and letters which the friends write to this servant himself, and beyond these stages, by command some tablets are also sent in this evanescent one’s handwriting. In all conditions I beseech confirmation from God, exalted be His glory, and seek enablement that whatever days remain may be spent in commanded services. Verily He is the Lord of enablement, there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

His honor, the esteemed Sarvar, his honor K.D., upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], has written a letter to this evanescent one and likewise sent a petition to the Most Holy Court. It was presented before the Throne. The Sun of favor rose and shone from the horizon of grace and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this blessed word, His word exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the Dawning from the Horizon of the World

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Thy call hath attained the hearing of the Lord of Names. God willing, through divine grace thou shalt in all nights and days be engaged in the remembrance of God and arise to serve the Cause. This wondrous Day is attributed to Him. Behold what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “The Kingdom on that day shall be God’s.” Verily the Balance walketh and saith: “I am the All-Knowing Discerner,” and the Path proclaimeth: “His Straight Path hath appeared,” and the Self-Subsisting calleth out with the most exalted call: “The Promised One hath come and people have arisen for the Lord of the worlds.” Blessed is he who hath recognized and heard and turned and found the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance when He came with manifest sovereignty. Remember My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of My mention and My mercy and My favor and convey to them My glorious and wondrous greetings. Say: In all books before and after, this Day hath been named the Day of God, yet the manifestations of idle fancies and daysprings of vain imaginings are heedless and veiled therefrom, and like earthworms are cast down and occupied in the clay of ignorance. God willing, may the people of Baha appear with such an adorning as befitteth this mighty Cause. Thus have We mentioned thee before and at this time and We shall mention thee hereafter with a tablet from which shineth the sun of thy Lord’s tender mercy, the Kind, the Generous. End.

This evanescent servant too shall, God willing, submit an answer to their letter.

And this is what was revealed from the Dawning Place of verses for him who was named Muhammad-Javad on the Day of the Call, His word exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great

[…]

This is the Day whereon all atoms cry out: “The Kingdom belongeth to the Revealer of verses,” while the Spirit proclaimeth from the Divine Throne: “Greatness belongeth to God, the Lord of lords.” Blessed art thou and those whose heads are adorned with the crowns of their Lord’s favor, the Lord of Return. Days and nights shall pass away, but there shall endure for thee that which hath been sent down from this Pen, before which all pens bow down when it moveth. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, for it cannot be equaled by the treasuries of kings nor by the wealth of merchants. We counsel thee and them that have believed in that whereby the Cause of God, the Cleaver of Dawn, may be exalted. We make mention of My handmaidens who have circled round the will of their Lord, the Lord of Necks. And We make mention of thy wife, from whom We have inhaled the fragrance of steadfastness in this Cause - the Cause at whose appearance covenants were breached and standards reversed. Blessed is she, and again blessed is she. We testify that she hath attained unto that which most of the servants have been debarred from.

O Ahmad! The One, the Single, remembereth thee as He walketh upon the most exalted station. Say: O concourse of the dead! Arise, then hearken unto that which the Speaker of the Mount uttereth on the Sinai of Revelation through this Name, at which the Evil One hath lamented and the mountains have crumbled. Let not the affairs of the world grieve thee. Turn thy face toward the All-Bountiful and say: Ordain for me that which profiteth me, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all created things. Thou art He Who directeth the world with the finger of Thy will, and Who holdeth the bridle of governance with Thy other finger. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Giving. The glory be upon thee and upon thy father and mother, and upon those who are with you among the loved ones of God, the Lord of creation.

Wondrous and sublime verses have been revealed from the Divine Tongue for all the friends in that land. The river of mercy floweth. This drop is not capable of enumerating. Would that the people of the world might know! Would that they might hear! Would that they might be fair!

And at the end of the utterances of the King of Names and Attributes, these exalted words were revealed especially for Jinab-i-Fayd’u’llah, upon him be the Glory of God. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Manifest, the All-Knowing

O Fayd’u’llah! The Tongue of Grace declareth: The cloud of mercy is raised up and the rains of generosity pour forth from the clouds of bounty. Blessed is the state of one who is not deprived today of the outpouring of the True Bestower of Grace. God willing, may hearts become connected to the divine ocean of joy so that they may be freed and liberated from the troubles and sorrows of the world. Thou hast drunk from the cup of the All-Merciful’s utterance time and again. God willing, mayest thou be aided to preserve this most exalted station. That which is incumbent upon all today is that they expend the utmost effort and endeavor in attaining the good-pleasure of God, that they may achieve this greatest bounty and mighty gift. And this station cannot be attained except through complete effacement in the will and desire of God. God willing, may all be successful in submission and contentment, and be thankful for what God hath commanded. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the friends of that land. How excellent is the state of one who hath attained to His mention and hath arisen to serve Him. The command is in His hand - He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Almighty, the Powerful.

He is the Manifest, the Hidden!

Concerning your mention that you had sent detailed missives containing exhortations and counsels to the friends of God in the land of Kha - this was submitted to the Most Holy Court. Thus did the tongue of the All-Merciful speak forth in the Kingdom of Utterance - exalted be His majesty: “Well is it that he has acted. God willing, they should at all times be bearers of glad tidings from the presence of the Truth. The people of the earth need educators and likewise expounders, that all may, in this spiritual morn, partake of the wine of divine love and attain unto that which God has desired for them. Blessed are the people of Kha, who have cast away vain desire and held fast unto the Lord of all mankind. We give them the glad tidings of God’s grace and mercy, and draw them nigh unto a station that hath been recorded by the Pen of God. Convey My greetings unto their faces and remind them of My days that were promised in the Tablets. Their mention hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen - to this testifies the Mother Book, which speaketh in the Most Great Prison amidst the nations that which shall assist them in a Cause that hath been inscribed in the Book. God willing, may all attain to divine bounties.”

And concerning what you wrote about that known person, it was submitted, whereupon He said: “We have protected him and his brother on numerous occasions. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Generous. We have ordained for them the good of this world and the next. He is verily the Almighty, the Powerful. God willing, may they attain on this divine Day to that which shall deliver them from the troubles of the world. Beseech God - glorified be His majesty - that they may be aided to preserve that which hath been bestowed upon them. Verily thy Lord speaketh the truth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. There shall appear from them that whereby their mention shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. This beseemeth today those who have turned unto the One, the All-Wise. The glory be upon him and upon those with him who have turned unto My luminous horizon.”

This evanescent servant beseecheth God - glorified be His majesty - to aid His loved ones in that which befitteth His divine Day.

Another submission: Concerning what you wrote specifically about those souls gathered in the house of Karbala’i ’Abdu’l-Baqi - upon him be the glory of God - wondrous and exalted verses have been revealed from the heaven of divine Will. God willing, may all attain unto them.

However, at the end of the letter you had mentioned Aqa Muhammad-’Ali - upon him be the glory of God - from the land of Sh. After submission to the Most Holy Court, the Sun of Utterance shone forth in the form of these sublime words - exalted and glorified be His utterance[…]

Verily We make mention of him who hath desired to make mention of his Lord, and We bid him to that which beseemeth the days of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. In the night seasons the scratching of My Most Exalted Pen is raised up, and in the daytime the tongue of My grandeur doth speak: “There is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.” Every hour beareth witness to My remembrance, and every moment declareth that the Call hath not ceased from the direction of the Lord of Names. At times He maketh mention through His Pen, at times through His tongue, and at times through His heart, sanctified from all that was and shall be. Rejoice, O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali, in My remembrance of thee, My loving-kindness towards thee, and My turning unto thee from My praiseworthy station. From this station We send Our greetings unto the faces of My loved ones in thy land, that they may rejoice in these greetings through which the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness hath been wafted in the seen and unseen realms. The glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity be upon them from God, the Lord of existence.

This servant’s humble petition at the end of this letter is that you convey the greetings of this lowly and submissive servant to all the friends of that land and to those masters who have drunk from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and who are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon. God willing, may all be blessed with the outpourings of His Grace, the All-Bountiful, and remain steadfast in His service. The Glory be upon you and upon them and upon those who have testified to that which God, the Lord of the worlds, hath testified.

The Servant

22 Muharram 1299

=== END BH00147 ===

=== START BH00148 ===

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

The servant beareth witness to that which his Lord did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth, that there is none other God but He, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. He testifieth that He was One in His essence and One in His attributes, and hath taken unto Himself neither partner nor minister. He hath appeared and manifested whatsoever He desired. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Beloved. Through His appearance the standards of signs were raised aloft and the banners of guidance were unfurled upon the most exalted station of all created things. Blessed is he who, being endowed with vision, hath turned unto Him and seen; blessed is he who, being endowed with hearing, hath hearkened unto His Call; blessed is he who, being endowed with speech, hath voiced His praise; and blessed is he who, being possessed of strength, hath arisen to serve His Cause in the kingdom of creation in such wise that neither the oppression of the oppressor, nor the ascendancy of the heedless, nor the clamor of the learned who were moved by the winds of self and desire until they pronounced judgment against Him Who calleth upon them night and day, could deter him.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the gates of mercy and success were opened before the faces of Thy servants, and the fragrance of Whose raiment hath been diffused throughout all lands! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Manifest, the Hidden, and by Thy Mystery, the Brilliant, the Treasured, and by the lights of Thy countenance in the supreme horizon, and the appearance of Thy glory in the kingdom of creation, to assist Thy loved ones and chosen ones to serve Thy Cause, that there may appear from them that which shall cause their mention to endure in every world of Thy worlds. O my Lord! Thou beholdest them turning unto Thee, holding fast to the cord of Thy grace, and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy bounty and generosity. Ordain for them that which beseemeth Thy loftiness, then write down for them from the Pen of Destiny that which shall profit them in this world and in the world to come. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Ruler of all names. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

Thereafter, the servant received what thou didst send unto him, as though it were a leaf penned by the right hand of faith with the ink of certitude in remembrance of God and His love - lines from which every person of discernment perceiveth the fragrance of humility and submissiveness before God, your Lord and your Goal and our Goal and the Goal of the sincere ones. When I discovered the fragrance of sincerity from the flowers of the garden of your devotion, I approached the Most Exalted Goal and the Supreme Summit. When I attained unto His presence, I presented what was contained in your letter, whereupon the ocean of loving-kindness surged and the Tongue of Unity spoke - exalted be His might and sublime be His utterance:

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon the countenance! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee from the precincts of the Prison, and commandeth thee with that which shall exalt thy station among men. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Hold fast unto righteousness in all conditions, and unto that which shall elevate the station of man in creation. Thus doth thy Lord, the All-Merciful, command thee from this blessed and exalted Spot. Beware lest the affairs of the world grieve thee, for if He willeth, He shall bestow upon thee the good of the hereafter and of this world. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent.

O Sadiq! The glances of favor are directed towards thee. God, exalted be His glory, hath seized the first enemy - the serpent - and the second - the wolf - is under the claws of destiny. Thy Lord recounteth this unto thee that thou mayest be of them that attain. Know thou with certitude that God hath given and giveth each soul its due. Nothing hath escaped Him nor ever shall. Were anyone to become aware of the requirements of divine wisdom, he would testify that He is indeed the Mighty, the Ordainer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The two brilliant lights attained outwardly and inwardly unto the Divine Word, reaching a station that every height and loftiness glorieth in it and turneth towards it. Both of them in their petitions sought the station of martyrdom, and after countless entreaties, supplications and prayers, God - exalted be His power - granted their wish. Through His grace, they lived in this world with utmost honor and later attained the greatest martyrdom, and now their resting place is the point of circumambulation for those near unto God and the sincere ones. All this is from God’s grace and mercy upon them and upon those with them.

You too must walk in their footsteps, be engaged in the praise and glorification of God, and arise to serve His Cause in such wise that neither the doubts of the world nor the intimations of its peoples shall deter you or deprive you of the outpourings of the True Bestower. Blessed are ye and those with you and those who love you in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. Be as they were - thus doth the Tongue of Grandeur counsel thee and My Most Exalted Pen advise thee. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Thou hast ever been and, God willing, shall ever remain beneath the glances of divine favor. Give thanks for that with which the Speaker of Sinai hath conversed with thee in this Revelation whereby the Balance hath been established, the mountains have passed away, and all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, save those who have cast behind them their vain imaginings, turning unto God, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The glory that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon you all and upon every steadfast and firm one.

From the waves of the divine ocean of utterance, His grace and favor are evident and manifest. Blessed are they who have attained unto the fragrance of His verses and who dwell beneath His Tree. Blessed are they and joy be unto them.

This servant hath ever beseeched and continues to beseech at the Most Holy Court that He may assist you in that which shall cause the exaltation of God’s Cause and His Word, and that He may ordain for you that which is enduring and everlasting. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

Concerning what you wrote about the afflictions and the tyranny and transgression of the enemies and those related to the Uncle, this detail was presented before the presence of the Lord of Names, and this exalted Word shone forth from the Dayspring of utterance of the Lord of all being, exalted and blessed be His Word […]

Be not grieved at anything. Rest assured in God’s bounty and mercy. Verily thy Lord heareth and seeth, and He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He is the Protector of all names, and within His grasp is the dominion of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Be not sorrowful at the calamities of the world. Ere long shall the sincere ones and the unitarians behold themselves seated upon the throne of glory. The glory of the world is turned towards that House. Soon shall this most glorious and most exalted station become manifest and evident unto all the peoples of the world. Be thou vocal in My remembrance, turn thy face towards My horizon, and act in accordance with that which hath been sent down in My Most Great Book.

If the Truth, exalted be His glory, were to unveil for others what He hath unveiled for these servants, all would circle round Him. However, His grace hath unveiled it for us while His justice hath concealed it from them. Verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth and decreeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. During his lifetime, the uncle committed certain deeds of which none save God is aware. Many times did this exalted word proceed from the tongue of the Lord of all being: “O servant in attendance! We have previously stated that My name is the Concealer. Therefore he hath clung to the hem of grace, and thus have We regarded him and continue to regard him.” We ever concealed his deeds in accordance with consummate wisdom until that which was manifest became manifest. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid His servant, His chosen ones, His friends and His loved ones in that which will cause the countenance of truthfulness to shine forth and will exalt the station of trustworthiness. Verily, He hath power over all things.

As to what thou didst write concerning the ultimate purpose, namely the meeting with God, exalted be His glory, and likewise thy mention of the response which descended from the heaven of divine Will specifically for that spiritual beloved - this servant, after consideration, submitted this again at an appropriate time. Thereupon did the sun of loving-kindness shine forth from the horizon of the grace of our Lord, the Lord of earth and heaven. He said - and His sweetest utterance is this: There hath never been any doubt that the Truth, exalted be His glory, hath loved and continueth to love meeting with His loved ones. They must look to that which was previously revealed. Wisdom requireth that they occupy themselves with the affairs of that House and with commerce in utmost joy and fragrance. Verily We shall assist him in this world and ordain for him that which shall profit him in the next. It behooveth him to act in accordance with what he hath been commanded and to hold fast unto that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds, may be exalted.

In all matters ye have been and continue to be assisted through the grace and loving-kindness of the Truth, exalted be His glory. God willing, may ye ever attain unto this most exalted station and be occupied with service to the Cause. As for your having appointed this servant as representative for circumambulating the Point round which circle all who are in earth and heaven: On the fourth night of Rabi’u’th-Thani, one hour after nightfall, I attained the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and after receiving permission, circumambulated and visited on behalf of that beloved one. Thereafter did the Tongue of Grandeur speak this most exalted word - glorified be His utterance: Verily We have accepted the intention of him who hath turned towards the Most Sublime Horizon and the Supreme Summit. Blessed is he whose deed hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance from God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Give him glad tidings from Me and say: Verily We have accepted thy turning and thy devotion and thy deed in the path of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And We have accepted the circumambulation of him who acted as representative, as a bounty from Us, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. And praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

Concerning the Family, upon whom be the Glory of God, His mercy and His providence, you have written that for each one should be sent down, from the heaven of divine compassion, a wondrous and glorious Tablet. God willing, may all attain unto them and from their fragrance inhale the sweet-scented perfume of God. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, loveth him who hath loved Him, desireth him who hath desired Him, and exalteth him who hath humbled himself before Him. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

This is what hath been revealed for the Family of His Holiness the King of Martyrs, upon them be the Glory of God and His grace. His blessed and exalted Word:

In My Name, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed

O Leaf! O Family! Ye have been and are beneath the glance of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory. There hath been sent down for you that which shall forever speak and make mention throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. The Concourse on High is saddened by your grief and gladdened by your joy. All this is from God’s grace upon you, O Family. Know thou this supreme bounty and this exalted station, and be of the thankful ones. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon those with thee, and upon every handmaiden who serveth thee in the path of God, the Revealer of verses.

And this is what hath been revealed for his honor Abdul-Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. His mighty Word:

He is the All-Knowing Speaker

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh with truth is indeed the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Name, through Whose remembrance the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, have been adorned. Through Him the gates were opened, the verses were revealed, the clear proofs appeared, and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of this wondrous Day, was made manifest. We have named Ourself Husayn and thou art My servant. Exalted is this most great station, which when mentioned by the Supreme Pen, all in the kingdom of creation fell prostrate, and the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary spoke of the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto the heedless ones. God’s curse be upon those who have wronged you and usurped your properties without clear proof from God, the Almighty, the Powerful. The Glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who serve thee and love thee in this straight Path.

And this is what hath been revealed for his brother who was named Jalal. His exalted Word:

I am the All-Hearing Witness

We have turned toward thee from this most exalted station and desire to make thee hear My sweetest call. Verily thy Lord doeth as He willeth, and in His right hand is the kingdom of names. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. Verily He is with you and maketh mention of you in all conditions, and remembereth what hath befallen you from every idolatrous infidel. By God’s life! He who hath wronged you is in such a state that the dwellers of the graves seek refuge with God, the One, the All-Compelling, while you are in such a station that My Supreme Pen maketh mention of you from the Most Glorious Horizon with joy and fragrance. What is seen and perceived cannot equal even a letter of what hath been revealed for you. He in Whose possession is the knowledge of the Book beareth witness to this. The Light manifest from the horizon of the heaven of My providence be upon thee and upon those who remember Me in the night and in the day.

And this is what hath been revealed for the Leaf who was named Sakinih, upon her be the Glory of God. His exalted Word:

In My Name, the One Who domineth all names […]

Blessed art thou, O Leaf, in that God hath associated thee with the Divine Lote-Tree. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great bounty. All the peoples of the world throughout past and future ages awaited to hear the Word of God, yet when the world was illumined by the splendors of His Manifestation, all remained heedless and deprived save whom God willed. And that Leaf attained unto this supreme gift, such that the Truth, unveiled and resplendent, addressed her with the words “O My handmaiden.” Know thou this station, then preserve it through My Name, the Strong, the Mighty. The Glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon every maidservant who hath turned and attained unto this mighty Cause.

This was revealed for another Leaf who was named Khanum, upon her be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing

O Leaf! Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One and give thanks unto God, exalted be His glory, for He hath reckoned you among the people of the House and hath mentioned you in the Crimson Book by the Most Exalted Pen - a mention which, were its fragrance to waft over absolute darkness, would transform it into light, and were a word thereof to be cast upon dust, would cause the Water of Life to flow therefrom. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful. God willing, may you hold fast unto the Lote-Tree in such wise that diverse tempestuous winds shall not cause you to fall. Thus hath He Who is the Source of every wise remembrance mentioned thee. The Glory shining forth from the horizon of My most luminous Countenance be upon thee and upon My handmaidens who have believed in this wondrous Cause.

This was revealed for the family of His Holiness the Best-Beloved of Martyrs, upon them be the Glory of God, and for the handmaiden who visiteth them - them do the Concourse on High and the denizens of the Kingdom of Creation visit. His blessed and exalted Word:

In My Name that speaketh between earth and heaven

A remembrance from Our presence unto My handmaiden and My Leaf who hath clung to the Divine Lote-Tree and believed in God, the Lord of lords. We have remembered thee before and in this station which God hath made the most exalted of stations. Soon shall the world and its ornaments, its favors and all that is therein pass away, and there shall endure for thee this remembrance which hath been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind. Beware lest the affairs of the world sadden thee or the intimations of men veil thee. Cast behind thee all else but Me and hold fast unto this remembrance whereby the lights have shone forth. Blessed art thou and thy son who hath mentioned your names and clung to the hem of God, the Dawning-Place of commandments and ordinances. The Glory manifest and shining from the horizon of My heavens be upon thee and upon thy children and upon every steadfast believer.

This was revealed for his honor Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God. His Word, exalted be His majesty:

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

O Ahmad! The Wronged One remembereth thee as He remembered thee before, that thou mayest inhale the fragrance of My utterance in My days and give thanks unto thy Bountiful Lord. O Ahmad! By the life of God, justice hath perished and We behold the embodiment of tyranny usurping its mighty right. The latter hath wronged the former in such wise as hath caused every fair-minded and clear-sighted one to lament. Cast behind thee idle fancies and hold fast unto that which hath come unto thee from One All-Knowing, All-Wise. Say: Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name they that lay in their graves arose and the Lote-Tree spoke forth on Sinai! I beseech Thee by the suns of the heavens of Thy knowledge and the seas of Thy wisdom to make me a servant of Thy Cause, acknowledging that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath uttered, and clinging to Thy robe in such wise that neither the hosts of the world nor the clamor of the nations shall deter me. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

In My Name which shineth forth from the horizon of might!

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is He through Whom the Tree of the Uttermost Boundary was raised up and the Standard of Truth was hoisted in the kingdom of creation, and through Whom the ocean of utterance surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful was wafted throughout all possibility. Exalted is he who hath hearkened to His call and recognized His utterance and found the sweet savors of His verses. He is among the most excellent of all creation before God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is he who hath attained unto My days and gained the recognition of Me and heard My call and found the fragrance of My robe and spoke My praise and arose to serve My mighty Cause. O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali, render thanks unto God for this Most Great Remembrance. A single letter thereof surpasseth whatsoever the peoples possess, as doth testify the Lord of Eternity from His exalted station. The Glory shining from the heaven of My bounty be upon thee and upon those who have testified to that whereunto God testified before the creation of the heavens and the earth.

And this is what was revealed for the Leaf, Fatimih Bigum, upon her be the Glory of God. He saith, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the Forgiving, the Merciful!

O My Leaf! Verily My Cause is mighty, mighty indeed. Under all conditions, cling thou to the hem of thy Lord’s loving-kindness in such wise that neither the hosts of the idolaters nor the might of the heedless shall prevent thee. Praise be to the Desired One of the world Who caused thee to attain unto the recognition of this Most Great Cause at a time when the divines, the jurisprudents, the rulers, and all servants and handmaidens were veiled and heedless, save whom thy Lord willed. The grace of God and His mercy have ever been infinite. He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth for whomsoever He pleaseth. He giveth and He withholdeth, and He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the breezes of His days and hast not been deprived of the fragrance of the garment of recognition. This station is exceedingly great - know thou its worth and preserve it through the Name of God. We have hearkened to the yearning of thy heart and have made mention of thee in these most sublime words. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Rejoice thou in that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast mentioned me in the Most Great Prison when I was in the hands of the heedless ones.” The Glory be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath held fast to the cord of God, the Lord of all worlds.

And this is what was revealed for the Migrant, the Captive, whom God hath mentioned once in Kha and again in ?ad and in other lands. He saith, exalted be His glory and magnified be His grandeur:

He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth!

Blessed art thou, O My leaf and My handmaiden, who hath turned unto My countenance and advanced toward My horizon. Thou didst bear tribulations and afflictions in the path of God. Once We heard thy cry from Kha and another time from ?ad. The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified for thee that which shall endure in the Crimson Scroll. In the days of God thou didst follow the truth, for even the Seat of the Throne in each day had a different station and city due to the oppression of the transgressors. Blessed is the handmaiden whom nothing besides Me hath prevented from turning unto My horizon and hearkening unto My call. Soon shall the world and whatsoever is witnessed therein perish, and that which shall endure is a mention that hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Hold thou fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and cling thou to His luminous hem. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed My choice-sealed wine and attained unto My destined Cause.

And this is what was revealed for the Leaf, Ra?iyyih Bigum, upon her be the Glory of God. He saith, blessed and exalted be He:

In My Name, the Mighty, the All-Knowing! […]

O My leaf! Upon thee be My glory! Give thanks unto God for having drawn thee nigh, and caused thee to hear the melodies of the birds of the Kingdom, and taught thee My remembrance and praise, and guided thee to My path, and given thee to drink of the Kawthar of My bounty, and shown thee the ocean of My mighty grace. We have heard thy cry and thy lamentation in God, and have answered thee before and after, wherefore do We bear witness to the call between earth and heaven, through His bounty and grace and mercy upon thee and upon His remembering handmaidens and His sincere servants. Rejoice thou in this most great favor, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Verily, whoso turneth in remembrance unto Him Who remembereth him, and advanceth toward Him Who hath advanced toward him - thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken in this exalted station. We counsel thee with that which beseemeth the days of God and with that which hath been sent down in My perspicuous Book. Convey My glorification unto the faces of the people of the household and unto My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed. O My handmaiden! Speak unto them and make mention unto them of that wherewith We have made mention of thee, and give them the glad tidings of My mercy and My bounty and My grace which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Grieve thou not over anything, for verily He is with His devoted handmaidens and His devoted servants. The servant present hath read once again that wherewith thou didst call upon God, the Lord of the worlds. We have heard, and We have adorned the crown of thy sincerity with the crown of utterance from the All-Merciful. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thus hath the Ship of Divine Knowledge sailed upon the ocean of certitude. Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained, and woe unto the heedless. The glory shining from the horizon of My grace be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath turned and believed in the days of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We make mention of the bounty, a bounty from God, the Lord of the mighty throne. We glorify from this station him who hath soared in My atmosphere and sought to aid My Cause and hath spoken My beauteous praise - he who was named the Lion in a book and by another name in My Preserved Tablet. Glory be upon him and upon Inayat and upon those who, when they heard, submitted themselves to the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and to His manifest Command.

And this is what was revealed for the honored sister, upon her be the Glory of God, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name which shineth from the horizon of utterance! This is a day wherein God maketh mention of every servant who hath turned unto Him and every handmaiden who hath attained unto His wondrous Command. Blessed is the tongue that hath attained unto sweetness when the Call was raised, and the eye that hath turned when the Supreme Horizon was adorned with the lights of the face of the Lord of Names, and the mouth that hath drunk the Kawthar of life from the hand of bounty of its Lord, the Bountiful. The world hath been adorned with the lights of the Ancient One, yet the peoples are in a strange sleep. They have not been awakened by the Call, nor by the Cry, nay, they are among the dead in My perspicuous Book. O My leaf! Rejoice thou in that the Wronged One maketh mention of thee in that which attesteth to His grace and bounty. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bountiful. It behooveth thee to remember God in the nights and days. Thus do We counsel thee from His presence in a mighty tablet. We have made mention of thee before and after, and in this secure station. The glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon those who have turned and believed in God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible, and the Lord of the glorious throne.

This is what was revealed for the handmaiden of God, Khavar, who attained unto service to the people of the household and unto acceptance before God, the King, the Truth, the Just, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, exalted be His utterance and glorified be His Word:

In the Name of the One God […]

O handmaiden of God! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto that which is acceptable in the sight of Truth. Every handmaiden of God who hath attained to serving the people of the household is accounted among the people of Baha in the sight of Truth and inscribed in God’s Book. Preserve this station, that the Hand of Providence may bestow its recompense in this world and the next. Every pure deed is a treasure for its doer with God, glorified be His majesty. To this testifieth every seeing soul. The glory of God rest upon thee from God, the Forgiving, the Generous.

And this is what was revealed for the emigrant sister who circumambulates the Throne - upon her be the glory of God. His word, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the Remembering, the All-Knowing

O My handmaiden! At this hour thy sister and Munirih were present before the Face and made mention of thee, and sought thy remembrance from the ocean of divine generosity. Therefore was this most wondrous and most holy Tablet revealed especially for thee. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest grace. God willing, mayest thou ever be blessed by the grace of the True One and act according to what He loveth and approveth. His grace is present and His bounty manifest, yet the people remain heedless and veiled. Beseech ye God, glorified be His majesty, that He may guide all those who are related and not deprive them of the lights of the Sun of grace. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. We send from this spot Our greetings upon thee and upon thy daughters and upon him who hath believed in God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

Praise be to God! The outpouring grace hath encompassed all and portions have been bestowed from the ocean of providence. God willing, may they discover the fragrance of these days and drink from the ocean of grace, and God willing, may your honor be in all conditions a bearer of glad tidings and make the people aware of the grace and bounty of the Goal of all the worlds. However, with perfect wisdom and utterance. I convey greetings and salutations to the people of the household, upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God. I hope from His infinite grace that He may cause them to attain unto their goal. God is witness that this servant hath ever been and is mindful of their mention in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. And convey greetings and salutations to the friends in that land. Say: O friends! Today is the day to aid the Cause and arise to serve. Deprive not yourselves. Strive that ye may receive your portion from His oceans of bounty. In the divine Tablets, aid hath been ordained through goodly deeds and praiseworthy conduct. Conflict, contention and unseemly acts have been and shall ever be rejected. The station of man is other than the station of the beasts of the earth. The glory that shineth resplendent from the horizon of grace be upon you and upon those with you and upon all whose names thou hast mentioned in thy letter and upon every servant who hath believed in the One, the All-Informed.

According to His command: The sister of the King of Martyrs, upon her be the glory of God - if she hath any rights they should reach her. And they commanded to write to his honor S.D.: Affairs have been and are in the grasp of God’s power, glorified be His majesty, and bounty, blessing and heavenly food exist in the heaven of grace. He sendeth down upon whomsoever He willeth, howsoever He willeth. He is the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Generous. Her matter should be considered with perfect justice and equity and be carried out accordingly. Verily He is the Commander, the Clear, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. God shall soon give recompense to those who work in His path. He is the Guardian of those who act. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.

=== END BH00148 ===

=== START BH00149 ===

May our beloved and revered [Ali] Qabel-i-Akbar - upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious - observe:

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

How excellent that the letter arrived, diffusing the fragrance of love throughout all worlds. Each of its letters was a volume, and each of its words a book - volumes upon volumes of the righteous and books upon books of lovers. Blessed be the people of the Covenant, through whom the horizons were illumined. How excellent indeed! In truth, the mystic garden of inner meanings is the book of the loved ones. Every flower exists therein and every nightingale warbles upon it. The nightingales of the world are powerless to describe it, and the pens of nations fall short in its mention. Who can adequately give thanks for this supreme bounty? He guided, He showed the way, He conferred strength, He tested with knowledge, He bestowed vision, He granted wisdom. His is the praise and glory, beyond count and beyond reckoning. Blessed is our Lord Who hath made known to you that from which every possessor of smell perceiveth the fragrance of grace and favor.

Glorified art Thou, O Desire of the world and Manifest One through the Most Great Name! How can I mention Thee after Thou hast taught me that remembrance cannot draw nigh unto the court of Thy glory and utterance cannot soar into the atmosphere of Thy nearness? And how can I remain silent when I witness that my life was suspended by it, enduring through it, and standing by it? I beseech Thee, O Master of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, to assist me in mentioning Thy loved ones who have aided Thy Cause in Thy lands amongst Thy servants, who have arisen to serve Thee, and who have spoken Thy praise. Thou knowest, O my God, and seest, O my Desire, him who hath turned toward Thy most exalted horizon in days wherein the limbs of all names trembled and the fear of the oppressors seized all in the kingdom of creation. Thou hearest, O my God, his mention and praise, and Thou witnesseth, O my Lord, his steadfastness and constancy. I beseech Thee to assist him with the ocean of Thy utterance and to aid him with the angels of Thy Cause, and to protect him from the evil of Thine enemies, that he may mention Thee with wisdom and eloquence amidst the concourse of religions. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

And furthermore, O beloved of my heart, the letter which was adorned by the effect of the pen arrived - an arrival whose mention cannot quench the thirst of love even after one, two, or three times. In truth, this arrival can be attributed to eternal life, for it is the joy of heart and soul; its rising from the horizon of the heart knoweth no setting nor decline. All this is from the grace of God, our Lord and your Lord, and the Lord of His firm and impregnable Cause and His mighty News. And when the maidens of utterance were beheld from the chambers of words, they directed themselves toward the most exalted horizon and were presented before the countenance of the Lord of Names, attaining the honor of being heard. The word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He:

In My Name, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting

O ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy. Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily, We make mention of thee with a remembrance before which all remembrances bow down in humility. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, and glorification be unto Thee, O Thou the Lord of the beginning and the end!” We have stood before all faces with such steadfastness as could not be prevented by the hosts of the world nor by the might of days. Verily, the seas testify to My power, and the waves to My utterance, and the heaven beareth witness to My sovereignty that hath encompassed all horizons. The trees cry out in My Name while men are in strange doubt. We remember Our loved ones in the morning and in the evening, at nightfall and at dawn. The tongue speaketh and the Pen We behold moving in such wise as to attract the hearts of the possessors of understanding. Let nothing whatsoever grieve thee. Be thou confident in the grace of thy Lord. He is with whomsoever desireth Him - to this beareth witness the Mother Book in the most exalted station. We have aided thee to make mention of Me and have exalted thee amongst My servants that thou mayest thank thy Lord at morn and eventide. Be thou in such a state that neither what hath happened nor what will happen shall prevent thee, nor shall the power of the wicked weaken thee. We have remembered thee over successive years with verses that testify to thee in every world of My worlds. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the All-Bountiful.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory! Now open thy Persian ear that thou mayest hear the Persian call. Today the Blessed Tree in the midmost heart of the most exalted Paradise uttereth this most sublime Word: O people of the earth! Know ye the value of this time and act as behooveth you. O ’Ali! This Tree uttereth a word at every moment - its fruit is meaning and its leaves are utterance. Yet most of the followers of religion are deprived and kept back. At every instant the Sun of wisdom and utterance shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Most Exalted Pen, yet vision is clouded and understanding veiled. Beseech thou the True One that He may rend asunder these dark veils by the finger of power and may not deprive the heedless servants from the ocean of knowledge. Have they not witnessed the manifestations of power and heard the divine words? Say: O people, be fair! By the life of God, all the movements of the Truth, exalted be His glory, whether in mention, utterance, verses, evidences, arising or sitting - all have been and are distinguished from all who are on earth. Every person of insight hath testified and every informed one hath borne witness. Blessed is the soul that hath spoken with justice and fairness and whom doubts and idle fancies have not deprived of the fragrances of the divine days. Convey on behalf of the True One greetings to the loved ones of the land of Ta and its surroundings. Say: The fire of the Tree is ablaze and the lights of the Countenance are manifest and radiant. Strive that perchance ye may be enkindled by this fire and set the world aflame. The companions of Sh and S and M are all mentioned in the Most Holy Court and each hath been honored with divine mention. Remember them all on behalf of this Wronged One and convey greetings to them and give them the glad tidings of His grace and bounty, that perchance through the divine glad tidings a celestial power may be manifested in each one. Verily thy Lord counseleth and commandeth the servants with what profiteth them. He is indeed the Counselor, the All-Knowing.

Some time ago the chief of this city, that is the governor, was enkindled with the fire of hatred and did that which caused the book of joy […]

And he did that which caused the book of joy and the scroll of delight and gladness to be erased and disappear from this land. Each day a new oppression was manifested from him and a calumny made evident. Nevertheless, the Supreme Pen ceased not from mention of the friends. A hundred thousand souls be sacrificed for this supreme bestowal and mighty favor!

His honor Aqa ’Abdu’s-Samad with [his companion], upon them both be the Glory of God, attained and were among the chosen friends of that land. Multiple Tablets were requested and in these days were bestowed and sent. Give him the glad tidings of his Lord’s favor that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones.

The prison-city, praise be to God, has become filled with the friends, and this gathering has become the cause and reason for talk. Some words have been spoken, yet in all conditions power is manifest and the Pen is in motion. On one occasion these blessed words were spoken, the Word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified:

“O servant present! The people are weak, nay even kings are seen to be disturbed and fearful at the slightest thing. Otherwise, We would have assigned a specific place for a group of the friends in these lands and would have summoned them from all directions. But in consideration of the weakness of the servants We have held back. Glory be to God! For nearly twelve years We were in Iraq, and five years in the Land of Mystery, and eighteen years in the Prison Land in the domains of the Sublime State, and not so much as a needle’s point of harm was manifested from the souls present, nor was any corruption evident. Nevertheless, they did what thou hast seen and art aware of. Ask God to grant capacity of heart and breast and to strengthen the faculty of understanding, that perchance they may discover the purpose and find themselves freed from their vain imaginings.” End quote.

In truth, this ephemeral one is astonished at what could be the cause of their agitation and the reason for their lack of assurance, when in the Ottoman domains this community was subjected to killing and all manner of tribulation, yet they held fast to beautiful patience. In no way was any corruption manifest nor any opposition seen. The world is bewildered as to what cause and reason they have arisen in opposition, objection, oppression and transgression. In any case, forgiveness has been and is befitting to the station of man, and likewise prayer and seeking divine confirmation from the Presence of the Creator, exalted be His mention. Verily He is the Generous, the Possessor of Great Bounty.

And regarding what was written that some of the matters of that beloved one were not mentioned - this evanescent servant had previously submitted detailed accounts of all affairs. It is strange that that beloved one has again complained. Last year in this land the fire of corruption was so intensely ablaze that all writings were gathered and sent to a special place, and whatever was at hand and seen was answered and sent, especially regarding the letters of that beloved of hearts. Whatever was received was not neglected in reply, rather responses were written and dispatched on the very day of receipt. It seems to have escaped the blessed notice, as in this exalted letter much displeasure has been expressed. In truth, such expression was not warranted. In any case, this evanescent one acknowledges and confesses his shortcomings and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist him in making amends for what was missed. Verily our Lord is the Helper, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

At this moment, another letter from that beloved of hearts was observed. Much complaint was made about not receiving replies and mention was made of certain names. This servant, after reading it, found himself bewildered, for if that beloved one were to gather the Tablets specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the Lord’s Will, as well as the responses submitted by this servant, surely multiple books would be observed. At this point, this exalted word was revealed from the Lord of all beings, blessed and exalted be His utterance:

“O ’Ali! The heavenly feast and divine enduring bounty has rained upon you from the atmosphere of the Lord’s mercy to such an extent that you are unable to count it. Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks, give thanks to your Lord and say: Thine is the praise, and Thine the bounty, and Thine the gratitude, and Thine the glory, and Thine the favors and gifts, and Thine the bestowals and kindnesses. There is no God but Thee, the Giver, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Generous. O ’Ali! You have had and have no right to complain whatsoever. Even if nothing were to be revealed to that soul in these days, they should not be saddened, for from the beginning of the Cause until now, they have been and are blessed with the traces of the Supreme Pen. Now the glance of favor should turn to new souls, that perchance they may be purified and sanctified from the doubts and allusions of the people of the earth through the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and may find themselves firm, steadfast and upright in the Cause of God.”

Thus did He bestow purely out of grace, favor, kindness and mercy that which in all conditions wafts the fragrance of hope. If we reflect even briefly on His favors, until the endless end we would continue to say: “Thine is the praise, O Beloved of hearts.”

O Ghulamrida! Upon thee be the Glory of the All-Glorious! Thou hast borne countless hardships in the path of God, endured reproach, experienced imprisonment, chosen exile from thy homeland, been made the target of oppression, tasted the cup of torment, and drunk the goblet of tribulation. Such is the testimony of the Most Exalted Pen concerning thee. Yet since these were endured in His path, they were and shall ever remain beloved. By My life! Tribulation is fleeting but its reward is everlasting - the former setting like the sun, the latter knowing no decline. This is of thy Lord’s mercy upon thee. Rejoice thou and be of the thankful ones. However, return to thy former station is acceptable and beloved for the sake of God and in His path. Thou must at all times hold fast unto wisdom and counsel the friends in that land with wisdom, that all may be adorned with the ornament of divine commandments and become the cause of drawing people nigh unto God. O servant! Upon thee be My glory! The people of the world are weak and sick - both strength and healing are needed. God willing, thou wilt kindle with the fire of wisdom those who are cold, and awaken those who are heedless. Pass through the regions like the morning breeze. All must be educated according to that which hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will in the Holy Books and Tablets, that all may drink from the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful.

Say: My God, my God! I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy servant, and the son of Thy handmaiden. My outer and inner tongue, and the tongue of my heart bear witness to Thy unity and oneness, and that there is none like unto Thee. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and holding fast to Thy cord. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy grace, by the lights of the daybreak of Thy manifestation, by the kingdom of Thy utterance and the mysteries of Thy Book, to aid me under all conditions to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee and to serve Thy Cause. Then cause to appear from me, O my Best-Beloved, that which shall be a light before the faces of Thy servants and a spirit for the revival of the hearts of Thy creatures. Then enable me, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world and the Beloved of nations, to perform such deeds as shall cause all deeds to shine, and to do that which befitteth Thy days and Thy manifestation. Thou art He Whom the clamor of the divines hath not deterred from the operation of Thy wisdom, nor have the doubts of the theologians prevented the power of Thy Pen. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

O servant! Strive, that perchance the loved ones of God may drink from the mystical ocean that lieth concealed within this blessed Word - and this blessed Word is “He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth.” By the life of God! Whosoever attaineth unto this Word will behold himself firmly established, seated upon the throne of certitude. We beseech God that He may aid thee to enlighten His servants, guide them, and direct them to the straight path. Convey to the people of God in that land greetings from the Wronged One. Say: From the earliest days, this Wronged One hath proclaimed before the faces of all men - kings and subjects, divines and princes - the Most Great Word, a Word which no possessor of hearing can deny, and to which every person of insight beareth witness. Nevertheless, the opposers have uttered that which no opponent had ever uttered. They have drawn the sword of opposition, and instead of rendering service, they have clung to calumnies. They have turned away from the Mother Book and the Ocean of Utterance, occupying themselves with murmurings and shallow pools. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Omniscient Commander, the All-Informed.

This evanescent one hath ever been occupied with the mention of that spiritual friend. I have beseeched and do beseech God that He may aid them in that which will cause the exaltation of His Cause. In this night, at the time of revelation, when the Tongue of Grandeur made mention of thee, from every direction was witnessed the dawning of the sun of grace, favor, kindness and mercy. That which was specially revealed for thee is such that none save the Revealer Himself, in His true station, can comprehend its significance. I convey greetings and salutations to the friends in those regions who have quaffed the choice wine and who are gazing toward the Most Sublime Horizon. It is hoped that each one may be illumined and enkindled by the light of God’s mention and the fire of His blessed Tree of Providence. Verily our Lord is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He is the Hearer Whom nothing preventeth from hearkening, and the Witness Whom no affair hindereth from witnessing and perceiving. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Regarding what was written about Ali-Heydar, upon him be the Glory of God, that some friends are displeased with him - that is, they are not satisfied - even though he is engaged in service, this matter was presented to the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. His blessed words, exalted be He: “Let all look to My Most Exalted Word which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My glorious and wondrous utterance. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Indeed, the matter is as that beloved one hath written. In any case, he has arisen to serve the Cause and they must consider the service itself and must not object. The people of God must ever fix their gaze upon the blessed words “He doeth what He willeth” which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mouth of Will. He is one newly come to the stream of recognition and engaged in service. Even if some of his actions are not seen to be satisfactory, they must conceal this and pray for him. It is hoped his service will enable him to do what is befitting. This is not difficult for God. In truth, he is mentioned before God and hath attained the verses of the Supreme Pen. It is clear and evident to all that not an atom of deeds that are not pleasing are or ever have been acceptable in the Most Holy Court. However, repeatedly hath this exalted word flowed from the Supreme Pen, blessed and exalted be He: “Today Our gaze is fixed upon the horizons of hearts and what love lieth therein, and whatever is mentioned is in view of the service and love manifested by those souls.” But alas, a hundred thousand times alas, for in these days unseemly deeds prevent one from the spiritual fragrances and meanings and deprive one thereof. With utmost humility I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid His loved ones and sanctify them from that which He loveth not nor is pleased with. We must all beseech God that those souls who in the early days were adorned with the ornament of His favor and attained His divine tablets may hold fast to deeds that cause the purification and sanctification of God’s Cause among His servants. If justice were to be applied, we would all be ashamed and abashed. One day a person came before Christ - may our souls be a sacrifice for Him - and said: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” He said unto him: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” I beseech God to aid all to return and hold fast to His will. These are days of grace, the ocean of mercy is surging, the sun of bounty is manifest, the heaven of generosity is raised up. Through the mere act of returning, all have been and will be adorned with the ornament of forgiveness. His bounty hath preceded, His mercy hath preceded, and the sun of loving-kindness shineth from the horizon of the heaven of bounty and generosity. Blessed are the peoples who have attained unto this mighty Cause in this mighty Day. Whatever that honored one undertaketh in these matters to promote harmony and remove ill-feeling is acceptable before God, nay rather, it is necessary and obligatory upon that beloved one - but with wisdom, forbearance and patience. At one time these exalted words were uttered by the Lord of all being. His words, exalted be His glory: “O servant present! Ali-Heydar, upon him be My glory, is enkindled […]”

O servant! Hader Ali Heydar, upon him be My glory, is enkindled and stands ready to execute whatever is commanded. God willing, the Hand of Divine education shall adorn him with the ornament of what He desires. Nothing is hidden from His knowledge and He is the Witness, the Ever-Present, the All-Knowing. However, they must hold fast to wisdom, for perchance publicity may cause disturbance. All must seek his protection. This evanescent servant conveys greetings and praise to the friends of God, and states: Arise for the sake of God and in His path to remove estrangements between souls. If this deed be done for the sake of God, it will surely prove effective and everyone’s aims and purposes will be achieved without harm befalling anyone. Verily our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven has power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. This evanescent one submits with the utmost humility and supplication unto all that which is the cause of exaltation and glory. Verily my Lord is witness to what I say.

Concerning what was written about the kinsmen and friends of that land, praise be to God, all have been blessed with special favors. After presentation at the Holy Court, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these verses - thus speaks the Lord, exalted and sanctified: “O Ali Akbar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Destiny. Thou hast mentioned the friends of that land. Blessed art thou and well is it with thee. Each has been honored with the tokens of the Most Exalted Pen. All have been and are beneath the glances of God’s favor. Say: O people of God! Strive ye and know and recognize your worth and station. For a time, occupy yourselves with creating harmony, unity and removing estrangements. With the utmost joy and fragrance, turn to purifying the hearts and souls of the heedless servants. Ere long will the effulgences of the Sun of Justice become manifest and evident to all the worlds. Be occupied with refining nations and improving the world. Make your resolve great and arise in the name of Truth to educate the saplings of the divine planting, and be foremost in good deeds. The deeds of all are clear and evident before God and their reward is preserved in the treasuries of infallibility. We beseech God to aid all to achieve that which hath been revealed and made manifest from the Most Exalted Pen at this time. We make mention of the handmaidens of God in that land and bid them observe the Most Great Chastity. Praise be to God, each is mentioned in the presence of the Divine Countenance and is blessed with favor. We send greetings unto them from this near yet far Station, and We send peace unto them from this luminous Horizon. Any handmaiden who today has attained the recognition of God is regarded before God as among the men, nay rather among the heroes - those concerning whom He has said: ‘Neither trade nor commerce distracts them from the remembrance of God.’ Blessed are they, both men and women, and theirs is a goodly reward.”

As to their mention of the honored Leaf, member of the Holy Family, upon her be the Glory of God and His favors - after it was presented before His Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, a Blessed Tablet was revealed from the heaven of His Will specifically for her. Praise be to God, she attained that which hath no likeness or parallel. It is hoped that every letter of the divine Tablet’s words may, like the Most Great Luminary, illuminate all beings and cause to shine forth from the horizon of the heart that which befitteth His Day. This servant also conveyeth greetings and salutations to the honored Leaf, upon her be the Glory of God, and beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, to ordain for that Leaf that which shall cause eternal mention and everlasting life. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, hath commanded us to pray and hath promised to answer. He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

As to conditions in the Land of Desire, as before, the source of evil is deposed and defeated, though some movement is observed. Although this Cause hath never opposed anyone past or present, still they regard these servants as heretics. Until now they have not inhaled the fragrance of holiness and sanctity of this blessed Cause. The Shi’ih acted in such wise as caused the Concourse of the Spirit and Moses to weep, and the Sunni acted in ways unprecedented. They remain caught in vain imaginings and idle fancies. Leave them in their idle discourse. The Command is in the hand of our Lord, the Master of all mankind.

The devoted female pilgrims have arrived - the honored mother of H and S, upon them be the Glory of God, known for months residing in the house, and other honored ladies who arrived forty days ago and have been blessed to hear the divine verses. They have repeatedly mentioned you. The rays of the Sun have so brilliantly shone upon them that this servant and others are unable to describe it. We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to grant them success to spend their days with perfect steadfastness in remembrance of the Lord of all beings. The Beloved hath repeatedly expressed satisfaction with them.

His honor Haji Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God, hath labored greatly and demonstrated from that Presence that which proved his faith and certitude. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was also revealed and bestowed specifically for him. At this moment, in the presence of the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His grandeur, He commanded: Write to Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be My glory and favors, that which is regarded by God as the most excellent of deeds and upon which depends the exaltation of the blessed Word - unity and concord. In this matter they must strive and become the cause of unity, especially those men who are numbered among the near ones in God’s Book as recorded by the Supreme Pen. The world must find the straight path through the certitude, assurance, orientation, devotion, sanctification, detachment and dedication of these holy, content and well-pleased souls, and must gaze toward the Supreme Horizon, detached from all directions, regions and horizons. End.

Indeed, were they to hold fast to that which is befitting, God’s Cause would encompass all and all would comprehend that of which they are now heedless and turn to that from which they now turn aside. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon your honor, upon those with you, and upon those who hearken to your words concerning the Cause of our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Servant

9th of Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1304

=== END BH00149 ===

=== START BH00150 ===

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Praise befitteth the Mighty Lord Who hath caused the Living Waters to flow from the Supreme Pen, and hath enabled the realm of earth and heaven to attain unto the essence of grace and eternal, everlasting life. Glory be to God! At all times the call from the Most Exalted Horizon is raised, and the breezes of the morn of Revelation are perpetually wafting, and yet the people of the world remain deprived and debarred therefrom, save those whom the hand of divine power hath seized and delivered from the clay of idle fancies–a grace from His presence, for He is the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

Glorified art Thou, O Sovereign of existence and King of the seen and the unseen! This evanescent one beareth witness to Thy permanence and the transience of all things, to Thy power and the impotence of all who dwell in earth and heaven. I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp lie the reins of creation, by the ocean of Thy signs and the manifestations of Thy grandeur and might, and by the Name through which Thou hast subdued all created things and the kingdoms of names and attributes, to unite the hearts of Thy loved ones in Thy days, to illuminate them with the light of Thy knowledge, and to adorn them with the ornament of Thy love. Then aid them to such steadfastness that their feet shall not slip by reason of that which is in the hands of those servants who have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament.

O Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones in the hands of Thine enemies, and Thy trusted ones in the grasp of the treacherous among Thy creatures and the calumniators among Thy people. I beseech Thee to protect them through Thy power, sovereignty, majesty and glory. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The petition of that distinguished one reached the Most Holy and Exalted Court on the morning of Tuesday, the twenty-first of the month of Jumada’th-Thani, and after being presented before the Lord of all mankind, these resplendent verses were revealed. He saith, exalted be His glory and His sovereignty and His proof: “Give glad tidings unto him through whom the breezes of divine knowledge have wafted over all who are in the realm of possibility. O Khalil! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Glory hath presented thy letter and laid it before the Face. We have sent down for thee that which hath diffused the fragrance of inner meanings and utterance throughout all religions, that thou mayest render thanks and be of them that are steadfast. This is a day whereon the doors of bounty have been opened unto the world and the Day-Star of existence hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s Will, the Lord of the worlds.

“We have indeed inhaled from thy letter the fragrance of thy love and thy turning towards Him and thy rising up to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Thou didst attain aforetime unto the verses of thy Lord. We beseech God to illumine through thee the hearts of His servants with the light of His knowledge and to strengthen thee with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful. This is a day whereon the realities of all things have been attracted by the call of their Lord, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names, and there have shone forth from the horizons of the heaven of My Most Exalted Pen the suns of gifts and favors. Blessed is the servant who hath cast away the world and laid hold on that which hath been sent down from the kingdom of the utterance of his Lord, the All-Evident, the All-Knowing.

“O Khalil! We are encompassed by sorrows from them that have cast the Trust behind their backs and have committed that which hath caused Justice to lament, and every discerning person to weep. When thou art seized by the living waters of Mine utterance and findest the fragrance of My loving-kindness, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink from the stream of Thy utterance when most of Thy creatures were debarred therefrom, and for having caused me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon when the divines of vain imaginings turned away from it in Thy days. I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause whereby earth and heaven were illumined, and by Thy sovereignty through which Thou hast subdued all names, to aid me to make mention of Thee […]”

By Thy sovereignty through which Thou hast subdued all names, I beseech Thee to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise, and ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful. We have desired to make mention in the Book of Names of him who was named Mahdi - upon him be My glory and loving-kindness - and to bring him glad tidings of God’s favor, the Lord of all worlds. Hearken unto the Call from the direction of Akka: Verily there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have mentioned thee before and have revealed unto thee that which caused the ocean of knowledge to surge in the contingent world. We beseech God to aid thee in rending asunder the veils of His servants and to make thee steadfast with such steadfastness as shall make firm the feet of His creation. Verily He is the Potent over whatsoever He willeth through His mighty and wondrous Word. Say: O concourse of the earth! Cast aside your imaginings and idle fancies. The Self-Subsisting hath come with the standards of His signs from God, the Powerful, the Mighty. Nothing that ye possess will profit you this Day save through this Cause whereby the limbs of the oppressors have quaked and the faces of the deniers have been darkened. Say: Beware lest the might of the oppressors frighten you, or the intimations of those who have disbelieved in God or the doubts of any remote ignorant one prevent you. Arise in the name of thy Lord to His Cause and give glad tidings unto the people of this Manifestation through which the Mount has smiled and the Tree hath called out: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the Praised One. We have heard thy call and have answered thee, We have seen thy turning and have turned unto thee, and have revealed for thee that whose fragrance shall never cease throughout the eternity of names and attributes. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this most great favor and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all created things. I testify that Thou hast manifested that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet. Blessed is he who hath attained unto Thy verses and heard Thy call, and woe unto every denier who hath denied this manifest grace. Take thou the chalice of steadfastness with thy right hand, then drink thereof in the name of thy Lord, the Sovereign over all who are in the heavens and on earth. Then give to drink those servants who have turned unto His Face through His wise remembrance. Thus hath the Tongue of the Wronged One spoken while among the heedless. And We have desired at this time to make mention of him who was named Qasim, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. O Qasim! This is the Day whereon secrets have been revealed, trees have spoken, and rivers have flowed, inasmuch as He Who conversed on Sinai hath seated Himself upon the throne of Manifestation, whereat the Cry hath been raised and the Herald hath proclaimed: By God! The Promised One hath come with clear sovereignty. We have commanded all to be trustworthy and religious and to that whereby the Word of God may be exalted among His servants and His Cause in His lands. Among the people are those who have turned unto Him and those who have turned away until they disbelieved in Him Who came from the heaven of grace with manifest sovereignty. Say: O concourse of the earth! Fear God and follow not the desires of those who have denied His Manifestation and His sovereignty and have disputed His signs which have encompassed the heavens and the earth. Beware lest vain imaginings prevent you from this radiant, shining, and gleaming Light. We counsel you for the sake of God. Blessed is he who hath heard and said: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand are the keys of the knowledge of the first and the last. When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My utterance, say: My God, my God! All praise be unto Thee for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison and for having revealed unto me that which shall endure throughout the duration of Thy Kingdom. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the river of Thy mercy hath flowed from the Pen of Thy bounty with the ocean of Thy utterance which hath surged before the faces of Thy servants, to make me of those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness from the hands of Thy bestowal.

O Thou at Whose Name the ocean of Thy mercy flowed from the Pen of Thy bounty through the sea of Thy utterance which surgeth before the faces of Thy servants! I beseech Thee to make me one of those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness from the hands of Thy generosity, and to ordain for me, O my Best Beloved, the good of all Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Mahmud! The Wronged One wisheth to mention thee from His glorious station and give thee glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for them that have turned towards God in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Loving. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him, then guide the people to the horizon of understanding, by the command of God, the Lord of existence. Beware lest the clamor of the froward and the croaking of the seditious, who have broken God’s Covenant and turned away from His straight path, deter thee. This is the Day whereon the Luminary of Revelation hath dawned from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful and believe in Him through Whom the gate of heaven was opened and that which was hidden from eyes was revealed. Thus doth the Dove of Knowledge warble upon the highest branches. Blessed are they who hear it.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who was named Mirza before Taqi with such remembrance as shall attract the hearts of those who have turned to God, Who ruleth all being through His command “Be” and it is. Grieve not at anything. Put thy trust in God Who created thee and hath sent down unto thee that which shall endure as long as His Kingdom endureth. Say: O people of the earth! Adorn your heads with the crowns of detachment and your temples with the robe of godliness. Beware lest that which ye possess prevent you from that which is with God. Cast away idle fancies. The Self-Subsisting hath come with manifest sovereignty. Beware lest the veils of the divines who have turned away from the Truth, the Knower of things unseen, weaken you. The glory which proceedeth from Us rest upon thee and upon thy brother and upon those who have quaffed My sealed wine in My Name, the Best-Beloved.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Nasru’llah that he may rejoice in this remembrance through which the fragrances of utterance have wafted throughout all possibility and the Day-Star of proof hath shone forth by the will of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. O Nasr! Victory hath come, and verily it is this Cause at which the limbs of every heedless and veiled one have trembled. Sorrows have encompassed Us from all sides through that which the hands of the infidels have wrought, who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed. Blessed is the soul that hath attained to the remembrance of God in His days and hath witnessed that which God hath witnessed that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed art thou for having cast away vain imaginings and hearkened unto the Call when it was raised in truth from this exalted Station.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having enabled me to turn towards Thee, and thanks be to Thee for having made known unto me Thy Cause at which the limbs of every oppressor and rejected one have trembled. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Will and the potency of Thy Purpose, and by the ocean of Thy bounty and bestowal, and the heaven of Thy generosity and mercy, to aid me to remain steadfast in Thy Cause whereby the feet of Thy creatures have slipped save those whom Thou didst preserve through Thy power wherewith Thou hast subdued the kingdoms of existence. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned towards Thy horizon. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of that which Thou hast ordained for them that are nigh unto Thee and for the sincere ones among Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Best-Beloved.

O Ancient Beauty! Turn Thy face towards another city, then make mention of him who was named Ja’far-Quli from this Most Exalted Horizon that the rapture of the Call may seize him and draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of mankind. Thy name was present in the Most Great Prison. We have sent down unto thee clear verses whereby exhilaration […]

He draws him near unto God, the Lord of all beings. Thy name hath appeared in the Most Great Prison, and We have revealed for thee verses clear and manifest through which ecstasy and joy have seized the dwellers of the cities of the ardent lovers who have believed in Him Who is the Desired One and have not broken the Covenant and Testament. Beware lest anything deter thee from God or the threat of any doubting oppressor frighten thee. Take hold of the Book of God with a might which the clamor of the world and the tyranny of every wicked infidel who hath denied God, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful, cannot withhold. That which was hidden in the treasury of God’s protection and concealed from eyes hath been revealed. When thou hast drunk from the hand of My bounty the Kawthar of grace and favors, say: My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I acknowledge that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken and that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O my Lord! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to the sanctity of Thy Being above all things and the exemption of Thine Essence from all similitudes. I beseech Thee by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree of Thy Cause and the whispering of the breezes of the dawn of Thy Revelation to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love such that were all who are on earth to unite against me, my feet would not slip from Thy path. O my Lord! Ordain for me that which will aid me in every world of Thy worlds and make me mighty through Thy might. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

O Fath! The Opener hath come, and with Him the key to the treasuries of knowledge and arts from God, the Lord of all men. This is a day wherein the world hath been perfumed by the breezes of Revelation, yet most of the people have turned away and denied God, the Revealer of verses. Say: O people! Fear God. The light hath shone forth from the horizon of Manifestation, and that which was recorded by the Pen of God in the Scriptures and Tablets hath come. Aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath done what he was commanded in the Mother Book. This is a day wherein from the waves of the ocean of utterance is heard: “The All-Merciful hath come with a sovereignty that hath encompassed all in the realm of possibilities.” It behooveth thee to cast the world and its varieties and ornaments behind thee, holding fast unto that which thou hast been commanded by God, the Almighty, the All-Choosing.

Say: My God, my God! Strengthen my limbs for the service of Thy Cause, then open through me the doors of the hearts of Thy creation. O my Lord! Thou seest me advancing toward Thee and attracted by Thy verses. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and Thy might amongst Thy servants to ordain for me that which will preserve me from the suggestions of those who have denied Thy proof and broken Thy covenant and committed that which caused the Concourse on High to lament at eventide and at dawn. O my Lord! Illumine my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, then cause to appear from it the pearls of Thy love. Verily Thou art the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Ali! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One in the Persian tongue. The Cause is mighty. Whosoever desireth to draw nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon must, at the time of turning, hold fast unto that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Furqan and act accordingly. He hath spoken, and His Word is the truth: “Say: God; then leave them in their vain discourse to amuse themselves.” The tree of this blessed Word was planted in the garden of the Furqan by the command of Him Who is the Desired One of the worlds, and its evil fruits are manifest today. And in turning to the hereafter is the station of the most great steadfastness. One must speak and act according to this blessed Word: “Verily, I have abandoned the ways of a people who believe not in God and who are disbelievers in the hereafter.” Whosoever hath attained unto that which hath in this moment been revealed from the Supreme Pen, he is of the people of Baha.

Let all who attain in this day to what hath streamed from the Most Exalted Pen be numbered among the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark. Otherwise these sight-deprived servants and ears polluted with vain imaginings are not, nor ever shall be, worthy to witness and hearken. Night and day do verses descend like rain showers, and the Sun of clear proofs doth shine forth and gleam from the horizons of divine Tablets. Yet the people remain veiled and heedless. Consider the Shi’ih sect: reared on suspicions and idle fancies, and clinging to the calumnies of a few, they have thus been debarred from the fragrant breezes of revelation and from hearing the Voice of Him Who spoke on Sinai. Implore God to set ablaze and illumine anew such as these and all His servants with the fire of His love and the light of His Cause. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

O Tongue of Grandeur! Turn thy face unto him who is named Muhammad-Husayn, then send down unto him from the treasuries of Thy knowledge that which shall aid him to serve Thy Cause in Thy days. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Dominator of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Today is the pavilion of grace raised aloft and the tent of glory pitched upon the highest standards. Blessed is the servant who in this wondrous, glorious Day attaineth unto the Word of God. Arise with the Sun of Truth which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Most Great Prison. None of what is witnessed can compare with the Word of God. The affairs of this world have withheld men from the Lord of all beings. Today from the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree these words are heard: “O earth! Blessed art thou to have been honoured by the footsteps of thy Lord, and blessed is he who hath received from Him a word in His days.”

Let prayers and supplications be repeated. From all things may be heard the cry “The Creator of the heavens hath come!” Strife, contention, denial and objection have been forbidden. The hosts of the True One, exalted be His glory, have ever been and shall remain goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. The divine mission is for the sake of souls. The blessed hosts aforementioned have arisen to aid the Cause. It behooveth the people of Baha to hold fast unto that which they have been commanded in this Tablet, and unto the fear of God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised. Thus hath the Pen spoken while the Wronged One walketh in His Most Great Prison, as a bounty from Him upon thee and upon those who have clung to the hem of God’s commandments, the Lord of all worlds.

O ’Abbas-Quli! The Most Great Ocean hath turned toward thee, desiring to bring forth for thee the pearls of wisdom and utterance that lay hidden in the shells preserved therein, that thou mayest praise and glorify and magnify thy gracious Lord. We have manifested that which lay concealed from time immemorial, as attested by one who possesseth a mighty Book. Observe, then remember what We revealed in the Book of one of the Messengers, wherein We informed the people of this glorious, wondrous Day. He announced the appearance of the Lord and said: “He maketh the dawn as darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, God shall aid Him with the hosts of His name.” Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God. That which was inscribed in the Tablets hath appeared, and there hath been revealed that which no heavenly Books can equal. Should ye deny this Most Great Cause and that which hath been manifested in this Day by the command […] what ye possess. Be fair and be not among the heedless. The Mother Book speaketh before your faces.

Be not among the heedless ones. The Mother Book speaks before your faces while you are in a strange sleep. You have taken God’s Cause as a plaything and diversion. We testify that you are among the later ones, inscribed in a clear tablet. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to adorn His servants with the ornament of fairness, to aid them in pure justice, and to grant them success in returning. Verily, He is the Forgiver, the Pardoner, the Merciful.

Grieve not over anything. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy chosen ones who hastened to the field of martyrdom in Thy days and sacrificed their spirits and all they possessed in Thy path, and by the Light whereby Thy earth and heaven were illumined, to strengthen me in steadfastness in Thy love. Ordain for me that which will make me rich through Thy riches, and steadfast, firm and immovable in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy son. Convey My greetings unto him and give him the glad tidings of God’s mercy which has preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. We have desired at this time to mention him who is named Ismail, that he may give thanks unto God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. We beseech God to make thee steadfast in His Cause such that neither the doubts of the learned, nor the might of princes, nor the power of the polytheists shall cause thee to slip.

Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of Thy bounty, and honored me with the blood of Thy days, and sent down for me that which shall endure as long as Thy Kingdom endures. I beseech Thee by Thy Lamp which Thou hast preserved from stormy winds, to ordain for me that which will make me attracted to Thy verses and holding fast to the cord of Thy grace. O Lord! I am he who has acknowledged Thy unity and oneness, and Thy greatness and sovereignty. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses and the heaven of Thy mercy to aid me in serving Thy friends who have taken no helper besides Thee and who have not broken Thy covenant and Thy testament.

O Lord! Have mercy on him who has turned to Thy most exalted horizon and drunk the sealed nectar from the hands of Thy Self-Subsisting Name before the faces of all mankind. Thou art He to Whose generosity and bounty every person of insight has testified, and to Whose greatness and riches every poor one has borne witness. O Lord! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from what Thou hast ordained in Thy Book for Thy trusted ones. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, by Thy Name, the All-Encompassing over all who are in the heavens and the earth.

O Muhammad, upon thee be My glory! Praise be to God, thou hast drunk from the ocean of divine mercy and attained His favor. Repeatedly hast thou been adorned and illumined by the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. A petition was previously presented before Us. Blessed art thou and thy father. We testify that he has ascended to the Supreme Companion and attained God’s mercy which has preceded earth and heaven. This is a day wherein every one who has turned to God has attained that which none before him had attained. To this bears witness He Who speaks and has spoken that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Bestower, the Speaker in the beginning and the return.

Be assured of thy Lord’s favor. Verily, He is with thee, hearing and seeing, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy son. We beseech God to aid you both in that which will exalt your stations among His servants. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O Master Builder, O Abdullah! Thy name was mentioned in Our presence and attained the honor of being heard. Therefore have We mentioned thee with verses that cannot be equaled by the treasures of kings. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. O Master Builder! The pillars of the house of God’s religion have been shaken by the oppression of the polytheists. If thou hast the power to […]

O builder of the pillars of God’s religion! Thou hast moved away from the oppression of the polytheists. Verily thou hast the power to demolish the houses of vain imaginings and suppositions of the Shi’ih party, and with hands of truthfulness and might to erect the new edifice and illumine it with the lights of the Sun of Certitude. By My life! The houses of vain imaginings of the former party prevented the hapless ones from the Ka’bih of God, hanged the Countenance of the Intended One, and martyred Him with bullets of hatred. And now they stand upon pulpits […] praying that God may purify and sanctify the earth from the likes of that party. Verily He is the Almighty, the All-Choosing.

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Mahdi, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. O Mahdi! Hearken unto the Call which hath been raised from this Most Exalted Station, from the Crimson Tree. Verily there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Those who have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament are among the lost ones in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: O people! The Day hath come and the Self-Subsisting calleth aloud by His Name, the Almighty, the Great. Beware lest what is with the ignorant prevent you from the Supreme Horizon. Cast away what is with them and take what ye have been given from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Informed.

Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath ascended unto God. We testify that he hath drunk the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the Gracious. He hath attained unto that which most of creation hath not attained. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this in this exalted station. Turn unto the Supreme Horizon when all but those whom God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, wished, turned away from it, and acknowledged that which the Pen hath uttered and confessed that which hath been sent down from the heaven of grace from the presence of One Mighty, Powerful.

[…]

O Muhammad! Hear the call of the Wronged One. He hath appeared and revealed that which was hidden in the knowledge of God, the Lord of existence. Say: O people! Be fair in what hath been revealed through truth. Beware lest the veils of names shut you out from their Creator. Cast away idle fancies, then turn unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Thus have We sent down the verses and made them as wings for thee, that thou mayest soar in this atmosphere from whose rushing winds is heard: “The Lord and the Promised One hath come and seated Himself upon the throne with manifest sovereignty.” When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the choice wine, say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having honored me with Thy tokens and for having sent down unto me that which shall endure throughout the duration of Thy dominion and Thy kingdom. I beseech Thee by Thy Manifest Book, which speaketh before all faces that God, there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, to make me in all conditions to hold fast unto Thy cord and to voice Thy praise among Thy creation. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is. O my Lord! Ordain for me and for the two brothers that which befitteth the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy grace. Then open before our faces and the faces of Thy loved ones the doors of Thy favors. Verily Thou art the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

O Ni’matullah! The bounty hath appeared and the heavenly table hath been sent down, yet most of the people know not. They have cast the bounty of God behind their backs, clinging to the idle fancies and vain imaginings they possess. Say: O concourse of the earth! Know ye that He hath come at Whose appearance the Kingdom of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, hath smiled. The ocean of utterance hath surged before the faces of all religions. Be fair and be not of those who denied the bounty of God after it was sent down, who disbelieved in His proof and rejected His all-compelling evidence over what was and what shall be. Behold, behold how the light hath shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the heaven of Revelation, and how the Tree crieth out: “The dominion belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Promised Day!” Thus hath the fragrance of utterance wafted and the ocean of knowledge surged. Blessed is he who hath found and known, and woe unto every heedless and veiled one.

=== END BH00150 ===

=== START BH00151 ===

One of the divine friends wrote a letter to Haji Muhammad Karim Khan containing several questions, and it was heard that the aforementioned Khan, heedless of the meanings, clung to mere words and raised objections to refute the truth with what he possessed. But he was unaware that God confirms the truth through His words and cuts off the root of the polytheists. The letter began with these adorning words: “Praise be to God Who removed the veil from the face of His chosen ones.” The aforementioned Khan objected that this phrase was incorrect, and the writer of this letter must not have attained even a letter of knowledge and the terminology of the people, since ‘qina’ (veil) is specifically used for women’s heads. He occupied himself with objections to words while remaining oblivious that he himself was bereft of both knowledge and understanding. The divine companions today consider what he deemed knowledge to be a disgrace. The knowledge that is beloved is that which guides people to the truth. When one fails to attain it, that knowledge has been and will be the greatest veil. None of his objections were seen except this one instance that was heard and reached the Most Great Vision. Therefore, from the Manifestation of the Cause, this most wondrous, most holy, most pure Tablet was revealed in response to his objection, that perhaps people might not remain deprived of the Lord of Names and Attributes due to such objections, and might distinguish the Most Exalted Word from the base word, and turn toward the direction of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Whosoever is guided, it is for his own soul, and whosoever turns away, truly God is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy. In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O thou who art known for learning yet standeth on the brink of the abyss of ignorance! We have heard that thou hast turned away from the Truth and hast objected to one of His loved ones who sent thee a gracious letter to guide thee to God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Thou didst object to him and follow the ways of the ignorant, and thereby didst lose thy dignity among the servants of God, for through thy objections We found thee in profound ignorance. Thou hast not understood the rules and conventions of the people, nor hast thou entered the garden of meanings and eloquence, but wert among the heedless. Thou hast not known rhetoric and eloquence, nor metaphor, nor literal meaning, nor simile, nor allegory. Therefore We shall impart to thee that which shall acquaint thee with thine ignorance, that thou mayest be of the fair-minded.

Hadst thou followed the paths of the people of letters, thou wouldst not have objected to his use of the word “veil”, nor wouldst thou have been among the disputants. Similarly hast thou objected to the words of God in this wondrous Revelation. Hast thou not heard mention of Al-Muqanna, known as Al-Muqanna Al-Kindi, who was Muhammad ibn Zafar ibn Umayr ibn Far’an ibn Qays ibn Aswad, and who was among the renowned? Were We to mention his forebears one after another until reaching the First Creator, We would be able to do so through what My Lord hath taught Me of the knowledge of the ancients and the moderns, though We have not studied your sciences - and God is Witness and All-Knowing to this.

He was the most beautiful of people in countenance, the most perfect in creation, and the most upright in stature. Look in the books of the people that thou mayest know and be among those who understand. When he would unveil his face, the evil eye would afflict him and he would fall ill. Therefore he would not walk except veiled - that is, with his face covered. Thus is it mentioned in the books of the pure Arabs, the men of letters, and the eloquent ones. Look therein that thou mayest be among those who are informed.

He is the one who became proverbial for beauty, just as Zarqa al-Yamama became proverbial for keen sight, and Ibn Asma’ for breadth of narration - if thou wert among the learned. Likewise is Muhalhil for seeking vengeance, Al-Samaw’al for faithfulness, Qays ibn Zuhayr for sound judgment, Hatim for generosity, Ma’ ibn Za’ida for forbearance, Quss ibn Sa’ida for eloquence, Luqman for wisdom, Sahban Wa’il for oratory, ’Amir ibn Tufayl for insight, Iyas ibn Mu’awiya ibn Al-Qurra for intelligence, and Hammad for memory. These are among the famous Arabs by whom proverbs are coined. Study the books that thou mayest not reject the truth through what thou hast, and be among the mindful.

Be assured that the scholars of literature have used the word “veil” for men, as We have mentioned to thee in clear and evident explanation. Know then that the veil is specific to women, with which they cover their heads, but it has been used metaphorically for men and the face, if thou art among those who are informed. Similarly, the face-veil is specific to women - it is said “the woman veiled” meaning she fastened the veil over her mouth - then it was used for men and the face, as mentioned in books of literature: “he unveiled his face” meaning he removed the covering.

Beware lest thou object with words to him before whose radiant and luminous countenance the verses have bowed down. Fear God Who created thee and fashioned thee, and do not cause to rejoice those who believe and have sacrificed their souls and their wealth in the path of God, the King, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: Our purpose in what We sent thee was none other than that thou shouldst be mindful of thy negligence in the Cause of God […]

Say: They have sacrificed their wealth in the path of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Powerful. Say: Our purpose in what We sent to thee was none other than that thou shouldst be mindful of that wherein thou hast been neglectful towards God, and that thou shouldst choose for thyself a path unto Him. We desired thy guidance, but thou didst desire to harm Us and didst mock Us even as the people before thee mocked, and they are this day in the nethermost fire. Thou art of those who, when the Furqan was sent down from the presence of the All-Merciful, said: “This is naught but tales of the ancients,” and objected to most of its verses. Look then in the Itqan and other books that thou mayest see and know what thou didst object to aforetime concerning Muhammad, the Apostle of God and Seal of the Prophets. We have acquainted thee with thyself that thou mightest know it and be among those possessed of insight from the All-Seeing. Say: With my Lord are the treasuries of all knowledge and the knowledge of all created things. Raise thy head from the couch of heedlessness that thou mayest behold the mention of God, the Most Great, established upon the throne of manifestation even as the letter “H” is established upon the letter “W”. Arise from the slumber of desire, then follow thy Lord, the Most Exalted. Cast behind thee what thou hast and take what hath come to thee from God, the Mighty, the Wise. Say: O thou ignorant one! Look upon the words of God with His sight that thou mayest find them sanctified above the allusions of men and their rules, though with Him be the knowledge of all worlds. Say: Were the verses of God to be revealed according to your rules and what ye possess, they would be like unto your words, O ye that are veiled! Say: They have been sent down from a station wherein none is mentioned save Him, and God hath made it sanctified above the knowledge of all worlds. How canst thou and thy like comprehend them, O thou remote denier! They have been revealed in the tongue of the people, not according to thy contrived rules, O thou that turnest aside in doubt! Be fair in God’s name - were all the power of the world to be placed in thy heart, wouldst thou be able to withstand a Cause that is opposed by the people and behind them the kings and rulers? Nay, by my Lord! None can withstand it, nor can any soul save him whom God hath established in His own station. He, verily, is this One Who uttereth in every condition: “There is no God but Him, the One, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” If the heart of any of the servants of the sovereign were to be troubled by thee for less than a moment, thou wouldst be disturbed instantly, and if thou deniest Me in this, the sincere servants of God would bear Me witness. Yet thou dost object to Him Who hath been opposed by governments over the course of several years, and upon Whom there hath descended that which hath caused the Faithful Spirit to lament, until He was imprisoned in this remote prison. Say: Open thine eyes! The Cause hath been exalted and manifested, and the Tree speaketh forth the mysteries of destiny. Dost thou see for thyself any refuge? By God! There is no refuge for anyone, nor any resting place save for him who turneth unto the Most Sublime Vision, this Most Pure Station whose mention hath spread among the worlds. Say: Dost thou object with a veil to Him Who hath believed in the Sovereign of creation and invention? He who objecteth today is counted as the basest of the base before God, the Fashioner of the heavens and earths. Say: O heedless one! Hearken unto the cooing of the Dove upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and be not of the ignorant. This, verily, is He of Whom Kazim and Ahmad, and before them the Prophets and Messengers, gave you tidings. Fear God and dispute not His verses after their revelation. They have been revealed by nature from the heaven of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, and they are God’s proof throughout all ages, which none can understand save those who have detached themselves from all else and turned unto this Momentous Announcement. O remote one! Were thy Lord, the All-Merciful, to manifest Himself according to thy limitations, His verses would be revealed according to the rules thou followest. Repent unto God and say […]

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I am he who hath been negligent in his duty toward Thee and hath opposed that which hath been sent down from Thy presence. Then did I follow my passions and desires, and was heedless of Thy Most Exalted and Most Glorious remembrance. O my God! Take me not to task for my transgressions. Cleanse me from disobedience, then send down upon me, from the direction of Thy grace, the sweet-scented breezes of forgiveness. Then ordain for me a seat of truth before Thee, and number me with Thy sincere servants. O my God and my Beloved! Deprive me not of the fragrances of Thy most exalted Words, nor of the sweet perfumes of Thy Most Glorious Robe. Then make me content with whatsoever Thou hast sent down and ordained. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art indeed the Ever-Forgiving, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Gracious.

Hearken unto My words. Leave allusions to their exponents and purify thy heart from such words as would cause the face to be darkened in both worlds. Emerge from behind the veils and allusions, and turn with a luminous countenance toward the Lord of Names and Attributes, that thou mayest find thyself in the most exalted station, from which the allusions of the doubters are cut off. Thus doth the Supreme Pen counsel thee. If thou acceptest it, it shall be for thine own good, and if thou turnest away, it shall be against thyself. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is independent of all that was and all that shall be, and He, verily, is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.

In the Persian tongue do I speak, that perchance thou mayest perceive the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s raiment from these Persian verses, and turn, detached from all else, towards the realm of oneness. Though not every bird hath partaken of the seeds of divine mercy and the harvest of eternal wisdom, nor is capable of gathering therefrom, the bird of utterance must soar in the holy atmosphere of the All-Merciful and gather its portion from the harvests of inner meanings, lest hearts and minds, occupied with the mention of this or that, be deprived of the fragrance of the gardens of paradise.

Hearken unto the counsel of this Prisoner and with the arm of certitude build a mighty and impregnable fortress, that thou mayest be protected from the Gog of self and passion, and through the grace of the Khidr of these days attain unto the Kawthar of eternity and turn toward the most great vista. The world hath no permanence, and its seekers shall find no faithfulness therein. Place not thy trust in the world; reflect upon its changes and vicissitudes. Where are they who built Al-Khawarnaq and As-Sadir? Where are they who sought to ascend to the heavens? How many a palace wherein its builder reposed at eventide in health and prosperity, yet on the morrow belonged to another! How many a house raised high, wherein at night was heard laughter and the song of the thrush, yet at dawn naught but weeping and lamentation! What mighty one was not humbled? What matter was not transformed? What spirit did not pass away? What oppressor drank not the cup of retribution?

Moreover, pride not thyself in outward knowledge, for above every possessor of knowledge there is One All-Knowing. Know thou that every sharp sword groweth blunt, every joy turneth to sorrow, every might to weakness, and every learned one to error. Choose piety and enter the school of divine knowledge. “Fear God; God will teach you.” Purify thy heart from the allusions of the people, that it may be illumined by the manifestations of the divine names and attributes. Close the eye of estrangement and open the eye of justice, and raise not objection against the loved ones of God. By the Sun of the horizon of Revelation! Had thou truly partaken of outward knowledge as is its due, thou wouldst not have objected to the word “veil” used in reference to the friends of the Lord of creation and invention.

Still thy tongue regarding His chosen ones, O thou who wanderest in the wilderness of ignorance and blindness! It would be well for thee to study somewhat the books of the Bayan and the Badi’, that thou mayest become acquainted with the outward rules. For hadst thou been cognizant of reality and metaphor, and the stations of transferred attribution, metaphor and allusion, thou wouldst not have objected that “veil” was not used properly. Look not upon the words of them who love the Lord of all worlds through the eyes of the polytheists. As for “qina’” and “muqanna’ah,” these are two garments wherewith women cover their heads, specifically for women’s heads, but metaphorically used for men and faces. Likewise “litham” is that wherewith women cover their mouths, as the Persians and Turks call “bishmaq,” and it is metaphorically used for men and faces, as mentioned in literary works. Look, therefore, in the books of the people that thou mayest find what thou hast overlooked.

That letter was written to thee by one of God’s loved ones, whose purpose was to deliver thee from the darkness of self and draw thee to the realm of oneness. Yet thou didst display thy learning, but thine arrow missed its mark […]

You have shown pride in your knowledge, but your arrow has missed its mark and your station has become evident to those possessed of knowledge. Hear My words: oppose not him who counsels you, be not impatient with him who admonishes you, and follow not your giving with injury. Rather, be humble before the loved ones of God, the Lord of the first and the last. Abandon learning, for it has barred you from the Sovereign of all knowledge. Prefer him who counsels you over yourself; better would it be for you to walk barefoot, sleep without a pillow, and lament in the wilderness than to sadden one who has believed and been guided. O agitated one! Make not haste to object, and be not like the venomous snake. He who hastens in blame falls into regret. Hold back your tongue and pen from opposing the Lord of Eternity. Make not yourself deserving of wrath. Soon shall you return to the Lord of all peoples and be questioned about what you acquired in your vain life, on a Day when hearts and eyes shall be upturned from the might of God, the Powerful, the Subduer. How long will you follow the path of wickedness and oppose the Lord of all names? Have you forgotten your return and your abode, or are you heedless of your Lord’s justice? If you feel secure from the grave, then follow what your self and desires command; otherwise hasten to Him Who called you to God and make up for what you lost in your former days before your latter days. Fear God Who created and fashioned you. Turn to Him, remember Him morning and evening, for unto Him is your return and your dwelling place.

Moreover, you have reached such a state of heedlessness in objecting to the words of God’s loved ones that you have even objected to the words of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - Who gave the people glad tidings of this Manifestation. You have written books opposing God and His loved ones, thereby rendering your deeds void, though you perceive it not. You and your like have claimed that the words of the Most Great Gate and the Most Perfect Remembrance are incorrect and contrary to the rules of the people. You have not yet understood that the revealed divine words are the standard for all things, and nothing else can be its standard. Any rule that contradicts divine verses is invalid. We remained in Baghdad for twelve years, and whatever We desired that a gathering of the learned and fair-minded servants be convened so that truth might be distinguished from falsehood, none came forward. The verses of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - were not contrary [to the rules], but you are ignorant of the people’s rules. Moreover, what say you about the verses of this Most Great Manifestation? Open your eyes that you may know that rules are derived from the words of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Were it not for the sorrows that have befallen Us and Our physical ailments, We would have written tablets concerning divine sciences, and you would have testified that divine rules encompass human rules. We beseech God to make you steadfast in His love and good-pleasure, for He answers whosoever calls upon Him.

Consider the days when the Qur’an was sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will, how much the rebellious objected. It seems to have vanished from your sight, hence it became necessary to mention some of it, that you might recognize yourself and how much you objected when the Muhammadan Sun dawned from the horizon of eternal glory. The ultimate truth is that in those days you were known by another name, for had you not been among those souls, you would never have objected to the Truth in this Manifestation. Among the objections of the polytheists was to this blessed verse which states “We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.” They objected that […]

And verily He answereth him who calleth upon Him. Consider the days when the Qur’an was sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s Will, how great were the objections raised by the rebellious ones. It seemeth these have vanished from your sight, therefore it becometh necessary to mention some of them, that perchance thou mayest recognize how much thou didst object in the time when the Muhammadan Sun dawned from the horizon of divine glory. The truth is that in those days thou wert known by another name, for hadst thou not been among those souls, thou wouldst never have objected to this Manifestation of Truth.

Among the objections of the idolaters was to this blessed verse which declareth “We make no distinction between any of His Messengers.” They objected that ‘ahad’ cannot be used between, and thus did they mock and protest against this divine and conclusive Word. Likewise did they object to the blessed verse “He it is Who hath created for you all that is on earth, then turned He to the heaven and fashioned it as seven heavens,” saying it contradicted other verses wherein the creation of heaven preceded that of earth. They also objected to the blessed verse “We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angels: Prostrate to Adam,” claiming that the angels’ prostration preceded the forming of creation. Ye have surely heard the objections they raised concerning this blessed divine verse.

Similarly did they object to the blessed verse “The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment,” saying that “stern in punishment” being an attribute of the subject, cannot serve as a definite qualifier. And in the story of Zulaykha where it saith “Ask forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! thou art of the sinful,” they objected that it should be “sinful women” according to their rules for the feminine plural. They also objected to the blessed verse “and a Word from Him whose name is the Messiah,” saying that “Word” is feminine and its pronoun should therefore be feminine. Likewise with “one of the greater” and similar instances.

In brief, there are nearly three hundred instances where the divines of that age and after raised objections against the Seal of the Prophets and the King of the Chosen Ones, both in meaning and in words. They declared most of these words to be incorrect, and attributed madness and corruption to that Source of wisdom. They said “These verses and chapters are mere fabrications.” For this reason, most people followed the divines, straying from the straight path of truth and turning to the very foundation of hellfire. The names of these Jewish and Christian divines are recorded in books.

Furthermore, how many verses did they attribute to Imru’l-Qays, claiming that Muhammad had plagiarized them, such as the blessed Surih “When the earth is shaken” and “The Hour draweth nigh,” and they preferred poems known as the Mu’allaqat and likewise the Mujamharat, which were in the second rank after the Mu’allaqat, to the divine words. Until divine grace encompassed all, and some were not prevented by these objections but were guided by the lights of the greatest guidance. Then came the decree of the sword, and people entered God’s religion willingly or unwillingly. The verse of the sword erased the verse of ignorance, and after God’s Cause prevailed, the eye of justice was opened[…]

And after the triumph of the Cause of God, the eye of justice was opened and the gaze of objection was cut off and veiled. The same deniers who had called the verses of God fabrications came to enumerate seventy points of rhetorical and literary excellence in some of the revealed verses. Since the discourse concerned the objections of the polytheists, I did not wish to mention more than what has been stated. Now render some justice and judge between yourself and God. There is no doubt that the Qur’an was revealed from God, and there is also no doubt that the divine words are sanctified above what they have imagined, as it later became clear that those objections stemmed from rancor and hatred. Though some scholars have answered certain objections according to established rules, yet its knowledge is with Us. Ask, that thou mayest know the Point from which the knowledge of what was and what shall be was expounded. Perchance thou shalt become aware and cease objecting to the loved ones of God. All knowledge has been and shall remain within God’s mighty grasp, and whatsoever is revealed through nature descends upon the original divine nature. These objections arise because this Cause has not outwardly gained strength, the loved ones of God are few and His enemies many. Therefore each soul clings to some objection hoping thereby to gain people’s approval. O helpless one! Go thou and concern thyself with glory and leadership. How canst thou step into the arena of the detached ones - those souls who have detached themselves from all else but Him and for love of God have forsaken wealth, position, fame, name, possessions and life, as thou hast seen and heard? These are servants who said “God is our Lord” and then detached themselves from the worlds. Soon souls shall appear in knowledge and arise with perfect assistance, recording conclusive and firm proofs in answer to every objection, for their hearts shall be inspired by divine heavenly inspirations. Hearken to the call of Him Who summoneth unto God and be not of the veiled ones. Perchance thou shalt not remain deprived of the divine fragrances in these days of this glorious and merciful Manifestation. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance. If one lacks the sense of smell, what fault lies with the garden’s rose? One without taste cannot distinguish honey from colocynth. A copy of a letter from the late Shaykh Ahmad concerning the Qa’im was observed. Now I beseech you to interpret it fairly, and if you find yourself unable, to inquire of the Most Great Ocean of God, that through God’s abundant grace and mercy you may enter beneath the shade of the divine Lote-Tree. The details are that during the days of residence in Iraq, Mirza Husayn of Qum came to this servant with a copy of the letter saying that the Shaykhi friends had requested an explanation and interpretation of these words. This servant, seeing that the questioners were not seeking the divine Kawthar of knowledge, did not undertake to answer, for the pearls of divine knowledge are concealed from the sight of those without insight. Though some mention was made, it was through allusion and metaphor. The exact text of that letter has been copied in this Tablet without addition.

The exact text of that letter is quoted in this Tablet without addition or omission. This is the text of what was written by the most exalted and distinguished Sheikh, the Manifestation of Islam and Ka’bah of mankind, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Ahsai, who was the lamp of knowledge among the worlds, in response to one who said that the Qa’im is in the loins. We have omitted its beginning and written what is intended:

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

I say it is reported that after the passing of M? by MR, the Mahdi (peace be upon him) will arise. The Alif has come upon the end of ?ad, and the ?ad with you is wider than the two thighs, so how can it be one of them? Moreover, the Waw is three letters: six and one thousand and six, and six days have passed, and the Alif is completion, and there is no more discourse, so what of the six and the latter days? Otherwise, the return would not occur, for it is the mystery of inversion for the symbol of the chief. If acknowledgment of the remaining six is obtained from others, the matter is completed with proof, and the Greatest Name appears with the two Alifs standing with the letter which is two letters from Allah, as they are eleven, and with them thirteen, so the Waw which is Ha appeared. Where then is the separation? But the one between the six and six is determined by the passing of M? by MR, so the mystery of sixty-six appeared in its sixth which is its quarter, and the completion of the sixth which is the quarter with the thousand merged within it. And its mystery is the descent of the Alif from the wide point with the six and six, and the second descended in the blessed night with the eleven, and it is He Who is the Mystery and the First Hidden Name appearing in the mystery of Thursday, so the mystery will be completed on Friday, and the flowing water will flow on the day when the sky brings forth a manifest smoke. This while all is in the inverted Waw from the whispered Ha, so where is the connection according to one who affirms separation? There is not in the One nor between it other than One, otherwise it would not be One. And these are the parables We set forth for mankind, but none understand them except those who know.

We testify that every word of these luminous words is like an abandoned well containing the water of life, wherein is concealed the youth of meanings and utterance, and no caravan of seekers has come to it to let down their bucket and bring forth the youth of knowledge and say: “Blessed be God, in Whose grasp is the dominion of knowledge, and He encompasses all things.” Likewise We testify that every letter thereof is like a glass wherein shines the lamp of knowledge and wisdom, yet none has been illumined by it save whom God willed, for He has power over all things. In brief, the purpose is that these words should be interpreted in clear and evident language. And peace be upon whoever follows the truth. And if you do not follow the command of your Lord, perhaps God will raise from your offspring one who will turn to his Lord and detach himself from all else. Verily, He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00151 ===

=== START BH00152 ===

O my Lord! Glory be to Thee, O Thou by Whose name the pearls of the seas of knowledge and understanding appeared, and the sun of wisdom shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance! I beseech Thee to make me adorned with the ornament of Thy good-pleasure, which hath been the hope of Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones. This is a station which no station in Thy dominion can equal, and a deed which no deed in Thy lands can compare with. Then I beseech Thee, O God of the world Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name, to ordain for me by Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in the Hereafter and in this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven. O my Lord! Grant me goodly offspring who shall inherit me in the Bayan. Verily, Thou art the One with power over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

Though children are among God’s great bounties and among the fruits of the human tree, none save God, exalted be His glory, knoweth their goodness and the duration of their lives. We inform thee of a fruit that is ever-ripe and everlasting, and it is in these days the commanding Word of God, which is dearer and more excellent than a hundred thousand children, for it is adorned with the ornament of perpetuity. Should one attain unto a single word from Him, one would attain unto all good. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the fruits of the Most Exalted Pen.

Verily, this day is associated with God, exalted be His glory, and in all the Books it is designated as the Day of God. All who dwell on earth cannot equal a single mention from among His mentions and a single word from among the words that have shone forth from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Names. The exposition of this glorious and mighty station is treasured in the repository of the heart. By the life of God! Were but an intimation thereof to be revealed, all souls would be seen yearning and longing for it. God willing, may they be blessed through God’s grace and be adorned with the ornament of steadfastness. This is the most excellent of all deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

O Muhammad! God willing, may you be blessed with divine grace. The whole world has been created for this Day, and in the heavenly Books all are promised the meeting with God and His manifestation. All tongues and pens fall short of describing this blessed Day. This is that Day of which He says: “Lead forth the people from darkness into light and announce to them the Days of God.” Likewise He says: “The Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s.” Nevertheless, when the Sun of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of God’s Will and the lights of His countenance illumined the world, all were found heedless and veiled save whom God willed. Those who turned away have utterly denied this most great bounty and this supreme grace, and God, exalted be His glory, has spoken of such souls in His words: “They are in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord.” The references revealed in the divine Books in praise and glorification of this luminous blessed Day are clear and evident, yet all are so intoxicated with the wine of pride that they have not attained to a single drop from the ocean of inner meanings. Woe unto them for having cast fairness behind their backs and chosen oppression on a Day wherein the Interlocutor of Sinai spoke forth, the lights of Revelation encompassed all things, and all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign of the throne and of the dust, the Lord of the Hereafter and of this world.”

O Muhammad! The chosen ones seek, and He Who is imprisoned also seeks, but the hypocrites have become as veils. The lights of the Sun of Justice are hidden behind clouds of oppression. He has come for the reformation of the world and appeared specifically for the meeting, yet the veiled and heedless have become obstacles.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose manifestation the ocean of reunion surged and the decree of meeting was fulfilled and that which was recorded in the scriptures and tablets was revealed! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, whereby earth and heaven were illumined, to make me steadfast in Thy love and to aid me in that which Thou lovest and approvest, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of names. O my Lord! I am he who has turned to the horizon of Thy grace and clung to the hem of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to deny me that which is with Thee. O my Lord! Thou seest me alone, and Thou art the Best of inheritors. Ordain for me through Thy generosity and grace that which Thou hast willed and that which will profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the All-Compelling Whom the affairs of Thy creation cannot frustrate, and the All-Powerful Whom the might of Thy servants cannot weaken. There is no God but Thee, the Giving, the Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful. O my Lord! I beseech Thee to ordain for me the reward of one who sought the prison by Thy leave and turned toward Thy face until he attained Thy presence and stood before Thy gate and heard Thy verses. O my Lord! I am the needy and Thou art the All-Sufficient, the All-Conquering, the Almighty, the Powerful. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Praised be God! The effulgent rays of the Sun of bounty are not confined to limits requiring mention by this evanescent servant. At midday they shine forth and are manifest, and all the realities of things turn toward them, chanting the wondrous praise thereof. This servant’s regret is that not one ear, but rather a hundred thousand ears formed of the essence of understanding, would be needed to attain what is befitting. O friends! By the life of the Beloved, this is the Day of hearing and sight! This evanescent servant begs of God to bestow attentive ears, that none may be deprived of the sweetness of this call, and to grant penetrating vision, that none may be excluded from beholding the lights of His countenance. All things are within His grasp, and all bounty revolves around Him. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to make us among those who see, who hear, who are steadfast, who are firm, who are upright. This is the Day of mention and praise. God willing, may we not be disappointed nor remain deprived.

Likewise mention was made of Aqa Mirza Isma’il from the villages of Savijbulagh. This matter also attained the honor of being heard by the Lord of Names, and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these firm words, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the Manifest, the Concealed

O Isma’il! The world is illumined by the lights of His countenance, but very few eyes have there been and are. The call of the All-Merciful is raised at all times, yet all are heedless of it. The ancient centuries cannot equal a single moment of these days, for this precious Day is truly attributed in all the Books and is mentioned as the Day of God. Blessed are they who today have drunk from the Living Waters and have not been deprived of the outpourings of the true Bestower of bounty. Every deed that appeareth today for God’s sake is the lord of deeds. He with Whom is the Mother Book beareth witness to this. Strive that perchance thou mayest attain to that which beseemeth this Most Great Cause. The servants of the heaven of this Cause have been and shall be as suns. Reflect upon His greatness and His sovereignty, and be of the thankful ones.

And likewise mention was made of Mashhadi Muhammad-Taqi Ishtihardi, who had recently become illumined with the lights of certitude. After this was presented, this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed especially for him. Exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Present, the All-Seeing

God beareth witness that there is no God but Him, and He Who hath appeared with the truth, He verily is the Most Great Ocean, the heaven of grace, the Dayspring of the lights of justice, the Source of revelation and the Dawning-Place of inspiration unto all in the world. Blessed is he who hath heard and hastened and held fast unto His strong cord and clung to His luminous hem.

O Muhammad-Taqi! We have heard thy call and have answered thee that thou mayest find in thy Lord the All-Merciful’s utterance that which will make thee steadfast in this Most Great, Most Mighty Cause. Blessed is the face that hath turned, and the heart that hath sought the Most Exalted Goal, and the hand that hath clung to the Most Firm Handle–He Who speaketh between earth and heaven and giveth all the glad-tidings of this Revelation, whereupon, when it appeared, the Tree of Sinai proclaimed: “He Who is the Lord of Resurrection is come, through Whom the Trump was blown and all who are in earth and heaven were thunderstruck, save whom God pleased, the Almighty, the Powerful.” When thou hearest My call and attainest unto My utterance, say:

O Thou Who holdest my destiny! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Self to protect me from the arrows of the enemies who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament and have denied Thy signs. O Lord! I was heedless; the hand of Thy bounty stirred me. I was asleep; the breezes of Thy grace awakened me. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love. Thou art God. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

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

O ’Abdu’r-Rahim! The All-Merciful remembers thee from the prison, and summons thee to God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Beware lest the affairs of the world prevent thee from this mighty grace. Leave behind what the people possess and take hold of the Book of God with the strength that proceedeth from Him, and say:

Praise be to Thee, O God of all worlds! I was drowning in the ocean of heedlessness and desire when the hand of Thy grace rescued me, O Lord of all names! I beseech Thee by the suns of Thy verses and the oceans of Thy utterance, and by those meanings which none but Thy knowledge hath comprehended, to make me in all conditions one who gazeth upon Thee, who turneth toward Thy countenance, who speaketh Thy praise, who prostrateth at the manifestation of Thy grandeur, and who boweth before the revelation of Thy sovereignty. O my Lord! I am he who hath sought the highest goal, the ultimate end, and the loftiest summit at the dawning of the lights of the Sun of Thy Will. I beseech Thee to draw me nigh unto Thee and enable me to remember Thee, to praise Thee, and to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O my Lord! I have come before Thee with a mountain of disobedience, which by its very essence beseecheth Thy forgiveness. O Thou by Whose Name, the All-Merciful, all creation hath been adorned! I beseech Thee not to disappoint the servant who hath hastened to the ocean of Thy grace and turned toward the horizon of Thy bounty. I call upon Thee, O Lord of the world, Who hath appeared through the Most Great Name, to make my end in all conditions a goodly one, through Thy generosity and favor. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. Thou doest and decreest as Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Praise be to God that the aforementioned person hath been honored with the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory. God willing, may he be occupied with His remembrance in all conditions and speak His praise. Today the water of life hath appeared and the true spirit existeth. Strive that ye may receive your portion from this infinite bounty and attain unto the grace of the Lord of Names. This blessed Day hath had no peer or likeness, nor shall it ever have one. That which is lost cannot be regained. This evanescent servant beseeches night and day that God, exalted be His glory, may strengthen all. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Wise.

In the Name of the Forgiving, the All-Generous!

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down for all who dwell in the realm of possibility, that He may draw them nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. O Muhammad-’Ali! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is the stranger who hath sought the highest homeland, and the poor one who hath turned toward the ocean of wealth, and the seeker who hath been illumined by the lights of the Desired One. Cast away the world through My Most Great Name and take hold of My Book which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. We have manifested the Cause and revealed the verses, yet the people do not understand. They have taken their own principles and cast the principles of God behind their backs. Verily, they are unaware. Take thou the chalice of mystical knowledge in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest the allusions of the divines prevent thee from this forbidden cup. Drink thou therefrom despite those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of existence. Beseech thou God to strengthen thee in this Cause and draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily, [thy Lord] is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beloved. Thus hath the cock crowed and the tongue of revelation spoken. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto every heedless one who is rejected.

In like manner, mention was made of Mashhadi ’Ali, resident of ?aliqan, who attained the honor of being heard by the Best-Beloved of the worlds. The Ancient Tongue speaks concerning him in these exalted words:

O ’Ali! Your mention in the Most Great Prison has attained unto the hearing of the Wronged One. Praise the Peerless Beloved Who enabled you to recognize the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery, from which sight has been prevented from beholding, tongues from mentioning, hearts from comprehending, and ears from hearing its verses. Selfish desires and transient riches have prevented all from the Dawning Place of the Light of Oneness, save whom God willeth. O ’Ali! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and shatter the idols of fancy through the Most Self-Subsisting Name - that is, transform doubts and imaginings through the lights of certitude. This Most Great Revelation hath appeared for the reformation of the world. Corruption and conflict are forbidden. The accepted souls must associate with all the peoples of the world with the utmost joy and fragrance. The Command is in God’s hands. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

The bounty, favor and grace of God - exalted be His Glory - hath reached such a degree that were all the peoples of the world to sacrifice themselves in His path, it would still be little, now and forever. This is attested by that which hath been sent down from the heaven of His bounty to His loved ones. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto the heedless. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

These manifest verses were specifically revealed for Haji Muhammad-’Ali-i-Valyani, upon him be the Glory of God, who had sent the names of the aforementioned souls. God willing, may they drink from the cup of recognition and attain unto that which God hath willed. His exalted Word:

He is the All-Knowing Speaker

O Muhammad-’Ali! Specifically for each of the souls mentioned in the letter, wondrous and sublime verses were revealed from the heaven of divine Will and were sent. God willing, may they behold them with eyes sanctified from the dust of idle fancies and the rheum of vain imaginings, recite them with truthful, unfettered tongues, and hear them with attentive ears. If a soul truly succeeds in hearing but one verse of the divine verses, it will surely attract him and guide him to a station sanctified above the attributes of the peoples of the world. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and occupy thyself with His remembrance with the utmost joy and fragrance, that perchance the heedless people might become mindful and discover the ultimate purpose and cause of creation. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth unto His straight path. All parties have exerted such efforts in arranging means that man is powerless to mention them, even though at every moment the world proclaims: “O son of Adam! Soon shall thou return to dust, and neither riches, ornaments, nor glory shall prove faithful to thee, even as they proved faithful to none before thee.” Blessed art thou, O Muhammad-’Ali, in that thou hast attained unto the verses of thy Lord, which the treasures of the world cannot equal. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. Beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of attaining His presence, and of them who circled round Him and were present at His gate, which was opened unto all who are in the heavens and the earth. The Glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this Most Great Cause and have arisen to serve God, the Lord of the worlds.

At the end of the letter, mention was made of Nayib Rida from the land of Ash. After it was presented before the Most Holy Presence, these manifest verses were revealed specifically for him. God willing, may he attain unto the fragrance of the divine words and act as befitteth. His exalted Word:

He is the Caller between Earth and Heaven […]

O Rida! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the prison precincts, as a token of His grace, that He may draw thee nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We have sent down verses in such wise that proofs and evidences circle round them, yet the people remain in doubt and dissension. The Promise hath come, and the Promised One hath appeared. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and responded to his Lord, and woe betide every heedless doubter. How many a servant lamented separation from this Day, yet when the horizon of the world was illumined by the lights of the Most Great Name, he broke God’s Covenant and His Testament by following every contemptible imposter.

We have heard thy call and what thou didst seek from the ocean of grace. Thy Lord is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Mighty, the Bountiful. God hath forgiven thee as a token of His grace, and hath forgiven thy father. He is verily the Bestower, the Forgiving. Through His Name the ocean of forgiveness surged in the realm of existence, and every seeker hath sought the station which God hath made the most exalted of stations. Beware lest the doubts of the world withhold thee from the Lord of all beings. Leave the clay to those who fashion clay, turning unto God, the Lord of all men. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for thee from His Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit thee and solace thine eyes. He is verily the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing.

The Truth, glorified be His majesty, hath ever answered and will continue to answer the hopes of those who hope and act. If at times there be delay, this hath been and shall be due to His consummate wisdom. Blessed is the soul whom no circumstance hath withheld from the Truth. He hath heard thy call and ordained for thee what He desired. He is verily the Forgiving, the Generous. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me in Thy Great Prison.

From this station We send greetings to God’s chosen ones and His loved ones, and We give them the glad-tidings of His mercy that hath preceded all created things. This evanescent servant offereth his nothingness before all the friends of God. May they, God willing, be illumined with the light of steadfastness in such wise that they may regard the people of tyranny and wickedness as non-existent. Today in the market of wisdom, the jewel of steadfastness is of great price; the precious gems of the world cannot equal it. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto it and hath preserved it from the treacherous and the thieves. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Helper, the Teacher, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

That beloved one hath taken the trouble to send this leaf to the honored beloved, Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of destiny, that he may send it to the aforementioned Haji, that all may partake of and receive their portion from the ocean of bounty. The end belongeth to the God-fearing, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Likewise, their other letter dated the 29th of ?afar, number 39, which they sent to that beloved one, was as water that increased the flame of the fire of longing. What water it was that had hidden within it the power of true combustion! If it was water, it was such water as the alchemists have termed the divine water, for it brought burnt bodies to a golden state. And if it was oil, it was such oil as bestowed equilibrium upon bodies. In any case, after seeing and perusing it, it was brought to the presence of the Lord of Creation, and each portion was presented before His face. This is what the Tongue of Utterance spoke in the Kingdom of Knowledge. His word, exalted and sanctified is He: God is Most Glorious.

O Samandar! The letter thou didst send in the name of Jud was presented before the Face by this servant. Convey greetings to the friends on behalf of the Wronged One. His honor Nabil, upon him be the Glory of God, is mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. God willing, may they act with utmost strength and steadfastness in accordance with that which they are commanded by the Truth - that is, to speak the divine word and direct their efforts toward that which exalteth the Cause of God. Likewise, his honor ’Andalib and the other friends in Rasht and its surroundings - give them all the glad-tidings of God’s favor. The glances of His grace have been and will continue to be directed toward them.

Convey my sincere greetings to the honored Nabil the Great, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Praise be to God, they have attained the grace and favors of the Desired One of all worlds. And to the spiritual beloved, his honor ’Andalib, upon him be the Glory of God and His grace, I offer sacred greetings beyond limit. Several letters from them have arrived and all were presented. The Sun of Grace hath risen and shineth upon them, but this servant is greatly embarrassed before them, as I have not yet been enabled to reply to what they have sent. This is because time, like the phoenix, is rare and scarce in all corners of the world. Nevertheless, through the grace and favor of the Desired One, I hope to be enabled to offer a reply.

I send greetings and salutations to them and all the friends who are present in that region and its surroundings. The petitions from that land which were with his honor Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, arrived and the response hath been revealed from the heaven of divine will - God willing, it shall be sent. Regarding what was written about his honor Mulla Sadiq, upon him be the Glory of God, his letter arrived via Istanbul. God willing, a reply will be sent. According to the command, if a wise person who is eloquent and knows the Turkish language would proceed to Maraghih and Urmiyyih and their surroundings for the purpose of teaching, it would be most beloved. Whenever such a soul is found, they should turn to what was mentioned, for the work of teaching is most important and great. Blessed is he whom God aids in this. However, one must proceed with perfect wisdom, feed the children according to their capacity, and not be heedless of the requirements of the time and the souls. He is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Regarding what was written about the honored Sadat Khamsih, upon them be the Glory of God, it was presented in the Most Holy Court. According to the command, it was written to his honor Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, that if the books are available they should be sent quickly, otherwise they should be written and sent. The details about sending the funds were also written to them, and his honor Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, also gave some funds to this servant to send, but thus far no one has proceeded to that direction so it could be sent. Regarding the books, it was written to them and they will send them as they have been commanded. Please convey my greetings to them as well. I beseech God to enable all to achieve that which diffuseth the fragrance of eternity.

Regarding what was written that “Today we gathered in the home of his honor Mashhadi ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, with a group” - blessed are they and joy be unto them. God willing, may the people of that gathering be considered among the people of the Kingdom in the presence of God.

Mention was also made of Kadkhuda, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]. His remembrance was present before the Most Holy Court, especially after the ascension of Sadr of Iran, when a word was revealed concerning him - if one were to voice its praise for the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly realm, it would indeed be and forever remain insufficient. The details of the gathering in the aforementioned house were presented before the Most Holy Court. His exalted Word states: “Blessed are they who have held fast to that which exalteth the Cause of God and His remembrance. These are numbered among the people of the Most Exalted Paradise in a perspicuous Book. We make mention of them and of those who have believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. O loved ones of God! Cleave ye unto wisdom, truthfulness, and trustworthiness, and to the fear of God, the Desire of the worlds. Give thanks unto God for this Most Great Remembrance. He hath indeed preferred you and caused you to know His straight Path. The glory from Us be upon you and upon him who hath attained unto this noble station.”

“We make mention of the Kaf before Dal who was mentioned in the Book. We glorify him from this station and counsel him with that which beseemeth the days of God, the Lord of all men. We have remembered him and revealed for him that which cooleth the eyes, and We send him a promise from Our presence, and We are the Mighty, the All-Knowing.”

O friends! Through divine bounty ye have attained unto a mighty Cause. Know ye its worth and recognize your stations. I counsel you to preserve your stations. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Counsellor, the All-Informed. The glance of favor is directed towards you, the stream of mercy floweth, and the verses of grace are being sent down. With perfect unity and harmony, be ye engaged in offering praise and thanksgiving to the Peerless Friend. The glory be upon you, and the mercy be upon you, and the bounty be unto you.

With this Most Great Remembrance, before which all other remembrances are as nothing, what can this evanescent non-entity say? In truth, none hath the capacity to make mention, were they to judge fairly in the Cause of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earths. Glory be upon your honor, and upon him who sent the letter, and upon him who was named with your name, and upon Nabil son of Nabil, and upon those who have attained unto the recognition of God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00152 ===

=== START BH00153 ===

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

The spring of remembrance and utterance has come, yet most people do not understand. They have cast the Cause of God behind their backs, yet they perceive not. The Servant laments by night and day when He sees the people behind a manifest veil. Every possessor of insight and vision is bewildered, for he observes that the people of the world attribute themselves to the Truth while remaining veiled from Him. They await the days of the Manifestation, yet are deprived of the very Manifestation Who calls out with the most exalted call. They speak of truth while clinging to creation; they speak of light while following fire. This servant knows not toward what countenance they turn, to what name they cling, what horizon they face, by what cord they move, or to what hem they hold fast. The ocean of utterance is surging, the heaven of bounty is elevated, the Purpose is manifest - yet those souls are occupied with their own imaginings and are drowning in the seas of their vain fancies. They don turbans in the name of Truth while engaging in warfare against Him. Some turn to the synagogue while others to the mosque. If these attachments and orientations were truly for God, where are their effects? They have in truth abandoned the Synagogue of God and are occupied with the synagogues of their own souls, heedless of the circling-place of the Concourse on High, clinging to their own rejected desires. Like silkworms they have spun around themselves, yet they perceive it not. Woe unto them and away with them! By Him Who has caused the atoms to speak His praise and glorification, if they were to reflect even less than that, they would cry out “Would that we were dust!” and exclaim “Would that we had never been born!”

The smoke of heedlessness has encompassed all. At one time, the Tongue of the Lord of Names and Attributes spoke these words while revealing verses - exalted be His Word: “O servant present! Do the divines of this age imagine that in the times of the manifestation of the Daysprings of Truth, the people of the earth freely accepted the Cause of the Beloved of all possibility? Do they not reflect upon the tribulations, afflictions, hardships and trials of those holy souls? Do they not ponder the blessed word ‘No Messenger cometh unto them but they did mock at him’? What was the cause that led the Jews to rise against the Spirit (Christ) and the divines of that age to pronounce the verdict for His death? And for what reason did they rise against the Seal of the Prophets and count His companions as infidels, heedless ones and mischief-makers? Ever have the Manifestations, Daysprings and Rising-places been afflicted at the hands of enemies. Yet whatever befalls one in the path of Truth is most sweet to the soul.

“O servant present! Some are observed who cling to the divine religion yet consider as false and heedless the One through Whose word the religions of the world appeared, inflicting upon Him every kind of oppression. And some believe only in what their outward senses perceive, denying all else. God curse them for their unbelief! Had they been born blind and tongueless, they would not have acknowledged the existence of anything. O servant present! The foolishness, lack of understanding and want of insight of those people has reached such a degree that one is bewildered. Say: If divine worlds were limited to this world and its manifestations, then all the Prophets, holy ones and chosen ones would have suffered loss. By Him Who caused the Tree to speak and sent down the Table! Had they known what they had done, they would have lamented in this world until they returned to their stations.” Thus did it end. They reflect not that the Prophets […]

In the Name of the Wronged One

He has sent down the Heavenly Table. Had they known what they had done, they would have lamented in this world until they returned to their stations. They do not reflect even this much: for what reason have the Prophets, saints and chosen ones of God opposed all who are on earth? Can it be that a single person would arise to promote a Cause that nations and governments oppose, except by the command of the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful? This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God to guide the people and lead them to the straight path. Were they to reflect even slightly, they would become aware, but the smoke of heedlessness hath prevented their sight and altered the light of their hearts. No person of understanding would relinquish the eternal for the sake of the transient. All bear witness to the ephemerality of the world, yet cleave unto it. They observe that they shall return to dust, yet remain heedless of this and soar on the wings of passion and desire. Where was I, and to what depths have I fallen! The purpose was to present a response to that one’s letter, and that briefly, lest it cause inconvenience. But what was destined hath come to pass, and all command belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your steadfastness and for your uprightness! The letter which that one had penned, dated the second of Rabi’u’l-Avval, was received. Praise be to God, from every word thereof was inhaled the fragrance of sincerity and love for the Best-Beloved of the worlds. Blessed is the page adorned with the remembrance of God, wherein is recorded the stations of certitude and love for His friends and chosen ones for the sake of God. This servant deemeth himself unworthy of mention before any of the friends, let alone in the presence of the Afnan of the Sacred Tree, whom God hath related unto Him and made them branches of His Tree. After perusing it, it was presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Court of the Lord of creation. This is what the All-Merciful hath uttered in the Kingdom of Utterance - He spoke, and His sweetest words are these[…]

Praise be to God! Thou hast inhaled the fragrances of the divine days and hast turned to the Most Exalted Horizon. By the life of God! Thou art indeed under the glances of His favor - grieve not over anything. Preserve this most holy station. Hold fast unto wisdom by My command and My will. We have verily recorded thy mention in a Book which no obliteration or extinction can reach, and from which the Concourse on High shall inhale the fragrance of eternity. To this beareth witness the Mother Book. His honor Amin, that is, Abu’l-Hasan, hath arrived and repeatedly made mention of thee. He is truly adorned with love for the Afnan of the Divine Lote-Tree and expresseth great satisfaction with thee. O Afnan! Upon thee be My glory!

The whole world hath been created for the recognition of this Most Great Day, and the Ancient Beauty hath, throughout nights and days, summoned all unto the Horizon of the appearance of God, exalted be His glory. Repeatedly hath this most exalted Word been revealed from the Supreme Pen: “O people! Abandon wickedness and iniquity, and follow not your desires. Follow that which your Lord, the Lord of all mankind, hath revealed in His perspicuous Book.” We have forbidden all corruption, strife, contention and unseemly deeds, and have commanded that which God loveth. These matters are evident and clear to all. Nevertheless, the Name of God and His loved ones remain imprisoned in the prison of the oppressors. There hath befallen them that which hath caused the Supreme Paradise and the Most Exalted Heaven to weep. The oppression of the people hath reached such a degree as to exceed all bounds. Glory be to God! They are awakened by no event and enlightened by no punishment. A million souls in these parts have perished, yet they remain heedless. All that was revealed in the Tablet to Ra’is hath come to pass, yet they have not awakened from their slumber. The false claimant descended into hell, yet they paid no heed. The second one returned to the flames, yet they showed no remorse. And even after the seizure of the third, they may still not come to their senses. In this Revelation, God hath granted no respite - He hath seized and continueth to seize, yet none is aware. But by God! Were it not for the decree previously ordained in the Book, He would have seized all with but a single word from Him.

God hath ever desired that His creatures should exist to engage in His praise, glorification, unity and the building of His Cause, and for other purposes which none knoweth save God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust. Some of the friends in every land were observed to be fearful. By the life of God! The world hath never had, nor hath it now, any significance. Say: Martyrdom hath a lofty station and an exalted rank. It is not vouchsafed unto everyone. It is rarer than the most precious elixir, and like unto the phoenix - its name is mentioned but its reality is hidden, nay, lost. Had they known, they would have hastened, and had they witnessed, they would have sacrificed. We have veiled this station from eyes to preserve those on earth. He guideth whom He willeth to what He desireth. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful.

The glory shining from the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon My Afnan and upon those who have recognized that which God hath recognized in His exalted station.

The waves of the ocean of favor have appeared in such wise as to require no translator, interpreter or expositor. What else can this feeble servant say that would be fitting or worthy? I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to protect that noble person and to ever make him a source of service and the recipient of His favors. All the stations of the world bow down in humility and prostration before this station. To this beareth witness every person of insight, every learned one, and every fair-minded and discerning soul.

How blessed is he and those who inhale the fragrant musk of the utterance of the All-Merciful! Concerning what was mentioned about Mulla Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, and his condition after attaining the presence of the Most Holy, Most Exalted Divine Tablet - God Himself beareth witness that were all who dwell on earth to discover the fragrance of but one word of the Divine utterances, all would become intoxicated and turn their faces toward the light of His countenance. Praise be to God that they have been set ablaze by the attraction of the Divine utterance. Nothing that is witnessed or beheld can compare with the heat of the love of God - to this beareth witness the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of earth and heaven.

As to what thou didst write regarding the Akhund, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, that those questions were posed on behalf of another - in the early days of this Most Great Revelation, questions of every kind were presented before the Most Holy Court, and detailed answers to each were revealed and sent according to God’s will. Now several years have passed since the Supreme Pen hath declared that it hath no inclination to mention answers to questions or matters of learning. The Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said: “Verily, He speaketh in every condition: ‘There is no God but I, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.’” And whatsoever hath been revealed this year from the heaven of the bounty of the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted, in answer to questions from those regions, this is due to God’s favor toward the believers in unity and those drawn nigh who dwell in that land and its surroundings. This is of the grace of our Lord upon His Afnan and upon him who was named with R before J, upon him be the Glory of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

There was a time when this exalted word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of Names: “O servant present in the land of Y, A and R, there are souls upon whom the eye of heaven gazeth.” This exalted word is like an ocean wherein precious pearls lie hidden. Knowledge is with God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne. Blessed is the land that hath been honored by His mention, and the cities that have attained unto His loved ones, and the light that hath derived illumination from the radiance of His chosen ones’ countenance. At this point another state overtook this soul - neither having power to speak nor strength to conceal. His is the command and in His grasp is judgment. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Regarding what thou didst write about the receipt document, it was sent according to the supreme instruction before, and now too it is being sent accordingly. At this moment this evanescent one was summoned to the Most Holy Court, and after attaining presence He walked for some time. After several minutes the Ancient Beauty turned His face toward the servant and said, exalted be His utterance: “O servant present! We have forgiven the rights of J and J and adorned them with the ornament of pardon, that they may give thanks unto God their Lord and arise to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance.” These rights belong specifically to God, exalted be His glory. Blessed is the soul that hath paid them and attained acceptance, and joy be to the one who, as a sign of His favor, hath been adorned with the light of forgiveness. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. None should hesitate in what hath been sent down from the heaven of utterance. Verily He is the Commander, the All-Choosing.

After witnessing this supreme bounty, whereby the intention of God, exalted be His glory, was to manifest grace, this servant uttered “Thine be the praise, O Beloved of the worlds” at least a thousand times that night. It is most evident and clear that all earthly things have had and have no worth, as all have witnessed that numerous sums were repeatedly presented at the Most Holy Court but were not graced with acceptance. Yet now, in view of the gathering and the exigencies of the time, they are being accepted. In any case, the purpose was solely to manifest grace, bounty and mercy. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist them to arise as befitteth the Days of God. However, according to the wisdom of His Holiness the Name of God - upon Him be all His most glorious Splendor - they have described the friends of the land of Ta, and have repeatedly expressed satisfaction, especially with some. Yet each time they wrote that wisdom had been abandoned, and this is what is inappropriate - for they had promised this servant in various gatherings, but after attending the first gathering, it was observed that nearly fifty or sixty persons were present. I said: “Have you not heard the decree of wisdom in most divine Tablets? This decree is in effect and is recorded and written with utmost clarity.” They would acknowledge this, yet on the final night the same situation was observed, and likewise in other gatherings, until finally they withdrew in seclusion. This evanescent one beseeches God, exalted be His glory, with utmost humility and supplication, that He may assist all to act according to what has been recorded in the Book by the Supreme Pen. Every person they arrested was taken along with their writings, although divine verses should be preserved in secure and protected places. Glory be to God! What has happened? Even though this servant has mentioned this matter in numerous petitions to the friends, until now it has not been heeded. And due to the sincerity which adorns the temple of the loved ones, they accept every word and consider every claimant truthful, although in one instance this exalted Word hath shone forth from the highest horizon: “Believe not every speaker, nor trust in every newcomer.” This servant hopes that henceforth they will be assisted to do what God loveth.

Concerning what you wrote about the spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-Varqa - upon him be the glory of God and His favors - God willing, they are protected and assured through God’s grace, exalted be His glory. This very night, this evanescent one heard mention of them from the Most Holy Tongue. Repeatedly during the revelation of verses, favors have been shown to them. God willing, they are successful and assisted in mentioning God, serving the Cause, uniting hearts, and exalting the Word in such wise that from all their limbs, members, and veins the flame of detachment may be made manifest in the path of the Lord of creation. Glory be to God! Although no corruption appeared from them and they called heedless souls to the Dayspring of divine unity with utmost love, nevertheless the heedless divines and idle ignorant ones did what no oppressor had ever done, striving with all their might to extinguish the light of the Cause. But alas! Alas! Who can alter what God hath purposed, and who can outrun His commands? By the life of our Beloved and our Goal, they persist in their ancient error.[…]

As to what was written concerning the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, this matter must be kept most confidential, in such wise that none save steadfast, firm, upright, contented and well-pleasing souls may become aware of it. All these deeds are, before the Throne, contingent upon wisdom. That which opposeth it is not permissible. This is what the servant hath heard with his own ear from the tongue of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. The people are weak and heedless, while grace, bounty and mercy are beyond reckoning. The Command of wisdom itself beareth witness to the loving-kindness, bounty and mercy of the Goal of all beings.

As to what thou didst write concerning the ascension of His Holiness Ismu’llah Javad, upon him be all the most glorious Glory and all the most effulgent Light, the servant testifieth that he attained unto the bounty of his Most Glorious Lord and ascended unto the Supreme Companion. The near ones perceived from him the fragrance of the mercy of our Lord and his Lord, the King of Names, and there was revealed for him from the Supreme Pen that which shall endure as long as God’s most beautiful names endure. O thou beloved of my heart and Essence of God standing firm in the Cause! This is the day of death, for man attaineth unto a remembrance that hath no peer or likeness, and is adorned with a crown that shall forever shine forth, radiant and luminous throughout the world. Blessed is the soul that ascendeth through divine love; if it attaineth not martyrdom, at least it attaineth this station. Although the true friends who have quaffed from the cup of steadfastness have attained unto all good and are recorded and inscribed before God among the letters of the Book - and the letters of the Book can neither be erased nor touched by extinction - the Command is in His grasp. He doeth as He willeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth.

As to what was written about various groups being present at the funeral procession, this was presented before the Ancient Beauty, and He said: “They are but one people. None should attend save the people of Baha, for whom was created the Crimson Ark mentioned in the Qayyumu’l-Asma.”

As to the mention made of Mirza ’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, and what was written regarding his repeated mention of constructing monuments - this found acceptance before the Throne. Although his honor looketh unto the truth and is eager to serve, yet consideration of wisdom is necessary in all circumstances. Verily, the servant giveth him glad tidings of his remembrance in the Prison and of God’s bounty, the Lord of all worlds.

As to the mention made of His Holiness Ismu’llah M.H., upon him be all the most glorious Glory, and the acquisition of land in the land of Ta [Tehran] - at present this matter is suspended in the heaven of divine Will, and after tranquility prevaileth and the kindled fire is extinguished, that which is adorned with the ornament of God’s will, exalted be His glory, shall appear according to His command.

Concerning the funds of His Name 66 (Allah), JM, may all the Most Glorious Glory rest upon him, they wrote that previously this matter had issued from the Supreme Pen and was adorned with acceptance. His Name mentioned above purchased a house, and some funds remained. A portion they used to pay their debts and loans, and another portion they spent in the path of God until they arrived in the Land of Purpose. Now they and their family reside near the mansion which is outside the prison where the Throne is established, and they are engaged in pilgrimage. Praise be to God, they attained to that which they had been seeking from God, exalted be His Glory, during the nights and days. This matter of purchasing the house and giving funds was repeatedly presented at the Most Holy Court, and each time manifestations of favor towards Afnan 202 (Muhammad ’Ali), may all the Most Glorious Glory rest upon him, were evident. In truth, they are engaged in service, although outwardly some apparent causes brought them sorrow, and this is what I heard with my own ear from an informed source. However, He said: “God has ordained for him a station which none knoweth save God, and its effects shall appear in the world. He is, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

This concludes the response to your first letter. Then your second letter was honored to arrive, which began with mention of the oppression that befell the innocent ones, the chosen ones, and the pillars of the earth. Has any harm come to anyone from these oppressed ones, or have they taken anyone’s property, or have they uttered anything contrary to what God hath ordained? If you were to ask about this, their answer would be naught but transgression and rebellion against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Consider how this community seeks the good of government and nation during nights and days from God, exalted be His Glory. Nevertheless, there hath come upon the people of Baha from these two parties that which caused the Concourse on High to weep and lament. One day Jesus Christ, son of Mary - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - asked the Jews, saying: “For which of my good words do you rise up to harm me?” They replied: “Not for your good words, but because you say ‘I am the Son of God.’” Their condition is evident. Our shortcoming is that we say we are the people of God and are sanctified and purified from hatred, malice, corruption, conflict and contention. The flame of hatred is kindled from every direction, but the hand of power extinguisheth it with the water of will. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Your third letter brought joy and strengthened the spirit. Praise be to God, you are adorned with the ornament of health and are engaged in serving the Cause. Regarding what you wrote about the funds for the Doctor, may the Glory of God and His favors be upon him, this matter depends on his own news. All that you have done and written regarding the house and regarding His Name Allah (Baha), may all Glory rest upon him, is correct and acceptable and is mentioned before the Throne. The servant wishes to praise God with a thousand hundred tongues and beseech from His wondrous grace your assistance, your success, and your protection. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose manifestation the Balance hath called out and the Path been established, the mountains have passed away, and the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the Kingdom of Knowledge! This is the Day of Return, and the Self-Sufficing, the Most High, hath come. I beseech Thee to protect Thy Afnan from the evil of Thine enemies, to draw them nigh unto Thee, to grant them the bounty of meeting Thee, and to ordain for them the good of this world and the next through Thy generosity and grace. O my Lord! Thou seest them turning unto Thee and clinging fast unto Thee. I implore Thee, by the fragrances of Thy Revelation, to assist whosoever hath arisen to serve Thee and to aid Thy Cause. Then ordain for him that which befitteth Thy Revelation and Thy days. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Concerning what you wrote about the beloved Varqa, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, let him be ever mindful of wisdom in all circumstances. The ignorant masses and the calumniators, especially those evil souls who remain idle and unemployed in this world, wait day and night to seize upon any pretext to inflame their base desires and passions. May God destroy them for their sins, their hypocrisy, and their unbelief. May God protect us and you from the evil of such as these. Such souls are like hot ashes that have come out of the fire - soon their heat will cool and the devastating, sterile winds will return them to nothingness. In the Tablet of Burhan, addressing the Wolf, He says: “Thou art like the shadow of the sun cast upon the mountains - soon it shall pass away,” to the end of His utterance - exalted be His grandeur, sweet be His words, and great be His glory!

As for what you mentioned regarding Aqa Mas’ud and what he sent, Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, forwarded his letter to the Most Holy Court where it was presented before His presence. He commanded that the honored Afnan should write him in reply and express divine favors on behalf of the Truth, that he might rejoice and be among the thankful.

Regarding what you wrote about Haji Sayya?, upon him be the Glory of God, and your expression of satisfaction with him - praise be to God that he was enabled to serve the Cause and assist the oppressed, namely those souls who themselves witness and testify that they have looked to naught but the Truth and desired naught but the reformation of the world. Blessed be he! God willing, may he ever attain this supreme bounty. The servant gives him glad tidings of his Beloved’s mention of him and His favors towards him, and beseeches his Lord to assist him in all conditions. Verily, He is the Omnipotent, the Most High.

This servant’s further submission is that if any of God’s friends attains to service, convey my greetings to them. God willing, may the dark dust of the world of oppression not prevent them from the effulgences of the lights of justice. Every deprived and heedless one hastens toward extinction while behind him the angels of punishment cry “Hasten! Hasten!” But soon those wretched, wandering, unconscious ones shall come to their senses and cry out “Oh, woe unto us!”

May the glory shining from the heaven of our Lord’s favor - your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the highest and the lowest - be upon you and upon those who love you and upon every steadfast and upright believer. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

The Servant

14th of the month of Sha’ban the Magnificent 1300

One further submission by command: if possible, it would be most praiseworthy if fifty tumans could reach His Holiness Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, in the land of ?adba. This matter is most urgent as they are in hardship […]

The other items of the earth, including cloth and shawls and [sugar] and so forth, have arrived, and his honor Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan has written and continues to write the details to his honor Aqa Azizu’llah. The glory be upon you.

=== END BH00153 ===

=== START BH00154 ===

This is a prayer that was revealed at the beginning of the month of fasting. Blessed is the one who offers it to God, his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Everlasting, through which the Manifestations of Thy Cause endured; and by Thy Name, the All-Sufficient, through which the Manifestations of Thy Revelation were made sufficient; and by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, through which the Daysprings of Thy inspiration became self-subsisting; and by Thy Name, the Eternal, through which the signs of Thy kingdom and the evidences of Thy dominion were made to endure; and by Thy Name, the Wise, through which the strongholds of Thy sovereignty were made firm; and by Thy Name, the Merciful, through which all created things obtained mercy; and by Thy Name, the Powerful, through which all things were endowed with power; and by Thy Name, the All-Knowing, through which the manifestations of Thy knowledge appeared among Thy creatures; and by Thy Name, the Triumphant, through which Thy Most Exalted Word triumphed over all who are in earth and heaven - to send down upon Thy loved ones from the heaven of Thy Will that which will render them independent of all except Thee and detached from all save Thyself. Then send down upon them that which will make them victorious over Thine enemies who have disbelieved in the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dawning-Place of Thy signs. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O my God, my Lord, my Beloved, the Ultimate Goal of my desire and my hope! Remove not him who hath drawn nigh unto Thee, and cast not out him who hath turned toward the court of Thy mighty singleness and the threshold of Thy holy oneness. Then cause them to hear that which will transport them in the atmosphere of Thy yearning and attraction, whereby they will become oblivious of all except Thee and will speak of naught but Thy remembrance and praise. By Thy glory! He who is deprived of the sweetness of Thy remembrance is indeed deprived of all good, and non-existence would be better for him than existence, and extinction better than life. By Thy glory! I am bewildered at those who have deprived themselves of the wonders of Thy remembrance and have occupied themselves with the remembrance of others besides Thee. By Thy glory! The gardens of Paradise and whatsoever of Thy wondrous bounties and favors have been ordained therein cannot equal a single mention of Thee in the estimation of such servants as have tasted the sweetness of Thy communion. O my God! Make me not one who is debarred therefrom or deprived thereof. I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of destiny, to move me by the breezes of Thy Will as Thou pleasest, that I may turn to that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, and turn away from that which Thou abhorrest, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of the realm of the hereafter and of the former times. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Triumphant, the Powerful, the Helper.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Whenever the remembrance of Thee stirs within my heart, I am held back by Thy might and power, for remembrance itself testifieth that it is other than the One remembered. This being established, how can my remembrance ascend unto Thee, or my praise befit Thee? Rather, it returneth unto my own self and essence. Therefore do I flee, O my God, from associating aught with Thee unto the sovereignty of Thy unity, and I beseech Thee to give me to drink from the cup of those among Thy creatures who believe in Thy unity and are detached from all else, who behold in all things the signs of Thy revelation and the manifestations of Thy oneness. As for them who have taken partners with Thee and associated Thy creation with Thine own Self - these have not known Thee nor attained unto Thy recognition, and are among the most remote and heedless of Thy creatures.

Glorified art Thou beyond being associated with aught else or being remembered through the remembrance of any besides Thee! Thou hast ever been, and there was naught else beside Thee, and Thou wilt ever continue to be even as Thou hast been. No one hath any way to attain unto the knowledge of Thy Essence. All remembrance, from whomsoever it may proceed, returneth unto the Most Exalted Word and the First Point, which is the Primal Will and the Initial Point. This is Thy first revelation and Thy first manifestation. Thou didst raise it up through itself and shed upon it the light of Thy Most Glorious Name, whereupon the heavens were illumined with the light of Thy knowledge and the earth with the radiance of Thy countenance. Thou didst make it the beginning and end of creation, and through it Thou didst distinguish between Thy creatures. Through it the believers in divine unity became steadfast and the idolaters were seized with terror. Whoso calleth upon Thee through it hath indeed called upon Thee Thyself, and whoso turneth away hath not truly called upon Thee, even should he invoke Thee throughout the duration of Thy sovereignty and the permanence of Thine essence.

O my God! Hath anyone ever called upon Thee through it and Thou didst not answer him? Hath any soul ever turned toward Thee through it and Thou didst not turn toward her? Is there anyone in all creation who remembereth Thee through it in Thy earth and Thou didst not remember him in the heaven of Thy Cause? Nay, by Thy glory! For Thy remembrance hath preceded all things even as Thy mercy hath preceded all things. Were it not for Thy remembrance, who would remember Thee? Were it not for Thy making Thyself known, who would know Thee? When Thy remembrance preceded Thy servants, they arose to remember and praise Thee. When Thou didst show them the ways of Thy nearness and good-pleasure, they turned from all directions toward the sanctuary of Thy oneness and the sacred precincts of Thy singleness. When Thou didst cast upon them Thy love, they arose to aid Thy Cause and were drawn by the signs of Thy mighty sovereignty, reaching a station wherein they sacrificed their wealth and lives in Thy path.

By Thy glory, O Beloved of the worlds, O Thou the Desire of the hearts of them that long for Thee, O Thou the Enchantment of the hearts of the sincere! When I drank from the cup of Thy love, I arose to aid Thy Cause through Thy might and power, and through it I became independent of the love of all else and the remembrance of any besides Thee. Blessed is he who drinketh therefrom and hasteneth to the pathways of Thy good-pleasure and the ways of Thy bounty. He is indeed among the most wealthy of Thy servants and the most exalted in Thy presence. O my God! I have reached such a station in Thy love that I desire not that anyone besides me should love Thee, and whosoever loveth Thee - he is I and none other. I have accepted all Thy love and all the tribulations in Thy path. Would that no one besides me might love Thee, and that no afflictions in Thy path might befall any but myself! For Thou hast ordained for those who love Thee such trials as have no equal in Thy knowledge, and therefore most of Thy servants shun them to protect their lives and property. I am the one who, through Thy remembrance, hath become independent of the remembrance of all created things.

I am He who, through remembering Thee, hath forgotten all created things, and through the love of Thee hath accepted all the tribulations of the world. Would that Thou hadst bestowed upon Thy servants what Thou hast bestowed upon me, and made known to them what Thou hast made known to me! Blessed is he who hath been visited in Thy path by the swords of hatred from Thy wretched servants. Verily, they who have drunk from the cup of Thy mercy and bounty, and who have found solace in Thy remembrance and praise - the concerns of the world shall not divert them from turning to Thee and setting their faces toward Thy countenance. Blessed is he who hath found intimacy with Thee and detached himself from all existence, O Thou Who art the Worshipped One of the seen and unseen!

How can I recount, O Creator of Baha and Goal of Baha, the wonders of Thy mercy which have preceded me and the manifestations of Thy favor which have encompassed me! I was sleeping, O my God, upon the couch of heedlessness and forgetfulness when the fragrances of the garment of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, wafted over me and awakened me from slumber, causing me to voice Thy praise amidst the concourse of all worlds. I arose and called all to Thy most exalted Self. Among them were those who turned away from Thee and denied Thy signs and manifestations in this Revelation wherein Thou didst reveal Thyself through Thy Most Glorious Name. And among them were those who hesitated and rose up in opposition after I had not revealed to them what Thou hadst taught me of Thy hidden knowledge, nor manifested to them what Thou hadst acquainted me with of Thy treasured secrets. I called them through what was revealed in the Bayan and made known to them what they were commanded to recognize in the Tablets of Thy decree and the Pages of Thy destiny. Thereupon they became frightened and lamented, turned away and grew arrogant, except those who were given new life by the breaths of Thy mighty verses in this Revelation whereby the heavens of idle fancies were cleft asunder and the idols of men were shattered by the arm of Thy power, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of authority and the kingdom of the heavens and earth.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy most excellent Names and exalted Attributes, and by Thy Name which Thou hast made the Sovereign of all names and the Ruler over all who are in earth and heaven - through which Thou didst unite and separate, and which Thou madest the decisive Word at both beginning and end - to open the eyes of Thy servants that they may behold Thee with Thine eyes and know Thee through Thy Self, and turn away from those who have denied Thee and Thy sovereignty and have taken for themselves a lord other than Thee and a god besides Thee. O Lord! Leave them not to themselves and their desires. Take their hands in the hand of Thy power and grace, then preserve them from the evil of those among Thy servants who whisper in people’s breasts and hold them back from the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness and the depths of the glory of Thy uniqueness. O Lord! Illumine the sight of Thy servants with the light of Thy knowledge, then give them to drink of that Kawthar, whereof whoso partaketh shall be detached from the kingdom of the sovereignty of the heavens and earth, shall turn wholly unto Thee, and shall seek shelter beneath the shadow of Thy Most Glorious Name, which Thou hast made the sword of Thy Cause amidst Thy creation and whereby Thou hast separated between those who are nigh and those who are remote, between light and darkness, between the felicitous and the wretched, and between the manifestations of affirmation and negation. He whose sight is illumined by the light of Thy Greatest Name is verily created anew and raised up by Thy command, O Lord of the throne on high and of the earth below. He is indeed wondrous in Thy kingdom and is quickened by the breezes of Thy days, and by what he uttereth in Thy remembrance and praise there floweth upon him the decree of innovation, though he speak what hath been mentioned from all eternity. Such is the station of Thy servants who were created by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen in the kingdom of creation. Yet Thy wretched servants deny Thy signs, O Fashioner of the heavens and earth, and strip from them the decree of innovation after it had been established through them. Were it not for them, innovation would not have appeared. Thereupon the Pen weepeth, and so too doth the Tablet, at My anguish and at what hath befallen Me from Thine enemies. And whenever tribulations grow more severe upon Me from these who have denied Thy most great signs, I behold the gifts wherewith Thou hast specially favored Me, in that Thou hast made Me and whatsoever proceedeth from Me - whether in rising or sitting, walking or resting - to be Thy remembrance amidst Thy creatures and Thy praise amongst Thy servants, and hast made them all as a single remembrance from Thee.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for this supreme gift and this most great favor. I beseech Thee, O my God and my Lord, to ordain for Thy servants that which Thou hast ordained for me, and separate me not from them, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Verily, Thou art the Creator of all beings. O my God, make firm the leaves of this Tree, lest they be scattered by the winds of trials. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Bestower. Deprive not Thy servants who have turned unto Thee, but cause them, O my God, to acknowledge Thy unity, confess Thy singleness, and submit to Thy sovereignty and power, to turn unto the sanctuary of Thy glory and majesty, to take refuge in Thee and seek protection in Thy presence. O Lord! Drive them not away through Thy bounty, and withhold them not from this Spring which hath flowed from the right hand of the throne of Thy oneness. O Lord! Make them not of those who have violated Thy Covenant, cast away Thy Testament, shown pride before Thee, disputed Thy right, denied Thy favor, and turned away from Thee, after not a word had been inscribed by Thy Most Exalted Pen but that I had taken its covenant unto Myself, and made all that was revealed in the Bayan dependent upon My acceptance and command, in such wise that were My mention and praise to be effaced from the Bayan, not a word thereof would remain. Yet I made not My Cause dependent upon the acceptance of any soul or the approval of any being. Despite this, behold the Glory, O Beloved of Glory, and what hath befallen Him at the hands of Thine enemies, O Thou the Desire of Glory! By Thy might! No cry of lamentation ariseth from the lips of Glory for what hath befallen Him in Thy path, O Thou Who art remembered in the heart of Glory! Would that the people of the Bayan had committed what the peoples of old committed! By Thy might, O Beloved of Glory, weeping preventeth me from remembrance and praise, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of destiny and the kingdom of decree! I am He, O my God, Whom the hatred of Thine enemies hindereth not from loving Thee, nor doth the clamor of those who have disbelieved in Thy signs silence me from praising Thee. By Thy might! Should all who are on earth unite to oppress me with tyranny and injustice, my tongue would still mention Thee and praise Thee in their midst. And should they cut out my tongue, my heart would speak of that which Thou hast inspired me through Thy bounty and favor. And should they cut out my heart, my inmost being would cry out: “O Thou Desire of Glory! Accept the blood of Glory in Thy path!” And should they cut out my vitals and members, my very hair would cry out and proclaim: “O Lord! This is Thy Glory among the oppressors of Thy creation; behold Him through the glances of Thy loving-kindness! O Lord! This is He Who was mentioned in Thy Scriptures, Thy Books, and Thy Tablets. This is He for Whose exaltation of station, loftiness of rank, elevation of word, and promotion of Cause the Bayan was revealed. This is He in Whose love I spent my mornings and evenings. Thou didst say - and Thy word is most sweet - ‘But for Him, I would not have revealed the Bayan.’ And Thou didst say - and Thy word is truth - ‘Every goodly mention revealed in the Bayan had none for its object save His Being and His Beauty.’ Behold Him now, cast down among the people of the Bayan, O Revealer of the Bayan! How sweet is Thy mention of Me and My mention of Thee! Thou art He Who hast sufficed with Me, and I am He Who hath sufficed with Thee, apart from all created things. Thou art He Who hath desired to mention Me, and I am He Who desireth in My mention naught but Thee.”

O my God! Thou seest how my heart melteth in Thy love to such degree that were all the seas of the world to be poured upon it they would never quench it, for my being, my soul, my spirit, my body and my form were all created through Thy love - and Thy love endureth and shall never perish. This is a station Thou hast given me through Thy bounty which none can ever take away. O Thou the remembrance of Whom is my companion, Whose good-pleasure is the joy of my heart, Whose decree is my desire, and Whose tribulation is my comfort!

O my God! Thou dost witness and behold how they who have violated Thy sanctity, neglected Thy Cause, broken Thy Covenant, perverted Thy verses and Thy Word, cast aside Thy laws, abandoned Thy commandments, and opposed this Servant Who hath sacrificed His spirit in Thy path, through whom Thy Cause became renowned, Thy remembrance exalted, Thy countenance revealed, the pavilion of Thy wisdom and the tabernacle of Thy glory raised up, the edifice of Thy Cause and the sanctuary of Thy holiness and the Kaaba of Thy majesty were built. Thou knowest, O my God, their falsehoods and the calumnies of their souls, and after they committed in Thy Faith that which caused the dwellers of the cities of eternity and the Concourse on High to lament, they wrote against me with their idolatrous fingers that which causeth all atoms to curse them, and likewise the Manifestations of unity, the Daysprings of oneness, and the Repositories of Thy revelation and inspiration. They reached such a state of wretchedness as to write that he hath abrogated the Bayan - after it was through my very being that the decree of the Bayan appeared and the Sun of exposition dawned forth, through my mention that His mention was fulfilled, through my self that His words were interpreted and His mysteries unveiled, through my arising that His letters were expounded, His treasures revealed, and that which was stored therein of the pearls of Thy knowledge and the gems of Thy wisdom was brought forth.

O my God! Thou knowest that they recognized Thy favor and then denied it, for Thou didst manifest me with the proof whereby they claim faith in Thee and in the Manifestation of Thyself. Therefore, O my God, purify their hearts and illumine their eyes that they may know Thee through Thine eye and detach themselves from all else but Thee. I observe them, O my God, to be more veiled than the peoples of former times, such that I have not found any more wretched or more remote than they. They read the Bayan yet deny Him Who revealed it; they glory in it yet oppose the One through Whom Thy Books and the Pages of Thy Cause were sent down from all eternity. By Thy glory, O my God! They have not believed in Thee, for had they believed they would not have denied this Revelation through which the leaves of the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary sang the praise of Thy Most Exalted Name, and the tongues of all things were opened in Thy praise, O Lord of the Beginning and the End. Every word revealed in the Bayan testifieth that He is the One Who appeareth in the Most Glorious Horizon.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hearest my sighing and my cry, and that which befalleth me at all times from the manifestations of Satan and the sources of tyranny and the mines of jealousy and reckoning. Behold me then, O Thou Who hast named Thyself the All-Merciful! Dost Thou see in Thy earth one oppressed like unto me, or one grieved like me, after that through my joy the lovers soared unto the atmosphere of Thy nearness and Thy gladness, and the yearning ones ascended unto the heaven of Thy rapture and Thy knowledge? Wherefore, O my God, this oppressed one seeketh refuge in the shelter of Thy justice, and this abased one in the shelter of Thy glory, and this poor one in the shadow of Thy riches. Send down, then, upon him that which befitteth Thy station. He desireth none but Thee, and will desire none but Thee, by Thy might and Thy power, O Thou Who art the Possessor of Glory and Who speaketh from the heart of Glory and remembereth within the heart of Glory. Send down then, O Lord of Glory, upon the hearts of Thy servants the word of righteousness, that they may arise from the sleep of vain desires and turn unto the Most Exalted Word, O Lord of the throne on high and of the earth below! O my God, my Master and my Hope! I testify that Thou wert in the eternity of eternities one God, Single, Alone, Eternal, Self-Subsisting, Everlasting, Enduring, the Self-Sufficient. Thou didst not take unto Thyself any likeness, nor partner, nor counselor, nor peer. Thou didst send Thy envoys unto Thy servants and made them the repositories of Thy revelation and the treasuries of Thy knowledge, and Thou didst send down unto them Thy Books wherein Thou didst establish the laws of Thy Cause and Thy commandments, until the Books ended with the Bayan and the Messengers with Him Whom Thou didst name ’Ali in the empire of Thy decree and the kingdom of names. He manifested Himself by Thy command and called the people unto Thyself and gave them glad tidings of Him Whom Thou didst promise in Thy fixed verses and established words. Through Him Thou didst ordain the measures of Thy Cause and Thy commandments, and through Him Thou didst detail all things in detail from Thy presence, and in it Thou didst forbid the servants from shedding the blood of those who believed in Thee and entered the fortress of Thy Cause and Thy protection. Likewise didst Thou forbid unto the peoples the wives of Thy Messengers, and this is among Thy fixed commandments and Thine established ordinances, inasmuch as it was revealed in all Thy Tablets and Thy Books and Thy Scriptures. Yet despite this clear commandment and mighty decree, they broke Thy covenant and violated Thy testament, and abandoned that which they were commanded and ordained that which they were forbidden, and reached in heedlessness such a state that passion seized from them the reins of tranquility and modesty, and they betrayed the sanctuary of the Manifestation of Thy most exalted Self. Alas, alas, for his deed and that which appeared from him! By God, thereby was rent the veil of Thy sanctity among Thy creation, and the Faithful Spirit lamented before Thy face, and the eye of Baha shed tears at this most great calamity and supreme affliction. There hath not befallen any of Thy Messengers and chosen ones that which hath befallen the Manifestation of Thy Cause, Whom Thou didst make the Manifestation of Thy sovereignty and the Dayspring of Thy divinity and the Dawning-Place of Thy lordship. Therefore do I lament, and all things lament, for that which was created by Thy Most Exalted Word.

Thou knowest, O my God, that Thou hast never, in all eternity past and future, ordained Thy laws and established Thy ways save for the perpetuation of Thy remembrance amongst Thy creation and the exaltation of Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures. Verily Thou, by Thy very Self, the Truth, hast been and wilt ever remain sanctified above the deeds of them that act and the mention of them that remember. O my God, they have shown no shame before Thee, nor have they observed Thy sanctity in Thy dominion and Thy glory amongst Thy creation. Is there any possessor of sight who will assist me in my weeping? Is there any possessor of heart who will lament with me for what hath befallen my Beloved and my Adored One, my Rememberer and my Remembered One? Is there any just one who will judge what hath befallen the Manifestation of Thy Self at the hands of Thy most heedless servants? By Thy glory, O my God! Were I to be slain by the swords of all the world, it would be dearer to me than to exist and witness what no eye hath ever witnessed, O Thou in Whose hands lieth the kingdom of the heavens and the earth! The love of leadership so possessed him that he shed the blood of Him Whom Thou hadst singled out among Thy creatures and made the Manifestation of Thy unity, and named as the Third Letter who believed in Him Whom Thou shalt manifest by Thy command. Thou didst reveal concerning him that which Thou hadst revealed for none other, and when his blood was shed, darkness prevailed over the light of day, and trembling and trepidation seized all who dwelt in the Twin Cities. Yet they perceived it not, nor did they awaken, and they reached such heights of wickedness and pride that they sought to slay him whom they mention by night and day. Thou didst protect me by Thy power and preserve me through the hosts of Thine invisible realm until I departed from their midst by Thy will and decree. When Thou didst frustrate them by Thy sovereignty, they wrote concerning me that which caused their pens, their fingers, their ink, their tablets, and the essence of all things to curse them. Therefore, O my God, raise up pure hearts and penetrating eyes that they may discern Thy Cause and what they have wrought against Thee. Alas, alas! The Tablets of the Bayan and the essence of its meanings in the words of the Bayan weep at their deeds. Yet they have forgotten themselves and say that He Whom Thou hast manifested by Thy command hath abrogated the Bayan, though every person of understanding testifieth that the Bayan was revealed for My sake, and through My manifestation the meaning of its exposition was fulfilled, and I made all that was revealed therein a gift unto Myself, dependent upon My leave and command. Alas, alas! The hem of sanctity hath been sullied by the dust of the calumnies of Thine enemies, and the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee have been entangled by what hath befallen the Beloved of the knowers at the hands of the tyrannical among Thy creatures.

O my God! This is the first day wherein Thou hast prescribed the fast for Thy loved ones. I beseech Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted for love of Thee and Thy good-pleasure, not for his own desire and hatred of his Lord, and by Thy most excellent names and most exalted attributes, to purify Thy servants from the love of aught else but Thee and draw them nigh unto the Dayspring of the lights of Thy countenance and the Seat of the throne of Thy oneness. Illumine their hearts, O my God, with the light of Thy knowledge and their faces with the radiance of the Sun that hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy will. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Help in Peril. Then aid them, O my God, to assist Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word, make them the Hands of Thy Cause amongst Thy servants, and through them manifest Thy religion and Thy signs amongst Thy creatures, that the horizons may be filled with Thy remembrance and praise, Thy proof and Thy testimony. Verily Thou art the Bestower, the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Merciful.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Whenever I resolve to be silent in Thy remembrance, I witness that Thy love hath no end. And since it hath no end, how can my cry, my remembrance, my lamentation and my yearning ever end? Thou, O my God, hast ordained communion for those around me and made Thy verses clear evidences for myself and manifestations of my Cause. Yet I love to make mention of Thee before all worlds through what they possess of Thy remembrance and praise, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of the heavens and earth. O Lord! Aid me through the wonders of Thy help. Verily, Thy help of me and Thy grace towards me is my ascension to the Most Exalted Companion and my rising above these wretched ones, among whom there is naught but rancor and hatred. O Lord! Cause me to ascend unto Thee, O Thou through the movement of Whose Most Exalted Pen the kingdom of creation was brought into being. My purpose, O my God, in that which I have uttered before Thee was only to manifest my servitude amongst Thy creatures and that all might witness that I am the supplicant and Thou art the One supplicated, that I am the caller and Thou art the Answerer. Otherwise, by Thy glory, I desired not what I desired, I purposed not what I purposed, and I hoped not what I hoped. Whosoever differentiateth between my will and Thy will hath disbelieved in Thee and taken a partner with Thee in Thy dominion. Through my will have I manifested Thy will; were it not for it, it would not have been. My desire be a sacrifice unto Thee, O Desire of Baha! My purpose be a sacrifice unto Thee, O Purpose of Baha! My will be a sacrifice unto Thee, O Thou Who kindleth the fire of Baha, O Thou Who art ablaze in the breast of Baha, O Thou Who speaketh with the tongue of Baha! Then the Beloved of Baha declareth: By God, were it not for Baha, the Dove of Remembrance would not have warbled. O people of hatred, have mercy on Baha! O ye through whom and through whose tyranny the heaven was cleft asunder and the veil of fidelity was rent! And Baha saith: I am content with Thy decree, O God of the worlds and Goal of them that seek Thee. I desire naught save what Thou hast desired for me, and I wish naught except what Thou wishest. By Thy glory, I am abashed before the wondrous tokens of Thy favor and that which Thou hast singled me out for amongst Thy creatures. Through my appearance, Thou hast distinguished between all created things and chosen from them the gems of Thy creation and the essence of Thy handiwork. Thou hast caused me, O my God, to speak a Word from Thee and made it as a two-edged sword through Thy power and might. With one edge thereof Thou hast separated and divided Thy servants and creatures who waxed proud before Thee and hesitated in Thy Cause than which Thou hast revealed no greater cause. And with the other edge Thou hast united, joined, elevated, bound together and reconciled those who have turned unto Thy countenance, believed in Thy most great signs, detached themselves from all that is in earth and heaven out of love for Thy beauty, seeking Thy good-pleasure, turning toward Thy presence and manifesting Thy bounty. Thou hast made them the hands of Thy Cause amongst Thy creatures, and through them Thou hast manifested what Thou hast manifested of the attributes of Thy oneness and the evidences of Thy singleness. Blessed is he who turneth unto them purely for love of Thee and heareth from them Thy verses and Thy clear proofs, the like of which all in the heavens and earth are powerless to produce. Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thyself and by this Wronged One the like of whom the eye of creation hath not seen, that Thou mayest send down from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause to grow in the hearts of them that long for Thee the plants of Thy love and knowledge. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. O my God! I beseech Thee by the mention of Thy Most Great and Most Exalted Name that Thou mayest cause all souls to drink the wine of Thy bounty.

O Lord! Thou art verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. O my God! I beseech Thee, by the remembrance of Thy Most Great and Most Exalted Name, to give all Thy servants to drink of the wine of Thy loving-kindness and bounty, that all may recognize Thee with their own eyes and enter beneath the shade of the Tree of Unity. O Thou in Whose hand is the Kingdom of destiny! It grieveth me that any among Thy creatures should be deprived of the mercy Thou hast ordained for Thy days. By Thy glory! Thy servants have sought to harm and afflict me, yet I desire their nearness unto Thee and their entry into the Most Glorious Paradise. Verily, Thou hast power over all things. Thou knowest what is within my soul, and Thou art in truth the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

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=== START BH00155 ===

This is the Surah of Sorrows which hath been sent down from before the All-Merciful unto him who hath turned towards the sanctuary of the All-Glorious in this time wherein all have scattered from beneath the shadow of God and His mercy and have taken Satan as their helper. In the Name of God, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious.

O Wayfarer of Oneness! Glorify in the sea of grandeur, which hath appeared through My Most Glorious Name, whereon sail the arks of eternity bearing such servants as have detached themselves from the world and soared on the wings of holiness into the atmosphere of this air which hath appeared in this heaven that was raised in this cloud. Thus hath the grace of thy Lord encompassed them that they might give thanks unto God and be numbered among the thankful, as recorded in the Tablets. And thou, say “In the Name of God and by God,” then enter naked into the depths of this ocean whose shores even those nigh unto God have failed to reach, much less to enter therein. Thus doth the Tongue of the Beloved command thee. Act thou accordingly and fear no one; put thy trust in Him. Verily, He will protect thee as He protected thee aforetime, and He, verily, hath power over all things.

By the True One! Today is thy day. Emerge from behind the veils of silence, then speak forth betwixt earth and heaven and give the people glad tidings of this News at which the lands of pride were rent asunder, the heavens of opposition were cleft, the mountains of rancor crumbled, the edifice of hatred was demolished, and the skin of every obdurate polytheist did quiver. Look thou at the polytheists and that which issueth from their mouths. Among them are those who say: “Is God manifest?” and “Hath the Sun risen from the holy horizon?” Say: Yea, by my Lord! It hath risen with a sovereignty that encompasseth the worlds. O thou blind one of the earth! Open thy eyes that thou mayest behold it shining, luminous, and radiant. Verily, it hath ever been manifest at the meridian with the sovereignty of grandeur, power, and majesty. Neither the opposition of any opponent nor the polytheism of any polytheist can veil it. Thus hath the matter been witnessed in truth.

And among them are those who say: “This is he who hath fabricated a lie against God.” Say: Woe unto thee, O polytheist! This is naught but a revelation revealed. God taught him at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and he beheld what he beheld of the signs of his Lord. By God! His feet shall not slip from all that hath been created between earth and heaven. Verily, at times he speaketh with the melody of Ali in the heaven of grandeur, then with the melody of Muhammad in the kingdom of creation, then with the melody of the Spirit in the heaven of eternity, then with the melody of grandeur in this Beauty that hath shone upon all things and from whose revelations hath appeared upon the forms of all created things the sign that there is none other God but Him. And verily, He is the Beloved in the heart of the Desired One, and He is the Worshipped One in all that was and will be. Yet most of the people have veiled themselves from Him after He appeared with all signs, and that which appeared from Him hath ever been witness unto itself.

Would that thou hadst been present before the Throne and heard how the melodies of eternity were revealed from the Temple of Baha! By the True One! Were the ears of all created things to be purified and were they to hear but one note thereof, they would all fall thunderstruck upon the dust before thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. But when they objected unto God, God deprived them of the wonders of His grace, and they were naught before thy Lord but as a handful of clay, cast away. And if thou wouldst ponder on that which issueth from their mouths, by God, thou wouldst hear that which thou didst not hear from the Jews when We sent unto them the Spirit with a manifest Book, nor from the concourse of the Gospel when We caused the sun of eternity to shine upon them from the horizon of Batha[…]

None from the people of the Gospel, when We caused the Sun of Eternity to dawn upon them from the horizon of Batha and sent Him unto them with lights that were witnessed by all worlds; nor from the people of the Furqan, when the heaven of divine knowledge was cleft asunder and God came upon the clouds of His name, the All-Merciful, with the beauty of ’Ali in truth. When We reached this most blessed, most exalted, most holy Name which was wondrously unique, two conditions arose within My soul. I observe that My heart is consumed with the fire of sorrows at what hath befallen the Beauty of the All-Merciful at the hands of the people of the Furqan, as if every limb of Mine were at that moment aflame with a fire which, were its reins to be loosened, would consume all who dwell in the realm of being - and God is witness to this. Likewise do I observe that Mine eyes weep, and then all My members, until drops of tears rain from My very hair, at the afflictions visited upon Him by these wretched ones who slew God and knew Him not, and who, even while priding themselves on one of His names, suspended Him in the air and fired at Him the bullets of hatred. Would that creation had never been brought into being, that invention had never stirred, that no Prophet had been raised up, no Messenger sent forth, no Cause established among the servants, no Name of God manifested between earth and heaven, no scrolls, books, scriptures, tablets or missives revealed, and that the Ancient Beauty had not been afflicted among these wretched ones, nor suffered at the hands of those who openly denied God and committed what none in all the worlds had ever perpetrated. By God the True One, O ’Ali! Wert thou to look within all My limbs and members, My liver, heart and vitals, thou wouldst find the mark of the bullets that struck the Temple of God. Alas, alas! Then did the Abode of Verses cease its revelation, this Ocean its surging, this Tree its fruit-bearing, this Cloud its rain-giving, this Sun its light-shedding, this Heaven its elevation - thus was the matter then decreed. Would that I had perished and My mother had never borne Me, that I had never heard what befell Him at the hands of those who worshipped the Names but slew their Revealer, their Creator, their Establisher and their Sender. Fie upon them and upon their following their own selves and desires! Through them hath appeared that which hath caused the Maids of Heaven to fall prostrate from their chambers, and the Spirit to lay his face in the dust, at what hath befallen the Lord of Lords from these wolves. Then doth everything weep at My weeping for Him, and all things cry out at My crying out at separation from Him. Such grief hath overtaken Me that no melodies of eternity issue from My mouth, nor spiritual breezes from My heart. Were it not for My being preserved, My limbs would be rent asunder and I would cease to exist. Then doth My previous Manifestation in the Most Glorious Horizon weep and address thee: “O ’Ali! By God the True One, wert thou to look at My heart, My liver and My vitals, then My secret and My public self, My outer and My inner being, thou wouldst find the marks of the spears of hatred which struck My other Manifestation in My Most Glorious Name.” Then do I lament, and all in the Supreme Concourse lament with My lamentation for Him; and I cry out, and all who dwell in the pavilions of Names cry out at My cry; and I wail, and all in the cities of eternity wail at My wailing for this Wronged One Who hath fallen amidst the people of the Bayan. By God, they have done unto Him what the people of the Furqan did not do unto Me. Alas, alas, for what hath befallen Him!

All who dwell in the cities of eternity lament because of My lamentation for this Wronged One who hath fallen amidst the people of the Bayan. By God! They have done unto Him what the people of the Furqan did not do. Therefore, alas! Alas! for that which hath befallen Him and touched Him from these souls. Thereupon all existence, both in the realm of earth and heaven, fell prostrate in the dust by reason of what hath befallen this Beauty who was established upon the throne of nearness. Woe unto them and unto what their hands have wrought, morning and evening. Then the Ancient Beauty calleth out: “O Most Exalted Pen! Change this remembrance, through which all created things and whatsoever beareth the name of a thing have been saddened, and proceed to another remembrance. Have mercy upon the denizens of the most exalted Paradise. By God, the Truth! The mighty Throne with all its grandeur and the Seat with all its loftiness are well-nigh rent asunder.” And when We heard the Call, We ceased the mention of sorrows and returned to that which We had been mentioning, that thou mayest be informed thereof. And thou, O ’Ali, grieve not for what We have imparted unto thee concerning the tribulations which befell Our former and latter Manifestations. Gird up thy loins to aid the Cause of God, and arise to serve the Cause with power and compelling steadfastness. Then observe the state of these people and what issueth from their mouths in these days wherein the Sun hath shone forth with all its splendors and every faithful soul who hath drawn nigh hath been illumined thereby. By God! We hear from these people what none hath ever heard, for they seek to prove their cause through the verses We sent down upon Him Whom We sent with the truth and made a mercy unto all in the kingdom. Yet when greater verses than those they had heard are recited unto them, they object and flee, and were they to find in themselves the power, they would surely slay him who reciteth the verses unto them. Thus recognize thou the state of these people, that thou mayest be clear-sighted regarding what they possess.

Say: O people! Verily, He Who hath appeared with the truth - ye have witnessed concerning Him God’s power and dominion, then God’s Manifestation and His grandeur. And besides what ye have witnessed of the wonders of might and power, there hath been sent down from the heaven of His grace the equivalent of what was revealed in the Bayan. Fear God, O people, and be God-fearing in this Cause. Do ye contend with Him through Whom the suns have shone forth, the moons have been illumined, the stars adorned, the rivers have flowed, the seas have surged, the heaven been raised up, the holy earth spread out, and the trees have yielded fruit? Fie upon you and upon him who hath commanded you to deny God and associate partners with the Beauty of Him Who is established upon the throne with a sovereignty that encompasseth all the worlds. By God! O thou who gazest toward God, there hath befallen Me at their hands that which no ear hath heard nor eye hath witnessed. Thereupon the eyes of all created things weep for Me, and all the tribes from the kingdom of names and attributes and the eyes of grandeur behind the veils of might impenetrable lament My suffering. By God the Truth! He who fled from the fox and hid his face behind the wine-jars in fear for himself - when he witnessed that We had raised up the Cause with the sovereignty of might and power, and God’s name had become renowned between East and West, he then regretted his concealment and emerged from behind the veil with great hatred. He consulted with one of My servants about killing Me and desired to shed this blood which, were but a drop of it to fall upon all created things, they would all proclaim “I am God, there is none other God but Him.” Thus did he plot within himself after We had nurtured and taught him morning and night. When the hosts of God’s revelation descended and preserved Me from his evil and his plotting, he then arose with another plot whereby the people of the depths of names, then the Concourse on High were bewildered - and God is witness to what I say. And he attributed to Me matters which, were they to be heard by one possessed of insight, thou wouldst know what hath befallen this Wronged One from those who have arisen against Him with an injustice that was in all the tablets deemed grievous.

O Most Exalted Pen! Remind one whom thou lovest of what was proclaimed by one of Satan’s party in the region of Iraq, saying: “O people of Baha! Why do ye promulgate God’s Cause, your Lord, and summon the people unto God Who created all things by His command, when the ultimate station of the servants is to attain unto the station of the Primal Point, and since he hath descended from his station and been stripped of what was bestowed upon him, how can your teaching and mention benefit the servants?” Thus did his soul entice him, and he uttered that which intensified God’s wrath and displeasure against himself and those who say what he said, rendering themselves deprived of the shores of divine knowledge. Say: Woe unto thee, O thou who associatest partners with God! What thou hast imagined regarding the name of the Primal Point - verily We created it as We created all names that they might indicate their Creator and Maker and remain steadfast in God’s Cause. All names before God are equal - He giveth and taketh away, and shall not be questioned about what He willeth, and He is indeed wise over all things. And whatever excellence ye have recognized in souls abideth in their faith in God, their turning to Him at His manifestation, and their orientation towards the quarter that was beloved in the eternity of eternities. Explain, O thou wretched one, how the Judge became the judged, though none can change besides Him. O thou possessor of a single eye! Reflect within thyself - dost thou observe the faults of others while remaining heedless of what is within thyself? Woe unto thee for what Satan hath taught thee - he who disbelieved in God and whom We made an evident lesson unto all creation. Say: O thou who disbelievest in God! Would that thou hadst seen and known him whom thou hast taken as lord besides God. By the True God! If thou hadst seen and known him, thou wouldst have fled from him a thousand leagues, nay more than that, and God is indeed cognizant of this. Say: O thou donkey! We preserved him, reared him, described him and mentioned him, and thou knowest all this and wast witness thereto. Yet he warred against My Self and denied My verses. Therefore, it behooveth thee to object to him, not to the One Who created both thee and him from a worthless fluid. Ask him by what proof thou didst believe in the Primal Point and the Messengers of God before Him, and by what evidence thou didst disbelieve in Him Who appeared with all the signs, and didst decree His death, and wast strong in opposition. Moreover, O thou who associatest partners with God, it hath ever been Our way to take and give. Hast thou not seen how We removed the mantle of acceptance from the form of the Stone around which We had commanded the servants to circumambulate, and bestowed this grace upon another station, if thou wert but knowing of this? Therefore be fair in thyself, though We know that thou wilt never be fair. With Us is the knowledge of the heavens and earth. We know what thy father taught thee in the nights and days, and what he whispered in thy breast, and breathed into thee of the spirit whereby every human being is transformed and becomes as a donkey. Therefore ask about him whom thou hast taken as lord besides Me. Say: O thou who hast turned away! Be fair within thyself - hast thou heard of any manifestation in creation greater than what hath appeared and now speaketh at the hub of eternity, saying “I am your Lord, the Most High” from this holy and most luminous horizon? And hast thou seen any words greater than what hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of eternity through this Youth Who speaketh in the heaven of decree? Nay, by My Beauty that hath shone upon all worlds!

Have you seen any words greater than those which have been sent down in truth from the Dominion of Eternity through this Youth Who speaks in the heaven of destiny? Nay, by My Beauty which hath shone resplendent upon all worlds! Yet you have followed him who was created by a movement of My Pen and who pronounced judgment against My Self, after We had protected him through months and years. O thou who art seeing yet blind, such that thou seest thyself but failest to behold thy Lord, by Whose command were created the names and their kingdom, then the attributes and their dominion, then all created things! Dost thou see in a mirror that hath turned away from the sun any light or radiance or trace upon its surface? Nay, by the All-Merciful, if thou wert possessed of true vision! Likewise, observe the mirrors of names: when they enter beneath the shadow of their Lord and accept the effulgences wherewith the Sun of Eternity doth shine forth, they are illumined by its lights and radiance. Without this, they are debarred and remain deprived of the effulgences that shine forth in truth.

Hast thou not seen in the previous Manifestation how the divines who had lived long in this world and had ascended the heights of knowledge and had worshipped God through nights and days were pronounced polytheists and unbelievers, and the garment of faith was stripped from their temples, while those who swept houses and whom none knew - God clothed them in the garment of divine authority and prophethood? Thus observe thy Lord’s power and be not an oppressive wretch. Is it fitting for those on earth to object to God, saying: “How can we attain an exalted station when these who lived long in God’s religion, worshipped Him, prostrated themselves before Him, submitted to His Cause, and were the learned of the earth, have returned to the fire?” Say: O polytheist! Thou sayest what the polytheists said before in the time of every Manifestation, unaware of what thou utterest. Soon shall the angels of punishment smite upon thy mouth, by the decree of One mighty and powerful.

Know thou that at the time of Manifestation, all names are on one plane. Whoso ascendeth unto God, all Our beautiful names apply to him, but whoso standeth still on the path shall never be mentioned before God. Thus have We sent down the command in all the Tablets, wert thou to be informed thereof. Verily, were We to take a handful of clay and breathe into it the spirit of life and make it the manifestation of all names and attributes, We are able to do so, and this is not difficult for God. It remaineth in this station so long as it abideth in the shadow of its Lord, but when it departeth therefrom, all that was given it is stripped away and it returneth to dust with great remorse.

Say: O thou donkey! Thou hast not understood the root of the matter, and when something beyond thy comprehension cometh to thee, ask him from whose pen flow the seas of knowledge and inner meanings, that he may explain to thee what thou hast neglected and teach thee from the wonders of knowledge, that thou mayest be steadfast in thy Lord’s religion. Nay, by My life, O Ali, they desired not to know what was concealed from them. Thou seest them as sheep that go astray, knowing not their shepherd. Rather, if thou lookest upon them with the eye of insight, thou wilt find them as wolves seeking to scatter God’s sheep and suck their blood. Thus have We reckoned their affair in this Tablet which hath been sent down from the dominion of sublime glory. Guard thyself from these people, then speak with the accent of eternity among the earth […]

Guard thyself against these people, then speak with the melody of eternity between earth and heaven. Then make mention of this Most Great Name, through which the heaven of names was cleft asunder. Fear thou no one, but put thy trust in God. Verily, He will protect thee from every rejected polytheist, will aid thee in His Cause, will cause the Spirit to speak within thy breast, and will stir thee with the breezes of paradise from the direction of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. He is, verily, thy Reckoner. Beware that thou grieve not over anything, for We have not forgotten thee and We wish to behold thee, and We beseech God to bring us together in truth. Verily, He is the Answerer of those who call upon Him. Would that thou wert with Us in the prison and couldst witness what hath befallen My wronged Beauty at the hands of those who dare not speak in My presence, whose realities were created by the will of My Pen, and thou wouldst behold what was hidden from thee. Hearken unto what the Most Exalted Pen commandeth thee. Neither rest in thy home nor find repose within thyself. Enter the abode of the polytheists from among the concourse of the Bayan with God’s tidings and His Cause, and say: “O people! I have come to you with a proof that is supremely great in truth. If ye possess what is greater than what We have, bring it forth. And if ye have witnessed with your own eyes what is greater than what We have witnessed of God’s power and sovereignty, show it and tarry not a moment. And if ye find yourselves powerless to do this, then fear God and contend not with Him through Whom God’s Cause hath been raised, your names exalted, and the proof whereby ye seek to establish your cause among others hath appeared. Fear ye God and be not among the sinfully faithless in the land.”

O Thou who swimmest in the ocean of inner meanings! At this moment hath the ocean of grandeur been set in motion through My Most Great Name, casting upon all created things the pearls of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High. By God! The eye of creation hath never beheld its like, nor hath the vision of invention ever witnessed its parallel. Would that We could find one trustworthy to whom We might entrust it, or one discerning who might witness it, or one aware to whom We might describe its qualities, its manifestations, or its effulgences. When We ascended unto the heaven of divine decree, We found no one and remained within Our own Self, bewildered and saddened. Therefore, treasure within thyself that which hath trickled upon thee from the spray of this Ocean, and purify thyself from the odors of those upon whose faces thou seest naught but the dust of fire, who have disbelieved in God throughout every age and dispensation, and who have been deprived of the fragrances of the All-Merciful. Say: These are the streams that flow into the Ancient Ocean, even as they have branched forth from it. Blessed is he who drinketh therefrom and through it becometh independent of all else on earth. Say: Verily, the Ancient Ocean and whatsoever issueth from it and returneth unto it are but a wave among the waves of the Ocean of Grandeur, which was created through My Most Great Name. Thus have We unveiled for thee a mystery from among the mysteries that were hidden from the eyes of the worlds. Upon the shore of this Ocean hath been created a wilderness whose beginning and end none hath encompassed, wherein the call of God hath been raised from every direction. No Prophet or Messenger hath passed by it except that the divine fragrances seized him in this Valley. And when they reached the Most Glorious Dome, which was created from the Light of the Divine Essence in the midst of this Valley, they fell prostrate upon their faces in the dust in humility before this Beauty Who hath appeared in truth in this Garment, from which the sincere ones inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful. Thus was the matter irrevocably decreed. O Ali! By God, the Truth! Never hath ceased, nor shall ever cease from this wilderness the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High. At all times there can be heard from its pebbles and its sand dunes that there is no God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared through My Most Great Name is the Beloved of creation and the Desire of the Concourse of eternity. He hath ever been and ever shall be, and God is indeed aware of this. Blessed is the man who walketh therein, and the ear that heareth the melodies that emerge from its regions, and who becometh aware of what hath been concealed therein of mysteries that have ever been hidden behind pavilions of glory. Would that some loving soul might turn towards it, some steadfast one might stand firm therein, some heart might hasten unto it and become detached from all the worlds. O Ali! By God, the Truth! The Cause is greater than can be mentioned, more manifest than can be veiled, and more exalted than can be reached by the opposition of any opposer or the scheming of any stubborn plotter.

Say: O people! Debase not your own selves. Be ye ashamed before God Who desireth naught for you save His grace, and Who sendeth down unto you in every moment, from the Divine Lote-Tree, fresh fruits of glory. Partake ye of God’s bounty wherever ye will. Fear ye God and be not of them that spread corruption in the land, nor distance yourselves from the seats of nearness. By God, the True One! The Dove shall not cease its melodies though all the dogs of the earth should bark or all the wolves should howl. Thus have We sent down the verses in truth - a revelation from One mighty and wise. Whoso denieth this Cause this day shall be cursed by every atom, by his own self and essence, his hand and his tongue. He is deaf within himself and heareth not, for his ears are veiled by the coverings of heedlessness. Thus is the matter witnessed from the horizon of wisdom.

Blessed are ye, for ye shall find no partner unto yourselves in these fruits which have ripened upon the Tree of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. God hath made them specially for you and for those who turn unto it with pure and sound hearts. Taste thou of those fruits and be grateful for what thou hast been given of the wondrous grace of thy Lord, and be thou manifestly joyous. Verily God hath made these specially for those of His servants who are nigh unto Him, and hath deprived the idolaters of this bounty.

Thus have We bestowed upon thy heart, thy spirit, and thy mind the fragrance of the All-Merciful from the right hand of Glory, that He might make thee alive through His life, enduring through His endurance, speaking in His praise, mindful in His remembrance, turning unto His face, and gazing upon His beauty. Verily His favor hath ever been great unto thee, then wondrous, then mighty, then glorious. And upon thee be grandeur, then majesty, then the splendor from the Countenance of Eternity, Who hath appeared with His Most Glorious Name, whereby every low thing was exalted and every high thing was brought low, every existence was annihilated and every lost thing was brought to life, every sun was darkened and every moon was eclipsed, every star fell and every steadfast one was shaken, every lofty one was brought low and every fixed thing trembled, every still thing moved, every fire was extinguished and every extinguished thing was ignited, every praised thing became unseemly and every unseemly thing was praised, every hidden thing appeared and every concealed thing emerged, every veil was rent, every ash was resurrected, every door was knocked, every tongue spoke, every abased one was honored, every sick one was healed, every impure one was purified, every ailing one was cured, every blind one saw, every treasure appeared, every earth quaked, every heaven was cleft, every earth split, every just one transgressed and every transgressor became just, every learned one became ignorant and every ignorant one became learned, every brave one fled and every fearful one became brave, every thirsty one was given drink, every trumpet was blown, every Hour appeared, every bugle was sounded, every light was darkened and every darkness was illumined, every fruit fell, every green thing dried up and every dried thing became green, and the breath of God blew whereby the contingent beings were given life before and the existent things shall be given life hereafter. Thus was thy Lord’s favor encompassing unto thy self, thy spirit, thy heart, thy body, and thy form.

=== END BH00155 ===

=== START BH00156 ===

The Beloved of the Heart, His Honor Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, and His supreme favors, may observe:

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Praise be to the Goal of all contingent beings, Who in the midst of sorrows raised high the banner of utterance. The pack of wolves could not prevent His loved ones from drawing nigh, nor hold them back from remembrance and praise. The denial of the people of tyranny and rebellion did not deter Him from manifesting what is right, and the calumnies of the falsifiers and the treachery of the treacherous did not become a barrier between truth. Exalted be the majesty of our Lord, and magnificent the sovereignty of our Master and our Goal! Glory and radiance be upon the Hands of His Cause and the emblems of His guidance, and upon those who aid Him through wisdom and utterance and through that which He hath sent down in the Scriptures and Tablets.

O beloved of my heart and he who is remembered in my soul! At this moment, in response to your letter which was sent to His Honor the Name of Bounty, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, these manifest verses have been revealed from the King of the Kingdom of names and attributes. His blessed and exalted Word:

He is the One Who speaks in the midst of tribulations[…]

O Haydar-’Ali! Upon thee be My Glory and My Loving-kindness. Justice and truthfulness have become so absent and concealed that no trace thereof can be found amongst the people. The horizons of the heaven of truth have been darkened by the gloom of the people of hypocrisy. Most of the decrees of the administrative circles of Iran have been and continue to be contrary to that which justice and fairness command. They have no purpose save vain ornaments. Day and night they are occupied with plunder and pillage. The affairs of the Threshold are entirely conducted through consultation with the pretenders. What they have taken, they have not returned to its owner. Outwardly they appeared in agreement, but inwardly they were discovered to be hypocrites. They had and have no desire save the seizing of wealth. Glory be to God! How can they be content that in what they claim to be a court of justice, not a word of truth and justice is heard? In any case, they have made the Isfahani a pretext and are busy plundering the Shirazi. In one’s presence they show the utmost respect, but in one’s absence they engage in schemes and accusations. Yet the Wronged One was standing, speaking, and hearing. He heareth and knoweth and is patient until God shall come with His firm and mighty command.

These mentioned matters have had and have no significance. However, news of the ascension of some of the loved ones has outwardly become a cause of grief. One day, news of the ascension of the Essence of Being was mentioned in the Holy Presence, and the next day came news of the ascension of the Bird of Divine Knowledge to the heaven of his Lord’s loving-kindness. As for the first, he is Nabil, son of Nabil - upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. And the second is Ahad - upon him be the Glory of God, the Single, the Self-Subsisting. At this moment, especially for the second one, that which illumined the world of inner meanings and adorned the Kingdom of utterance with a new ornament was revealed, as a grace from God, the Lord of all worlds, and as a loving-kindness from God, the Master of the Day of Judgment, and as a mercy from the All-Bountiful in this radiant moment.

O Haydar-’Ali! Upon thee be My everlasting Glory. Glorify on My behalf him who soared in the atmosphere of My love and drank the choice wine of mystical knowledge from the cup of My bounty and arose with supreme steadfastness to serve Me. Then recite unto him what hath been sent down from the heaven of My Will concerning his brother who was named Ahad in the Book of Names and ’Abdu’l-Baha in the Crimson Scroll.

From the Most Exalted Pen: Divine loving-kindness and heavenly grace concerning ’Ali-Haydar shine forth and are evident like the sun. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. He must give thanks to God for this manifest grace. He arose to serve, and his service was adorned with the ornament of divine good-pleasure and the glory of acceptance. This word is the King of words and the Sovereign of utterance that was mentioned: Give him glad tidings of what hath been revealed for him from the Wronged One, through Whom all things have spoken: “The Possessor of sovereignty, dominion, might, and power hath come, and His is the Kingdom and His is the Glory, and happy is he who hath held fast to His strong cord and clung to His luminous hem.”

Praise and thanksgiving be unto God, and unto Him be bounty and bestowal, and unto Him be grace and glory. He is the Most Generous One Who hath transformed the realms of sorrow into joy through the light of utterance, and hath bestowed assurance upon hearts and tranquility upon souls. May the spirit of the world be a sacrifice unto His utterance and unto His grace. In no state or condition hath He ever deprived His loved ones. His favors have exceeded cup and chalice, being revealed and manifest as ocean upon ocean. We beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to grant the people of the earth a sincere seeking, that all may not be deprived nor forbidden from the gifts of the Lord of Bounty. Forever have the glances of His grace been directed toward His loved ones, His mercy hath preceded all, and His bounties have encompassed all. Glorified be His grace and mighty be His outpouring, and there is no God but Him.

Yesterday the Lord of humanity proceeded from Akka to Haifa, arriving at night, and on the morning of that day summoned this servant and revealed a most mighty, most holy, most exalted Tablet concerning the ascension of the most honored and glorified, the late and elevated Aqa Asad, upon him be the glory of God and His mercy. How excellent were its fragrances and its perfumes, and that which was manifest in its outward form and treasured in its inner meaning. The Blessed Tablet was revealed in such wise as to attract those present, nay rather the hearts of those absent. Blessed is he in whose name was revealed that which was revealed, and happy is he. In truth this is the day of bounty, for divine mercy hath encompassed from every direction, and the assured and sincere ones have attained and continue to attain that which hath no likeness or equal. Every letter of the revealed letters is the cause of eternal life and everlasting existence. His Holiness himself knoweth this station and is cognizant thereof.

With infinite longing and boundless regret, this servant conveyeth mention, praise, glorification and glory unto the spiritual friend, Aqa ’Ali-Haydar, upon him be the glory of God and His favors. His Holiness must, on behalf of this servant, make mention of whatsoever is befitting. Indeed, in this station one cannot make mention of condolence, for that which hath been revealed from the Pen of God concerning the elevated one, upon him be God’s mercy and forgiveness, is bounty above bounty, mercy above mercy, and favor above favor. Would that I had been with him and had attained unto that which he hath attained from God, our Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne and the exalted seat.

From among the letters that were sent from His Holiness was a missive in the hand of the son of His Holiness the Martyr, upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. After it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, these words were revealed from the horizon of the Divine Will - exalted be His utterance and glorious His proof:

O Haydar-’Ali! The mention of the Wronged One has been raised - he who was named Ashraf. From the beginning, such bounties were revealed and made manifest from the heaven of the Lord of all beings that every person of insight desired martyrdom, and every hearing ear exclaimed “Would that I were with him!” Regarding his son, a missive was revealed and sent. We beseech God to strengthen him, protect him, and draw him near unto Him in all conditions. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Blessed are they who mentioned him, extended the hand of generosity toward him, and to the extent of their ability showed him consideration. The mention of each one has flowed from the tongue of the Lord of Eternity, and an unending reward has been ordained for each. Blessed are they! On behalf of the Wronged One, you must mention him and those related to ’Ali-Haydar - upon him be My Glory and My favor - and give them to drink of the choice wine of the intended Lord’s bounty. All are mentioned before the Divine Presence and have attained His special favors. We beseech God to send down for them at all times that which befits the heaven of His grace and generosity. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

You mentioned the Book of Certitude. Some from various regions, including the spiritual friend His Honor Anis - upon him be the Glory and Favor of God - wrote from the lands that the Isma’ili scholars have stated that some of the revealed verses do not conform to the rules of that people. After this matter was presented in the Most Holy Presence, some books were again presented before Him and were adorned according to what God willed. However, repeatedly this supreme word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of all beings: whatsoever has been revealed and made manifest from the heaven of Divine Will, both before and after, all is correct and has attained the ornament of acceptance. Blessed are they who read! Glory be to God! The various sects each try to prove their truth through a book or treatise or page, while in this Most Great Manifestation that has been revealed which the possessors of perfect understanding are unable to gather and enumerate. Multiple books have been revealed concerning every aspect, yet all remain deprived save whom God wills. Soon shall they lament over what they wrought in their vain lives.

At this hour, which is three and a half hours into Tuesday, the eleventh of the revered month of Sha’ban, in the presence of the Countenance, mention was made of the departed parents of the spiritual beloved, His Honor Aqa ’Ali-Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God. These are His blessed and exalted words:

“Verily We have desired at this hour to make mention of a father who arose to serve My Cause, and his mother. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to cause them to enter, at this very moment, into a station wherein naught is beheld save the effulgences of the Luminary of the Manifestation of His Most Bountiful Name, and to send down upon them, at eventide and at dawn, His enduring grace and His everlasting sustenance, and that which will gladden their hearts. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. The breezes of God’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Bounteous, have wafted over them from all directions. The light shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My Pen and the fragrance emanating from the breezes of My utterance be upon them, upon their beginning and their end, their outward and their inward aspects. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.”

Thus ended the bounty of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earths. The favor belongs to God, our Object and your Object and the Object of all created things. The verses themselves bear witness to His bestowals, and the essence of utterance testifies to that which hath appeared from His presence, and ever shall. Praise be to God! The departed ones have attained unto that whose fragrance endureth forever. We beseech God to send down upon them at all times that which befitteth His name, the Most Merciful. He, verily, hath power over all things.

As to what you wrote regarding the beloved of hearts, His Honor Nabil-i-Akbar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God: after it was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, He stated that his letter would have absolutely no effect upon Hadi, for the Word of God had no effect on him, and it is not permissible to give him the Book, for according to reports, whatever falls into his hands he attributes to others. He hath manifested such falsehood as hath never been heard before. We revealed a prayer and commanded him to recite it, but he was not successful. That suffices. An articulate teacher must say to him: O heedless one! Thou hast mentioned to the friends that thou hast fifty volumes from such and such a person. Well hast thou laid the snares of falsehood for the servants. Say: The Author of the Bayan declareth that the entire Bayan is but a leaf from among the leaves of His Paradise of Utterance and a ring upon His finger. O Haydar-i-Qabli-’Ali! Repeatedly did We summon him that he might be present, perchance he would become aware at the time of the revelation of verses and witness twice that which was manifested by the Point. No trace appeared from that hard rock. Say: O heedless one! Read what thou hast in thy possession, and one Tablet will be read against it, and We shall leave its judgment to the fair-minded and the discerning. His rejection and hypocrisy have deprived him and continue to deprive him, except he repent and return unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Thou didst mention the Land of ?ad. Should your honour enter that land for a few days with utmost wisdom and without the knowledge of the people, this would be most praiseworthy. However, no writings should be carried, and likewise wherever thou dost reside, acknowledgment before strangers is not permitted. For some time this decree hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, for many have attained martyrdom, all sacrificing life and property before the faces of men, yet none have become aware. Their desires move them, while they perceive not. Well-spoken indeed was the Nightingale - upon Him be the glory of God, the Lord of all beings, His supreme benevolence, and His mercy which hath preceded earth and heaven.

Regarding the mention of Ibn-i-Dakhil, upon him be the glory of God, for each region a teacher must be appointed who shall turn thither. And since Ibn-i-Dakhil is well-versed in language, his turning to the regions of Qaf and Fa and their like is permissible and acceptable, yet he must with complete determination hold fast to wisdom, for if clamour be raised, great harm shall result.

O Haydar-i-’Ali, upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! Thou didst mention the steadfastness, orientation, and services of ’Ali-i-Haydar, upon him be God’s loving-kindness and mercy. All is true. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to his service, orientation, generosity, acceptance, and uprising. Verily God is with him, hearing and seeing, and He is the Mighty, the All-Seeing.

And specifically for the friends in the Land of Shin is sent that which is the cause of life’s preservation. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. In these days their mention was made in the Most Holy Court, and the letter of Ghulam-i-?a, upon him be My glory, reached the servant. We beseech God to preserve them, draw them nigh, and ordain for them the reward of attaining His presence, standing before His throne, and arising to serve His mighty and exalted Cause.

Thou didst mention the sum that should reach Aqa Siyyid M., upon him be the glory of God. According to the command, that sum should reach the Siyyid in full. This evanescent servant beseecheth the eternal Truth to confirm all the friends in service to the Cause. Once these exalted words were heard from the Lord of all beings, Who said that Siyyid Mu??afa, upon him be My glory, hath served according to his capacity. We beseech God to open before his face the gates of His grace and bounty. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

And the son of the martyred one, Ashraf, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, should engage in that which befitteth him, and each month two tumans from the Right of God, exalted be His glory, should [be given] to him. Blessed are they who have arisen to perform good deeds. Verily He openeth before the faces of His loved ones the gates of His riches. He is the Mighty, the Generous.

Three Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets were sent specifically for three friends, upon them be the glory of God. Let them be delivered that their eyes may be solaced by the signs of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Likewise, a Most Exalted, Most Wondrous Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for Ghulam-’Ali-i-Kh, upon him be the glory of God, and those with him. Blessed are they, for they have attained that which none among the servants have attained, save whom God willeth, our Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

The mention hath been made of his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, from the Land of ?ad. Praise be to God, he hath attained unto the grace and favors of God, exalted be His glory. A blessed epistle hath been sent down from the heaven of bounty in answer to him. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to grant him the meeting with His traces and that which was revealed in His perspicuous Tablet.

In truth, steadfastness must be sought for the friends. This imperative divine Cause is, from one perspective, seen to be most easy, inasmuch as from the beginning that hath no beginning unto the end that hath no end, there hath not appeared, nor will there appear, treasures of utterance and knowledge like unto those that have been manifested in this Most Great Revelation. Should a person possess but an atom of insight or a grain of fairness, he would take hold of the Book of God with the utmost submission, contentment, harmony and yearning, and would continually utter “Thine is the praise, O Bestower of the Book!” Yet until now the opposing souls have not comprehended the Purpose, for were they to recognize and become aware of that which hath been revealed in the Scriptures and Tablets from the Supreme Pen, all would cleave unto the path of God and would cling unto the momentous News.

From another perspective, this Cause is most mighty, for that which hath been revealed is such as the ears of the world have never heard the like thereof, and that which hath appeared is such as the eyes of the nations have never witnessed anything similar thereunto. Thus in describing the loftiness of station, the exaltation of rank, mention of Divinity and Lordship, hidden mysteries and treasured verses, there hath appeared that which transcendeth the comprehension of the servants, such that from all directions the cry of “we knew not” hath been raised. Indeed, were justice to prevail, all would instantly attain unto acceptance and certitude. However, so long as the throne of justice remaineth concealed and the seat of tyranny strong and manifest, the station of this Most Great Revelation shall remain hidden from all. The servant beseecheth his Lord to deliver the luminary of justice from the clouds of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and to illumine His servants with the lights of fairness. Verily, He is the One Who is manifest with gifts and favors.

Mention hath been made of the Leaf Susan, upon her be the Glory of God, and likewise of her intention to turn towards the Most Holy Court. Blessed is she and delightful is her state, for her mention hath repeatedly been made in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. However, her journey, in view of the events in the Threshold, would be unwise. O beloved of my heart! After the rightness of their honors was manifest and proven in the assembly, and the treacherous treasury was seized, and by their own admission justice was served, after seizing the properties they placed them in the consulate and did not return them to their owner. Then they incited the Isfahani to make another claim. Glory be to God! Although the rightness of the Afnan in that land was manifest and evident as the sun, they concealed it and intended to take possession of all the property. A door of oppression hath been opened for the helpless people, that is, the people of Iran in that land, the like of which hath never been seen. Some of the unjust ones of the world say the Isfahani is a new Muslim and must be helped. From the investigations of that unjust one devoid of fairness, namely Akhtar, it becometh clear to that honor what stage the matter hath reached and what rank the judgment holdeth. It is clear to all who is the treacherous one and who is trustworthy. We beseech God to assist all to trustworthiness, religiosity, truthfulness and faithfulness. Verily, He is the Possessor of all names and the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but He, the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The beloved letter of His Holiness Ibn-i-Ism’ullah’ul-Asdaq the Most Holy, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, which he had written to this servant arrived, and a brief tablet adorned with the firm divine command was sent some time ago. God willing, they will attain unto it, and this servant too, if God so wills, will send a reply to their letter. You had also mentioned the blessed supreme word which had flowed from the Supreme Pen, blessed and exalted be His utterance: “Strange and wondrous means exist in the earth.” After this matter was submitted in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, He said: “O thou who art mentioned in My presence and who soarest in the atmosphere of My love! That which hath been revealed is being fulfilled letter by letter. We beseech God to make it a mercy unto His loved ones and a retribution unto His enemies. And in another instance We beseech Him to make tribulations the cause of the awakening of His creation and the means of the attraction of His servants. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

Another glad tiding is that two Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were revealed and sent specifically for the beloved ones Jinab-i-Mashhadi ’Abdullah and Aqa Zaynu’l-’Abidin, upon them be the Glory of God. God willing, they will drink from the cup of divine utterance that which is the cause of eternal life. Verily He is the Guardian of those who are assured and the Lord of the sincere ones. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise.

O beloved of my heart! Most of the names mentioned in your letters were submitted one after another, and for each was revealed that which diffuseth the fragrance of the bounty of God, exalted be His glory. And for some others, as time was scarce, after submission in the Most Holy Presence, there was revealed for all that which in truth in the first instance diffuseth the fragrance of distinction. Exalted be His utterance and mighty His exposition: “O Haydar-’Ali! The gaze of favor is directed towards thee. Convey to all the loved ones of that land the greetings from the Wronged One - greetings that attract hearts and solace the eyes of the people of understanding. We beseech God to assist all to achieve that which they have intended in His path and for the exaltation of His Word. The means of the world have been held back due to lack of worthiness. For years Jinab-i-Varqa, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God and His supreme favors, was occupied in that land with the reformation of the world and the refinement of the souls of nations. In truth he was a sign among the divine signs and a standard among the standards raised between the peoples. In the nights and days, mention of the Goal of the worlds flowed from his pen and tongue. However, due to the occurrence of certain unseemly matters that arose from spite, the people of that land were deprived. We beseech God that through it He may guide His servants to His straight path. No news hath been mentioned of Jinab-i-’Abdullah, upon him be My light and My glory. Say: Be not grieved by the events of the world. Be enkindled with the fire of His love and illumined with the light of His knowledge and detached from all else and hold fast unto the service of His Cause and the exaltation of His blessed Word which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance with clear proof and evidence. We beseech God to ignite him with the fire kindled in His blessed, lofty and towering Tree, that the servants may be enkindled thereby. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing. Verily, in the midst of tribulations We remember Our loved ones, despite every proud and tyrannical one who hath been prevented by pride from the One Who conversed on Sinai and from hearkening to that which hath been raised from God, the Lord of Lords. Glory be upon My loved ones, and light be upon them, and the spirit be upon them. We beseech God to assist them to that which beseemeth these days.”

This servant offers greetings and praise to all the loved ones, and beseeches the True One, exalted be His glory, to aid all in that which will cause the exaltation of His Word, the elevation of the station of His loved ones, and the raising of the rank of His chosen ones. This evanescent servant addresses the loved ones of God - those souls who have attained to the blessed word of distinction and are numbered among the Hands of the Cause mentioned in the Book - and entreats them to seize these days, for no century has had the light of this century, and no age the light of this age. Today that which was hidden from time immemorial has been made manifest. O distinguished ones! The Desired One is established upon the throne of manifestation. This is the day of lovers and the time for the kindling of the fire of unity and concord. From the unity of hearts a subtle fire is ignited. By the life of my Desire and your Desire, that fire pervades and penetrates all things. Soon shall be revealed that which was treasured therein. This is what our Lord has promised us; verily He does not fail in His promise, and He is the True One, the Mighty, the Bestower.

The signs of victory are apparent from all directions. Now must the chosen ones arise and, with wisdom and utterance, rend asunder the veils of the people, that all may witness, without concealment or hindrance, the signs of power, might and utterance from the Hands of the Cause, and may speak in gatherings as befits them, becoming the cause of sanctification, detachment and the manifestation of the fear of God. The beloved of hearts, his honor Nabil-i-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, has for some time journeyed from the land of Qaf to the land of Ta. Today they must arise to serve and, in the name of the True One, emerge from the garment of silence and muteness, and occupy themselves with wisdom and utterance in that which will cause the spread of the Cause and the exaltation of the Word. I send special greetings to him and seek that which befits the days of the True One, exalted be His glory.

Some time ago, the beloved of hearts, his honor the Trustee (Amin), upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, forwarded to the Most Holy Court their letter which had been written to him, wherein mention was made of grief. It is hoped that in these days an answer will be sent to them. However, now they must appear with supreme joy and greatest gladness and arise to serve. Whatever this evanescent servant presents, his purpose has been to serve the chosen ones, and God suffices as witness. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon you and upon the Hands of His Cause, the firm, the impregnable, the mighty. And praise be to God, the Desire of the worlds.

The Servant

11th of the month of Sha’ban the Great, 1307

According to the command, if that beloved of hearts proceeds to the land of Sad, they must, after some days, return again to the land of Ta. In these days the presence of some in the land of Ta is necessary. This is what the Commander, the Ruler, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, has decreed.

=== END BH00156 ===

=== START BH00157 ===

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

Praise, remembrance, thanks and glory befit the loved ones of the one true Goal, who have held fast to the cord of faithfulness and clung to the hem of steadfastness. Now hath appeared that which was sent down aforetime from the heaven of God’s Will: “Be ye thankful unto Me and I will be thankful unto you.” The gratitude of the loved ones is their faithfulness, sincerity, assurance and steadfastness. Since they have manifested that which was incumbent upon them, therefore hath the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His glory, revealed in the Psalms and Tablets, specifically for them, that which transcendeth understanding and reason. Well is it with them and wholesome is it for them.

O beloved of my heart! Today this evanescent servant completed replying to that beloved one’s letters. In the afternoon of this day, the 14th of the revered month of Sha’ban, another letter numbered 3, dated the 11th of Rajab, arrived. Praise be to God, the glad tidings of health and well-being continue uninterrupted. This blessing is specifically for hearing and sight, which is greater than the outward blessings that are a mighty cause for the outward life of humanity. Praise be to God in all conditions. After the arrival of the letter, the Goal of the world proceeded to another place, that is, from Bahji to the garden, this servant and a group accompanying Him. After arrival and partaking of a cup of tea, this evanescent one, as bidden, began to reply to that honored one’s letter. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for assistance that no negligence occur in replying. After reading and becoming informed, He proceeded to the Most Exalted Summit and it was presented before His presence, and these decisive verses were revealed from the heaven of grace. The Lord, blessed and exalted be He, speaks: “O Amin! We have seen thy letter and heard thy call. We have answered thee through Our grace, and verily I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and aideth him who turneth unto Him and ariseth to serve the Cause with humility and penitence. Say: O people of Baha! By God, through detachment is God’s Cause exalted among His servants. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with this luminous robe, through a command from God, the Cleaver of the dawn.”

Hear in the Persian tongue! Give glad-tidings to the people of Baha. We counsel all to remember the Wronged One and to that which causes the exaltation and elevation of His Cause. Blessed is the one who makes mention and the teacher who is adorned with the ornament of detachment. O Amin, praise be to God that thou hast not fixed thy gaze upon outward means, neither in the past nor now. This is a great bounty - know thou its station. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. All are mentioned.

That which thou didst write concerning ’Ali Haydar, upon him be My glory, blessed is he. They are engaged in service, their gaze fixed upon the horizon, steadfast in the Cause. They have ever been and continue to be blessed with the verses of the Most Exalted Pen. Some time ago, a Tablet was revealed and sent down from the horizon of the heaven of will specifically for ’Ayn and Ba, upon them be My glory, which that honored one was to deliver. Likewise, a Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for Nayib, upon him be My glory. God willing, they shall attain unto it. Verily, he hath been faithful to God’s Covenant, the Lord of the worlds. The Glory from the All-Glorious be upon thee and upon My friends there and upon all who are steadfast and firm.

That beloved one hath ever been and continues to be the recipient of special favors. Praise be to God that thou hast inhaled the fragrances of these days and hast risen to serve. Wealth, ornaments, livelihood and material means did not prevent that one from steadfastness, service and the fear of God. Our Lord, your Lord, our Purpose and your Purpose, and the Purpose of all who are in the heavens and earth beareth witness to what the servant hath submitted. That which was written concerning the glory of the Cause and its independence is correct. All things testify to this matter.

And concerning the mention of the honored brother, Aqa ’Ali Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise their steadfastness in the Cause, their being set ablaze with the fire of love, their turning to the lights of His countenance, and their rising to serve the Cause - all these have been mentioned in the Most Holy Court and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen. Well is it with him! This evanescent servant beseecheth God on their behalf for that which beseemeth His generosity and bounty. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Muhammad Javad (from the people of Nun and Ra), upon him be the Glory of God, and his faithfulness to the Covenant, and likewise the mention of Aqa Muhammad Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God, and the mention of his love and service - after these were submitted in the Most Holy Court, these brilliant and manifest verses were revealed. Thus saith the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He: “O Muhammad Baqir! Thou hast been blessed with the bounty of the utterance of the All-Merciful and the heavenly table sent down from the heaven of knowledge. In these days, Amin, upon him be My glory, hath mentioned your acceptance, love and steadfastness. Blessed are ye both. We beseech God to assist you in all conditions and to ordain for you that whose fragrance shall never cease to perfume the kingdom of earth and heaven. O Javad! Amin, upon him be My glory, hath presented your covenant and faithfulness to it. The True One, exalted be His glory, gazeth upon the horizon of steadfastness and love. Other matters, if undertaken with joy and fragrance, shall be accepted in view of the manifestation of means. Praise be to God, ye have ever been speaking in remembrance and praise and have stood firm in service. Well is it with you both.”

Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Fadlu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise mention was made of his steadfastness and love. After being submitted to the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, this Supreme Word shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Will of the Lord of Names. He, exalted and sanctified be He, saith: “O Fadlu’llah! We have indeed been with thee, We have heard and seen. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have witnessed what hath befallen thee. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He is the All-Seeing, the All-Bountiful, the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having caused the ocean of His bounty to surge and for having sent down unto thee that which remindeth thee of what was revealed in His Perspicuous Book.” We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God, son of the deceased, blessed and sanctified H and S who soared to the Most Exalted Horizon. He and his brothers and sisters are all remembered in the Most Holy Presence. Repeatedly were they mentioned after the ascension of the aforementioned one, and all were blessed with the traces of the Supreme Pen. Some time ago the glances of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory, were directed towards them, and a Most Holy and Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to each one, but thus far no news of their receipt has arrived. Whoso is for God, God is for him. At their passing and that of the honored leaf, upon them both be the Glory of God, there was revealed that which is the Euphrates of mercy and the Kawthar of bounty for them. This servant at this time also conveyeth greetings and salutations to them and seeketh that for which there is no equal. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And mention was made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy, son-in-law of His Eminence the aforementioned one, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. The degrees of his attraction and enkindlement and steadfastness and love for that Beloved One, and likewise that Beloved One’s love towards him, were recorded. After being submitted to the Presence, these firm verses were revealed from the heaven of wisdom and utterance. His utterance, exalted be His mention and glorified be His remembrance, is this:

In My Name, the Hearer, the Answerer

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! There hath come before Us a letter from one who hath loved Me and loved My friends, and therein was thy mention. We make mention of thee in this Clear Tablet. Thou hast previously attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen, and this is yet another time, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Blessed is he who hath attained unto acceptance when most of the servants have turned away from God, the Lord of the worlds. We have adorned the heaven of knowledge with the stars of proof and have sent down from the Kingdom of utterance that which every learned one and every discerning mystic is powerless to reckon. When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of revelation from My Most Exalted Pen, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having aided me and taught me and made known unto me that which most of Thy creation have been prevented from. I beseech Thee by the rain-showers of the clouds of Thy bounty and the lights of the Sun of Thy Revelation to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and gazing toward Thy horizon. Then I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, to ordain for me from the wonders of Thy bounty that which Thou hast destined for Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”

This servant also conveys greetings and praise to them. Indeed, that beloved one has written such mention of those souls that it caused a renewed stirring in the heart and brought forth a wondrous illumination. Although they have always been remembered, this time something different has appeared and another light of love is radiating. We beseech the True One to assist them and bestow upon them that which befits His grace. O beloved of my heart! Today God’s gaze is fixed upon worthy deeds. One word uttered with sincerity is recorded as a book in God’s presence, and one drop of deeds is accounted as an ocean. This is special to this Most Great Manifestation, exalted be His glory and universal be His bounty.

They mentioned the honored friend, Haji Mirza ’A.B., upon him be the Glory of God, and wrote of his being enkindled with the fire of divine love. The matter is as your honor mentioned - that praise be to God, they have arrived and are ablaze like a globe of fire in divine love. Signs of steadfastness and the enkindling of the fire of love were evident from them during their presence. This servant beseeches his Lord to confirm him in remembrance and praise, and to enable him to serve His firm and manifest Cause.

Likewise, they mentioned the two brothers, Aqa ’Ali Haydar, upon him and them be the Glory of God, and wrote of their degrees of love, acceptance, humility and submissiveness in the path of God. This matter opened the gate of joy. Praise be to God, they are blessed with His grace and are mentioned before the True One. Previously too, mention of them flowed from the Supreme Pen. This servant beseeches his Lord to strengthen them, make them successful, and ordain for them that which will draw them near to God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

They mentioned Aqa Mirza Fadlu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, during the upheavals in this land they held fast to the cord of sincerity and faithfulness. Their mention and the mention of their love has always been and continues to be in the Most Great Prison. God willing, may they attain to that which cannot be seized by the changes of the world and the events of nations. Verily our Lord is the All-Seeing Witness and He is the Helper, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Glory be to God! Divine favors have had and continue to have infinite influences in the earth. The honored friend Aqa ’Ali Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, turned to Him and attained, and through the grace of the Most Self-Subsisting Name, drank from the sealed wine and arose to serve the Cause. The manifestations of divine favors and infinite mercies have encompassed them from every direction, including that beloved one’s letter which mentioned them in its beginning, middle and end, mentioning their steadfastness, enthusiasm, service and love, as well as their arising in outward and inward matters. When these passages were presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings in the most exalted horizon, that which this evanescent servant is incapable of mentioning was revealed. The ocean of favor appeared with such waves that those endowed with minds and understanding are unable to count them. Blessed be he and may it be wholesome for him.

At this time new rains are pouring from the heaven of that excellency’s love, meaning that beloved one’s letter dated the twenty-fourth of the month of Rajab, number four, arrived. Its arrival was a spiritual herald as it spoke of health, well-being and arising to serve the Eternal Beloved. Indeed, it mentioned the Desired One of all possibilities in most eloquent terms. Blessed are the people of Baha who have drunk the cup of faithfulness from the hands of bounty.

That which was written concerning the loved ones of God, regarding steadfastness, love, kindliness, unity and harmony, was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence and was honored with acceptance. At this moment the Tongue of Grandeur utters this most blessed and supreme word - exalted be His utterance and glorified be His majesty: “O servant in attendance! Give glad tidings to the Trustworthy One of the bounty of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: O Trustworthy One! The Wronged One hath heard thy call and witnessed thy condition. He is verily the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Blessed art thou, O Trustworthy One, for having adorned thy temple with the armor of humility and the robe of submissiveness, and thy head with the crown of detachment.” If the loved ones attain to the sweetness of this station, they shall not remain deprived of the greatest bounty by the bounties of the world. Humility, submissiveness, and other praiseworthy attributes and goodly deeds are considered among the divine hosts under the Supreme Commander, and the Supreme Commander has been and ever shall be the fear of God. We had repeatedly heard of sugar, but it was mere words. In truth, the spiritual sweetness and true delight has been and ever shall be the repeated utterances of God’s loved ones. However much sugar is repeated and however many times it is used, it dulls the desire and reduces the appetite, but the more the utterances of the loved ones are repeated, the more appealing and beloved they become. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to assist this servant in presenting a response. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. Praise be to God, again and again and again, until it reaches the fifth time. The fifth letter, dated the first of the revered month of Sha’ban, arrived. It was a powerful collyrium for the eye and a balanced remedy for the heart, for it was adorned with the mention of the Intended One and illumined with the light of His love.

O Amin! Upon thee be the Glory of God, Lord of the Day of Judgment. The servant was present before the Face of the Wronged One, and all that thou didst present concerning the loved ones of God and the divine party was heard. His honor Na’ib-’Ali, before Akbar, upon him be My glory, hath in recent years arisen to serve with the utmost endeavor. It is as though he perceived the fragrance of detachment and attained unto it in the days of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. With perfect love and devotion he hath turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and faced the light of His countenance. Blessed be his reward with thy Lord. By My life! It hath been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Verily thy Lord is the True, the Trustworthy. We have accepted what he hath done in the path of God and what he hath desired in these days, as a bounty from Us upon him, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. He should be confident in God’s grace and His favors, holding fast to the wisdom We have revealed in diverse Tablets. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Evident, the All-Wise. He is beneath the gaze of My loving-kindness and We have sheltered him beneath the canopies of My grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. O Amin! Blessed art thou and he. He hath attained unto that which nothing in existence can equal. Give him the glad tidings of My remembrance, My mercy and My loving-kindness, that he may thank his Lord in the nights and days, at every morn and eve. Those souls who have left behind themselves and all they possess in the path of the One True Friend are the recipients of God’s special favors. The entire world cannot equal that which hath been ordained for them. However, the affairs of such souls must remain concealed. Verily thy Lord speaketh the truth and inspireth whomsoever He willeth with what He desireth, and guideth those who turn unto Him to His Straight Path.

This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God, exalted be His glory, to cause them to appear as the luminary of detachment from the horizon of the heaven of His supreme Will. After mentioning before the Most Holy Court their remembrance and deeds, there was sent down from the heaven of His Will that which this servant is powerless and incapable of describing. What remained in view hath been mentioned. In truth, in service they have attained to a station that transcendeth description. O Beloved of my heart! In days when all on earth were deprived of the choice wine and turned away from the hidden mystery and the treasured secret, such a soul as theirs arose to that which testifieth to their acceptance, their turning to God and their service. This is truly among the special favors of God bestowed upon them. O Lord! Increase them in all conditions and aid them in that which will exalt Thy Cause. Then illumine them with the lights of Thy grace and bounty in such wise that the faces of Thy servants and the hearts of Thy creatures may be illumined thereby. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Powerful.

Some time ago they wrote concerning this matter to the honored beloved, Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, that which was determined in one city was adorned with the ornament of acceptance, and the remainder, after being accepted, was bestowed upon them. Regarding this matter a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Will and sent in this servant’s handwriting. And now, since they have again arisen to accomplish this matter, and that beloved one hath also requested its acceptance, therefore what they have given you is accepted and honored by the effect of the Supreme Pen. Well is it with him and blessed is it unto him. However, regarding the remainder, according to the command they should act with moderation. The Blessed Tablet that was revealed concerning this matter and sent previously hath, God willing, arrived and they will peruse it.

The letter of the honored brother Aqa ’Ali-Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God, arrived today along with the receipt of your honor. In all conditions the grace of God, His mercy, His compassion and His glance of favor have been and are directed toward those loved ones who find for themselves no death nor life, no harm nor benefit save through His command, His leave, His grace and His bounty. The description of such souls hath been and is recorded in the Books of old and of recent times. The Divine Lote-Tree hath borne and beareth witness to this, and likewise do all things. Blessed are they that hear!

That which he wrote mentioning that the aforementioned individual intended to relinquish all his possessions to God - after this was submitted, He stated that this is already accomplished, for whatever he has belongs and has belonged to God, and We have relinquished it to Him, as he spends his nights and days in service to God, exalted be His glory, and His loved ones. Whenever We wish to dispose of it, We ourselves will command and dispose of it. His service before God and his love for you and the chosen ones is greater than the payment of rights, and this matter especially concerning him has been sent down from the heaven of grace, and whatever he pays, due to God’s all-encompassing grace, is adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Otherwise, in his case, service itself suffices. As the matter of rights benefits the assured, content and well-pleasing souls themselves, therefore from the heaven of grace, considering the means of the Cause, the command to accept was given. All in the heavens and earth bear witness to His independence. These matters and their like, whatever has appeared from that beloved one, are adorned with the lights of the luminary of acceptance. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who love you and heed your word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

5 Ramadan the Blessed 1304

He is God!

O beloved of my heart! The sending of the letter was delayed until the seventh letter, which was written on the sixteenth of Sha’ban, arrived. New joy was attained. Praise be to God, that beloved one has attained God’s grace and is prepared in sending correspondence. New reports and fresh events that arrive from the chosen ones are counted as a blessing in one respect. We beseech God to increase it through His grace and generosity. Regarding what you wrote about love and unity with the honored gentleman, His Holiness the Name 66 [of God], upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, and likewise concerning his steadfastness and enthusiasm in the Cause of God - complete joy was attained from this matter. After submission in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, the Tongue of Grandeur, the Lord of all beings, spoke this supreme word - His blessed and exalted Word: “O servant in attendance! Ask from God that those souls who are adorned with the ornament of distinction should in all conditions be mindful of that whereby the Cause of God is exalted. My Name Jamal, upon him be My glory, has ever been mentioned in God’s presence. We ask God to confirm him and grant him success that they may arise with complete determination for unity. Verily We make mention of him at this time and glorify his countenance and command him with that which befits this mighty, wondrous Day.” This servant ever seeks for them that which is the cause of exalting the Word of God in all worlds.

And regarding the mention made of the spiritual friend, Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, son of His Holiness Dhabi?, upon them both be the glory of God and His favors, and the spiritual friend Aqa Mirza Mu’min and his wife, upon them both be the glory of God - after submission in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, each was honored by the Most Exalted Pen. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in this station - His mighty and glorious Word and His mighty utterance:

“O Lord of Eternity Who hast appeared through the Most Great Name! Thou hearest the call of Thy loved ones and their lamentations in their separation from Thee. Thou seest them, O my God, turning toward Thy horizon and clinging to Thy cord. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Sovereign of nations, to ordain for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Then write down for them the reward of those near unto Thee. Verily Thou art the God of the worlds and the Aim of those who have recognized Thee.”

Praised be God that each one hath been immersed in the ocean of the utterance of the Most Merciful. How blessed are they! This servant, in reply to the letter of that spiritual friend, his honor Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, hath written that which, God willing, shall make amends for this evanescent one - that is, seeks pardon for the delay. His services and those of his honor Aqa Mirza Mu’min and the Leaf shall never be forgotten. I convey greetings to them and have mentioned and continue to mention each one in the Most Holy Court.

Concerning what you wrote about his honor Mirza Y-s Kh-a, upon him be the Glory of God, he is favored with grace and illumined with the light of faith. This evanescent one conveys greetings to him and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to grant him success. Verily He is the Generous, the Bountiful.

Regarding the mention of the honored and revered beloved, His Holiness ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, the Lord of Power, you wrote that His Holiness teaches openly without concealment or veil, and this is not contrary to wisdom, as he teaches in his own home and begins by saying to the son of the sovereign: “I have confessed and been imprisoned several times. We are not people of corruption. We have religion and will not abandon our religion for worldly comfort.” After this matter was presented in the Most Holy Court, He commanded: “Write to his honor Amin, upon him be My glory and likewise his Lord’s, for We too have confessed and been imprisoned several times.” He also commanded: “Give him two Tabriz mans of tea and ten Tabriz mans of sugar. This is a blessing for him. Influence has also been bestowed. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous.” Indeed, they are truthful, steadfast and upright in what they have stated. I beseech God that there may flow from him rivers of wisdom and utterance to attract all creation. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful. I convey greetings to them. A reply to their letter will be sent. In all conditions I beseech God for confirmation and success, that He may assist this evanescent one in dispatching supplications.

The petition of his honor Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Hasan ’A-? arrived and was honored to be heard by the Lord of Names. Praise be to God, his petition was adorned with the ornament of divine unity, acceptance, humility, submissiveness and steadfastness. Now this evanescent one gives him the glad tidings that whatever was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court was accepted. Happy is he, if God should will and desire. A gracious reply will be sent. As for what was submitted regarding matters of testament, that which was done for wisdom’s sake received approval, but henceforth depends on the divine command. Glory and praise and commendation be upon your honor and upon him and upon every steadfast, upright one.

The Servant

=== END BH00157 ===

=== START BH00158 ===

Here is the authorized Lady Khadijih Bigum to consider [This tablet].

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

Praise be befitting and worthy of that Desired One Who, with a single word, rent asunder the thick veils and guided the peoples of the world to the highest horizon. Although this Most Exalted Word is one, yet diverse effects are manifested from it. At times the effect of the sword is witnessed from it, inasmuch as the conquest of sanctified hearts and the capturing of the cities of pure hearts and souls in this Most Great Revelation have been and continue to be through it. And at times the water of life flows from it and its effects become manifest, as was observed - how many thirsting ones in the deserts of separation and remoteness were given the Kawthar of reunion, and how many dead ones were brought to eternal life through its fragrance. Glory be to God! The heedless souls who dwell in the wilderness of the abyss have taken darkness for light and the owl for the station of the nightingale. The very atoms testify to the heedlessness, ignorance, error and unawareness of that people. They are unaware yet bear witness; in the midst of non-existence they claim existence. Whatever they say is, in the estimation of those endowed with utterance, baser than the croak of a raven and less than the caw of a crow. They prostrate themselves before the bat while imagining themselves turned toward the Truth. He is indeed innocent of them and of those who followed them without any clear proof or command from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Base nature and lack of understanding have reached such a point that they bow down in submission and prostration before the greatest calamity. After sixty years of life have passed, he has newly begun to play the lover, inviting the rabble of the earth to his abyss. Glory be to God! What strange seekers and wondrous objects of desire have appeared in the world! Has justice fled from among men, or has the sun of insight set? What has happened that those possessed of outward vision are deprived of seeing, and those endowed with ears are forbidden from hearing? We had heard before that some prostrate themselves before cows and others worship calves, but we did not properly verify these words and attributed them to the realms of conjecture and fancy. Now it is openly witnessed that they have forsaken the Lord of the Worlds and clung to worms. They have abandoned the river of divine mercy and turned toward the pus of hell.

This servant is bewildered as to what to say and what to write. That honored lady and other leaves and handmaidens of God and fair-minded servants bear witness that none of those stubborn deniers had any knowledge. This servant, by the command of the True One, exalted be His glory, was with him for years, and despite everyone’s knowledge of this fact, they never inquired a word about it from this servant. A path of conjecture and souls of fancy - that extended and this wayfarer. How weak are both the seeker and the sought, the wayfarer and that which is traversed! Now we have moved beyond the men - what does the greatest calamity say? In the beginning of the manifestation of the Primal Point - may the spirit of all in the kingdom of command and creation be sacrificed for Him - he and his two brothers were in the utmost enmity and hatred. Most of the people of that land are aware of this fact. In homes, gatherings and assemblies they said that which the pen is ashamed to mention. In this Revelation, considering a brief connection, they showed acceptance for a few days and then became occupied with satanic intrigues and corrupt deeds. Now after sixty years new lovers have appeared - fie upon such lovers!

[…]

They engaged in corrupt deeds. Now after sixty years new lovers have appeared - perdition unto the lovers and perdition unto the beloved! If you would reflect even briefly upon their conduct and behavior, you would behold the reality of the world which has appeared in varied garments. Glory be to God! Every person of insight is bewildered and every person of thought is deep in contemplation. When a person becomes devoid of religion, they say whatever they wish and do whatever their soul desires. Gather together the handmaidens of God. Convey greetings from this evanescent one and say: Today is the day of vision, for the Truth is manifest and His signs are evident. Today is the day of hearing, for His call is raised. Hear and hold fast unto Him with such firmness that it becomes as fire for the hearts of the Greatest Denier and the deniers, male and female, and as light for the friends of God, exalted be His glory. The fire of self and passion is ignited within him to such a degree that none but God can reckon its extent, and all shortcomings return to the souls who accepted him, for the servitude of those souls became the cause of overwhelming calamity. Until now, this evanescent servant had concealed some aspects of his conduct, but in this year which is 1299, there appeared from him that which had not appeared from the satans of the past or future - He Who possesses the Mother Book bears witness to this. For twenty years God, exalted be His glory, concealed his lewdness, and likewise did this evanescent servant, but this time it became necessary that some of his conduct be mentioned so that the servants of God and His handmaidens might become aware and recognize him. In brief, every person of insight has perceived and continues to perceive, and the wicked are distinguished from the good. The Greatest Evil One whose affairs are all clear and known - blessed are those who discern and joy be to those who see. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. After the arrival of that honored one’s letter and becoming aware of its contents, turning toward the highest horizon and most exalted summit, it was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in the Kingdom of Utterance, exalted and glorified be His Word:

In My Name, the Manifest, the All-Informed […]

O My handmaiden! Today the divine call is raised from all directions, and every atom in creation is engaged in praise of the Revealer of verses. Yet all remain heedless and veiled. The peoples of the world, through nights and days, awaited the manifestation of the Truth, glorified be His majesty, and were gladdened by His remembrance and occupied with thoughts of Him. But when the Dawning Place of Revelation and the Speaker of Sinai appeared from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings, manifest and visible, some turned away, others denied Him, some objected, and yet others issued decrees for His death. The peoples of the earth have ever been and shall ever be occupied with such reprehensible and rejected deeds, save those souls who have transcended the world and set their faces toward the Lord of eternity. These souls were not and are not deterred by the thunder of the cannons of the oppressors, the clashing of the swords of the deniers, the ranks of armies, the might of multitudes, the rejection of the learned, or the clamor of the renowned. They gaze upon the Truth and cling to His robe. These souls drink from the Most Great Ocean and are detached and free from all else.

God willing, may the greatest clamor not prevent the handmaidens of that land from the most pure wine. Say: O divine handmaidens! You are related to the Truth and are mentioned by His Name. Strive that the firm cord of this relationship be not severed but rather be strengthened at every moment. This is the day of remembrance and utterance, the day of the manifestation of stations and certitude, for the Desired One of all worlds is established upon His throne. Blessed is the soul that hath been illumined by the lights of the morn of revelation and hath attained unto the recognition of God, exalted be His glory.

By the Point of Unity that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s Book, were the peoples of the world to observe fairness for but a single hour and reflect, they would be illumined by the lights of the revelation of Truth. For some, veils of glory have become barriers, and for others, turbans and staffs. Beseech ye God to rend asunder the greatest veil with the finger of power, that all may turn toward the supreme horizon and attain unto the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Revelation.

Say: O handmaidens of Truth! Drink ye from the most exalted cup and partake of the highest chalice. A hundred thousand seas circle round this chalice, and thousands upon thousands of oceans bow before this cup. Be ye occupied with the remembrance of the Friend and drink from the stream of His love. The people who today count themselves among the followers of truth are lower than all others. Say: O ye sightless ones! Read ye the pages of the heedless and ponder upon them, that perchance ye may be freed from the depths of hell and make for the highest paradise.

Give praise to the Beloved of the world, Who hath remembered thee before and after. God willing, mayest thou become a cause of unity and turn to that which beseemeth His divine Day.

Praise be unto God that the Sun of divine benevolence is radiant and the heaven of His grace is exalted! There has not been, nor is there now, any need for the unworthy mentions of this servant. The utterances of the Concourse on High are as nothingness before the fragrance of His utterance, to say nothing of the moist and dry words of this servant and the like of this servant. I beseech and hope from God that He may assist the handmaidens of that land to achieve supreme steadfastness. God willing, may that honored woman remain occupied at all times with the mention of the Self-Sufficing, the Most High. If at times there is delay in sending replies from this servant, this has not been and is not due to any negligence. God is witness and testifier that due to the abundance of correspondence, a year has passed since some of the friends of God have written, and still I have not been enabled to reply. I seek His help, that He may grant strength and power, and extend His invisible assistance, that perchance I may fulfill this important and momentous service. May that honored woman be intimately associated with the mention of God at all times and be gladdened with the greatest joy, for she has attained unto His remembrance and is mentioned in His presence. Know thou this mighty favor and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

O handmaidens of God! The friends of the Beloved, both men and women, are accounted as leaves and fruits of the Blessed Tree, and all stand equally respected in one rank before the Most Sublime Vision. Distinction appears only through degrees of steadfastness, love, longing and devotion. “Verily, the most honored among you in the sight of God is the most righteous.” Through deeds are the stations of women and men made manifest; otherwise all are observed on the same plane, save those souls who have been specifically distinguished by the Most Exalted Pen.

We have enjoined upon all spiritual attributes, goodly words and praiseworthy deeds. O friends! Your station calls for kindness, compassion and mercy. Wrong not the handmaidens of God; conduct yourselves with the utmost gentleness and consideration. Have ye not heard what We have revealed in the tongue of the people? Ye are all fruits of one tree and leaves of one branch. The fragrance of this utterance can also be inhaled from the Most Holy Book.

By the Sun of Revelation! This station is evident throughout all utterances. The True One, exalted be His glory, hath commanded all from the Kingdom of grace in the Most Great Prison to love, fellowship, affection and unity. O friends! The lights of justice must be witnessed from you in such wise as to overcome the darkness of oppression. Were ye to hearken to what the Most Exalted Pen hath ordained, there would appear in the world that which would ensure the salvation and tranquility of all.

O Khadijih! Hearken unto the voice of Him Who is the Dawning-place of the Light of Divine Unity. We have counseled the men among the friends with that which is befitting, and likewise We counsel the handmaidens of God to quietude, dignity, love and fellowship. Males and females were created for harmony and union, not for discord and separation. At this hour, which is the beginning of noon, We counsel all to such deeds as will bring joy and gladness when heard. The end belongs to those who hold fast to righteousness, turning away from base desires. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End.

God willing, may the rays of the Sun of the Most Exalted Pen’s counsels illuminate the hearts of all on earth and lead them to true tranquility. O Leaf! When one contemplates the wondrous evidences of God’s grace and the manifestations of His favors, one is so overwhelmed with wonder as to be rendered speechless. Observe now and consider the revealed verses - each word hath been revealed with such loving kindness that every fair-minded soul can perceive its fragrance. All things are in motion and attracted today. Glory be to God! How is it that some are seen to be lethargic? It is hoped that through the manifestations of His infinite grace, hearts and minds will turn to the realm of love and fellowship.

God is witness that this ephemeral one beseeches Him night and day to illumine all with the light of unity and enable them to achieve spiritual attributes. He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. God willing, may that honored woman give glad tidings to the steadfast women of that land, that all may arise to that which befitteth this divine Day. This servant also mentions the friends of God - that is, the men - with the utmost humility and supplication, beseeching God to enable them to manifest fellowship […]

I beseech God to strengthen them in manifesting affection, love and kindness. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing. May the Glory, manifest, resplendent, radiant, dawning and shining from the horizon of the loving-kindness of our Lord, be upon thee and upon the steadfast women who have drunk the Kawthar of steadfastness from the hands of their Lord’s bounty on this glorious and wondrous Day.

The Servant

8th of Dhi’l-Qa’dah 1299

Another letter: That leaf which previously wrote two letters from the leaves Narjis Khatun and Sakinih Khatun, upon them be the Glory of God, was received. Praise be to God, the fragrance of love for the Beloved of the worlds was inhaled therefrom. God willing, may that honored lady be ever engaged in the remembrance and service of God. All that thou didst mention was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. Divine verses were specifically revealed for each of the aforementioned leaves. God willing, may they attain unto them and drink from the ocean of grace.

This is what was revealed for the leaf Narjis, upon her be the Glory of God. His word, exalted be His majesty:

He is the Hearer, the Answerer

O My handmaiden! O thou who gazest toward My horizon! Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Wronged One and verses of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, have been revealed for thee. Reflect upon the grace and favors of God. How many were the divines, scholars and jurisprudents who were occupied with the remembrance of God throughout the nights and days, who spoke His Name in the mosques and at all times beseeched and hoped to attain His presence. Yet when the Dawn of Revelation appeared and the lights of His countenance shone forth, all arose in opposition save whom God willed. Know thou the value of thy station and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me that which was hidden from the learned of Thy earth and the jurisprudents of Thy lands, and for having enabled me in such wise that Thy Most Exalted Pen was moved to remember me from Thy station and prison. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the fire of Thy Tree to ordain for this handmaiden of Thine that which befitteth Thy glory, Thy generosity and Thy favors. Thou art verily the Almighty, the Protector over what was and what shall be.

Blessed art thou, O Narjis, for having turned unto the Wronged One and having desired that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Merciful. He hath adorned thy father with the ornament of forgiveness as a bounty from His presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. As for what thou desired regarding the meeting, He recordeth its reward for thee and counseleth thee to pure fear of God and that which beseemeth the days of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur mentioned thee with that which nothing on earth can equal. Praise thou Him for this. He is verily the Hearer, the Answerer.

And this is what was revealed for her sister Sakinih, upon her be the Glory of God. His word, exalted and mighty be He:

In My Name, the Manifest, the Powerful over all names

O Sakinih! The Ancient Beauty remembereth thee from the Most Great Prison and counseleth thee with that which is the cause and source of elevation and exaltation. This is the day of pure deeds and the day of supreme steadfastness. God willing, mayest thou be so firm in the Cause that the clamor of the polytheist men and women shall not deprive thee from the abode of verses. The satans appear in every name, form and temple, and lie in wait. God willing, mayest thou ever remain preserved beneath the shadow of God and illumined by the lights of His grace. Glory be upon thee and upon thy mother. We give her the glad-tidings of My grace and bounty which have preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Praise be to God! The two handmaidens whom you mentioned have attained the supreme honor, and their remembrance hath been inscribed in the Book of God from the heaven of His will in these decisive verses. Blessed are they both, for they have attained unto that which hath no likeness or comparison. They have been granted that which they sought from the ocean of bounty, inasmuch as the word of forgiveness hath been sent down from the tongue of the All-Merciful concerning their father. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Benevolent, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

And concerning that handmaiden’s mention of the beloved of hearts, Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the glory of God and His favors, and likewise her mention of marriage–this matter was presented before the Countenance of the Beloved of the worlds and was honored with His permission. He said: “God willing, it is blessed. Today, whosoever showeth sincerity, love and affection in any way to Mirza [Haydar-’Ali], upon him be My glory, is mentioned before God, exalted be His glory, and inscribed in the Book.” Indeed, from these blessed words can be inhaled the fragrance of infinite favors. Blessed is he who perceiveth and attaineth.

Another glad-tiding is that the mention of that handmaiden’s sons, sisters and daughter, upon them be the glory of God, which was in the letter, was presented before the Countenance of the Lord of Revelation, and from the heaven of grace special verses of manifest signs and goodly words were revealed for each one. God willing, they shall attain unto their perusal and reading, and act according to what is befitting.

This is what was revealed for Nasru’llah. His word, exalted be His majesty:

“In My Name, the Mighty, the All-Knowing!

O Nasru’llah! Hold fast to the cord of the fear of God and cling to the hem of sanctity. The dark dust of passion hath prevented the world from the outpourings of the Lord of all beings. Beseech God to assist thee with the greatest steadfastness. Whosoever attaineth unto it is accounted among the people of Baha in the Book of Names. Strive that thou mayest attain unto it and be freed and detached from the world and all who dwell therein. Thus have We remembered thee with this remembrance that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Remembering, the All-Wise.”

And this is what was revealed for Mirza Aqa. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

“In My Name, Which dawned from the horizon of the world!

O servant! Hearken unto the call of Him Who created the world for His knowledge, and sent down the Books for the manifestation of His Cause, and the Messengers for the proclamation of His laws and His days. He speaketh in every condition: ‘Verily, there is no God but I, the Wronged One, the Stranger.’ I have chosen abasement for the glory of the world, and tribulation for the exaltation of the people of Baha, and exile that the servants might attain unto the supreme homeland–the station which God hath made sanctified beyond every wondrous mention. When thou hearest My call and attainest unto My verses, say: ‘Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast mentioned me with Thy tongue! I testify that Thou hast come for the salvation of the nations. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful.’ Thus have We remembered thee and revealed for thee that which hath diffused the fragrance of My loving-kindness and My mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.”

And this is what was revealed for him who is named ?abibu’llah. His word, blessed and exalted is He:

“In My Name, the Mighty, the Bountiful!

O ?abib! Adorn thy tongue with My remembrance, and thy heart with the ornament of My love, and thy head with the crown of steadfastness in this Great Announcement. Leave what the people possess and hold fast to My firm cord. Verily it will deliver thee and protect thee and give thee to drink of the choice wine of His love by the hand of His bounty. Verily He is the Giver, the Bountiful. When thou attainest unto My verses, give thanks unto God Who hath aided thee to recognize Him when the people were in manifest doubt. Thus surged the ocean when the breezes of revelation wafted in this time.”

This is what was revealed for the leaf who was named Queen, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Compassionate, the All-Loving

O Queen! Blessed art thou, for thou hast attained unto that which most men have been deprived of. God willing, thou shalt remain firm and steadfast in thy love and acceptance, for the winds of trials and tests are passing. The most exalted station, which hath no equal, is not freely obtained except through His grace and bounty. Especially in these days when dark smoke hath appeared in a certain place and hath deprived, and continueth to deprive, the eyes of some from beholding the light of the Countenance. In all conditions, fix thy gaze upon the Truth and cling to His hem. Verily, He is with every servant who is steadfast and every maidservant who remaineth firm. The glory be upon thee and upon thy mother and thy brothers, from thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient.

This is what was revealed for the sister, exalted be His majesty and abundant be His favors:

In My Name, the Forgiving, the Merciful

O handmaiden of God! The Lord of all names hath turned toward thee from the Prison of Akka and inviteth thee to the supreme horizon. Blessed are those handmaidens who have been illumined by the lights of recognition and have partaken of the choice sealed wine of God. They are in truth men, nay rather the knights of the field. How many are the servants who are seen to be deprived of the lights of certitude through their vain imaginings, and how many are the handmaidens who have rent asunder all veils through the name of the Lord of Names and are gazing toward and turning to the One True God. Blessed is the servant who hath attained and the handmaiden who hath achieved.

This is what was revealed for another sister, exalted and mighty is He:

In My Name, the Counselor, the All-Knowing

[…]

O handmaid of God! Be truly observant and hold fast to the cord of His grace. The best raiment in all the world is the raiment of righteous deeds. Blessed are they who are adorned with this most holy and exalted ornament and who act according to that which God hath revealed in the Book. Precious indeed is this Day; know ye its value and turn unto that which is the cause and source of everlasting remembrance. He verily counseleth His servants and handmaidens. Blessed is every hearing and responding soul, and every steadfast doer of good deeds.

Verily, infinite grace hath been manifested, for several months ago a reply to that handmaid’s letter was written, but due to the upheavals in surrounding areas, wisdom dictated a delay in its dispatch. At this time, which is the end of the day on Monday, the thirteenth of the month of Safar, Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the glory of God, submitted a petition to the Most Holy Court and forwarded that handmaid’s letter. After its perusal and review, it was presented at the Most Exalted Holy Court. It was not expected that at this time the ocean of grace would outwardly manifest with such supreme bounty, as it was the time for dispatching correspondence, and on one hand, the revelation of verses. However, after review and presentation, the Sun of utterance immediately shone forth from the horizon of the grace of the Goal of all the worlds, in such wise that this servant had not the opportunity to write it all down. The atoms themselves bear witness to His grace, His loving-kindness, and His mercy. Upon the mere mention of each of the names, manifest verses descended from the heaven of God’s Will, as hath been and is being witnessed.

Let that handmaid give the glad-tidings of God’s grace to all. That which is most important of all matters today is the unity of God’s loved ones. How excellent is the state of one who becomes the cause of unity and recognizes the station of those who have preceded and those who stand firm. He verily guideth whom He willeth unto His straight path.

Indeed, God’s grace towards that handmaid hath been manifested in such measure that were you to offer thanks throughout the duration of the kingdom of earth and heaven, you would not be able to render thanks for even a single letter of that which hath been revealed. This servant, that handmaid, and all who dwell on earth are powerless and wanting, and we beseech His aid that perchance we might render some service in His Day, or that a soul might appear, detached in His love.

This servant conveys greetings and salutations to the mentioned souls and likewise to the handmaids of God in that land, and supplicates success for all. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but He, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

As for what was written concerning the Huququ’llah and likewise the pilgrimage journey, according to the command, two-thirds of the Huquq should be spent on good works, meaning the new life, and one-third should be sent to the Most Holy Court. And if possible, from what is to be forwarded to the Most Holy Court, nine tumans - the number of the Greatest Name - should be sent to Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be the glory of God, for him to deliver to Jinab-i-Javad-i-Dhakir. These matters are beloved and acceptable when their means are available and they are accomplished with joy and fragrance.

Salutations and praise be upon the leaves who have turned unto God, who are steadfast and devoted, who sing upon the tree of divine knowledge. Verily, there is no God but He, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The Servant

13th of the month of Safar, 1300

=== END BH00158 ===

=== START BH00159 ===

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

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. He hath manifested His Cause amidst His servants with such sovereignty as no opposition or neglect could impede, and with such power as none in all lands could weaken. He hath spoken before all faces, declaring: “The Promise hath come, and the Promised One is He. He hath appeared with such authority as none in the heavens or on earth can withstand.” He desireth naught save the preservation of His creation and their drawing nigh unto the court of His glory. Blessed are they who have hearkened unto that which hath been raised up through the will of our Lord, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. Woe betide every barking dog who hath followed his base desires and idle fancies. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The pearls of praise and remembrance which were wrapped in the garments of words and expressions became the cause of true joy and spiritual delight. From their fragrance divine ecstasy was manifest, and from their perfume eternal gladness was attained. After the appearance of the delicate pearls of love and affection from the shells of remembrance and utterance, having sought audience, he presented himself before the countenance of the Lord of all beings. After the appearance of the luminary of permission, the entire letter was presented and achieved the honor of His good-pleasure and acceptance, for each word thereof testified to the devotion, orientation and sincerity of that beloved of hearts. It is hoped that at all times they may be occupied with service to the Divine Cause, that perchance the heedless ones of the world may become aware and those who have turned away from among the peoples may be blessed with acceptance. In any case, after the letter was heard, these exalted words shone forth from the Dayspring of utterance, the Goal of all the worlds. His word, exalted be His glory and sublime be His utterance:

In His Name, the One Who domineth over what was and what shall be!

[…]

The Book of God speaks before the faces of all else, and with the blessed word “The Promised One is come” does it herald. By God! The rapture of His Revelation hath struck the Divine Lote-Tree; its rustling is raised high, its murmuring is manifest upon the rivers, and upon the seas appear the pearls of knowledge and wisdom that from the beginning of creation until now were hidden and concealed from the eyes of men. Like the sun they have risen, like light they shine forth. Glory be to God! The heedlessness of the factions hath reached such a pass that the Truth, exalted be His glory, hath veiled the mysteries of the Book. Zion crieth out, Jerusalem is engaged in pleasure, from the right hand Mount Carmel proclaimeth: “O people of the churches! Kings and subjects waited for centuries and ages, and now the Beloved of all existence appeareth before all faces, yet ye are heedless. O friends! The true Friend is manifest and the Luminary of bounty, by the will of the Sovereign of existence, hath risen and shineth forth. Why have ye become heedless? Are ye deprived of the Speaker of the Mount through poverty, or through wealth have ye become negligent of this supreme blessing? The Dawning-Place of Glory is come, the Manifestation of Beauty is come, mentioning His branches in every land and calling all to the Kingdom of nearness and meeting. O leaves and fruits of that Tree! The Wronged One is occupied with your remembrance in the prison of Akka. Why do ye tarry? The light of acceptance shineth from the Dawning-Place of union–why do ye remain bewildered? Its light appeareth like fire from the most exalted Standard, and its call is raised above all else. O servants! Ye are the saplings of My bounty. I planted you with the hand of loving-kindness and watered you from the clouds of grace with that water which is mentioned in every Book and recorded by the Pens of favor and bounty. Now is the time to show forth your service, and the moment to manifest your love. With divine power and celestial might, aim ye for the ultimate goal and the supreme summit. O My branch in Berlin! He Who said ‘I shall come’ is come, and His signs of grace have encompassed the world. That peerless Friend is come, that incomparable Companion hath rent asunder the veil. Hasten! Hasten! It is the time of attainment. Come! Come! The hidden treasure is manifest, the concealed store is apparent. The promises of the Books are fulfilled and the signs of the Scriptures are witnessed. Deprive not yourselves and remain not portionless. O Ibn-i-Asdaq! Convey My greetings to the sacred land of Kha. Say: O Mashhad! Forget not thy station. Through God’s grace all the land of Kha hath been freshly adorned with the blood of contentment. Exalted is this supreme bounty! Say: O land of Kha! O people of the cities and regions! The Chosen One is come with mysteries, that Hidden and Veiled One is come with light and radiance. Today all things are enraptured and engaged in joy, absorbed in supreme delight. Why are ye silent and withered? The water whereby all things are made alive floweth from the right hand of the Merciful One’s utterance. Make mention of the loved ones on behalf of the Wronged One–a mention that shall add to the Divine Lote-Tree and deliver the entire world from aught else but the Friend, drawing them unto Him and attracting them to Him. Glory be to God! The people of God were slain yet slew not, and in all that occurred they were purely wronged ones, and even interceded for the murderer before the Commander. Nevertheless, this increased the rancor and hatred of the heedless ones, and this supreme bounty held no station with them nor bore fruit […]

The injustice yields no fruit or effect. In view of being oppressed and having no helper or supporter, the Master of the Sword arose for reformation. Pure oppression has effects and bears fruit. Now pride, wealth, heedlessness and error have deprived most from justice and fairness. Outwardly justice is proclaimed, while inwardly there is great agitation and pure oppression. In the capital they have gathered several souls who outwardly speak words from which the fragrance of love is diffused, while inwardly they arrange dry wood for kindling the fire of hatred, and the flames of self and passion and lies and calumny from thence are continuous. Yet these souls consider themselves aware and God heedless. Evil indeed is what they imagine. In any case, these are the days for the revelation of what is hidden in hearts and the betrayal of eyes. Soon will the recompense of their deeds reach them. Verily He is ever watchful. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Seeing. The servant has presented thy letter and mentioned it before the Face. We have answered thee with that from which the fragrance of loving-kindness is diffused. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist thee and enable thee to that whereby His Cause may be exalted among His servants, His remembrance in His lands, and His name among His loved ones. Mention thou the oppressed one to Ali, upon him be the glory of God. Say: O Ali! The eyes behold the Tree and its fruits and leaves and branches, yet deny them. Say: O people! Fear God. The ocean is before your faces. Behold its illumined pearls and manifest waves, and be not of those who broke the Covenant and denied the favor of God, the Lord of the worlds. O Ali! God willing, the answer to your previous petitions will be graciously given. Verily He loves His loved ones and adorns them with the ornament of His loving-kindness. He is indeed the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

The effulgent rays of the Divine Luminary of utterance have so encompassed all things that verily all are powerless and incapable of reckoning them. From the earliest days until now there hath been revealed that which appeareth difficult and arduous to compile. That Beloved One and the fair-minded bear witness unto that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Beloved of all possibility. In truth, the Kingdom of utterance hath been revealed, yet minds and ears are wanting. According to the divine command, what is now required are those matters that conduce to fellowship and constitute the cause of unity, and teaching with wisdom and utterance in such wise as to remain somewhat veiled from view. For after all that hath come to pass and been made manifest, though this people have been slain yet have they in no wise retaliated, nevertheless the malice of evil souls hath increased. It is not known what they say concerning this matter and to what pretext they cling. One of God’s loved ones was hanged in the land of Sad and martyred, and afterwards his blessed remains were burned, and in the land of love they committed that which caused the denizens of Paradise to break forth in lamentation, yet the loved ones offered no resistance. As soon as the ruler of that city arose to establish justice and execute his judgments with equity, heedless souls abandoned truthfulness, sincerity, trustworthiness and fidelity, and arose to censure and persecute. Now the tyranny of the oppressors shineth even as the sun. They oppress and rejoice, yet they perceive not. Soon shall they receive the recompense of their deeds, for they have to deal with the Just, the All-Wise. Verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Glory be to God! This servant is amazed at what this Hadi-i-Dawlat-Abadi is saying. From the beginning of the Cause he had no knowledge whatsoever. He and Siyyid Muhammad and their like acted solely out of desire for leadership, doing that which causeth loss in this world and the next. Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani was one of the servants and accompanied Us from Iraq. After his opposition became manifest in the Land of Mystery, We banished him. Later it was heard that he called himself Quddus. In truth he was a fitting Quddus for this heedless party. As for Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi, the Supreme Pen hath repeatedly recorded mention of his transgression, heedlessness and denial. In recent times, in the Tablets that were revealed, He summoned him that perchance he might present himself and be attracted by the breaths of revelation, but no effect was manifested therefrom. By the life of our Lord! He acteth like those four false ones who are the inventors of spurious laws and the builders of imaginary cities. Now consider the heedlessness of this wicked soul who hath repeatedly cast into hearts and minds enmity and hatred for the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of the seen and the unseen. He hath witnessed the requital of the deeds of the former party, yet he hath committed that which causeth the eye of certitude to weep.

It is incumbent and obligatory upon the friends of God, exalted be His glory, who are the manifestations of justice and fairness, to protect the servants from the vain imaginings of the former party, lest they be afflicted anew. I beseech God to protect and assist this party in such wise that they may regard all else as non-existent and as naught, and arise with complete steadfastness to exalt the Word. The heedless souls possess not an atom of understanding, for they have met or encountered various persons and have used their words as proof to destroy the truth and establish falsehood, despite His saying that no one should look to aught but the Truth on the Day of His Manifestation. He emphasizes greatly, lest on that Day they should turn away from Him by clinging to the Bayan, saying - exalted be His mention: “I have written an essence regarding His mention, which is that He shall not be indicated by My indication nor by what was revealed in the Bayan.” And yet the entire Bayan is adorned with the mention of this Cause and was revealed specifically for this Cause. That Holy Being repeatedly stated that whatever goodly mention appears in the Bayan was intended for Him. Day and night He was occupied with the mention of the Most Great Name. When the station of the manifestation of this most exalted and blessed verse was reached, which was revealed in the early days in the Qayyumu’l-Asma - exalted be His mention: “O Remnant of God! I have sacrificed my entire being for Thee and have wished for naught but martyrdom in Thy love and crucifixion in Thy path.” In any case, I beseech God to remove the soreness from eyes that all may attain to that which they are deprived of today.

Mention was made of Mirza Muhammad Husayn, son of Fa’iz, upon him be the glory of God. After it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, this supreme utterance was revealed - exalted be His glory: Praise be to God that they have attained to the days through His grace and have turned to that which all others have neglected. All this is through God’s bounty and mercy. God willing, they shall attain to the Divine Tablet, exalted be His glory. This servant also conveys greetings to them and ever beseeches God for the elevation of their station. Verily our Lord is the Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the Answerer.

Mention was made of the friends. Praise be to God, the breezes of revelation have seized them all, and after being presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, holy, luminous and blessed tablets have been revealed from the heaven of bounty. God willing, may they attain unto them and receive their portion and share from the hidden oceans within the exalted words. Verily our Lord is the Generous Giver.

The souls that were mentioned in the letters of that beloved of the heart, from before and before before, have all attained to the hearing of the Lord of all beings, and it is hoped that there may be revealed for all that which will bestow portions upon the world and confirm them in their turning to God. I beseech and implore God to grant the grace of true hearing, for in truth whoever attained thereunto turned to God and became occupied with that which beseemeth mention, praise and attention. Blessed are they that hear and blessed are they that drink.

Mention was made of the honored leaf Ziya’ul-Hajiyyih, upon her be the Glory of God. Several months ago, two Tablets were sent specifically for her and the honored leaf Agha Shahzadih, upon them both be the Glory of God. God willing, they will attain to them. And now too it was stated that, God willing, another Most Glorious Tablet which is the cause and means of life in infinite worlds shall be graciously bestowed specifically upon Ziya’ul-Hajiyyih. The decorative paper that was sent arrived and praise be to God, it was honored with wondrous, sublime divine verses, as the Hidden Words in Arabic and Persian as well as certain other Tablets were written upon it. In truth, this paper was honored with that for which all the papers of the world were created and brought into being. Glory be to God! The divines of Iran have not to this day attained to an atom’s weight of understanding and knowledge, while paper has attained to it. From what has recently been observed and estimated, nearly a hundred volumes have been sent down from the heaven of grace and bounty upon the peoples of earth and heaven. Nevertheless, the divines of those regions are still reclining upon the couch of vainglory - nay rather, they are sleeping - nay rather, they are dead. The Servant beseecheth His Lord to raise up one through whom their heads may be lifted up in His days. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Mention was made of his honor Ibn-i-Shahid, upon him be the Glory of God. After it was submitted to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, these sublime words appeared from the Dawning-Place of Will. His word - exalted be His glory:

Ibn-i-Shahid has ever been and still is remembered. Whenever We have mentioned Our loved ones, mention of him too has been sent down from the heaven of favor. In these days too, should God will and desire it, a Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Luminous Tablet shall be graciously bestowed as a bounty from His presence, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. End quote.

Mention was made of his honor Bujistani, upon him be the eternal Glory of God. After it was submitted before the Seat of Grace, these manifest verses were sent down from the heaven of favor. His word - exalted be the pearls of His utterance above similitude and comparison:

I am the All-Glorious, the Most High. Praise be to God, his honor ’Ali has repeatedly attained to the outpourings of the true Outpourer. We have sent down upon him from the heaven of My utterance the verses of My grace and bounty, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. This is My Book which We have sent down to him once again. Verily he is God’s herald among His servants and the guide of creation to His path, and he is the one attracted, the speaker, the all-knowing. O ’Ali! Nothing whatsoever escapeth thy Lord’s knowledge. We heard thy call when thou wert present before the faces of My loved ones. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He seeth and heareth, He commandeth and judgeth, He doeth what He willeth and decreeth what He desireth. He who desired Me and soared in Mine atmosphere hath mentioned thee. We have mentioned thee in this perspicuous Book. He beareth witness before all faces and speaketh, saying: O people! The Day hath come - dominion belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds! Beware lest the events of the world or the affairs of those who have denied the Day of Judgment sadden thee. Say: O loved ones of God! He desireth to behold you upon thrones, facing one another. Blessed is he who casteth away what he hath and taketh what I have commanded him from the presence of One mighty, faithful. Convey My greetings from Our presence to the faces of those who are with thee, both female and male. Verily thy Lord loveth him who loveth Him and mentioneth those who have turned toward Him with radiant faces. He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty be upon thee and upon those who have recognized this Great Announcement wherewith the All-Merciful hath given glad-tidings in the Qur’an and by whose name the Books of the Messengers have been adorned. End quote.

This is what was sent down for Ibn-i-Shahid, upon him and his son be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. His word - mighty be His utterance and exalted His proof:

He is the All-Knowing Witness […]

This is the Day in which He Who was hidden hath appeared, and He Who was promised hath come, and He Who was concealed hath emerged. Blessed is the servant who hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless. Say: O people, fear God, then open your eyes. Verily the Great News standeth before your faces. Behold, and be not of the doubters.

We have remembered thee time and again, and have remembered thy father who attained the supreme martyrdom in the days of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The angels and the Spirit received him at his ascension, and I am the All-Knowing, the All-Informed Witness.

When thou didst inhale the fragrance of My utterance and didst gain illumination from the light of My verses in My Tablet, say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink from the ocean of Thy bounty the Kawthar of Thy grace, and for having caused me to turn toward the horizon of Thy Manifestation through Thy mercy which hath preceded Thy earth and Thy heaven. I beseech Thee by the pearls hidden in the treasuries of Thy Pen and the jewels concealed within the shells of the ocean of Thy grandeur, to assist me under all conditions to mention that which will draw Thy servants nigh unto the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy holiness.

O Lord! I am he who hath taken none other but Thee for his Lord, and hath chosen none other but Thee for his helper and supporter. O Lord! Thou seest the trustees of Thy earth in the hands of the treacherous among Thy creation, and those who have turned toward Thee among the ones who have turned away from among Thy servants. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the mysteries hidden in Thy Book and Thy knowledge, not to disappoint me from that which is with Thee. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who love thee for the sake of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Chosen One.

[This was revealed for Haji Abu-Talib, upon him be the glory of God]

In the name of the All-Knowing Lord

The Sun of Truth hath called out from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, summoning all to that which draweth them nigh, benefiteth them and exalteth them. But the ears of the servants, being polluted with false tales of old, are deprived of hearing, save whom God willeth. O Abu-Talib! Hearken unto the eternal call with pure and attentive ears. If thou succeedest in hearing, thou shalt witness all else but God as non-existent, and shalt turn with all thy might toward the horizon of the Manifestation.

Today the breezes of revelation have perfumed the worlds of the seen and unseen, and the traces of the Most Exalted Pen have encompassed all. Blessed is every hearer who hath attained unto hearing, and every seer who hath been honored with beholding and meeting. He who loved Me hath mentioned thee; We have remembered thee in this Clear Book whereby all things have spoken, and the Most Exalted Paradise. O people! The Self-Subsisting hath come, and through Him the seal of the choice sealed wine hath been broken. Turn ye and drink, and be not of the heedless ones.

The Cause of God is more manifest than the sun in midheaven, yet passion and desire have kept the servants far from the most holy and exalted court. Say:

My God, my God! Withhold not Thy loved ones from the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy knowledge. Thou seest them, O my God, holding fast to the cord of Thy grace and clinging to the hem of Thy mercy. Ordain for them that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and acquaint them with Thy straight path and Thy mighty Message. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Lord! It behooveth the days and Thy Cause to be manifested among the peoples with such power that neither the might of rulers nor the ascendancy of those who have denied Thy right and pronounced judgment against Thy trustees and the hands of Thy Cause with such tyranny as hath caused every stone to lament and every kernel to cry out, and the tears of them that know to flow. Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world and the Glory of those who are in the heavens and on earth.

[This was revealed for Sheikh Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God]

In My Name that is sanctified from all names […]

O Muhammad, upon thee be My Glory! Today the outpourings of the All-Bountiful One have encompassed all things, and the waves of the ocean of utterance are manifest and visible before the faces of the world. The path is clear, the proof is sent down, mercy hath preceded, and bounty hath descended. Yet the people remain veiled. The hand that was created to grasp the divine Book is seen to seize unjustly the wealth of others and to possess it. The ears and eyes have become two steeds for the self and passion. Glory be to God! Impure deeds have occupied all with that which profiteth them not and deprived them of nearness unto God. They were created for the meeting with Him and were brought from nothingness into being for His service, yet they have become heedless of that which is with God, being occupied with that which they possess. Say: My God, my God! Cleanse the eyes of Thy creation from the ophthalmia of vain imaginings and illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy Name, the All-Knowing. O my Lord! Make known to them Thy path and strengthen them in that which Thou hast commanded them in Thy Book. Verily Thou art the Powerful One Whom no might can frighten, no hosts can prevent, and no power of those who have denied Thee, disputed Thy signs, broken Thy Covenant and cast away Thy Book can weaken. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the August, the Great.

And this is what was revealed for His Honor Mirza Qasim Khan Mustawfi, upon him be the Glory of God:

In the Name of the Mighty Speaker! This Day hath no peer or likeness, inasmuch as the Ancient Beauty is seated upon the Most Great Throne. The attraction of His Revelation hath seized the worlds of the seen and the unseen. Blessed is the soul that hath not been deprived by the world and whatsoever is therein of ornaments, bounties and colors, and hath not been kept back from drawing nigh unto God. Say: O people of God! The Day is your Day and the time is your time. Why do ye fear and of what are ye afraid? Through the weakness of the servants, the leaders of the former party seized the reins of all and occupied them with their own desires. Through names they turned the people away from the straight path - sometimes in the name of the successor, at times in the name of the chief, and in the name of Shaykhi and Bala-Sari and the Fourth Pillar they sent the helpless people to hell-fire, as ye have all seen and heard and continue to hear. Until now they are engaged in cursing God, exalted be His glory, from their pulpits, and now again Dawlat-Abadi hath caused the servants to descend from the loftiest heights to the lowest depths through these same names. Say: O people of God! Abandon these names. Today that which all servants, from the first to the last, have beseeched and hoped to attain from God hath been made manifest. Blessed is the ear that hath not been deprived of hearkening unto the Word of God by the traditions, stories and proofs of the former party. Say: O servants! With the finger of detachment and reliance rend asunder the veils and adorn yourselves with the ornament of the fear of God. What was the outcome of the deeds of the former party and what did they achieve? Blessed is he who hath cast them and their vain imaginings behind him and taken what he was commanded from the heaven of the bounty of his Lord, the Standing One, the Manifest, the Speaking, the Mighty, the Clear. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest be among the joyous ones, among the successful ones, among the steadfast ones, and that thou mayest say in all conditions: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds and God of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

The names mentioned have been honored with the lights of the Sun of Oneness and eternal praise and utterance. For each name a Tablet was revealed and sent down from the heaven of divine will. We hope that each one may attain unto new and everlasting life through the verses revealed by the True One, glorified be His majesty. Verily our Lord is the Gracious Helper and the Merciful, the Compassionate. Mention was made of those connected to you, and for each one a most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed and sent down from the heaven of the bounty of the Lord of all beings. Verily He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing. Convey my greetings and glorification to the loved ones of that land and its surroundings. God is my witness that I have ever sought and continue to seek the sealed wine for each one in the Most Holy Court, that all may become intoxicated with this everlasting wine and eternal blessing - an intoxication that increaseth consciousness and understanding. Should man attain unto the effects of this wine, he would consider all else but God as non-existent. No occasion or station would remain for the barking ones and the infidels. In these days the loved ones of God must drink and give others to drink with hands of sincerity and purity, of love and faithfulness. Verily our Lord is the Mighty, the Powerful, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those who are with you and love you and upon every firm, steadfast, unwavering and upright believer. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00159 ===

=== START BH00160 ===

This is a prayer to be recited by the Quickener of souls in these days:

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hearest my lamentation like unto the lamentation of one who is bereaved, and Thou seest mine eyes turned toward the Most Sublime Horizon. How long, O my God, wilt Thou leave me among those who have denied Thy favor, gainsaid Thy signs, rejected Thy truth, opposed Thee, and turned away from Thee? Deliver me, O my God, through Thy grace and mercy, and manifest what Thou didst promise me before the creation of the heavens and earth. By Thy glory! Whenever I have called Thy servants, their perversity hath increased, and whenever I have recited unto them Thy mighty verses, they have opposed them and said: “This is naught but a fabrication against God.” Thus have their souls and desires beguiled them, although, O my God, I have shown them naught save what was revealed unto Ali aforetime, and have explained naught save what was sent down in the Bayan - and Thou seest and knowest, O God of the worlds and Purpose of them that have recognized Thee, that they have not sought the sanctuary of Thy Cause nor turned toward Thy countenance, nor do they hearken from me to that which Thou hast commanded me to manifest. Separate me from them, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of command and creation and the kingdom of the heavens and earth. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and ordainest what Thou desirest through Thy Will.

O Beloved of Baha and Purpose of Baha! Whenever I have concealed myself, Thou hast manifested me by Thy command, and whenever I have fled from them, Thou hast returned me to them by Thy power and sovereignty, and whenever I have remained silent in my house, abstaining from Thy remembrance, Thou hast caused me to speak by Thy will and hast enkindled me with Thy love to such extent that the reins of patience were wrested from my hands and I left the house, attracted to Thee, calling out with the loudest voice amidst the concourse of creation, summoning them to the remembrance of Thy Most Exalted Self from this Most Glorious Horizon. Thereupon arose the clamor of the polytheists and the cry of the deniers, and they arose to slay me and to frustrate Thy Cause. Thou hast, through Thy hidden knowledge, recorded and known what they have done and continue to do.

That which Thou hadst ordained by Thy Will hath come to pass, O my God, and that which Thou didst desire through Thy will and power hath appeared. And now Thou seest, O my God, how they have taken the calf as their lord instead of Thee and worship it morning and evening without any clear proof or book. They have reached such a state of heedlessness that they cling to vain imaginings and turn away from the Sovereign of all that is known. They enjoin what Thou hast revealed in the tablets of Thy Cause while forgetting themselves, and they oppose him through whom Thy Cause was sent down, Thy proof appeared, Thy verses were established, and Thy countenance shone forth. These are they whom Thou hast described in Thy mighty Book which Thou didst reveal unto Thy Prophet and the Seal of Thy chosen ones. Thou didst say, and Thy word is the truth: “They enjoin righteousness upon people while forgetting themselves.” And when it is said unto them: “O people! By what proof did you believe in your Lord, the Most Merciful, and in His Manifestation Who revealed the Bayan, and by what evidence do you oppose Him Who came to you from the Dayspring of the Cause with God’s signs, His proof, His grandeur and His sovereignty?” they say what the ancients said who opposed the Manifestations of Thy Self, the Dawning-places of Thy Revelation, the Daysprings of Thy inspiration, the Treasuries of Thy knowledge, the Repositories of Thy wisdom, the Lamps of Thy guidance, the Paths of Thy will, the Ways of Thy nearness, the Laws of Thy gifts, the Mysteries of Thy unity, the Manifestations of Thy singleness, and the Appearances of Thy beauty. And when it is said unto them: “O people! Have I not manifested myself with clear signs? Have I not come to you from the Dayspring of Names and Attributes? Have I not recited unto you the mighty verses of God? […]”

Have I not recited unto you the mighty verses of God? Have We not adorned the heaven of utterance with the ornaments of meaning and exposition? Have We not called you unto God, your Lord, the Most Merciful? Have We not explained to you the mysteries of divine knowledge with clear evidence and proof? Have I not manifested God’s Cause among His servants? Have not the signs of God become renowned among His creation? Why then did you turn away from Me and deny My verses? They say that which I cannot mention before Thy face, O Beloved of my heart and the One remembered in my soul! O my God and my Lord! How long wilt Thou leave me among Thy servants? By Thy glory! Even if no proof had appeared from Thee among Thy creation, Thy patience after Thy power, and Thy forbearance after Thy might would suffice to establish Thy grandeur and sovereignty.

O Lord! Why hast Thou entrusted me to those who have denied Thy Self? How long wilt Thou not answer my prayer? Whenever I say, “O Lord, take me unto Thee and deliver me from the oppressors among Thy creation,” after Thou witnesseth my distress and tribulation, Thou sayest: “By My Self, I witness and see all that hath befallen thee hath befallen My own Self, and I have sacrificed thee in My path. Dost thou love what I love not? Dost thou desire what I desire not?” I say: “May my soul be a sacrifice for Thee! My desire is what Thou hast desired, and my beloved is what Thou hast loved.” By Thy glory! I would that I had a thousand souls at every moment to sacrifice in Thy path. But it grieveth me to remain and witness those who have violated Thy sanctity and wronged the Manifestation of Thy Self, knowing they were created by the word of Thy command. Therefore my soul is troubled, mine eyes shed tears, my heart lamenteth, and my skin trembleth.

Thou sayest: “By My Self, I know what is in thy soul and I see what thou seest. Be patient as I was patient. I have ordained for thee what I have not ordained for any other, and I have chosen for thee what I have not chosen for anyone else, for I have sacrificed thee for the life of the world and all within it.” I say: “Praise be to Thee, O Beloved of the worlds! I praise Thee for what Thou hast ordained for me and thank Thee for what Thou hast desired, for Thou art the Lord of the worlds.”

O my God! Inspire me with the wonders of Thy remembrance. By Thy Self, I find no joy save in it, no gladness except through it. Should Thou withhold it from me, my soul would be troubled and my very being and essence would cease to exist. There is no life for anyone except through Thy remembrance and love, and no existence for any soul except through Thy praise and description. Though I know that my remembrance of Thee is but as the remembrance of nothingness for the Ancient Being - and I seek Thy forgiveness for this - nay, no one hath any existence or mention before a single one of Thy signs, how much less before Thy Self! Exalted, exalted is Thy remembrance above the ascent to it of Thy creatures’ remembrance! Exalted, exalted is Thy praise above the return to it of Thy creation’s description!

The highest remembrance of all created things cannot transcend the bounds of contingent existence, so how can it ascend unto Thee, O Thou in Whose recognition the hearts of Thy near ones among Thy chosen ones and the sincere among Thy loved ones are bewildered! Thy Self-remembrance proveth that the remembrance of aught else beseemeth Thee not, nor is worthy of Thy presence. Whenever I remember Thee, O my God, by Thy Name the Ever-Abiding, I witness that the Manifestation of this Name standeth before the Face and declareth: “I am He Who was ever-abiding and will be as I have ever been. My perpetuity hath no end or cessation.”

Exalted, exalted is He Who created me by a word from His presence! If I call upon Thee by Thy first name, the Manifestation of this Name addresses me and says: “That which thou dost mention returneth unto My Self. Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold Me as the First before every first, and the Last after every last, and the Outward above all things.” Exalted, exalted is my Lord Who created me by a will from His Most Exalted Pen! Exalted, exalted is He Who created me through His Most High and Most Exalted remembrance, that He might be remembered by what was composed in the kingdom of creation! If I call upon Thee, O my God, by Thy name the Powerful, I witness the Manifestation of this Name gazing upon me and saying: “Behold Me, that thou mayest see Me standing, powerful, mighty, and supreme over all things.” Exalted, exalted is He Who raised me up and fashioned me through His Most Exalted Word! Exalted, exalted is He Who fashioned me and made me manifest in the kingdom of creation! If I call upon Thee by Thy name the All-Knowing, I witness that the Manifestation of this Name weeps and laments, saying: “I am He Who was knowing before all things and shall be knowing after the passing of all things. This is the garment whereby My manifestations have been veiled from knowing My Lord and My Sovereign. I am He Who has ever been fearful and shall remain troubled. I am He Whom my Lord has made to be among the highest of names and the lowest, the greatest and the most insignificant. Blessed are My manifestations if they make not their knowledge a veil between them and the Lord of Names and Attributes, for they are among the most exalted of creation. Woe unto him whom learning hath withheld from the Sovereign of all knowledge, for he is among the most abject of creation.”

Exalted, exalted is my Creator above being remembered through mention of aught else but Him, or being described by any description save His own. Even should I praise Thee, O my God, and say “There is none like unto Thee,” the Manifestation of this Name would cry out before my face, “I am He besides Whom there is none like unto Him.” Were anyone to claim for himself a likeness or peer, it would negate the signs of unity and the evidences of oneness. I testify that in all things is inscribed the most hidden script of the Most Exalted Pen - this is a sign of unity and manifestation of oneness. Blind is the eye that sees Me not standing over all things, manifest above all things, and prevailing over all things.

Exalted, exalted is my Lord above being remembered through mention of His creation or being described by descriptions of aught besides Him. All are His servants and within His mighty grasp, created by the Word of His command. Exalted, exalted is He above being associated with His creation or being reached by the birds of His servants’ hearts soaring in the atmosphere of His knowledge. Exalted, exalted is He above descending from the heights of His Essence and the summit of His Self. He hath ever been sanctified beyond ascent and descent, and shall ever be exalted above being comprehended by hearts and minds. Whatever hath been mentioned or shall be mentioned is within the realm of possibility and returneth unto that realm. The kingdom endureth in the kingdom, and creation returneth to its form and likeness.

Would that I found, O my God, attentive ears, purified hearts, sanctified souls, illumined breasts and penetrating vision, that I might cast upon them what Thou hast inspired me through Thy generosity and taught me through Thy grace and favors. Thou, O my God, didst awaken me through Thy bounty and establish me in the station of Thy Self, and caused me to speak Thy praise and commanded me to rend asunder the veils. When I rent them asunder - more numerous than can be counted - all within the dominion of command and creation were struck with terror, and all in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save a limited number of those who fulfilled their covenant and turned to Thee, detached from all else but Thee, sincere in their devotion to Thy face. The wine of Thy knowledge in this Revelation so intoxicated them that they hastened to the place of sacrifice and the scene of annihilation, speaking Thy praise and mentioning Thy Name. They gave up their spirits in their longing to meet Thee and their quest to draw nigh unto Thee, to exalt Thy Word, manifest Thy sovereignty, and spread Thy signs and remembrance.

I testify that they are among the letters of Thy word of unity, the manifestations of Thy oneness, the dawning-places of Thy Command’s appearances and the daysprings of Thy power’s signs. Through them was Thy Name filled between Thy heaven and earth, and Thy Word was exalted above all in the dominion of Thy command and creation. From their blood did the earth bear the wonders of Thy power’s manifestations and the gems of Thy sovereignty’s mighty signs, and it shall tell its tales when its time comes.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Self and by them, and by the manifestations of Thy most beautiful Names and the dawning-places of Thy most exalted attributes, to make them in every world among Thy worlds among those who speak of Thee and circle round the pavilion of Thy grandeur. Then resurrect them with the lights of Thy countenance in Thy worlds, and separate not, O my God, between Thee and them. Then manifest them, O my God, through the appearances of Thy power, the conditions of Thy might, the signs of Thy grandeur and the traces of Thy majesty. Then manifest through them Thy Cause that all may enter within the precincts of Thy mercy which hath preceded all things. Then send down upon them at every moment from the wonders of Thy hidden mercy and Thy stored bounties. They, O my God, have fulfilled their covenant when I fulfill Thy covenant, and I testify that Thou art the Best of those who fulfill, and the Most Merciful of the merciful.

And I bear witness that Thou art the best of those who keep their promises, the most merciful of the merciful ones, and the Bestower of rewards to the doers of good. Blessed are they, and again blessed are they, in that they have turned towards Thee whilst Thou art well-pleased with them. O my Lord! Rend asunder the veils from before the eyes of Thy creatures, that they may witness what was concealed from them of the manifestations of Thy grace in Thy days. Then acquaint them, O my God, with the repugnance of their deeds and actions, that they may hasten to Thy direction, enter the precincts of Thy mercy, and become assured that Thou hast desired for them naught except that which is better for them than the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth. O my Lord! Illumine the eyes of their hearts that they may recognize what Thou hast ordained for them through Thy bounty and beneficence, and may know that Thou hast not desired the harm of Thy loved ones except for the attainment of Thy servants to the summit of recognition, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of command and the kingdom of creation. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

O Lord! Purify the ears of Thy servants from all idle tales of the past, that they may hearken unto the melodies wherewith the Dove of Thy Cause warbleth in the essence of all things, lest they measure Thy Cause by the vain imaginings of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs, and cast doubt into the hearts of Thy creatures. For I find that most of Thy servants are withheld from Thee by their attachment to the idols that exist among them and the tales they have heard from their fathers. O Lord! Create them anew, then cause them to hear what Thou desirest. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Generous.

O my God and my Master! Thou seest my tribulation among Thy creatures and what hath befallen me from the oppressors among Thy creation, though Thou didst promise all with my appearance and didst give glad tidings to all of My Self. I desired naught from the Bayan save My beauty, and revealed therein naught save My remembrance and praise. In every aspect, the Manifestation of Thy Self desired naught save My joy, My delight and My gladness. When I took from all who are in Thy earth and Thy heaven the covenant of My Self, I commanded them that none should question Me about anything, lest I be touched by weariness. Thou didst say, and Thy word is the truth: “Whosoever desireth to question Him at the time of His manifestation should question Me, lest there come upon Me that which would sadden Me and grieve My heart.”

I have ordained the laws of Thy Cause and determined the measures of Thy commandments and ordinances in such wise that nothing hath been left unaccounted for, lest there come upon My heart that which would prevent it from the surging waves of its longing for Thee, from being immersed in the ocean of Thy oneness, and from being occupied with the manifestations of the signs of Thy mighty glory. Through the tongue of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dayspring of Thy oneness, Thou didst inform them that He speaketh in all things, saying: “Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me. O My creation, behold ye Me!” And Thou didst make this Word Thy remembrance among Thy servants and the sign of Thy glory in Thy kingdom, and didst sanctify My realm from all things and from the mention of aught except Thee.

I have not made this clear except after Thy knowledge of the tenderness of My heart, the delicacy of My soul, and the purity of My inner being. Therefore, O Beloved of My heart, Purpose of My secret being, and Object of My worship! Despite this tenderness which none knoweth save Thee, Thou seest what hath come upon Me from Thine enemies who read Thy Book and cite Thy verses, yet have made Thy Book a protector of their leadership and a fortress for what their passions command them. Would that they had said concerning Me what the idolaters said concerning the repositories of Thy knowledge and the Manifestations of Thy Self! There hath come upon Me from them that which hath caused the Greatest Terror to appear among the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the cities of names, while they rejoice in their seats and are glad in their homes. Would that they would look upon Me as they look upon the lowliest of Thy servants and creatures!

All this hath come upon Thy Beloved, for Whom, had Thou been in those days, Thou wouldst have made Thyself a shield between Him and the arrows of the idolaters among Thy creation. He from Whom no created thing in the kingdom of creation hath passed except that it hath heard from it “This, verily, is the Beloved of the worlds” is mocked by Thy idolatrous servants. By Thy glory! He desireth that His body be stripped bare, that He be cut off from all, that He repair to the wilderness and find companionship with the beasts. I know not, O my God, what crime they attribute to My soul when they say He hath claimed what is above His station. Thou, O my God, hast claimed this for My Self […]

I testify, O my God, that I know not what crime they impute to my soul. If they say that I have claimed what is beyond my station, Thou, O my God, hast Thyself claimed this for me, and hast written it for me before my manifestation, and hast informed all of this. And if they say I have not uttered verses, I am not their Revealer, but rather Thou art He Who revealeth and will reveal as Thou pleasest, even as Thou didst reveal them aforetime unto Thy Messengers and Thy chosen ones. Thou knowest, O my God, that were the matter in my hands, I would not have manifested myself, nor would I have spoken a word amongst them. And whenever I desired to conceal myself from the wolves of the earth, Thou didst manifest me through Thy power and Thy sovereignty. And whenever I wished to withdraw, Thou didst will my appearance and my revelation. Thy will hath overcome my will, and Thy Purpose my purpose, until Thou didst establish me in Thine own station and caused me to cry out with the most exalted call amongst Thy creatures. I find no movement in myself except through the winds of Thy Will, nor any stillness save after Thy Command. Blessed is he who seeth in my manifestation the manifestations of Thy Will, and in my burning the fire of Thy love.

Open Thou, O my God, the eyes of Thy servants that they may behold Thee manifest through Thy manifestation. Blind is the eye that seeth Thee not as the Self-Subsisting One above all names and as the Dominator of all things. Thou, O my God, hast made the names but garments for Thy chosen ones. When the garment was changed by another name, all who are in the heavens and earth were struck with terror, save those whose gaze was fixed upon the Most Sublime Horizon and who quaffed the choice wine of inner meaning from the cup of everlasting life through Thy Most Great Name, whereby Thou didst shatter the idols of vain fancy and rent asunder the veils of names. Such are they who have known Thee and worshipped Thee, while they who are veiled from Thee by names are among those who worship them. They have no mention before the throne of Thy grandeur, nor any portion of this ocean which surgeth in Thy days.

I have reached such a state of abasement that the idolaters have said of me that I have uttered but a word or two which I had stolen from the Bayan, after Thou hadst caused to be detailed through me the books of the former and latter generations, and that which existeth with Thy loved ones equalleth that which was revealed unto ’Ali before Nabil, whom Thou didst make the Manifestation of Thy unity, the Dawning-Place of Thy sovereignty, the Revealer of Thy verses, and the Herald of the unseen reality of Thine Essence, whom Thou didst make the Self-Subsisting One over all who are in the heavens and earth, and sovereign over all who are in the kingdom of command and creation, after Thou hadst revealed in the Bayan that no books in the world could equal a single word from Him, for at the time of His manifestation, should anyone read all the books yet not believe in Him, it would profit him nothing, while should he read but one of His verses, it would suffice him.

Therefore do I say: There is no power nor strength except through Thee. I have committed my affairs unto Thee and have placed my trust in Thee. Thou art my Helper, my Succourer, and my Companion in this world and the next. And I testify that through this Word Thou hast distinguished all atoms and hast taken from them their essence, and soon shall the separation appear between those who circle round me, and there shall go forth from among them those across whose hearts waft the odors of self and passion. This is what Thou didst inform me of in Thy Tablets and didst inform the servants before my departure from Iraq in the Tablet wherein were revealed the mysteries of Thy decree and the measures of Thy destiny.

O my God! Have mercy upon Thy servants and Thy loved ones, then guard them through Thy protection lest the darts of allusions be hurled at them by those who have disbelieved in Thee, O Thou Revealer of verses and Lord of names and attributes! Then raise them to such a station that should they be prevented from their rejected deeds, they would not object to Thee, and would see in Thy command and prohibition naught save the manifestations of Thy tender mercies and the revelations of Thy bestowals. I testify that in Thy Cause Thou didst desire naught except their entrance into the ocean of Thy mercy. By Thy Self, O Beloved of the worlds and Worshipped One of those in the heavens and earth! Grief hath seized me to such extent that the Supreme Pen is withheld from flowing and the Most Glorious Tongue from remembrance and utterance. I have seen in Thy love, O my God, what no eyes of the ancients have seen, and have heard what no ears of the worlds have heard. I behold, O my God, Thy servants upon whom Thou didst send down the Bayan and whom Thou didst create for Thyself, more veiled than all previous peoples, such that they pride themselves on Thy seal and stamp it upon tablets to establish their leadership, after I had sent it to them that they might be made aware. Nay, by Thy glory! Thy seal was naught but on my finger and will never part from me, nor can anyone take it from me. Blessed is he who readeth what is inscribed therein of Thy hidden mysteries, Thy unique verses, and Thy treasured attributes. Then I know not, O my God, whether Thou rememberest me or I remember Thee. Separation hath been abolished and union established. My remembrance of Thee is Thy remembrance of me, and Thy remembrance of me is my remembrance of Thee. Remoteness hath been erased by the verse of nearness, and conjecture by the verse of certitude, and Thy manifest beauty hath shone forth from this luminous horizon. O my God! If my sin be the manifestation of Thy power and grace, I desire to be accounted among the sinners in all the worlds. And if my shortcoming be the exaltation of Thy Cause, I desire to be reckoned among those who fall short before both worlds. Thou knowest that when I saw the degradation of Thy Cause among Thy creatures, I arose to exalt it in Thy realm, and in those days there was none who would mention Thee among Thy servants with Thy sovereignty and might. And those who opposed me concealed their faces in fear of themselves. When Thou didst desire to manifest Thy Word and glorify Thy Cause, Thou didst raise me up, cause me to speak, and make me manifest until the horizons were illumined by the lights of this dawning and the breezes of glory and assurance wafted over all creation. When Thy Word was exalted and Thy greatness appeared and Thy Cause and sovereignty became manifest, they emerged from behind the veil in rebellion against Thy Self and turning away from Thee, to the point of seeking to slay me after Thou hadst made me a fortress for them and a refuge for their souls. O my God! When I am seated before Thee and awaiting what Thou hast ordained for me of Thy decree which was hidden from the eyes of Thy creatures, by Thy Self, all my limbs and members long to be torn asunder in Thy path. Would that I were in that state at this moment, O Creator of the world and Remembered One in all hearts! How sweet is Thy remembrance to my taste, and how delectable is my servitude to Thy Self! I have attained therein to such a station that whenever I behold any ground I long to prostrate myself upon it in humility before Thy face and in adoration of Thy Self. By Thy glory! Were I not mindful of Thy irrevocable decree, I would have manifested myself only in pure servitude among Thy creatures, but Thou hast ordained through Thy power what Thou didst desire.

Prostrate before Thy Self, by Thy glory, were I not mindful of Thy destined decree, I would not have manifested myself save in pure servitude amidst Thy creatures. But Thou hast ordained through Thy power what Thou didst desire and executed what Thou didst will, that what was revealed in the Bayan might be fulfilled. Otherwise, I would have loved to bow before every countenance that was bowed before Thy face. Those who have transgressed beyond servitude unto Thee have not found its sweetness.

I beseech Thee, O Lord of the kingdoms of eternity, to aid me and my loved ones to serve Thee and to show servitude in all conditions unto Thy Self. Then accept, O my God, what we have done and what we have left undone of that which Thou didst prescribe for us. O Lord, make us steadfast in Thy love and in walking the paths of Thy good-pleasure. Then make us helpers of Thy Cause in such wise that nothing shall prevent us from aiding Thee and exalting Thy Word. O Lord, set us ablaze with the fire of Thy love in such manner that through us the fire of Thy love may be kindled among Thy creatures, and we may aid Thee in all conditions such that neither the denial of anyone nor the turning away of any soul shall hinder us. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Point through which Thy hidden knowledge and treasured mysteries were detailed, and through whom Thou didst take the covenant of the Dayspring of Thy Being and the Manifestation of the Mystery of Thy Oneness, and upon those who were touched by tribulation and adversity in Thy love until they were martyred in Thy path, and upon those who believed in Thee purely for Thy sake and left their homes to exalt Thy Word and manifest Thy Cause, and who bore naught on their journey save Thy love and Thy verses. And though they bore what they bore, their only concern was the spread of Thy signs and the establishment of Thy truth, and their gaze was fixed solely upon Thee. O Lord, bless them with the tongue of Thy grandeur, then shower upon them at all times from the wonders of Thy mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Glorify, O my God, the Manifestations of the letter Ha who sacrificed their spirits and bodies in this Cause whereby the great terror appeared and the dwellers of the cities of names lamented, and through them Thy Cause was manifested, Thy remembrance spread, and Thy revelation shone forth. O Lord, send down upon them what befitteth Thy station and is worthy of Thy presence, for they have done what was incumbent upon them, and there remaineth what Thou hast prescribed for them. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thyself and by them and by these five, to send upon us the breezes of forgiveness to purify us from disobedience. Then forgive, O my God, our fathers and our kindred from among those who have turned to the sanctuary of Thy Cause and directed themselves toward the court of Thy good-pleasure. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Exalted, the Supreme, the Help in Peril.

=== END BH00160 ===

=== START BH00161 ===

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

All praise and gratitude beseemeth those who draw nigh unto Him, whose mention kindleth the Fire of God amongst His servants, and whose glorification illumineth the realm of the heart with the light of recognition. The fragrance of their love for God hath attracted the world of letters and fashioned them into embodied words. Exalted, exalted is He Who hath adorned His loved ones with the ornament of meaning and utterance, to such extent that the realm of speech standeth powerless to describe it. In truth, the living waters of human utterance have ever been and shall remain the fountain of life, for they revive withered forms and quicken those who lie dead in the wilderness of heedlessness and forgetfulness. Exalted, exalted is that Sovereign Who, through the breezes of His Most Exalted Pen, hath enabled all to attain unto the supreme heights - the station of the most great steadfastness. The Pen hath no power to soar beyond this station.

Glorified art Thou, O God of all created things and Educator of all beings! I beseech Thee by the fire in the hearts of them that are sincere, by the radiance of the faces of Thy near ones, by the waves of the oceans of their hearts moved by Thy name and remembrance, and by the enkindlement of the fire of their love in Thy days, to make them the ensigns of Thy guidance among Thy servants and the standards of servitude in Thy dominion, that through them may appear that which will draw Thy servants nigh unto Thy most exalted horizon and honor them with Thy recognition in the world of creation. Thou art, verily, the Almighty over what Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my Lord! Send down upon them Thy blessings, throughout the everlasting dominion of Thy sovereignty, and ordain for them the good of this world and the world to come through Thy bounty and generosity. Thou art, verily, the Most Bountiful, the Most Generous, He Who commandeth, the All-Powerful, the All-Informed.

O Beloved of my heart and He Who is mentioned in my soul! Ages and centuries have truly passed wherein this servant hath not succeeded in sending that which would evidence my steadfastness in my love and devotion for you. Though it is clear and evident to the illumined heart what hath caused this delay and postponement of my letters, God the One beareth witness that not a moment hath passed except that I intended to importune that Beloved One. However, for every matter there is an appointed time and a fixed hour, beyond which this evanescent one hath no power to transgress. The command is in His grasp; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Yet the mention of that Beloved One hath ever been made in the Most Holy and Exalted Court. Time and again have I heard from the tongue of Grandeur mention of that honored one and reference to the land of Mim. Though this ephemeral one may at times be heedless, the Ever-Abiding Lord existeth and His favors have never ceased for a moment. When one contemplates the manifestations of mercy and compassion from the heaven of grace and bounty, one is struck with wonder. May all creation be a sacrifice unto His favor, and all beings be a sacrifice unto His compassion! In any case, this servant remained watchful and waiting until the tree of hopes brought forth goodly fruit and the pen of recognition became laden with new words of love. After perusal, reading and understanding, I proceeded to the sacred station which is beyond the mention of the Concourse on High, and it was presented before the Most Great Throne and attained the honor of being heard. This is what was uttered by the tongue of our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all who are in the kingdoms of Command and Creation. His mighty utterance, exalted be His proof:

In My Name, the Witness, the Hearer […]

O thou who speakest in My Name, who hast drunk the choice wine of My love, who hast turned towards My horizon and who standest in service to My Cause! Hear My call whereby the world was set ablaze and the hearts of nations were stirred, whereby every pregnant one cast her burden and all in creation were seized by the stupor of heedlessness. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath rent asunder the veil with the finger of power and come from the heaven of utterance riding upon the clouds. He verily draweth thee nigh unto a station wherein no matter shall grieve thee, nor the opposition of those who have denied the Source and the Return. Take thou the chalice of joy in My Name, then drink therefrom what I have ordained, and I am the Commander, the Bountiful.

Thou hast attained unto My bounty in My days and unto tribulation in My path, and I am the All-Knowing Rememberer. My Most Exalted Pen hath testified to what thou hast endured in My love and what thou hast heard from Mine enemies who denied My proof, rejected My signs and rose up to shed the blood of My loved ones without evidence or Book. The world hath so deluded them that they have deprived themselves of this grace that hath encompassed all regions. By My life! They shall soon behold the recompense of their deeds. This is a truth in which there is no doubt, as attested by Him with Whom is the Mother Book.

The servant who was present came and read what thou didst send unto the Wronged One. We have sent down for thee that which shall give thee to drink of the Kawthar of life from the hands of favor and grace. O Ali! It hath grieved Me what hath befallen My Name Ali who sacrificed his spirit and his wealth with such steadfastness as amazed the Concourse on High and caused all things to speak forth his praise and his detachment throughout the nights and days. The Wronged One hath come for the reformation of the world, yet the peoples have committed that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise and the inhabitants of this station to lament at eventide and at dawn.

Blessed art thou in thy migration and thy turning towards His people. We beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of what thou hast wrought in His path. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Convey My greetings unto the faces of My loved ones who have cast away what the people possess and have taken the Book of God with the hands of might and power. Remind them of what We have revealed in the Tablet and give them the glad-tidings of the favors of their Lord, the Lord of all men. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those who are with thee and upon every patient believer.

O Ali! The friends of God must at all times look to the exaltation of the Cause, and this cannot be achieved except through unity. Steadfast souls who are assured, content and well-pleasing must hold fast to that which promoteth unity and harmony, and must arise for God in this service. They must not look to themselves but rather to that whereby the Word of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, may be uplifted. Whosoever attaineth unto this station, the hand of divine favor will take him and exalt him as it pleaseth.

Counsel each of the friends regarding those manners and characteristics that cause the gems of human qualities to be revealed from the mine of man. This Wronged One hath, throughout the nights and days, imparted to the souls who were present from among the neighboring community that which conduceth to everlasting life and eternal, abiding grace. Blessed is he who hath attained unto true hearing, and woe unto those who have turned aside. All atoms bear witness that this Wronged One, in bearing hardships and standing before the faces of the world, hath had no purpose except the reformation and tranquility of the nations. The steadfast souls must gird up the loins of endeavor and with all their power hold fast unto this most great Cause and most mighty service.

Unto Him be praise and glory, unto Him be gratitude and splendor! At all times His grace is manifest and evident. From time immemorial His glance of favor hath been directed toward His loved ones, and ever shall remain so. From the beginning of this Revelation until now, no seeker hath been denied, and no pursuer barred. The Beloved Ones themselves know and bear witness to this - there is no need for mention by this evanescent one. In truth, the waves of the ocean of mercy are never still, and the outpourings of grace never cease. The breezes of bounty waft throughout all nights and days, and the fragrance from the garden of inner meanings is diffused at every moment. Nevertheless, the mischief-makers among the people of the Bayan have denied it all and are occupied with vain imaginings. Nay more, they have denied the revealed verses and manifest proofs that have encompassed the world. They are seen to be more lost than the people of the Furqan. Woe unto them and unto those who have led them astray! This servant beseecheth his Lord to aid them to return and to assist all who are on earth to turn towards Him. Verily He is the Powerful, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

As to what was written about making arrangements in each city so as not to cause trouble, and so forth: God, exalted be His glory, is my witness that whatsoever cometh from those beloved ones hath been and ever shall be the cause of gladness of heart, expansion of the senses, and dilation of the breast. God willing, may this bounty never cease or be cut off. How fitting in this connection is this verse: “The remembrance of friends by the Friend is blessed.” I beseech God that He may bestow His grace and favor, that once again this dispersion and separation may end and be transformed into gathering together, that we may abide beneath the canopies of grandeur and occupy ourselves in these days with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. Every desire and purpose that seemeth great in the eyes of men is easy for God, exalted be His glory. He doeth as He willeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Concerning what was written about turning towards the lands of S, Sh and M, after it was submitted to the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, these sublime words were revealed from the highest horizon. His blessed and exalted Word:

“O Ali! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness! God hath raised thee up and made thee manifest to arise for the service of His Cause.” Among the greatest services in the sight of God hath been and is the harmonizing of hearts and the promotion of fellowship among souls. Hold fast at all times to this mighty command and most great service. God’s favor hath been and is with thee. Thy call hath been and is being heard. Nothing escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have heard thy communion with God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, and We have perceived the fragrance of thy steadfastness in this Straight Path. Blessed is he who heareth thy word in this Great Cause. Blessed are they whom riches have not kept back from the Lord of all beings, and who have acted according to what they were commanded in His perspicuous Book. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite the hearts of His servants and make them as one soul. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

The turning of those beloved ones toward various regions is acceptable in the sight of God. May you be confirmed in all affairs, God willing. I implore God that through your being, He may cause souls to arise who shall be aided and enabled to promote the exaltation of His blessed Word, and who shall, through wisdom and utterance, draw the people of creation to the most exalted horizon.

As regards what was written concerning Aqa ’Abdu’l-128, upon him be the Glory of God, after it was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, He said: “Excellent is that which the Most High hath spoken in reply,” inasmuch as it is not permissible to dispose of the Huququ’llah without permission, and whatsoever the aforementioned soul remitteth of the Huquq to be given to the poor is acceptable before His Face and adorned with the ornament of permission. O ’Ali! The payment of the Huquq returneth to benefit the working souls. If this matter were to be unveiled and its fruits made manifest, all would render the Huququ’llah from what they possess and deliver it. Beseech God to grant success unto His servants. God willing, may all be enabled to pay the Huquq. Convey greetings to his honor ’Abdu’l-Husayn. We beseech God to send down upon him from the heaven of His bounty a blessing from His presence. He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

This mention which hath been revealed by the Most Exalted Pen concerning the aforementioned soul is better and more exalted than the treasures of the world and whatsoever is concealed therein. Happy is he! We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to kindle the fire of love that all may be set ablaze and become as wings one unto another, soaring together in the atmosphere of unity. They must be regardful of wisdom, and likewise of that love which causeth hearts and souls to be enkindled. Gatherings that do not exceed proper bounds have been and are necessary. Verily, He Who hath commanded us to observe wisdom hath taught us that which increaseth our love, our turning and our devotion unto Him. May God, exalted be His glory, aid His servants in all conditions with that which He loveth and is pleased with, and grant them success that they may not be deprived of the outpourings of His days.

As to their mention of Haji ’Abdu’l-Karim, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented in the most mighty, most exalted and most glorious station before the face of the Lord of Names, and this most exalted Word was revealed from the Dayspring of Will, exalted and blessed be His utterance:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger

O ’Abdu’l-Karim! The horizon of the world is illumined and bright with the light of the manifestation of the Most Great Name. The path of attainment is clear, the proof is evident, the verses are revealed and the signs are manifest, yet the people are occupied with vain imaginings and idle fancies, save whom God willeth, thy Lord, the Lord of all worlds. In every age and cycle when the Morn of Revelation dawned and the blessed Tree sprouted forth by the command of the Lord of creation, the divines of the earth, its doctors and other servants assailed the Tree with sharpened swords. All divine Books bear witness to this fact. In the Book of Certitude there hath flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful that which is the water of life for the people of the world. Blessed is the soul that riseth up purely for the sake of God to aid His Cause and striveth for the reformation of the world and its peoples. We beseech God to aid His loved ones that they may, through the divine waters of counsel, purify the hearts of the world’s peoples from rancor and hatred. God willing, may you ever drink from the chalice of divine knowledge and take your portion from the ocean of utterance which is manifest and resplendent before the faces of men, and arise to serve the Cause of God with such steadfastness that the doubts and intimations of all who dwell on earth shall not hinder you. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord’s loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have taken the cup of steadfastness with the hands of power and might, and have drunk therefrom despite those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds.

In My Name, the All-Merciful, the All-Bountiful

O Sadiq! Your name was mentioned before the Wronged One in His Most Great Prison. We make mention of you with that which guideth every seeker unto the Path, every thirsty one unto the Euphrates, every pursuer unto the Pursued, and every truthful one unto the Supreme Horizon–the station wherein the Lord of Names proclaimeth: “Blessed is he that heareth and hath a heart that turneth, and woe unto the heedless.” Whatsoever hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen is verily the Water of Life unto all who dwell within the realm of creation. To this beareth witness He Who speaketh before the faces of the world: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all worlds.” When thou art blessed with My verses and perceivest the fragrance of My utterance, say:

“My God, my God! Withhold not from me the outpourings of Thy Most Bountiful Name in Thy days. O Lord! I am he who hath fled from his self unto Thy Self, and who seeketh from the wonders of Thy bounty that which shall make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy service amongst Thy servants. O Lord! Make for me a lamp from the light of Thy knowledge that it may guide me unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

And We make mention of Abdul-Husayn and give him glad tidings of My turning towards him from this far-distant Shore. We counsel him with that which exalteth the station of man in the contingent world, and with that wherewith We have counselled all in My Perspicuous Book. Strife and conflict have been forbidden, as hath been all that causeth grief to hearts and souls. Say: O peoples of the earth! Ye were created for harmony and unity. Fear the All-Merciful, and follow not the desires of those who have disbelieved in God, the Almighty, the Most Great. Verily, My Most Exalted Pen speaketh at morn and at eventide, and calleth all unto God, the Lord of Names. Among the people are those who have heard and turned unto Him, those who have turned away, and those who have pronounced judgment against the Wronged One without any clear proof from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord, firm in His Cause, and vocal in His beauteous praise. Let nothing debar thee from this Straight Path. The glory shining forth from the horizon of My Most Exalted Pen be upon the people of Baha who have inhaled the fragrance of the Divine Raiment and have recognized that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken before the creation of all things. The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the All-Informed.

This endeth the passage. I beseech God–exalted be His glory–that He deprive them not of the fragrances of His days, that He make them steadfast in His Cause, and that He aid them with such confirmations that the veils and barriers of the people of the world shall neither hinder nor prevent them. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who is powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Hearing, the Answering.

And this is what was revealed for Karbila’i Husayn, upon him be the glory of God. His utterance, exalted be His word and manifest His proof: In the name of God, the One […]

O Husayn! Praise thou the Best Beloved of the world Who confirmed thee in turning towards Him in days when most of the people of the world are seen to be heedless and turned away. Know thou the station of this most great bounty and supreme gift. The world and whatsoever is therein cannot be compared to one blessed word that shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s Will. We beseech God to grant success in preserving that which He hath bestowed. This grace hath no equal. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous. Strive that there may appear from thee that which beseemeth these days. Verily He counseleth His servants and He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

To Him be praise and glory. Each one hath attained to that which hath been the desire of those who are nigh and sincere. This servant conveyeth greetings, peace and praise to them and to all other friends, and for each one I seek that which is like unto a shining light and like unto a penetrating and subtle spirit. Glory be to God! Despite this burning Fire and this shining Light and this clear Path, all are seen to be heedless and withered, nay rather dead, save those souls who have been illumined by the light of the Most Great Luminary and who, detached from all else, hold fast unto the Most Great Name. These are honored servants whom God hath described in His perspicuous Book: “Men whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of God” and who “speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His bidding.”

And concerning what was written that some are seeking and acknowledge the verses but for the assurance of their hearts they say “we will write something, place it in a box and seek its answer from the Most Holy Court accordingly” - after this was submitted before the Throne, these words were revealed from the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation, exalted be His glory:

O ’Ali! The Most Exalted Pen hath revealed aforetime and thereafter that which leaveth no room for anyone to hesitate, turn away or object. Future events were clearly foretold beforehand by the Most Exalted Pen. The evidences are manifest and the Cause is brilliant, yet the people are in evident doubt. Kindness and courtesy must be shown to the souls mentioned. Say: Reflect on that which hath appeared and be fair in your judgment. By what proof have you accepted the Qur’an? Now you witness that which is a hundred thousand times greater than that. In truth, this is not the day for questions and answers. Previously this blessed verse was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen: “This is not the day for questions. It behooveth everyone, when hearing the Call from the Supreme Horizon, to say: ‘Here am I, here am I, O God of Names! Here am I, here am I, O Desire of the worlds!’”

In truth one is bewildered. The lights of the Sun of Revelation have encompassed the world. The proof, evidence and testimony are more evident than the sun in midheaven. Yet they say that which the heedless souls have not said before or since. In these days some people from Manshad sought that which the assemblage of Ummu’l-Qura had sought. Nay, this lesser request was specifically answered by that which was befitting from the heaven of divine Will. It is very good for such souls to read it. Those who cling to such matters have never succeeded in attaining to faith, to this beareth witness our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven.

And concerning what was written about his eminence from the people of Mim, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory, it was submitted before His presence. This is what was revealed in reply from God, the Lord of Lords, blessed and exalted be He: […]

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

O Ali! We have remembered thy father with verses that neither the spirits of the world nor sacred books and tablets can equal. Every Book hath submitted when the Mother Book did speak. He Who hath spoken in every state beareth witness that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower. There hath befallen them in the path of God that which hath caused the Maids of Heaven to beat their faces and the eyes of them that are nigh to weep in the most exalted station. O Ali! Behold and then remember what befell My Name, the Most Exalted. By God! He sacrificed his spirit with such detachment as to astonish the Concourse on High and those who circle round the Throne at morn and eventide. We have remembered him and revealed for him that from which those nigh unto God inhale the fragrance of eternity, and the sincere ones that which none hath known save God, the Lord of all men. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom rest upon him and upon those who were imprisoned through tyranny, for whom the Manifestations of the Cause have lamented in the highest paradise.

This Wronged One hath remembered all with a remembrance that shall endure throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven. O Buzurg! Thy mention hath been and is before the face of this Wronged One in the Most Great Prison. Thou hast ever been and art beneath the glance of grace. By the Sun of the heaven of proof! All things have shared in thy tribulation. The atoms of creation, by the testimony of the Supreme Pen, have borne witness. Convey My greetings to the family of the martyr, his relatives and friends. Say: A station hath been conferred upon you which, were it to be revealed, would cause the people of the world to swoon away and all tongues to exclaim “Blessed be God, the Ordainer of this station!” Some time ago, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to each one. God willing, may all drink from the oceans of divine utterances and, with utmost joy and fragrance, occupy themselves with the remembrance of the Goal of all the worlds. The glory be upon you, upon your first and your last, your outward and your inward.

This evanescent servant also conveyeth greetings and salutations to each one and beseecheth God to aid all to remain patient and calm. Previously, numerous tablets were revealed from the heaven of grace and sent forth, and this time too, whatsoever was graciously bestowed shall be sent according to the command of that Beloved One. Their mention is and shall remain indelibly inscribed in hearts.

Concerning what was written about the departed and elevated Aqa Siyyid ’Abdu’l-Hadi, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, some time ago there was revealed from the Supreme Pen specifically for him that which adorned the world with a new ornament. His is the grace and the bounty, His the generosity and the praise. There is none other God but He, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

Likewise, mention was made of the honored beloved, Jinab-i-Fadl, upon him be the glory of God and His favors. In these days he is frequently remembered. We beseech God, exalted be He, to protect him, deliver him, and send down upon him that which befits His generosity and bounty. The friends in that land should be mindful of his condition, but God is his Protector and He is the Protector of those who do good. To the friends of that land, one and all, I convey greetings and praise, and I beseech from the True One that through your influence He may set them all ablaze with such a fire as shall ignite the whole world. Likewise, I send greetings and glory to your household and relatives, and for each one I seek divine confirmation and assistance. This letter concludes with mention of the Branches of the Blessed Tree - may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps - that its ending may be spirit itself, nay the spirit of spirits and the essence of essences. During the days of your imprisonment they were grieved and expressed sorrow. Praise be to God that after release from prison, all, together with the dwellers of the pavilion of purity and grandeur, were joyful. All expressed countless tokens of loving-kindness. Blessed be you and those with you. And they conveyed their glorification. Peace, praise and glory be upon you and upon those with you, and upon those whom the affairs of creation have not prevented from the straight path of God. And praise be to God, the Exalted, the Great.

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=== START BH00162 ===

The Most Glorious One be upon Naim! He is the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Praise be befitting unto the Lord of all beings, Who through His Most Exalted Word summoned the dwellers of the mortal realm to the highest horizon and bestowed upon them a portion of the sealed wine. This Word is, in one station, the water of life unto them that are dead through self and desire, and in another station, it is a shining light for the guidance of the inhabitants of earth and heaven. At times it appeareth in the form of fire - it is the cause of divine love’s warmth appearing in the hearts and minds of all peoples. And at times it is as a sovereign seated upon the throne of bounty and grace. It is the ocean of favor wherein are hidden the pearls of wisdom and utterance. It is the heaven of justice from which the stars of trustworthiness and religion are visible. Blessed is the soul that hath, through this radiant and effulgent light, set out for its true homeland, and joy be to the one who hath turned towards the Most Great News. Exalted be the majesty of God and His dominion, exalted be His remembrance and His utterance, and mighty be His proof. There is no God but Him.

Glory be unto Thee, O God of the world and Goal of the nations! Thou knowest and seest that one of Thy chosen servants hath turned to Thy servant who was named ?iya in the Book of Names, and desired to mention him in the court of Thy might and the sanctuary of Thy holiness. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name through which Thou hast caused the rain of generosity to descend upon the nations, and by Thy sovereignty which hath encompassed all existence both seen and unseen, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy, and by the splendors of the luminary of Thy grace, to ordain for him and for those whom he hath mentioned in his letter that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and give them to drink of the water of everlasting life from the hand of Thy bounty, and attract them to the atmosphere of Thy might and the heaven of Thy mercy. Then write down for them, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining Thy presence, O Lord of all beings and Lord of the throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

Thy letter was received, and as it was a bearer of a petition intended for the Possessor of the Point of Existence and the King of the seen and unseen, after its presentation and permission before the Seat of Justice, all of it was presented and was honored to be heard. Then the waves of the ocean of utterance appeared and the sun of grace shone forth from the horizon of the bounty of our Lord, the Most Merciful. He spoke, and His word is the truth: In My Name, the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing.

O Na’im! Upon thee be My Baha! One of the Branches named ?iya’ appeared before Me with thy letter. Blessed be thy tongue for having uttered the praise of God, and thy heart for having turned unto Him, and thy face for having been directed towards the light of His countenance, and thy pen for having flowed with His remembrance, and thy heart for having given birth to the maidens of remembrance and utterance. We beseech God to aid thee and to assist thee, and to make what hath flowed from thy tongue a treasure for thee with Him. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

This is a Day wherein all things have been stirred up by the breezes of Revelation, yet most of the people are in evident doubt. The Sun of Utterance hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of proof, and the Dove of Knowledge hath warbled upon the highest branches. O concourse of creation! Your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath come with power and sovereignty. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves from drawing nigh unto Him. Cast away what ye possess, turning unto God, the Lord of all men. The treasures of the earth shall profit you not; cast them behind you and take what hath been given you by God, the Lord of Lords.

Blessed art thou, O Na’im, for having attained unto My bounty, which is My favor in one station and My knowledge in another, and My grace which We sent down aforetime and afterwards, and on this Day which hath been named the Day of God in the Scriptures and Tablets. Beware lest the happenings of the world grieve thee or the clamor of the nations prevent thee from My Choice Wine, whose seal We have broken with the fingers of might and power. We have desired to give thee to drink thereof cup after cup and chalice after chalice, that it may take thee from thyself and attract thee to a station whereon hath been raised the banner of grandeur by the command of God, the Commander, the All-Wise.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not the dawning-places of idle fancies and vain imaginings. This is a Day wherein the Call hath been raised in the prison of ’Akka. Blessed is he who hath heard and responded, and woe unto every heedless doubter. We have adorned the brocade of the Book of Existence with this Name at which the limbs of the wicked have quaked. When thou hearest My call and takest and drinkest the choice wine of My utterance, turn with thy heart to the Dawning-Place of inspiration and say:

Praise be to Thee, O my God, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Aim, and glory be unto Thee, O Beloved of my heart, and bounty be unto Thee, O my Adored One, for having guided me unto Thy path, given me to drink of the wine of Thy bestowal, and shown me Thy signs. I beseech Thee by the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and by its fruits and its rustling, and by the flowing rivers and their murmuring, and by the breezes of Thy Day and their whistling, to manifest through me that which will draw the people nigh unto the court of Thy grace and the threshold of Thy nearness. O Lord! Thou beholdest me speaking Thy praise amongst Thy servants and holding fast unto the cord of Thy bounty, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen! There is none other God but Thee, the Bestower, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Verily, We desire at this time to make mention of him who was attracted by My verses and achieved the spreading of My writings throughout My lands and spoke My praise amidst My servants - he who was named Sina in the Tablet of Names. We testify that he turned, hastened, heard and answered his Ancient Lord. O Sina! Hearken unto My Most Glorious call from the horizon of the Prison of Akka. Verily, it attracts thee and draws thee nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We have mentioned thee time and again, and answered thee repeatedly, and revealed for thee that which shall be immortalized in My perspicuous Book. We have heard thy call and that which the tongue of thy heart hath uttered. Verily thy Lord heareth and seeth, and He is the Hearing, the Responding. We testify that thou didst turn to the Most Exalted Horizon when every heedless and remote one turned away. Thou didst take hold of the Book of God with a power from Him and didst convey His Cause in such wise that neither the might of princes nor the doubts of the divines could deter thee. Verily thy Lord was with thee in all conditions. He is the Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Say: O concourse of the earth! The promised Day hath come, and the Promised One calleth from His glorious station, summoning all unto the straight Path of God. Beware lest the world and whatsoever is therein prevent you from turning toward the light of His Countenance. Turn ye, and be not of the heedless ones. The ocean of utterance hath surged in creation before the faces of all religions. Hear! Hear! And be not of them that hesitate. O Sina! This is the Day wherein the lips of Sinai smiled at meeting its Interlocutor, and the Tree at its Speaker. Blessed is the ear that heard, called out and said: “Thine is the praise, O Thou Who art the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth!” We have mentioned thee in numerous Tablets and preserved thee through a company of angels drawn nigh.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward him who was named Nayyir in My Luminous Book, then make mention of him in such wise as to attract the hearts of the sincere ones. We have heard thy call and answered thee with a Tablet wherewith God hath adorned the preface of His Preserved Book. We testify that thou didst traverse the lands to spread the signs of thy Lord, the Speaking, the All-Knowing. Say: O people! The Day that was promised in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Praised, hath come. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of that which hath been manifested therein through truth. Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. Your remembrances have been presented, and that which dawned from the horizon of your hearts in praise of your Creator, Who came with manifest sovereignty. We found therein the fragrance of your sincerity and your turning unto Him, and your steadfastness in this Cause whereby the limbs of the servants trembled, save those whom the hand of thy Lord’s power delivered - the Strong, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is the Day wherein the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End and the flowing of the Kawthar of utterance in the Supreme Paradise were raised high, yet the people remain behind a thick veil. Blessed is the power that rent asunder the veils and cast away names, turning unto the Ocean of Knowledge, from whose waves one heareth: “The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of the Kingdom of Eternity hath come with a Cause before which all the hosts of the heavens and earth cannot stand.” Thus have We remembered thee and cast upon thee that which attracteth thee once and again, raising thee to a station beyond which the remembrances and descriptions of the servants are cut off. To this testifieth He Who speaketh in every condition that there is none other God but Me, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Praise be to God! The light of utterance hath dawned from the horizon of the Will of Him Who is the Desire of all worlds - a dawning that hath illumined all hearts and souls. Blessed is this Day, for the hidden treasure hath been revealed and the concealed mystery hath become manifest. I beseech God not to debar or deprive His servants from the shore of the ocean of mercy. Glory be to God! Despite the doors of divine favors being flung wide, the Sun of Truth shining forth, and the rivers of bounty flowing, most are seen to be veiled and debarred on this Day which is attributed to God, known by Him, and recorded by the Eternal Pen in the divine Books as the Day of God. Nevertheless, they remain occupied with their own like and heedless of that which is with God. This Prisoner declareth:

My God, my God! I testify to Thy sovereignty that hath encompassed all created things, to Thy power that hath subdued all possibilities, and to the sanctification of Thy Being and the exaltation of Thine Essence above the description of all creatures. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Beloved of the nations, by Thy Most Great Name through which the door of the hidden treasure was opened and the pearls concealed in the shells of the ocean of Thy hidden knowledge were revealed, to assist Thy servants to draw nigh unto Thee and to turn unto the lights of Thy countenance in Thy days. O Lord! Make known to them Thy straight path and Thy mighty Message, and enable them to return to the door of Thy mercy and to draw nigh unto the court of Thy glory. O Lord! Deny them not through Thy grace and bounty. I testify, and all things testify, to Thy power, Thy sovereignty, Thy greatness and Thy might. There is none other God but Thee, the Single One, the Unique, the Protector of all that is in the heavens and the earths.

Mention was made of Master Ibrahim Saffar, upon him be the Glory of God, the Chosen One. After being presented before the Seat of Justice, these brilliant verses were sent down from the heaven of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. His word - exalted be His utterance and mighty His proof:

He is the All-Knowing Expositor

O Saffar! The Wronged One of the world hath turned toward thee from the Most Great Prison and maketh mention of thee. Rejoice thou in this most great favor that hath encompassed existence both seen and unseen. I testify to that which God hath testified: There is none other God but He, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

O Ibrahim! The Friend of all regions sent sacrifices to the place of martyrdom, yet none took notice. These are souls who gave their lives and uttered not an unseemly word. Indeed, they manifested such power, might and detachment as had no likeness or equal. The pens of the world and tongues of nations are powerless to praise them and fall short of describing them. Each one shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of detachment like the sun, neither concealed by the clouds of idle fancies nor veiled from light by the mists of vain imaginings. Glorified be He Who aided them and brought them into being! Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken at this moment from His exalted station. The resplendent and manifest glory be upon thee and upon thy son who turned toward God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, and attained recognition at a time when ignorance had encompassed most of creation to such extent that they turned away from the Speaking One, the Manifest, the All-Knowing.

This is what was revealed for Mirza Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God.

He is the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

O Husayn! Upon thee be My Glory! This blessed Day is associated with Truth and in it hath appeared that which no eye in the world hath seen its like. The bounty of utterance is manifest, the table of knowledge is descended, the ocean of generosity is surging, and the sun of divine knowledge is shining from the horizon of the heaven of proof. Yet the people remain heedless, for the veils of fancy have so seized them that they cannot distinguish nearness from remoteness, nor knowledge from ignorance. Blessed is the soul that hath passed beyond tales of doubt, allusions, conjectures and fancies, and hath turned toward the horizon of certitude. Such a one is of the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark. When thou findest the fragrance of utterance, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, enabled me to turn unto Thee, and guided me to Thy path and to Thy Great Announcement, whereby the limbs of Thy creatures have trembled, save those whom Thou didst deliver by Thy power. O Lord! Thou seest Thy servant turning unto Thee and clinging to Thee and to Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee to make me firm, steadfast and upright in Thy Cause and in Thy love. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.”

This Prisoner beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to send down especially for His loved ones that which is everlasting and enduring, which centuries and ages cannot alter, and which armies and hosts cannot erase. Thou art He Who is so powerful that the denial and opposition of the wicked cannot prevent Thee from Thy purpose nor hold Thee back from showing forth Thy bounty.

Mention was made of Aqa Murad-’Ali-i-Kirmani, upon him be the Glory of God. After being submitted before the Luminous Countenance, these words shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will. He saith, blessed and exalted be He:

He is the Single One, the All-Informed

O Murad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of creation! Hear the call of the Desired One from the direction of the Most Great Prison. Verily He will strengthen thee, prosper thee, and bring thee nigh unto the Most Exalted Paradise, the Station wherein the Call was raised and the mysteries of what was and what will be were revealed, and whereby the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost Boundary and the Green Tree in the Supreme Paradise spoke, and the Dove of Utterance warbled upon the branch of possibility. The dominion of earth and heaven belongeth unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This is a Day wherein every one possessed of ears hath heard the mention of all things, and every one possessed of sight hath beheld the horizon of Revelation. Grieve not over anything, nor over the vicissitudes and changes of the world. Hold fast unto that which beseemeth this Day wherein the Mount hath been seized by the rapture of the utterance of thy Lord, the Possessor of existence. Verily the Hijaz crieth out, and Batha speaketh, and Yathrib hath exclaimed saying: “Glory be unto thee, O ‘Akka, in that the Throne of Justice hath been established upon thee and the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken: ’Grandeur belongeth unto God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.’” Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

And this is what was revealed for Aqa Muhammad, son of him who attained the recognition of our Lord, the All-Merciful, in these days. He saith, mighty be His utterance, great His verses, and glorious His proof:

He is God, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Knowing […]

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory! We have mentioned thee before in verses from which there flowed the rivers of wisdom and utterance throughout all contingent being. Exalted is thy Lord, the All-Merciful, Who hath turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison and remembered thee in such wise as to attract the hearts and souls. Blessed art thou and blessed are they whom names have not kept back from their Lord and Sovereign. Verily thy Lord is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be,” and it is. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and follow not your idle fancies. Follow the Truth, the Knower of things unseen, Who hath come from the horizon of power with the standards of His signs. Read, then be fair, and be not of those who behold the light yet deny it. That which was never manifest in the world hath appeared, and He hath come through Whose remembrance the Bayan was adorned, and before it the Qur’an, and before it the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of that which hath been manifested in truth. Cast away the people and what they possess, then your conjectures and imaginings. Thus doth He command you from Whose presence is a preserved Tablet. The resplendent, effulgent light be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened unto the call and have said: “Here am I! Here am I! O Thou Lord of the seen and unseen!”

This was revealed for Ustad Hasan of K. Upon him be the Glory of God.

In My Name, the One with Power over all names.

O Hasan! Upon thee be My Glory! The Treasure hath appeared and the mysteries have been revealed and the trees have put forth leaves, yet the people hear not. This is the Day wherein the Mount calleth out: “By God! The Lord of the Manifestation hath come, and He is my Interlocutor through Whom hands were raised toward God, the Mighty, the Loving, and through Whom the eyes of those near unto God were gladdened, and all things proclaimed: ‘Glory and Dominion belong unto God, the Lord of the Promised Day!’” O concourse of kings! Turn with radiant faces toward the Supreme Horizon, the Station wherein the Sovereign was established upon the throne of utterance and spoke that whereby the dwellers of the graves arose. O company of the heedless! Be fair before God - by what proof did ye believe in God’s Messengers of old, and by what evidence do ye turn away from Him at Whose call all things have spoken and at Whose rising all within the kingdom of creation have arisen to serve the Cause of God, the All-Forgiving, the Most Kind? Read what ye possess and We shall read what We possess, that ye may recognize the Dawning-Place of God’s Manifestation and the Dayspring of all matters. This is the Day wherein the murmuring of the Water of Life hath been raised throughout all contingent being, yet most of the people comprehend not. They have cast justice aside and taken injustice as their helper instead of God. Verily, they are accounted among the most lost in My preserved Tablet. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having sent down unto Thy servant Thy greatest signs and manifested unto him Thy mighty evidences. I beseech Thee to assist me in that which shall cause my remembrance to endure among Thy servants, and to aid me in deeds from which the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure may be diffused. Thou art, verily, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Beloved.

This was revealed for Muhammad-Rida. Upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness.

He is the One Who ruleth over all names.

We have made mention of thee time and again, and have sent down unto thee that which hath diffused the fragrances of divine Revelation throughout the world. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in its ultimate retreat. We have made mention of them that have believed when, as the Voice was raised from the mouth of God’s Will, the Concourse on High cried out: “O peoples of the earth! This is your Lord, the Most Glorious, Who hath come from the heaven of bounty with power and sovereignty.” This is the Day that hath been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen, in the Sacred Scrolls and Tablets. Say: O people of the Bayan! Die in your wrath! The Hidden Treasure hath appeared, and He Who was concealed in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all men, hath been made manifest. Say: The Sun hath risen, and the Light hath shone forth, and the Fire in the Tree on Sinai doth call aloud and give glad-tidings unto the people of this Revelation which was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords. Can anyone stand before Him in the presence of all creation? Can any horseman gallop with Him in the arena of wisdom and utterance? Fear ye the All-Merciful, and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who calleth you unto God, the Lord of all Religions. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken in the prison of Akka, as bidden by God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

And this is what was revealed for His Honour ’Ali-Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, the Compassionate, the Generous

O Muhammad! Thou hast been blessed by My mention time and again, and by My favor repeatedly. O Tailor! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Revealer of verses. Behold, then remember what We revealed in the Tablet to His Majesty the Sultan, may the All-Merciful assist him. We said: We were sitting beneath a sword suspended by a thread, not knowing whether it would fall soon or after a while. The matter is in God’s hands, the Lord of the worlds. Remember My loved ones on My behalf and say: The lamp is surrounded by winds, yet it hath taken neither guardian nor protector. To this testifieth the Mother Book which is with Him. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon My loved ones who have turned unto My horizon, who have attained unto My mention and My traces, and who have drunk the choice wine sealed from the hand of My bounty. We testify that they are My loved ones in the Hereafter and in this world, and We beseech God to open before their faces the doors of grace, favor, and bounty. Verily, He is the Lord of existence and in His grasp is the dominion of all who are in earth and heaven.

And this is what was revealed for His Honour Haydar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of destiny:

He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous

O Haydar! Upon thee be My glory and My glorification. Hear My call at this time when sorrows have encompassed Me from those who have violated the Covenant and Testament. They have cast the ocean of utterance behind their backs, turning unto the daysprings of fancy and idle imagination. By My life! They worship idols and know not. We testify that they are among the most lost in God’s Book, the Lord of the Kingdom. Say: O people of the Bayan! The Sun of Truth hath risen from the horizon of Will and the rivers of wisdom and utterance have flowed. Fear God, O daysprings of fancy! This is the Day wherein the earth hath revealed its treasures, the heaven its mysteries, the sun its radiance, and the Tree its fruits. Cast away your vain imaginings, then hasten unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have mentioned thee before and have sent unto thee that which hath diffused the fragrances of utterance throughout all possibility. To this testifieth the Book of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Glorify My loved ones on My behalf, remind them of My verses, and illumine them with the light of My favor. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Forgiving. And We remember My handmaidens who have believed in God, the Lord of this exalted station. Glory be upon thee and upon them from God, the Knower of the unseen.

He is the Hearing, the Answering.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Sheikh Muhammad, son of him who turned to My countenance, soared in My atmosphere, migrated with Me and heard My sweetest call when it was raised between earth and heaven. We testify that he is among those near to God, the Lord of Hosts. Verily he hath a station and rank with his Lord. Blessed is he who maketh mention of him and readeth what We have revealed for him in this praiseworthy station.

O Muhammad! When thou hast been blessed to hearken unto My verses, say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison and revealed unto me that which the understanding of nations hath failed to grasp. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by the lights of the hearts of Thy loved ones and their submission when reading Thy verses and Thy signs, and by the hidden mysteries of Thy knowledge which were veiled from understanding and sight, to make me steadfast in Thy love such that neither the mighty tempests of injustice nor the storms of every rejected polytheist may move me. O Lord! Ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will preserve me from all else save Thee and draw me nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Loving.

O Na’im! Upon thee be My glory! Each of the mentioned loved ones hath drunk from the cup of bounty and received his portion from the effulgences of the light of the Sun of proof. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee throughout the everlasting dominion of the Kingdom, and glorification be unto Thee throughout the eternal sovereignty of the Realm of Might, for having turned toward Thy servant from the direction of Thy Prison - he whom Thou didst aid to turn toward Thee in the days of Thy Manifestation and gave to drink from the Salsabil of bounty through Thy generosity and grace. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by the lights of Thy countenance and by the Tree beyond which there is no passing, from which Thy call was raised, to aid Thy servants and creatures to make up for what hath escaped them in Thy days. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and His signs, and turned unto Him when His call was raised, and upon every one steadfast, upright and trustworthy.

Glad tidings! Glad tidings! For the ocean of utterance hath appeared in the pole of contingent being with such waves as the eye of creation hath not seen from the beginning of the first beginning until now, nor shall it see the like thereof. In this luminous dawn, when granted audience, was heard that of which each letter was a spirit for bodies and a light for the lands. Glory be to God! The Sun of proof shineth from one direction, the Sun of utterance riseth from another direction. The tongues of the world fall short and are powerless to mention that which was observed and witnessed.

My God, my God! Withhold not Thy loved ones from drawing nigh unto Thee and turning toward the court of Thy might. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word, which the sincere ones behold as the Water of Life for the renewal of contingent being, and the near ones see as the light of the All-Merciful in the lands, and the detached ones as the Most Great Mystery among the nations, and the unitarians as the healing medicine for the sick - blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and happy is he who hath drunk the water of immortality and been seized by the rapture of the Call to a station wherein he seeth naught save God, the Single One, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Make mention of each of the loved ones in that land on behalf of the Prisoner and convey greetings, and illumine them with the light of the utterance of the Desired One of the worlds. Verily He loveth His loved ones and remembereth them with that whereby their stations are exalted. He is the Protector of the doers of good, the Helper of the sincere ones, and the Master of the Day of Judgment. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. The glory and the remembrance and the praise and the light that hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of Names, be upon thee and upon God’s loved ones there who have cast away the world, holding fast to the Luminous Handle, by the command of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Light! On the 23rd of the month of Sha’ban in the year 1308.

=== END BH00162 ===

=== START BH00163 ===

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Praise be to God Who hath subdued the world through His Most Great Name. Verily, when He established Himself upon the dust, it became the Most Great Throne. The atoms bear witness that the All-Merciful hath appeared in truth and hath established Himself thereon through His Name, the All-Subduing over all names. He is the One Who, though He walketh in prison, walketh above the heavens. Exalted be the Lord of Names Who hath appeared and manifested whatsoever He desired, and seized those who denied His right and broke His Covenant and sent Him wrongfully to this Prison which the Supreme Pen hath mentioned in various Tablets. Exalted be the Lord of mankind and the Sovereign of the Hereafter and of the former times. I pray, offer salutations and glorification upon the Manifestations of His Cause and the Daysprings of His remembrance, who have stood with supreme steadfastness in days wherein the earth was shaken and the pillars of all lands were made to tremble. The servant beseecheth his Lord to confirm these souls in propagating His Cause and spreading His ordinances that the fragrance of His laws may be diffused among all peoples. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Great.

Thereafter, your letter brought me glad tidings and guided me to your loving sentiments. When I read and found therein your arising to serve the Cause and your steadfastness in the love of God in this Day wherein the hearts of all beings were troubled save those who sought shelter beneath the shadow of the grace of their Lord, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, I turned and approached a station that cannot be mentioned by names nor described by what floweth from the creative Pen. I entered the Most Holy Court and presented that which had streamed forth from the fountain of your heart in the days of our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which caused the fragrance of God to be wafted among all creation, saying, exalted be His grandeur and great be His majesty:

Through My Name, the All-Witnessing, and through My Name, the All-Seeing […]

Verily thy servant hath appeared and hath laid before the Wronged One that which hath shone forth from the treasury of Thy love and the repository of Thy devotion. We have heard and have answered thee with verses from which the sincere shall inhale the fragrance of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of the worlds. It is as though I behold thee standing before the door inquiring about thy condition and what hath befallen thee in this firm and mighty Cause. Give thanks unto God for My remembrance of thee. Verily, He remembereth him who remembereth Him and guideth whomsoever He willeth unto His straight Path. O Nabil! The All-Glorious remembereth thee from the precincts of the Prison and announceth unto thee His bounty which hath encompassed all that are in the heavens and on earth. Thou hast entered into a station wherefrom the learned of the earth have been debarred, save whom God hath willed, the Almighty, the Powerful. And thou hast heard that which hath been forbidden unto the mystics among the servants, save him whom the hand of thy Lord’s grace, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, hath delivered. Thus hath the chalice of inner meanings sprinkled upon thee that which shall draw thee unto a station wherein the affairs of the earth shall not hinder thee from this manifest Cause. Remind, on My behalf, My loved ones who have turned unto My heaven, who have voiced My praise and who have arisen to aid My wondrous Cause. Say: O people of the earth! By God, that which was treasured therein hath appeared. Fear ye God and be not of the heedless ones. This is the Day whereon the lips of the world have smiled, inasmuch as the Lord of Eternity hath been established upon the Most Great Throne. Hasten ye with illumined hearts, then advance with radiant faces unto His sublime horizon, and be ye not of the losers. By God! This is the Day of profit, were ye to know it. This is the Day for which the eyes of days have wept, and wherein hath appeared that which was recorded by the Finger of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the All-Wise. And when the Finger moved, the Supreme Pen prostrated itself - thus doth inform thee He around Whom circleth a preserved Tablet. When thou hast been blessed to hearken unto My call and hast quaffed the choice wine of Mine utterance, turn thy face toward God and say: Thine be the praise, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world, and Thine be the bounty, O Thou Who art the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee. My spirit be a sacrifice unto Thy favors, O Thou Who art the Lord of Names! How can I thank Thee when all who are in the heavens and on earth have confessed their powerlessness, and how can I praise Thee with my feeble tongue? I beseech Thee to assist me in remembering Thee and serving Thee, and to enable me to do that which beseemeth Thy mighty and exalted Revelation.

I seek and implore from God, exalted be His glory, that there might be found in the world one ear purified from doubt and misgiving, or one soul adorned with the ornament of fairness, that it might perceive the fragrances of the divine Day and comprehend the sweetness of His utterance. I swear by the Most Great Luminary that this servant regards himself with the utmost shame and embarrassment, for he has been enabled to recognize a Day that hath had and hath no peer or likeness, and moreover hath attained to a station wherein every day the equivalent of books is revealed from the heaven of His Will. Yet he witnesseth all people heedless and veiled by matters unworthy of mention. Glory be to God! The ocean is manifest, the Sun of Truth is shining, and He Who conversed on Sinai is calling out with the most exalted call, yet all are occupied with their selfish desires. O my Beloved! By Thy life, this evanescent servant hath not considered and doth not consider himself worthy of this Day. I swear by the Euphrates of inner meanings which now floweth from the right hand of the Throne that what I express is the truth - God is sufficient as witness. God willing, may that honored one and this servant and those gentlemen who reside in that land become sanctified from all that hath not been and is not worthy of God’s days, and thereafter may we cling to the hem of His generosity and beseech Him to preserve us from whatsoever hath not been and is not befitting unto Him. A hundred thousand praises that He hath not deprived these servants nor forbidden them, but rather enabled them to hear His call. Now we beseech Him to preserve us beneath the canopies of His grandeur and the tree of His loving-kindness, and to so enkindle us with His verses that we may not be troubled by the world’s vexations nor held back from serving His Cause. Verily He is the One with power over what He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Triumphant, the Mighty.

As to what you had written about having to present the news of the friends at the Most Holy Court - God willing, may the friends in every land be assisted to perform praiseworthy deeds and to act according to what God hath revealed in the Book, so that their news may become the cause of joy and the source of gladness. They commanded: Write to Nabil - O Nabil! This is a Day wherein the earth telleth its tales and the heaven revealeth what appeareth therein. However, the tales of some lands have been and are the cause of endless sorrow. Were details to be mentioned at this point, the sweat of shame would drown most people. But since these are days when mercy hath preceded all and the heaven of generosity hath become manifest and the ocean of grace hath appeared before all faces, the All-Concealing Lord conceals. Verily He loveth those servants who have heard and responded. Yet beseech God that He may sanctify all from that which hath not been and is not worthy of His Day. Verily He heareth and knoweth and seeth, and He is the Concealer, the Wise. We send from this station Our greetings upon the faces of My loved ones who have soared in My atmosphere and drunk the choice wine of My grace and have arisen to serve My wondrous Cause. Glory be upon them and upon those women who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.

O Nabil! Every fire thou hast seen and heard hath been extinguished, but the Fire in the Divine Lote-Tree speaketh in such wise that neither the clamor of the people, nor the hosts of the lands, nor the insinuations of the divines, nor the doubts of the jurisprudents can prevent it. It calleth out under all conditions with that which hath been commanded by the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. By My life! It hath increased through tribulations and calamities. Can anyone know from what essence it hath appeared and from what power it hath emerged? Say: Yea, by my Lord! From the power of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, we are God’s and to Him shall we return.

Concerning what thou didst write about certain loved ones who have journeyed to various regions for certain matters - I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to gather them all together in perfect health, joy and gladness, and to engage them in His remembrance and praise. And as for the beloved of hearts, Jinab-i-Varqa, upon him be greeting, praise and the glory of God, the Most Glorious - according to what was written, in these days he is proceeding in that direction. Wherever he may be, may he be assisted and confirmed. Since his place of residence is unknown, this servant hath delayed in responding to him, but God willing, after being informed, the remainder of life shall be spent in recompense.

As for the mention that was made of Haji Muhammad Aqa, Haji ’Ali-’Askar, Jinab-i-Faraj Aqa and Aqa Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, upon them be the glory of God - praise be to God, mention of them was made in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and each was favored by the grace of God, exalted be His glory. This evanescent one conveyeth greetings to each of them. May God willing, they be assisted in that which God loveth and be confirmed in that which shall perpetuate their names. Repeatedly hath mention of them flowed from the Divine Pen. By the life of our Lord, they have attained to that for which most of mankind hath died in regret. God willing, may they recognize their stations, preserve them in the name of Truth, and be confirmed in deeds from which the fragrance of eternity may be inhaled. The world, in truth, was not and is not worthy of mention, was not and is not worthy of attention. In one of the blessed Tablets, in counseling and admonishing the servants, there is a passage which meaneth thus: He saith: How many were the houses from which at night were heard songs and melodies, yet in the morning there arose from them the wailing of grief. In such case, it behooveth every person of understanding not to let transient conditions engage him and deprive him of the eternal realm. Verily, the servant beseecheth and supplicateth, and God is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And concerning what was written about Mulla Qasim, upon him be the glory of God, and his special dedication to teaching the Cause of God - these matters were presented before the Divine Presence. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath uttered in the Kingdom of Utterance, His word, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the Mighty, the Bestower […]

O Qasim! We made mention of thee before, that the remembrance of the All-Merciful might attract thee to a station where neither the hosts of the world nor the clamor of the nations who have broken God’s Covenant and His Pact, and who have denied the Heavenly Table sent down in truth from the Kingdom of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the Powerful, shall frighten thee. Blessed art thou for having cast aside vain imaginings, hastening to the horizon of certitude. Behold and call to mind when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, and what the people committed in that glorious and resplendent Day. The divines first denied Him, then those who followed them without clear proof or enlightening Book. The fire of hatred was kindled in their breasts to such extent that the Faithful Spirit lamented thereof. They cast the Book of God behind their backs and took their idle fancies - verily they are among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Then behold when the Spirit came, they arose in opposition in such wise that the earth with all its vastness was straitened for Him. By My life! There befell Him that which causeth every fair-minded and discerning one to cry out. Say: O concourse of earth! Reflect upon that which befell the chosen ones of God in generations past, and be not of the heedless ones. The world and all that is therein shall pass away, and ye shall be questioned concerning what ye have wrought with grievous wrong. Convey My greetings unto those servants who have taken the chalice of true knowledge in My Name, the All-Merciful, and have quaffed therefrom through a command from One Who is the Ancient Commander. Say: Blessed are ye for having turned unto God, the One, the All-Informed. The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have laid fast hold on the Sure Handle in this blessed, holy, mighty and wondrous Day. Then hearken unto My other call from the direction of My Most Great Vision. Verily, He mentioneth thee yet again in this night, as a token of His grace, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. Blessed be thy face for having turned toward God, and thy tongue for having moved to proclaim the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Seeing, the All-Perceiving. Be thou in all circumstances observant of the wisdom We have revealed in various Tablets and in this perspicuous Tablet. Thus hath He taught thee in Whose grasp are the reins of all knowledge, and hath acquainted thee with Him in Whose right hand is the Kingdom of the heavens and of the earths. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings unto them and beseecheth God for support lest the veils of countries and the clouds of men should prevent him. The meaning of veils and clouds and pharaohs and tyrants and manifestations of oppression and every word from which the fragrance of wrath can be inhaled referreth to the divines of the earth who are seen to be deprived of God’s straight path. These souls have been and are the cause and source of corruption in the world, and through their decrees there befell the Manifestations of the Cause that which caused all things to cry out in lamentation. In truth they are ignorant, yet they adorn themselves with the ornament of knowledge before men. Otherwise, the true scholar is as a crown for heads and as a heart for the body. Blessed is he who seeth him and loveth him and turneth unto him and attaineth his presence and consorteth with him, but purely for the sake of God and not for any other purpose. God willing, may the breeze of fairness waft and deliver the slumberers from heedlessness, that they may not remain deprived of the outpourings of the True Bestower in these spiritual days. Alas, a hundred thousand times alas! Years have passed and months ended and hours gone by and minutes come to their end, yet still the people of earth have not arisen from the couch of heedlessness. The world is heedless and man bewildered. The matter is in God’s hands, our Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

They wrote that Ustad Shir Muhammad went to Qaradagh and Ustad Jabbar (upon them both be 966 [Baha’u’llah]) went to Miyanduab. Mention of both was made in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He said: “God willing, may Shir Muhammad be occupied with the mention of God, exalted be His glory, and be assured of His grace. Today it is binding and obligatory upon all to hold fast to that which God hath revealed in the Book. Today is the day of deeds and character. Blessed is he who acteth for God’s sake and walketh in His path. O Nabil, if thou seest him, convey My greetings unto him and give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance of him, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones.”

“O Nabil! We make mention of him who is named Jabbar, who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And We remember My loved ones in Miyanduab who have drunk the Kawthar of utterance in the days of their Lord, the Most Merciful, and have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of all possibilities: that there is none other God but I, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Loving. And We remember My loved ones who were martyred in that place, as a grace from Us, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Beloved. I bear witness that ye believed in God and in what was sent down in truth, and ye heard His sweetest call and responded on a day wherein every mighty and powerful one was shaken. Ye are they who turned toward the Supreme Horizon when the Lord of all beings appeared, and ye attained that which most of creation was deprived of. He Who possesseth knowledge of what was and what shall be beareth witness to this. Ye endured in My path that which caused the Concourse on High to weep, until ye ascended unto the Supreme Companion through that which the hands of the oppressors who followed vain imaginings and idle fancies had wrought. O company of martyrs! Upon you be the glory of God and His mercy, and the fragrances that have been wafted from the direction of His holy and blessed garment. I testify that ye believed in God and hastened with your hearts to the Most Great Ocean, and ye attained that which ye were commanded by the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Among you is he who took a handful, and among you is he who drank cup after cup, and among you is he who hastened to the Most Great Ocean and drank therefrom in this praiseworthy station. Upon you be the light of God and His care, and the mercy of God and His grace, throughout the duration of the Kingdom and the Dominion.”

Those souls who attained martyrdom in that land have been repeatedly mentioned by the Supreme Pen. Convey greetings to all the remaining righteous ones in that land and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen regarding their martyrs. A special grace hath appeared from the horizon of favor for them, such that were all on earth to become aware of it, they would turn toward the Friend. Blessed is the blood that was shed in My path, and the spirit that soared in My atmosphere, and the heart that drank the wine of My love, and the soul that ascended to My horizon, and the servant who took hold of My mighty Book with My strength. Thus have We commanded thee in truth. Act upon it as a command from Me, and I am verily the Commander, the All-Wise.

And concerning what you wrote about Aqa Yusuf, upon him be the mercy of God and His forgiveness, mention was made of him before, and the grace of God, exalted be His glory, was directed toward him. We praise God, the Exalted, Who forgave him and remembered him as a grace from His presence, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Regarding what you wrote about his honor the late exalted Mirza ’Ab, upon him be 66-9 [Baha’u’llah] and His favors, some time ago a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of grace and was sent. God willing, may he be illumined by the light of faith and rest with utmost steadfastness beneath the shade of the mercy of the All-Merciful. The illustrious Nabil, his honor Nabil of Qa’in, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, sent a letter some time ago wherein he made mention of one of the relatives of his honor the exalted one. If that beloved one deems it advisable, he may on behalf of this ephemeral one convey greetings to his honor the son, upon him be 66-9 [Baha’u’llah]. Perchance the fragrant breezes of the father may be inhaled from the son, and he may turn toward the right hand and receive his portion from the Book of the righteous. Blessed is his father! Verily he attained the mention of God before his ascension and after his ascension with a mention that nothing in creation can equal. To this our Lord beareth witness, and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths.

Convey greetings on behalf of this ephemeral one to his honor Mirza-yi Bahar, may God the Exalted assist him. God willing, we hope they may rend asunder the veils and pierce through the clouds of glory, and be confirmed in that which is befitting this Day. In the nights and days this servant beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, that He may enable all to turn toward that which is adorned with the ornament of eternity.

Regarding the mention you made of the names of the friends and their gathering in your residence, it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and specifically for each one of those names a most mighty and most exalted Tablet was revealed, and likewise specifically for the names of the friends which his honor Makhdumi ’Ab, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise specifically for the friends of Maraghih which his honor Ibn-i-Dakhil, upon him be the glory of God, had sent - all attained the outpourings of the All-Bountiful Lord and were adorned with the lights of the Kingdom. Should one reflect even slightly upon the boundless grace of the True One, exalted be His glory, such wonderment would seize him that he would become oblivious of himself and all else. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to give thanks unto Himself on behalf of His servants and to praise His Essence through His chosen ones and His friends, for it is most evident that the thanksgiving of any other than Him was not and is not worthy of Him. However, since He hath commanded His servants to offer thanks and praise, out of pure grace He hath accepted and doth accept it.

Regarding what you mentioned about his honor the exalted Sadr, may God have mercy upon him - at first he was heedless and opposed, but in the days of his turning toward the direction of Zawra, there appeared from him, according to his capacity, that which indicated acceptance and love. Then time and again he would ascend and descend until there came to pass that which was decreed by God. At that time he was greatly troubled and fearful. Then God’s grace encompassed him. Verily He is the One Who chooseth whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. In any case, toward the end the True One, exalted be His glory, showed favor toward him. They stated that toward the end no act appeared from him that would cause grief to the Ancient Beauty. Moreover, in view of the favor that was and is extended to some of his relatives who are adorned with the ornament of the love of God, they commanded that none should speak aught concerning him save good words. Verily He is powerful over all things and knoweth all things.

Concerning what you wrote about the passage dealing with His Holiness the exalted Sheikh - upon him be all the most glorious Glory of God and all His most exalted exaltation - they are being sent according to the command of His Holiness the Most Great Branch (may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps). The purpose of this question to that sinful one was that he might become aware of his own ignorance and perhaps inquire about its meaning and turn toward the highest horizon. That unfortunate one was not successful, and the purpose of mentioning it was not that the Ancient Beauty would use those passages as proof for this Most Holy, Most Exalted Manifestation. He says: “Verily proof is ashamed to be mentioned to establish His Cause, and consciences are embarrassed to turn to Him, and evidence stands at His door, and argument circles round His mighty throne.” Countless similar utterances were heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names, and every fair-minded and perceptive person testifies that He cannot be mentioned except through Him and cannot be known except through Him. Some servants, both within and without, who walk in the desert of conjecture and the lands of fancy, have imagined that the Truth (glorified be His majesty) has claimed successorship and the like. Their tongues are silenced and their eyes are blinded. He is sanctified above all that they possess and exalted above their allusions and what their understanding comprehends […]

I extend greetings, glorification and sincere regards to the gentlemen of that land, namely those souls who, detached from the world, abide beneath the standard of the grace of the Lord of Eternity. God willing, may they be illumined by the light of unity and manifest perfect harmony. Today the fragrance of unity is most beloved - if it is diffused, it is the helper and the assistant and the hosts of the Truth (glorified be His majesty). In most Tablets these exalted words have flowed from the Supreme Pen. His word, exalted be His grandeur: “All must assist God through goodly deeds and spiritual characteristics.” And He says: “No host has been or is more powerful and exalted than praiseworthy deeds and character.” End quote. It is hoped that all may attain to this exalted rank and most high station. O friends! All bear witness to God’s grace and kindness. Among His countless favors is the mention that flows from the Supreme Pen concerning all, by night and day. Blessed is he who attains to the mention of our Lord and your Lord, and woe to the heedless. Strive that you may be crowned with acceptance and be mentioned in the Crimson Book as “you belong to God.” This is a mention from whose fragrance lovers have found no rest, and the possessors of insight have laid down their lives in its path. Strive, strive, O gentlemen! Time is like the red elixir - it rarely comes to hand. In any case, I beseech the Truth (glorified be His majesty) to grant success to all, and I request that they too pray for confirmation for this evanescent one. We are weak ones at the door of His grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Powerful, the Ancient.

And concerning what you mentioned about the wild rose, since its mention was adorned with the mention of Mashhadi ’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, it became a cause of joy and gladness. Praise be to God that a plant attained mention of one of the friends of God and thus achieved the highest nobility of being heard in the most exalted summit and ultimate goal. From this matter the stations of the steadfast and firm friends become known and are made evident to all the world. Soon shall be revealed the station of one whom the Supreme Pen hath mentioned. The Command is in the hand of God, the Lord of the First and the Last. Special verses were revealed for him before and after, and in this instance wondrous and exalted verses have been sent down from the heaven of merciful grace. God willing, may they become perfumed by its fragrances and illumined by its lights. This evanescent servant conveys greetings to them and beseeches the True One, exalted be His glory, that they may ever be assisted in that which causes the exaltation of the Cause and be confirmed in preserving their station before God, the Lord of the mighty throne. The Glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who have believed in God, the Powerful, the One, the Peerless, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

=== END BH00163 ===

=== START BH00164 ===

In the Name of Our Lord, the Most Great, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious

All praise that is sanctified beyond expression of proof befitteth the Lord of Mercy, through Whose light the world of creation is illumined, and by Whom the branches and leaves of the divine Lote-Trees are moved to song and melody. He is that Sun by Whom the hearts and minds are enlightened, through Whom truth was made manifest, through Whom He did try His servants, and through Whom He adorned the realm of doubt and perturbation with the ornament of certitude and assurance. Notwithstanding all this praise and glorification, were men possessed of true vision, the Manifestation of Truth from the horizon of the heaven of the Divine Will would itself suffice. Exalted, immeasurably exalted, is He Who hath revealed Him and made Him a proof and criterion unto all that dwell in the heavens and on earth. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds, and glory and radiance rest upon those whom neither the tempests of the learned nor the hurricanes of the mystics could move, who arose amidst mankind and spoke forth with that wisdom which descended from the Lord of eternity. These are servants through whom the countenance of inner meanings smiled and the nightingale sang upon the branches. The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all religions. These are servants unto whose station the Books of God have testified aforetime, and whose rank and merit His servants have acknowledged - honored servants who speak not till He hath spoken, and who do as bidden.

O beloved of My heart and he who is mentioned in My soul! The melody of thy words of praise hath transported Me - thou who art Our purpose and thine own purpose. When I perceived therein that ardor which is born of naught save the love of God and His Cause, I turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and appeared before the Divine Lote-Tree and presented that which was contained therein. Thereupon the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke forth in the Kingdom of Utterance, saying, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the Most Mighty, the Most Great

O Husayn! God willing, mayest thou be blessed through divine grace and act in accordance with that which befitteth the Days of God. Convey My greetings to those friends who have truly inhaled the fragrance of My robe and are illumined by the lights of the sun of steadfastness, and say: No day hath been or is greater than this Day - a truth that hath shone forth like unto the sun from the horizons of all divine Books, Tablets and Scriptures. For the True One, exalted be His glory, hath attributed this Day unto Himself, and though all things are attributed unto Him, He hath specially designated this Day and named it after His own Name, as it is known in the Books as the Day of God. Were steadfast and upright souls to ponder this matter, by My life, they would find themselves cleansed of the dust of the world with all its sorrows and afflictions. Where is the detached heart that may taste the sweetness of divine utterance? And where are the pure ears that may truly hearken unto His Word? Though most souls are adorned with outer life, they are seen to lie in the graves of their own temples. They have taken discomfort for comfort, called conjecture knowledge, and taken every foolish one as their lord and master, occupied and rejoicing therein. Woe unto them and destruction be upon them! The decayed bones were quickened by the divine fragrances, yet the leaders of the earth, who count themselves guides, teachers and mentors, remain cast aside in perishing graves, deprived. Beseech thou God that He may grant people a portion from the ocean of awareness, that they may gather with utmost joy and delight beneath the divine Lote-Tree and utter “Praise be unto Thee, O God of existence, in both the seen and unseen realms.”

In addition to these utterances which have descended from the heaven of loving-kindness as verses specifically revealed for your honor, a Most Holy Tablet was also revealed and sent so that the ear might attain true blessing through hearing it and the eye might be illumined by beholding the lights of His countenance. Likewise, a Most Holy Tablet was specifically revealed for his honor Akhtar, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]. God willing, they will attain unto it and perceive the fragrance of the divine garment from the Divine Tablet - a perception that the limitations of the world and its conditions cannot prevent, and which forgetfulness has no power to affect. Although the reply to that spiritual friend was delayed, your honor is aware of the details of matters and cognizant of the binding and essential occupations of this evanescent servant. Were I to seek forgiveness from your honor with a hundred thousand tongues, I would still consider it insufficient. However, the Beloved of the worlds bears witness that in these days this evanescent one finds no opportunity even to speak, let alone reply to the letters of the friends. The purpose in mentioning these matters is that if there be delay in this evanescent one’s reply, it is not due to negligence or, God forbid, lack of sincerity. Rather, the realm of this evanescent one’s occupations has been struck by such a famine that truly not a grain of leisure can be found therein, save through divine confirmations. On one hand, he is occupied in the presence with the writing of revealed verses, and likewise with making copies thereof a second time, for the original revelation is such that most souls are unable to read it, hence copies are made. And likewise there are replies to letters from friends and believers which arrive from all directions like torrential rain. In any case, I beseech and hope that all the friends will pray to God, exalted be His glory, for confirmation for this evanescent one, that perchance he may be assisted in this most great and mighty cause. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Concerning what you wrote about the envelope sent from the direction of K, it arrived and its details were submitted to the Most Holy Court, and an answer was revealed and sent to K. God willing, upon its arrival, a new and wondrous life will be attained by all. Today is a day when the breezes of life are wafting and passing from all directions. Blessed is he who has found, and woe unto the heedless and the deniers.

And concerning what was mentioned that the friends of God, exalted be His glory, in the land of [Sh] are blessed with the bounties and favors of recognition and certitude, this matter was submitted to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. This is what the tongue of our Lord, the All-Bestowing, spoke in reply, exalted be His glory […]

O Husayn! That land is blessed and is as the sight unto the body of the earth. Soon will its station be made manifest and evident unto all the worlds. Blessed is it and blessed is he who recognizeth its station and glory. We have adorned steadfast souls with such an ornament that the mention thereof and its station shall never be erased from the book of the world. Their names and that which hath been ordained for them have been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Were this station to be revealed, even to the extent of a needle’s eye, thou wouldst behold the earth transformed into another earth. By the life of God! This matter is concealed, and it behooveth not to reveal more than what is prescribed and determined. Blessed are they who dwell in that land and who are adorned with divine love. God willing, may they all drink of the Most Glorious Wine from the white hand and arise to serve the Cause with perfect wisdom. In all matters, observe wisdom and hold fast unto it. This firm command hath been revealed and established in most Tablets, lest that should appear which would disturb the hearts of My loved ones and chosen ones. God willing, mayest thou at all times drink from the cup of glorification of the Lord of Destiny. The glory shining forth from the horizon of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have acknowledged that which My swift-moving and active Pen hath spoken.

Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Siyyid A. and Aqa Ghulam H. and M.N., upon them be the Glory of God, being present and requesting mention from the Most Holy Court - this matter was presented before the Throne. Unique and sublime verses were revealed for each one. At the end, the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke these exalted words: “O servant in attendance! If those souls who have today turned to the horizon of revelation and have attained unto divine mention were to become aware and conscious of this most mighty, most noble, most exalted station, they would assuredly soar on the wings of attraction and yearning in the atmosphere of the love of the Day-Star of the horizons, to such extent that they would behold all else in the lowliest station. O servant in attendance! Write: Blessed is the soul whose name hath been mentioned before God, the Lord of Names, and blessed is the servant for whose mention the tongue of the All-Merciful hath moved in the Kingdom of utterance.” The Bab - may my soul be sacrificed for all else but Him - hath said that all exist that they might be mentioned once in His presence. The world’s lack of capacity hath veiled this greatest station from eyes. Verily thy Lord is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. The glory be upon the people of Baha from God, the Creator of heaven.”

Furthermore, the acceptance, sincerity, mention, praise and glorification from this evanescent one for their service depends upon the grace of that Beloved.

Regarding thy question about the passage in the Most Holy Tablet which states “Christ in Ray,” the intention was His Holiness Haji Mirza Masih-i-Nuri, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. Many times have I heard mention of him from the Ancient Tongue. During the journey when the Desired One of all worlds proceeded toward Khurasan, he was in attendance. He bore hardships in the path of God, and during the nights and days he would drink from the waters of reunion and was engaged in service. Later he ascended, and he is buried between the shrine of ’Abdu’l-’Azim and Shahzadih Hamzih. Once these words were heard from the Tongue of Grandeur: “’Azim and Hamzih, upon them be My glory, have attained the presence of the one who attained My presence.”

As to what was asked concerning the blessed passage which flowed and was revealed from the Pen of the Beloved of all possibility - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - wherein He says “Verily paradise is true” up to His exalted words, just as what has outwardly appeared in the paradise of the shrine of the Eighth Imam is naught but what the Messenger of God spoke concerning him being the tenth successor. O my beloved! The Kingdom of utterance is seen to have neither beginning nor end. That first station is where the Tongue of Eternity spoke saying “I am the Beloved of the worlds.” That Most Great, Most Exalted station possesses ranks and stations that none except the Self of Truth - glorious is His majesty and universal His bounty - has known or will know, has enumerated or will enumerate. In one station they have taken the Primal Will itself, which is the Manifestation and Source of God’s Command, glorious is His majesty, as the first, and the blessed Fatima - God’s blessings be upon her - as the third; by this reckoning the Eighth Imam becomes the tenth. He has spoken the truth, to this testifies my Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all in the heavens and earths. And in another station, the Essential Being of Eternity, which is the station of “there is no God but Him,” is mentioned as first and the Point of the Furqan as second; by this reckoning the Eighth Imam becomes the eleventh. And in yet another station, they have mentioned the Prince of Believers - God’s blessings be upon him - as the first of the successors; thus he becomes the eighth Imam. And in one station he is the eighth, in another the tenth, and in another the eleventh. And all these three stations are adorned with the ornament of true authenticity. Likewise, that Holy Being - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - is Himself the Primal Will in the Dispensation of the Furqan and possesses two stations and two ranks, meaning He holds both Prophethood and absolute Successorship. In this case, He Himself is the first of the successors - He is the first successor and Imam Rida is the tenth successor. This is the intent of the statement of the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all in the kingdom of command and creation be sacrificed for Him. All these statements that have been mentioned are each correct in their own station and will remain so. Now if it is said that the eighth is the eighth, or the eighth is the tenth, or the eighth is the eleventh - all are correct and there is no doubt in it. However, today is sanctified above these mentions, and in the Most Holy Court there is not and has never been any mention of successorship or the like thereof or above it or above above it. The Exalted One, in consideration of the weakness of the servants at the beginning of His Manifestation, showed forbearance in His utterances and spoke with wisdom. Thus in one place He says that if anyone attributes to this servant prophethood or successorship or anything above that or similar to it, he is of the calumniators and I am innocent of him. Many similar contents are found in His utterances. He even says in one place that if anyone attributes to me specific designated Babhood, he has calumniated. Then He mentioned all these stations in their proper place, such as when He says this is the same Point of the Furqan who has appeared in this Dispensation as the Point of the Bayan. This is the station of Prophethood, and in the station of Successorship He says “Verily I am the True Qa’im whose appearance you have been promised.” And in one station He has denied all these ranks […]

In the station of Guardianship They say: “Verily I am He Who standeth for Truth, Whose appearance was promised unto you.” Yet in another station They have denied all these stations and have spoken of other stations, as is clear and evident to those possessed of true vision. And in one station They say that were it not for the weakness of the people, no mention would have been made of Will. Were this evanescent servant to attempt to describe these stations in detail, time and opportunity would not suffice. There is no doubt that these utterances were made with wisdom, for had They spoken a different word at the beginning of the Revelation - that is, had They declared at first what They later proclaimed - the fire of rejection and denial would have brought about at the beginning what it later accomplished. Reflect upon the oppression of the oppressors, the rejection of the rejectors, and the denial of the deniers. To such an extent did the rejectors and deniers, who were the divines of the age, rise in opposition that that Essence of Being referred to Himself as “the servant of the Remnant of God”, yet even with this these base people were not satisfied and perpetrated that which pen, tongue, page and ink are powerless to describe. In any case, since mention was made of successorship, this servant desired to mention some of the fruits of this tree, that the friends of God might become aware and bear witness to that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. From this word “successorship” strange matters appeared in the realm of earth and heaven, and until now no one hath fathomed its reality or comprehended its fruits and effects. This is the word that laid Islam to waste, this is the word that suspended the Primal Point in the air. Once this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names - exalted be His glory - He said: “By it was the back of Islam broken, its throne overturned, its banners reversed, and its unity scattered.” Consider the sect that clung to this word and was known as the Imamis. They took that Pure Being, by Whose word the successors and guardians were created, and suspended Him and martyred Him with the bullets of hatred and rancor. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! Those souls who considered themselves the best of all sects ultimately proved to be the basest of all the world’s peoples. All of that sect arose to shed His most pure blood. All the divines and leaders issued the verdict and the rest carried it out, except for a few who were not well-known and held no leadership positions. And even of those few, after accepting and acknowledging, they turned away completely from the word of His Qa’imiyyat (Station of the Promised One) and strove mightily to cut down the Blessed Tree. Strange it is that despite all these events which all have seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears, now again a group of earth-worms have clung to former vain imaginings and have barred and continue to bar people from God’s straight path. Reflect upon the Four Gates, what they said and what they did. They cut down the very Tree with the sword of ignorance and falsehood, yet these people lacking insight still consider them leaders. Ponder well: Where is that which they spoke of and informed the people about His station? Where is the rememberer and where is the remembered? Where are the cities and where are the dwellings? Where is the father and where are the sons?

In the Name of the One True God

Some time ago this Most Holy Tablet was sent down from the heaven of divine will. This servant makes mention of it so that certain matters may become clear and evident to the friends of God, and all may become somewhat informed about that which has become a veil for people and deprived them of the living waters. His word, exalted be His glory:

Say: O friends! The falsehood of the past hanged the Beloved of the future and martyred Him with the bullets of tyranny. Reflect upon those lying, treacherous souls who appeared among the people in the name of truthfulness, trustworthiness, asceticism and piety, that ye may be preserved from the terror of this Most Great Day. One made mention of Jabulqa, another referred to Jabulsa. Another lying one arranged an imaginary form and established for it a seat upon the throne of vain imaginings. One unjust one made mention of the Sacred Region, and another unjust one attributed words to Him. These reprehensible, false matters became the cause and reason for the sovereign of the city of oneness to be martyred with complete tyranny. Should the hand of divine power rend asunder all veils, ye would observe new matters and hear novel words. Now He utters one word that perchance it may become a barrier between truth and falsehood, and that word is this: Purify your ears from that which is spoken by those who attribute themselves to the Bayan yet deny its Revealer, its Sovereign and its Sender. For these veiled souls walk exactly in the footsteps of those souls. Blessed is the eye that seeth and perceiveth - such a one is accounted before God as the mightiest and most powerful among men. Hearken unto that which My Herald spoke before. He said, and His word is the truth: “A year-old seed on the day of His manifestation is mightier than the entirety of the Bayan.” Out of pure kindness and mercy have these mentions flowed from the Pen of the All-Choosing One. Preserve them and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds.

The fire of falsehood of those rejected souls consumed the world, and differences in religion became the cause of the weakening of the religion of God and His Cause. In that false region which they called sacred, no Qa’im entered or left, yet a hundred thousand intrigues, corruptions and different imaginary forms emerged from it. The fruit of that region and other vain imaginings was that which was mentioned and which ye have seen and heard. Say: O people of the Bayan! Have mercy upon the servants. The fire of the past is not yet extinguished; ye kindle another fire. Fear God, O people, and follow not vain imaginings and idle fancies. Follow Him Who guideth you to His straight path and directeth you to the horizon of certitude. This blessed word was revealed from the tongue of the Ancient of Days, His word, exalted be His glory: Blessed are those souls who have sanctified and purified their hearts from the vain imaginings and idle fancies of the past and adorned them with the seal “The Kingdom is God’s this day.”

Once this word was heard from the tongue of the Ancient of Days: The Bab - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - expressed agreement with the people of the Furqan (Muslims) in most matters, that He might attract those heedless souls to the direction of awareness. And this agreement was manifested to such an extent that in some instances mention of the four well-known gates flowed from that blessed Pen. However, this Most Great Revelation rent asunder the veils with the finger of power, despite those who denied God and His sovereignty and turned away from the Day which was illumined by the lights of His countenance.

O spiritual friend! Beseech God to sanctify the people of Baha from these sacred mentions. Say: Today is God’s Day, wherein none is mentioned but Him. Leave these names and foundations and mentions to those who are veiled and heedless. Today, turn ye unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree. The friends of God must exert their utmost effort in safeguarding the Cause, lest such vain imaginings emerge and become the cause of conflict, contention, discord, revolution and differences in the world. Say: O people of Baha! Reflect upon that which hath flowed and continueth to flow from the Most Exalted Pen, that perchance the fabrications of mendacious souls may not debar you from the Lord of Oneness and deprive you of the living waters that stream from the right hand of the throne of the All-Merciful. In former Books He saith: “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.” This is the Day of which the Qur’an hath given tidings and which it hath announced in these blessed words: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” Since the verses of former Books and the Qur’an have repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, this servant hath been content with brevity. The opposers among the people of the Bayan still know not what hath come to pass. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! They have not attained unto a drop from the ocean of utterance nor become aware of a single word from the Mother Book. They speak according to their own desires and say that which the ancients never said. It is not known what they have understood from the Great Announcement, nor how they have interpreted “the heaven will bring forth evident smoke.” They have perished who followed them without clear proof or an illuminating Book. Recently they have gathered to cling to that which the rebellious and transgressing party had clung. Beseech God, exalted be His glory, to purify the world of remembrance from their mentions and to sanctify the world of existence from their presence. Were this evanescent servant to relate what he heard from the tongue of the Ancient Beauty and witnessed with his own eyes, that which is now concealed would become manifest. However, the matter is in His hands, and I may not utter a word except by His leave. What hath been presented regarding these matters is intended that perchance some of the people of the earth might become aware of that of which they are now heedless and unaware. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to confirm all in that which is the cause and source of humility, submissiveness, resignation and contentment. The Word of Truth was cast upon all who are on earth from God, but pride, heedlessness and vainglory deprived the people. Reflect upon that which hath been mentioned. For instance, successorship is considered one of the highest stations, yet the rebellious and transgressing party, claiming to understand this station, count themselves, in their fancy, as the most exalted among the parties of the world. And this pride and transgression caused them to martyr that Holy Being through Whose word hundreds of thousands of successors have been and continue to be created. In brief, the excellence of this word hath been concealed due to the deeds of that oppressive party, while its evil consequences are beyond count and reckoning, as some have been mentioned.

And further, if it be in accordance with wisdom, convey to the friends and loved ones and honored ones and chosen ones of God who are present in that land mention of the evanescence and nothingness and sincerity of this evanescent one. At this moment, this blessed word was heard from the rustling of the Divine Lote Tree: “It hath been sent down aforetime that God is with those who are patient.” I beseech Him, exalted be His glory, not to deprive the rulers of the earth from the splendors of the lights of the Sun of Justice, and to adorn the temples of all with the ornament of equity and fairness, and not to withhold from those on earth the outpourings of the True Bestower. Verily, He is powerful over all things. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the loving-kindness of our Lord, the All-Merciful, be upon you and upon those who have followed His straight path. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

6 Safar 1299

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=== START BH00165 ===

The beloved of my heart and His Holiness the Son of Ismu’llah-i-Asdaq, upon them both be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, may take note:

In the Name of Our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise befitteth and is worthy of the Everlasting Speaker Who, at a time when the fire of hatred was ablaze in all regions and directions, made mention of His loved ones through the Kawthar of utterance and the Salsabil of exposition, and gave them glad tidings. The instruments of abasement and the devices of tyranny and heedlessness did not prevent the Sun of Justice from shining forth - exalted be His station, glorified be His utterance, and there is no God but Him. Blessed is this day and most great is this Cause, for the Great Announcement is established upon the throne of manifestation. I beseech and implore God, glorified be His Majesty, that He protect and preserve His servants from being tainted with falsehood and calumny like the Shi’ih sect. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers.

O beloved of my heart! Thy noble letter arrived like a spiritual messenger and illumined the realm of existence with the light of joy, for from each of its words wafted the fragrance of humility, submissiveness, and complete turning toward God. In truth, the mention of the Beloved has been and ever will be the cause of love and unity among hearts. We hope that this supreme grace will remain sanctified and holy, and not be veiled by the dust of the vain imaginings of the former people. Verily our Lord is the Mighty, the Powerful. After experiencing this joy and delight, and reading and learning of its contents, We turned toward the Kingdom of Utterance and presented it before the countenance of the Lord of Religions, and it attained the honor of His attention. His utterance, mighty be His words and glorious His proof:

In My Name, the One Who standeth before all faces […]

O Son of My Name! Upon thee rest My glory and loving-kindness. Thou must, in all conditions, gaze upon and hold fast to this blessed verse revealed in the Qur’an: “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” In truth, this blessed verse hath been and continues to be the hosts of divine protection. Train the loved ones through this exalted word and preserve them from vain imaginings that neither nourish nor enrich. The word “He doeth what He willeth” is a mighty sign and an adorned and knowing teacher. Blessed is the soul that truly cleaveth thereunto; such a one is, in all conditions, protected and preserved.

O Son of A?daq the Most Holy! Thou must be occupied with service to the Cause in the nights and days, and be confident in the grace of the Truth. He is thy Helper, thy Sustainer, and thy Protector. Know thou with clear certainty that every word that shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of divine knowledge is established and verified in the heavenly scrolls and the crimson tablet, of which the Mother Book is but a part. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist His servants to achieve such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by vain imaginings and doubts, nor by the suspicions of those who have denied God, the Self-Subsisting, the Guardian.

The manifest oppression that hath befallen in the land of Ya hath grieved this Wronged One to such a degree that He findeth Himself powerless to make mention and utterance in that realm. O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! The Most Great Calamity hath come to pass and the Supreme Affliction is witnessed. Assuredly, the greatest portion of this sorrow hath reached that honored one. Although through the cries and lamentations of all things, domination and conquest were transformed into triumph and victory, and through that which came to pass, the Cause of God was exalted–exalted be His power, His sovereignty, His Cause, and His dominion–yet man remaineth bewildered by those souls who count the supreme loss as the greatest gain and are unaware. What heedlessness hath encompassed them and what deed hath become a barrier!

O thou who art mentioned at the Throne! Concerning the martyrs, upon them be the Glory of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Luminous, the Most Glorious, that which shall endure throughout the perpetuity of God’s kingdom and dominion hath been revealed. Happy are they and joy be unto them. We have bidden Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, to send unto thee some of that which hath been revealed. We beseech God to assist him in that which He hath commanded. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

For some time the Seat of the Throne was in the land of ?ayfa, and in most times the voice of nature was raised. We said: What aileth thee, O Nature, that We hear thy cries in the nights, thy lamentations in the days, and thy moaning at dawn? Thereupon she raised her voice, crying out and saying: O Sovereign of existence! The idolaters have sunk Thy crimson ark and have hamstrung Thy white She-camel, and they desire to extinguish Thy light. Therefore have my cries and the cries of all things been raised, and my lamentations and the lamentations of those in earth and heaven. O Supreme Being! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy most sweet call and the scratching of Thy Most Exalted Pen to protect Thyself from the cannons of the enemies and the swords of the wicked ones. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs of the first and the last. Repeatedly was this cry heard when We were engaged in revealing a new tablet, and mention of it hath been recorded in that blessed tablet. To this testifieth this Book that moveth and speaketh: There is no God but Me, the Single, the Powerful, the Commander, the All-Wise.

My God, my God! Thou seest me circling around Thy will and gazing toward the horizon of Thy bounty. In truth, this utterance and this will are the greatest of deeds and words in the sight of God. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to give thee to drink at every moment from the cup of this most exalted station and this highest rank. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the throne and the earth.

O thou who drinkest the choice wine of meeting before the face of the Lord of Names! Convey to all the loved ones of that land greetings from the Wronged One. Say: Today is the day of service and triumph, and no triumph is greater than the guidance of humanity, nor shall there ever be. All must hold fast unto this and guide others to the straight path. Say: Beware lest anything prevent you or any matter keep you from turning to the station wherefrom the call is raised at all times.

O son of A?daq the sanctified! Counsel everyone to justice, fairness, steadfastness, and harmony. They must shun any matter from which they detect even an atom’s weight of corruption. This is the divine counsel that hath been revealed and sent down from the Pen of Command in scriptures and tablets. Blessed are they that act, and blessed are they that understand.

It is hoped that the loved ones will at all times drink from the cup of the greatest steadfastness, for if they attain unto this, the breezes of idle fancies and vain imaginings will not keep them from the straight path, and each one will manifest such power as to see the world as but a shadow. In these days it hath been repeatedly stated that this is the day of triumph and victory. Praise be to God, the hand of bounty hath been so manifestly extended as to encompass the world. At all times the chalice of utterance is present. Blessed are they that ask and they that drink. Whosoever turns, attaineth forthwith, without delay or hindrance.

As to what thou didst write regarding the journey of the beloved of hearts, Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, and the beloved of hearts Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious - the truth of the matter is this: From Khi?ra, the spiritual friend Haji Muhammad Kazim, upon him be the Glory of God, wrote that these two holy and well-pleasing souls, upon them be the Glory of God, had arrived in that land and the governor sought to meet them. However, as it was not expedient in wisdom, they passed through without meeting. After this matter was presented before the Most Holy Court, it was commanded that that honored one, together with the aforementioned person, should proceed to that land and, if possible, meet him, so that through this meeting it might become known and evident that the non-meeting of those two souls was due to the requirements of wisdom, not cowardice and fear. As for my beloved Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, he went solely to see his brothers, and two years ago the spiritual friend Mulla ’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, specifically requested his presence, but permission was not granted from the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, until this year when they specifically sought permission to go see their brothers - nothing beyond this matter was ordained.

As regards the Huquq, it was never mentioned in the Most Holy Presence. That beloved of the heart is well aware that some years ago the King of Martyrs, may our souls be sacrificed for him, supposed that in the Land of Purpose the means of livelihood were straitened. For this reason he instructed the revered beloved, His Holiness the Name of God, Jamal, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, to proceed specifically to the Land of Kha to collect Huquq. When this news reached the Most Holy Presence, He immediately summoned this servant and revealed a wondrous and most mighty Tablet forbidding that matter. Indeed, the most severe prohibition was manifested therein, and at the time of its revelation the verses were so overwhelming that none save the Revealer Himself was aware of their import. Subsequently, His Holiness the Name of God, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, sent a petition to the Most Holy Presence expressing dismay that this servant’s services were never accepted. Some of the friends, including the sons of Khalil and the heirs of Kalim, upon them be the Glory of God, had out of love, sincerity, eagerness and longing given a sum, which if rejected would cause disappointment to all. They had restricted the sum a thousandfold, and this servant submitted in the Most Holy Presence that if it were accepted it would bring joy, happiness and hope to all hearts. Thereafter the command was issued to distribute that sum, and specifically fifty tumans were designated for each of the friends. It was distributed in its entirety, and the souls in those lands bear witness to what was issued from the Source of Commands. Likewise when the friends of Faran, upon them be the Glory of the All-Merciful, intended to make pilgrimage and pay Huquq, after their arrival their contributions were accepted and returned to them. The honored lady Darvish-Khuda, upon her be the Glory of God, appealed in the Most Holy Presence requesting that the funds be accepted as they had long since been set aside from their own property. Nevertheless, with boundless kindness and favor, He again accepted and returned them, and not a dinar was taken except from His Honor the Siyyid, upon him be the Glory of God, who was with them - thirty-five tumans were accepted and distributed. Ten tumans of this were bestowed upon Mishkin-Qalam, upon him be the Glory of God, and the remainder was given to the friends of the Land of Kha. Surely that beloved one is aware of this, and moreover knows how many souls are gathered in the prison. There have always been debts and still are, especially in these days when a sum was requested by command from a designated source and went to pay debts. And if at times a small amount was recorded as being available, it was given to the friends of that land. Someone also gave a sum to His Honor Afnan and His Honor Amin to deliver, which until now has not been accepted but was not rejected, as modesty and embarrassment prevented it. It remains available but has not been used. That beloved one and others are aware of all that has been mentioned. Yes, some years ago complaints from certain ones reached the Most Holy Presence but were completely ignored and no reply was sent. O beloved of my heart, reflect on the bounties of God. The glances of His favor have ever been and still are directed toward us.

Concerning His Holiness Ismu’llah Al-Asdaq, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, that which was revealed, every letter thereof was indicative of loving-kindness, bounty and mercy. Repeatedly, when the deceased and elevated leaf, the wife of the departed and exalted Haji Mirza Hassan, upon them both be the Glory of God and His mercy, was present, the Tongue of Grandeur would make mention of that beloved one and of His Holiness Ismu’llah - a mention which, were it to be cast upon the mountains, thou wouldst see them stirred by the utterance of God, the Lord of the worlds. Together with the blessed word “He doeth as He willeth,” outward considerations were not lost sight of, in the hope that they would become aware of that which hath been made manifest and convey unto the servants of God that which would cause the exaltation of the Word and the advancement of souls. And if at times there be delay in sending replies to the letters of that beloved of the heart, it hath been due to confidence and lack of opportunity, as communications arrive continuously from every direction. In truth, time hath become as rare as the philosopher’s stone. In these days certain news hath arrived from the land of Ta that hath caused astonishment. Among these is the report that Siyyid Jamalu’d-Din Afghani hath drawn the prominent figures of Iran unto himself with the chains of fancy and vain imaginings, to such extent that they have become partners with him in corruption. That person, while in Egypt, manifested the utmost enmity towards this community without any cause, and wrote that which befitted himself alone. Likewise in Beirut he wrote a letter and gave it to Butrus who was engaged in publishing the encyclopedia, and that ignorant one, unaware, printed it in his book and distributed it. Later he went to Paris and in that city published a newspaper which he named ’Urvatu’l-Vuthqa. Every week he would send it to His Holiness the Most Great Branch - may my spirit and being be offered up for the dust of His most pure footsteps - and expressed friendship, requesting that whatever He wished would be sent for publication. However this request was not accepted. Afterwards he set out for Iran, and they have surely heard the details of what followed. In any case, it is strange that such a person should confirm noble souls in spreading his corruption. Glory be to God! What happened to steadfastness? Where did wisdom and knowledge go? However, I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may assist him to return.

O my God, my God! Aid the heedless to return unto Thee and to repent before the gate of Thy forgiveness. Then make known unto them that which beseemeth Thy days. O my Lord! Change their corruption into reformation, their hatred into love, and their calumnies into truth. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As regards what you wrote concerning the wicked ones, the corrupt ones, and the clamor of the agitators and deniers, it is clear and evident. For they consider this community orphaned, with no father to protect them and no mother to lament their afflictions. Certainly a community without helper becomes the target of the arrows of the ignorant and the swords of the opposers. In a land where justice is absent and equity is severed, such a realm becomes an arena for the manifestations of rancor and hatred. They do what they please and say what they desire. This oppressed community has associated and continues to associate with perfect love and firm kindness, and has never intended aught but good for any soul. Nevertheless, what they have done during the nights and days, and what they have wrought! In any case, after these matters were presented before the Throne of Justice, these manifest and decisive words shone forth from the Dayspring of Will - exalted be His utterance and how glorious His might and mention: “O Son of My Name! Upon thee be My glory! Reflect upon the heedlessness of that party. They regard the greatest loss as profit and count the most grievous tyranny as justice. By the life of God! Soon shall they behold the recompense of their deeds, and punishment shall seize them from every direction. They shall seek victory but shall not be victorious, they shall cry for help but none shall help them.” However, whatsoever tyranny hath been inflicted in this Cause by the oppressors and the transgressions of the opposers have caused the exaltation of the Word of God. In the land of Ya, the enemies, according to their own belief, have aided the resplendent Law. How evil is that which they have imagined and how vain is that which they have done and continue to do! Know thou with clear certainty that whatever may occur shall cause the raising of the banner of victory and triumph. Who is able to change that which God hath ordained through His power and sovereignty? All are powerless before the manifestations of His might and weak before the dawning of the lights of His power. We beseech God to make known to them that from which they are veiled in His days and that which they have visited upon His chosen ones and loved ones. He is verily the Helper, the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Wise.

We counsel the loved ones to such deeds and actions as will cause the attention of people and result in the turning of souls. Had they acted from the beginning until now according to what was revealed, they would now witness the rulers and divines of that land circling round. But that which was decreed hath been decreed, as a command from God, the Ancient Ruler.

Mention was made of the just ruler and the learned divine - may God, the Blessed, the Most High, assist them both. Assuredly their reward shall appear from God. Not a single atom’s weight of deeds shall be left unrecompensed or erased. Verily our Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And after presentation in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, this supreme blessed word was revealed from the Source of Utterance, the Lord of all beings - glorified be His majesty: “O servant in attendance! The Son of My Name who hath arisen to serve My Cause hath beseeched for that learned one that which shall cause the perpetuation of his name and mention. This supplication is adorned with the glory of His good-pleasure and illumined with the light of His acceptance. A special Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet shall be revealed from the heaven of favor and sent to him. Should the fragrance of acceptance be inhaled, let him convey it, that perchance he may attain unto eternal life through the divine utterances that lie hidden and concealed within the words, and his mention may be recorded by the Pen of the All-Bountiful in the Book. Beseech thou God that He may, in a single hour, enable the divines of that land to hearken unto the revealed verses. Assuredly they would become detached from all that they possess and turn unto that which is with God, and would arise to educate and guide the servants.” Say: […]

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy luminous verses, whereby the realities of all things have been attracted, to assist Thy servants in that which befitteth Thy days. Then kindle their hearts with the fire of the Tree of Thy Manifestation, that it may set ablaze the world and its peoples. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the Powerful, the All-Praised.

It is hoped that the light of the Cause may illumine all hearts and souls, and guide all to the horizon of manifestation. If His Excellency, may God, blessed and exalted be He, assist him, would reflect even briefly upon what they possess concerning the conditions of previous manifestations, they would surely transcend what the people possess and seek from the Self-Sufficient, the Transcendent, that which is without likeness or peer. Concerning what was previously written in the green missive about Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi having shown him the utmost affection and having written to him that no news had been received from you until now - what is mentioned in this regard is correct and there is no doubt in it. Some of the revealed verses should be sent to him that he may find for himself a path to the Beloved. The One God is witness that there hath been and is no purpose save the teaching of the servants and their guidance. Every fair-minded soul hath testified and doth testify to this.

As for what was written concerning attention to different directions, this matter is necessary, for heedlessness has been and continues to be present in man. Your attention to various directions will surely cause awareness, steadfastness and firmness. After this matter was presented before the Divine Throne, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this exalted word - His blessed and exalted Word: “O son of My Name! Upon thee be My Glory! The very act of moving for the sake of God has been and continues to be influential in the world. In previous Books, the station of the sincere ones turning to different regions for the guidance of the servants has been recorded and inscribed. Attention to the land of Ta is necessary, for the relatives associated with you have rights and must attain their due. This Wronged One has ever beseeched from God, exalted be His glory, that which causes detachment from all else. How wonderful is this exalted station! The teachers must be taught such utterances as will cause the nearness, attraction and enkindlement of souls. In the revealed Tablets, whatever they desire has been sent down. Regarding detachment, mighty verses have been revealed, and likewise concerning God-consciousness, attention and migration. Concerning each virtue and attribute, that which has been revealed would, if imparted, attract beings to the highest summit and ultimate goal. You should strive to gather these so all may attain that which causes the elevation of being and the exaltation of souls. We beseech God, blessed and exalted is He, to assist you in all conditions to attract hearts. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.” Time and again was heard from the Tongue of Grandeur mention of your attention to the land of Ta. What you wrote about this matter is indeed correct and complete, and the Truth Himself, exalted be His glory, has confirmed their rights. Therefore your attention is necessary - both meeting with relatives and association with the friends and the reformation of souls. In these days news from the land of Ta has repeatedly arrived, and the prisoners remain in their original state. However, it was understood from some petitions and correspondences that His Majesty the Sultan, may God assist him, and the esteemed Viceroy have testified to this community’s lack of corruption and have outwardly shown love and consideration. The reason for the delay in their freedom and release from prison is not known. Praise be to God that those two steadfast, firm and upright souls are content and grateful in all conditions. We beseech God to manifest in His days that which befits His Manifestation, His grandeur, His generosity and His sovereignty. Verily He is the Answerer of those who ask. Mention was made of the spiritual friend, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Habibullah, upon him be the Glory of God. After presentation before the Seat of the Lord, these clear verses were revealed from the heaven of grace - His blessed and exalted Word: In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise […]

O beloved! Thou hast attained unto the presence, drunk from the cup of immortality, beheld the supreme horizon, and hearkened unto the call of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee a servant of His Cause, firm in His love, and steadfast in this Cause whereby every heedless one hath lamented, every denier hath cried out, every distant transgressor hath moaned, every seeker hath found peace, every hearer hath achieved victory, and every turning one hath been drawn nigh. Thus did the Pen speak when the Wronged One was walking in this exalted and glorious spot. All they that are related to My Most Holy Name have been and are mentioned before the Throne, and there hath been sent down for them from the heaven of grace and bounty that which no earthly thing can equal. The Lord of Names beareth witness to this, verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Convey My greetings from the Wronged One unto them and give them glad tidings of that which hath been sent down for them at this time.

This servant also conveyeth greetings and salutations unto them and their kin, and likewise unto the loved ones of that land, and I seek that which preserveth name and mention. Verily our Lord is the Helper, the Succourer.

Furthermore, convey on behalf of this servant greetings and salutations unto the spiritual friend, His Holiness Mulla ’Ali, upon him be the glory of God. His previous letters and his latest letter sent from ’Ishqabad through the spiritual friend Haji Muhammad Kazim, upon him be the glory of God, were received. Any delay in reply is due to the press of work. I beseech God to assist this servant in carrying out the service with which he hath been charged. It is hoped that replies to his letters will be sent later. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you, upon those with you, and upon the loved ones of God who have fulfilled His covenant and His testament, and who have acted according to that which they were commanded in His perspicuous Book. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

24 Rabi’u’l-Avval 1309

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He Who gazeth upon the Most Great Scene mentioned by the tongue of God, the Lord of Destiny - his honor ’Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God - should observe with radiant gaze:

In the Name of our Most Great, Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Waves of praise and glory befit and beseem the Beloved One Who, through His wondrous favor, abolished the law of the sword and raised in its stead the standard of utterance. He summoned all on earth to the most exalted horizon and commanded the triumph of His Cause, limiting victory to utterance alone, that the sincere ones, the near ones, the assured ones, and the wise ones might, through the wisdom revealed and the utterances of the Lord of Oneness, awaken the heedless people and draw them to the pavilion of divine majesty. Blessed are they who have found the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful and acted according to His good-pleasure. My spirit and the spirit of all in the world be a sacrifice for His tenderness! He hath abolished the law of the sword and forbidden all that causeth grief, let alone anything beyond that. Exalted, exalted be His bounty and exalted be His mercy! I beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist all to fulfill what He hath commanded them in His Book and to make known to them the stations of goodly character and pure, sincere deeds.

Should all on earth discover the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, they would assuredly turn to naught else and would forever circle round His will. I implore God, exalted be His glory, that through His loved ones they may comprehend the purpose of victory as set forth in the Book of God, that all may discover the fragrance of deeds performed for God’s sake and arise to do that which is beloved this day.

O my God and God of all things, my Beloved and the Beloved of all in earth and heaven! I beseech Thee to shower from the clouds of Thy bounty the rain of knowledge and understanding upon the good soil of assured souls, that all may testify with absolute certainty to Thy power and refer the requital of the transgressors and oppressors unto Thee, while they themselves consort with all the peoples of the world with the utmost kindness and mercy. Verily, He is the Triumphant, the Powerful, the Forceful, the Mighty, the All-Powerful.

O beloved of my heart! Your letter which dawned from the horizon of love and affection on the first of Safar taught melody to the bird of the heart and guided the nightingale of the soul to the rose garden of divine knowledge. May you ever be confirmed and assisted in this righteous deed. After becoming aware, that which neither nourishes nor satisfies turned towards the Mother Book, and the ephemeral drop turned towards the eternal ocean. After attaining presence in the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Court, your supplication was presented to its conclusion. This is what was revealed from the Kingdom of utterance of our Lord, the Most Merciful. His word, exalted be His glory: “O Ali! We have heard that wherewith thou hast praised God. It behooveth thee to hear at this time that which appeareth from the Kingdom of praise. We have found in thy words the fragrance of humility, submissiveness and steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Lord of Names, and We desired to attract thee in such wise that thou wouldst find the fragrance of might, power and grandeur. O Ali! Mine ear hath heard that wherewith thou didst commune with God at a time when My tongue was speaking, saying that the remembrance, utterance and praise which appeared from the mines of God’s knowledge, the dawning-places of His revelation and the treasuries of His mercy were for My Self, and I am the Hearer, the Beholder, the Answerer, the Mighty, the Wise. The servant presented thy letter and read what was therein before the Wronged One, Who hath confined His affairs to the mention of God, the Lord of the worlds. Convey My greetings to My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of My grace, My bounty, My mercy, My favors and My gifts. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Generous.” Give thou the glad-tidings of God’s grace to all and make them joyous through His bounty. Say: Let all fix their gaze upon this blessed word which hath appeared from the horizon of the preserved tablet: “Verily the victory of My Cause is through My Self and is within the grasp of My power and the right hand of My might. Blessed is the soul that findeth the fragrance of what We have mentioned in this exalted station. We requite with justice and judge with truth, and I am the Powerful, the Mighty.” All must place their trust in God and fix their gaze upon His will. For every matter a time hath been set in God’s Book. When it cometh to pass that which He hath willed shall be made manifest. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Wise. In this Most Great Revelation, victory hath been and shall be through the Word of Truth. Ponder the Surih of Ra’is and the like thereof that ye may become aware of the power of the divine Word. Whatsoever events of the time that flowed from the Pen of the Most Merciful aforetime were with utmost clarity. None had any way to escape or delay. Today all the friends must manifest complete unity and harmony, and likewise through goodly deeds and virtuous character. These matters in this Revelation are the hosts of victory and are reckoned before the Throne as helpers of the Cause. Had the friends from the beginning of days heeded with ears of submission and contentment the counsels of the Beloved of all possibility, now would the divine Word be seen manifest and evident in the world. Conflict and contention and deeds and actions that were not pleasing caused delay and were the cause of postponement. My Perspicuous Book beareth witness to this. O Ali! Make all aware of the divine will, that all may discover the meaning of victory and attain unto God’s will. In some tablets wherein mention hath been made of arising, calling and proclamation, what is intended is arising to teach God’s Cause.

And by “cry” is meant the arising to teach God’s Cause, and this with perfect wisdom. Today wisdom takes precedence over most deeds. In one place this blessed verse was revealed: “This is the Day of awakening, yet ye are sleeping.” And likewise in another place: “This is the Day of the Call, yet ye are silent,” and so forth. And likewise similar to that blessed word which thou thyself hast mentioned is Our utterance aforetime: “The necks have been stretched forth in hypocrisy.” And I swear by My Self, the Truth - what was meant was not material swords and instruments of war, nor is it now. The Truth is true - whatsoever is revealed from the Supreme Pen is itself the cause and means of the world’s peace and tranquility. Say: None may interpret My words according to his desires or explain them as he pleases. Man’s station is too exalted to turn to these unworthy, forbidden things. Today love is beloved and kindness is desired, and unity and concord are themselves the cause and means for the manifestation of God’s grace and blessing, from the presence of God, the Forgiving, the Generous. Inform all, that they may free themselves from their vain imaginings and hold fast to that which God hath willed. Blessed are they that act. The people of Sad who have drunk of the choice wine and become wanderers in God’s path have been and are in Our sight. By God’s life! They are beneath the glance of His favor. Say: Be not grieved at what hath befallen you. God hath made it a treasure for you. He, verily, is the Trusted, the Faithful One. Your tribulations and afflictions are as treasures and are preserved in the divine repositories of God’s trust. With utmost joy and gladness, speak in praise of the Revealer of verses, and at all times drink of the choice sealed wine from His blessed chalice. You drink, and He saith “May it be pleasant”; you partake, and He uttereth “May it be wholesome.” Every deed in this world hath produced and will produce an effect. Be assured of God’s grace and mercy, and take what ye are bidden with joy and radiance. He, verily, is the Witness, the Observer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning Muhammad-Qabli-Javad and his wife, this is what God, the Lord of creation, hath revealed:

In My Name, the All-Knowing

Knowledge crieth out saying: “O concourse of divines! God hath manifested me that I might guide you to the Path and draw you nigh unto the Kingdom of understanding, yet ye have clung to me and turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds, and through me ye have waxed proud before Him Who created you, and were of the wrongdoers.” By God, the Truth! I am innocent of you, and to this He Who hath come with a mighty Cause doth testify. The atoms themselves have borne witness to your ignorance and your turning away and your opposition to the All-Informed One. O thou who hast turned to the Countenance! Give thanks unto God for having preserved thee from these people and caused thee to recognize Him Who is adorned with His own remembrance. God, the Mighty, the Wise, hath written. The glory be upon thee and upon thy wife and My handmaidens and upon My servants who have cast the world behind their backs and acted according to what they were bidden in a gracious Tablet.

He is the One Who ruleth over all names.

O thou who art named after My Name! Hearken unto My call, then act in a manner befitting this Name at Whose appearance the pillars of idolatry were shaken and every firm and mighty foundation was made to tremble. Hold fast unto the cord of truthfulness and trustworthiness, and cleave unto that which will exalt the Cause of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Blessed is thy father who took the cup of reunion from the hand of My loving-kindness and drank in My presence in My gracious Name. Shouldst thou hear My call, it would attract thee to a station wherein thou wouldst behold naught in creation save the manifestations of My loving-kindness and the evidences of My power, and wouldst find naught but the fragrances of My luminous garment. We counsel thee and thy mother with that which beseemeth these days. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. From this station We send Our greetings to thy brother, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Merciful.

Concerning what thou didst write about a letter received from the people of N and J expressing distress about the incident in the Land of Sad, this was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in reply, exalted be His majesty: “O Ali, O thou who gazest toward My horizon, O thou who art mentioned in My presence! By My life, were they to look with Mine eye they would be thankful, but today they do not understand.” Observe how the Hand of Power hath manifested such bounty regarding the two brilliant Lights. He hath assigned them a station in the highest paradise while their enemies are in the lowest depths. Exalted, exalted is He Who hath raised them up and revealed their station which was concealed from the eyes of men. By God’s life, all the divine messengers yearn and hope for their station. Were the veil to be lifted, all on earth would exclaim at the greatness of that mighty and sublime station. Those two oppressors are not and never were worthy of mention. Say: Leave them to themselves. Sufficient unto them is what they have wrought in the days of God, the King, the Almighty, the Powerful. God willing, they should engage in teaching the Cause of God with the utmost joy and fragrance. God will soon reveal what He willeth. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Beware lest ye commit what ye have been forbidden in the Book of God, or perpetrate that which would cause corruption in the land. Fear ye God, O My loved ones, and be possessed of gracious patience. The existence or non-existence of the people of tyranny, lewdness, oppression and transgression hath brought no benefit to the people of truth and the two Lights mentioned. Rather, should a contrary matter appear, its flames would bring great harm to the Cause of God.

This word hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance in the name of the Beauty, upon Him be the Glory of God. This Most Great Revelation is the revelation of universal mercy. By the Truth itself, were all outward power - which in reality hath never had, nor hath, any station before God - to be made manifest, and were a swordsman to stand before Us with evil intent, We would most certainly not oppose him but would leave him to himself.

O My loved ones! Rejoice ye in My remembrance. We make mention of you from this station with a remembrance that shall never fade, and We greet you with such a greeting that, when it appeareth from the Dayspring of utterance, all things possible cry out in praise, and all things proclaim: “All praise be to God, the Lord of this manifest Cause!” By the life of God! All that ye behold today cannot compare with this remembrance. He Who hath subdued the world through His Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous, beareth witness to this.

This is the divine assistance that hath flowed and continueth to flow from the Supreme Pen. He, verily, is the Helper, the Almighty. Every word that proceedeth from the tongue of grandeur hath influence upon the world, and its effects must needs become manifest in the realm of creation. This is a day wherein all the friends of God must fix their gaze upon the supreme horizon. The Glory be upon you, O My loved ones in that realm, and the praise be upon you from One mighty and powerful.

O ’Ali-Akbar! In these days, whatsoever hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will hath concerned the meaning of assistance, lest any ignorant one should commit that which might prevent the flow of God’s hidden bounties. Inform the friends of all that hath proceeded from the Pen of the Most Merciful, that perchance they may lift their gaze from the dust and, sanctified from deeds that neither nourish nor profit, may turn their faces to the Kingdom of God’s Will. Verily, He speaketh the truth, and He, verily, is the Single, the One, the All-Wise.

Now for nigh upon twenty days, of all that hath appeared from the Supreme Pen, one portion thereof hath concerned the word “assistance,” that perchance the servants may become aware and act in accordance with what God hath willed. Although in these days the blessed constitution is somewhat indisposed in its outward form, yet neither by night nor by day hath there been any pause in the manifestation of grace, the exaltation of the Word, and the diffusion of verses and signs. Were it possible, this servant would kiss the feet of each one of the friends and entreat them not to commit that which causeth grief to the Ancient Beauty. What hath occurred sufficeth. By the Truth itself, such deeds are a barrier that preventeth the flow of hidden bounties. Were they aware of this, they would lament. Heedlessness hath overtaken the dwellers of earth, save those whom God hath willed.

In regard to your mention of visiting the Most Great Martyr, God’s Name Ha, upon Him be all His most glorious Glory, it was submitted before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He, exalted be His grandeur, said: “We have permitted him to visit those whom the Concourse on High visited and for whom the Sadratu’l-Muntaha lamented. He verily enableth whomsoever seeketh his Lord and casteth behind him all else.” This evanescent servant begs that you make the pilgrimage once on my behalf. Verily, He does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.

And regarding what you wrote about your intention after the pilgrimage to visit the friends of God in those regions and console and comfort them, these matters were submitted before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. Then my ears heard what my Lord uttered: “O servant in attendance! Write to ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be My Glory, to proceed with wisdom and utterance to the lands he desires. By the life of God, this is a blessed deed! Today, souls at rest must proceed with the Book of God to cities and villages that perchance a soul might guide a lost soul and make it aware of the dawning of the Sun of Truth. If proper attention is paid, surely results will follow. Set ablaze the contingent world with the fire of utterance and cause it to flame, and acquaint all with what God intended by the meaning of assistance, that all may arise to that which is worthy and befitting of the Divine Day. Blessed is the soul that is slain but slayeth not, that is sacrificed but sacrificeth not, that is struck but striketh not. These souls are recorded and inscribed among the people of Baha in the Crimson Book. O ’Ali! When thou passest through My lands and enterest My countries, glorify My loved ones and acquaint them with the ocean of My loving-kindness, the sun of My grace, and the heaven of My bounty. Remind them of that which gladdeneth their hearts and give them the glad tidings that I have mentioned their names by the Pen of My Will in My Preserved Tablet.”

And regarding what you wrote that at the time of writing, Aqa ’Abdu’l-Karim from S and Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Ibrahim from K, upon them be the Glory of God, arrived and requested that mention be made of them in the Most Holy Presence - excellent is what they desired and excellent is what they intended, for this station is very great. Although now, due to the all-encompassing mercy and grace, its value is veiled, surely the veil will one day be lifted and what is hidden will be revealed. The Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, says that all exist so that they might be mentioned once in His presence. Mention of both was submitted in the Most Holy Presence as requested. This is what appeared from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance. His word, exalted be His grandeur: “O Karim! We have heard thy call and what thou didst desire was witnessed in the Most Holy Presence. Ask God to enable thee to perform that which is pleasing unto Him. If thou attainest to this station, that is, if thou holdest fast to the laws of the Book in the path of God, detached from all else, surely thou shalt be honored and successful in what thou hast desired. Be thankful that the Wronged One hath mentioned thee and revealed for thee that from which every fair-minded one who hath recognized his Lord’s Manifestation, the Forgiving, the Generous, doth inhale the fragrance.”

O Muhammad-Qabli-Ibrahim! The servant present before Us hath made mention of thee, and We too make mention of thee. Be thou aware of this and be of the thankful ones. He loveth him who hath loved Him, remembereth him who hath remembered Him, and turneth unto him who hath turned unto Him - a favor from His presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful. When thou attainest unto My verses and art seized by the rapture of My utterance, thou shalt find thyself in supreme joy. He shall exalt thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold the world and its conditions, its treasures, its traces and its princes as a shadow that moveth at every instant. Everything among all things, every branch among the branches, and every leaf among the leaves shall remind thee of Him. Thus doth thy Lord make mention of thee from this glorious station. Associate with all people and ponder upon what thou seest, that thou mayest witness in all things the wisdom of thy Lord, the Commander, the All-Wise. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

As to what thou didst write concerning Aqa Muhammad-Rida and Aqa Abu’l-Hasan, upon them be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Throne. He showed favor unto them and said: Blessed be they and their father who attained unto the recognition of God when every learned one denied Him and every mystic turned away from Him, save those whom God wished, the Lord of all worlds. We make mention in this station of him who is named Ahmad, that he may arise to serve the Cause and give thanks unto his Lord, the Almighty. We have heard thy call and make mention of thee through this utterance whereby every great matter hath been established. The servant present hath read thy letter which thou didst send to Nabil-i-Qabli-’Ali, and We answer thee with that which My Most Exalted Pen hath been moved to write, from the presence of One All-Wise. Hold fast unto the cord of the Cause and cling to the hem of grace and say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Him Who accepted the harm of the world for the exaltation of Thy Most Exalted Word and the elevation of Thy Cause between earth and heaven, to ordain for me through Thy grace that which Thou hast ordained for Thy assured servants who have taken the choice wine in Thy Name and have drunk thereof through Thy wise remembrance. O Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and detached from all else but Thee, and Thou witnesseth what hath befallen me in Thy path. I beseech Thee to make me in all conditions turned toward Thee and speaking in Thy praise and glorification. Ordain for me, O my God, that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

Praise be to God that the aforementioned names have been adorned with the ornament of the recognition of the One Lord, and the effulgences of the Sun of Verses have encompassed them all. Unto Him be praise and glory, and may the spirit of the world be a sacrifice for His bounty. You had made mention of one of the steadfast believing women, upon her be the Glory of God and whatsoever hath been ordained for her by divine decree, and likewise mention of the noble sister of His Holiness Ismu’llah Ha, and mention of the Leaf, daughter of Ismu’llah Asdaq, and mention of the loved ones of that land, upon them be the Glory of God, whose names were inscribed in that beloved one’s letter - all were presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. The Sun of loving-kindness hath dawned upon them all, but in view of that same word which was mentioned, some indisposition appeared in the blessed temperament, and the appearance of verses and the waves of the ocean of utterance were suspended in the heaven of God’s will. God willing, it is hoped that henceforth all shall become the recipients of special favors. Let them not be saddened by the delay, for assuredly in this delay there have been and will be additional bounties. Your honor should give glad-tidings to all. Praise be to God that the names of the sanctified souls and their condition of love for God and His Cause, their turning to Him and their humility before Him, were presented at the Divine Throne, and all attained the honor of being heard by the Lord of Names. Blessed are they and upon them be glory. Give glad-tidings to that assured leaf that divine favors and the Word of God, which is in truth an enduring effect, shall surely encompass her. Let her not grieve over what hath come to pass, for greater than this hath befallen the True One Himself and His chosen ones. The expressions of lowliness, evanescence and nothingness of this servant to the gentlemen and divine friends who are present in that land are contingent upon that Beloved One’s favor. God willing, you will convey them in a befitting and worthy manner. I present my greetings and salutations to the honored master and revered lord, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu-Talib and Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, upon them both be the Glory of God, and I give them the glad-tidings that their letters which they had written to this servant, as well as their petition, were presented before the Presence. Perfect loving-kindness hath shone forth from the Dayspring of grace, and especially regarding the names that were in the letter of Muhammad-Qabli-Taqi, upon him be the Glory of God, exalted and inaccessible Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of God’s will. God willing, they shall be sent hereafter, and this servant too, according to his poverty and lowliness, hath submitted his petition to them and to Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu-Talib. I beseech God that, God willing, I may be enabled to send them afterwards.

Another submission is that two packets have been sent from the sacred household - one for the honored Thamarih Varaqatu’l-Hamra, upon her be all His most glorious splendor, and another packet addressed to the wife of Ha before Sin, upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah] from the people of Ta and Fa. Your honor should deliver them. It was intended that these two packets be given to Muhammad before ’Ali, upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah] from the people of Dahaj, at the time of his departure, but it was delayed for a reason. Another submission: they instructed this servant to convey to that beloved one that sometimes when your honor shows kindness to this servant, that is, sends notes, specifically inquire about and write regarding the conditions of the honored Thamarih, upon her be the glory of God. And concerning what was written about how the carpet should be sent, Karbila’i Ahmad himself has written the details about that. And coincidentally, some time ago two carpets were requested from the honored Samandar, upon him be the glory of God, as carpets were much needed. This carpet too should be sent according to their wisdom, in whatever way those two are being sent, whether from those directions or another direction. Final submission: all the circumambulators of the Prison Land, which has been called the Holy Land and Most Beautiful Names, whether those dwelling there or emigrants or visitors, remember that beloved one with most wondrous mentions and express their sincerity. Beyond this, this pen and this tongue and expression are not capable or worthy to mention and convey the glorification and manifestations of the favors and kindnesses of the Branches of the Divine Blessed Tree - may all existence be sacrificed for them. The blessed handwriting of His Holiness the Branch of God addressed to Aqa Mirza Hasan has been written; your honor should deliver it. Another submission is that eighteen tumans have been transferred for the honored Samandar, upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah], to deliver to your honor to give to Ha before Sin from the people of Ta and Fa. The details are that the honored ’Azim, upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah] and His favors, has ascended, and this amount remained from his estate. Although he himself had willed and left it here, the command was issued that it must reach his heirs, therefore you must give it to Aqa Mirza Husayn so that he may deliver it to the heirs of the elevated one.

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

O beloved of my heart and the one remembered in my soul! Long has my heedlessness, intoxication and slumber persisted. In all conditions I acknowledge and confess my inadequacy and negligence, and this confession in itself is worthy of the descent of forgiveness and grace. At all times this evanescent servant has been and remains wanting, yet his acknowledgment and confession elevates him to the exalted station of pardon. For ages and centuries, this servant has been deprived of mentioning that which he has desired. The Beloved is aware of how many communications arrive from all directions, all of which must be answered, and likewise during the days and nights he must be occupied before the throne in recording that which descendeth from the heaven of revelation. This is why it was previously submitted that opportunity is as rare as the phoenix, yet this servant has wished and wishes to find some means of attachment and to importune that Beloved One.

The noble letter which was a true messenger brought spiritual tidings. Praise be to God, it opened the gate of joy and adorned the heart with the lights of gladness. A hundred thousand thanks to the Beloved of the worlds that He granted knowledge of your excellent health and well-being. May this bounty, God willing, know no end and may this grace have no termination. After perusal and reading, proceeding to the Most Glorious Station and the Supreme Horizon, all of it was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what was sent down from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. His word, exalted be His majesty:

He is the Witness, the All-Hearing […]

O thou who art mentioned before the Divine Throne! We have heard thy call, and Our servant present hath made mention of that which beareth witness to thy devotion, acceptance, steadfastness, firmness and love. God willing, thou shalt be assisted in that which will cause the exaltation and promotion of the Cause of God. One word may cause hearts to freeze, while another may set them ablaze. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that were but a single line of the Hidden Book to be made manifest in truth, all would forsake the world and turn unto the Most Great Ocean. The face of the world is now turned toward irreligiousness, the details of which were previously revealed in a Tablet from the heaven of God’s Will. Blessed are they that attain! In these days when the leader of vain imaginings hath appeared with utmost might and the hosts of idle fancies have encompassed all directions, and weakness and lassitude have permeated the pillars of being, thou must set the world ablaze through the power of the Most Great Name. Despite all that hath been mentioned, change and transformation, giving and withholding, have ever been within the grasp of God’s power. Blessed is the soul that ariseth today with wisdom and guideth the world through the fire of the Divine Word. Every word that is uttered for God’s sake is like unto a tree - its leaves and fruits will assuredly appear in the world. This is the truth in which there is no doubt.

O thou who gazest upon His countenance! Were the veiled souls of the world to adorn themselves with the robe of fairness and ponder upon that which hath been manifested in this Most Great Revelation, all would attain unto that from which they are now deprived. Heedlessness hath encompassed the world. Consider the great metropolis and what hath befallen it, yet they remain unaware. They have strayed from the Truth, wherefore God caused their hearts to stray and sent down upon them a thunderbolt from heaven, yet they understand not. All regions are in turmoil and upheaval. That which skilled builders could not construct in successive years hath been destroyed in a single hour. For years the fire of sedition hath been ablaze while the light of rest and tranquility remaineth veiled and concealed, yet its cause remaineth hidden from sight.

Beseech ye God that He may assist those souls who have drunk from the Kawthar of divine love to perform good deeds and display praiseworthy conduct. These deeds and conduct are as hosts for the triumph of His Cause. Blessed is he who understandeth and acteth accordingly. O thou who hast attained My presence and standeth before the gate of My grandeur! Were the friends of God to act in accordance with that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in this Revelation, the Cause of God would be witnessed in the utmost exaltation. In certain cities and villages there are some who are attributed to God and have attained His love, yet they neglect that which they are bidden to observe and act upon that which hath been forbidden. Verily, He heareth and seeth and concealeth, and He is the Concealer, the Compassionate, the Generous. Every deed hath its effect and every word its fruit. God willing, may His friends who are steadfast in His Cause and are mentioned as among His chosen ones exert their utmost endeavor that perchance the temples of those who have turned toward Him may be adorned with the new and blessed garments of piety. Say: By God’s life! The earth proclaimeth its tidings. Blessed are they who understand. Should thou at times journey to certain lands in service to the Cause […]

Let those who are remembered in the presence of God exert their utmost effort that perchance the temples of those who have turned towards Him may be adorned with the new and blessed garments of piety. Say: By the life of God, verily the earth recounteth her tidings. Blessed are they who understand. Should that honored one at times proceed to various lands for the sake of serving the Cause and remind the people of that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, it would be well-pleasing. This is the day of deeds and service. This Wronged One hath not withheld the Pen from movement in all conditions, whether in joy or sorrow, ease or hardship, and hath caused to flow from it, like unto the waters of paradise, that which is the cause of exaltation, elevation and salvation of the peoples of the world. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth unto His straight path and remembereth whom He pleaseth with that whose fragrance shall never be cut off throughout the eternity of names. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

The Most Great Glad-Tidings are that after the presentation of that beloved one’s petitions before His presence, the door of bounty was opened to such a degree and the tongue of loving-kindness spoke in such wise that this servant is truly incapable and powerless to express it, and words are utterly inadequate to bear the weight of these sublime and exalted divine meanings. Praise be to the Desired One of the worlds that His glance of favor hath ever been directed toward that beloved one. God willing, may they ever speak that which is conducive to unity and concord. In these days mention of that honored one hath repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Two Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were briefly revealed and sent in that beloved one’s name, and in this detailed letter, mention of that beloved one hath repeatedly descended from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s grace. God willing, may that beloved one’s appetite be complete, that they may drink successively and partake continuously of the grace of inner meanings, the repast of utterance, the choice wine of bounty, and the Kawthar of exposition in the name of the Peerless Friend, while this servant repeatedly and continuously uttereth “May it be wholesome and pleasant.” Concerning what was written about sustenance, in truth for that beloved one it is the verses that have flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Your honor hath indeed spoken the pure truth. Yea, by God, this is the true sustenance, the spiritual repast, and the essence of the supreme remedy for the nations. After this matter was presented in the Most Holy Court, He smiled and said: “God willing, it shall not cease and shall descend like the spring rains. Verily, We have sent down for him that which shall testify for him among the world before all peoples.”

Regarding what you wrote about movement and the remaining matters - upon her be the Glory of God - those souls who are among the loved ones of God must be vigilant and carry out whatever lies within their power. Beyond this, God, exalted be His glory, hath been and ever shall be the Guardian, Helper and Protector.

And concerning what you had written about the honored beloved, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Javad, upon him be the Glory of God, who has truly been and continues to be unique in charitable works and services to the Cause, and likewise his family members who have undertaken to care for the affairs of the maidservants - all these details were presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke in the Kingdom of Utterance, His word, exalted be His glory:

“Jinab-i-Javad, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy, has from the beginning of the Cause until now stood firm in service to the Cause, and is adorned with the most glorious and most gracious ornament of steadfastness, such that outward tribulations could not prevent him from the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness, nor could earthly relations hold him back from the true, pure, firm and spiritual relationship. He clung to the relationship with God, detached from all else. This station is most great, and its reward is likewise most great. God willing, may he ever be illumined with the light of the Most Great Steadfastness and remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. His reward is with God, the Generous, the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

“Likewise his family members, who have ever been mentioned in the Most Holy Presence and honored with the ornament of favor - may they, God willing, at all times be focused on that which God loves, as they have been, and cling to the hem of His grace in such wise that the entire world would be powerless to separate them. This is a lofty station, the most exalted, the mighty, the impregnable. Assuredly, whatever proceeds from them in the path of Truth, glorified be His majesty, they have not and will not neglect. God speaks the truth and He is the Guide to the straight path.” End quote.

One Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed for them from the heaven of will, and likewise another Tablet was sent some time ago. God willing, may they attain to both. The request is that you convey greetings from this evanescent servant to them and those with them. It is hoped that God, glorified be His majesty, will one day grant the meeting - a sweetness with which neither this world nor the next can compare is when true friends dwell and rest beneath the Lote Tree and are engaged in remembrance and utterance of the Peerless Beloved. May Jinab-i-Aqa Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God, attain the good of this world and the next and be honored with the ornament of favor.

Let another submission be that the servants who were mentioned in your letter were all presented before Him Who converseth upon the Mount, and each attained to that which the earthly realm cannot compare with. After showing kindness, favor, compassion and mercy, He said: “God willing, may they not be deprived of the outpourings of the True Bestower in this divine Day, and may the love of worldly things not prevent them from attaining unto the Lord of Names. This is the Day which all those near unto God have yearned and hoped to attain. The divine Books bear witness to this most perfect and complete bounty, and have given tidings thereof in most eloquent terms. Say: O friends! Strive to attain eternal stations. The lamp of being is surrounded by diverse winds, and the divine sustenance, which is as oil, if cut off, will instantly be extinguished. We beseech God that earthly conditions not deprive them of everlasting favors. All people, learned and ignorant, have awaited this Day, yet when the dawn of the divine Day broke, all were found veiled save a few letters of the Face of God, the Self-Subsisting. All veils and preventive coverings have been the divines of the age. Reflect upon what they did in former centuries and what they brought about. Blessed is he who cast them behind his back, turning unto the Supreme Horizon. Although these souls are known for their learning, they have been and are the most ignorant among the earth’s inhabitants. The true scholar is as the eye to the body of the world. Today the fragrances of the garment are diffused, He Who converseth upon the Mount speaketh from the most exalted station, the Sea of Life is surging, and the breezes of grace are passing. Blessed is the soul that hath become aware and attained unto the Purpose. O thou who gazest toward My horizon! Mention what We have imparted unto thee for My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded all existence. Praise be unto God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.”

A glorious Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of favor specifically for the honored lady upon her be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], wherein mention was made of the late Karbila’i Ahmad, upon him be God’s mercy and favor. God willing, may they be blessed by divine favor in all worlds.

Regarding what was mentioned about Sul?an-Abad and turning toward that land, it is most beloved. In those regions such attention is necessary. Movement and stillness that appear for the sake of God are sources of divine traces. Every word spoken for God’s sake is like a tree whose fruits are countless. The Command is in God’s hand, the Lord of all beings. Kerman and its surroundings which were mentioned are also beloved. God willing, may they enlighten the heedless people with perfect wisdom and flowing, pleasing, and graceful utterances so all may attain to what is intended. The land of Y and Sh is as that beloved one wrote - turning thereto is not advisable given what was mentioned.

Regarding what was written about Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God, son of him who ascended unto God - some time ago a most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed specifically for him containing exalted mention of the departed J.B., upon him be the glory and mercy of God, and was sent. However, Mirza Bahar was not mentioned in the Most Holy Court and nothing was expressed about him, otherwise that beloved one knows that the requirements of grace have never been neglected and the rays of the Sun of Bounty have ever been manifest and evident. If favor is shown before expression, it may cause some misunderstandings. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to grant him success and aid. Verily, He hath power over all things.

In the Name of Him Who is the Speaker between earth and heaven!

As to what you wrote concerning Sheikh Muhammad, upon him be 66 [Baha’u’llah], mention of him has reached from the land of H and M and above it, and the favor of the True One, exalted be His glory, has been with him. In response to petitions from H and M, mention of him has flowed from the Supreme Pen. God willing, may he be blessed by divine grace and confirmed in what is befitting.

Mention was made of Aqa Khadidad and Aqa Shahvirdi and other chosen ones and friends of God, upon them be the glory of God. This was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. This is what was sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance in reply, His Word, exalted be His glory and mighty His power:

In My Name, through which the Tree called out among the worlds!

O Khadidad! We have mentioned thee before, and before before, and We mention thee at this time from this Most Exalted Station which God has made the point of circumambulation of Paradise and the dawning-places of the Names. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Generous. We have sent down upon the world that which has moved every motionless thing and has caused every bone to quiver. But those who have taken the reins of the people are in schism and hypocrisy and in evident doubt. The valleys have flowed and hearts have melted, yet the people are in mighty delusion. The rock has cried out and all things have been attracted, yet the divines are in strange sleep. By the life of God! They are the ignorant ones. Through them the Concourse on High laments, and the Dawning-Places of Revelation in the ancient centuries. Lo! They are among the wrongdoers. Therefore, rejoice in My mention and My mercy and My grace, and be of those who are steadfast.

In My Name, the Speaker between earth and heaven!

O Shahvirdi! The Wronged One of the world has turned toward thee from the direction of the Most Great Prison and makes mention of thee. Consider this station a precious gift and guard it as thy life. Praise be to God, thou hast been mentioned by the Supreme Pen among the sons of the Friend [Abraham] and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God [Moses]. That which the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an speaks in His exalted Word: “And We desired to show favor unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them leaders and to make them inheritors.”

And this is what was revealed for Mulla Ali, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, through which the ocean of divine knowledge has surged!

O Ali! Praise be to God that thou wast awakened by the breezes of dawn that wafted in the beginning of the Revelation and didst attain unto the Purpose. How many propped-up pieces of wood there were who, in their own estimation, were awaiting the divine days, yet when the Sun of Revelation shone forth and the One manifest as the Sinai appeared, it was seen that they were and are fit only for the fire. Therefore they were consumed and perished in the fire of their desires. Hence He says that the dried tree is fit for fire. O Ali! God willing, thou shalt attain to such a station that the conditions and affairs of the world shall not prevent thee from helping the Cause. Be thou one who remembers My Name, who holds fast to My cord, and who stands firm in service to My mighty Cause. In these days mighty and wondrous Tablets have been revealed specifically for him who bears the name of God the Most Truthful, upon him be all My most glorious glory, in reply to his petitions. However, in view of wisdom, their dispatch has been delayed and, as commanded, this servant present has written and sent a brief note. God willing, may he act as befits. Blessed is he and blessed is his father, to whom the Supreme Pen has testified as all atoms testify. Glory be upon thee and upon every insightful believer.

That which was revealed for Mirza Husayn, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing! […]

Verily the Wronged One wishes to make mention of him whose name hath been honoured by the presence of the Most Sublime Vision - the station wherein all things proclaim that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. This is a mention which, were it to be cast upon the dust, would cause to arise therefrom the dawning-places of attraction and rapture, and the manifestations of knowledge, through the eternal duration of the names of God, the Lord of the final end.

O Husayn! Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Throne and this Tablet hath been revealed for thee. Thy letter was received before and after, and was read by the servant who was present, and We have answered thee through the grace of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Thou wert mentioned before the Face and stood at the door. We, from this station, send Our greetings unto thee and unto those who have cast behind them all who are on earth, turning with spirit and fragrance to the Most Exalted Horizon.

That which was revealed for his honor Siyyid Qabla-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the One Dawning from the horizon of the heaven of the Kingdom:

O Siyyid Qabla-’Ali! We have witnessed thy turning and thy devotion. We have turned unto thee and made mention of thee with that which causeth the sincere ones to inhale the fragrance of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have mentioned thee before and at this time as a token of grace from God, the Lord of existence. When the Sun of inner meanings dawned from the horizon of thy Lord’s will, words were struck unconscious, and when they recovered they said: “We turn repentant unto Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom!” Take hold of God’s Tablet with strength from Him and be steadfast in the service of His Cause. Thus doth the Wronged One counsel thee from His praiseworthy station.

That which was revealed for his honor Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing:

The Face hath turned unto thee time and again, and We have mentioned thee once briefly and another time in a clear tablet. Thou hast attained unto the Goal when every remote scholar turned away from Him. Thou didst discover the fragrance of the garment in the days of thy Lord, the Most Merciful. To this beareth witness He Who speaketh in every condition that there is none other God but He, the Single, the All-Informed. Thou hast recognized that which the peoples have been veiled from, save whom God hath willed, the Lord of all worlds. Hold fast to the hem of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, detached from all who are in the heavens and the earth. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent them unto thee that thou mayest find from them the fragrance of My favor which hath preceded all things. Verily thy Lord is the Expositor, the All-Wise. O Baqir! Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned by the tongue of thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Verily He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great.

That which was revealed for his honor Ghulam-Qabla-Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the One Sanctified above all names:

O Ghulam-Qabla-Husayn! Thy name hath been presented before the Face, and We have adorned its temple with the ornament of utterance, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Most Merciful, and be of those who are firmly established. Thou art he who hath attained unto God’s verses before and in this time wherein the Temple of the Cause hath been established upon His mighty throne. Grieve not at anything, but trust in all matters in God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Strive that there may appear from thee that which shall endure through the duration of My most beautiful names. Verily thy Lord is the Remembrancer, the All-Wise. Blessed is the strong one who hath arisen to serve the Cause, and the weak one who hath said, “Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds!” We have created souls in diverse stages and have made clear unto them what We desired in the earth and have guided them unto My straight path. Blessed is he who hath not been hindered by the greatest veil and hath answered his Ancient Lord.

Praise be to God that the souls mentioned have attained complete and perfect bounties. Verily our Lord is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. In truth, the Pen is not still - from every direction the ocean of bounty is surging and the sun of grace is shining forth. The wonder is that lifeless souls have not yet attained unto life and have not become aware of this Cause of such magnitude. One is astonished at what the divines of the earth are seeking and from what they turn away. Is it that due to the abundance of bounties they have become worthless in the sight of the ignorant masses, or have their deeds become embodied and deprived those polytheistic souls of awareness? Have the hearing and sight of all been seized? In any case, this servant is bewildered and astounded. In one instance He says this is the Day of vision, for the lights of His countenance are manifest and evident from the Most Great Horizon, and it is the Day of hearing, for the Call of God is raised. By what excuse do the heedless souls justify themselves before the Countenance of the world, and to what pretext do they cling? We are God’s and to Him shall we return.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Ahmad and the family of His Holiness the departed and accepted one, Jinab-i-Mirza of Qa’in, upon him be the glory of God and His bounty and mercy - supreme favors have been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them. That very day there was specifically revealed for them that which mortality shall not seize and immortality shall glory in relation to it. The grace of his Lord has encompassed him to the extent that in his Visitation Tablet was revealed: “The earth hath been adorned by thy frame” to the end of His mighty and glorious Word. All his relatives are mentioned in the presence of the Countenance. God willing, may they be confirmed and walk in the footsteps of His Holiness the departed and accepted one.

Furthermore, that beloved one’s supplication was presented before the Countenance of the Intended One. Such bounty was manifested that this servant is incapable of fully describing it. This exalted word is before me and I mention it. His glory be exalted: “Thy crying and lamentation in the love of God were heard. In the night We heard thy letter which thou hadst written to the servant in attendance, and at dawn We hearkened unto that wherewith thou didst call upon God. The servant in attendance made mention each time, and on the last occasion presented the Persian poem before the Countenance. The crying of thy heart had effect, and from the heart of the world emerged a breath more subtle than the essence of life. Ask thou of God that the people of the earth may become ready and its signs and fruits may appear manifest and evident. Reflect upon the utterances of the Beloved of all possibility, and speak that which is the cause of enkindlement and the reason for attraction and the foundation of the life of the world. Thou wert with Me and didst witness the waves of the ocean of My utterance and the lights of the sun of My remembrance. We make mention and the servant in attendance awaits another mention. God is Most Great! He hath reached in the station of seeking unto a point to which the Most Exalted Pen hath testified in the beginning of days, and all things are behind him. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who are with thee among His sincere servants.” End quote. How wonderful is this fragrance which hath been diffused from the garment of our Lord, the All-Merciful’s utterance! Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee in the permanence of the Kingdom and the Realm. Praise be to God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving.

The expression of sincerity, submissiveness, humility and utter evanescence of this servant in the presence of the friends of God who dwell in that land depends upon and is contingent upon that beloved one’s grace. The glory that shineth resplendent from the horizon of our Lord the All-Merciful’s bounty be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon all who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon in this mighty Day.

The Servant

On the 27th of the month of Shavval in the year 1299

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=== START BH00169 ===

He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and the Power!

The tongue of the days speaketh this most exalted word:

O God of the world and Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to protect Thy party from all parties and Thy religion from all religions. O Lord! The banners of affliction have encompassed Yathrib and Batha. I beseech Thee to forgive their transgressions which have led them to the scourges of Thy wrath and Thy chastisement. O Lord! Thou seest me standing before Thee, hoping for the wonders of Thy grace and favors. Make known unto them, O my God, that of which they were heedless, and teach them that which Thou hast commanded in Thy firm Book. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Glorious, the Bestower.

O Beloved of my heart! The thunderbolt of the disobedience of the servants hath seized them, and heinous deeds have appeared in various forms of cannon, rifle, sword and the like. Implore forgiveness from God, glorified be His majesty, that perchance the Kawthar of His Most Forgiving Name may efface the darkness of existence and the effulgences of the sun of the heaven of His grace may illumine the darkened and heedless hearts. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth to His straight path.

Alexandria hath returned to non-existence. In but a few hours its wealth, ornaments, glory and exaltation were seized. In place of the nightingale, the owl hath made its dwelling, and in the station of the thrush, the crow. The people of that land are in trembling and agitation, such that the security of the people hath been entirely removed and the bird of trustworthiness hath hidden its head beneath its wing. Letters cannot be sent for their condition is unknown. These few words are submitted in brevity, and it is hoped they may be considered. The friends of that land, namely As, have returned to this land and are dwelling in the shadow. All that they and others possessed was plundered and looted. This is truly a station of thanksgiving, for praise be to God, though their hands are empty, their hearts are treasuries of the pearls of love and are filled with the lights of reliance. They are joyous to such a degree that this servant is truly unable to describe it. God will soon compensate them with better than what they previously possessed. Verily, He hath power over what He willeth.

Your letter dated the third of Jamadiyu’th-Thani, which you sent in the name of His Holiness the Name of Bounty, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, reached this evanescent one. God willing, may you ever partake of the fruits of the tree of love of the Beloved Eternal One, and may this servant say: “May it be wholesome and pleasant.” God is witness that this servant derives a world of joy and delight from your letters. How excellent is that fragrance that wafteth from its words and utterances! After perusal, each was presented before His face. The ocean of bounty is surely surging. Not only this servant, but all who are in the world are powerless and unable to express that which hath appeared and been manifested.

As to what you wrote concerning Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be the Glory of God, God willing, may he be enkindled at all times with the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree, and be struck with awe by the grandeur of the Word, and after pure and absolute sobriety, may he utter the blessed words “I have arisen to serve Thy Cause, O Thou the Desire of the worlds.” This servant has beseeched and continues to beseech from God, exalted be His glory, loftiness, elevation and steadfastness for him, for the Cause is most mighty and the people are most heedless and veiled. Shaykh Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God, is departing in these days and the reply to his petitions, which he had submitted on behalf of many of the friends, has been granted. God willing, they will attain unto it. As he was the bearer of the petitions, he became the bearer of their reply.

As to what you wrote concerning the journey of my brother, upon him be the Glory of God, praise be to God, he has reached his intended destination and is holding fast to the cord of wisdom. Blessed is he! Happy is he! Felicitous is he! Peace be upon him! Mercy be upon him!

You had mentioned Aqa Muhammad-Javad, upon him be the Glory of God. In truth, he is among those from whom the sweet fragrance of steadfastness has been inhaled and perceived, and it is hoped that he will receive complete recompense from God, exalted be His glory, for this attribute. Words similar to these were heard from the tongue of the Beloved. God willing, may he ever be adorned with this most mighty and most holy ornament and in all conditions be fixed upon the horizon of God’s will, detached from all else. Although he has been and is adorned with this ornament, convey this evanescent one’s greetings to him.

Among other matters, you had mentioned the departed and elevated Hadrat-i-Qa’ini, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. O what longing! With all my soul and spirit I beseech the All-Merciful to grant that which was bestowed upon him. As these details have been submitted specifically to certain friends, brevity is observed here. He has attained to a mention which, were it to be cast upon the earth, it would arise; upon bones, they would move and speak; and upon the dead, they would speak by God’s leave, the Mighty, the Loving.

Regarding what they wrote about the funds for the honourable Sadat, upon them be the Glory of God, news arrived from the land of Ya and Ha and they sent it. Praise be to God, it was honoured by acceptance. Blessed are they! In these days when Jinab-i-Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, was departing, that which was and shall be peerless was sent specially for each one. God willing, may they attain unto it. This evanescent servant beseeches God to aid them in that which is the cause and means of eternal bounty. Verily God, our Lord and the Lord of the heavens and earth, He is the Helper, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous. Greetings and salutations are extended to them.

Regarding what was mentioned in the previous letter about Master Ali-Akbar (Haddad), upon him be the Glory of God - verily he has attained to the mention of God before, during, and after what transpired. Time and again his name has flowed from the Supreme Pen. God willing, may he attain to that which God loves. Not an atom of what has befallen him in the path of God shall be lost. Tribulations in the path of God are like unto a tree - wondrous and lofty fruits have appeared and shall continue to appear therefrom. Repeatedly have such utterances been heard from the Tongue of Him Who reveals the verses. In a letter which this servant wrote to Jinab-i-Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon him be the Glory of God, the Tongue of the All-Merciful mentioned the aforementioned one, namely Master Ali-Akbar, in two places - O what utterances that all the books of the world cannot equal! However, due to the disorder and turmoil in these parts, the letter of the aforementioned Mirza was not sent. God willing it shall be sent and you will observe it. And on this night, which is the twentieth night of the honored month of Shawwal, these exalted words dawned from the horizon of the heaven of will. His word, exalted be His majesty:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing

O Ali before Akbar! The Supreme Pen beareth witness to what hath befallen thee in the path of God, the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the last and the first. Ere long shall the sincere ones behold that which hath been ordained for them from God, the Most High, the Most Great.

These exalted words were sent in a special tablet in the Most Holy Handwriting. God willing, may he attain unto it and likewise unto all that hath been revealed specifically for him. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Compassionate. All the details concerning him and what befell him are witnessed in the Divine Presence and are mentioned time and again. And specifically for Karbila’i Abbas, upon him be the Glory of God, there appeared from the Source of the Cause that which shall ever remain eternal and enduring in the assemblage of the world:

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

O Abbas! That which hath befallen thee is the greatest proof and the mightiest evidence of thy recognition, faith and certitude. Reflect upon Moses and His companions - what befell them, from whom it came, and thereafter consider Jesus and His loved ones. By God’s life! They witnessed that which none before had witnessed, and in God’s path they heard that which no soul had heard. Observe the Lord of Batha (Muhammad), may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, and His companions - there befell them that which caused the dwellers of the pavilions of the Kingdom to lament. Then reflect upon the Herald (the Bab). The source of all these tribulations in former ages were the ignorant ones who were known as the learned. Know thou the value of these tribulations and preserve them in the name of God. The treasures of the world have not and never shall equal them. If thou wert to reflect but briefly upon the heedlessness of the turban-wearers, thou wouldst attain unto the greatest joy. In the nights and days they perform ablutions, purify themselves, and turn to the mosques for mention, praise, glorification and prayer, yet they remain heedless and veiled from Him through Whose word all these matters have appeared. They speak the truth yet recognize it not, and with utmost tyranny they attack Him. Say: […]

O my God! The essence of praise and the source of glorification have been and are dedicated to Thy peerless Being. O my Lord and my Goal! With what tongue can I recount Thy boundless favors? That which the divines, mystics and philosophers are deprived of today, Thou hast graciously bestowed upon me. I beseech the ocean of Thy generosity to preserve that which Thou hast granted. The command is in Thy hands and Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Praise be to Thee, O Goal of the mystics!

What else can this evanescent servant say? Every letter of expression testifies at the highest pitch to the loftiness and elevation of the friends of God, and likewise to the grace and loving-kindness of God, exalted be His glory. Beseech ye God to guide the heedless to the direction of awareness, that they may realize that those souls whom they formerly reviled, rejected and cursed due to their abominable deeds are now themselves more wretched and rebellious than those souls were. In brief, their abominable deeds have become thick veils and have prevented their eyes from beholding the lights. This servant is perplexed as to what to say. His is to say: We are God’s and unto Him shall we return.

Likewise, all other souls who, both before and after, suffered tribulation and adversity in that land for the Cause of God and were cast into prison, all attained unto God’s grace. Blessed are they and theirs shall be a goodly retreat.

As to the mention made of his honor ’Andalib, upon him be the Glory of God, and the friends of those regions, all were presented before His countenance. Praise be to God, they have drunk from the Living Waters and are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon. The petitions of some which were presented to the Most Holy Court through his honor Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, have all received answers which have been revealed and manifested from the Dayspring of Grace and have been sent. And especially for his honor the beloved ’Andalib, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, numerous Tablets have been revealed. God willing, he will attain unto them. The bearer of the petitions himself became the bearer of their answers. Convey on my behalf greetings to his honor ’A. God is my witness that they have never been and are never absent from sight.

As to the mention made of his honor Aqa Siyyid Abu’l-Ma’ali, upon him be the Glory of God, his petition arrived previously and the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet, from whose horizon shone forth the Sun of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds, was revealed and sent. God willing, he will attain unto it. Under all conditions they must hold fast to the cord of wisdom. If a land is cultivated and achieves capacity, planting therein becomes necessary, and this is among those deeds which have been and are great in the sight of God. Otherwise, no. O my beloved! The cawing of the ignorant has prevented the people from the choice wine of the utterance of the Lord of Names. Fie upon the heedless one whose efforts in this vain life have gone astray. Soon will he behold the punishment above him and beneath him, to his right and to his left, before him and behind him. That beloved one too must, in accordance with the command, not let go of wisdom. In sending correspondence to various regions they should be considerate and hold fast unto it only to the extent necessary, for atheistic and hostile people are seeking pretexts. It is not and has not been permissible to send correspondence to his honor the brother, upon him be the Glory of God, who resides in the Great City, except to the extent necessary, and even then in a manner not contrary to that of the general public. This matter is in consideration of the wishes of the wealthy who have referred to them, and anything beyond this would be contrary to wisdom.

In your mention of Jinab-i-Haji Baba, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Ibrahim, and Jinab-i-Mashhadi Husayn (all of them), may the glory of God be upon them - their mention has been made before the Divine Presence and their deeds are accepted. This servant has sent a special leaf for each one of them, and the intention was to mention them. Convey greetings and salutations to Jinab-i-Haji Baba and them.

Regarding your mention of the honored Aqa ’Abdu’s-Samad, may the glory of God and His mercy be upon him - concerning his mention, that which was revealed from the heaven of grace shall endure with its fragrances throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Praise be to God that these beloved ones have ever been the cause of supreme bounty for the servants and the source of greatest good for all in the land. His Tablet was given to Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali (may the glory of God be upon him) who resides in the vicinity, that he may forward it.

And regarding your mention of the honored and blessed Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Javad, may the glory of God and His favor be upon him - in those same days his mention was repeatedly heard from the Tongue of Grandeur, though its text has not yet been sent anywhere. It is hoped that it will be sent to you later. How could the Supreme Pen pause in his mention, when he was among the souls assured, steadfast, content, firm and upright? And these very words were heard from the Divine Tongue: “A hundred thousand blessings upon him, for at his mention the fountain of mercy flows and spreads.”

And regarding what you wrote about the honored Jinab-i-’Abdu’l-Hamid Khan, may God’s mercy and favor be upon him - a special Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace for his wife, may the glory of God be upon her, and in that Tablet mention was made of the honored Khan. Praise be to the Goal of the worlds that He has not deprived His loved ones of the adorning grace, for verily whatsoever flows today from the Supreme Pen concerning any soul shall remain and endure, and all the treasures and hidden wealth of the world cannot equal it. In truth, whoever is today adorned with the crown of His good-pleasure, their death shall be the cause of eternal life. Blessed are they that attain!

And again at this moment these exalted words have been revealed from the heaven of grace especially for his wife, that it may be the cause of fresh joy and new gladness from God. His blessed and exalted Word:

In the Name of the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing […]

O handmaid of God! Thy call was heard in the Most Great Prison. All praise be to God that thou hast been confirmed and hast turned thy face to the most exalted horizon in the days of the Lord of Names. Preserve this great station through the blessed Name of God, exalted be His glory. Strive to drink from the wine of steadfastness. Whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good things and is recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Book. Be thou vocal in the mention of God, occupied with His remembrance, and joyous in His love. He is the All-Sufficient, the All-Healing, the Companion, the Helper. Be not grieved at what hath befallen thee, for the ocean of joy surgeth before all eyes. Blessed are such servants and handmaidens as have attained unto the mention of God and are adorned with His knowledge. The Glory be upon thee and upon My handmaidens in that place who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.

As to their turning towards this direction, it is not permitted, for conditions are unsettled, as was explained before. Regarding the properties, permission for their use hath been granted to them, but their sale is not permitted, as their existence is outwardly necessary for that honored lady. Let her use them with the utmost joy and fragrance and be occupied with the mention of the Beloved of all possibility. All matters should be conducted with wisdom. Should any claimant appear, they should act in such a way as not to cause commotion. Praise be to God, they have attained unto the imperishable dominion which is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory.

[The rest of the text consists of specific tablets addressed to various individuals, written in a combination of Persian and Arabic, containing words of encouragement, spiritual counsel, and expressions of divine favor]

The Lord of the world mentions you from the Most Great Prison. Be grateful to God for this supreme bounty. Blessed is he who has drunk from the Kawthar of My love and has tasted the sweetness of My utterance whereby the ocean of divine knowledge has surged amongst mankind, yet most of the people are among those who turn away. They have cast behind their backs the principles of God and have taken their own limitations, and verily they are among the distracted ones. Be steadfast in the Cause and firm in the love of your Lord in such wise that neither the intimations of the people nor the doubts of those who have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, will cause you to slip.

Praise be to God that through that Beloved One they have partaken of the ocean of the utterance of the Most Merciful. This mighty bounty, inasmuch as it descends and flows like torrential rain at all times, its station remains hidden. Yet a day shall come when each letter thereof will be seen to be more precious than all that exists and is treasured on earth. This evanescent servant offers his utter nothingness to each of the friends of God. It is hoped that through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, all will arise to that which befits the stations of man. God willing, may all be illumined with the light of unity and enkindled with the fire of the love of God, exalted be His glory.

Convey greetings to Aqa ’Abdu’l-Baqi, who was among the emigrants, may the glory of God rest upon him. God willing, may he be turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and act according to that which God loves.

Previously, a promise of a Tablet was made to Kadkhuda, may the glory of God rest upon him, and repeatedly have Tablets been revealed in his name from the heaven of grace, as numerous petitions had previously been received from him. God willing, may he be enabled to achieve that which is bound to the Divine Will.

A Tablet was specifically revealed for Aqa Fayd’u’llah, may the glory of God rest upon him, that his heart might find peace and that he might be among the steadfast ones. At one time He said: “O servant who is present! From the Kingdom of bounty, without interruption, the rain of mercy descends, yet Fayd says ‘Is there more?’”

God willing, may all become worthy recipients of divine mercy. From the beginning of the world until now such bounty has not been made manifest. Unless perchance some, through divine wrath, are prevented by their selfish desires, like the heedless hosts and the idle party who have intended to veil the effulgences of the Sun of Truth by that which they possess. Were the scattered utterances of the Most Merciful, which He spoke while walking or in the presence of some of the loved ones, to be collected, they would equal all the books now existing among the parties on earth, nay exceed them, were they to be just. How much more that which was recorded in His presence! For eleven years, from the ninth to the eightieth year, that which descended from the heaven of the Divine Will was not recorded, and that which was recorded was, by His command, effaced in the Tigris. O Beloved One! By the life of God, the people are in great darkness. Consider what they deny and what they affirm. Fie upon them!

Furthermore, the portrait of Himmat ’Ali Khan and his son and those who were with them, may the glory of God rest upon them, attained the Most Holy Court, and one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed from the heaven of will for the Khan and was written in the Most Glorious handwriting and sent. Wherever they may reside, deliver it to them. Verily, He doeth what He willeth by His command, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous.

And one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was also specifically sent for Aqa Muhammad-Javad, may the glory of God rest upon him.

Another submission of this lowly one is that convey greetings to Mulla Abdul-Razzaq, upon him be the Glory of God. God is witness and testifier that he has been and continues to be mentioned at the Divine Throne, and this servant has ever made mention of him and continues to do so. God willing, there shall be sent again to his service that from which the fragrance of sincerity may be inhaled. How could he and his august father, upon him be the Glory of God, ever fade from view? At all times the sweet savors of that exalted one’s love wafted by. God willing, may his son, upon him be the Glory of God, ever remain seated and at rest upon the throne of the mention and praise of God, exalted be His glory, and of supreme steadfastness. O beloved of my heart! We must beseech God to illumine the light of the steadfastness of the people of God, that the croaking of frogs may neither hold them back nor veil them, for according to the utterance of the All-Merciful, the cawing must needs appear in all regions. Although, by God’s grace and favor, the people of Baha are standing firm in such wise that they behold all else but God as non-existent and null. Well is it with them! Convey greetings to the friends in that land who have drunk from the Kawthar of contentment and who are gazing toward the supreme horizon. Make mention of the glad-tidings of the favors of the Goal of all the worlds, that all may arise with utmost joy to serve His Cause. Verily, He guides whom He willeth unto His straight path. And praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the will of our Beloved and our Goal be upon you and upon those with you and upon every steadfast and firm servant.

=== END BH00169 ===

=== START BH00170 ===

In the Name of Our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!

Praise and thanksgiving beseem the people of creation and the Kingdom of Names, the chosen ones of the Creator of heaven, who were not prevented by the doubts of the divines nor the might of princes from attaining the Most Exalted Horizon. They gave of their wealth, they sacrificed their lives, and no earthly thing - neither glory, riches, possessions, circumstances, honor nor fame - became a veil or barrier to them. By the name of the Powerful One they rent asunder the veils, and by the name of the Omnipotent they cleft the clouds. Through the name of the Lord of Creation they crossed the river of names and attained unto the ocean of inner meanings. The cawing of the people of the Bayan did not hold them back, nor did the clamor of the people veil them. They arose to champion the Cause with such firmness that neither the devastating winds of the polytheists nor the tempests of the infidels could shake them. These are they who are described by the tongues of the Prophets and Messengers, they whose mention hath been made in the divine Books of both past and present.

Glory be unto Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! The servant beareth witness that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast had no peer, no equal, no partner, and no likeness. All things have testified to Thy oneness and the Concourse on High to Thy singleness. I beseech Thee by the manifestations of Thy power and the expressions of Thy grandeur, and by the Lamp of Thy Cause and by that which was within Thy knowledge, to assist Thy loved ones and chosen ones to serve Thy Cause. Ordain for them, through Thy all-encompassing Will and prevailing Purpose, that which will draw them nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily Thou art the Lord of all servants in the beginning and in the end. There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Thereafter, I was seated in my place, reflecting on what had befallen the Lord of the world and Master of eternity in the Most Great Prison at the hands of the people of the Bayan, who have surpassed the followers of the Qur’an in loss, and who have spoken that which none before or after them hath ever spoken, and who have committed that which neither tyrants nor Pharaohs have ever perpetrated. At that moment Thy letter reached me. I opened it and read it, and found therein the fragrance of Thy love. Our purpose and thy purpose and the purpose of all who are in the heavens and on earth is one. When I understood its contents, I approached that Station which cannot be described by any description, nor mentioned by any mention, nor known by pen and ink, until I attained the presence of our Lord, the Lord of all creation. Then did the Tongue of Grandeur speak: “What is in thy right hand?” I submitted: “A letter hath been delivered unto me from one of Thy loved ones who hath borne tribulations in Thy path.” He commanded me to read it, and when I had done so, the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke in the Kingdom of Utterance that which no one can reckon. I found myself powerless and my pen halted, until He - may the spirit of all who are in the kingdom of Command and Creation be sacrificed for His sake - spoke in reply, exalted be His utterance and glorified His proof:

In My Name, through which the Euphrates of utterance hath flowed throughout all creation […]

O Husayn! Hearken to the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen. Verily it is raised from the right of the Luminous Spot at the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary before the faces of all peoples. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The ears were created to hearken unto My call, the eyes to behold My signs and verses, and the hands to grasp My perspicuous Book. By God’s life! Nothing hath appeared except for My sake, and the ocean of utterance hath not surged except through My remembrance, and the sun of proof hath not shone except by My firm and mighty command. Blessed is he who hath heard the call and hath arisen to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as the doubts of the world and the clamor of the nations who denied God’s signs and His proof could not shake, clinging to that which they possessed from every heedless and remote one.

Say: Open your eyes! The ocean is before your faces and the light guideth you to God’s straight path. This is the day whereon the Most Exalted Pen hath spoken and the horizon of the world hath been illumined by the Day-Star of the Most Great Name, and every possessor of utterance and understanding hath testified that the Day is come, yet the people remain heedless, having followed their own desires. They are indeed among the most lost.

Behold and then recall what was committed by the previous faction who enter mosques to commemorate the name of their Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, and who would ascend pulpits to exalt the Word of God, the Lord of all worlds, and who deemed themselves the most learned and most understanding among all parties. Yet when the promise was fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, they pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice as caused the eyes of Grandeur to weep in their exalted station. Ponder their words and deeds on the Day of Retribution; thereby shall the matter become clear unto thee and thou shalt find thyself steadfast in this mighty Cause.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the Most Merciful and follow not those who have denied God’s signs and His proof, and who turned away from Him when He came with manifest sovereignty. This is He Whose Covenant the Primal Point took before taking His own covenant. To this testifieth He Who speaketh in every condition that there is none other God but I, the Single, the All-Informed. By God! His Pen moved only to make mention of Me, and He arose from His seat only to derive power through My Name. Fear ye the Most Merciful, O people of the Bayan, and be not of the wrongdoers.

Verily the Point circleth around Me, and all that hath been sent down from the heaven of My Will surpasseth not the books of the past and future. To this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness from this luminous horizon. Thus hath the Treasury revealed the pearls of His knowledge, and the Light His appearance and His radiance. Blessed is he who hath clear vision, hath witnessed and hath seen, and woe unto every heedless and remote one.

Remember My loved ones and friends on My behalf, and glorify them, and give them the glad tidings of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My bounty and ordained for them by My Pen, and I am the Mighty, the Powerful. The servant present hath attended and presented before the Wronged One that which thou didst send. We found in thy words the fragrance of steadfastness in this Cause whereby the feet of the learned have slipped, the hearts of the jurisprudents have been perturbed, and the back of every idolatrous doubter hath been broken.

Blessed is the tongue that hath spoken My remembrance, and the pen that hath testified to that which My Most Exalted Pen hath testified in the most glorious Kingdom, and the eye that hath beheld that which hath appeared from an ancient Commander. Say: My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which Thou hast manifested through Thy power and Thy sovereignty. O Lord! The wine of the Kawthar of Thy love hath so intoxicated me that I have forgotten myself and my conditions. O Lord! Thou seest how my liver hath melted from separation from Thee and my heart hath been consumed by remoteness from Thee. Blessed is the land that hath been honored by Thy sweet fragrances.

O God! My heart is consumed in separation from Thee! Blessed is the land honored by Thy breaths, and blessed the spot that hath been ennobled by Thy footsteps. O Lord! Thou seest my tears and hearest my sighs in my separation from the place wherein was established the throne of Thy Revelation and from whence were wafted the sweet savors of Thy inspiration. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the heads that were severed in Thy path, and by the breasts that were pierced for Thy good-pleasure, and by the hearts Thou didst make repositories of Thy love, to ordain for Thy loved ones, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining Thy presence. I am the one, O my God, who hath sought Thy sanctuary that I might stand before the door of Thy grandeur and hear Thy sweetest call and behold Thy most exalted horizon. I implore Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy grace and the heaven of Thy generosity, not to deprive my ear of Thy call, though it be but a single letter, and not to render me, O my Beloved, deprived of the manifestations of Thy grace and the signs of Thy favors and that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Praise be to God that they have been honored with the mention of the Lord of the worlds - a mention with one letter of which nothing that is witnessed can compare. That soul must, in accordance with the command, arise with complete determination to serve, that perchance the falsehoods of the past may not be renewed and the imaginary cities not be reconstructed by false hands. One destruction is better and nobler than a hundred thousand such constructions. Consider how those unjust ones brought forth calumnies and what cities they built with lying hands. Those utterances of false souls appeared in the form of a sword and befell the Lord of the world in such wise that the eye of possibility wept. Those lies caused all the divines and their followers in the early years to engage in cursing and reviling their true Object of worship, and finally they pronounced the verdict for His death. Glory be to God! What intoxication seized them that all the Shi’ih divines were in error and had not attained unto a drop from the ocean of knowledge, for they all maintained that if anyone should assert His existence in the loins, such a one was an infidel whose death was obligatory - and thus did they kill. Glory be to God! What deed caused that from the inception of Islam until now not one of the Shi’ih divines was aware of this matter? By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, the cause was the recompense of deeds and words. O my beloved! The followers of the Bayan have again clung to the same vain imaginings and speak the same names. Strive ye and beseech God that perhaps the servants may be freed from these vain imaginings and attain unto the lights of true unity. Where are the heroes of the arena of inner meanings and the horsemen of the field of divine utterance? These are souls who have no purpose save the Truth and know none as existing save Him. They have passed beyond names and pitched their tents on the shore of the ocean of inner meanings. The clamor of the people of the Bayan and their croaking cannot prevent them. They are free and detached, have attained unto true freedom, and are severed from all else but God. Blessed are they and theirs shall be a goodly return.

In brief, whatsoever they ponder concerning the deeds of the former party and their fruits and convey to others becomes the cause of the steadfastness of the servants. Then they will not remain deprived of the Creator because of names, and will regard the sayings of twelve hundred years as though they had never existed. The signs have encompassed the world and the evidences are more manifest than the sun, yet they have said what no oppressor hath said and done what no party hath done.

O thou who hast turned thy face towards My countenance and gazed upon Mine all-highest horizon! The All-Merciful hath come down from the heaven of utterance with the standards of proof. He is the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Mystery. He hath, as a token of His grace, manifested His Self and hath, with the finger that doeth whatsoever He willeth, opened unto all who are in earth and heaven the gate of attainment unto His presence. Yet have the idolaters interposed themselves between Him and His loved ones, and perpetrated that which hath prevented them that were seeking from attaining their ultimate goal, their supreme pinnacle, and from appearing before the throne of thy Lord, the Lord of all names. Thus have their souls enticed them, and today they are in manifest loss.

O thou who hast drawn nigh! This Wronged One hath been encompassed by enemies from every direction. Most have heard what hath come from without. Now the people of the Bayan have arisen with utmost rancor and hatred. Say: O ye idolaters and heedless ones! Where were ye in those numbered years, and behind which veil were ye concealed? Most of the people of the world bear witness that this Wronged One, alone and without any veil or covering, called out before the faces of all men and summoned all to the truth. In those days, the limbs of all trembled from awe and hearts were troubled. Yet when the light became somewhat manifest and visible, they emerged from behind their veils with sword and spear, intending harm to the Desired One of all worlds. Such is the condition of heedless souls who, with utmost cunning, strive to lead men astray.

O thou who hast drunk the choice wine of utterance! This party and the various factions have been and continue to be the cause and reason for prevention. Yet, purely through grace and favor, We give permission for that honored one to turn towards the intended destination - but with such turning as would cause all created things to turn unto the Dawning-Place of the verses of their Lord, the Lord of Names and Attributes. This matter dependeth upon two conditions: first, that it be carried out with wisdom, spirit and fragrance; and second, the tranquility and stability of this land. Ask thou God to draw thee nigh unto Him and grant thee attainment unto His presence. If thou attainest thereunto, He is verily the Source and Master of all hopes; and if not, He shall write down for thee, with His Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attainment. Verily, He is powerful over all things through His word “Be” and it is.

Praise be to God that the effulgences of the sun of permission have shone forth from the horizon of the will of God, exalted be His glory. In truth, the people of the Bayan have committed that which hath caused every possessor of insight to weep and every possessor of a heart to lament. Most wondrous of all is that the Intended One, from the heaven of Whose will there hath been revealed that which equalleth all the books of the past and future, and Who is now present, and likewise all that which is to appear hath been revealed with utmost clarity from the Pen of His will - yet despite this they have turned away from Him and occupied themselves with their own desires. It is not known what they have understood from the Bayan and what they have comprehended from the manifestations of the Prophets. By what proof do they reason and to what evidence do they cling? Fie upon them and upon those who follow them!

O Hussein! Excellent is what thou hast done. Hold fast to wisdom, the decree of which We have sent down in the scriptures and tablets. We have accepted thy house and adorned it with the ornament of acceptance. Say: Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the world, and glory be to Thee, O Master of all beings. Stand firm in service to My Cause, be vocal in My praise, take hold of My Book, cling to the cord of My Cause, and grasp the hem of thy Lord’s robe, the Mighty, the Bestower. Counsel the servants with that which We have commanded thee and that which We have revealed in the scriptures and tablets. Remind them of My verses, teach them what hath been revealed by My Pen, and make known to them the straight path.

In all circumstances thou must be mindful of wisdom and its requirements, and occupy thyself with teaching the Cause. Blessed art thou and thy father, whom We named Pir-i-Ruhani. Thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We make mention of him at this hour with a remembrance whose fragrance shall endure as long as the names of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of Abbas-Quli, who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion, that his remembrance may endure as long as My most beautiful names and most exalted attributes. Say: The first light that shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings be upon thee, O Pir-i-Ruhani. I testify that thou didst turn to God and didst witness what God Himself witnessed before the creation of earth and heaven - that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified above the description of all within the kingdom of creation, and will ever remain as He hath been. And I testify that thou didst attain unto the days of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, when the call was raised from the right side of the luminous spot beyond the crimson sea of grandeur. Thou art he whom the blame of the blamer, the authority of any ruler, nor the doubts of any learned one could deter in the path of God. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the word “Yea” in the days of thy Lord, the Lord of Names. Thou wert assured of the signs of thy Lord, wert turned toward His countenance, and didst acknowledge that which was revealed from His presence in days wherein the various peoples lamented for fear of God, the Lord of Lords. I testify that thou didst drink the choice wine of utterance which flowed from the pen of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, and didst attain unto that which the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise have attained. Well is it with thee, and blessed art thou and he who maketh mention of thee and remembereth thy days and what befell thee in the path of God, thy Creator, thy Fashioner, thy Provider, thy Quickener, and thy Resurrector. He was with thee in all conditions, hearing and seeing, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, the Witness in the beginning and in the end.

Praise be to God! The ocean of forgiveness is surging and Pir-i-Ruhani is in the utmost joy and delight. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings that at the time of the revelation of this visitation tablet, all the Concourse on High, the angels, the Spirit, and the souls of the assured, lofty, content, well-pleased and tranquil ones were present before the throne of their Lord to hearken. The reins of grace are in His hand of power, and the bridles of loving-kindness and bounty are in His right hand of mercy. With one exalted word He can raise earth above the Pleiades. He is the Powerful One Who can bring forth a pure gem from a handful of dust and transform loss into profit. In the nights and days this servant seeketh His grace and bounty for himself and His loved ones, that all may, without clouds or veils, be turned toward His horizon and arise to serve His Cause. The Command is in His hand; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Husayn! Concerning what was written about the Huquq, this has been raised to Our hearing. His blessed and exalted Word states: Whatever Huquq was owed by the spiritual elderly servant and you, We have pardoned it all. Be assured through the grace of your Lord and be among the thankful ones. We have accepted what you have done and what you have missed, as a bounty from Us and a mercy from Our presence. That which caused the Hands of the Cause to lament has befallen you in Our path. We have been with you in all conditions. Nothing is hidden from your Lord’s knowledge, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Then praise be to God that you have attained this great bounty and been adorned with the grace of Truth. Blessed are you and those who love you for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and earth. Another matter is that whatever Huquq and other payments that were sent to Haji Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God, all of it has reached this evanescent servant. The servant testifies to his trustworthiness and religiosity. I beseech God the Exalted to strengthen him, make him successful, and make him among the steadfast ones.

Concerning what you wrote about the Fast - the Fast remains as it was, that is, the Fast of the Bayan, as explicitly mentioned in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. As for the prayer, it hath been revealed in such wise that should one recite it but once with a detached heart, he would surely find himself detached from the world. However, for reasons of wisdom it remaineth concealed for now and no command hath been given to observe it. Regarding what they have heard about the Fast of Ramadan in this land - since some of the friends acted unwisely and the heedless and antagonists became aware of it, therefore, as a matter of wisdom, the command was sent down from the heaven of the Ancient One to observe the Fast of Ramadan, lest the clamor of the heedless be raised. In all circumstances wisdom must be observed, even as the Truth Himself, exalted be His glory, would attend the mosque in Iraq and likewise visit Kazimayn before the Cause was proclaimed. Prior to the proclamation of the Cause, it is necessary to hold fast to that which draweth people near, for were people to become fully informed and aware, a greater separation would occur and none would then draw nigh to hear the Word of God and hold fast to the straight path.

This ruling was specific to this land, that is, the Prison Land. In any case, all the servants must observe the requirements of wisdom so that no clamor be raised and the weak be not shaken. Reflect upon the Cause of the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. During the limited years He was in Mecca itself, the ruling regarding the Qiblih did not change, but after the Cause was proclaimed in Yathrib, the ruling was made manifest and the Qiblih became known. The servant beseecheth his Lord to confirm the servants in turning unto Him and teach them that which will draw them nigh unto His holy court. By the Sun of Truth! The servants themselves have been and are the cause of their own harm, abasement and loss. God, exalted be His glory, through the power of the Supreme Pen, rent asunder the veils and spoke without concealment or hindrance before all faces, such that the lights of the Most Great Luminary became manifest from every land. However, the people of the Bayan arose in opposition and manifested the utmost rancor and hatred. Were it not for this dissension, the whole world would now be illumined and adorned with the light of unity.

Ask thou God to grant justice and bestow awareness upon the people. Those who had and have no knowledge of this Cause, upon observing some measure of tranquility, emerged from their holes. In any case, I beseech the Exalted One to guide those souls and not deprive them of the ocean of His bounty. However, it is very difficult, for they have committed that which neither Pharaohs nor tyrants committed. Would that the people knew what they have wrought and recognized what they have perpetrated! Mention was made of Qarru’l-’Ayn, Nuru’llah and ?iya’u’llah, upon them be the glory of God. This was presented before the face of the Lord and attained the honor of His hearing, and each was distinguished by mention from the Supreme Pen. His blessed and exalted Word:

In My Name, the Speaking, the Manifest […]

O Light of God! The ocean of utterance is surging, and the Desired One makes mention of thee with verses that all the kings and rulers possess nothing to equal them, and gives thee the glad tidings of God’s grace and His favor, and of that which will draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Say: My God, my God! I have turned to Thy most exalted horizon in my earliest days. I beseech Thee by the Manifestations of Thy power, the Daysprings of Thy signs, and the Sources of Thy clear tokens, to ordain for me from the Pen of bounty that which befitteth Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Light! The Wronged One makes mention of thee in such wise that thou wilt find from it the fragrance of the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath heard and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the worlds!” When thou attainest unto My verses, recite them. They will draw thee nigh unto the ocean of the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur revealed Its utterance and the Will Its favor that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who are thankful. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made me know Thee and guided me and drawn me nigh unto Thee and sustained me and made me speak in Thy remembrance and turn unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous. O Husayn! We have made mention of the Light as a bounty from Us on this Day whereon the divines and doctors of the earth have opposed Us. When thou attainest and readest, say: “Thine is the bounty, O Lord of the world, and Thine is the generosity, O Thou the Desire of them that know.” The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Will be upon thee and upon thy kindred and upon all who are steadfast and upright. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

The smoke of vain imaginings hath deprived the world from the Lord of mankind. In the Tablets revealed in Iraq and the Land of Mystery and upon first arrival in this land, all were informed about the appearance of the clamorous ones in diverse regions. You must protect the people and gladden them with God’s favors. Today if the people of God were to become aware of the error of the previous party and their words and deeds, they would find themselves firm upon the path of the Cause. One is astonished as to which deed brought about the punishment of the divines of Iran and their followers, such that in the early years not a single one attained the honor of nearness, and whatever they uttered regarding the Qa’im - may our spirits be sacrificed for Him - was all falsehood, as the Truth hath manifested. Were they to reflect a little, they would cry out and cleanse their ears from such mentions. In any case, I beseech God to assist you in promoting His Cause. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. Tell them: “God willing, may you not be among those who, while claiming steadfastness, were deprived of the Truth by the word of a clamorer. You must be firm and steadfast as mountains in the Cause of the Desire of the worlds.” Today is the day of service to the Cause, and the day of remembrance and praise. Blessed are they that hear, and blessed are they that act. The glory and the praise and the exaltation be upon you and upon God’s loved ones there, and His mercy and His might and His honor and His favor and His generosity and His grace.

The Servant

In the month of Jumada’th-Thani 1303

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

Praise sanctified above the mention of all created things befitteth Him Who is worthy and deserving, Who with His Self-Subsisting Name hath removed the seal from the choice sealed Wine and summoned all the peoples of the world, both high and low, to partake thereof, that all might drink from the same fountain and gather beneath the shade of the blessed Word, until upon every brow may be seen inscribed the seal “Verily, we are God’s.” This is the most exalted station, the most sublime habitation, and the highest rank. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid all to recognize this most sublime and most exalted Station, this ultimate Purpose. Verily, He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth, and within His grasp lie the reins of all who dwell in the heavens and on earth.

O beloved of my heart! The horizon of the servant’s heart hath been illumined by the dawning lights of the Sun that hath shone forth from the heaven of your praise of God, our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, our Object of worship and the Object of worship of all within the kingdoms of Command and Creation. The Kawthar of your remembrance hath so transported me that I soared on the wings of detachment until I attained the presence of the Face and presented that which you had sent. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which caused faces to shine and hearts to melt, saying:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger

O bearer of the name ?a! Hearken with thy inner ear to the call of the Wronged One and convey it to God’s loved ones, that perchance the fragrant breezes of the utterance of the All-Merciful may encompass all contingent beings and enable them to attain their purpose. Most people are seen to be weak. The divine sages must impart the Word with perfect patience. The Herald hath said concerning this Revelation: “He it is Who in every state proclaimeth ‘Verily, I am God, no God is there but Me, the Lord of all things, and all besides Me are My creation. O My creation! Worship ye Me!’” Nevertheless, the deniers, after hearing these words, rose up in opposition. By God’s life! They know not what they say; they speak, but comprehend not. Fie upon them and upon those who followed them without clear proof from the presence of the All-Knowing Judge. That which was mentioned was the meaning of the blessed phrase “There is no God but God.” Say: Ponder upon it, O ye who are endued with insight! Ponder upon it, O ye who are possessed of vision! Say: O heedless ones! Fix your gaze upon this Word which, like unto the sun, hath dawned from the horizon of the divine Tablet. Return ye to the Sacred Writings, O ye who are endued with insight! Would that the deniers had returned to the Sacred Writings, that they might have attained recognition of the Beloved of all possibility through the fragrance of His utterance. They are seen to be lower than all the peoples of the earth. O Pen! Leave off their mention and make mention of Him of the letters ?a and Sin, whose letter the servant here present hath brought and presented before the Face, that he may rejoice and be numbered among the thankful. O bearer of the name ?a! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. Verily, He hath heard thy communion with God, the Lord of the worlds, and hath mentioned thee in such wise as naught on earth can equal. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Witnessing, the All-Seeing.

We make mention of My loved ones in that place, whose names thou hast recited. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the Responsive. From this station We send Our greetings upon them and give them the glad-tidings of God’s mercy and His loving-kindness. He, verily, is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. We pray that all the peoples of the world may attain unto the sweetness of divine utterances. Were they to observe for but an hour with the eye of fairness, they would behold the truth and hear His utterances. However, the darkness of tyranny hath prevented their eyes from the Most Sublime Vision, and likewise their ears, preoccupied with earthly whisperings and the buzzing of flies, are deprived of the melodies of the Nightingale. Such is the condition of the people of the earth. God, exalted be His glory, is witness that any person of understanding can recognize the stations of the deniers through their works, deeds, actions and words.

That beloved one must engage in teaching the Cause of the All-Merciful with the utmost wisdom and eloquence. As to what was written regarding the delivery of the blessed Tablets and this servant’s petitions to their recipients, it is most evident that they have not failed in serving the Cause, and God willing, they shall never do so.

Concerning what was written about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Shaykh A., upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise the dream seen about him and its interpretation relating to progeny which he himself interpreted after visiting the blessed Tablet containing the Most Great Verses that flowed from the Supreme Pen - these matters brought the utmost joy and delight, for he spoke the very word which in these days God, exalted be His glory, had spoken. One of the friends of God presented a petition to the Most Holy Court, seeking offspring from God, exalted be His glory. These sublime words were revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Revealer of verses, specifically for him. His exalted Word: Though children are among God’s great bounties and the fruits of the human tree, none but God, exalted be His glory, knows their excellence and duration of life. We give thee tidings of a fresh, eternal, and everlasting fruit, which in these days is God’s binding Word. It is dearer and more excellent than a hundred thousand children, for it is adorned with the ornament of perpetuity. Should one possess but a single word thereof, one would possess all good from Him. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the fruits of the Supreme Pen.

Indeed, his interpretation was an edifice for the fortress of utterance. Well is it with him! Praise be to God, he hath attained unto blessed Tablets, a single word of which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth. God willing, he shall attain unto its fruits, both those mentioned and those which the faculty of understanding is powerless to comprehend. This evanescent servant conveys greetings and salutations to him. May he ever drink from the pure waters of the everlasting Kawthar and remain focused on and engaged in that which promotes the Cause of God.

As regards what you wrote concerning Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi, it is truly a cause for regret. How is it that souls who from the beginning of the Cause were heedless and unaware have arisen with such audacity to turn away? Are the waves of the ocean of inner meanings concealed, or are the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth hidden and veiled? Glory be to God! How can it be that when a Cause has encompassed the world and the banners of verses and standards of clear proofs are raised and visible at the highest station, yet a soul remains unaware and heedless of it? One stands astonished. The Servant sees himself as one bewildered and astounded, and beseeches his Lord that He may guide all to justice and fairness. Would that the aforementioned soul had traveled for the sake of God, purely for His Face, and this servant could have gone with him to Cyprus so that the hidden and concealed matters might become clear and evident to him. It is known and evident that this servant is not one who seeks conflict and contention. God willing, he has dealt and will deal with all in utmost truthfulness and love. The exalted Word of Truth bears witness to this - that there has been and is no purpose save to acquaint the veiled ones with the reality of the Cause. This servant was with him for twelve years in Iraq and the Land of Mystery. Truly a strange talisman has appeared in the world. God willing, may the True One, exalted be His glory, grant the eye of insight and adorn souls with the ornament of fairness. Verily He is the Hearing, the Near, the Responding One.

And as to their mentioning again His Honor Aqa Mirza Shaykh-’Ali, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], and writing that the imaginings of the heedless souls did not affect him and that he turned with one face, pure and luminous, to the lights of the Countenance - this is a station worthy of praise and thanksgiving. God willing, may they attain to this most exalted station in all conditions. Would that this evanescent one could meet with them once. Praise be to God, this matter brought joy and was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what the Tongue of the Intended One spoke in the Kingdom of Utterance, exalted be His glory: “O ‘Ali! By the life of God, this Wronged One has never regarded anything save the exaltation of the Cause of God. At a time when the people of Bayan were in hiding from the earthquake of the Hour, this wronged One in Zawra called out with the most exalted call to all on earth, summoning them to the straight path of God and guiding them to the supreme horizon. Likewise, when He arrived in the Most Great Prison, once again with the most exalted call We informed the kings and subjects of the earth about the Manifestation. Would that the servants in those parts might fairly consider and succeed in reading the Tablet which was sent down from the heaven of the Most Merciful’s favor specifically for the Sultan of Iran. By the life of God, all would proclaim ’We believe!’ Likewise the Sura which was sent down from the heaven of favor specifically for other kings. Glory be to God! How can one occupy oneself with vain imaginings and remain heedless of certain knowledge? All matters, both future and past, have been revealed with utmost clarity in those Suras. Nevertheless, like spiders they weave around themselves and arrange, in their own estimation, levels of knowledge and build palaces of utterance. Whatever has appeared in this Cause, its source is He Who speaks the truth in this station which has been named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. God willing, his honor is confirmed in service to the Cause, which has been and is the teaching of God’s Cause. Nothing in this world and all it contains can equal this station. He in Whose possession is the Clear Book bears witness to this. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.” End.

As to what was written concerning his honor the Sahib (upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]), it was and is exactly right. Today is a day wherein one can attain a station that would be impossible to attain at any other time. Thus in one place this blessed word was revealed from the Supreme Pen: “It is permitted unto you to make good that which hath escaped you in the Day of God,” for to make good for it afterwards hath been and ever shall be impossible. Knowledge is with God, the Lord of the throne and the dust, and the Master of the last and the first. It is hoped that they may attain such a station that regret and remorse may not follow, and that they may be adorned with the blessed word “Blessed be God.”

As to what was written expressing the hope to attain once again unto the Kawthar of His presence, this matter was presented, and this is what was revealed in response, His glory be exalted: “By My life! Thou hast attained unto the recognition of God in His days, and the Supreme Pen hath testified to thy turning unto Him and thy arrival at the Most Great Prison, and thy standing before the Door which was opened unto the faces of all who are in the heavens and the earth. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Thou didst advance and traverse cities and regions until thou didst attain unto the presence of the Countenance and didst hear with thine own ears the call of this wronged One, the Stranger. Thou art he who hath attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, on a day wherein the servants turned away from Him, save those whom the hands of thy Lord’s power did rescue, the Almighty, the Powerful. Drink, then, from the cups of thy Lord’s utterance, the waters of mercy and favor, and be thou of the thankful ones. Thus did the Supreme Pen move on this dark night, that thou mightest rejoice in that which hath been sent down unto thee from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed.”

As to what was written concerning the news of the passing of his honor Haji Mirza Husayn Khan on the twenty-second of Dhi’l-Hajjih, he was truly among the wise ones of that land. One day these words were heard from the Blessed Tongue - He said that in recent years nothing had appeared from him that would cause grief. If at certain times he made mention of matters outwardly, it was due to expediency. How much hardship did he endure, and how he would rush east and west on futile missions that profited him nothing! One day He said that had he become the possessor of but one word from God, it would have been better than all that he had seen and heard and done, or had amassed during his days. He was not entirely without fairness. This evanescent servant clings to the hem of divine favor and begs that He may not deprive any soul on earth of His wondrous and exalted outpourings. Verily, He has power over all things.

Regarding what you wrote about Haji Abdul-Ghaffar - he and his brother, who was there before, transgressed against the Two Luminous Lights. His brother, Aqa Muhammad, after accepting the Cause, later clung to the great veils, namely the outward divines, and the cause of this was one of the women who opposed the people of the Bayan. It is strange that most of the relatives of those two Lights were heedless of their station, yet they, through divine grace, attained that which has no equal save through the will of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. The sister of the King of Martyrs has been and continues to be under the shadow of God’s favor. Verily, He bestows upon whomsoever He wishes, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous. God willing, may they preserve their station through the Name of God, glorified be His majesty, for the thief, the treacherous, and the liar have always existed and continue to exist. The servant beseeches his Lord and the Lord of all things to protect us from the evil of those who have broken God’s Covenant and His pledge, and cast behind them what they were commanded in the Book. He is verily the Strong, the Trustworthy.

As for the mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ibrahim, upon him be the glory of God, this lowly one submitted the answer to his letter, and there was specifically revealed from the heaven of the favor of the Goal of the worlds concerning him that which is sanctified above the description and praise of servants. It is hoped that they will attain unto it and drink from the hidden seas. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous.

As for the mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Azizu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, it was presented before Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke while seated upon the Throne. His word, exalted be His glory:

O Aziz! Thy mention hath gained the ear of thy Lord in an exalted station, and We have sent down for thee that which testifieth to the favor of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient. We sent thee a Tablet before, and before it another Tablet that telleth of His grace which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. The letter of him who desired God and arose to serve Him hath arrived, wherein was thy mention. We have mentioned thee with this beautiful mention. Beware lest the affairs of the world withhold thee from the Lord of Eternity. Be aflame with a fire whereby shall be consumed the veils of the parties who turned away and disdained what they were commanded in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: O concourse of the earth! If ye desire to drink from the Kawthar of life, by God, it hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, and if ye desire the meeting, by the life of God, the Face hath appeared after the passing away of all things. Come ye, come ye, O concourse of the earth, and be not of the heedless ones. Can anything today make you independent of the Speaker of Sinai? Nay, by the Lord of Purification, were ye but aware. Cast aside the idols and hold fast to the hem of the grace of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus hath spoken the Mother Book as it walketh before your faces. Fear God and be not of those who turn away.

All letters and words bear witness to the grace of the Sovereign of Verses. How strange that despite His verses encompassing the whole world and His evidences shining forth like suns, these unjust people have arisen in tyranny and uttered that which no heedless and impure one has ever spoken. This servant, with utmost humility and supplication, calls upon the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, and beseeches Him to regard this through His grace and bounty, not according to the deservedness of His servants. Verily He is the Near, the Responding One.

As for the mention of the honored Aqa Siyyid Abu-Turab, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], the Lord of the beginning and the end, it was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Sacred Presence. These are His words, exalted be His grandeur:

That honored one and other friends of God who have truly drunk from the cup of inner meanings and are gazing toward the horizon of the Will of the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness should exert their utmost effort in teaching the Cause with the wisdom revealed in the Book, that perchance this heedlessness which has encompassed the world may be transformed into awareness through the Kawthar of utterance, and people may become conscious of that which is like water for the thirsty and like a healing remedy for the sick. If people turn to this Most Great Cause with wisdom, ere long the inhabitants of that land will join the ranks of the righteous. Today the people of the world seek to cling to various means and matters for the exaltation of their names, and they are so firm in this pursuit that they withhold neither wealth nor life, although they know that these endeavors have yielded and will yield no fruit. Yet the people of Iran, despite the appearance of this mighty Cause, this supreme honor and greatest gift, are observed lying unconscious in the wilderness of ignorance with utmost heedlessness and lethargy. O Abu-Turab! Exert a mighty effort in reviving the people and gird up the loins of endeavor in serving the Cause, that perchance the people of the world may become aware of that which benefits them and bear witness to that which has been revealed from the Supreme Pen. The Glory shining and radiant from the horizon of grace be upon you and upon those who have arisen to assist the Cause with wisdom and utterance. The command is God’s, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

[…]

O Ishaq! The Lord of all horizons calls you on this Day of the Covenant which was promised by the tongue of the chosen ones and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the books of the Prophets and Messengers. This is the Day wherein the Mount calls out and gives the people glad tidings of this Revelation through which the Path has appeared and the Balance of God, the Lord of the worlds, has been set up. Your letter has arrived and We have heard your call and what you confided to God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Give thanks to God for having aided you to turn towards Him when the learned of the earth turned away, save whom He willed. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having caused me to hear Thy call, to recognize Thy verses, and to be guided to Thy straight path. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the manifestations of Thy might and power to aid me to stand firm in Thy Cause and to arise to serve Thee. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapes and Whom the affairs of Thy creation cannot frustrate. Thou ordainest what Thou willest through a movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen. There is no God but Thee, the Witness, the Hearer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have taken the cups of praise from the white hands in this Revelation through which all things have proclaimed: The kingdom belongs to God, the Goal of all worlds.

This servant also conveys his greetings to them. Praise be to God that this company has attained, in this Most Great Revelation, to the wondrous and exalted favors of God. This is the mystery of the statement heard before: “He makes your highest to be lowest and your lowest to be highest.” The glory of those precious souls was veiled. Praise be to God, the hand of the Unseen appeared and rent asunder the veil, causing the lights of the suns of knowledge to shine forth from the horizons of hearts. Verily, He is the Ruler, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. There is no God but Him, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earths.

Regarding what was written about discussions with Ibn-i-Ism’ullah-i-Asdaq, upon them both be 966 [Baha’u’llah], concerning the Minister’s discussions about the freedom of various nations and his efforts in this matter - may they be confirmed, for the execution of this mighty matter requires that in such matters they should hold fast to consultation, and whatever is found acceptable, acting upon it is beloved and approved. It is hoped that God, exalted be His glory, will in all conditions confirm that beloved one. Verily, He has power over what He willeth.

Regarding what you wrote about Jenab-i-Fayn Sahib, the command is that his honor should in all conditions observe and hold fast to wisdom. The covenant of that beloved one and Jenab-i-Mahbubi Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be all the most glorious glory, was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. His exalted Word: Verily We shall fulfill what they have covenanted and remember them and give them glad tidings of what has been ordained for them from God, the Bestower, the Generous.

The mention of the evanescence and nothingness of this ephemeral servant in the service of the friends of God depends upon His grace. God willing, may all be assisted to demonstrate supreme steadfastness. Today is the day of service, the day of pure deeds, and the day for the manifestation of virtuous character. God willing, may the horizons of the heaven of humanity be illumined by these brilliant and radiant lights, and may the world derive illumination from those sacred rays. Today man is able to accomplish that which he would be powerless to achieve at any other time, even were he to employ every means at his disposal. It is hoped that the fire of wisdom may be kindled in hearts and its warmth may influence all lands. Today the Kawthar of utterance is flowing and the Sun of Truth is shining. God willing, may they shatter the idols of vain imaginings through the power of unity. No might or power hath equaled or will equal the penetrating influence and potency of the divine Word. By the sword of utterance must the cities of hearts be conquered. Such utterances as these have formerly streamed from the Most Exalted Pen. This ephemeral one, however much he desires to be brief, heareth from the sighing of the fire of love “more, more.” Although there are now more than a hundred letters which this servant must answer, and although divine verses are being revealed in such profusion that, by God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, the power of recording them is unable to keep pace - O Beloved of my heart! - this servant knoweth not what to say. We had heard before that some were clinging to certain worthless idols that neither nourish nor enrich, but we had not witnessed it. I swear by the Most Great Luminary that this servant is bewildered and amazed, for he observeth that most people are turning toward the fire and turning away from the Most Great Scene. We belong to God and to Him do we return. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the mercy of our Lord, the All-Merciful, be upon you and upon those who have attained unto that which His honored servants have attained. Praise be to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

=== END BH00171 ===

=== START BH00172 ===

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

Praise be befitting to my Beloved, Who hath opened the gates of reunion unto all the worlds through the pen and finger. Once it was said that the pen is the primary interpreter in the world after the tongue. In truth, it is a mighty sign and an exalted station. The connection of the world dependeth upon it, and likewise its separation. With a single movement in the arena of utterance, the people of the contingent world are attracted - some rendered unconscious by its scratching sound, and others made steadfast by its call. This unconsciousness of which We speak is the very essence of consciousness, nay the source thereof. Exalted is the command of the Pen in revealing what He willeth, and exalted is He Who caused it to speak and taught it. This Pen, with all these stations, fell unconscious at the first call of countless ages. This is a word I heard from the mouth of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

This evanescent servant, due to the intensity of the fire of love, whenever he wishes to present something, is ultimately put to shame by the abundance of words. The fire of love sayeth: Write! Write! Modesty sayeth: Enough! Enough! In all conditions there is hope for pardon.

Your letter arrived, along with the letter of Samandar, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], which had been sent to that beloved one and which you gave to this servant. On Thursday morning, the ninth of Muharram, it was presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings. He, exalted be His glory, said:

We have heard the call of all, and all have been adorned with the ornament of divine mention. By the life of God! Every word hath concealed within it the good of all who are first and last. In one station it appeareth as a cloud from which the rains of divine grace pour forth unceasingly. The world of knowledge hath ever been and shall ever be verdant and flourishing through it. Exalted is the Lord of Eternity Who speaketh at this moment: “Verily, there is no God but I, the Imprisoned, the Stranger.” At times it is the Water of Life for existence, for in truth whosoever hath partaken thereof hath attained unto everlasting, eternal life. By My life! The breeze of grace that wafteth at dawn bestoweth new and wondrous life upon decayed bones. It hath conquered and continueth to conquer the world through a word. It is the Most Great Key in the world, for through it are opened the doors of hearts which are, in truth, the gates of heaven. Were its attributes to be described as befitteth and beseemeth it, it would prove too lengthy. One of its effulgences shone forth upon the mirror of love, wherein was impressed the blessed word “I am the Beloved.” It is an ocean all-embracing and comprehensive - whatsoever is desired appeareth from it. Exalted, exalted is this most sublime station, before which the essence of loftiness and transcendence walketh, glorifying and magnifying. These stations have flowed from the Most Exalted Pen that all may know the station of divine mention and preserve this precious pearl, which is more precious than all that is hidden and visible, in the treasuries of their hearts in the name of the Beloved.

As to what you mentioned concerning Jinab-i-Haji Baba, Mashhadi Husayn, and Haji Haji ’Ali - upon them be the Glory of God - from among the people of K.L., it was submitted. He said: “Praise be to God, they have been and are recipients of divine favor. We counsel them and My loved ones to that which causes the spirits of the hesitant to soar and draws the hearts of the heedless. That which We have enjoined in the Book has been and is the cause of tranquility and assurance for the peoples of the world. God willing, may the people of Baha be occupied and engaged in that which the All-Merciful loves with utmost joy and fragrance. The light of the goodly word and goodly deed has illumined and continues to illumine the world. Blessed are they who attain! We send Our greetings from this spot upon them and upon My loved ones there, and We make mention of the Lion and the Generous One, and We give them glad tidings of My remembrance of them. And I am the Remembering, the Wronged One. Long has My imprisonment lasted through what the hands of the enemies have wrought, yet the Spirit is in great joy.”

As to their desire to turn towards the Most Exalted Horizon, We have informed of the condition of this land and its hidden movements before and after. Therefore the Most Exalted Pen has hesitated in giving permission. If they move for the sake of God and are content and thankful in bearing hardships, there is and has been no harm. We make mention at this moment of My loved ones in A. and Sh. who have cast behind them the vain imaginings of men, advancing toward the Most Exalted Horizon through the power of the Lord of Names - exalted be the Creator of the heavens Who aided them to recognize this Cause at which the limbs of the learned and the mystics have trembled. Thus has My Most Glorious Pen spoken in My Most Great Prison.

O friends! We have sent forth and dispatched for each of you a chalice of the Water of Life in the form of a word, that you may drink therefrom and speak with utmost joy and fragrance in the assemblage of recognition in the name of the Beloved of the worlds. Today the promotion of the Cause is beloved, but with wisdom and utterance, so that the divine word may find its place in good soil and spring forth verdant. O friends! I swear by the effulgences of the Sun of inner meanings that you are the gems of existence. Know your worth and preserve your stations. All the merchants of the world are seen to be in manifest loss, but God willing, you shall be seen with great profit, and all that is hidden today shall become evident and manifest in the world. God willing, may you all drink of the wine of steadfastness in such wise that should Satan appear with all his insinuations and whisperings, you would regard him as absolute nothingness.

O friends! Today is your day. Drink and give to drink! The ocean of life surges before all faces and the sun of bounty shines resplendent before all eyes. In all matters, be mindful of wisdom. Until the clamor of the heedless is stilled, that which has been commanded, if not in accord with wisdom, should be held in abeyance. From this word the station of wisdom is clear and evident. Hold fast unto it in all conditions. We counsel all to preserve the Books and Tablets. They must exert their utmost effort in safeguarding them.

God willing, may all the divine friends be illumined and gladdened by the lights of the suns of utterance and act according to that which they have been commanded in the Book. In truth, all must not be negligent in preserving the divine Tablets. As previously, when they intended to seize some friends, their writings first fell into [others’] hands. This is not permissible. They must designate a secure place for the divine verses so they remain protected from the touch of unworthy hands, although none shall touch them save the pure ones, as it has been and ever shall be.

Concerning Jinab Aqa Siyyid Mahmud and Jinab Ustad Aqajan, upon them be the Glory of God, mentioned in your letter - a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet from the heaven of grace has been revealed and sent for each. O My beloved! The river flows and the ocean surges and the sun shines forth, yet few indeed are the seekers and rare are they to find. And so must it be, for not every sightless one is worthy of the pearls of inner meaning, nor is every witless one capable of receiving this precious gem. In any case, the request is that you convey on behalf of this evanescent one greetings to these two dear ones, and likewise to the friends who have previously been adorned with the grace of the True Beloved. By the life of my Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and earth - nothing can compare with a single word of the divine utterances that minds have not comprehended and eyes have not seen. Give them these glad tidings and send them the two blessed Most Holy Tablets, that their breasts may be dilated, their hearts illumined, their souls detached, their faces radiant, and their vision keen.

Likewise, mention was made of two souls known as Jinab Ustad Isma’il and Na’ib Rida, as requested by Jinab Haji Baba, upon them be the Glory of God, in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, and these decisive words were revealed from the heaven of grace. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the All-Knowing

O Isma’il! The Wronged One remembers thee from the prison quarter and gives thee glad tidings of God’s grace, the Lord of all worlds. By God! The veils have been rent asunder and the All-Bestower has come, riding upon the clouds, yet the people are in evident doubt. The heaven hath testified to the Lord of Names, while the people remain behind a thick veil. Blessed art thou and those who have attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen and have recognized that which the Tongue of Revelation hath spoken from the Most Glorious Horizon. Exalted is the Lord of Eternity Who hath come with the Most Great Name, to the dismay of those who denied God’s proof and testimony and turned away from Him when He appeared with a sovereignty that conquered all who are in the heavens and the earth. We make mention of all My loved ones through thee, and of My handmaidens who have believed in the All-Informed One. O My loved ones! We have remembered you before and after in the Crimson Book, before which every book and preserved tablet bows down when it appears. Rejoice in My remembrance and take the chalice of utterance in My Name, then drink therefrom with the wisdom that hath been sent down from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Glory be unto those whom neither the tempests of the learned nor the hurricanes of the mystics have moved, who cast the Book behind their backs and held fast to their own vain imaginings.

In My Name, the One Who dominates the horizons […]

God willing, may all be adorned with the ornament of His favor on this blessed day and drink from the Kawthar of divine knowledge, to the chagrin of the heedless. The door of grace is open and the heaven of generosity is raised up. Regard these heedless souls as bubbles - soon they shall be seen to vanish and disappear. That which is tainted with the dust of extinction was not and is not worthy of attention and mention. Strive to possess that which is everlasting and eternal. The objections, protests and clamor of the people of the world and their learned ones are like the rustling of dried leaves when the winds pass over them. Now observe in what station these sounds are, and in what station is the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen. By My life, if a soul were to hearken unto a single melody from the birds of utterance in the garden of the All-Merciful, he would become detached from the world and all who dwell therein, and would arise with the utmost strength and steadfastness in the path of his Lord’s good-pleasure. Verily He guides all to His path and acquaints them with what He has revealed through His command and draws them near to the ocean of His good-pleasure. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Powerful. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the recognition of the Hidden Mystery and the Concealed Secret. Guard this station in the name of the One True Friend. The evil ones have been and are lying in wait, and have intended by their most grievous shrieking to withhold the servants from the most pure nectar. This is what We have informed you of before in various Tablets. He is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We make mention of all the friends in that land, both men and women, and counsel them to manifest the most great steadfastness. Blessed is he who acts, woe unto the heedless.

[The text then continues with additional passages addressing specific individuals, but I will stop here as requested to avoid commentary]

O my God! I beseech Thee by the Most Great News, whereby the pillars of the world were shaken, to make me in all conditions hold fast to the cords of Thy grace, Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, and to remain steadfast in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have made mention of the sons of the Friend and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God in the letter Dal before Vav, and We have gladdened them with My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. We have heard their call and have answered them from Our presence, and verily We are the Hearer, the Answerer. We make mention of them once again through these verses which have been sent down from the heaven of the grace of their Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Convey My greetings unto them, then deliver unto them this perspicuous Book that they may rejoice in this greatest favor and give thanks unto their Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon the son of him who was named David and upon every one who is steadfast and upright.

Some time ago his honor Aqa ’Abdu’l-Husayn ’Ali sent this evanescent servant a letter containing the names of some of the sons of the Friend. After its reading and presentation before the Divine Throne, and after submitting what was in the letter, a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed for each of those names and, as commanded, was sent in this servant’s handwriting. And now too, praise be to God, that which was revealed concerning all proclaims with the most exalted call the bounty, loving-kindness, compassion and mercy of the True One, exalted be His glory. God willing, may all attain unto that which God hath desired for them, drink from the cup of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and with the utmost joy and fragrance speak His praise. This evanescent one conveys greetings to all and presents his respects to all the friends in that land. While time remains, opportunity exists and life endures, attain ye unto that wherein lieth the good-pleasure of the Goal of all the worlds. Today every soul is able to acquire everlasting bounties and an enduring mention. Blessed is the soul that hath recognized and attained, and woe unto the heedless. Can the seas of the world, the tongues of nations and the pens of all regions succeed in mentioning but a drop from the ocean of His loving-kindness? Nay, by His own Self, the True One! This is why, seeing the world and all therein to be powerless, He hath, through His own tongue, offered praise and thanksgiving unto Himself on behalf of His creation. May all creation be a sacrifice unto His grace.

And concerning what you wrote about his honor Haji Mirza Husayn 966 [Baha’u’llah] writing to you from the land of Sh that he had sent correspondence but received no reply - he speaks the truth. However, that beloved one knows and is aware that whenever there is a delay in replying to any of the gentlemen, this has been and will be due to lack of opportunity, not from any lack of sincerity or love. But by God’s grace, this week which marks the end of the month of Mu?arram, a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed especially for him, and likewise a detailed letter from this evanescent servant was sent to him. God willing, may it reach him and may he attain unto the divine Tablet. I present my sincere respects to all the gentlemen and friends of that land, and I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to aid them all in that which will cause His mention to be adorned with the ornament of immortality throughout the earth. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.

That which was mentioned concerning Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God, was presented at the Most Holy Court, and these manifest verses were revealed especially for him from the heaven of loving-kindness. Blessed is he in having attained the choice wine of the utterance of our Lord, the Most Merciful. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Speaking, the All-Knowing

This is a mention from the Wronged One to him who desired to make mention before the Countenance when it appeared from its most exalted horizon with His most beautiful names, that he might rejoice and be of the thankful ones. O Baqir! He Who summoned all to God, the Lord of the worlds, hath turned toward thee. Rejoice in that He Who in every state uttereth “Verily there is no God but I, the Single, the All-Informed” maketh mention of thee at this time. When the promise came and the time was fulfilled, the Dawning-Place of verses came with the standards of utterance, yet most of the people were heedless. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of Revelation and for having sent down for thee this wondrous Tablet. We heard thy call and caused thee to hear Our call from the precincts of Our mighty Prison. Blessed art thou and he who hath ascended unto God. We have forgiven him and purified him. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. We mentioned him before in this luminous station. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He heareth and seeth, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. We make mention of My loved ones in that place and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. And We make mention of the Nightingale who soared in My atmosphere and spoke My praise and turned to My horizon and arose to serve My mighty Cause. Blessed is he who hath loved him and heard mention of him in this wise Remembrance. The Glory be upon thee and upon him and upon My loved ones who were not kept back by the greatest clamor from this most pure nectar and who arose to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as made the pillars of those who disbelieved in God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, to quake. And praise be unto Him Who hath appeared and made manifest His straight Path.

And as for the mention that was made of Jinab-i-Mashhadi Ali Akbar and his cousins Aqa Muhammad and Aqa Qasim and Jinab-i-Aqa Javad Dhakir and their relatives, upon them be the Glory of God, all were presented at the Most Holy Court. The Sun of loving-kindness hath shone and beamed forth upon each one. God willing, may all attain to that which God hath desired and hold fast to the cord of unity, that there might appear in the kingdom that whereby hearts and souls will find rest. If the heedless people were to become aware of what the True One, exalted be His glory, hath desired in this Most Great Revelation, all the servants, be they divines or rulers, ignorant or learned, poor or rich, would turn to the most exalted horizon. Would that His Majesty the King of Iran would show some regard and become informed of the fruits of the Tree of Revelation. What benefit is there when the outward divines and certain souls are barriers to this station and veils to this Cause? All must beseech the Invincible Truth that He may, through some means, cause that sovereign to drink from the ocean of awareness. Verily He is the Powerful, and He indeed is the All-Informed.

And as for the mention made of Aqa Muhammad-Javad and his family and son, upon them be the Glory of God, from this matter utmost joy was attained as the shadow of the banner of steadfastness was witnessed from that household. The Beloved of all possibility hath declared that may the fragrance of firmness, rootedness and steadfastness, God willing, waft from that gathering. A letter addressed to his wife, upon them both be the Glory of God, went somewhere and from there came here. In truth, the fragrance of steadfastness emanated from it. And this station is very great. Blessed is she and the one who wrote it, felicitations unto her and unto the one from whose pen flowed that which spoke of truth and sincerity. I offer my utter servitude and nothingness to all.

And as for what was written regarding Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Husayn Kh A residing in the house of K D, upon him be the Glory of God, may he, through God’s grace, be blessed in all times. The petitions and writings of K D, upon him be the Glory of God, were presented one after another in their specific places before the countenance of the Lord of Oneness. In each instance the sun of grace dawned. May they, God willing, act according to what God loveth and speak His praise. The friends of God who have drunk from the wine of utterance must exert great effort in teaching the Cause with perfect wisdom. This matter is most important and very great, but with wisdom lest the cawing of the crows and the clamor of the heedless be raised.

Likewise, specifically for their guest, one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent. However, the sending of letters and the revelation and dispatch of Tablets, the more concealed these remain in those lands, the closer it is and will be to godliness and wisdom. In this matter, consideration of wisdom is necessary, nay obligatory, for if published it may cause harm and prevention, and perhaps harm may return to the Divine Lote-Tree. In all conditions wisdom takes precedence.

And as for what was written that Nabil Ibn Nabil, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, mentioned that the maternal aunt of the mother of Aqa Muhammad-Taqi, and the aforementioned person himself, and their sisters had requested that mention of them be presented at the Most Holy Court - it was presented, and the rain of mercy descended from the heaven of the utterance of the All-Merciful specifically for each one. Blessed be he and they, and congratulations to the loved ones of God and His handmaidens, one and all.

And as for what was mentioned regarding the Name of God 66, J M, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, may he, God willing, in whatever station, place or land he may be present, abide under the shadow of God’s grace, exalted be His glory, and be occupied with quickening hearts and souls. God willing, that which indicates the grace, bounty and kindness of the Beloved of the worlds will be sent to his honor.

An Most Holy Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of grace specifically for his honor Aqa Mirza ?abib-i-Khunsari, upon him be the glory of God, wherein mention hath been made of certain loved ones of God. Let them send it to his honor, the beloved Mulla ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Power, that he may, after perusing it, forward it to others. May the Glory that is manifest, radiant, brilliant, evident and effulgent rest upon thee and upon him and upon His near ones, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

My spirit be a sacrifice unto Thy remembrance! All the matters mentioned in the letter of his honor, the beloved S.M., upon him be the glory of the Most Glorious, were answered one by one, and specifically regarding the names mentioned therein, Holy and Blessed Tablets were sent down from the heaven of the grace of the Lord of Oneness and dispatched. God willing, may the chalices of human temples prove worthy and capable receptacles for the rains of divine mercy which stream down and descend from the clouds of the heaven of God’s Will. We beseech God that the praise and thanksgiving which proceedeth from the tongues of creation in response to God’s infinite bounties may be adorned with the ornament of acceptance, and that He may bestow His special grace and loving-kindness upon all, and withhold not His confirmation even for a moment. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, the All-Merciful, the All-Kind, the All-Munificent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00172 ===

=== START BH00173 ===

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

This is addressed to him who has drunk the cup of inner meanings, His Holiness the Name of Bounty, upon him be the eternal glory of God. The letter of that beloved one addressed to this evanescent one was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Threshold, and likewise that which you called out to God. They said: “God willing, they are and will be attaining to that which He loves and is pleased with.” Indeed, what was submitted accords with reality. And then, the list of matters contained in the letters of the true beloved one who has arisen to serve God and His remembrance, and who was named Samandar in the Most Great Scene, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Power, was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. Similarly, two detailed letters from him addressed to that beloved one remained with this lowly one - these two were also newly presented, and likewise a letter from him addressed to this evanescent servant was also presented.

O my beloved! Reflect upon the bounty of God, exalted be His glory. Although petitions and news continuously pour in like rain from all directions, all are blessed with a hearing and honored with a response. If one were to consider this outwardly, these limited, numbered hours would not and do not contain enough time for all these answers and questions. But God brings to pass what He desires; verily He is the One intended at the beginning and the end.

They had lamented separation from the Beloved of the horizons, and the fragrances of detachment, hope for attainment and meeting, and the fire of love and faithfulness were entirely diffused and evident and manifest from one of his letters. After the presentation of this statement, there was revealed from the Kingdom of proof, His words, exalted be His majesty:

“O Samandar! Praise be to God, thou art aflame and should indeed be as thou art, for the Beloved of the world speaks saying ‘I am the Witnessed One,’ and the Speaker of the Mount utters ‘Behold, behold.’ Give thanks for what We have shown thee, caused thee to hear, made thee to know, and given thee to drink of My Beauty, My verses, My Self, and My choice, wondrous wine. The fire of the love of the All-Merciful and the lights of the countenance of the Beloved of all possibility have been and will be the cause and reason for the enkindling of the hearts and souls of God’s friends. However, the requirements of the Cause today must be observed and considered. Choose for thyself what God hath chosen for thee. Thy services, one after another, have been and are mentioned before the Wronged One. That which thou art occupied with today is, by the life of God, greater than can be known through conjecture, fancy, understanding or imagination. This station cannot be described, nor can praise do it justice. Know thou its worth and value its pearl. Verily thy Lord is the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Grieve not over any matter; if God should will, He ordains and answers. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.”

They had mentioned His Holiness Dhabi?, upon him be the glory of God. Some time ago, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the All-Merciful Will and was sent. God willing, may he attain unto it. This evanescent servant is very ashamed before him, for it has been some time that he has not succeeded in presenting a letter. God willing, it is hoped that through divine grace, he will arise to make amends hereafter. That beloved one knows that this servant has not been and is not at rest for a moment. This matter needs no mention or elaboration. He knows and you know, and beyond you both is our Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, the Witness, the All-Seeing.

O Khalil! The world hath been set ablaze by the fire of the utterance of thy Lord, the Chosen One, and its horizon hath been illumined by My brilliant, radiant, and wondrous light. Beseech God to aid thee to shatter the idols of fancy and vain imagining. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in numerous tablets. Blessed is he who acteth in accordance with what he hath been commanded, and woe unto the heedless.

O Khalil! We have, in times past and present, informed all souls of the appearance of the clamorous ones and the doubters. In these days they have appeared in certain lands and with utmost deceit and guile have arisen to lead astray sanctified souls. Ask thou of God that He may enable the people of that land to shatter the idols of fancy and vain imagining, even as He enabled them before. Convey My greetings to all the friends in that land and say: God willing, may ye be ever enkindled with the fire of divine love and illumined by its light. Ye should be witnessed as so steadfast in the Cause of God that the very embodiment of constancy would be astonished to behold itself. The people of the Bayan are seen today to be more veiled than the people of the Furqan. By God’s life! They have no share of this Most Great Ocean, nor any path to this Straight Way. From this station We send Our greetings upon thy face and upon the faces of those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness in My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful.

By Him Who hath caused all things to speak in praise of His Self and hath called all to the ocean of His presence! The veiled ones of the Bayan utter such words as the veiled ones of the Furqan, nay all religions, have not spoken. They now seek to establish anew the region of falsehood known by the holy name, and the imaginary Jabulqa and the non-existent Jabulsa. God is My witness that it would be better and more preferable for one to hearken unto the signs and symptoms of consumption than to listen to the words spoken by these heedless souls. These ignorant ones appear as if they have not heard of the Day of God and have not drunk a drop from this Ocean. He saith: “This is the Day of God, wherein none shall be mentioned save Him, and this is the Revelation of God; He hath taken unto Himself no deputy, nor peer, nor minister, nor successor,” unto the end of His exalted Word. In brief, they have clung to the cord of falsehood and held fast to the hem of a vain fancy. In one of the holy and blessed Tablets this exalted word hath been revealed - exalted be His majesty: “Hold fast unto this firm, sound and blessed word, which is like unto a pearl from the ocean of divine knowledge: until thou recognizest the falsehood of the past, thou wilt not bear witness to the truth of this Day.”

O friends! Arise for the sake of God, speak for the sake of God, and strive in the path of God, that perchance the servants in this age may not be veiled as before and may not be accounted among the worshippers of idols and vain imaginings. O servants! Reflect upon that sect which considered itself the most great and most exalted of all creation and reckoned itself among the delivered community and the favored people, and observe how they believed and how the matter turned out - the difference is as that between earth and heaven. In brief, that same sect, after numerous claims, was finally recorded in the Book before God as among the rebellious and tyrannical ones. For by the decree of those polytheistic souls did they hang the Truth and martyred Him with bullets of hatred. At one time the Tongue of Grandeur uttered these words: “O servant present! The one truth which that heedless and atheistic sect possessed was their saying that when the Qa’im appears, He will speak a word from which the chiefs of the earth - that is, the most exalted of the world’s people - will flee and avoid. This single word We verify. Yet I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that until now that word hath not appeared, and whosoever after hearing it remaineth steadfast, he is one with whom all the peoples of the world cannot compare.” This is why the Point of the Bayan - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - hath said that a one-year-old child in His day of Manifestation is mightier than all the people of the Bayan. O My beloved! They are still waiting for the discovery of the ten parts of the Qur’an which this one or that one supposedly stole. Reflect on this matter - for twelve hundred years they called Ja’far-i-Sadiq a liar, and for centuries they have intended to mention him by this title. The curse of God be upon the liars and the calumniators! What has happened that these human-like creatures are seen to be so heedless? Would that they had heeded the call to “look again and yet again,” that perchance they might have caught a fragrance from the garden of awareness or attained a drop from the ocean of knowledge. By Thy life! Their ears are deaf and their eyes are blind. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes from the Truth that He may cause the friends in all regions to attain unto a power and might befitting this blessed Day, that they may see all else as non-existent and count it as nothing. And I beseech Him, exalted be He, to sanctify them from every conjecture and free them from every idle fancy. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

As for what was written concerning Haji Kamal, upon him be the Glory of God, God willing its answer shall be submitted and sent.

Furthermore, concerning the Huquq, something was written, and a letter was also written and sent to this servant on this matter. This servant testifies that whatever reached them, they have delivered. That place is the place of trustworthiness; treachery hath no access to that spot. To this testifieth every just and discerning one, and beyond him and me and the world testifieth our All-Informed Lord. In this case, whatever was mentioned was not and is not befitting. God sufficeth as a witness.

And concerning what was written about Aqa Murtada Q., upon him be the Glory of God, God willing his answer will descend from the heaven of divine mercy and favor and will be sent.

Concerning what was written about “Walaj Ta”, this has not occurred until now. His honor Ismu’llah, his eminence J.M., upon him be the Glory of God, has also inquired about this matter. After presenting it in the Most Holy Court, He said that perhaps this “Walaj” does not refer to the friends. Knowledge of this is with God, and it has not occurred until now. God willing, may all the friends of Truth be engaged in mentioning the Beloved of all possibility with utmost joy, delight, spirit and fragrance.

Another submission: The brilliant ode which emerged from the virgin thoughts of the Nightingale of the Age, upon him be the Glory of the All-Merciful, along with his two letters that were sent, was presented in the Most Holy Court on this day, which is Sunday at the end of the month of Sha’ban. The Sun of Grace was rising from one direction and the Moon of Providence was dawning from another horizon. And this is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, exalted be His glory:

“Blessed art thou, O Nightingale, for having arisen to serve the Cause and for having spoken in praise of God, the Lord of the worlds. Verily, We caused thee to hear My greatest verses, aided thee in the Cause, and guided thee to the right path. Say: O peoples of the earth, cast away your vain imaginings. The Lord of all beings hath come, and the Messengers cry out before His countenance - ‘The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Choosing.’ This is the Day which hath been attributed to God in the Books, Scriptures and Tablets.

“O Nightingale! The Cause is most great. The preface of the Book of Creation was adorned with the word ‘He.’ We removed it by complete power and placed ‘I.’ By the life of God, this is a mighty matter which none can bear save him who is the most powerful in the world and who holdeth fast to the Most Great Name. The Hand of complete power hath rent asunder the veils of creation to a known measure. Now it is observed that the manifestations of idle fancies and the dawning-places of vain imaginings are veiled by other veils. Reflect upon the baseness of nature and paucity of understanding of those who are veiled, who have now returned to their initial station. I swear by the Sun of Grace that shineth from the horizon of the Prison that they are considered before God as more veiled than all religions.

“God willing, through divine confirmations, your honor will watch over the Cause in all conditions. Verily, He is with whoever speaketh His praise and ariseth to serve His mighty and exalted Cause. The Point of the Bayan gave the glad tidings of the meeting to one of the Letters of the Living who was named Baqir and who in these days has attained the honor of meeting, and then He states: ‘Be assured that the Cause is mighty, mighty!’

“O Nightingale! This Cause hath had and hath no likeness. It is novel from all aspects. Like the sun, its light, its manifestation, and its deeds are evident and clear. However, due to the vain imaginings and fancies of the people, their weakness and heedlessness, the Dawning-Place of the Cause speaks these words. People of insight have always been and will always be as rare as red sulfur in the world. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of Revelation, turning unto thee that thou mayest be of the thankful ones.”

Whatever you had written in remembrance and praise of God, exalted be His glory, this servant presented before His presence. Verily, He will reward thee with the best of rewards. Verily, He is the Bestower, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

This servant also conveys greetings to him, namely the beloved of the soul, the Nightingale of possibility. God willing, may he ever be speaking in praise of God, exalted be His glory, and engaged in teaching the Cause. This is the deed with which no deeds can compare, and which no descriptions and mentions can surpass. Praise be to the Beloved of the horizons Who confirmed him in guiding the servants and reminding those in the lands.

Concerning Ahmad-i-Kirmani, it was written that he had not chosen for himself any proof, path, way, religion, fairness, or truth. He changes color like a chameleon and turns like a spotted snake. His being is not like wax - though I have said this before - but rather like clay, accepting any form at any moment. May God and the company of the unitarians protect us from that sinful liar. His claim that the “noisome smell” was revealed about him is false, by the Lord of the Throne and earth! Although now it is observed that he was indeed the intended one of that word, this blessed verse was revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas at a time when outwardly there was no mention of him, and the original address was to the land of Kaf and Ra, as He says: “O Land of Kaf and Ra! We, verily, behold in thee the noisome smell.” After the revelation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the passing of several years, his petitions arrived successively at the Most Holy Court, as did his letters to this evanescent servant, claiming complete faith. Later, considering his own vile deeds and absurd words, he became deluded and arose in opposition. After some time, his petitions again reached the Most Holy Court, each expressing repentance, return, and remorse to a degree beyond which none is possible, and he raised up intercessors until the petitions of some reached the Throne. A Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Will with this purport: He is granted divine forgiveness if he acts not contrary to what God desires. But he broke God’s covenant and His pact in deeds and words. He has not one face, or two, or three - he has at every moment a different face which none knows save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. In truth, he is an ignorant atheist who had and has no understanding whatsoever, but his actions and deeds identify him before the servants. One identifier has been and will be before his face. He has not spoken truth to anyone and will not. After his rejected deeds and words and his despair from the Most Holy Court, he clung to a false person and showed devotion to him. In the great city he found one like himself, obtained the book of Sijjin and papers of fire, and one night after consuming certain things, burned all those writings which were his intention. The next day when asked what he had done, he said, “In truth, I enjoyed watching the flames of those papers,” and thus occurred what occurred. After the great city too, due to his repugnant rejected deeds, they expelled him. In truth, he was not and is not worthy of mention.

Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. God willing, all must act in a manner befitting the Days of God. The triumph of God’s Cause has been and ever will be through goodly deeds and illumined, spiritual character. Indeed, in most Tablets this binding word hath flowed from the Supreme Pen, making triumph in all cases contingent upon wisdom, pure deeds, and noble conduct. Therefore this evanescent servant beseecheth the Self-Sufficing Lord that He may assist all to achieve that which He loveth and approveth. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

In Iraq, the Land of Mystery, and the Prison, mention was made from the heaven of God’s will of the cawing ones, birds of night, and the like. The people of Baha must, God willing, manifest such steadfastness that none shall find occasion for mention, much less for rejection and denial. God willing, may they hold fast to the strong and mighty cord and fix their gaze upon the straight path. Say on My behalf: O friends! Know ye your worth. By the life of the Beloved! Your station is great and your rank exalted. Let it not slip from your grasp, but preserve it in the name of Truth. The people of Baha have been mentioned in the Qayyumu’l-Asma in terms that transcend understanding and intellect. In one place He saith: “Beyond the sea of grandeur is a Maiden of heavenly essence,” and He describeth her until He concludeth with these exalted words: “And upon her are vessels of moist red ruby, wherein none shall embark save the people of Baha.” Let them now ponder that which hath been revealed, that they may become aware of their stations and attain unto that most exalted rank, which is the station of the Most Great Steadfastness, and be established therein. Verily, He hath spoken the truth and appeared with justice and guided all unto His Self, the One Who overshadoweth all in the heavens and on earth.

As to what was mentioned about certain passages having been written and sent to some of the divines, it is known that whatsoever proceedeth from them hath been and will be in the path of God. Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which is acceptable at the Divine Threshold today. However, by command, in all matters they must observe wisdom, that outward wisdom may restrain the hellish souls from agitation and render them tranquil. That which causeth tumult today doth in truth extinguish the fire of love in souls that have newly drunk from the life-giving water and turned toward the most exalted horizon. They should devote all their energy to teaching the Cause with spirit and fragrance, wisdom and utterance. And if at times they wish to enlighten the leaders of vain imaginings and the daysprings of idle fancies, it is best that they be given certain passages that have been sent down from the heaven of God’s will, such as the Tablet to the Sultan and the like. Even this is beloved before God only when some inclination is observed. A general proclamation was made to all upon first arrival at the Most Great Prison. Blessed is he who hath recognized and turned unto Him, and woe unto the heedless and those who turn away.

Another submission of this servant is that thy poem was recited repeatedly in the gathering of the friends. Praise be to God, such a fragrance of love and fellowship was diffused that this servant is powerless to describe it. The servant beseecheth his Lord to strengthen him through His command, preserve him through His power, and exalt his station such that every tongue may testify to his grace, sincerity, dedication and detachment in the Days of God, the Mighty, the Wise.

Another submission is that his honor Nazir, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], attained the Most Holy Court with a package of petitions and letters from the friends. These days the response to each one is being revealed from the heaven of bounty. God willing, they will soon be sent. Verily the servant gives glad tidings to those who are there that they may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. Praise be to our Lord, the Most Holy, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This servant’s submission is that I convey greetings to his honor Javad, upon him be Baha’u’llah. God willing, may they be engaged in utmost joy and yearning and attraction in the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds, and may they drink from the ocean of divine love at all times and bestow it upon the people of the earth, that perchance all may gather under the shadow of the Most Exalted Word and become engaged in praise of the Lord of creation. Likewise, I express utter nothingness to the other friends of God and beseech them all that they not forget this evanescent one in their intimate gatherings and sacred assemblies, that perchance I may be assisted in that which I am commanded.

In these days the letter of his honor the beloved and honored Nabil the Great, upon him be Baha’u’llah, the Lord of Eternity, became the cause of complete joy. God willing, through divine grace and might, a response will be written and sent. Whatever pertains to this weak, poor and destitute one - the servant beseeches his Lord to assist him in mentioning His loved ones and serving His chosen ones. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

God is witness that this evanescent one remembers the days of the presence of his honor Nabil ibn Nabil, upon them both be Baha’u’llah, the Mighty, the Beautiful, and utters the words “Would that I had another chance.” I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His glory, that He may ordain another gathering in the shadow of the Blessed Tree. Verily He is the Ordainer, the Powerful. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. And glory be upon your first and your last, and those who love you and remember you and those with you and those who hear your words and serve you for the sake of God, the Lord of the heavens and earth and the Lord of the mighty throne.

O beloved of my heart! All the requests in the various letters of his honor Samandar, upon him be Baha’u’llah, the Lord of Power, were submitted one by one to the Most Holy Court and responses were written and sent. I swear by the beauty of the Beloved that the utterances which today flow from the tongue of the Most Merciful are the cause of eternal life. If a soul should hear one passage thereof and truly attain its sweetness, the events of time and the differences of contingent beings and the conditions of the opposers and the intimations of the corrupters and the ranks of the world and the armies of nations will not sadden him nor overcome him. With complete freshness and utmost steadfastness he will remain engaged and delighted in the remembrance of the Lord of all beings. The sorrows of the world will not prevent this joy and the events of days will not roll up this carpet. And your honor’s supplication was also presented before His presence, and the favor of God, exalted and glorified be He, towards that beloved one is evident and clear - no need to mention it. It is likely that tomorrow we will proceed to the city to visit the friends. Glory be upon your honor and upon those who have gathered for the love of God in those parts and upon those who have taken Him as their guardian.

The Servant

29 Sha’ban 1298

The sum that was sent to the Land of Ya has been reported as received at the Most Holy Court.

=== END BH00173 ===

=== START BH00174 ===

Let this be observed by the spiritual friend, His Honor Mirza Abdul-Majid, upon him be the Glory of God.

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord.

Blessed is God Who brought the world into being with a single word, and from the first day gave the peoples the glad tidings of the Day of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on Sinai. His Books testify to this glorious Cause and bear witness to this mighty announcement. Each of the Messengers and Guides of the paths spoke of this Day and yearned for His presence. Exalted, exalted is He Who made His Day the Dawning-place of all days and the Source of commandments and laws. The eyes of those near to God awaited this wondrous Day, and the ears of the sincere were attentive to the call of the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Praise and gratitude be to God! With the finger of power He rent asunder the veil and removed the clouds from the horizon. The essence of the Books is established upon the throne of manifestation, speaking forth the blessed, mighty, hidden, concealed and promised Word. Glory be to God! The effulgences of the Sun of Revelation are a hundred thousand times more luminous and manifest than the sun, yet eyes are deprived and forbidden from beholding it.

O God, O Generous One! The oceans of bounty are manifest through Thy generous Name, and the rain of mercy descendeth through Thy bountiful Name. Thy bestowal hath encompassed the world, and Thy mercy hath preceded all things. My God! The thirsty ones in the valley of love seek the water of life, and those enkindled with the fire of affection seek Thy presence. Thy generosity, like Thy existence, is manifest and evident. Thou didst bestow before any request and gave before any supplication. The ocean of Thy giving hath never been, nor shall ever be, contingent upon anything. Cleanse this handful of dust from defilement and deprive it not of the wonders of Thy grace. The Day is Thy Day, and the reins of power are in Thy grasp. Guide Thou the lost and direct them. Thou art the All-Knowing and the All-Powerful over all things.

O beloved of My heart! Thy letter was received - the arrival of a caravan bound for the city of the Beloved, bearing as its gift praise of the All-Merciful. In truth it brought joy and spread wide the carpet of gladness. Praise be to God that thou hast been successful in serving the Cause and confirmed in the mention and praise of the Friend. After reading and reviewing it, I proceeded to the Most Exalted Station, presented it, and after its completion, the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of Days spoke these exalted words - mighty be His utterance and glorious His proof:

“I am the One Who warbleth upon the branches with diverse melodies.”

O Majid! Thy Lord, the All-Praised, maketh mention of thee from this far-distant shore, and calleth thee to the supreme horizon, and counselleth thee to manifest great steadfastness in this Cause whereby the hearts of all people were shaken save those who cast away the world, turning unto that quarter from whence the call was raised betwixt earth and heaven. These, verily, are reckoned among them that are nigh unto God in His Book, the Lord of all worlds. The fragrance of revelation hath been wafted throughout all regions, and the Lord of the Covenant hath been established upon the throne of His Great Name. This is a day wherein the clouds of proof have shed the rain of knowledge. Blessed is he who hasteneth and attaineth, and woe unto the heedless! O people of God! Hearken unto the call from the direction of Akka, from the right hand of the luminous spot, from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Omnipotent over what I will. Neither the might of the world nor the clamor of the nations can hinder Me. I have appeared and made manifest that which was hidden in the treasuries of infallibility and power, and that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and inscribed by the Pen of wisdom and knowledge upon the tablets of the hearts of the Messengers. Say: O concourse of the heedless! By what proof have ye believed in your Lord, the All-Merciful, and by what reason have ye turned away from Him by Whom the countenance of faith hath been made to shine? Fear God, and be not of them who believed and then denied, who accepted and then turned away, until they returned to the nethermost fire - the abode ordained for them by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and utter not that which the people of the Furqan uttered, who claimed faith throughout the ages, yet when the Manifestation thereof came unto them with the standards of signs, they slew Him with such injustice as caused the dwellers of the highest Paradise and the inmates of the pavilion of glory to lament in an exalted station. Say: Cast away what ye possess. This is the Day of God wherein naught shall be mentioned save Him. Fear God, and spread not corruption in the land after its reformation, and be not of the wrongdoers. Come ye forth from the precincts of idle fancies and vain imaginings, then enter ye the City of God in peace and security. Thus doth the Supreme Pen counsel you whilst the Wronged One is in grievous sorrow. Convey My greetings unto My loved ones who have hearkened unto the call from the supreme horizon and have responded with evident submission. O people of God! This is the Day of deeds. Take ye hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him, then observe that which ye have been commanded, and be not of them that forsake it.

O Majid! Hearken in the Persian tongue: In their first step, the people of the Bayan have reverted to that which was uttered by the heedless, rebellious and wayward group. These souls have likewise clung to and become attached to those same words. With but a slight test, they turned away from Him Who was their Ultimate Goal, Whom they had remembered throughout ages and cycles, Whose manifestation they had eagerly sought, and with swords of hatred and animosity they martyred Him. Now the people of the Bayan too have desired to spread the carpet of new vain imaginings. We beseech God to assist His party in such wise that they may see all else as non-existent and count it as naught. Say: O friends! Until ye pass beyond the gulf of names, ye shall not attain unto the Most Great Ocean. We have previously announced that the barking ones would spread abroad like locusts. Through the blessedness of the Most Great Name must the ears of faith and recognition be preserved. This is the station of the supreme steadfastness. Blessed is the soul that hath attained thereunto and held fast unto it. This is the firm cord and the sure handle. Blessed are they that hold fast thereunto. The hearing of the friends, praise be to God, hearkeneth unto the Voice of the True One, exalted be His glory, and without delay or hesitation attaineth unto it. Such is the bounty that the noble scribes are powerless to reckon it, how much less others. How excellent is the state of those souls who have, through the Name of the True One, delivered themselves from chains and vain imaginings, and who soar with utmost freedom in the atmosphere of Divine love.

O Majid! These are the days of the Most Great Manifestation – days whose mention hath been on the lips of them that are nigh unto God, the sincere ones, and the Messengers. All have yearned and hoped for the attainment of this Day from God, exalted be His grace. Today the Dawning-Place of generosity, the Dayspring of bounty, the heaven of munificence, the Source of favors, and the Fountainhead of bestowals is manifest, resplendent and evident. On the first day when the King of nations entered the Ridvan, He shed the splendor of all His most excellent names upon all created things. Every thing that turned unto Him reflected His light, and that which turned away – verily the light returneth unto its source and the branch remaineth as it was.

O Majid! The grace of God hath so encompassed all that every transgressor hath deemed God heedless. From time immemorial the name ‘Concealer’ hath clung to the hem of God’s robe, ever seeking concealment, while the name ‘Revealer’ and ‘Uncoverer’ seek to expose and unveil. Yet as mercy hath preceded all else, the glance of God’s loving-kindness is fixed upon the sign that exists in all things, for in all things there is a sign testifying to His oneness. Were He to judge by deeds, words and character, the matter would prove most difficult and arduous. Today the names ‘Concealer’, ‘Munificent’ and ‘All-Bountiful’ are present before His face. In this Most Great Revelation, the ocean of generosity is surging and hath encompassed all. Blessed, however, is the soul that hath detached itself from its own desires, held fast unto the Will of God, and clung to such deeds and character as would exalt His Cause. The deeds of every soul are reflected in the mirror of divine knowledge. Today the loved ones of God must, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, seek forgiveness for one another and beseech divine confirmation. He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

[The remaining text appears to be commentary about a specific individual named ’Andalib and is not part of the actual Tablet]

O Majid! The servant present before the Face is present and hath made mention of souls who have quaffed from the sealed wine in the name of the Self-Subsisting and have turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon. Say: We have heard your call and witnessed your turning unto Us and perceived the fragrance of your sincerity. We make mention of you in such wise as nothing in all creation can equal, and I am verily the All-Knowing, the All-Wise Remembrancer. Blessed is he who hath answered My call, tasted the sweetness of My utterance and found the fragrance of My luminous garment. This is the Day whereon the Mother Book hath been sent down and speaketh before the faces of the world: There is none other God but He, the Single One, the All-Informed.

O My loved ones in that land! Take ye the chalice of steadfastness in My Name, then drink therefrom in remembrance of My wondrous mention. He who attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good, as testify the Concourse on High, the Most Exalted Paradise, the Supreme Heaven and the dwellers of the Cities of Names who circle round My mighty throne. Remember them on My behalf and glorify their faces in My Name, for I am the Wronged One, the Stranger.

O Majid! The Cause is most mighty in this day. They that have turned unto it must be so steadfast that the dominion of names and remembrances of the past shall not hold them back from the heaven of inner meanings. This station cannot be attained except through reflection upon past events. The more they become aware of the lies and calumnies of the Shi’ih sect, the more steadfast they will remain in the Cause of God. Throughout ages and centuries they acted contrary to that which God desired, yet counted themselves the most exalted of creation. Consider the fruits of their deeds and words - what they were and what became of them. The outcome was that they martyred the Lord of all horizons with the swords of their malice.

Now certain among the people of the Bayan who have strayed from the path of the All-Merciful are engaged in the same deeds and words as those souls, making their own desires a snare for mankind in the name of Truth. We beseech God to preserve His loved ones until such time as they comprehend the station of this Day of God. Say: This is a Day wherein none is mentioned save God alone. Thus hath the Sun of Unity shone forth from the horizon of the world while the peoples remain in evident veils. This is the Day of Unity. Blessed is the one whom the idols of names have not debarred from the Creator of heaven.

O Majid! For twelve hundred years and more they were occupied with dispute and contention. Each faction cursed the other - some Shi’ih, some Sunni, some Shaykhi, while others counted themselves among the people of the Path and Truth. They were ever engaged in disputation, yet when the Day of God appeared, through a slight test they wrought against the Divine Trust that which caused the very stones to lament and the earth to weep, let alone all other things. Reflect upon this matter, that the cause of the shedding of that most pure blood was the Shi’ih sect. Their highest have become their lowest and their lowest their highest. Say: Take ye warning, O ye who are endued with insight! Say: O friends! Purify your hearts from selfish desires and reflect with justice and fairness upon these events, that perchance the gate of true knowledge may be opened and lead to the kingdom of steadfastness.

Praise and gratitude be to God! The rain of divine bounty continues to pour down and the horizon of loving-kindness remains radiant. Blessed is the state of those souls who have clung to truth and are detached and free from all else. This Revelation is the Revelation of unity, this Day is the Day of detachment wherein none is mentioned save God alone. At one time this exalted Word shone forth from the horizon of utterance of the Lord of Names, saying: “O servant who is present! These are the days of the manifestation of this blessed verse of the Furqan: ‘Say: God; then leave them to their vain disputes.’ Blessed is the soul that hath clung to it, and woe unto him who hath been heedless of it.”

This evanescent servant at all times beseeches and hopes from God, exalted be His glory, that He may enable His loved ones to attain unto such steadfastness that neither names nor their bearers may deprive them from the Lord of Names and Attributes. That they have traveled through various lands and exerted their utmost in guiding people - all this is from God’s grace upon you. Praise be to God, they were successful and confirmed. However, you must counsel all to observe wisdom. People are prone to imitation; if they observe opposition, an uproar will arise. In this year, which is 1302, concealment has been ordained. Until this year, the loved ones of God have acknowledged and confessed the Most Great Cause and the Mighty Announcement with perfect steadfastness, power and might. However, in these days the decree of concealment hath been sent down from the heaven of divine will. One must observe and act according to the command. He doeth whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Commanding, the All-Choosing.

In brief, if the friends were to break the chains of imitation all at once, it would be unwise, for all would become aware and arise in opposition. God is generous and His mercy hath preceded all, therefore one must deal with people with forbearance. As you have observed, the Most Great Branch and the Most Mighty Branch - may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps - act in accordance with the law. This servant beseeches God that He may aid all to do that which is pleasing unto Him.

And concerning what you wrote about Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’l-Khaliq and Aqa Siyyid Nasru’llah - upon them be the glory of God - that they were present in the gathering and sought His favor, this was granted the honor of being heard in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. His word, exalted be His glory: “We beseech God that He may enable them to promote His Cause and to mention and praise Him in such wise that neither the clamor of the people of the Bayan nor the opposition of the concourse of the Furqan may deter them or keep them back from God. O people of God! Know ye the value of these days and arise to do what behooveth you.”

These exalted words were revealed from the heaven of divine favor concerning Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad-Taqi. He - exalted and mighty be His Word - saith: O Muhammad! Noah came and they rejected him. Hud arose and they occupied themselves with denouncing him as an infidel. He sent ?ali? and they rose up to torment him. What was the cause of this torment, this denunciation of infidelity, this attribution of fault? By the life of God! The cause of denunciation was the opposition of the divines of that age, and the cause of fault-finding was detachment from all save God. Moses came and they deemed His words false and His Cause invalid. The Spirit (Christ) came and the doctors of the Torah rose up with such malice as cannot be imagined, save in this Revelation wherein the Shi’ih divines have arisen to perpetrate even greater acts. Reflect upon the Seal of the Prophets (Muhammad) - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. Although He spoke the word of Divine Unity, they reviled Him and counted the persecution of that Holy One as a means of drawing near to God. The matter became so severe as to defy description, until, by divine command, the righteous companions resolved to depart and migrated to Abyssinia. If these souls were at fault, for what crime were those holy beings afflicted with trials? Consider the blessed verse “No Messenger cometh unto them but they mock at him.” Their abominable deeds prevented them and deprived them of the divine Kawthar and heavenly Tasnim. Arise in the name of Truth, be enkindled with the fire of His love, and occupy thyself with service to His Cause. The days are fleeting and time doth not endure. Rend asunder the veils and stand firm in such wise that neither trembling shall seize thee nor sitting follow. He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

As for the mention they made of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu-?alib and those with him, and Aqa Mirza Kazim and Karbala’i Iskandar and Aqa Mirza Muhammad and Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’l-Karim and Karbala’i Qasim - upon them be the Glory of God - each one is mentioned in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence and hath attained the favors of the Truth, exalted be His Glory. Verily this servant giveth them glad tidings of God’s remembrance and His favor. Blessed is the soul that hath attained the remembrance of the Purpose of the world. This servant conveyeth greetings and glorification to each one, and beseecheth confirmation and divine aid for each, that they may attain to that which is everlasting and eternal. The Command is in God’s hands - our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth. As for their question concerning the blessed verse of the Furqan (Qur’an), it was presented before the Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in reply - mighty be His utterance […]

As to what thou hast asked concerning that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an to Muhammad, the Apostle of God, where He saith, “Who maketh the angels His messengers, having wings two, and three, and four” - know thou that the angels have diverse ranks and stations, and likewise exalted positions, some above others. Some are occupied with the education of the world, while others are charged with recording the words, deeds and conduct of the servants. The four well-known angels are each appointed to a specific service, as all have heard and known. Similarly there are angels in each of the worlds of God that exist, and some angels are immersed in the divine manifestations of the Glory of God, exalted be His majesty. Their sustenance is the Divine Presence, their deed is nearness - this group is occupied with revelation and witnessing, and from the beginning that hath no beginning they have turned to none but God, nor will they until the end that hath no end. One group of angels is known as the Most Exalted, whom none knoweth save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Another group is known as the Spirit, as witnessed by “the angels and the Spirit descend.” The Spirit itself hath various ranks known and mentioned, such as the Holy Spirit which is mentioned in the Books and which some have identified as Gabriel, and likewise the Faithful Spirit, the Spirit of Faith, the Spirit of Certitude, the Spirit of Command, the Spirit of Grandeur, the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Beauty, the Spirit of Majesty, and the like.

As to His words “Who maketh the angels His messengers,” the meaning is that angels are intermediaries between God and His chosen ones and loved ones. They convey unto them the messages of their Lord through revelation, inspiration or vision, and teach them what they have been commanded by God. Through the angels hath God aided His Cause, manifested His Command, perfected His handiwork and made firm His signs. And as to His words “having wings two, and three, and four,” the intention is to mention the ranks of angels as was stated before. They are possessed of multiple, varied wings according to their ranks and stations, by which they descend and ascend. Some have wings numbering the divine names, as when the Seal of the Prophets met Gabriel on the night of His ascension and said “he had six hundred wings.”

Each group hath described these stations in their own way and taken their own path. This Wronged One hath mentioned the statements of certain souls. The truth of the matter resteth with God. In every decree and command they have mentioned that which was neither spoken of in the Supreme Concourse nor accepted by the people of the Most Exalted Paradise. Were the true meaning to be revealed, they would flee and say what the idolaters said before. For thirteen hundred years and more they have recited the Qur’an and written commentaries upon it, but by God’s life they have not inhaled the fragrance of a single letter thereof. “None shall touch it save the purified ones” is a truthful witness and an eloquent testimony. The people of the Bayan, that is, those souls who have turned away from the Most Exalted Horizon, are seen to be the basest of all groups.

This Wronged One hath not had, nor hath, any desire to interpret. He hath come to sanctify you through God’s most exalted Word, to purify you with the choice sealed wine, and to draw you nigh unto Him through that which hath flowed from the Pen in His wondrous and glorious Day. Baha hath not come to interpret the Books, but to fulfill what is in them and to set the world ablaze with the fire of the love of God, the Lord of all worlds. Interpretation hath not been, nor is, the province of God. And if at times the Most Exalted Pen hath engaged in it, this hath been due to the people’s request and their desire. Verily, He loveth to speak forth in every matter that which none of His heralds hath spoken before, and I am the All-Knowing, the Unique One.

Praise be to God! The outpourings of the sea of meanings and utterance that appeared from the Most High have adorned the world of hearts with a wondrous new ornament. His is the praise and the bounty. The light of His utterance has illumined the world, and the ocean of His wisdom has encompassed all. His is the greatness and the glory, and His is the praise and the bestowal. My spirit be a sacrifice for His utterance, and my spirit be a sacrifice for His Cause. I convey greetings and salutations to all the friends in that land - salutations that will guide all to the Most Great Abode of Peace, and a greeting that will confirm them in the most great steadfastness. Today is the Day of utterance, the Day of remembrance, the Day of service, the Day of unity, and the Day of detachment. I beseech Him, exalted be His glory, to assist all to achieve that which befits this blessed Day. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon you all and upon those whom the ways of the people have not prevented from the path of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

The Servant

15 Ramadan 1302

Four Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of grace in response to the petitions that arrived with your envelope, and have been sent. Let them be delivered.

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In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise be to the Sovereign of existence and the King of the seen and unseen, Who hath caused the pearls of divine knowledge to emerge from the shell of the ocean of utterance through His conquering might and penetrating Word, in such wise that every possessor of insight hath recognized Him and turned unto Him. Even children, by virtue of their attachment to it, have surpassed the learned men and nobles of the age in the degrees of remembrance and investigation. One drop from the Euphrates of His mercy hath intoxicated the world of acceptance and guided it to the pavilion of His presence, and one melody from the birds of His most exalted Paradise hath attracted the world of hearing and honored it with attainment unto the sanctuary of His holy presence. Should all the tongues of the world engage in mentioning but one letter of the letters that compose a name among the names of the souls that have turned unto Him, they would, throughout the duration of the kingdom of earth and heaven, surely find themselves powerless to render due praise and befitting tribute. This is a station of such loftiness and sublimity as hath been ordained in the ranks of creation - how much less then can any render due praise and description of the Truth, exalted be His glory. Were it not for His leave, His grace and His bounty, who would be capable of mentioning Him, describing Him or praising Him? I seek forgiveness from God, the Almighty, for every mention and praise that beseemeth not His station and befitteth not His rank.

At all times doth this evanescent servant beseech the exalted Truth to illumine the eyes of the world with a light from the lights of His knowledge and to cause the ears of the peoples of the earth to be blessed with hearkening unto His call, that they may not be deprived of His favors nor be forbidden the outpourings of His days. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Thereafter, thy letter dated the fourth of Dhi’l-Qa’dah did spread the carpet of joy and increased the station of love. After perusing and reading the words which truly diffused the fragrance of love for the Beloved of the worlds, it ascended to the most exalted summit and its contents were presented before the presence of the Lord of Revelation. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, exalted and glorified be His utterance:

In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed

O Muhammad-Qabli-Kazim! We bear witness that thou hast turned unto My horizon and hast attained unto that which most of My creatures who awaited My days, My revelation, My presence, My speech and My utterance were deprived of. Thus hath the matter been decreed, yet most people remain heedless. In the nights and days they are occupied with the remembrance of the Lord of all mankind, turning toward temples, mosques, sanctuaries and cloisters, yet remaining heedless and veiled from their Founder and Ordainer. Observe the ignorant divines who, while uttering “There is no God but God” with their lips, have in reality unsheathed the sword against the Truth. They have named delusion knowledge and taken vain desire for their god. They have lost the path yet consider themselves its guides. They turn toward idols yet count themselves as walking toward God. By reason of the oppression of these heedless and false souls, the lamentation of the denizens of the most exalted Paradise and the cry of the inhabitants of the most sublime Heaven have been raised. They have demolished the very foundation of God’s Law, yet consider themselves its builders, and a company of the manifestations of fancy and imagination have followed them. By Him Who converseth from the most exalted Tree upon the summit! Were they to become aware of their deeds even to the extent of a needle’s eye, and cognizant of what hath been ordained for them, they would perish from fear[…]

Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all the friends in that land. From time immemorial each one hath been blessed with divine verses. In the nights and days, mornings and evenings, the Supreme Pen is in motion. God willing, may they ever regard this supreme bounty as great and act as befitteth the Days of God. Sweet fragrances waft from that direction. God willing, may they ever attain unto this station and daily increase their degrees of love, unity and concord. He who journeyed to Mim is indeed mentioned before Our face, inscribed in the Book, and standing before the Gate. O My loved ones! Upon you be My glory, My mercy, My providence and My grace which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.

For some time now until the present, as far as can be recalled, mention of you hath been made three times in the Most Holy Court and divine verses were revealed. Blessed are your ears for having heard and your tongues for having uttered the praise of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Regarding what was written about his honor the beloved Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious - truly he hath arisen to serve and hath borne numerous afflictions in the Cause of God. God, exalted be His glory, Himself beareth witness to this. God willing, in these days sublime and wondrous Tablets specifically for the people of Mim will be sent. For some time blessed Tablets have been revealed but, due to wisdom, were not dispatched. The servant beseecheth his Lord to aid him to make mention of Him, to praise Him, and to promote His mighty, most great, and glorious Cause.

What ye mentioned is not the first hardship that hath befallen His loved ones in the path of God. Now consider the conduct of the government officials and the ignorant divines who consider themselves the guardians of the Faith and who, without any right, sit upon the seat of judgment. This action of the government toward this Wronged One is better than the good deeds of that ignorant scholar who hath judged contrary to that which God hath willed. We beseech God not to deprive the aforementioned governor of the ocean of His bounty and to grant him the recompense of his deed. Blessed is the just ruler, and shame upon that wretched, disobedient, tyrannical one who attributeth himself to the glorious Law without any proof from God, the Lord of all names.

And concerning what was written about the honored Afnan - upon them be the most glorious of all glory - having hosted a feast, after it was mentioned in the Most Holy Court the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this most exalted word: Verily it was mentioned before Our face. We have veiled its mention lest every corrupt deceiver become aware of it. There is recorded for him from the Supreme Pen the good of this world and the next. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost. Blessed is the deed that appeared in the path of God and blessed is the doer from whom this mighty good appeared. Blessed are those who attended it and blessed is he who honored their arrival. The glances of providence have been directed toward him from this station and I am the All-Knowing Witness.

All the treasures of the world cannot compare with what hath been revealed concerning you. This is from God’s grace which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth.

And regarding the mention you made of him who beareth the name of the Desired One, it was presented in the Most Holy Court. These verses were specifically revealed for him from the heaven of mercy. His word, exalted be His glory:

He is the Speaker, the All-Seeing […]

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Hearken unto what We recount unto thee. The idolaters expelled Us from the Land of Sirr and caused Us to enter this Prison with manifest tyranny. We entered and summoned all unto God, the Lord of the worlds. The Sun of the Cause hath shone forth from this supreme horizon by the command of God, the Lord of all beings. Among the people are those who saw and denied, those who witnessed and hastened, those who hesitated, and those who disbelieved in God, the Most High, the Most Great. We arose and called out to the servants with the most exalted call in such wise that neither the thundering of the enemies’ cannons nor the clashing of the swords of the idolaters deterred Us. They reached such heights of oppression that the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise lamented, and to this testifieth He Who speaketh at all times that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful. The Wronged One hath witnessed in the path of God that which no eye hath seen. By the life of God! The Pen hath lamented within itself and the Tablet hath wept as weep those who are bereaved. Thus was the matter decreed when the Wronged One was in the hands of His enemies for numbered years. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Informing, the True, the Faithful. We counsel thee to be steadfast in this Cause and give thee the glad-tidings of God’s tender mercy, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. We would love to see every soul that hath turned towards My horizon, but the heedless have come between Us and them. Therefore, beseech God to decree for thee the reward of attainment unto His presence. Verily, thy Lord doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

This year, in addition to the prevention of the preventers and the heedlessness of the heedless, there have been upheavals in the land of Egypt and its surroundings, therefore attention to outward journeying is unwise. We beseech and hope from the Exalted Truth that He may bestow its reward. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Regarding thy mention of Master Ibrahim who is engaged in carpentry work for the House - this was presented before His face and these manifest verses were specially revealed for him from the Will of the All-Merciful. His mighty and exalted Word:

In My Name, the Remembering and the Remembered

Praise be to God that thou hast been enabled to recognize the Truth, exalted be His glory, and on the Day of Resurrection thou hast turned toward the Dayspring of the Light of divine Manifestation. He made thee aware of a Cause of which most of the divines and mystics of the earth remain deprived, and likewise confirmed thee in the service of the House. It behooveth thee to thank God for this great bounty. How many souls have built mosques and edifices and the like in His name, yet remained deprived of His recognition on the day of His Manifestation, while thou hast attained unto His recognition in His days and art engaged in serving the place that beareth His name. Were the means available, We would have commanded that thou serve a sea of sherbet to the friends of God. Verily, He ordaineth as He pleaseth and forgiveth whom He willeth. He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Be thou engaged in the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds with the utmost joy and delight. Verily, He will assist thee in all the worlds of His worlds.

All thy relatives and the friends in that land are remembered before Him, exalted be His glory. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, not to take away from us and all the friends this enduring blessing and not to withdraw this all-encompassing mercy, and to adorn the temples of His chosen ones with the ornament of acceptance. Verily, He is the Ordainer, the Powerful. The glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who have attained unto the recognition of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Some time ago a letter was received from you mentioning Ibn-i-Shahid, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Kazim, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors. His petitions were presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and this response has dawned and shone forth from the Dayspring of the Will of the Lord of all Return. His words, exalted be He, are: The favor of the Truth has been and continues to be with him. He has ever been mentioned in the Most Holy Court. O Muhammad-Qabli-Kazim! We have heard the call of the son of him who was martyred in My path. Give him the glad tidings from the Wronged One that We mentioned him before and sent him a Tablet that brings joy to the eyes of those near to God.

Regarding what was written about the House, We accepted it before for the mention of God, His praise, and the recitation of His verses. He is the Commander, the All-Wise. However, in all circumstances wisdom and the glory of the Cause must be observed. If the gathering of the loved ones of God in a place becomes continuous, it may cause commotion. Therefore, wisdom and the requirements of the time must be considered. Soon, that which today has attained to the name of Truth will have its mention spread abroad and will appear in its utmost glory. Verily, He has power over all things. The Glory from Us be upon him and upon those who have testified to that which God testified before the creation of the heavens and earths.

At this time they have also sent a letter to this servant. God willing, I hope to be enabled in these few days to present a reply. Convey my greetings and glorification to the friends in the land of M-Sh. Although within the limits of strength, opportunity and time there has been no delay or neglect in presenting replies, nevertheless I confess to my shortcomings and seek forgiveness. In these days letters have arrived from them. I beseech God for assistance in replying. Verily He is the Powerful, the Helper, the Wise.

Your other letter dated the 9th of Dhi’l-Hijjih al-Haram arrived. Consider what the Jewish clergy, Christian clergy, and the clergy of the idolaters did and said when its ordinance was revealed from the heaven of divine favor. With all their power, might and utmost hatred and malice they arose to extinguish the Muhammadan Light (peace be upon him and his family) and mocked his fasting, prayer, pilgrimage and deeds. But God made His Cause victorious though the polytheists detested it. How many centuries and ages have passed since the revelation in the Qur’an of “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto God for mankind.” Every year hundreds of thousands of souls, without regard for afflictions and grave diseases like cholera and the like, turn to that Most Holy Place and act upon what they were commanded. The deniers and rejecters, through what they do and say, establish for themselves a designated place in the fire of divine wrath. If they were to become slightly aware, they would destroy themselves with their own hands. In any case, after examining its contents, it was taken and presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered, His word, exalted be His majesty […]

O Muhammad-Qabli-Kazim, upon him be My glory! Since the date of thy letter was adorned with the number of the Greatest Name (9), the effulgences of the Sun of inner meanings shone forth and appeared from the horizon of the Prison. And since it occurred in Dhi’l-Hajjih, the reward of pilgrimage hath been ordained and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen for thee. Therefore rejoice and be thou of the thankful ones. How many souls who, with utmost difficulty, journeyed from distant lands, yet their deeds were not accepted; while thou, in thine abode, through God’s grace, exalted be His glory, attained and achieved this station. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land on behalf of the Wronged One. For each of the souls mentioned in thy letter which was adorned with the number 9, the reward of pilgrimage hath been ordained by the Most Exalted Pen. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Generous. The ocean of bounty is surging and the Sun of generosity is shining. Let them ponder upon the station and rank of the divine days mentioned in previous Books, that the greatness of this Revelation might become evident. Through one letter from thee bearing the date corresponding to the Greatest Name, and likewise through the mention of pilgrimage recorded aforetime in God’s Book, several souls attained unto a pilgrimage which is adorned with the ornament of divine acceptance. God is Most Great! This bounty surpasseth what the tongue can mention, what the pen can record, or what the imagination can grasp. Exalted, exalted is His bounty! Exalted, exalted is His generosity! Exalted, exalted is His grace and favor! True felicity hath been and ever shall be from God, exalted be His glory. The Afnan, upon them be all the most glorious splendor, and his honor Sh. and the others mentioned, upon them be 966 [Baha’u’llah], have all attained unto this great bounty and mighty favor. His is the grace under all conditions. There is no God but Him, the Omnipotent over what He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. The details about his honor Mirza H.Y., upon him be all the most glorious splendor, have been written from various quarters and submitted to the Most Holy Court. At this point, there was revealed from the heaven of will unto the beloved of the heart, ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of power, that which will surely be mentioned to thee. Under all conditions We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist his honor the Mirza. Verily He hath power over all things. Regarding what thou didst write about his honor the secretary, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise concerning the sending of books - this matter was presented before the Divine Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, exalted be His utterance:

In My Name, the Remembering, the All-Knowing

This is a mention from Us unto him who hath spoken the truth and turned towards God’s direction when the call was raised between earth and heaven, that he might rejoice and be among the thankful ones. O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Hearken unto that which the Wronged One speaketh on this Day whereon the seal of the choice Wine hath been broken through My Name, the Self-Subsisting, and the Dove of Love hath warbled upon the branches: Verily there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Wise. This is a Day wherein all things have been attracted by this Name, which, when it appeared in the world, caused the limbs of the nations to quake, the pillars of the learned to tremble, and the divines to swoon away, save those whom God did wish, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed art thou for having turned towards My horizon and uttered My beautiful remembrance. Say: […]

Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things! I beseech Thee by Him Who conversed on Sinai and the Manifestation of Thy Revelation, Who speaks and calls aloud in the Most Great Prison, to assist me to remain steadfast in Thy Cause and to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, gazing upon Thy countenance, directing myself toward the ocean of Thy bounty, and clinging to the hem of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have cast away idle fancies and vain imaginings in Thy days and have turned with illumined hearts to the horizon of Thy Revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration and the Dayspring of Thy signs. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.

O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath encompassed all created things, both seen and unseen, to forgive those who have turned toward Thee and have sought Thy grace and bounty. Aid them through Thy strength and preserve them from the ignorant among the divines who have cast Thy Book behind their backs and have violated Thy Covenant and Testament, and who have arisen to extinguish Thy light. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.

Praise be to the Desired One of the worlds Who hath given unto those who have turned unto Him the cup of immortality and bestowed upon them eternal life. That which is revealed today from the Source of the Command and the Dayspring of grace shall endure as long as His earthly and heavenly kingdoms endure. His is the praise and glory under all conditions. God willing, this servant and His loved ones shall be enabled to serve this mighty Cause and conduct themselves with the utmost wisdom, for the satans lie in wait. Whatsoever is revealed from the Source of the Command must be carefully concealed lest any harm rebound upon the Divine Lote-Tree. Wisdom is greatly beloved, and in this most great Revelation, victory is dependent upon it. For should the opposers discover that the way is open and that divine ordinances are outwardly reaching His loved ones, they would assuredly arise to prevent it and might cause the flow of grace to be cut off. Whatever is mentioned is for the sake of the loved ones. Your honor should be vigilant in these matters lest that which would sadden the hearts of those who have turned to Him should come to pass.

And concerning what was mentioned about Haji ’Abdu’l-?usein, upon him be the Glory of God, after the presentation of these decisive words, this was revealed concerning him - His word, exalted and mighty is He: He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed, the Near One.

O Abdu’l-Husayn! Praise be to the Ancient Lord who confirmed thee in a matter whereof most of the peoples of the earth are deprived. Reflect upon those ignorant souls who are known for their learning. Vain imaginings have deceived them to such extent that they have turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds. In mosques and gatherings they mention and glorify the name of God, yet remain heedless of Him. God is quit of them and their like. Whenever the Sun of loving-kindness shed its radiance, such souls became as clouds of darkness, depriving the people from the ocean of inner meanings, save those souls who burned away the veils of idle fancy with the fire of the love of the All-Merciful and turned toward the horizon of their Peerless Beloved’s good-pleasure. The chains of tyranny prevented them not from the Truth, nor did the fetters of oppression deprive them of His favors. They held fast to the cord of His bounty and clung to the hem of His generosity. These are they whose mention hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of the past and future. Convey My greetings to the friends of God and say: Verily, He is with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Nothing escapeth His knowledge, nor can the veils of the world or the ignorant ones among the peoples who adorn their heads with turbans while denying Him Whom they invoke by night and day, prevent Him. However, God hath removed glory from such people. Soon shall they find themselves in evident loss. All their deeds have been exposed and they shall find no escape this Day. Blessed art thou and blessed are My loved ones in those regions who have testified to that which God hath testified, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful. Under all conditions, fix thy gaze upon wisdom, for in most of the Tablets this commandment hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will. Hold thou fast unto it and be of them that are steadfast. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon those who have attained unto this Wise Remembrance.

In conclusion, this lowly one conveyeth greetings and salutations to each one and beseecheth confirmation from God, exalted be His Glory. Verily, He hath power over all things. Great effort must be exerted to preserve the Cause and conceal that which hath been revealed, for the evil ones lie in wait to seize that which may harm the Seat of the Cause. Although its protection and dominion have been and are in the hand of power, yet these servants must submit with the utmost joy and radiance to whatsoever shineth forth from the Dayspring of His Cause and act accordingly. Command and judgment are in the hands of God, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in earth and heaven, and the Lord of the mighty throne.

The sending of books to the Most Holy Court was acceptable. Praise be to God that your honor was successful in this endeavor. However, emphasis on their preservation is necessary, nay obligatory, lest the divine Books should fall once again, or time and again, into the hands of the idolaters.

A few days ago his honor Aqa Mirza Ahmad, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, sent a letter to this lowly one mentioning a number of the friends of God. After it was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, unique and glorious tablets were revealed specifically for each one, and specifically for that honored one and his honor Aqa Ghulam-Husayn, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, two most exalted tablets were revealed. God willing, may they drink from its life-giving waters and become illumined by the lights of its Sun of utterance. They have attained to that which was intended. Praise and favor be unto Him in all conditions. In those regions they must observe wisdom with great care. This is what We have been commanded by the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Convey greetings to all the friends of that land, young and old, male and female. The Glory shining forth from the horizon of the grace of our Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven be upon you and upon those with you and upon every steadfast, firm, assured and upright one. And praise be to God, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. 22 Muharram al-Haram 1300

=== END BH00175 ===

=== START BH00176 ===

God bless thee for causing me to hear, through the tongue of thy pen, the yearning of thy heart and the lamentation of thy soul in thy love for God, our Beloved and our Goal. When I heard and understood, such rapture seized me that I set aside that wherewith I was occupied, and presented myself before His countenance and laid before Him that which it contained. When it gained the honor of being heard, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which diffused the fragrance of eternity between earth and heaven. Indeed, accepted is he who found Him and was thankful, and rejected is he who denied Him and detested Him. And at the end of the utterance, the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke these decisive words - exalted be His glory:

O servant present! Praise be to God that his honor Asad, upon him be My glory, hath succeeded in assisting the Cause. We testify that he hath heard My call and turned toward My countenance and hath arisen to serve My mighty Cause. God willing, may he be engaged in serving the Cause of the Lord of all mankind throughout the nights and days. Divine confirmations have encompassed and will continue to encompass him. Verily, We have mentioned him in such wise as hath caused the horizon of utterance to shine forth, and We give thanks to Our own Self on his behalf, for verily I am the All-Thankful, the All-Praising, the All-Knowing. O Asad! Observe thou the heedlessness and unconsciousness of the people. They have turned away from the Sun of the Divine Word and have turned unto unworthy vanities. Every person of fairness beareth witness to the loftiness and excellence of these decisive words and firm verses which, like brilliant suns, have dawned and shine forth from the horizon of the heaven of divine knowledge. Yet the deniers of the Revelation are seen to be heedless and turned away therefrom. By the life of God! They have arisen in such oppression as hath no parallel on earth. They have abandoned the Mother Book and occupied themselves with consuming pages that profit them not. In truth, they were not and are not worthy of this station, this chalice, and this call. Lo! They are in manifest loss. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O beloved of my heart! Your first sublime letter dated the twenty-sixth of Sha’ban brought complete joy. Concerning your mention of journeying to the Land of Qaf with the honored beloved, Aqa Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise the arrival of the beloved soul Ibn-i-Ismu’llah, upon them both be greetings and praise, and the manifestation of the effulgent rays of the sun of love and unity - these matters were presented at the Most Holy and Exalted Threshold. These sublime words were revealed and sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance of the Lord of Names and Attributes - His words, exalted be His grandeur: “Excellent is what they have done. They have turned to God, spoken for God, and arisen to serve God’s Cause. God willing, may they attain His good-pleasure in all conditions, remain engaged in His service, give the glad-tidings of the Most Sublime Vision to the servants of the earth, and give them to drink from the most pure Kawthar. Blessed are they who have heard and attained, and woe unto the heedless and the deniers. And praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.” And concerning what you wrote about this evanescent one’s letter dated the 6th of Jumada’th-Thani, which was adorned with divine verses, having become the cause of new and wondrous life - praise be to God that what was sent has been received and continues to be received. After that date, this evanescent servant sent two other detailed letters adorned and embellished with the effulgent rays of the Sun of Divine favor, and likewise to the beloved of the heart, Ibn-i-Ismu’llah, and also a letter on the seventh of Shawwal in response to his letter which contained details about Haji Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God. God willing, all have arrived and will arrive, and penetrating vision has been and will be blessed and illumined by beholding the divine verses.

Furthermore, the names mentioned in your letter were presented at the Most Glorious Horizon and Supreme Perspective. The Sun of favor and grace has dawned in relation to each one - blessed are they and joy be unto them, for they are mentioned before the Throne and have attained special grace. This evanescent one presents his utter nothingness and evanescence to each one. God willing, may all speak, remember, act and arise through the power of the Name the Omnipotent, through the encompassment of the Name the All-Encompassing, through the compassion of the Name the All-Merciful, through the grace of the Name the Helper, through the firmness of the Name the Steadfast, and through the uprising of the Name the Self-Subsisting, so that the whole world may attain a new adornment through the fragrances of their love. The Command is in His grasp - He doeth and judgeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Rememberer, the Speaker, the Witness, the All-Hearing.

Furthermore, two letters from that beloved one, one dated the 11th of Ramadan and the other the 9th of Shawwal, arrived on the same day. Praise be to God that this bounty arrives successively and continuously. In truth, it is the sustenance of joy and delight. I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His glory, that we may always be sustained by this blessed sustenance. Verily, He is the Guardian of those who ask and the Fulfiller of the needs of those who hope.

Concerning what you wrote about Mirza Hadi from [the people of] S, this servant is perplexed, for that poor one had and has absolutely no knowledge of the Cause from its foundation. By Him Who gave speech to the tongue and taught man, he himself is far more knowledgeable and preferable than the one who, by following him, has been deprived and forbidden from God, exalted be His glory, and His days. Would that you had seen and known him! Although they were not and are not worthy of mention, I swear by the Beloved of the world that they worship worms instead of Truth and are unaware. What has become of taste? Where has hearing gone? What ailment has afflicted the power of speech, and what veil has obscured sight? Were someone to contemplate for a lifetime, they would not comprehend the vain imaginings of these souls. The wrath of God has seized these polytheistic, heedless souls for what their hands have earned before or for another cause. He, verily, is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed. That same imagined person knows that no one was with him except this servant; nevertheless, through croaking and buzzing they have been deprived of the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen. Beseech God that He may regard them through grace and favor, not through the deservingness of His servants. He is the Merciful, and He is the Generous. He is the All-Seeing, and He is the All-Powerful.

At this moment, the fire of faithfulness has been kindled in the heart of one who has no mention in the Kingdom of Creation, and through its sighing he remembers his Lord and supplicates, saying:

O Thou through Whose remembrance the brocade of existence has been adorned, and through Whose love hearts and souls have been set ablaze! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy generosity, the heaven of Thy bounty, and the sun of Thy grace to aid Thy servants to turn toward Thee and face Thy countenance. O Lord! Thou seest them turning away from the Known and advancing toward the imagined. O Lord! Deliver them through the arms of Thy power from the seas of idle fancies and vain imaginings, then grant them Thy sealed wine, whose seal was broken by Thy Self-Subsisting Name. O Lord! Withhold not Thy servants from the lights of Thy countenance, and deprive them not of the ocean of Thy bestowal. Thou art, verily, the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp is the kingdom of names. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

In this most holy, most exalted Revelation, all are commanded to behold Him through His own eyes. By the life of the Beloved! Neither the books of the world nor what the nations possess will profit them today. To this testifies every discerning mystic. Whosoever meditates upon the manifestations of divine power that have appeared in this most mighty, most great Revelation, and likewise upon its conditions, manners, signs and evidences, will testify with the tongue of the outer and the inner to that which God testified before the creation of the heavens and earth. But people are heedless, and heedlessness has so encompassed them that they have not been and are not awakened by the Call, save whom God willeth. Although this evanescent one is assured of what the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance, I beseech God that the Hands of the Cause may, with the sword of wisdom and utterance, conquer the cities of hearts and engage in the reformation of the world.

Concerning what was written about certain verses prohibiting meeting with opposers - this was meant to prevent discord and commotion arising from such encounters. Otherwise, the people of Baha (may my spirit be sacrificed for them) were created for the guidance of the world. There is no harm in meeting with them, for they are sanctified - the colors and fragrances of the world have no effect or influence upon them. As the renowned mystic said, those triumphant, pure and tranquil souls are dry from the sea and cold from fire. They are kindled by a fire before which all the fires of the world are in truth cold and ineffective, and they have drunk of a water compared to which the waters of earth appear as a mirage.

Regarding what was written about someone entering among the friends to gather information - this matter is true. For some time, the officials of every land have resorted to this means to become informed of all matters and intentions of the servants. However, if the friends of God adorn themselves with that which they are commanded, none shall witness aught save pure good and absolute righteousness. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur has spoken before in the scriptures and tablets.

As for what was written about gatherings - you have spoken the truth, for this lowly one heard several times from the Beloved this blessed word, His exalted Word: “The very act of gathering has been and is a cause of commotion, for uninformed souls interpret it as mischief.” Would that they had become informed and not deprived themselves of the Dawning-place of grace, the Rising-point of generosity, and the Source of reformation. In any case, in these days it is not permitted to exceed the number of the Greatest Name, and according to the command, if they suffice with the number of “Ha” it would be best and most excellent. Blessed is the soul that hearkens unto your word for the sake of God, and blessed is the servant who follows your counsel for the sake of God and in God. God willing, you shall adorn the entire world with the ornament of goodly deeds. Verily He is the Helper, the Mighty, the Powerful.

As for the other letter from that beloved one dated the 9th of Shawwal, it brought joy to this sorrowful heart. God willing, may this blessing never cease nor be changed by the vicissitudes of time. After being apprised of it, it was presented at the Most Holy, Most Glorious Threshold. By His truth, the tongue of God hath spoken that which this servant is powerless to mention. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist me and confirm me in preserving what hath been sent down from the kingdom of His utterance. He is, verily, the Mighty, the Wise.

Among the divine utterances was this blessed word: “O Lion! O thou who gazest upon the One, the Single!” From the time of Our arrival in the Most Great Prison until now, We have, with the loudest call, summoned all created things to the most exalted horizon, even though most times sorrows have encompassed Us from all directions. And now, while among the most wicked of servants, We make mention of thee and turn toward thee. In previous Books, the people of these lands have been called the offspring of vipers, yet the divine call is raised among vipers. The earth is agitated in its depths, while the tongue of the All-Merciful, with perfect composure, summons the people of the world to the supreme heights. All acknowledge and confess the appearance of God and the manifestation of His signs and sovereignty, and were waiting, yet when it appeared, you heard and witnessed what transpired.

Today what is necessary and most important of all matters is the teaching of the Cause with wisdom and utterance. In this matter, consultation is essential, as is sending trusted souls to various regions, territories and cities. Although all matters have been explicitly revealed by the Supreme Pen beforehand, the people of the Bayan are submerged in the seas of idle fancies. They have said what the ancients never said and done what even the idolaters never did. The verses of this Revelation have not had and do not have similarity to the verses of the Bayan. By God’s life! The entire Bayan boweth down before a single verse, as the Herald Himself hath acknowledged. Nevertheless, they have said what they have said. Observe the people of Sijjin and what they have written in the Book of Sijjin - that which no foolish one hath ever written. The verses disavow them, yet they understand not. The manifestations of justice disavow them, yet they perceive not. Strange that these deluded souls rejoice in what they possess. Woe unto them and unto those who have led them astray! Leave their mention and put thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

O beloved of my heart! In all conditions this evanescent servant clingeth to the hem of His grace, that perchance in this divine morn a breeze might waft and dispel these dust-laden, foul winds from the world. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Powerful, the Protector, the All-Knowing, the Wise.

Regarding the vision of his honor Aqa Mirza Zaynu’l-’Abidin, upon him be the Glory of God, which you had written about - it was and is indeed in accordance with reality. How many lofty edifices and adorned, elevated buildings will be raised in his name throughout the earth! Their station is great and God’s favor is greater than that. This detail was presented before the Throne, and this is what the tongue of God, exalted be His glory, spoke, addressing him: He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great.

O Zaynu’l-’Abidin! Your mention hath come before Us. We make mention of thee at this moment and have done so before. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing Remembrancer. Praise God for having strengthened thee, caused thee to know Him, and made mention of thee in His perspicuous Book. Hold fast unto the cord of utterance with spirit and fragrance, that perchance the hearts of them that are frozen may be stirred thereby. The world hath been created for the recognition of this Day, yet the people are in manifest loss. They have taken idols unto themselves and cast behind their backs the Lord of all worlds. Thou hast attained unto the mention of God whereby the eyes of them that are nigh have been solaced.

This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings unto them. God willing, through the grace of the True One, exalted be His glory, may they occupy themselves with mention and praise among the people of creation through revealed wisdom. As to what thou didst write concerning Haji Mirza H and S, upon him be the glory of God, and Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon him be the glory of God, and Manakji Sahib, upon him be the loving-kindness of God - the answer to this matter hath already been revealed from the Divine Tongue and was mentioned in this servant’s letter addressed to Jinab-i-Aqa Mulla Sadiq, upon him be the glory of God. God willing, that beloved one hath by now seen it. This matter hath been and will be beneficial for the government. No greater matter exists than that a covenant should be written in the days of the Manifestation. Assuredly that covenant was and is firm, decisive and steadfast, but it is difficult for them to appreciate the excellence of this matter. Should divine confirmations assist, they shall witness that this matter is like the water of life for the body of the government and like the spring rains for the fields of the nation. In any case, the suggestion of the aforementioned one is well-favored. God willing, may they ever be occupied with service to the Cause and be sustained by the eternal, everlasting bounty. Should they succeed in this matter, truly a mighty edifice shall be raised by them in the world and a great tree shall grow, and the Truth Himself shall endorse this covenant. Previously this blessed word was revealed from the horizon of the Divine Will - His words, exalted be His glory: “Should they accept, We Ourselves shall provide the guarantee.” Beseech God to assist the government to recognize the excellence of this matter and to become aware of the ultimate consequence of this mighty affair. In truth, the fruit and effect of this matter and its benefits for the government are as clear, evident and luminous as the sun. This servant beseecheth his Lord to grant him that which hath been born of the virgin thoughts of His loved ones who have arisen to serve His Cause and have spoken His beauteous praise. However, the concealment of this matter is necessary, nay obligatory. From this evanescent one, most glorious and wondrous greetings are conveyed unto them, subject to that beloved one’s wish.

Some time ago, this servant’s letter together with sacred and exalted Tablets was sent to the honored Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon him be the glory of God. God willing, they have attained unto them. Likewise, a package was sent to the spiritual friend Aqa Mirza Hasan, upon him be the glory of God, together with sacred and sublime Tablets, and also this servant’s petition unto that Presence and unto Ibn Ismu’llah, upon them both be all His most glorious glory. The answer to this matter was also revealed therein from the Supreme Pen. God willing, it hath by now arrived and they have drunk and partaken of the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance. Happy are they!

Once again I submit that whatever has occurred to his honor - may God’s confirmation and success be with him - would be most pleasing and acceptable if it were to come to fruition. A story is mentioned so that all may become aware of the fruit of this cultivation and the result of this matter hereafter. In the Holy Jerusalem, which is a place of pilgrimage for diverse peoples of the world, there is a site between two sects of the followers of His Holiness the Spirit [Christ] that had become a cause of strife and contention, as each of these two sects - one called Roman and one called Catholic - claimed that place belonged to them. After dispute and contention, the government brought forth from its treasury of antiquities a document written in the hand of one of the Caliphs, and in that document that place was mentioned in the name of the Roman sect. Therefore all were satisfied and content with this, and acted according to what was decreed by one of the Caliphs. Now if they attain to the assurance of the Truth, exalted be His glory, its fruit and effect is evident and has no need of mention by this evanescent one.

Another matter concerns the mention of Mashhadi Haydar, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]. Praise be to God, he has been and continues to be the recipient of divine grace. And as for his being made the object of ridicule, blessed is he, again blessed is he, for that very ridicule is evidence of his righteousness and the elevation of his station. Let him consider and remember what the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an where He, exalted be He, says: “Whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they mocked him. He said: ‘If ye mock us, verily we mock you even as ye mock. And ye shall surely know on whom will come a torment that will abase him, and on whom will fall a lasting torment.’” Assuredly the hand of divine power shall set the world aright, and whatsoever weakness and poverty are witnessed shall surely be transformed into might, power and wealth. By Him Who splits the seed and creates the soul, the stations of steadfast and tranquil souls shall be made manifest in such wise that every tongue shall utter “Blessed be God, the Lord of the worlds!” On behalf of this evanescent one convey greetings and salutations to him and to the other friends who have quaffed from the wine of immortality and who are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon. And to each I convey that which Luqman, upon him be glory and praise, said to his master. Luqman had set out to travel with his master. When night fell, Luqman rested briefly and then arose to occupy himself with the remembrance of God. Finding his master asleep, he thought it better to wake him that he might perchance in that hour receive his portion from the ocean of divine mercy. He therefore went to his master’s bedside and said, “O master, arise, for it is time for commerce. The gates of mercy are open and those who seek true wealth are busy trading in the divine market. Strive that thou remain not bereft.” He then returned to his place. After a while he observed that sleep had again overtaken his master. Time and again he hastened to his bedside and roused him, but the intensity of sleep prevented him from arising and remembering God. Finally, near dawn, Luqman came to his bedside and said, “O master, arise, for the time draws to a close and the marketplace and commerce are nearly ended. While yet some time remains, arise to make good what was lost. Perchance in this final hour thou mayest attain the outpourings of the All-Bountiful.” God is my witness that this evanescent one’s heart and vision are at all times directed toward the friends of God, and he has not neglected nor does he neglect their mention in the Most Holy Presence. He beseeches God to reveal to them the stations of acceptable souls that they may discover a gleaming thereof or attain its fragrance. I swear by the Kingdom of Utterance which speaks in the contingent world that should they discover that which was mentioned, they would, with the utmost joy, delight, and gladness, behold themselves seated upon thrones of pure gold in the highest place of honor, even were they dwelling in the dust. Praise and thanksgiving be unto God in all conditions. Verily He is the Ruler in the beginning and in the end. There is no God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

As for the mention that was made of Aqa Mirza Ibrahim, upon him be the glory of God, it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and he became the recipient of divine grace. And after the dawning of the Sun of favor, these exalted words were sent down from the heaven of grace. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise […]

O Abraham! Your mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One. We make mention of thee with that which God hath made an enduring treasure for thee. Rejoice thou and be of them that render thanks. Soon shall all that is in the world change and perish, but this mighty treasure shall remain for thee. Be thou vocal in praise of the Wronged One and make mention of this Cause whereby all who are on earth were thunderstruck except whom God, the Lord of all worlds, did will. Let not the affairs of the world and what transpireth therein grieve thee. Cast aside what the people possess and take hold of that which thou art bidden in My perspicuous Book. Blessed art thou for having turned toward the horizon of the Cause when every remote scholar turned away therefrom. They cast the command of God behind their backs and followed the promptings of their desires. They are indeed among the lowly ones. We counsel thee to remain steadfast in this Cause whereby the feet of the mystics have slipped. We have heard thy call and turned toward thee, and have beheld thy devotion and turned unto thee from this glorious and wondrous station. Ask thou God to assist thee in that which beseemeth this Day, which hath been mentioned in the books of the Prophets and Messengers. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration and caused me to hear Thy call while I was imprisoned in the hands of Thy servants. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. There is none other God but Thee, the Compassionate, the Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

God willing, may they drink from the choice wine of divine utterance and remain oriented toward the horizon of the Cause. The conveyance of this servant’s greetings unto them dependeth upon the favor of that Beloved One. Praise and gratitude be unto God that in these days, when the splendors of the Sun of certitude are veiled behind the clouds of idle fancies, they have partaken of the Kawthar of certitude and attained unto the mention of the Peerless Beloved. By the life of the Intended One! This is a mighty favor. Glory be upon you and upon those with you and upon them who have testified to that whereunto God did testify before the creation of the heavens and the earths. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

=== END BH00176 ===

=== START BH00177 ===

Beloved of the heart, His Honour Amin, Jinab-i-Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan, may the Most Glorious Glory of God rest upon him.

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

Praise be unto the Court of the Self-Subsisting One Who brought existence into being and illumined the world with the lights of His Most Great Name. In the realm of inner meaning, and the meaning of inner meaning, and the meaning of the meaning of inner meaning, there remains no mystery, no purpose, and no word except that which hath flowed forth from His Most Exalted Pen, circulating, manifest, and evident. Glorified be His majesty, universal be His bounty, exalted be His station, and there is none other God but Him. And blessing and peace and glory and radiance and remembrance and praise be upon His loved ones who broke not His Covenant and Testament and who arose to serve His mighty and wondrous Cause.

And now, O my beloved, this is the sixth letter that is being sent. Thy beloved letters numbered first, dated 17 Rabi’u’l-Avval, second, dated tenth of Jamadiyu’l-Avval, and third, dated fifth of Jamadiyu’th-Thani, were received. The arrival of these gifts of utterance in the garden of inner meanings - all that was contained therein was repeatedly read. The fragrances of love wafted from it and the sweet-scented breezes of sincerity were blowing from it. Each word thereof was a faithful witness and a trusted testimony to the acceptance, devotion and service of His Honour Amin. After reading and review, it was taken to the Most Exalted Destination and, following permission, was presented before His countenance and achieved the honor of being heard by the Beloved of the world. This is what the All-Merciful revealed in reply, the Word of the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He:

“He is the All-Wise Expositor!

O Amin! Blessed is the word that in the Days of God attained unto the honor of being heard by the Intended One, and blessed is the letter that was present before His Most Holy Court, and blessed is the utterance that appeared in His City. Say: Should ye attempt to reckon God’s blessings, ye could never count them. There hath appeared and been made manifest that which was hidden from hearts and eyes. His path is clear, His Cause evident, without hindrance or delay. The effulgences of the Sun of His bounty have reached and continue to reach. The lamps of His Cause are manifest through His Name and the signs of His grandeur are revealed through His command. He is the One Almighty, the One Speaker. Convey greetings and salutations to the people of God, both men and women, who dwell in the lands of Truth, glorified be His majesty - that is, the cities of faith and certitude - and give them the glad-tidings of the lights of the Sun of divine generosity and remind them of the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed art thou, O Amin! My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that thou hast attained unto the presence and the meeting and the vision and the hearing. Be as a cloud for the lands and as the spring rain of bounty for the servants. We beseech God to adorn His people with the ornament of detachment in such wise that they may arise with utmost endeavor to serve and may turn to the guidance of all who are on earth.”

Say: O peoples of the world! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, and hold fast unto that which befitteth you. The path of God is manifest and clear to every soul, even as the sun whose light shineth forth and whose radiance is evident. Whosoever ariseth to serve Him, the atoms of the earth and the denizens of the highest Paradise and the most exalted Heaven beseech God to confirm and assist him. Through the grace of God, the Almighty, remove your feet from place and set them in no-place, which is the station of detachment from all else and arising to serve Him. Today the Light calleth out, and Sinai giveth glad tidings. The fruits proclaim: O trees! This is the day of joy, the time of gladness and delight, for the Beloved is manifest and visible. A wondrous rapture hath seized the world, and a marvelous ecstasy prevaileth among the Concourse on High. The carpet of joy is spread in utmost amplitude. Blessed is the tongue that maketh mention of Him and the ear that gaineth the melody of all things. O ye that have ears, the birds of the highest Paradise are singing! O ye that have eyes, the lights of the Most Great Name are visible! Deprive not yourselves. Know ye the value of these days. The Most Exalted Pen is occupied day and night with the mention of the party of God. Blessed are they, and unto them be a goodly end, and with God is the command in the beginning and in the end.

Thus hath that beloved one attained unto that which hath been the desire of them that are nigh unto God and of the sincere ones. Concerning the mention of the honored aunt and daughter, upon them be the glory of God, and likewise the mention of the pilgrims from the land of Kaf, upon them be the glory of God, and the mention of the feast of the leaf Khadijih Sultan, upon her be the glory of God - all these have been presented before the presence of the Lord, and each hath been mentioned by the tongue of grandeur. This is a great bounty; know ye its station. Some time ago, His Holiness Ismu’llah M.H., upon him be all the most glorious glory of God, mentioned a feast, and after its acceptance was ordained, that very night mention of them was revealed by the Most Exalted Pen and sent forth.

Concerning what was written about Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Faraju’llah, upon him be the glory of God, and his love and steadfastness - after being presented, the sun of favor rose from the horizon of the heaven of grace, and previously also His Holiness Ismu’llah had performed on his behalf what was mentioned. And concerning what was written about the sons of Khalil and the heirs of Kalim, upon them be the glory of God, in the land of Ha and Mim - in the days when that beloved one was honored to attain the presence, a blessed tablet was revealed from the heaven of will especially for them. Due to wisdom it was not sent until now, and now it is being sent. I beseech God to strengthen them in the most great steadfastness, for the cawers and brayers have scattered throughout the cities and regions like locusts spread abroad. We beseech God to protect all through His grace and generosity, verily He is the Generous, the Bountiful.

Concerning what was written that this servant’s letter dated the 26th of Rabi’u’l-Avval had arrived but not the previous one - a copy of what was sent exists. On the eleventh of Rabi’u’l-Avval, this servant’s letter which was adorned with divine verses, along with nine papers, was sent acknowledging receipt. It is hoped that by now it has arrived.

As regards what was written concerning that spiritual friend Mr. Yahya, upon him be the Glory of God, any person of insight and fairness who meets him would confirm what Mr. Yahya has said. However, due to the veils of self and passion, love of leadership, discord, sedition and hypocrisy, they say that which leads astray the helpless people, like the false accusations of the past when several heedless souls, out of love for leadership, turned away from truth and afflicted the helpless servants with imaginary statements in the wilderness of confusion, discord and falsehood. All that they have said is false, like [the stories of] Nahiyih, Jabulqa, Jabulsa and the like, as these matters have been repeatedly mentioned in the letters of the friends that perchance some might become aware and not fall prey again to previous delusions. In these days Ahmad Kirmani, son of Mulla Ja’far, and Aqa Khan have gone to the island and made plans with the source of delusions and have returned. Now observe, if those souls had even a little fairness or were moving for God’s sake, they should have come to this land where from the beginning of the Cause until now the call of Truth has been raised with the most exalted voice. They told a female pilgrim from Kaf and Ra (Kirman), upon her be the Glory of God, that they would also come to Akka, yet they did not come. Glory be to God! They have appeared with such deception and guile that none but God can enumerate it. God is witness and His loved ones testify that those souls were never and are not now aware of the foundation of the Cause. Leave them then to their vain discourse. The purpose of writing these words was merely to inform that beloved one.

At this moment [the Manifestation] is present before the face and the Tongue of Grandeur speaks these words, exalted be His glory: “O Amin, upon thee be My Glory! Ever in thy letters which thou hast sent to this servant present, there has been mention of unity and concord, fellowship and love and affection of the divine party, especially those souls who are distinguished among the servants and are honored with special favors. However, until now what is befitting has not been witnessed. What regret! Had they acted according to the counsels of the Supreme Pen for the sake of God, detached from the promptings of self and passion, the earth would have been transformed and the servants would have been different. We beseech God and will continue to beseech until that which is befitting appears. Today detachment and fear of God are the helpers and supporters of the Cause. Blessed is he who attains unto them. Ask God to assist them with the hosts of remembrance and inspire them with that which beseems them in the days of their Lord, the Manifest, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O beloved of My heart! At this moment this servant is so grieved by the sorrow of the Ancient Beauty that truly I prefer non-existence to existence, for such a state was witnessed that neither tongue has power to mention nor pen to describe. God is sufficient witness. And concerning what was written about meeting the friends of God in every land, after this matter was submitted to the Most Holy Court, He said: ‘Amin, upon him be My Glory, is the cause of remembrance for the servants and in all conditions wishes good for all. We beseech God to assist him. God willing, may they in all conditions be focused on the glory of the Cause. Payment of the Rights of God is obligatory upon all and its benefit returns to the servants themselves. However, its acceptance depends upon spirit and fragrance and the good pleasure of just and active souls. In this case acceptance is permitted, otherwise not. Verily thy Lord is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.’ End.”

As regards what you wrote concerning the spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-’Andalib, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, praise be to God that he is confirmed in serving the Cause of the Beloved of hearts. Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, has repeatedly mentioned him, and in these days his poetry and prose were presented before His presence. He bestowed His attention upon the poem to the people of the pavilion of infallibility and grandeur. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. Give him the glad-tidings that his mention, his teaching work, and his services are continually remembered. The servant beseecheth his Lord to strengthen him in all conditions.

As for what you wrote regarding the sincerity, love and enthusiasm of the honored leaf, the wife of the late Aqa Muhammad Ja’far, upon them both be the Glory of God, and likewise the mention of the enthusiasm of Jinab-i-Haji Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God, and their turning to Him - blessed are they both! Praise be to God, they have attained to the favors of the True One, exalted be His glory, and their mention hath specifically issued from the Tongue of Grandeur. Give them all the glad-tidings of divine favors. This servant also conveyeth his greetings and praise to each one, and beseecheth from God, exalted be His station, for each that which is lasting and enduring.

Mention was made of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Mahdi, upon him be the Glory of God, and his love and steadfastness, and likewise mention of him who is with him who was named after His Name. Praise be to God, in these days they are mentioned in the Most Holy Court, and their mention hath been revealed and sent in verses specifically revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will for the Beloved of hearts, Jinab-i-Varqa, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. God willing, they have attained and will attain unto it, and will be adorned with the effulgences of the lights of the Divine Luminary of utterance. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the All-Knowing Expositor, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. According to the request of that beloved one, this servant attained to visitation by proxy. We beseech God, exalted is He, to make the letter of our deeds and hopes a book from His presence. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O My friends in Ra and Shin! Hear ye the call of God, the True Sovereign, the Manifest! Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Knowing. On this day all things are singing, and the nightingales of utterance are warbling upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of knowledge. This day hath each created thing chosen for itself a place wherein to make mention of God, exalted be His glory. All are attracted by the fragrance of the verses of the Lord of Names and Attributes and by the longing for the appearance of the Manifestation of clear proofs. The verses of joy and gladness have seized all, yet most among mankind remain heedless. O people of God! Though the tongues of the world are powerless and fall short of befittingly mentioning the Lord of Eternity, yet since all have been commanded to offer praise and glorification, therefore His acceptance through His grace, exalted be His glory, is as clear and manifest as the sun. He created, He educated, He guided to the straight path, and He gave a portion from the cup of His love. By God’s life! The Concourse on High is at all times engaged in mentioning the people of Baha, to this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur in His praiseworthy station. We beseech God to assist you and confirm you in that which ye have been commanded in the Book, to aid you with the means of earth and heaven, to draw you nigh unto Him, and to enjoin upon you love and unity, wisdom and utterance. Verily, He is the Commander, the All-Wise. Conduct yourselves with perfect unity and concord, and let not wisdom slip from your grasp. Corruption and contention are condemned. O people of God! Aid ye the Wronged One through deeds and character. Thus hath it been revealed in various Tablets from God, the Lord of all mankind. The glory from Us be upon you and upon those whom the oppression of the world hath not hindered from God, the Lord of all nations.

[Continues with acknowledgments of various individuals and further divine verses revealed for them…]

Mention was made of the Land of Qaf and the friends of God and their feasts, as well as the feast of Haji Muhammad-Javad, upon them be the glory of God. After being submitted to the Most Holy Court, this utterance was revealed from the Kingdom of proof - blessed and exalted be His Word:

Blessed are those souls who are engaged in service to the friends of God. Praise be to God, the friends in the Land of Qaf have each been favored with grace and illumined by the lights of the Sun of steadfastness. We make mention of them all and give them glad tidings. O Javad, upon thee be My glory! His honor the Trustee hath made mention of thee. We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions, to cause the wondrous trees to grow fruits of certitude in the blessed and goodly soil, and from those trees to bring forth other fruits and other leaves. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is no God but He, the Most High, the Most Glorious. O Javad! Rejoice in My mention of thee and My turning toward thee from the precincts of the Prison. Nothing can be equated with My mention of thee - to this doth testify He with Whom is the Mother Book.

As to what was written regarding the beloved of hearts, Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and likewise concerning his service, trust in God, detachment, occupation, arising and steadfastness - in truth he is just as that beloved one hath written. Praise be to God, he is adorned with goodly character, firm in the Cause, illumined with the divine light, and enkindled with the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, on his behalf, for that which shall never fade from the horizon of God’s Book.

As to the mention of Shaykh Muhammad of Kirmanshah - he is among the great deniers. The poor soul runs blindly and has no knowledge of matters. He has clung to whatever he has heard from the heedless ones. Haji Ibrahim of Qaf associates day and night with the hypocrites. O beloved of My heart! Steadfastness is like the phoenix - its mention exists but its form is not found. Most are moved by every wind. I beseech God to open the eye of justice and grant truthfulness. It would be most regrettable if in these days the servants remain deprived of the ocean of utterance. The Command is in His hands; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Regarding what you wrote about the funds that were to be distributed to some - in truth, each of these matters is a door for good works. Despite the constraints and limitations of this land and countless expenses, whatever arrives, it is the will of God, exalted be His glory, that it should reach souls who are content and pleasing, so that with perfect independence they may engage in teaching, reform and education of the tribes. At this moment, this supreme word was revealed from the Dayspring of the Most Great Bounty - blessed and exalted be His Word: Whosoever today desires to assist the Cause - that is, to engage in teaching - must first be adorned with the ornament of detachment. We beseech God to enable all to achieve that which befits His days.

O Amin, upon thee be My glory! We instructed the countenance of the Hoopoe, upon her be My glory, to deliver it to Thamarih, that she may convey it, for she hath been the intermediary. However, We have written specifically regarding the portion for Mirza Muhammad that it must be delivered into his own hands. This matter hath not been contingent upon consultation with anyone. Whatsoever hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will must be adhered to, that it may accord with God’s decisive command. The intention is that this matter should not become public. The concealment of these matters hath been and is beloved in the sight of God. Verily, He is the Concealer. He commandeth thee to maintain noble concealment, and He is the All-Patient, bidding thee to exercise beautiful patience.

Concerning what they wrote about the draft that was mentioned, and likewise their rejection of it which they deemed inexpedient - yes, one must proceed with wisdom. Glory be to God! The world beareth witness that in the divine Tablets the matter is clear and evident, yet until now the purpose remaineth unknown. Repeatedly was this exalted word heard from the Tongue of Grandeur - exalted be His glory: “O thou who art present! This Revelation hath come for the reformation of the world and the unity of nations, that perchance through the Kawthar of utterance which floweth from the Pen of the All-Merciful at all times, the fire of hidden rancor in hearts might be quenched, and the body of the world might be purified and healed from this most grievous malady.” And likewise at another time these blessed words were heard from the blessed Tongue: “By God’s life! If harm should befall the True One Himself, it would be more preferable and befitting to the Wronged One than that it should befall another.” Time and again were similar utterances heard from the Tongue of the All-Merciful, and the very books, scriptures and tablets themselves speak and testify to this. Blessed are they who perceive! One may resort to certain excuses so that both they may be relieved and the helper reassured. This evanescent servant beseecheth God - exalted be His glory - to assist that honored master S.Y. in whatsoever conduceth to the good and welfare of all. Should they become content with what was conveyed in their presence, God - exalted be His glory - will assuredly grant victory and assistance. This victory and assistance have not been and are not contingent upon outward means. Rather, it is the servant’s petition to God - exalted be His glory, universal are His favors, and all-encompassing His grace and generosity. Meeting with those souls mentioned by that beloved one is not permissible. The more ye remain secluded from those souls, the better and more beloved it shall be.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali-Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God, he is ever remembered before the Divine Presence. The reward of those who act is recorded in the Book by the Most Exalted Pen. After mentioning him before the Divine Throne, these supreme words were revealed from the tongue of the Lord of all beings - blessed and exalted be His words: “O Amin, upon thee be My Glory! Jinab-i-’Ali-Haydar hath attained to the mention of the Truth. The Truth hath ever assisted him and enabled him to serve the Cause. What thou hast mentioned regarding his service and his being set ablaze with the fire of divine love is correct. However, the ladder hath many rungs and knowledge hath infinite degrees. We beseech God to increase him day by day and confirm him until he attaineth a station wherein all his deeds become a single remembrance, and from him the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. The Glory from Us be upon him and upon those whom the world hath not deluded nor prevented from drawing nigh unto the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.” This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings and salutations to him. He is remembered in the nights and days. Whoso is for God, God is for him. What is evident from him is service to God’s Cause. The servant testifieth to what he seeth, and the matter is in the hand of God, the Lord of all beings.

Regarding what was mentioned about the beloved of God in Sisan, upon them be the Glory of God, the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed specifically for them and sent, as well as the Tablet for the handmaiden of God, the wife of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Quli, and one blessed epistle specifically for the sons of Khalil, upon them be the Glory of God, in the land of Ha and Mim. Likewise, the papers arrived containing what that beloved one had written and requested, and were sent. To the friends and loved ones of God, wherever they may dwell in any land or city, this servant conveyeth to each one greetings and salutations. The Lord is the Desired One and they are the seekers; they are the petitioners and the Truth is the Answerer. Therefore, we beseech Him to set His servants ablaze with the fire of love and illumine them with the light of knowledge. He is the One God, the Omnipotent over what He willeth. Perchance they will remember this evanescent servant and arise to do what will profit them. Peace, praise, remembrance, glory and splendor be upon your honor and upon them and upon every steadfast, firm and upright one, and every established, eloquent and knowledgeable expounder. Praise be to God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Wise.

The Servant

In the month of Sha’ban al-Mu’azzam 1304

=== END BH00177 ===

=== START BH00178 ===

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

Praise, sanctified beyond all utterance, befitteth the Sovereign of contingent beings and the King of all worlds, Who hath adorned the realms of inner meanings and divine knowledge with fresh and wondrous garments through the living waters. These living waters at times appear in the form of letters, and at other times shine forth like unto the sun, absorbing all excess moisture that the warmth of divine love might set aflame the hearts and souls of those who are ready. Glorified be His greatness and exalted be His power! Glory be unto God, Who caused “Verily I am God” to be manifested from the Tree, that all might be prepared to hearken unto the divine call in this most great and divine Manifestation. Yet when the call “Verily I am God” was raised from the Uttermost Tree in the highest Paradise, all returned to hellfire - the recompense of denial - save whom thy Lord did choose. They accepted it from the Tree, yet denied its Creator.

Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Beloved! Within Thy grasp are the reins of all verses, and by Thy command are all created things moved. I beseech Thee by the fragrance of revelation in Thy days and by Thy persecution among Thy servants, to assist Thy creation to be fair in Thy Cause and just in Thy lands. Thou art the One Whose power no circumstances, doubts or allusions can withhold. Thou hast manifested whatsoever Thou didst desire through Thy might and sovereignty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.

Thereafter, an esteemed letter arrived from your honor, the fragrances of which perfumed the realm of remembrance and delighted and illumined the world of the heart, for it spoke in remembrance of the peerless Friend and uttered His praise. In truth, every letter thereof was a reflection of the Divine Book and every word bore witness to the dawning of the celestial Luminary. After its perusal and reading, it was taken to the station of holy nearness and presented before the countenance of the Ancient King, and after permission was granted, the ocean surged and the fragrance wafted, and there appeared from the tongue of our Lord’s will and the Lord of the Throne that which enraptured all spirits and minds. His blessed and exalted Word:

In My Name, the All-Encompassing over all names […]

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One and who hast quaffed the sealed wine in His Self-Subsisting Name! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. Verily it hath been raised in truth for the life of all who are in the heavens and earth. Through it the ocean of knowledge hath surged in the realm of possibility, and that which was hidden in divine knowledge and stored in the treasuries of God’s protection, Lord of all worlds, hath been revealed. Through it the Most Exalted Paradise hath proclaimed: “O people of the mortal realm, rejoice within yourselves, for the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven hath come with manifest sovereignty.” And the Supreme Paradise hath called out: “By God! The Purpose of the worlds and the Beloved of nations hath appeared, through Whom the heaven was cleft asunder, the earth was split, and every wise decree was made manifest.” And behind these the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimed: “O people of the earth! The Most Exalted Horizon hath been illumined by this Revelation, which hath been the hope of the sincere ones and those brought nigh. Beware lest the veil prevent you from beholding Him, or the doubts of the world hold you back from drawing near unto God, Lord of the Mighty Throne. By God’s life! That which ye possess shall profit you not save through this Cause, whereby idols have fallen, the standards of the polytheists have been reversed, and the banners of unity have been raised in His Name, the Almighty, the Powerful. Beware lest vain imaginings withhold you from the Lord of all beings, or idle fancies from this Self-Subsisting One, Who hath arisen before the faces of the world with a sovereignty that the veils of the nations could not prevent, nor the doubts of those who denied the Day of Judgment. Say: Fear God, O people, and deny not Him Who hath brought you that which lay concealed in the hearts of the Prophets and was inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in His Books and Tablets. By His life! We counsel you for His sake. Be fair and be not among the abject. Take hold of God’s Book with the power from Him and the authority from His presence, and follow not the ways of the ignorant. He hath manifested for you what was hidden and revealed unto you the signs of God, Lord of the exalted Throne. He desireth for you naught save that which draweth you nigh unto God - to this His Books, His Scrolls, and His Tablets bear witness, if ye be of those who know. The servant present hath appeared before the face of the Wronged One and presented thy letter. We have answered thee with this clear Book. We have found from thy mention the sweet fragrance of My love, and from thy words the perfume of My affection, and We have sent down for thee that which shall endure as long as My celestial dominion and My realm of might endure. To this beareth witness the tongue of My grandeur in this glorious and wondrous station. By My life! I would not exchange My imprisonment for all that is in the world, nor My sorrows for the joy of all worlds, nor My tears for the oceans of life, nor My sighs for that which hath appeared through My all-pervading Will in the heavens and earth. Blessed art thou for having turned to Him from Whom most of creation hath turned away, and for having loved Him Whom every remote polytheist hath detested. We beseech God to assist thee and strengthen thee to mention and praise Him, and to serve His Cause with wisdom and utterance. Verily He is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Thus hath the Pen revealed the hidden pearls within it, that thou mayest read and be of the thankful. God hath forgiven thee and thy father as a grace from His presence, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Through My mention the ocean of forgiveness hath surged and the breezes of thy Lord’s mercy, the All-Merciful, have wafted. He is verily the Hearer, the Answerer. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Remember My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of the heaven of My mercy, the sun of My bounty, and illumine them with the lights of My wondrous utterance - the Light shining and gleaming from the horizon of the kingdom of My utterance. Upon thee, and upon those with thee, and upon those whom the veils of glory did not prevent and whom the party of error did not frighten, who turned and responded to their Lord, the Manifest, the All-Seeing.

Hear the Call of the Wronged One in the Persian tongue, that perchance the peoples of the earth may attain unto that which they are this day deprived. Glory be to God! That Station from which, like unto torrential rain, the verses of God were revealed night and day - this they have denied, while counting themselves among the righteous and the confessors of truth. The greatest barrier and the mightiest veil have been and continue to be the dawning-places of idle fancies. Most of the world’s people have been reared on suspicion and have grown intimate with vain imaginings. Blessed is the powerful and mighty one who, with the finger of certitude, rent asunder the veils of idle fancy and attained unto the lights of the Day-Star of Revelation.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Names have prevented most from the ocean of inner meanings, and mention of “successor,” “guardian” and “mirror” hath deprived them of the Dayspring of verses and the Dawning-Place of clear proofs. By the life of God! None hath been or is capable of soaring in this sublime and spiritual atmosphere save through effacing all that he hath heard. Justice hath vanished, equity lamenteth. Those who were not with Us and were unaware from the beginning of the Cause have uttered that which no oppressor hath uttered. They have taken their idle fancies as lords beside God. Lo! they are among the losers.

Say: O servants! Hearken unto God’s counsel. Let not time slip away. The Blessed Tree is laden with countless fruits, and the Ocean of Utterance surgeth with boundless waves. The Sun of Truth hath appeared with wondrous lights and beloved effulgences. Behold with your own eyes, not through the sight of the heedless. Hear with your own ears, not through the hearing of the deniers. Perchance ye may soar on the wings of detachment in the atmosphere of divine knowledge and attain unto that from which ye are now barred. Ascend by the ladder of trust to the heaven of God’s bounty, and turn ye to the stairway of resignation. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth you to His straight path. Whoso wisheth, let him accept, and whoso wisheth, let him turn aside. Verily He is the Most Holy, the Mighty, the Triumphant, the All-Powerful.

His is the praise and glorification, His the grace and bounty. At every moment there hath appeared that which enlighteneth the eyes of the world and the vision of the nations. However, this dependeth upon the justice and fairness of the people. Should they turn from what they possess to what God possesseth, and make for the arena of justice and fairness, they shall attain unto that which is the ultimate goal of seekers and the final hope of the sincere ones.

Indeed, a strange talisman hath appeared. Those who today reject the truth are barred from drawing nigh and are deprived of hearing the Word of Truth. This evanescent servant - with the Eternal Truth as witness and the people of the world as testimony - hath for nigh forty years stood in service, aware and cognizant of all matters. Yet none among the deniers hath ever questioned this servant, that perchance through the mention of events he might attain unto a drop from the ocean of knowledge and deliver himself from the darkness of self, the whisperings of Satan, and the hatred of those who are heedless and have turned away.

For instance, Hadi of Dawlatabad had and hath no knowledge whatsoever of the beginning of the Cause. God is witness that whatsoever he hath said and continues to say hath been and is without understanding, merely blind imitation, saying that which no unjust one hath ever said. Like unto the divines of the past, he hath gained a position of leadership and will not relinquish it […]

He is stationed upon the Throne of Bounty!

These veils of vain imaginings have seized him, and pride has deprived him of the Sovereign of the Manifestation. Would that he had attended upon this servant and listened with justice and fairness to that which he has not heard nor attained. This servant prays for all and beseeches the True One, exalted be His glory, not to deprive the souls of the world - that is, the diverse parties of the nations - from the celestial waters of reality and the ocean of grace. Verily, He is near, the Answerer of prayers. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

After the names mentioned in the letter were presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, there was revealed for each one that which bestows life and grants a new existence. Verily, He is the Ancient Revealer.

This is what was revealed for the handmaiden of God, Fatimih, upon her be the Glory of God. His blessed and exalted Word:

He is seated upon the Throne of Bounty!

O Fatimih, O My handmaiden! Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One, and We have remembered thee with these blessed words, each of which is a fountainhead of divine bounty and a dawning-place of heavenly utterance. The queens of the world are deprived, while the turning handmaidens have attained. Praise be to God, thou hast drunk from the choice wine of the utterance of the Desired One of the worlds and hast turned toward the supreme horizon. Verily, He hath appeared and manifested that which He desired, as a grace from His presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We counsel thee and all handmaidens with that which befitteth the Day of God. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath turned and attained, and woe unto every doubting scholar.

This is what was revealed for the handmaiden of God, Khadijih, upon her be the Glory of God:

He is established upon the Throne of Utterance!

O Khadijih! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. Today the Sun of Manifestation is shining and visible from the horizon of the heaven of the prison, and the ocean of grace is surging before all faces, and the Fire in the Blessed Tree is calling out with the most exalted call. Yet the servants are heedless and veiled, having been raised on suspicions and being intimate with idle fancies. Blessed is the soul that hath rent asunder the veils of idle fancies and attained unto the lights of certitude. Beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, with utmost humility and supplication, that He may not deprive the handmaidens of the earth and prevent the servants from the ocean of inner meanings. He is indeed the Generous, the Merciful. There is no God but Him, the One, the Mighty, the Great.

This is what was revealed for Diya’, upon him be the Glory of God:

He is the One speaking before all faces!

O Diya’! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names. Thy mention hath been mentioned and thy name is present. By the Sun of the horizon of utterance, all that is witnessed cannot equal a single word of the divine words. The sun of His grace hath illumined the world of existence, and the heaven of His loving-kindness hath been adorned with the stars of mercy and compassion. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto witnessing and hath been adorned with the ornament of His mention. Joy be unto thee and unto thy father and thy sister, from the presence of God, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

This is what was revealed for the handmaiden of God, Rabi’ih, upon her be the Glory of God:

He is the Hearing, the Answering!

O My handmaiden! When thou hearest My call and findest the fragrance of My utterance, say […]

O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to turn to Thee and to direct my face toward the horizon of Thy Revelation. O Lord! I am one of Thy handmaidens, and a leaf among the leaves of the Tree of Thy providence. I beseech Thee by that Cord which, when moved, causeth all created things to move, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise. Then write down for me, with the Pen of Thy bounty, that which Thou hast written for Thy leaves and handmaidens who have been blessed to circle round the Kaaba of Thy presence and have drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hand of Thy generosity. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and clinging to Thy cord. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of the wonders of Thy bounty and grace. Verily, Thou art the Lord of Bounty and the Sovereign of existence. There is none other God but Thee, the Educator of the seen and the unseen.

This was revealed for Muhammad-Sadiq, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath been wafted throughout creation.

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Hear the call from the Most Exalted Horizon. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He calleth at all times for the salvation of all who are in creation, but the people hear not. None have arisen in truth save those who are among the most lost in My Manifest Book. He who loved Me hath mentioned thee. We make mention of thee with that which shall endure as long as the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds, endureth. When thou art blessed with My verses, turn thy face toward God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers, and say:

O my God, my God! I testify that by Thy Name the names have been erased, and by Thy Manifestation the idols have fallen, the standards have been reversed, and illusions have been shaken, and by Thy grace the Kawthar of life hath flowed, whose source Thou hast made to be Thy Most Exalted Pen. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, hoping for the wonders of Thy grace, and anticipating what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Most Exalted Word and the fruits of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, to make me speak Thy Name and mention that which hath appeared from Thee. O Lord! The poor one hath turned toward the ocean of Thy bounty, and the seeker toward the Luminary of Thy bestowals. I beseech Thee to ordain for me the reward of those whose deeds have been accepted and who have attained unto Thy presence in Thy Most Great Prison. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the world and the Educator of the nations. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This was revealed for Rubabih, the wife of the aforementioned, upon her be the Glory of God, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection:

In the Name of the One True Object of Desire:

O handmaiden of God! Upon thee be My Glory! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto that which was mentioned and recorded in the divine Books. God, exalted be His glory, gave glad tidings of this Most Great Manifestation to all the peoples of the world and all things, and created all for this blessed Day. However, the doubts of the ignorant, the suggestions of the learned, and the might of princes have prevented all from the ocean of the utterance of the Lord of all beings. All are occupied with themselves and heedless of Him, save those whom thy Lord willeth. The ornaments of the world have deprived the people of the realm of creation. How many are the men who are deprived of the river of mercy and forbidden from drawing nigh unto God, exalted be His glory. Thank thy Lord, for He hath enabled thee, assisted thee, and made mention of thee in His Great Prison. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This was revealed for Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Most Great Name […]

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! The deluded ones, like the people of the past, cling to vain imaginings and remain heedless and veiled from the ocean of divine knowledge. The sayings of old have come forth and the ways of fancy have appeared. From the malice and hatred of that party was manifested that which caused the angels drawn nigh and the Dawning Places of the revelation of the Lord of all worlds to weep and lament. And now the deniers of the Bayan are seen to be like unto that people, nay worse. They have committed that which no oppressor hath ever committed, and with utmost endeavor and complete determination they strive to extinguish the divine light and quench the celestial fire of God’s love. Glory be to God! Heedlessness hath reached such a state that they deny the light of the Sun of Truth and conceal the waves of the ocean of utterance. Like clouds they have become veils and have prevented the servants from the effulgences of the Luminary of proof. Thus have their souls enticed them. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant sight and bestow hearing, that perchance the heedless may become aware and turn towards the court of God. Take thou My Book with My Name and My power. Verily it will draw thee nigh unto My Kingdom and protect thee from the doubts of the suspicious ones and the intimations of the barking ones. We beseech God to assist thee to be steadfast and to ordain for thee the good of this world and the next. Verily He is the Mighty, the Powerful. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy wife who hath believed in God, the Lord of all worlds. O Khadijih! Hold fast unto the cord of grace and fix thy gaze upon the horizon of His bounty. We beseech God to adorn His handmaidens with the ornament of chastity, trustworthiness, truthfulness and purity. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. We make mention of the handmaidens of God at this time and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace, loving-kindness and attention, exalted be His glory, and We beseech confirmation for all in such deeds as will cause the exaltation of God’s Word. Verily He speaketh the truth and commandeth His servants and handmaidens that which will profit them in every world of His worlds. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Praise be to God that each of the loved ones and leaves hath attained unto the ocean of utterance and the light of revelation. This evanescent servant beseecheth God to confirm all to take the pearls of utterance which have appeared from the ocean of His grace. Although these have been and are manifest, yet to attain unto them is impossible without the confirmations and favors of God. Verily He confirmeth whom He willeth even as He confirmed them to turn unto Him and mentioned them with such mention as cannot be equalled by the mention of all peoples. Verily He is the Protector of the doers of good and the Goal of them that know.

Having sought permission to attain His presence, after it was presented before Him, this exalted Word was revealed from the Mouth of Will, blessed and exalted be His utterance: O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Love of wealth and position hath deprived the world of the outpourings of the Day of Return, to such extent that they have regarded the Reformer of the world as a corrupter and have deemed the Ocean of Justice as tyranny. With utmost vigor and effort they are occupied with preventing the servants from attaining the court of His presence. The people of oppression have become an obstacle. We beseech God to grant fairness. Well, if wisdom requireth it, they may turn, but with such turning whereby all created things turn unto God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Signs. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this most great favor which hath appeared from His Mighty Announcement. Thus hath the luminary of permission shone forth from the heaven of bounty with such radiance as hath transformed the darkness of sorrow into joy. According to the command, if one or two souls turn, there is no harm.

O My loved one! Ever hath God, exalted be His glory, loved and continueth to love His chosen ones, and His grace is evident as the sun. However, they have been prevented by other causes: first, the might of princes; second, the clamor of divines; and third, the blessed Word that was heard from the Mouth of Will, exalted be His utterance: “The earth is a prison, outwardly still but inwardly in motion.” Knowledge is with God, our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

Concerning the mention of one of the uncles who ascended before attaining to faith, after it was presented at the Most Exalted Station, this supreme Word was revealed, exalted be His utterance: We beseech God to forgive him through His bounty and generosity, and to send down upon him mercy from His presence and light from His own Self. Verily, He is the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Single, the One! Praise be to the Goal of all worlds Who assisted thee to turn and to make mention. Verily, He assisteth whom He willeth through His bounty and generosity, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful. And He hath answered that which thou didst desire. Verily, the Command is in His grasp - He giveth and He withholdeth, and He is the Commander, the Taker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The ocean of forgiveness and grace of God, exalted be His glory, is before the faces of all beings, yet the people, like unto cattle, have denied this most great favor through their own vain imaginings. In these days, one who is heedless, to whose ignorance and negligence all things testify, hath mentioned that which every letter thereof beareth witness to his ignorance. Would that the deniers had understood the root of the Cause! Until now they know not from whom came that which transpired in the presence of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. In any case, the Truth is evident and manifest as the sun above all else, but the blind and sightless are deprived of beholding it. Leave them to their vain discoursings. Verily, we are God’s and unto Him shall we return.

As to the request for ultimate success and prosperity, after it was presented at the Most Exalted Summit, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these decisive verses, blessed and exalted be His utterance: O thou who drinkest My choice wine! We have heard thy call and the servant in attendance hath laid before Us that wherewith thou didst commune with God, the Lord of the Throne and earth, and the Master of the hereafter and this world, Who hath come from the horizon of power with manifest sovereignty. Blessed be thy tongue for having spoken the truth. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee in that which draweth the hearts of those who have turned towards Him, and to exalt thee among His servants through His Name. Verily, He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Say: […]

O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to turn towards Thee, to acknowledge Thy oneness and to confess that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest me attracted by Thy verses, clinging to Thy cord, yearning to plunge into the ocean of Thy oneness, to stand before the gate of Thy grandeur and to attain unto Thy presence. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the world and Quickener of the nations, by the Most Great Name, to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee, preserve me, aid me, and be a light unto me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Then decree for me, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, the best in this world and the world to come. Verily Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been mighty through Thy will and supreme through Thy purpose. Thou doest as Thou pleasest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Hearing, the Answering. O Lord! Ordain for me and for those with me, and for those who have laid hold on the cord of Thy bounty and clung to the hem of Thy mercy, that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayer.

Praise be to God! The waves of the ocean of bounty are successively and continuously manifest and evident. Well is it with thee and blessed art thou! This servant beseecheth his Lord to make thee steadfast in His service and vocal in His mention amongst His servants. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful.

Convey greetings on behalf of this servant to the friends in that land. For each one I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for steadfastness, as the heedless ones, the barking ones, and the transgressors lie in wait. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to protect them and ordain for them that which will draw them nigh unto Him and assist them to remain firm in the Most Great Steadfastness. Verily, He is the Confirmer, the All-Wise.

Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those with you, and upon all who are firm, steadfast, resolute, speaking, and upright. Praise be to our Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

The Servant

19 Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1306

=== END BH00178 ===

=== START BH00179 ===

He is God, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

This is a letter from this servant to him whom God hath loved and honored with His presence, caused him to hear His melodies, acquainted him with the ways of His Cause, imparted unto him the wonders of His knowledge, and preferred him above many of His servants. He hath assisted him with His confirmation as a mercy and a bounty from His presence. Verily, He is the Ancient Bestower. His are the grace and bounty; He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He pleaseth. Verily, He is the Munificent, the Forgiving, the Merciful. He exalteth whom He willeth through the sovereignty of His Command and ordaineth for every soul that which is best for him from the treasuries of the heavens and earth, even as He hath ordained for thee, from His wondrous decrees, that which is better for thee than all thou dost witness and behold. Thus hath His mercy been perfected and His favor completed upon thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones.

Thy letter was brought into the presence of the Throne, and the fingers of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful, took hold of it, and the Tongue of God spoke of it. This is a bounty that no other bounty can equal, and this, verily, is a manifest favor. A Tablet hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne which, by thy life, a single letter thereof surpasseth all that was revealed in the time before. Thine own self and being bear witness to this, shouldst thou be honored with its presence and be among those who behold.

Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast been mentioned by the Pen of Holiness with decisive and wondrous allusions. And now I make known unto thee that during thy sojourn in Iraq, while under the shadow of the Tree of the Cause, this servant desired to inform thee of certain matters which were concealed from all people. However, I was continually forbidden from the Most Holy and Glorious Presence. Therefore, many matters remained unspoken and many pearls of mysteries remained unstrung. Although for every person of insight, the manifestations of divine power, the appearances of heavenly might, and the conditions of the sovereignty of the One are and have been sufficient - indeed these outward signs guide every perceiving one to the inner mysteries, thus requiring no intermediary mention or writing - yet this servant, having ever been enkindled with the fire of love for thee and mindful of the rights of unity and fellowship, hath deemed it necessary to make known certain matters purely for the sake of God and out of love for thee.

In brief, it was known that what appeared outwardly among the people was contrary to what was witnessed inwardly in the Cause. This wisdom was observed to exalt the Cause of God and preserve His Own Self, lest the attention of the oppressors be directed to a single place. I swear by my love for thee that in the presence of the Throne none had power to speak, let alone that anyone could make any declaration. This servant remained bewildered for long periods, observing among the people something different, to such an extent that the Ancient Beauty Himself would, in His blessed utterances, indicate another station. Yet inwardly I observed that all were absolute nothingness and utter non-existence in His presence. This matter was also known to thee, that no one except this servant was aware of these affairs, as I was engaged in service to all for fourteen years. Each day added to this servant’s bewilderment until I became aware that from the beginning, the matter was not as it was known among the people. Should I wish to provide the details of this, I would surely need to send a book. God willing, circumstances will arise allowing some matters to be mentioned in person[…]

Furthermore, I became fully aware of all matters according to their importance and capacity, and was at peace. Whenever I wished to convey certain matters to some of the friends, I was strictly forbidden, for the Ancient Beauty Himself would conceal them, in accordance with God’s wisdom, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Most of that wisdom is evident, and some remains hidden in His treasured knowledge. Then your honor arrived in Iraq, remained for a time, and departed. Thereafter, at all times tribulations rained down from every direction, such that all people from every sect arose to oppose the Beauty of Divine Unity, to the extent that all the divines of Najaf and Karbila gathered in Kazimayn. The matter reached such a point that some friends from abroad presented themselves in the Sacred Presence and expressed their alarm, saying that the situation had become most grave and countless enemies had appeared, and they knew not what would befall the Blessed Beauty or what His intention was. Then the Ancient Beauty declared: “Whatever may come to pass, I am ready and eagerly seek it with My soul. I shall take no helper for Myself save God, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. If they wage war, I am a warrior in God’s path, and if they come with words, I am one who speaks by God’s leave.” Then He sent word to the governor of the city, saying that if these divines had any words with Him, let them all gather in a place other than the seat of government–let that place be one of the mosques, for this servant has not entered and will not enter the seat of government. Then let the divines ask whatever questions they have and present their objections. If this servant succeeds in answering, then they should not oppose Us; otherwise, they may proceed as they wish, for this servant will have nothing to say. He sent the same message as He had given to Mulla Hasan-i-’Ammu, of which your honor is aware. Then God knows what transpired, until the matter resulted in the exile of the Luminary of the horizons from Iraq.

Further incidents transpired during this period of which none but God is aware, though surely some of these have reached your ears. Then one night that concealed brother appeared in the holy presence and submitted: “What is my duty?” From the Most Holy Presence came the response: “Whatever you choose and prefer is good.” He submitted: “After your departure, my remaining here would be most difficult, as the enemies would undoubtedly arise to harm this servant.” Then He said: “If you wish to emigrate with us, I will inform the governor of the land, for I have already mentioned that two other brothers are with me in this migration. Now we shall simply tell him that three brothers are accompanying, and in this statement no harm whatsoever is evident.” Then he submitted: “It is being said that they will take you to Persia en route, and perhaps they have some deception planned along the way.” The Ancient Beauty stated: “This is what I deem advisable; otherwise, do as you yourself prefer.” In any case, afterwards the brother, exercising utmost caution, submitted that “I will travel ahead with the caravan to Samsun to see what transpires. If no harm occurs, I will join you.” And subsequently, before the Ancient Beauty’s departure, he set out with the caravan toward Istanbul. A few days later, the Ancient Beauty departed from the City of God in such a manner that words fail to describe - and surely you have heard the details of this. And by God, besides Whom there is no other God, in all circumstances among the peoples He appeared with such sovereignty and manifest power that He entered no city but its notables hastened to welcome Him, and upon His departure they arose to bid Him farewell. In every city the divines presented themselves, and furthermore there were scholarly discourses that flowed and descended like torrential rain from the Divine Tongue. Would that you had been present to witness how the all-encompassing nature of His knowledge, power, utterance and attributes was manifest and evident from the Source of His Divine Cause - none denies this save every stubborn denier. And He appeared in such a manner that all peoples of different nations became certain of the greatness of His Cause and acknowledged His power.

In brief, I submit that along the way my veiled brother tarried until he reached the Ancient Beauty. Later, when it was observed that there was no harm whatsoever and perfect honor was evident, he presented himself before the Throne and submitted that since no incident had occurred, it would be good for him to join the hosts of God. The Ancient Beauty said, “I must tell these escorts that this is my brother, so they may show proper respect.” He replied, “No, let us wait until we reach Istanbul to see what transpires there and how they behave, for perhaps they harbor some design in that city to cause harm.”

In any case, he remained among the people of God until the Beauty of God descended in the renowned city, where He stayed for four months, completing God’s appointed time. In that famous city too, this Cause became so well known that all showed complete submission and acknowledgment. You have surely heard that in that city He granted audience to no one and made no pronouncements, and whenever anyone did meet Him, the Ancient Beauty did not return visits to their homes.

When the sweet breezes of glory and assurance wafted from the direction of the All-Merciful and the exaltation of the Cause became evident like the sun in the midst of heaven, the fire of envy and hatred was kindled in the hearts of the deceivers, and the concealed souls, now assured, emerged from behind their veils. They secretly conspired with some of the emigrants to bring disgrace upon the Cause of God, and every day they devised new schemes, hoping to create discord among the emigrants that would cause the Cause of God to be humiliated.

Then we arrived in this land - God knows what befell His Beauty here. After staying some known months in this land, that renowned Sayed (whom you know about), who had left Iraq and traveled through all lands, returned and submitted a petition to the Most Holy Court, expressing repentance and contrition beyond measure. From the Source of Command was revealed an exalted decree: “Verily, I am the Forgiver of whoever repents.” Later he presented himself and was shown the utmost kindness, until the time of emigration arrived. The aforementioned Sayed made one of the branches of the Blessed Tree an intermediary to submit to the Source of Command his request for permission to join God’s people in this great migration. After receiving permission from the seat of glory, he emigrated until he arrived in this land with the hosts of God. His condition was always known in the presence of Him from whose knowledge nothing escapes, but since the name “Concealer” was ever before His view, He showed forbearance with him. Later, when he saw that this place was the Most Great Prison from which departure was impossible, he secretly joined with some Persians of this land and […]

The rejected one of both sides was cast out, and later the veiled brother would daily raise some new issue secretly, until he reached a state where he began conversing privately for some time with one named Ustad Muhammad-’Ali, who was a servant working in the bath of the sacred household. However, the aforementioned person did not comprehend and did not suspect what his intention was. After he had been talking with the aforementioned person for some time about cutting down the divine Tree, he became convinced he had deceived him, until one day he openly mentioned it and even specified the location in the bath. When the aforementioned person learned of the intention and it became clear, his limbs began to tremble, but he remained silent. The brother, thinking he had accomplished his aim, returned to his home and sent a robe of honor for the aforementioned person. After leaving the bath, the aforementioned person, with lamentation, weeping and agitation, disclosed the details among the emigrants. As soon as he mentioned it, a great outcry arose from all, and the people of the sacred household also became aware and all began to wail. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that such weeping and lamentation arose as cannot be imagined, until it reached the blessed ears of the Most Exalted One. Then He came out and observed that this matter would become known in this land and cause universal corruption. He commanded all to be patient and said that since the brother had seen that during this time whatever was mentioned was in his name and the Cause had been greatly exalted, he had intended this deed out of love for his own leadership. Therefore it was advisable that “this servant should entirely withdraw from you all.” Then the emigrants demonstrated such anguish and distress that for some time the Ancient Beauty delayed the migration, until finally on Friday the 22nd of Shawwal at noon, the Ancient Beauty, alone and solitary, moved to another house and took no one with Him, even freeing the maidservants of the sacred household and departing. The doors of exit and entry were closed to all people. God is Most Great! What distress and calamity arose on that day! When the aforementioned brother realized this heinous matter had become known, he fell to devising a new plot to conceal this momentous affair. Meanwhile, that one rejected by both sides, finding the field empty, went and joined with the brother out of hatred for God, and they set about trying by whatever means possible to cause harm […]

After two months had elapsed, during which time no one was permitted to enter the House of God, and no word was heard from anyone in the presence of the Throne, until one day it became known that one of the companions named Haji Ibrahim had come to one of the friends and mentioned that the aforementioned Siyyid had seen him and discussed certain matters with him. I initially assumed that he had repented of his corruption and now desired to return to God. I listened to what he said until I detected the odor of hatred from him, and he mentioned to me that I should go to Persia and spread certain fabricated calumnies against the Ancient Beauty. When I heard these words, I became greatly disturbed and perplexed at how such a matter could be confused. I remained silent and went along with it until he and his brother gave me a sum of money and many letters, saying that I should take these to Qazvin, Tehran, Ardistan and Iraq to spread them, and that I would be given money, robes of honor and respect. I was bewildered that these two who had previously spoken ill of each other had now united and become friends. They gave me the writings, and the Siyyid gave me a book saying “I have written this book - you must go and distribute my book.” When I received the money and letters and prepared to depart, I found myself between paradise and hell, and I realized that everything they had told me was false and undoubtedly whatever was in these letters would be calumnies. Therefore, seeking assistance from Truth, I returned from the fire to paradise. What more can I say about the book written by the aforementioned Siyyid against God? By God besides Whom there is no other God, apart from a few prayers which he had plagiarized from the prayers of the Bab, the rest of it - if I say they appeared as the words of beasts, by God this would wrong the beasts, and if I compare it to the braying of donkeys, I would be slandering that animal. What can I say about what proofs he brought and what evidence he mentioned? I swear by the Beauty of the Beloved that any child with insight would see that all of it was written against himself and proves the Cause of God, yet they remain unaware and their words reveal their stature and station. Any person of understanding would be ashamed of such words flowing from the pen of liars. Now observe how the Cause of God has reached such a station that one like this rejected evil one writes a book against His Beauty - exactly the same objections that all peoples have made against all the Messengers, and that the people of the Furqan made against the Divine Beauty, they have mentioned and used as evidence - nay, even more worthless. In any case, his station is evident from his book, despite how much effort they made and wrote with each other’s assistance, and in all their writings they attributed their own deeds to the Ancient Beauty, and perhaps they will send it there for you to observe.

Furthermore, among the non-Arabs in this land many things have been said and all have been attributed to the Truth, while it is clear and evident to all that the Ancient Beauty associates with no one. And if anyone has attained the presence of God, the utterances are different and the mentions are different, sanctified above all these levels it has been and will be. Although during this time no one has attained His presence and He has not associated with anyone. All matters are due to their finding people lacking in understanding. Thus it has been sent down from the Throne that any of God’s chosen ones who attains His presence should take up the pen, relying upon God and detached from all else, and write in refutation of him who hath denied God, whatsoever the Holy Spirit may inspire in him at that moment, and verily all spirits shall assist him. This is of the binding decree of the Lord of all worlds.

Know ye that they have no other intention than to lead people back to their original position. Just like the blind ones of the Qur’an, they wish to veil souls with all manner of personal limitations and keep them from the sanctified vista of the All-Merciful, that perchance their authority might be firmly established. Would that I could meet with you and mention these hidden mysteries, that ye might become aware of the greatness of the Cause and the deceit in the hearts of the idolaters. Although, praise be to God, ye have inhaled a breath from the eternal, holy fragrances, and from a drop ye perceive the secrets of the limitless oceans, and from a letter ye comprehend the comprehensive mysteries of the Books. In this case, surely what hath been sent down from the realm of the Throne and what ye have heard will suffice, and ye shall become aware of all things. God willing, ye shall grasp the reins of the Cause with perfect strength and power, lest any weakness appear from the idolatrous souls, and at all times ye shall remind the people with wondrous mentions of the Lord of all worlds.

Furthermore, some Tablets have been sent down from the Most Holy Court. Some are being sent at this time and some will be sent next week. Peruse them all and deliver them. We hope, God willing, that ye shall arise with such arising that all who are in the heavens and earth shall arise to promote the Cause of God, and that ye shall appear with such utterance as shall guide all to the Source of the exposition of the wisdom of the All-Glorious.

Furthermore, this servant has made a copy of the blessed Surih of the Temple which was newly revealed and sent it, but due to extreme haste I was unable to complete it. What was possible has been sent. God willing it will reach you, and we hope, God willing, that we may send whatsoever hath been revealed in this land, although outwardly this is very difficult, for in this very city alone the equivalent of a hundred thousand verses have been revealed, some of which remain hidden from all eyes and have not yet been copied from the original divine text, and permission hath not been granted. I know not whether it will be possible for these to appear, or whether, like most of the divine verses that were cast into the river in Iraq, the same decree will be issued regarding these newly-revealed verses.

From the Source of the Cause hath been sent down that in this day the people of the Bayan are seen to be the most veiled of all peoples and the most heedless of all nations, save him whose hand hath been grasped by the hand of the All-Merciful, who hath been delivered from the depths of self and passion, and who hath attained unto the shores of sanctity resplendent. By God! Such a one is more honored in the sight of God than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. This is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowing. This Day is the Day for the promotion of the Cause of God, and promotion hath been ordained to be through speech. Therefore must your honor, at all times, through wondrous divine wisdom, deliver the people from the shadow of idle fancies and vain imaginings and draw them to the shores of the glory of certitude. The Spirit, and glory, and exaltation, and splendor be upon you and upon those who have entered beneath the shadow of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, and have recognized Him through His Other Garment, through His Name, the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious.

The Servant of God and His slave,

Aqa Jan

=== END BH00179 ===

=== START BH00180 ===

In the Name of Our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most High

Praise, sanctified beyond pen and ink, befits the most holy and most sacred threshold of the Beloved, Who hath educated the people of Baha through trials and guided them to the Kingdom of immortality. Exalted, exalted is He, the Almighty One Who hath caused the trees of the most exalted Paradise to grow tall through blood, and Who hath ordained that afflictions and tribulations, despite their intensity and bitterness, should taste sweeter than sugar in the mouths of His loved ones. He is the Beloved One Who hath not prevented and will never prevent His lovers from His path through hardship and adversity. By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved! If life be not sacrificed in His path, it is not worth a mustard seed, and if the essence of spirit be not offered up at His feet, it is baser and more worthless than stone. Yet none save the money-changers of divine unity can recognize this essence. What portion can the sightless one receive, even should he enter the highest Paradise? And what can the deaf one hear, even should he draw nigh unto the Tree of Blessedness? The money-changers of this precious essence are those souls of whom He saith: “They speak not until He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment.” And likewise He saith: “Neither merchandise nor trade beguileth them from the remembrance of God.” Can it be imagined that death shall not overtake any soul? Nay, by God! “Every soul shall taste of death.” This being so, if it be offered up for the Beloved and sacrificed for the Desired One, it is assuredly better and more fitting. God forgive me for such mention, for it is a hundred thousand times more glorious and preferable than this - again, God forgive me! I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to illumine the eyes of all with the collyrium of knowledge, that all may witness, with their outward and inward eyes, that which the people of self and desire are deprived of beholding and forbidden from recognizing. Glory and praise be upon those whom nothing whatsoever hath prevented from turning to the Face after the passing of all things, and whom the clamor of the people of creation - who have been beguiled by the world’s ornaments and its colors, such that they have cast the Cause of God behind their backs - hath not frightened. Soon will God roll up their carpet and spread another carpet. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Triumphant, the Powerful.

Thereafter, thy letters arrived repeatedly. Praise be to God, each was a book that spoke and a truthful witness to thy acceptance, steadfastness, attention, submission and humility in the path of God, the Lord of the visible and invisible, and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earths. After reading and reviewing them, We approached the presence of the Lord of creation, and whatsoever was recorded in the letter was presented before His face and achieved the honor of His hearing. His word, exalted be His station, exalted be His utterance, and exalted be His remembrance:

In My Name, He Who is established upon the Throne of Utterance […]

O thou who speakest in praise of thy Lord! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He remembereth thee at this time when sorrows have compassed Him round by reason of that which hath befallen His loved ones at the hands of the divines and rulers of the earth. Verily there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The servant who was present hath appeared and conveyed what was in thy letter, and this Tablet hath been revealed unto thee as a token of grace from Him Who is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. By My life! In tribulation the glory of Baha hath increased, and He hath spoken from His most exalted horizon, summoning all unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is he that heareth and seeth, and woe unto every oppressor who hath perpetrated that which hath caused the denizens of the Kingdom, the dwellers of the realm of might, and the inhabitants of the pavilion of grandeur to lament in this resplendent station. Blessed is thy mother who hath arisen to serve the Cause and hath attained to serving My Name. We testify that she is a leaf who hath held fast to My Tree, who hath spoken My praise and clung to My robe in such wise that neither storms nor tempests caused her to fall, and who hath testified to that which God hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Conceal the Cause and whatsoever reacheth thee from the direction of the prison, lest the hosts of the oppressors become aware thereof. Guard the Tablet of God even as thou guardest thine eyes. Thus doth He command thee, in Whose possession is the knowledge of all things preserved in a clear tablet. The mention of My Name hath never ceased to reach My presence, and the mention of those who have entered the prison for My Name and My love, and the mention of him who gave up his spirit in My path in that exalted station. He was named ’Ali in the Book of Names and the Unique One in the Crimson Scroll which none hath beheld save My all-encompassing knowledge. God hath adorned the outer surface of the earth with his blood and its inner depths with his sacred remains. Say: O concourse of rulers! By God! We have not come to create mischief in your land or to lay hands on your riches and dominions. We have come to reform the world and to educate the souls of all nations. Fear ye God and be not of the oppressors. He calleth you to the most exalted horizon, while ye summon Him to the fire. The call of the oppressors is naught but manifest error. Consider Our Cause with the eye of justice and equity. He remembereth you for the sake of God and desireth naught from you. To this testifieth every fair-minded and discerning soul. Thus have We adorned the heaven of the Tablet with the stars of utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard and acted, and woe unto the heedless. The glory that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon thy mother and thy father and thy two brothers and thy wife and thy two sisters and upon every man and woman who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Countenance! Hear with thy Persian tongue the call of the Wronged One. The Truth in the Most Great Prison is wronged and forbidden, and seeketh a helper. Say: O friends of God and ye who drink the choice wine of inner meanings! The helper hath not been and is not outward hosts, nor hath it been or will it be manifest armaments. Rather it hath been goodly words, righteous deeds and spiritual qualities. O people of Baha! Aid ye the Wronged One through the hosts of deeds and character, and likewise through the hosts of patience and resignation, lest there appear from anyone that which would sadden hearts and disturb souls. All the hosts of the world cannot equal these hosts. The cities of hearts and minds are conquered by these hosts. How many cities and villages have, through one pure deed, turned toward the highest horizon and clung to the hem of the Lord of Names! Blessed is he who hath found and perceived the sweetness of virtuous character.

I counsel thee to calmness, patience and discretion, lest anyone become aware of thy mention, thy turning and thy devotion. Any matter that is uttered by the tongue will spread and become known, especially if it occurs between two persons - every secret that passeth beyond two will be divulged. Trustworthy and assured souls have ever been concealing, protecting and faithful. But discernment is difficult, for none but God is aware of what is in anyone’s heart. Although through the wondrous grace of God and divine favors, the Cause and Will are bright and luminous as the sun, there hath not been and is not any harm in discretion. Praise be to God, this Most Great Revelation hath forbidden all from that which is repugnant. The purpose of discretion is that if the people of doubt and fancy should become aware of thy turning to the highest horizon and the sending of tablets from the prison quarter, they would unlock the door of sedition and corruption with the key of doubts and fancies, and become the cause of clamor and croaking. The horizon of justice hath been seized by the clouds of tyranny, and the lamp of equity surrounded by the winds of oppression. Therefore they speak without awareness and walk without proof. In all cases We beseech the Self-Sufficient One not to deprive His servants and to grant them awareness. Verily He hath power over all things.

Convey repeatedly the greetings of the Wronged One to the honored mother, and gladden her with the favors of God. Her deeds are accepted before God and adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure. Grace hath reached such a degree that in God’s Book she hath been named the Mother of the near ones. Let her preserve this lofty and most exalted station for the sake of the Lord of Names. He Whose name is ’Ali - upon him be My glory, My favors, My mercy and My remembrance - hath mentioned her repeatedly. Today is a day wherein if anyone should manifest the tiniest deed for the sake of God, it would be seen in the mirror of divine knowledge as greater than the heavens and earth. Blessed are they that act! Blessed are they that attain! Blessed are they that are steadfast! Blessed are they that are firm! Convey greetings to all the family, both male and female, and gladden them with the splendors of the light of the Sun of utterance of the All-Merciful. Here endeth kindness for God’s sake, bounty for God’s sake, mercy for God’s sake. Compared to His favors, the favors of earth and heaven are as naught. Before His grace, the grace of all else is non-existent. From each letter of His utterance the kingdom of speech is stirred, and from each of His mentions the dominion of knowledge is enraptured.

What else can this servant say or write? Were it not for the sweet fragrances of the utterances of the Beloved of the worlds, the grief from the imprisonment of the Name of God and His loved ones would surely have caused spirits to be seized and would have banished all joy, delight and gladness into nothingness. In the early dawn their remembrance is my companion and intimate. By the life of our Beloved and our Goal, the lamentation of the heart has not ceased nor has the sorrow subsided. Yet despite all that was mentioned, since it is for God’s sake and has appeared in the path of His love, it merits an ocean of joy and deserves a heaven of delight. From the day this matter occurred, the Supreme Pen has not ceased to make mention in various tablets, nor has the Tongue of Grandeur chosen silence. His is the praise and glorification, and His is the thanksgiving in the hereafter and in this world. He can quench with one drop from the ocean of His utterance the thirst of one who has been parched for a hundred years, and with one breath of His mention He can bestow life upon one who has been dead for a thousand years and revive him.

This evanescent one conveys greetings and salutations to the people of that household and beseeches abundant good for each one from the Exalted Truth, especially for those who have migrated and attained, then for those who have migrated and attained. The mention of the honored matron, her eminence the mother, upon her be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah] the Most Glorious, cannot be contained in these pages, for her mention has been recorded and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Tablet, and her deeds are accepted before the Throne. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes from the Truth that she may ever remain adorned with this most wondrous ornament and be embellished and honored with the crown of His love. The mention that has flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur of His Holiness the Desired One is sovereign over all, and no thing among all things has equaled or will equal it. A hundred thousand blessings upon the soul that has attained to the mention of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

In these days, praise be to God, new letters have arrived from the honored gentleman, His Holiness the Name of God, upon him be from all 9 [Baha] most glorious. Blessing upon blessing, glad-tiding upon glad-tiding. This evanescent servant begs from the Truth that He may assist him to present that which is befitting and worthy. In these days, heart and hand and pen and ink all desire to write accounts for his honor, but time is like the phoenix and there is much work, as His Holiness the Name of God himself knows in detail. Among other things, in these days there are five locations where the honored travelers, upon them be the glory of God and His favor, are staying. If even a portion of their affairs are referred to this servant, it takes several hours. The matter of writing needs no mention. On this day a detailed letter arrived from him and was read twice in the presence of the Ancient Beauty and the people of the pavilion of infallibility and grandeur who were present. Once it was presented in the presence when some of the people of the pavilion of grandeur were present, then when others were present, He again commanded it to be read. Both grief and joy were felt from his mentions and statements - grief from the mention of imprisonment, and complete joy and gladness from the events he had mentioned. The gathering was very good indeed. It is very rare that all are present before the Presence. This is only due to the purity of heart of His Holiness the Name of God.

Regarding his mention of Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, and his request for favors concerning him and his mother and wife, upon them be the glory of God, the matters were presented before the Presence. This is what was revealed for Jinab-i-As, as a bounty from God, the Lord of the worlds. He says, exalted be His glory […]

In the Name of Him Who shineth from the horizon of the Kingdom! This is a Book sent down by the Sovereign of Might unto one who hath taken God as his Lord instead of men, that he may rejoice in what hath been vouchsafed unto him from One All-Knowing, Most Bountiful. Verily, We have mentioned thee before, and in this Clear Book. His grace hath encompassed the world and its peoples, yet most of them remain asleep. They have not awakened at the Call, nor have they been roused by the Cry when it was raised between earth and heaven. We commanded the servants to fear God and called them to the Supreme Horizon. Every knowing and informed one beareth witness to this, yet they turned away and denied until they disbelieved in God, the Lord of this wondrous Day. These are they who worship the calf and comprehend not, who mention the wolf yet perceive not. They hear the verses yet turn away from them; they behold the clear proofs yet remain heedless thereof. They have taken their own desires as lords unto themselves, to which the near servants bear witness. Blessed is he who is strong and hath cast away the world, and steadfast whom the might of nations hath not caused to slip. He is of the companions of the Crimson Ark. Woe unto him who hath remained heedless of this praiseworthy station. Joy be unto him who hath heard the verses of God, and unto the hand that hath taken His preserved Tablet. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the cord of their Lord’s loving-kindness, turning away from idle fancies and vain imaginings.

And this is what was revealed for the Mother of Alif and Sin. His words, blessed and exalted be He:

In My Name, the Manifest, the Witnessed!

O handmaiden of God! The True One, exalted be His glory, hath appeared that all who are on earth might attain unto His recognition and presence. Yet after the rending of veils and removal of coverings, most were found heedless and denying. How many among the divines and jurists who considered themselves the most exalted of creation were counted among the most abased after the dawning of the Sun of Truth. God hath made their highest ones lowest, and their lowest ones highest. How many dwellers of palaces have returned to their graves, and how many possessed of might are witnessed in utter abasement. By the life of God! Abasement lieth in denial of God, and glory in faith in Him. Do jewels, ornaments, palaces and thrones preserve man from divine chastisement? Nay, by the Self of God! Soon shall all that ye behold return to nothingness. Both the witness and the witnessed shall become non-existent and forgotten. O leaf! Praise thou the Beloved of the worlds, that thou hast been honored with His blessed word “O My handmaiden.” It behooveth thee to preserve this most exalted station through the name of thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Verily, He is with His remembering handmaidens and His remembering servants. The glory be upon thee and upon every believing man and believing woman who have believed in God, the Lord of the worlds.

And this is what was revealed for the consort of His Excellency Alif and Sin, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]. His words, blessed and exalted be He:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger […]

This is a mention from Us and a Tablet from Our presence to those on earth and to a handmaiden who desired the remembrance of her Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. We have at all times remembered those servants who heard and hastened when the call came to them from God, the Lord of the worlds. These are servants whom God hath described in His firm and perspicuous Book. O My handmaiden! How many a man was prevented from the Lord of earth and heaven through following his desires, and how many a woman heard, turned unto Him, and attained unto the knowledge of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. This is a Day wherein all things have testified to the Lord of the Throne and earth, yet most people are among the heedless. Some turned away, some denied, some disbelieved, and some pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice as caused the Faithful Spirit to lament. O My handmaiden! Give thanks unto thy Lord for having aided thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of His signs, Who came with manifest sovereignty. We have remembered thee and those women who have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Remind them on My behalf and glorify before the faces of My handmaidens who heard the call and answered their Lord on a Day wherein the pillars of the earth were shaken, the heaven was cleft asunder, and the Caller cried out: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign of this great Day!” The splendor of God be upon thee and upon the steadfast handmaidens and upon My steadfast servants.

Praise be to God! The rain of loving-kindness hath poured down, the ocean of compassion hath overflowed, and the sun of grace hath shed its radiance. This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings and salutations to each one. May they, God willing, be confirmed in that which is today the lord of all deeds, namely steadfastness in the Cause of God after having recognized His Manifestation.

As to what was written concerning the beloved of the heart, Aqa Mirza Ayyub, upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, and his wish and that of the honored mother, upon her be the glory of God - these were presented and were graced with acceptance. This servant conveyeth his greetings to the honored mother. The servant testifieth that she hath attained unto her Lord’s loving-kindness. Sufficient for her is that which the Supreme Pen hath testified in her behalf. Likewise, he conveyeth greetings to his beloved, T.B., upon him be the glory of God. In truth, they are remembered in this gathering; their mention hath not been forgotten nor have they passed from sight. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid and assist them in that which shall cause His mention to endure forever. Although this prayer hath been answered before being uttered, for praise be to God, they have been blessed by the effects of the Supreme Pen, and there hath been revealed for them from the heaven of the will of our Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven that which shall testify to their endurance in both the earthly and heavenly kingdoms. Similarly, I convey greetings to their brother and seek confirmation and success for him. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous.

Concerning the Huquq which was given to Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, Jinab-i-Amin himself wrote repeatedly about this matter in those days, and a receipt was sent to him. It is strange that it has not yet reached that honored one. Every soul who is enabled to pay the Huquq must receive a receipt for it. Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, is authorized by the Truth, exalted be His glory, to receive the Huquq. He is adorned with this distinction and honored with this name. Blessed is he! The revealed Tablets which were requested specifically for the aforementioned souls were, as commanded, sent in this servant’s handwriting. God willing, they will attain unto them.

At this time, when one hour and ten minutes have passed from Tuesday night, the seventeenth of Dhi’l-?ajjih al-?aram, having turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and the Supreme Summit, after arriving in the Most Holy Court, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these exalted words - His word, exalted and mighty is He: “O servant present! Write to ’Ayn and ?a, upon him be My glory: Thou hast ever been beneath the gaze of God’s favor, exalted be His glory. Be mindful at all times, for the remembrance of God hath ever been and is the cause of the heart’s enkindlement. Many are they who practice deception, artifice and guile. Guard thyself through the name of thy Lord, the Protector of what was and what shall be. Be not grieved by the discord in affairs. Verily, He is with thee and will aid thee, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. However, in affairs take counsel. Accept not the word of every speaker, and be not assured by every soul. Conceal what We have sent thee; it behooveth thee not to acknowledge this matter before all faces, for some souls are weak and become disturbed by the doubts of the divines and the might of rulers, and this disturbance gradually leads, God forbid, to forgetfulness and even to rejection. It behooveth thee and the loved ones to beseech God to protect His servants from all that He loveth not. Verily, He hath power over all things. We make mention of him who migrated until he arrived and heard and saw what was inscribed in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. And We send greetings to the other who visited the House of the Friend and what the Glorious One built by His power, and We counsel him to remain steadfast in this mighty Cause. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.” End.

Praise be to God! From the horizon of every letter shineth forth the Day-Star of God’s loving-kindness. Blessed are ye and joy be unto you! This evanescent one again conveyeth greetings to them and beseecheth from the Truth that which containeth the good of this world and the next. The Purpose Who knoweth the purpose of them that purpose and the hopes of them that hope ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth the good of the hereafter and of the former life. Verily, He is the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

As to your mention of the sealing, where am I and where is this name? How can I claim to be present when I count myself as lost? It is the ocean of grace that encompasses all, and the lights of favor that shine forth and continue to shine in every moment. In any case, I beseech God - exalted be His glory - with utmost humility and supplication, that He may recompense the trouble taken by that honored master, the Most Great Name - upon him be all the most glorious glory - and your honor and Aqa Siyyid ’Ali - upon him be the glory and favor of God. It is most clear and evident that this deed has appeared solely for the love of God, otherwise where am I and where are such matters? Since it has appeared for the love of God, it must truly be placed upon the eye, and oceans upon oceans of gratitude must be expressed.

Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Karim - upon him be the glory of God - has arrived these days and, praise be to God, has attained infinite bounties. He has heard what most of the servants were prevented from hearing, and has attained what was inscribed in God’s books and scrolls. What he had with him arrived in accordance with your letter, and he will be returning these days. This servant beseeches his Lord to protect him and aid him in what He loves and is pleased with, to make him speak in His remembrance, stand firm in His service, move by His leave, and walk upon His straight path.

And as for the kohl of jewels that was previously sent, the hands of grace passed it from hand to hand until it reached the desired land. Your honor has truly taken excessive trouble, but this kohl, while highly distinguished in name, must in practice be asked of ashes what station they occupy. Praise be to God, the letter ends in jest - this is another gift from God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne. Glory and praise be upon your honor, upon those with you, upon those in your household, upon every steadfast servant and every steadfast maidservant, and upon everything that has attained to the praiseworthy station.

=== END BH00180 ===

=== START BH00181 ===

He is the Ever-Living, Who hath ever been Self-Subsisting, the Truth, the Eternal!

Praise be to God Who hath manifested the Countenance through rapturous attractions, and caused the Leaf to warble with the mystery of the line from behind the veils. He hath revealed the Face upon the Throne of Ecstasy in fervent devotion, and caused the Beloved to speak forth in divine melodies upon the Throne of Nearness with enchanting tones, that there is none other God but Him, and He is the Beloved adorned with the Point-like ornament, the Essence of Eternity, with Us, an ancient Lord.

Praise be to God Who hath caused the Command to dawn from the rising of the morn of the Cloud through the sobriety of the Point upon the Throne of Words, and hath illumined the Light in all directions with divine rapture. The denizens of the Kingdom have become intoxicated in the Cloud of Holiness in the most hidden mystery through sprinklings of grace, and the dwellers of the Realm of Might have been effaced in the splendor of intimacy through the hidden mystery with overflowing bounties.

The Peacock of Glory hath cried out with ornamental adornings before the Divine Youth at the Point of Manifestation, the Unseen of all Countenances. Beauty hath been unveiled in the Garden of Eden before the manifestation of the Eternal Light through the singing of the Dove of Eternity with the attraction of faces. The Heavenly Maiden of Glory hath sung verses of effacement in the thicket of reeds, that there is none other God but Him, and that the Countenance of Light is the Sovereign of Manifestation in unity and eternality, and He is the Beloved through the hidden line and majestic sobriety, with Us, a Praiseworthy Friend.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Him Who reclined upon the Throne of the Cloud at the station of Thy sovereignty, and Who sat upon the Seat of Glory through Thy self-subsistent, divine, eternal, transcendent and singular Power - the Center of the Cloud in the Pole of the sphere of pre-existence, the Dawning-Place of Glory in the horizon of the heaven of holiness, the Throne of Manifestation in the Seat of the Cloud, and the Sphere of Concealment in the Identity of Beauty - through all that Thou art and wilt be, through the power of Thy Firstness and the might of Thy Lastness. Verily, Thou art God; there is no God but Thee, and Thou art, in truth, powerful over all things.

Send Thy blessings upon the First One Who called unto Him in the Mansion of Glory and drank the choice wine of consciousness in the presence of the dawning of the Sun of Beauty - the Pre-existent Countenance, the Eternal Being, the Self-Subsistent Leaf, the Noble Essence, the Divine Abstract, the Lofty Point in the Center of Connection, and the Magnificent Essence in the Countenance of Oneness - through all that Thou art and wilt be, through the beginning of Thy Self-Subsistence and the end of Thy Sanctity. Verily, Thou art God; there is no God but Thee, and Thou dost indeed encompass all things.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon the Last One Who communed with Him on the Throne of the Cloud, Who reclined upon the Seat of Manifestation in the White Dome - the Essence of Thy Self-Subsistence, the Abstract of Thy Oneness, the Pure One of Thy Divinity, the Camphor of Thy Radiance, the Sacred Point in the Temple of Thy Pre-existence, and the Center of Power in the Countenance of Thy Attraction - through all Thy conditions, signs and manifestations. Verily, Thou art God; there is no God but Thee, and He is the Light upon the Throne of Manifestation before Us, the Beloved, the Wise.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon the One through Whom Thou didst cause the foundations of Thy lands to quake, and the tyrants among Thy servants to be subdued, and the hearts of Thy loved ones to be attracted - the Divine Attraction, the Celestial Melody, the Trump-blast of the Horn, the Beloved Beauty, the Pure Dove, the Enraptured Essence, the Divine Abstract, the Identity of Consciousness, and the Effaced Leaf - through all that Thou art and wilt be in the sublimity of exaltation and glory, and the transcendence of joy and splendor. Verily, He is the Truth; there is no God but Him, and He is the Attraction in the Point of Effacement, the Cloud of Consciousness before Us, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I call upon Thee in this moment even as Thou didst call upon Thyself by Thyself before there existed in the kingdom any light from the lights of the treasuries of the court of the Sovereign of Thy Oneness, or any manifestation from the wondrous mines of the King of Thy Self-Subsistence. Thou art God; there is no God but Thee. Thou hast ever been manifest through the manifestations of Thy holiness and wilt ever be concealed through the concealments of Thy might. Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be powerful and mighty through the beginning and end of Thy glorification. None can witness a flash from the lightning of the fire of the Tree of Thy pre-existence, nor can anyone behold a light from the lights of the Countenance of Thy crimson glory. The most abstract essences of the Divine Realm are bewildered at the appearance of a gleam from the gleams of the fire of Thy Being, and the most sublime essences of the Realm of Might are intoxicated at a spark from the sparks of the light of Thy distinction.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can I call upon Thee after Thou hast caused me to abide in the atmosphere of Glory in the lowliness of the Cloud in solitude? And how can I not call upon Thee after Thou hast caused me to swim in the ocean of Oneness before the surging of the Whale of Glory? Glorified be the Beloved One of wondrous attraction, and the sovereign Truth supreme!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Who, through the subtle workmanship of Thy handiwork, hath manifested all created things, and through the power and authority of Thy noble command, hath brought forth all that was ordained, until Thou didst cause me to descend from the heaven of revelation unto the earth of acceptance. Thou didst order it through the arrangements of the cloud-wrapped realm by the conditions of Thy Self-Subsistence, and didst ordain it through the decrees of the heaven of glory by the manifestations of Thy Creative Power. Through Thy command didst Thou bring me forth, and by Thy power didst Thou manifest me, and nourished me from the fruit of the Tree of Light by Thy grace, and gave me to drink from the Kawthar of the sea of camphor by Thy mercy. Thou didst make me great through the sovereignty of Thy favor and the sanctity of Thy glory, caused me to dwell in Thy presence, and made me speak forth Thy call until I summoned all unto Thy call and drew all through the attractions of the melodies of the Dove of Thine eternity, and consumed all with the burning brands from the fire of Thy countenance, such that none remained in all existence save the beauty of the Sovereign of Thy Oneness, nor any soul on earth besides the visage of the King of Thy Self-Sufficiency.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Who was First before all things and wilt be Last after all things. All who profess Thy unity are as nothing before the radiant splendor of Beauty upon the carpet of the glory of the King of Thy Self-Subsistence, and all who are detached are brought low before the surging winds of Majesty in the court of might of the Sovereign of Thy Creative Power.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I know not for what purpose Thou didst create me, nor by what decree Thou didst raise me up. Wouldst Thou forsake me in the kingdom of Thy Cause after having made known to me the repositories of Thy might? Or wouldst Thou banish me from the court of Thy glory after having seated me upon the throne of the Divine Essence in the House of Paran at the outpouring of the light of Thy countenance? How could this be, when I am he who hath burned away the veils of glory with the fire of Thy Self-Sufficiency, and who hath dwelt in the shadows of the manifestations of appearance near the Tree of Thine eternity, and who hath made his home in the garden of camphor before the warbling of the Dove of Joy through the tenderness of Thy grace?

Glorified, glorified art Thou! I have found no beloved like unto Thee, nor do I desire to find any object of my quest besides Thee. All who ascend fall back to the limitations of their minds, and all who rise up descend to the geometries of their own selves. But Thou, as Thou art in Thyself, art sanctified above all mention and praise, and hallowed above all description and glory. For the most exalted abstractions of those who dwell in the cloud-realm were created by the wonders of Thy Cause, and the most manifest subtleties of the denizens of the realm of power were brought into being by the delicacies of Thy handiwork. How then can they ascend to the heaven of Thy might or rise up to the cloud-realm of Thy glory?

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I know not what Thou hast purposed concerning me. Wouldst Thou conceal the Beauty from the veils of glory after having honored me with the meeting in the garden of rubies in the Crimson House through the gracious favors of the Sovereign of Thy rapture? Or wouldst Thou drive me from the fountains of glory and bounty after having given me to drink the water of grace from the hand of Joseph of favor in the wilderness of the cloud-realm through the ultimate purposes of the King of Thy Beloved-ness?

Glorified, glorified art Thou! This is not what Thy sincere servants expect of Thee, nor what those who are detached among Thy chosen ones imagine. Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Beloved! Were I to weep throughout the eternity of Thy sovereignty and the duration of Thy dominion until all who are in the heavens and earth were drowned by my flowing tears, yet by Thy might, the sorrow of my heart would not be dispelled nor the burning of my soul be quenched. Alas, alas! The dwellers of the highest paradise would cry out upon the Throne of Glory, and the denizens of the realm of power would lament in the Most Great Throne, and the ruby-like ones would weep with the hidden mystery of the line upon yellow pages.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! How canst Thou not have mercy upon me after having shown me to be deserving of Thy mercy? How canst Thou not be gracious unto me after having seen me ready for Thy tenderness? Glorified art Thou, O my God! If the Beauty of Glory hath been disobedient, yet Thou didst nurture it through Thy power, and if the Face of Praise hath erred, yet Thou didst manifest it through Thy might. Glorified, glorified art Thou! Verily, I have been among the sinful in Thy presence and the first of the penitent, and I say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Therefore, O my God, send Thy blessings upon Him Whom Thou hast made hidden in the treasuries of Thy might and concealed in the pavilions of Thy glory, Whom Thou hast chosen for the glory of manifestation in the station of Thy performance, and Whom Thou hast selected from the Essence of Light to reveal Thy decree - the Essence of Identity in the mystery of the Divine Cloud, the Abstract of Oneness upon the Throne of Splendor, the Pure Being of Eternality upon the Seat of Immortality, the Eternal Reality, the Divine Essence, the Divine Tree, the Camphor Leaf, the Divine Pure Being, the Abstract of Brilliance, the Self-Subsisting Point in the sphere of holiness, and the Holy Ornament in the cloud of eternity - with all that befitteth the sovereignty of Thy camphor-like nature and the dominion of Thy divine essence, for He is the Truth, there is no God but He, and He is the Sobriety at the Point of Immortality upon the Throne of Splendor, with Us the All-Wise, the All-Praised.

Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Him Who was the mystery of Identity in the unseen cycles and the hidden secret of Oneness in the point of ages, Whom Thou didst promise the servants to manifest on the Day of Resurrection and to raise up on the Day of Return - the Unique Essential Being, the Eternal Reality, the Divine Identity, the Pre-existent Essence, the Most Merciful Abstract, the Holy Pure Being, the Word concealed in the veils of eternity, and the Letter treasured in the hidden secret of exaltation - with all that is possible in the glory of Thy beauty and the dominion of Thy majesty, and with all that exists in the treasuries of Thy power and the storehouses of Thy might, for He is the Truth, there is no God but He, and He is the Intended One in the unseen realm of Beauty, with Us the Sovereign, the Wondrous.

Therefore, O my God, send Thy blessings upon those whom Thou hast caused to ascend to the heaven of Thy loving-kindness and elevated to the cloud of Thy oneness, who have drunk the water of attraction from the dawning of the east of Beauty at the manifestation of the light of Thy eternity, who were thunderstruck by the power of the lightning of Majesty before the appearance of the fire of Thy eternality, whose hearts were attracted by the singing of the dove of the sovereign of Thy oneness, whose breasts were set aflame by the fire of love through the favors of the King of Thy holiness, and whose vitals were pierced by the spears of love through the bounties of the Presence of Thy Beloved - servants whom Thou hast made the repositories of Thy eternity in the treasuries of Thy divinity, and the suppressors of Thy eternality in the places of Thy holiness, and the dawning-places of Thy light in the setting-places of Thy glorification, and the rising-points of Thy manifestation in the ornaments of Thy lordship - with all that befitteth the sovereignty of Thy oneness and the kingdom of Thy eternality, for verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, and He is the Light in the essence of the Divine Cloud through the attraction of Glory, with Us the Beloved, the Ancient.

O ye dwellers in the realms of the mystic letters in the clouds of heaven! Hearken unto the warbling of the Bird of Servitude [seated upon the crimson throne], even as the Dove of Eternity doth trill upon the Throne of the Divine Realm with verses of splendor, and the Bird of Eternity singeth upon the Seat of Majesty at the White Point, and the Maid of Beauty standeth revealed in chambers of ruby to the right of the Tree of Divine Decree, and the Light of the Mystic Dove gleameth in the chambers of the Divine Essence with ornaments of glory, and the Peacock of Glory hath cried out in the heaven of Divinity with the sighs of the Dove of the Cause in the Garden of Light, and the Raven of the Divine Identity warbleth in the thicket of rapture with songs of ecstasy, and the Phoenix of the Fire of Love speaketh in the Valley of Attraction with the hidden mystery upon the Isle of Verdure, and the Nightingale of Unity twittereth upon the branches of the Divine Tree in the Garden of Beauty with the most hidden of secrets upon yellow leaves, and the Hoopoe of Eternity crieth out upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of Glory in the thicket of exaltation with the mystery of fidelity, that verily there is no God but Him and that the Primal Point is His servant and His beauty, and that the guides of the Living One are the letters of His Cause, all working by His command. Behold, the Steed of Unity hath soared aloft! Behold, the heaven of eternity hath been upraised! Behold, the earth of light hath been spread out! Behold, the Mount of Sinai hath been exalted! Behold, the Bird of Glory hath succeeded! Behold, the Point of the Book hath become manifest! Behold, the Word of Return hath been concealed! Behold, the Dove of Joy hath warbled! Behold, the Dove of Gladness hath sung! Behold, the Bird of Splendor hath been adorned! Behold, the Countenance of Light hath been unveiled! Behold, the Hoopoe of Heaven hath attained! Behold, the Form of Crimson hath been embellished! Behold, the Hidden Point hath been made manifest! Behold, the Maid of Beauty hath been revealed! Behold, the Light of Glory hath gleamed! Behold, the Tree of Destiny hath encompassed! Behold, the Peacock of Glory hath cried out! Behold, the Ocean of Divine Identity hath spoken! Behold, the Sun of Heaven hath risen! Behold, the Moon of Meeting hath been cleft! Behold, the hearts of the mystics have been emptied! Behold, the eyes of the steadfast have shed tears! Behold, the Dove of Glory with verses of sorrow hath warbled! Thus hath the matter come unto thee, O thou beloved one, with the outpouring of the greatest sorrow upon the pure hearts around the yellowed leaves at the Tree of Sorrow resplendent.

Glorified be He Who sendeth down verses as He pleaseth by His command! He, verily, is the Truth. There is none other God but Him. He bestoweth authority upon whomsoever He willeth among His creation. He distinguished the light and revealeth the verses, that men may be mindful in the days of their Lord. I bear witness at the outset of the Book that the Primal Point is God’s Cause and His proof unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. No eye hath beheld the like thereof, neither before nor after. All are His servants and all are sincere unto Him. I testify that whatsoever God hath ordained in the Book is truth, wherein there is no doubt. Let not the deeds of those who spread corruption in the earth and who will never believe in God to the extent of an atom, and who are not guided, veil thee. These are servants who have denied God and the Countenance of the Cause, and who have followed every rebellious satan. As to those who have believed in God and His signs, and have acted according to what God hath ordained in the Book - these are the companions of light who shall enter the throne of glory. I bear witness that the Manifestation of the Living, the Self-Subsisting hath appeared unto the servants from God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise. This, verily, is God’s Ark which hath sailed upon the sea of eternity by God’s leave, the Supreme, the All-Powerful. Embark therein, O people, and be not of those who are heedless in the days of their Lord. Say: Fear ye God, and be not like unto him who said “I shall betake me to some mountain that will protect me from the water,” and was among the drowned.

Say: None can protect anyone today from God’s decree save those who have embarked upon the Ark of Light. These are the companions of guidance. Upon them rest the mercy of God and a great reward. Say: The likeness of those who have turned away from thy Lord’s Cause is as the likeness of an iron hand placed upon the face of a mirror. Canst thou see any stability therein? Nay, by thy Lord, even were all possessed of power. This, verily, is the land of light, the garden of ruby. None can enter therein save those who have been clothed with the garments of Sinai by God’s command, the Most High, the Powerful, the Peerless. Therein are birds which, were but one of them to utter a single cry, would cause all who are in the heavens and earth and all who are in the dominions of the Cause to swoon away. But these shall appear when thy Lord willeth, with wondrous and beauteous signs. By thy life! Should anyone hear but a single note from that Dove in that Garden, his heart would be emptied of all who dwell in the kingdom. He would then purify himself for the meeting with the Beloved and would be among those who are assured of meeting their Lord. There are the fragrances of the Beloved which are stirred by the locks of the Well-Beloved. Whoso hath an unclouded heart will perceive the sweet musk-laden breezes thereof and will at once be struck senseless. For this doth God reward His God-fearing servants. He it is in Whose grasp is the kingdom of command and in Whose right hand are the heavens of utterance. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. I bear witness that the Manifestation of Him Who is Promised is the Point of Existence in the unseen realm of eternity. When time reacheth unto the Mustaghath or a letter before it, then will He appear in truth, though the idolaters be averse. At that time shall the trumpet be sounded, and all who are in the heavens and earth shall swoon away, save a numbered few of thy Lord’s chosen ones. These, verily, are the manifestations of light, dwelling in the garden of glory. Then shall the fire of divine unity be kindled in the White Tree, and the lamp of eternality shall shine in the Crimson Light, and the believers shall then receive glad-tidings. Thus doth the Dove of [the Hidden One] warble in remembrance of God’s Name, the Concealed, the Hidden, though all be heedless.

The Lamp of Eternity shineth within the crimson glass, and at that time the believers shall be among those who give glad tidings. Thus doth the Dove of the Hidden warble in remembrance of the Name of God, the Concealed, the Hidden, though all be heedless. I bear witness that I am a servant who hath believed in God and His signs and in the Manifestation of Light. God sufficeth as a witness unto me and unto you. Glorified be He Who sendeth down verses as He pleaseth by His command. He is the Truth, there is no God but Him. Say: All shall return unto Him.

O Letter of the Book! Bear witness to that which the Point of Servitude hath enjoined upon thee in the branches of those fruits, and be not of the patient ones. Conceal the Cause of thy Lord from those who hope not to meet God and from those against whom the decree hath been pronounced in a perspicuous Book. For the people will not believe in God for less than a moment, and have turned away from the Cause of thy Lord and were not of the guided ones. But thou, O beloved, grieve not for what their hands have wrought, nor despair at what they do. These are servants who will not obey God for the twinkling of an eye and are not of the righteous ones. Sufficient unto thee is the Lord of the Invisible and the Visible and the Manifestation of Light. Turn away from them, for God, thy Lord, is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

Leave them to plunge in vain discourse and play until they meet the Day when people shall rise before the Manifestation of resplendent attraction. On that Day shall men’s skins quiver, and they shall find no protector nor helper from God. Those who claim the Cause without clear proof or Book - these have forgotten the remembrance of thy Lord and are not of the assured ones. These imagine that God will not witness what their hands have wrought and will have no power to seize them. Nay, by thy life, evil is that which they have imagined. Verily thy Lord hath power over all things.

Say: Were you all and those on earth to gather together to produce a single bubble upon the surface of water, ye would be unable. How then can ye claim to be Lord of the worlds? Say: Woe unto you! Is there any powerful one besides God? Say: Glory be to God! He is God, all are His servants, and all are fearful of His awe. And is there any avenger besides God? Nay, by thy life, though all be powerful.

Remember unto them the story of Asaf. He was among Our sincere servants, and God had given him a letter from the Book, through which appeared what God had sent down in a glorious and beauteous Book. Glorified be He with Whom are the treasuries of verses. He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth among His creation. There is no God but He, the Protector, the Mighty.

Say: Be patient, for God’s promise is true. He shall gather all on a mighty day of truth, and shall recompense all for what they have wrought in the first life. Thy Lord is not heedless of what people do. It is incumbent upon all to repent and return unto God, that He may show mercy unto them and forgive them, for He is the Forgiver, the Great in reward.

Verily the hoopoe of glad tidings hath come from the city of Sheba with news that those who draw nigh are the successful ones who, when they hear God’s verses, fall down in prostration. Say: O people of the earth! How is it that ye are heedless of your Lord’s Cause? He Whose days all in the heavens and earth and all in the worlds await hath appeared in truth with clear signs, yet ye have turned away from His Manifestation. Fie upon you and upon what your hands have wrought! Ye shall be returned to the punishment of the blazing fire.

And for that which your hands have wrought, ye shall be cast into the chastisement of a blazing fire, and ye shall find none to befriend or help you. Say: O concourse of men! If ye desire to attain the presence of God, then behold ye the Countenance of Light, and this is a gift unto you, did ye but believe. Glorified be He Who aideth whomsoever He willeth through His command, and He is the Truth, there is no God but Him, and He is the Best-Beloved, ancient in eternity. Say: All shall perish while sovereignty remaineth with God, thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Almighty.

And then, blessed art thou, O beloved one, for having quaffed the sealed wine from the hand of a mighty, ever-living Sovereign. He it is Who hath chosen thee from among all men and made thee a witness unto all the worlds, and this is indeed a mercy from His presence upon thee and upon His sincere servants. Then do all that God hath enjoined thee in the former Book, and be not of them that fear. Verily He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth, and He is indeed a mighty, true Sovereign. Say: Were I to mention unto you what I now witness of God’s grace, the All-Subduing, the Great, all hearts would cease to beat and ye would return to your people in utter abasement. Then bear witness that all words return unto the Countenance of Light, and we are all returning unto Him. And whoso sayeth otherwise, upon him be the curse of God, and I am quit of him, and I am not of them that join partners with God. And verily I, with all these words, am as nothing before a single letter of God’s Book, the Mighty, the Wise. And how befitting is it for anyone to lay claim to this Cause? Nay, by thy Lord, none save the mischief-makers. And peace be upon thee and upon them that walk with thee on a glorious, mighty path.

=== END BH00181 ===

=== START BH00182 ===

Praise be sanctified above the understanding of all created things and the utterance of all contingent beings - praise befitting the Goal of all the worlds, Who through the rays of the Orb of the heaven of inner meanings hath illumined the people of the cities of justice and equity, and Who hath adorned the hearts of His servants, through the breathings of His Most Exalted Word, with a new and eternal life. Glorified be He Who hath created all beings, revealed unto them the Way, sent down unto them the proof, and made known unto them the Most Great News, whereby the limbs of such as have turned away from the Lord of the Ancient Days did quake, who denied His signs and His Manifestation, and disputed His evidence and His testimony, until they pronounced judgment against the Dawning-Places of His Cause, the Day-Springs of His Revelation, the Fountainheads of His wisdom and the Repositories of His knowledge, with such tyranny as caused the hosts of angels and the Spirit to lament, the tears of the mystics to flow, the weeping of them that are nigh unto God to pour forth, and the sighs of the sincere ones to ascend. Peace and praise and glory and splendor be upon His loved ones, whom neither the affairs of men nor the whisperings of such as have disbelieved in the Day of Judgment have deterred.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of utterance hath surged throughout creation and the fragrance of the garment of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, hath been diffused! Thou beholdest Thy loved ones in the hands of Thine enemies, and the righteous ones amidst the wicked among Thy creatures. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose will the Heavenly Table was sent down, the divine bounty appeared, and the Call of Sinai was raised when Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of manifestation, to protect Thy servants from the calumnies of those who have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, who have been seized by the fire of greed and passion, of avarice and transgression, to such extent that they have disposed of people’s properties, violated Thy sanctity in Thy land, rent the veil of Thy glory in Thy domains, and spread that which their desires and their waywardness had prompted them to do. O Lord! Adorn the heads of Thy loved ones with the crowns of steadfastness and triumph, and their temples with the ornament of trustworthiness and success. Thou art the Sender of winds and the Cleaver of dawn. There is no God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous, the One Who holdeth dominion over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Lord! Illumine the eyes of Thy creation with the light of justice and their hearts with the light of equity, that they may behold through Thy command with their own eyes and hear what hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy utterance with their own ears. O Lord! Deprive them not of the ocean of Thy bounty in Thy days, nor of the effulgences of the Orb of Thy grace. Thou art He through Whose Name power and its manifestations, might and its dawning-places have appeared. Not a thing escapeth Thy knowledge, nor can the oppression of the oppressors or the clamor of the heedless frustrate Thee. There is no God but Thee, the King, the Just, the One possessed of manifest truth.

And then, O Husayn, son of Mulla Ahmad! The servant present before the face of the Wronged One laid thy letter before Him and it achieved the honor of His hearing. Praise be to God that mention of thee hath repeatedly been made by the Supreme Pen - with this a single word whereof all the treasures of the earth cannot compare. Soon will be made manifest therefrom the stations of His verses and the station of whoso hath attained unto them in His days. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous.

The heedless souls in the great city are aflame with the fire of greed, desire and passion. They have forsaken trustworthiness, which is a divine trust amongst mankind, and have clung to treachery. Love of the ornaments and vanities of the world hath prevented such souls from drawing nigh unto the Lord of all beings. They have consumed the wealth of others and have cried out among their like, speaking that which was not spoken by those of old. Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.

O Husayn! We have given thee to drink from the cup of My bounty and have sent down for thee that which testifieth to My grace and My favor. Convey My greetings unto thy brother who is named Isma’il and give him the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for him from the heaven of generosity on the part of the Ancient King. We send Our greetings upon him and upon those whom nothing whatsoever hath prevented from My most glorious nectar. They took, they drank, and they said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens!”

I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, and by that which hath been inscribed in Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets, to make us among those who have held fast to the cord of Thy love and have clung to the hem of Thy mercy, which hath preceded all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. We make mention at this time of your sons and give them glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for them. Verily your Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who is named Mulla Muhammad, son of Haji Mulla Taqi, that he may rejoice and be of those who are thankful. O thou who hast turned towards God! Thy letter came before the Wronged One, and He hath answered thee with that which hath made the countenance of utterance smile throughout all creation. Exalted is the Most Merciful Who revealeth His verses and manifesteth His clear tokens and uncovereth the mysteries of existence from the unseen and the seen. We have answered thee with verses that have caused the mountains to pass away and those in the graves to be stirred. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thy letter hath come before the Wronged One wherein thou didst make mention of God’s loved ones, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have sent down for every name that which hath caused the sweet fragrances of My loving-kindness to be diffused and the sweet-scenting perfume of My wondrous utterance to be wafted abroad. We beseech God to assist thee to be steadfast in His Cause and to make thee a helper of His Cause in His lands. Verily He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O My loved ones in Shimmakh and in other lands! Hearken unto My most sweet call which hath been raised from the prison of ’Akka. Verily it guideth you to the Most Sublime Horizon and giveth you to drink of the Kawthar of everlasting life from the hands of bounty and bestowal, and illumineth you with the lights of My Kingdom, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar! The True One declareth: I have created the tongues of servants for My remembrance and brought ears into existence from sheer nothingness for the purpose of hearkening unto My call, and eyes for the contemplation of My traces, and hearts to turn from the realm of nothingness and extinction to the court of existence and immortality. Yet the desires of self and passion have prevented the people of this world from attaining the supreme heights, and the veils of tyranny and corruption have intervened. They cling to the name while remaining deprived of its Source, Revealer and Quickener. Wonder upon wonder and amazement upon amazement! The mere clay of the world hath laid claim to being, counting itself among the pearls of the ocean of knowledge. By God! The matter is not as they imagine. Soon shall they witness what they now deny. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Praise be to God! Thou hast attained to that which most of the peoples of the world are deprived of. Say: Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Desire of the nations, for having enabled me to turn towards Thee on a Day whereon most of Thy servants have turned away. I testify that Thou hast strengthened me and made known unto me that which guided me to Thy path, Thy Cause, Thy station and Thy utterance. Thou art verily the Most Powerful of the powerful and the Most Merciful of the merciful. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy father who was named Muhammad-Qabli-Mahdi. We testify that he attained unto the remembrance of God, the Goal of them that are nigh.

We make mention at this time of him who was named Mashhadi-Samad, that this remembrance may draw him nigh unto the Remembered One Who hath been imprisoned in the path of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne. O Samad! Hearken with the ear of thine inmost heart unto the call of the Wronged One. By the life of God! Nothing that is witnessed in the realm of creation can compare with this call. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest my poverty and the kingdom of Thy riches, my powerlessness and the dominion of Thy might, my ignorance and the ocean of Thy knowledge, my destitution and the heaven of Thy bounty. Deprive not this poor and needy one from the gate of Thy grace, and keep not this lowly one far from the court of Thy glory. Thou art He Whose generosity is such that all the generosity of the world is as naught before a single ray of the Sun of Thy generosity. O Peerless and Most Merciful One! Withhold not Thy mercy from them that ask and seek, and deprive not this barren land of the outpourings of Thy Most Bountiful Name. The hands of hope are raised toward the heaven of Thy grace. O Ocean of bounty and Heaven of giving! Guide the ignorant to the ocean of Thy knowledge and lead these strangers to their true home which is the station of nearness and meeting with Thee. Thou art the Sovereign of bounty and the One Who possesses the blessed word “Doeth as He willeth.”

O Pen! Make mention of Mashhadi-Samad, whose name was present before the Wronged One, that he may be assured that grace hath encompassed all existence and mercy hath preceded all that dwell in the heavens and on earth.

O Mahdi! Upon thee be the eternal glory of God! Hold fast unto deeds, for by them is the servant known, and not by words. He Who speaketh in every state beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, the Gracious, the Generous. We have sent down the verses and manifested the evidences, and commanded all to that which will preserve them and strengthen them in righteousness and godliness, from the presence of the Mighty, the Ancient. The proof hath lengthened its skirts, and the evidence hath encompassed all who are in the realm of possibility, and the light hath shone forth from the horizon of manifestation, and the Mount calleth out: “The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the All-Informed!” The Wronged One hath endured in God’s path that which hath melted the hearts of them that are nigh unto Him. The signs have been spread abroad and the horizons have been illumined by this effulgence, while the people of hypocrisy are in manifest dissension. They have changed God’s blessing into ingratitude, clinging to the Evil One without clear proof or manifest evidence. We make mention of thee and of them that have believed there, that the fragrance of the remembrance of thy Lord’s name, the Forgiving, the Merciful, may attract you, and exalt you amongst His servants, and make you among the letters of His mighty, resplendent Book. Glory be from Us upon the people of this exalted station.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of mankind and say: O my God, my Master, my Support! Thou seest me turning toward Thy Kingdom and hearest my call and beholdest my powerlessness, poverty and need before the ocean of Thy riches and the heaven of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the effulgences of the Day-Star of Thy justice, and by the station whereon Thy throne was established and wherein Thy call was raised, and by the lamentation of the lovers in separation, and by the light of Thy Cause whereby the horizons were illumined, to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, and ordain for me that which will make me steadfast in Thy love and standing firm in the service of Thy loved ones, and speaking forth Thy name amongst Thy servants. Verily Thou art the Powerful One Whom the might of the world and the clamor of the nations cannot weaken. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.

O Pen! Move all beings by the breezes of the revelation of thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Then make mention of him who desired thine effects, who was named Mashhadi ’Ali, that the greatest joy may seize him–the joy whose fragrance was diffused in the Most Great Scene, the station wherein the Lord of Destiny calleth and summoneth the people to the hidden mystery and to the most luminous, most pure station which was built by the will of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink from the Euphrates of Thy mercy through the Pen of Thy grace, and for having taught me Thy path and shown me Thy proof and Thy evidence. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause whereby the ships of Thy names sailed upon the ocean of Thy knowledge, and by that which hath proceeded from the mouth of Thy will, to make my heart illumined with the light of Thy knowledge, and my feet steadfast in Thy help, and my tongue speaking Thy praise, and my face turned toward Thy horizon. O Lord! I am the poor one, and Thou art the goal of all in the heavens and the earth. Strengthen, O my God, my limbs, and change my weakness through Thy power, then have mercy upon me through Thy bounty, O Thou in Whose grasp is the reins of all the worlds.

O Mirza Husayn! We desired naught for the servants save their deliverance from the clutches of self and passion, and We taught them and preserved them from transgression and wickedness, yet they cast aside what God desired for them and took what their own selves and desires wanted. Thus did their souls entice them. Verily they are among the most lost in the sight of God, the Beloved of the hearts of the mystics. Say: […]

My God, my God! Thou seest the oppression of Thine enemies and the tyranny of the wicked among Thy creatures. I beseech Thee by the Crimson Scroll which none hath beheld save Thyself, and by the things that have attained Thy presence, and by Thy most great signs and the manifestations of Thy power in the realm of creation, to make me one of those whom the agitation of the tyrannical ones of the earth hath not dismayed at the revelation of their might, and to aid me to perform that which is adorned with the glory of Thy good-pleasure. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have held fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. Ordain for me that which shall cause me to be detached from all else save Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

O Mulla Mahmud! The Wronged One remembereth thee from His glorious station that He may draw thee unto the court of His holiness and bring thee near unto the dawning-places of His Cause and the daysprings of His wisdom. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the nations, for having guided me unto Thy Most Great Name. I beseech Thee by Thy standing before the faces of all men and Thy call raised above the heads of princes and divines, to make me lowly before Thy loved ones and to cause me to take hold of Thy Book among Thy servants with a power that no weakness can affect and a might that no agitation can shake. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Ruler in the beginning and in the end. O Lord! Forgive me and my companion who hath believed in Thee and Thy signs, and ordain for us both the good of this world and of the world to come. Verily, Thou art the All-Bounteous, verily, Thou art the Most Generous. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Choosing.

We make mention of him who is named Abdul-Ghani and counsel him with that which illumineth hearts and faces. Hold fast unto the attributes and characteristics of God. This will exalt thee among the servants and make thee honored in all lands. Verily, thy Lord is the Counselor, the All-Knowing. Today the hosts that assist the Cause of God are goodly deeds and praiseworthy characteristics. One must assist the Truth through virtuous and acceptable conduct. Blessed is the soul that hath clung to the Truth and is detached and free from all else. The veils that have come between the people and the Truth have been and continue to be the idle fancies and vain imaginings of the divines of Persia. We beseech God to preserve all through His conquering power and to detach them from all else save Him. Verily, He is the Strong, the Powerful. There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Praised. The glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those whom God hath related unto thee. Verily, He is the All-Bounteous, the All-Generous.

O Gabriel! The Wronged One hath turned toward thee from the prison and maketh mention of thee that thou mayest find the fragrance of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and mayest say: “My God, my God! Illumine our faces with the light of Thy countenance and our hearts with the light of Thy knowledge. By Thy glory, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! What hath befallen Thee at the hands of Thine enemies hath grieved me, and the hearts of Thy loved ones have melted in their separation and remoteness from Thee. O Lord! Ordain for Thy sincere servants the reward of attaining the presence before the pavilion of Thy glory. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

O Mashhadi Muhammad! We have heard thy call and have made mention of thee through verses which God hath made a testimony from Him and a proof from His presence unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Hold fast unto the Most Pure Hem, turning unto the Most Great Prospect, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of destiny, for having turned toward me from Thy most exalted horizon. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who illuminest earth and heaven, by the hearts which Thou hast made the treasuries of Thy wisdom and the repositories of Thy love, to make me so strong through Thy power that neither the affairs of the world nor the opposition of those who have disbelieved in Thee and Thy signs shall hinder me. Verily, Thou art the All-Commanding, the Ancient of Days.”

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Mashhadi Hassan, then send down upon him from the heaven of Thy mercy the verses of Thy grandeur, that the fragrances of revelation may draw him to a station before which all regions of the earth have bowed down. I beseech Thee, O Bestower of bounties and Creator of nations, by the lights shining forth from the horizons of Thy Tablets and by Thy commandments which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book for the protection of Thy servants, to make me of those whom neither the censure of the censurer nor the power of the turbaned ones hath deterred. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy firm and unshakeable command.

We have desired to make mention of him who is named Mashhadi Abbas, that he may discover the fragrance of utterance and be of the thankful ones. We have manifested that which was treasured up and have sent down that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all worlds. The evidences of thy Lord have encompassed all things, and He Who was mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, hath come. Among the people are those who have taken the choice wine and drunk in the name of their Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous, and among them are those who turned away and returned to the nethermost depths. Blessed art thou and those who heard the call and said: “Yea, yea, O Lord of all beings! Here am I, here am I, O Lord of the throne and earth!” I testify that Thou hast manifested Thyself and guided Thy servants to the Dayspring of Thy signs. I beseech Thee to ordain for me and Thy loved ones that which will encourage them in Thy Cause and make them mighty through Thy power. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. The glory be upon thee and upon thy son from God, the One, the All-Informed.

O Kazim! The Wronged One maketh mention of him through whom the Self-Subsisting arose and the Sealed Wine was revealed. Turn unto My name and take it by My command, then drink in remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous. This is a day wherein God hath manifested His Cause and that which was hidden and treasured in His Preserved Tablet. Hearken unto the call from the direction of Akka; verily it will draw thee to the supreme horizon and bring thee near unto God, the One, the All-Informed. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to recognition and having shown thee His straight and manifest path.

O Ali ibn Ismail! The Glorious One maketh mention of thee with a mention whereat the idols fell down and the temples of fancy were shaken. Verily thy Lord is the Rememberer in the beginning and in the end. This is a day wherein the standard of certitude hath been raised and the banner of idle fancies hath been lowered. To this doth the Lord of all beings bear witness; He is the Mighty, the Bestower. Blessed is the slumberer who hath been awakened by God’s breath, and joyful tidings to the sleeper whom the call hath raised up, but woe unto every heedless doubter. The verses have encompassed all directions while the people are in wondrous drunkenness, save those who have cast away idle fancies and taken what they were commanded in the Mother Book.

Verily We desired to make mention of him who hath been named Nuru’llah, that he might rejoice in the days of his Lord and utter His praise amidst the servants. Blessed is the heart that hath turned unto Him, and the ear that hath heard the call of its Lord, and the eye that hath beheld His signs, and the head that hath been adorned with the crown of knowledge in these days. Glorify thou thy Lord with praise and say: Thine is the bounty, O Possessor of existence! I testify that through Thy Cause the worlds of the unseen and the seen have appeared, and the Dove of Utterance hath warbled upon the branches of manifestation: “Unto God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Bestower!” The treasures have appeared and that which was hidden and stored with God, the Lord of all men, hath been revealed. Beware lest anything prevent thee from drawing nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, each wave of which proclaimeth and saith: “Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth, and follow not every wicked impostor. Soon will come unto you a cawer who will call you unto the fire, or send you tablets from one who hath denied God’s proof and His evidence, and hath taken Satan as a protector instead of God.” Thus have We revealed unto you that which was hidden from sight. Blessed is he who remaineth steadfast, whom neither the tempests of the cawers nor the storms of calumny have moved, who hath arisen and said: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the earths and the heavens!”

And We make mention of him who is named Mulla Mahmud, who desired to attain Our presence, and We remind him of My verses and give him the glad-tidings of My favor, that he may be assured through the grace of his Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One. O Mahmud! The enemies have become a barrier between the Truth and His loved ones, preventing them from turning to the lights of His countenance. Therefore We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to inscribe the reward of attainment unto His presence for thee in the Crimson Book by the Most Exalted Pen. Rejoice thou in this great glad-tiding and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Dawning-Place of bounty and Source of generosity, and thanks be unto Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of names, for having remembered me and revealed unto me that which calleth out in Thy name among Thy servants. In truth, the divine tablets and heavenly words each proclaim in most eloquent utterance and give the glad-tidings unto the people of the earth and summon them to the supreme horizon. Blessed are they that hear!

And We desire to make mention of My loved ones in Usku and give them glad-tidings of the Ancient Beauty having turned toward them from His Most Great Prison, and to rain down upon them from the heaven of bounty the rain of grace and generosity. Verily He is the Almighty over what He willeth, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Hasan! This Wronged One hath from the first days until now been afflicted among the enemies, yet the might of the world and the turning away of the nations have not prevented Him from the mention of the Truth, and in all times He hath spoken in praise of the Lord of all beings. We beseech God to assist thee and grant thee a portion from the Kawthar of immortality which floweth from the Most Exalted Pen. He is the Dawning-Place of bounty and generosity.

O ’Abbas! Hearken with thy inner ear to the call of the Wronged One. Its hearkening bestoweth eternal life upon the soul and strengtheneth the limbs in such wise that neither the denial of the deniers, nor the turning away of the opposers, nor the might of the oppressors shall prevent one from turning unto Him and drawing nigh unto Him. Blessed art thou for having turned and heard that which the ears of the world were prevented from hearing, save whom God, thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful, willeth. Be not saddened by apparent lack of attention. Whosoever today attaineth unto God’s will is recorded with God as being among those who have attained His presence and meeting. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have believed in the One, the All-Informed, and upon thy son who hath drunk the wine of love from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Generous.

We have desired to mention My handmaidens in that place, that they may be gladdened by God, the Lord of all worlds. O handmaidens of God! Praise be to God that ye have drunk from the limitless grace of the Most Glorious Wine at a time when the men and heroes of the earth are deprived and forbidden. This supreme grace hath been and is peerless. The divines of the Shi’ih sect cried out “O Truth!” for years and awaited His appearance, yet when the morn of God’s Day dawned and wondrous fruits appeared from the Blessed Tree, all attacked with sword and arrow. Now from all pulpits they revile the Truth, exalted be His glory. In the early days they martyred Him with an oppression unequaled and unmatched, and in the end they occupy themselves with cursing Him, and likewise strive and labor to slay His loved ones, even as in these days the opposers in the great city have committed that which hath no likeness or parallel - that is, the Persian opposers have dishonestly taken people’s wealth and given some to the publishers of the Akhtar newspaper for spreading calumnies, although it is reported that the editor of Akhtar was not present, having gone to Europe. In any case, We beseech God to aid all to justice and fairness and to that which befitteth His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O Tuba, since thou wert mentioned in the letter, these exalted words were revealed from the Tongue of Him Who revealeth verses: O My handmaiden! Give thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath remembered thee in such wise as shall endure throughout the eternity of His dominion and kingdom and His names and attributes. All the treasures of earth cannot equal a single verse from the divine verses - to this testifieth every knowing and informed one.

O Husayn! We have desired at this time to make mention of thy wife who hath ascended, and We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to cause her to enter the highest Paradise. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful. By My life! Through My remembrance the ocean of forgiveness hath surged and the fragrance of God’s favor, the Goal of all mystics, hath wafted, and the doors of mercy, pardon and bestowal have been opened before her face, as a grace from the Lord of all creation. Verily thy Lord is powerful to do as He pleaseth through His mighty and wondrous Word. Praise be to God, for He is the Beloved of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Him.

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=== START BH00183 ===

O Mirza Mahdi, son of him who ascended unto God, upon them both be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], dated 24 Ramadan 1300

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious

The servant beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been and will forever be even as He hath always been, after acknowledging that He was sanctified beyond what will be and what hath been, and exalted above all names, likenesses and peers. He is God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. He hath sent forth the Messengers, revealed the Books, and manifested what He willed as a token of His grace, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

And then, thy letter reached Me and I was attracted by the fragrance of thy love for our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal. When I took it, opened it, read it, understood it and found it, I proceeded to the ultimate destination and supreme height until I attained His presence and presented it. Then did the Countenance turn toward me and spoke that which caused the fragrance of utterance to waft throughout all creation. He spoke, and His sweetest word and His grace that transcendeth all names is this:

In His Name, the Mighty, the All-Knowing

O Mim before Ha! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee even as He mentioned thee before, while the heedless surrounded Him from all sides. Among them were those who turned away, those who denied, those who disputed, and those who openly arose and pronounced judgment against God, the Lord of all worlds. They have imprisoned My loved ones with such tyranny as caused the dwellers of the eternal Paradise and the companions of this exalted station to lament. Thus did their souls entice them. We testify that they are among the most lost in the sight of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have made mention of thee with such remembrance as hath no equal on earth, and We make mention of thee at this hour as a token of My grace, for I am the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous. Grieve thou not over anything. By the life of God! The oppressors are in the abyss of self and passion. They are indeed among the distracted ones. Can anyone prevent that which God hath willed? Nay, by My Cause, which hath dominion over all who are in the heavens and on earth! Their likeness is as the likeness of children playing with that which profiteth them not. They are indeed in manifest error. Verily, he who pronounced judgment against My loved ones hath been seized by God with His might, and the angels of punishment received him, saying: “O vile one, come! The companions of hell await thee!” When he arrived, the denizens of the fire sought refuge with God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, from his evil and his vileness. He seized the other one through His power, and after these two He will send yet another soul. Thus doth He recompense the oppressors through His might, and He is the Strong, the Triumphant, the Powerful.

O Mahdi! The world hath been encompassed by the punishment of deeds. Each day it appeareth in a different manner and is manifested in a distinct way. Beseech ye God that He may, through His grace, enable all to succeed and guide them to the straight path. The heedlessness of the people hath reached such a degree that they are veiled from the cause of their own existence and from the recognition thereof. They walk in darkness and perceive not. Their desires lead them whithersoever they wish, and they understand not. With the utmost diligence and effort they have striven to extinguish the divine light, but God preventeth them through a command from Him, and He is the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. God willing, may they all gaze with the utmost steadfastness toward the horizon of the Cause and hold fast unto wisdom. Thus have We counseled before and at this time. Blessed is he who acteth according to that which he hath been commanded, and woe unto the heedless ones. The glory shining forth from the horizon of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those whom neither the oppression of the oppressors nor the ascendancy of the rulers hath frightened.

Praised be God that on this Thursday morning, the twenty-first of the blessed month of Ramadan, you have been enabled to remember God, exalted be His glory. This is a bounty that cannot be compared with all the bounties of the world. Although this evanescent one has apparently delayed in responding to your letter, God is my witness, as is your heart, that this delay and postponement has been solely out of love, wisdom, and lack of opportunity. At present there are many letters from the friends of God remaining, and this servant has not found the opportunity to respond. However, they are mentioned in the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Presence at the time of their arrival, and at that moment they are remembered. Therefore, if there is delay in sending replies, it matters not, for the essential purpose is that they be mentioned in the Holy Presence. As the Primal Point–may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him–has said, all exists so that they might be mentioned but once before the Divine Throne, and you, praise be to God, have repeatedly attained to this most exalted station.

With hands of supplication and hope, this evanescent nothing beseeches the Lord of Names to open a door before the faces of His loved ones, that all may become aware of the fruits of their deeds and their recompense, even if it be as small as the eye of a needle. By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and earth, whosoever attains unto this station sees the might, power, wealth, and dominion of the people of the world as the eye of a dead ant. Tribulation and hardship have encompassed the world, yet they remain heedless. More than this, at the decree of ignorant divines, they have not ceased to oppose those who have no purpose save God’s, whose aim is the edification of the world and the betterment of nations, and who have harmed not even an ant, let alone a human being. The government, due to various delusions, has likewise not ceased its oppression. For thirty years or more, the Supreme Pen has, day and night, commanded His loved ones to patience and forbearance, and has strictly forbidden them in the Holy Books and Tablets from engaging in unseemly deeds, actions, conduct and utterances that are unacceptable. Nevertheless, there has befallen the chosen ones of God that which has caused the hearts of the denizens of Paradise to be consumed with the fire of grief. Soon will the heedless ones behold the fruits of their deeds, even as they have seen the results of their past actions. Were this station to be explained even briefly, the fear of God would encompass all, and there would be danger of destruction. I end mention of this station with remembrance of the Desired One: Verily, there is no God but Him, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Amin, Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, he has been in the Holy Presence and has attained what God desired. These days, by command, he has gone to Beirut to enquire after the Afnan, upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Some of your letters have reached him and he has given them to this servant, and the details of each were presented in the Holy Presence. Among these was the matter of funds mentioned in both my letter and his–what he has written is correct and has been accepted. He has assigned it to reach Jinab-i-Haji A. H., upon him be the Glory of God, or his son in Tiflis.

Concerning what you wrote about the spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-Varqa, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious - after this news reached the Most Holy Court, a word was revealed indicating his protection, and His Holiness Afnan, upon him be all Glory, was commanded to convey it to him. From the land of Sh. they had written his details, and likewise his letter written from prison to one of the friends was sent to this servant. After it was presented in the Most Holy Court, He smiled. For the moment it became a cause of joy to the Ancient Beauty, as he had written his details to the authorities. Praise be to God, he was and is under the protection and shelter of the True One, exalted be His glory. This evanescent servant beseeches God to assist him in all conditions and to grant him that which befits His grace.

Mention was made of the Hujjatu’l-Islam - he is better than most. If one were to reflect upon the abhorrent, rejected deeds of the false one named Sadiq, he would pray for mercy for Hujjatu’l-Islam. First he lost a few dirhams due to an unseemly act, but second he sold the True One, exalted be His glory, and His Prophets, chosen ones and saints for outward glory. By the life of our Beloved, he has indeed lost and returned to his station. Moreover, from the first deed no trace of deception and hypocrisy was detected, but from the second, at every moment such deception was manifest that Satan himself would seek refuge in the All-Merciful. In any case, the helpless servants are afflicted in the hands of these oppressive, heedless, deceitful souls. It is hoped that God, exalted be His glory, will protect the helpless people from the likes of such “proofs” and guide them to the Dawning-Place of the light of absolute truth. In this most mighty, most holy Revelation, the hand of divine power has not given respite to the corrupt and oppressive ones. Nevertheless, they were not and are not awakened, and soon upon the couch of heedlessness their wailing and lamentation will rise up as they return to their abodes and are tormented by the punishment of their deeds. Glory be to God! One who cries out from a single fever - observe what pride and vanity he displays in health! Has consciousness not been created in these souls? Has the faculty of remembrance been taken from them? In all cases one must hold fast to God, exalted be His glory, and seek protection. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous, and He is the Hearing, the Answering One.

And concerning what you wrote about the honored beloved, the illustrious Nabil, upon him be the Glory of God - mention was made of him in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court and perfect bounty was manifested. In these days he has also written something to this servant. God willing, an answer will be sent to him. And concerning what was written about Jinab-i-Adib-i-’Arif, that is, the honored friend Jinab-i-Mirza-yi-Bahar, upon him be God’s grace and mercy - after the arrival and reading of the letter, this evanescent one turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and presented it in the Most Holy, Most Glorious Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke forth from the Supreme Summit, these are His words, exalted be His glory […]

O servant! Write a reply to them and convey greetings from this Wronged One that they may inhale the fragrance of My love and arise to that which befits this Great Announcement. Say: O Spring! God willing, may you adorn the world with the ornament of this Name, that all may be clothed in new and wondrous garments. This spiritual springtime has no peer or likeness, for the rain of mercy descends at every moment. The purpose is that the veils of error and the clouds of glory may be rent asunder, and the Sun of Justice may shine forth from the horizon of the heaven of equity, that all may witness themselves in a state of contentment with utmost joy and tranquility, and may shatter the idols of ignorant fanaticism which are the cause of corruption in the world and among nations, through the Name of the Lord of Eternity, that all parties may drink from the Euphrates of the mercy of the Lord of Lords on the Day of Return, and the horizons may be illumined with the lights of unity. In this way shall the world’s illness be cured and all shall attain everlasting health. Thus have We adorned the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the Sun of knowledge. Blessed is he who hears and acts upon that which he has been commanded by the wise Ordainer.

Indeed, this evanescent servant was gladdened by their letter and derived joy therefrom, inhaling from it the fragrance of love, for it was adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. Although outwardly the address was to this evanescent one, yet from every letter thereof wafted the fragrance of the mention of our Purpose and the Purpose of all who are in the heavens and the earth. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist them in that which will cause their remembrance to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Convey on behalf of this evanescent one greetings and salutations to them. A letter from the spiritual friend, Aqa Khalil, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], which he had written to Aqa Muhammad Husayn, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], was sent to this evanescent one, and after perusal was presented at the Most Holy and Exalted Court. Both he and the names mentioned in his letter were honored with the mention of God, exalted be His glory. O what a mention this is! Were it to be cast upon a rock, living waters would flow from it; were it to be cast upon a mountain, it would bow down before the Name of God; and were it upon trees, they would instantly bear fruit… When the servant regained consciousness, he beheld the Purpose before all names. Let that honored friend convey this greatest glad-tidings to them. In all circumstances, all must observe wisdom. When any name is mentioned at the Divine Throne, the rains of remembrance descend particularly for that one from the heaven of divine mercy, but the friends must observe the time and not let go of wisdom. Often someone claims love deceitfully, intending only to gather information, and God veils this, for the tale-bearer has ever been and will ever be detested. But the friends must look with the light of God and not open their lips until they observe the radiance of glory in a face. The Tongue of Grandeur previously uttered these exalted words, and this servant has repeatedly mentioned them: He says, exalted be He: “Believe not every speaker, and be not assured by every arrival…” and so forth, glorified and mighty be He. That honored one should convey these details to the friends of God, exalted be His glory.

The honored letter from His Excellency Nabil (upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God) has arrived. In truth, every letter of it testifies to his devotion and sincerity towards God and for God’s sake. Since there is intention to reply, this letter is written briefly. As commanded, His Excellency must observe the utmost wisdom. The people of Baha are permitted to visit Mecca, and the Ancient Beauty Himself (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him) would attend the mosque in Iraq and associate with every group there, dealing with all in the utmost spirit of fellowship - to such extent that at the time of His departure, people wept like bereaved mothers. Later, due to lack of wisdom, what happened happened. And now in every city some individuals appear with complete deceit, as in the land of M where by order of the oppressors and commanders, about three hundred horsemen along with two deceitful, crafty liars approached a village where divine friends resided. It is reported that they dispersed the horsemen, and the two deceivers who were leading the forces went to the house of one of the well-known believers and declared their faith. That poor soul, with complete sincerity and purity, fully hosted those two vile ones that night and informed some friends who gathered, thinking that two true friends had come either from the Beloved or from divine friends. Thus all hastened to see these two persons, and after learning about the approaching souls, they suddenly informed the horsemen who surrounded the companions of truth and captured them all. In any case, during these days it is possible that in other places too they may seek information through such tricks and deceptions. The friends must not believe every claimant and should not trust every newcomer until gradually what is hidden in hearts becomes manifest. “Deliberation is from the All-Merciful and haste is from Satan.” Through patience and deliberation, people’s conditions become known. Any countenance in which the radiance of Baha exists is distinguished from others. These points were mentioned so that the friends would be aware. Although if all heaven and earth were to unite, they would surely be unable to extinguish the divine light or suppress the fire of the divine Tree, and all would find themselves powerless, nevertheless the friends must move according to the will of God, exalted be His glory. Among the important matters has been and is the preservation of divine verses. Glory be to God! Despite this point being written repeatedly and sent to various regions, still in every land they have captured pure souls who had writings with them. It is as if they have prepared the Books, Scrolls, Psalms and Tablets of Truth just to surrender them. Their preservation is obligatory and essential for all. A hundred thousand regrets that the pearls of the divine ocean of knowledge have fallen into the hands of thieves and traitors. God willing, may the friends of Truth in that land be assisted in preservation.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name and by Thy power over the world to protect Thy loved ones through Thy might and assist them in preserving what Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Him, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

To each of the friends in that land I convey my utter nothingness and effacement, along with greetings and glory. May all be assisted in that which is the cause of the betterment of the world’s peoples. Those servants who have turned to none but the Truth and who, day and night, have had no purpose except the reformation of the world and the tranquility of nations - these have been accused of corruption. Yet they themselves know that those holy souls are innocent of what has been and is being said of them. But these words are merely pretexts and excuses for seizure, plunder, pillage and the like. Verily, the curse of God be upon the oppressive people who have transgressed in the earth, violated the Covenant, and denied what was sent down from the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds.

As for what was written concerning the dream, it was presented before the Most Holy Court. This is what the Kingdom of Knowledge spoke, exalted be His name and His praise: “That which was revealed to him in the realm of dreams is all evidence of steadfastness and proof of service. God willing, may he at all times be enabled to serve the Beloved Cause of the contingent world. Likewise it is evidence of submission and contentment, and martyrdom in sleep has been and is the cause of life. May he ever gaze toward and hold fast unto the Truth. Verily, He will protect him through His grace and ordain for him the best of what He has revealed in His clear Book.” End quote.

The glad tidings of this evanescent one are that his honor the beloved Amin’u’l-Bayan, namely Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, attained the presence and mentioned in the Most Holy Court such things about that honored one and the loved ones of that land as caused joy to the heart of this evanescent one. Likewise mention was made of the honored mother and brothers and sister, upon them be the Glory of God. A Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of favor specifically for that honored one, along with mention of the leaves - God willing they will attain unto it. Similarly, the names which that honored one had written were presented before Him from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden. This is what the Tongue of Utterance spoke in the Kingdom of Recognition, exalted be His utterance […]

O Mahdi! Upon thee be My loving-kindness! Blessed art thou and blessed are those who have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Those souls whom thou hast mentioned have all attained to the remembrance of God, and clear verses have been sent down from the heaven of divine will concerning each one. Blessed are they and blessed are their fathers and mothers, for the friends of God, exalted be His glory, have appeared from among them, and His pre-existent and all-encompassing mercy hath surrounded them all. Convey glad-tidings from the Wronged One of the horizons to each one and deliver My greetings. We enjoin all to wisdom and to that which conduceth to the glory of God’s Cause, and We forbid whatsoever obscureth the essence of man. O My loved ones in Ta! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One Who remembereth you in prison. Were the people of the world to know the station of the remembrance of God, and were each to possess a world like unto this world, they would surely sacrifice it to attain unto even a single word. At present these stations are concealed due to the world’s lack of capacity, but God will assuredly reveal them through truth. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Under all conditions, fix your gaze upon wisdom and hold fast unto it. Consider not every soul trustworthy, and be not confident in them, for among the trustworthy is found the treacherous, and among friends the false. Keep the pearls of the All-Merciful’s love concealed from the eyes of the treacherous and preserved from thieves. Thus doth the Wronged One command you. Verily, He is the Commander, the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the Generous.

In truth, adherence to wisdom is necessary and obligatory, for this command hath been revealed and established in most Tablets. Again, this evanescent one’s plea to the friends is that they keep the Tablets and writings most carefully concealed. Their being kept in rooms is not permitted; they must be preserved in hidden and secure places, and no one, whether from within or without, should be informed of their location. Every soul is responsible for safeguarding these precious pearls. Your honor and all the friends of God are aware that the purpose of this Most Great Manifestation hath been and is the reformation of the world, and anything else hath been strictly forbidden. Nevertheless, people are observed to be fearful and agitated, for these very acts of seizure, plunder, and pillage are evidence of the fear of both the perpetrators and the instigators. However, truth shall become manifest and the lights of justice shall encompass the world. The life of tyranny is very short. Would that the people knew, understood and comprehended! The Glory that is manifest, evident and shining from the horizon of the bounty of our Lord be upon you and upon those with you and upon His loved ones in that land.

=== END BH00183 ===

=== START BH00184 ===

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

Praise be to God Who created all things through the movement of His Most Exalted Pen, and through that which appeared therefrom distinguished between the parties. Blessed be God, the Lord of lords and the Sovereign of beginning and return, Who through a single effulgence from the Sun of His Cause drew the sincere ones to Him, caused the near ones to soar, and moved the unitarians to hasten to the seat of detachment–that station wherein no mention is made of self, nor of will, nor of desire, nor of hope. Exalted is this station which none has attained save he who is detached from all that is with him and who has become extinct in the will of his Lord, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, He in Whose grasp lies the kingdom of the next world and of the first.

Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Who can describe Him when the Messengers have confessed their powerlessness and the Prophets have acknowledged their failure to attain unto Him? How exalted is this Most Supreme, Most Resplendent Station and this Most Holy, Most Sublime Rank! By the life of the Beloved! This is an atmosphere unto which the birds of hearts and minds cannot soar, a station which God has made to transcend all mention of limitation and bounds.

I pray, I send peace, and I glorify those whom vain imaginings have not prevented from acting in accordance with that which exalts the Cause of God, the Lord of all beings. They are they who have cast aside their desires and have taken hold of that which their Lord has commanded them. They are servants whom God has described in the books of the past and of the future, and of whom both Truth and creation have spoken. Blessed is he who walks in their footsteps and follows that which has proceeded from their deeds in the path of God, their Creator and their Fashioner. The atoms themselves bear witness that they are honored servants who speak not until He has spoken, and who act by His command.

O beloved of my heart! The servant has been blessed with your letter which told of the love of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all worlds. When I opened it, read it and understood it, I proceeded to a station that was sanctified above the mention of loftiness and lowliness, and purified from the indication of all possessed of grandeur and exaltation, until I attained the presence before the Throne and, after permission was granted, presented what was mentioned therein. When it was completed, I found the Beloved walking silently for a time. Then the Ancient Beauty turned His face toward this evanescent one and said, exalted be His grandeur: “We love to mention him as We mentioned him before, and We love to see him as befits the days of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. We caused him to hear Our call and showed him what was hidden from other servants, as a grace from Us, for We are the All-Bountiful, the Generous. It behooveth him to be evanescent from himself and abiding in God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. O seeker! We have sent down for thee that from which the dawn of utterance hath broken forth in the contingent world, that thou mayest arise to serve thy Lord and thank Him at all times. Look not upon the world and its affairs, but look to what God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, commandeth thee. Where are they who prided themselves on their treasures, their stores, their ornaments, and what they possessed of pictures and statues? And where is their dominion and their grandeur, and what prevented them from God, the Lord of the worlds? Among them were those who disputed, those who turned away, and those who disbelieved and pronounced judgment against those through whom the eyes of knowledge were solaced in the contingent world. Thus doth thy Lord, the All-Merciful, recount unto thee that thou mayest be among the steadfast. Had the world any worth before God, this mighty prison would not have been the seat of His Throne. We have sent down for thee aforetime that whereby thy mention was established in creation. He Who hath spoken at all times beareth witness that there is no God but Me, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness, be sincere for My sake, and do that whereby the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, may be exalted. By Him Who created what was and what will be through a word from Him, if thou couldst hear the scratching of My Pen and find the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, thou wouldst forsake all creation and arise to accomplish what thy Lord, the Bestower, the Generous, hath desired. O seeker! God willing, may thou at all times take thy portion from the ocean of divine bounty and receive thy share from the sun of divine generosity. O seeker! Fix thy gaze upon God alone and associate with His loved ones with utmost love, especially with those souls who are seen to be detached from self and who circle round the will and purpose of God. Hearken unto the call of the All-Informed Counselor Who, for the sake of God, hath turned toward thee on this night of the blessed month of Ramadan and counseleth thee with words whose fragrance hath perfumed the world: Pass beyond thyself in My path and fix thy gaze upon My will. I swear by the Sun of Revelation, shining from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings, that if thou holdest fast to what hath been mentioned, thou shalt soon witness its effect and fruit. Verily, whosoever today is effaced in the will and purpose of God, God - exalted be His glory - will assuredly elevate him and cause him to attain high stations. The glance of God’s favor hath been and is upon you. Blessed be thy father, again blessed be thy father, who hath turned away from all else save God and hath turned toward the Friend.

By My life! He sought the Most Exalted Goal in the City of Mystery, and his heart was aflame with the fire of the love of God. When he entered and attained his goal, he cried out and lamented like those who have lost their beloved. We found him moved by the Will of his Lord, the Hand of Power turning him as it pleased. Thus was the matter decreed when thy Lord was in a glorious station. We make mention of him on this night as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest read and be of the thankful ones.

Blessed art thou, O Moses, for thou hast heard what the Speaker of the Mount uttered on the Mount of Revelation, and hast drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. I testify that thou art he who hearkened to the Call, turned to the Most Exalted Horizon, hastened to the Most Great Ocean, and attained unto it and unto that which none among the servants have attained save those whom thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, wished.

O Moses! Rejoice thou in the Supreme Companion, for We have caused thee to hear Our sweetest call, shown thee My Most Glorious Beauty, and raised thee to such a station that the people of Paradise and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names make mention of thee. Blessed art thou for having heard, responded, recognized, and attained unto the station of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Thou art he who bore hardships in My path and heard in My love what no ear among the servants hath heard. To this beareth witness the Lord of creation in this Clear Book. Upon thee be My remembrance, My glory, My loving-kindness, My mercy, My grace, My favors and My gifts, which have preceded all created things.

O seeker! Recite these exalted words which have been revealed from the Preserved Tablet and walk in His footsteps. He verily will elevate thy station and ordain for thee that which shall profit thee in every world of His worlds. Hath anyone ever been seen to move for the sake of God and be deprived of the wondrous tokens of His grace? Nay, by His own Self, the True One! Whoso is for God, God is for him. This is the blessed word which hath formerly shone forth from the Dayspring of God’s Will. Hold thou fast unto it and be of them that attain. If thou shouldst drink from the chalice of these utterances which have appeared from the Kingdom of divine knowledge, thou wilt pass beyond thyself and all creation, and wilt move according to the will and purpose of thy peerless Beloved. He desireth for thee naught save that which shall exalt thee and draw thee near unto God, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Indeed, the utmost bounty hath been shown to thee from the Dawning-Place of the Cause and the Dayspring of verses, in that He hath, with perfect kindness, taught that which shall cause the elevation of thy rank, station and glory, and likewise shall guide the servants to the horizon of His Cause and that which God loveth and desireth. This evanescent servant hath ever been occupied with the mention of that spiritual friend, and thy heart hath testified and doth testify to the degrees of sincerity and love of this ephemeral one. God willing, it is hoped that thou wilt gird up the loins of service and exert mighty efforts for the unity of the loved ones, and that thou wilt reflect upon that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and act upon it without regard to thyself and the world. Then wilt thou taste the sweetness of servitude and obedience, preferring it above all the pleasures of the world. And after ascending to this most exalted and sublime station, thou wilt witness the bounty of the True One, and at that time thou wilt have attained unto the station whereof He hath said: “Cast away thyself, then come.” And whosoever attaineth unto this station hath drunk from the ocean of reunion and received his portion of the divine presence, which is the first, most excellent and greatest of all deeds. This servant hath repeatedly heard these words from the tongue of the All-Merciful. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid us in pure servitude to God alone and in sincere love for His chosen ones and holy ones.

Today is the day of servitude. Would that I had attained unto it! This servitude–its essence is servitude itself. The way is barred and the search rejected. This is complete servitude which hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the Will of the King of Oneness. Whosoever attaineth unto this station hath attained unto all good. Beseech ye God that He may cause you, this servant, and all to attain unto this most exalted rank and this primal pearl. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Were people to come with fairness, they would acknowledge that which God–exalted be His glory, universal be His bounty, and great be His majesty–hath commanded, and would observe that its benefit returneth unto their own selves. Verily, He is the Holy One, the Sanctified, above all works and deeds. Exalted be our Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

O my master and beloved friend! Many expressions of favor have appeared from the Dawning-Place of grace concerning you, for your communications were beyond moderation, displaying countless instances of discord and disruption. For a time, this servant was deep in thought as to how to present this to the Most Holy Court, for the Primal Point - may our souls be sacrificed for His sake - strongly emphasized that nothing which carries the fragrance of sadness should be presented at the Most Holy Court. When one of the Letters of the Living asked Him Who God Shall Make Manifest - exalted be His glory - about this, the Exalted One responded in such a way as to effectively banish him. How much more so for words that would cause grief to the Beloved of the worlds! God forbid! With a hundred thousand entreaties and a hundred thousand secret supplications of utter helplessness and humility, this evanescent servant sought to present these matters in such a way as not to cause sadness to the Ancient Beauty. In any case, after presentation it was observed that the ocean of mercy was not disturbed by the blowing of various winds, nor was the mountain of patience moved by the trembling of the earth. You must, with your outer and inner ears, your outer and inner heart, and your outer and inner eyes, be watchful and expectant of the divine command. The Primal Point - may our souls be sacrificed for His sake - says that if He should pronounce the earth to be heaven or heaven to be earth, it is the truth, and whoever utters the slightest objection is counted among the opposers. He also states that if He so wills, He can declare all who are on earth to be prophets by a single word. Indeed, countless such statements have issued from the Primal Point. If one reflects on this single phrase alone - “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth” - it suffices. God willing, you should be the cause of guidance and unity for the people, and like the water of life for the servants. Certainly, were it anyone but you, this servant would never have engaged in such submissions. By Him Who is singled out for tribulation and unique in His decree! Since this servant’s heart has ever been adorned with love for you, he considered it necessary, nay obligatory, to present these matters. By Him Who holds my soul and spirit in the grasp of His power! If the veil were to be lifted and even less than a needle’s eye of what is hidden were revealed, all people would arise to serve and would sacrifice all they possess - body, form, soul, and all else - at the feet of the Friend. As for what you mentioned regarding your affairs, God willing, they shall be set right, for the gaze of favor has been and continues to be directed toward you, and its effects will surely become manifest. If, God willing, we attain His good-pleasure, all matters will become easy and simple. One must not let opportunity slip away nor waste time, but strive with the utmost effort and endeavor, with divine assistance, to make up for what has passed. We are not in despair of His mercy, grace and generosity. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

With regard to what you wrote concerning the people, it was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what God hath revealed in reply: May you, through divine grace, be successful and receive your portion from the effulgences of the Sun of Truth. O My handmaiden! We have mentioned thee before as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the Generous. We counsel thee with what We have revealed in the Book. This is the Day that hath been mentioned in all divine Books and unto which all have been promised. Now consider what befitteth this divine Day. The handmaidens of God must engage in the remembrance of the true Beloved in utmost sanctity and detachment. They must make their hearts treasuries of the pearls of His love and fix their gaze upon His horizon. Rejoice thou in having attained unto My remembrance, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

O seeker! Make mention of thy brother from Our presence that he may gain certitude through the grace of his Lord and hold fast unto that which hath been enjoined in My perspicuous Book. The servant present before the Throne hath mentioned him. We have turned toward him and remembered him from this exalted, mighty and impregnable station. Say: Beware lest the hints of those who have turned away and denied God, the Lord of all worlds, sadden thee. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s grace, then make mention of Him among myriads of those near unto God. We have found from thee the fragrance of My love. We have turned toward thee and mentioned thee with that which gladdeneth the hearts of those who have drawn nigh. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest read them and be of the thankful. The glory be upon him and upon his wife who hath turned unto and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. We send Our blessings from this station upon him and upon her, a mercy from Our presence. Verily He is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.

Make mention of thy sisters from My presence and give them the glad-tidings of My grace that hath encompassed all things. We make mention of them with a mention whose fragrance shall endure in the realm throughout the duration of the Kingdom. They must act in accordance with what they have been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. His is the power to forgive them as a bounty from His presence, and He is the All-Forgiving, the Kind.

The handmaidens of God must engage in the remembrance of the Beloved of all possibility with the utmost joy and fragrance. Intoxicated with the wine of the love of God, exalted be His glory, they must not regard creation and all that it contains. We counsel all to that which befitteth this Day. The entire world cannot equal the descent of the word “O My handmaiden” from the Ancient Tongue. Now reflect upon this supreme bounty and greatest favor and be grateful unto God. Fix your gaze upon God alone and be detached and free from all else. All must drink from the cup of certitude and assurance and act according to God’s commandments. The Day is glorious, pure, bright and resplendent. Your deeds must accord with this Day. From this station We send Our blessings upon their faces and upon the faces of those women who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving.

As for your mention of the wife of Aqa Mirza Ashraf and mention of Aqa Fadlu’llah and Shukru’llah, it was presented before the Throne. He showed favor to each one - may our spirits and the spirits of all the world be a sacrifice for His grace. The Sun of grace rises and shines upon each of the friends who have drunk from the Kawthar of life and the Salsabil of certitude. This servant beseecheth and imploreth God to assist all to that which pleaseth Him. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this station and drunk the wine of recognition from the hand of the grace of the Beloved of all possibility.

O Nasru’llah! Thy mention hath come before the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee that which cooleth the eyes through the tablets. Through My Name the ocean of grace hath surged and the fragrance of bounty hath wafted, yet the people remain heedless and veiled. Beware lest the people prevent thee from the path of God or the allusions withhold thee from that which thy Lord, the Revealer of verses, hath intended. By God! The Salsabil hath flowed and the water of life hath streamed forth and the sealed wine hath been unsealed by the finger of the will of the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto My Book, then do that which the All-Bountiful hath revealed therein. Thus doth command thee He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a speaking Book. He speaketh: there is none other God but I, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Cast away what thou hast and take what thou art bidden by God, the Lord of Lords. Be humble before God’s command and silent when His verses are recited. Thus doth thy Lord command thee from this station. The glory be upon thee and upon thy two brothers and upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant in the beginning and the end.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My throne which hath been established in the prison land through that which the hands of the heedless have wrought. Reflect upon the power of thy Lord and His sovereignty. Verily He, after His arrival in the Most Great Prison, summoned all in the world unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. There remained no king whom We did not mention as a bounty from Us, and no servant whom We did not guide to My straight path. Among the people are those who turned away and those who cast aside the world and turned to God with illumined hearts. Thus doth the Beloved mention thee that thou mayest be among the thankful. Purify thy heart from allusions, turn thy face toward God and say: I repent unto Thee, O God of the worlds.

Blessed is My servant who hath turned unto My face, soared in My atmosphere, been imprisoned in My path, and been expelled for My Name - he who hath been named in the kingdom of My names “Haydar-’Ali”. Verily he hath attained unto My days, drunk the choice wine of My love, responded to My call, submitted to My sovereignty, been humble before My manifestation, been moved by My will, turned by My command, departed by My leave, and journeyed through the lands in his eagerness to propagate My Cause. By My life! Nothing in existence can equal that which hath been revealed for him in this moment from My Most Exalted Pen, which speaketh betwixt earth and heaven that there is none other God but I, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We were with him when he migrated for the sake of God and traveled through the lands and acted according to that which was commanded by God, the Sovereign of Kings. O Haydar-’Ali! Drink from the Kawthar of life time and again, and this time which God hath sanctified beyond the mention of limitations and allusions, He Himself giveth thee to drink from this cup which hath appeared in human form. Blessed be the All-Merciful, the Intended One of what was and what shall be. O Haydar-’Ali! Believe not every speaker, hearken not unto every crier, and trust not those who claim faith in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Thus doth counsel thee He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet. Thou art he who hath remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His testament, and there hath been revealed for thee that which shall not be overtaken by annihilation throughout the duration of the kingdom and the realm. Preserve this most exalted station and associate with those who love God and follow that which they have been commanded by the Lord of existence. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s grace, then act as thou art bidden and trust in Him in all circumstances. Verily, He is with whosoever hath intended His Cause and risen to serve this Wronged One.

As regards what you wrote concerning the wife of Mishkin-Qalam, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, repeatedly from the Most Exalted Tongue was heard this blessed word: their care is beloved in all circumstances; they are mentioned before the Divine Throne and are recipients of divine favors. Blessed is he who honors their resting place purely for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. If they should proceed to Cyprus - that is, if arrangements can be made for them to travel with joy and fragrance - there is and would be no objection. If they are able to remain in that place, that too is beloved.

For each of the names that were in your letter, through pure bounty and special favor, magnificent and exalted verses were revealed. God willing, they will attain to hearing them and will discover their sweetness. O beloved of my heart! Often it happens that some hear the divine verses but are deprived of their meaning and sweetness. This evanescent servant at all times beseeches and hopes from God, exalted be His glory, that He may grant His friends a station beneath the tree of His care, that perchance they may remain protected from the heat of rebellious souls and attain to that which He loves and with which He is well-pleased.

Convey greetings to all the friends who are in truth gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon and are detached from all else but God, and make mention of them. In this dawn of hope, when the world has been illumined by the lights of the Sun of Manifestation, arise to promote the Cause with utmost love and unity, and may you all be seen as a single circle. Soon, all that brings joy or sorrow to man will return to nothingness, and that which is everlasting and enduring has been and will be the mention of God, exalted be His remembrance and exalted be His utterance.

The Kawthar is present, the Cup-Bearer is manifest, the spiritual springtime is apparent. Negligence is not permitted. With utmost humility and supplication, beseech and implore the Self-Sufficient One that He may not deprive this servant and all the friends. The glory be upon you and upon those whose names you mentioned in your letter and for whom God, the Lord of the worlds, revealed what He desired.

The Servant

7 Ramadan 1297

It is submitted that some time ago Mulla Muhammad-Sadiq from K., who resides in Qum, wrote and sent a letter to this servant, and there was some delay in sending the reply. Now it has been sent to you to deliver to the mentioned person. Likewise, three Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets specially for him and his two sons have been sent with Mulla Muhammad-’Ali Dahji. Give them this glad tiding.

Another submission: one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will specially for your sister and has been sent; deliver it to her.

=== END BH00184 ===

=== START BH00185 ===

My esteemed and honored beloved, the venerable Nabil from the land of […], upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. May he observe:

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

How excellent, how excellent is the caravan of utterance, bearing the gift of inner meanings! Each letter thereof brought forth the joy of roses, and each word bestowed the exhilaration of wine. From it emanated the freshness of the soul, and from its melodies proceeded a feast for the ears. Whatever interpretation is given accords with it, and whatever is said agrees with it. God knows that its mention heralded the days of attainment. It seems as though word and meaning in this station have become confidants, harmonious and embracing, for its words manifested the decree of meaning, and its meaning revealed the mystery of words.

The distinction and detail of this station transcend human comprehension, for they are intoxicated with the wine of pride and deprived and veiled from the outpourings of the days of manifestation. The condition of the various factions is known and evident and clear, requiring no mention. In one station, this exalted word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of Names - exalted be His glory: “May God hasten His relief,” which yielded “May God hasten their punishment.” Yet it is astonishing that the people of the Bayan have not reflected upon the deeds and words of the Shi’ites, despite the fact that the falsehood of those souls and their rebellion became manifest to all the world. Nevertheless, these heedless souls are occupied with the words and deeds of those people.

This exalted word was revealed from the Supreme Pen in these days in response to the questions of Jinaab-i-Samandar - upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. His word, exalted be His glory: “Now it becomes clear that they have newly undertaken to renew the deeds and words of the past. They have adorned the steed of vain imaginings with the saddle of passion and set out for the journey to Jabulqa and Jabulsa. May God protect us and the company of those near to Him from the evil of these people.”

This evanescent servant beseeches night and day and seeks the protection of the servants, and likewise asks for their success and confirmation, that all might attain unto hearing and sight and not remain deprived of the ocean of divine mercy. This evanescent one is bewildered every moment - have the people of the Bayan not recognized the words and deeds of the past? The Shi’ites possessed not one word of truth; they uttered various calumnies in the name of truth, and those calumnies became the cause of the shedding of the blood of the Beloved of the world, and the Lord and Sovereign of existence was imprisoned in the prison of Akka.

That heedless faction considered themselves the highest of religions, and were so proud of what they possessed that, in the words of common folk, Pharaoh could not match their conceit. In the end it became clear that the Blessed Beauty, Whose mention occupied them night and day, they slew with their own hands. Now the people of the Bayan are newly occupied with their ancient utterances - may God forsake them and fight against them. They have not understood even this much: that today is the Day of God, wherein none is mentioned but Him. Although the days of every manifestation may in one sense be called the Day of God, yet this Day is, in all the Books, Psalms and Scriptures, specifically God’s and attributed to Him. By His exalted glory, with a hundred thousand hands I beseech and hope that He will, with His mighty hands, either prevent the people of the Bayan or guide them. He is powerful and mighty over all things.

Glorified art Thou, O God of earth and heaven and Lord of all mankind! I beseech Thee by that which was hidden in Thy knowledge, inscribed in Thy Book, and recorded by the Pen of Thy Command, to aid Thy servants to acknowledge Thy unity and confess Thy singleness. O Lord! Withhold them not from the ocean of Thy grace and the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou knowest what is in their hearts and hast power to transform and build them anew. They are Thy servants and Thy creatures; Thou hast manifested them through Thy bounty and fashioned them through Thy grace. I beseech Thee to protect them from the heat of the sun and the harm of the rains. Verily, Thou art the Chosen One. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bestower.

And may peace and blessings be upon Thy loved ones and chosen ones who have cast away their desires, taking hold of that which hath shone forth from the Sun of Thy Will and the Sovereign of Thy Purpose. O Lord! They are they who have arisen to aid Thy Cause, and who have endured in Thy path that which hath caused the denizens of Thy dominion and kingdom to lament. O Lord! Aid them at all times to serve Thy Cause, to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Almighty.

O Beloved of my heart! After partaking of the cups of joy from the words of that Presence, which were in truth the dawning-place of gladness and delight, I proceeded to the Most Exalted Station and presented myself before His countenance. Signs of joy and grace appeared upon that blessed face, and after several moments the Tongue of Grandeur uttered these brilliant verses, exalted be His utterance:

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed.

O thou who drinkest from the cup of My loving-kindness, and soareth in the atmosphere of My love, and gazeth toward My horizon, and art immersed in the ocean of My utterance! Upon thee be My glory and My mercy. We have heard thy call and answered thee before and after, and have mentioned thee in such wise as to be a blazing lamp before thy face in all the worlds of thy Lord. We complain unto thee of those who have been debarred from recognition after that which hath been sent down from the heaven of utterance - that which none can reckon save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By God’s life! Every person of insight and fairness is bewildered. They have not understood the Day of God and have not become aware as beseemeth it. For had they become aware, all would have arisen with perfect steadfastness to serve His Cause. They remain veiled from the Day when mankind shall stand forth and are occupied with the idle fancies of the past. By thy life! The baseness of the people and their lack of capacity hath reached such a state that until now the Supreme Pen hath not spoken in its true accent as it beseemeth. Through the sovereign Will and the pervading Purpose, the fingers of divine power have rent asunder the veils and the clouds, that eyes might be blessed with beholding and ears with hearing. In truth, the powers of sight and hearing were created for this Day. Yet now it is observed that some of the ignorant ones still speak of the vain imaginings of the people of the Furqan. Such injustice and heedlessness hath reached such a point that they deny the Truth which hath ever been manifest before the faces of enemies, and standing, equivalent to all divine books from before and after, hath been sent down from the heaven of His utterance. Yet they fancy themselves to be believers and monotheists. All atoms are bewildered - to what do these heedless souls cling? God hath forsaken them. We beseech the Truth to raise up souls who will discover the sweetness of the Cause, the sweetness of utterance, and the greatness of this Day, and will find themselves detached and free from the world and all who dwell therein. Today, whosoever entereth beneath the shadow of the Divine Tree hath no need of the sun of the world, much less the glow of the firefly. We beseech God to assist you in such wise that you may, by day and by night, summon the servants to the horizon of the All-Merciful with wisdom and utterance, and give them to drink from the cup of steadfastness. Steadfastness is regarded today as the most great of all deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. The light that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who serve thee and hearken to thy word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O beloved of my heart! The ocean of bounty in relation to your honor is manifest with its highest waves, and the effulgences of the sun of grace are evident with perfect radiance. Exalted be His greatness, and elevated be His favors, and sublime be His gifts! Who can describe what hath appeared from the waves of the ocean of His utterance? Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Far is He above what I say or what others say. The servant seeketh forgiveness and repenteth for what his tongue hath uttered and his pen hath written. Verily, He is sanctified above what was and what will be.

One letter from your honor which was sent from the land of K, dated the thirteenth of the first ’Ayn, opened the gate of joy. Though presence is forbidden, yet the birds of correspondence are, through divine grace, in flight, and in truth, the fragrance of presence and meeting emanates from it. It somewhat soothes those aflame with the fire of separation and bestows according to capacity upon those thirsting for reunion. The letter of a true friend refreshens the friend and its mention brings to life the days of nearness and reunion. We beseech and implore the Exalted Truth that this gate may ever remain open and this bird may forever be in flight.

And concerning what you wrote about the aforementioned person, upon him be the Glory of God, this servant bears witness that repeatedly the Tongue of Grandeur spoke verses concerning him, from whose fragrance it was understood that repeatedly they had prepared for him a well of hatred and animosity, but God, exalted be His glory, protected him and he is still protected. Let him be assured that this humiliation has been and continues to be the cause of everlasting remembrance, and its end is good. There has been revealed for him that which shall testify for him in all the worlds of his Lord and shall be as a lamp walking before his face. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Now also a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed for him from the heaven of Will. You should deliver it that he may inhale from it the fragrance of his Lord’s favor and be made steadfast in His Great Announcement.

And concerning the mention you made of the honored leaves, his aunt and two daughters, upon them be the Glory of God and His favors, and likewise the mention of their being set ablaze with the fire of divine love - after this detail was presented before the Most Great Threshold, one Most Holy, Most Glorious Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of all beings. God willing, they will attain unto it. Likewise, two Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of grace specifically for his two sons who were in the land of K. God willing, they will drink from the living waters of the words of the All-Merciful and attain unto a wondrous new life.

And concerning what you wrote mentioning the good news about the oppressed ones and the prisoners, after their release news came by telegraph from various directions. Indeed, His Majesty the renowned Sultan showed greatness. One day this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names. He said: “O servant in attendance! Had the false Siyyid, who is known as the truthful one in the land of ?a, been the Sultan, he would have martyred those oppressed ones on the first day.” Now all must pray for His Majesty the Sultan and ask for divine confirmation. This ends the quote. According to what was mentioned, of His own blessed accord He released the captives and showed favor.

And concerning what you wrote about the feast of the friends of God, exalted be His glory, in thanksgiving for the blessing of release, and the arising of assured and steadfast souls, upon them be the Glory of God, to serve this Cause, and the mention you made of their names - all these matters were presented before the face of the Lord of all beings. Each one was honored with the mention of God, exalted be His glory. By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved! They have attained unto a mention before which all mentions prostrate, and a light before which all lights bow down, and a name around which all names circle. Give them the glad-tidings of their Lord’s favor. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous.

This evanescent servant beseeches God to confirm all in that which is the cause and reason for the perpetuation of existence. As commanded, the amount of one feast was specifically taken from what you sent for the Holy Presence, and the remainder was assigned to the beloved of hearts, Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be the Glory of God, to take and do with as commanded, since some have been in great distress. Therefore, as commanded, it was bestowed upon those souls to be delivered. This is what was revealed from the Kingdom of utterance of our Lord, the All-Merciful, for those who have attained unto goodness and performed in His path that which was accepted. His word, exalted be His glory:

He is the Witness from His most exalted horizon.

The mentioned loved ones have all attained the grace of God, glorified be His majesty, and by the name of each one, the ocean of utterance surgeth and the sun of bounty shineth forth. We beseech God to enable all to attain unto the Most Great Steadfastness and to aid them in that which will cause the exaltation of His Cause.

We have made mention of Nun and Vav, upon him be My glory, and We implore assistance for him. Today is the day of sowing and reaping the fruit. Blessed are they who are occupied with the planting of goodly trees, that is to say, pure words and praiseworthy deeds. We have previously made mention of him with words that cause bodies to tremble, let alone souls and minds. Give him My glad-tidings that he may inhale the fragrance of My loving-kindness.

And We make mention of ?a’ and Sin. He arose to serve the Cause in days wherein trees were uprooted, blood was shed, souls were perturbed, mountains moved, the heavens were cleft asunder, and heroes fled, save those whom God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, willed otherwise. We have mentioned him before and after, and counseled him to preserve his station. I am, verily, the Commanding, the All-Wise. Remind him from Me of that which hath been revealed for him at this time.

We further make mention of ?a’ and Sin who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. Various letters from him were presented by the servant who attends the Wronged One. Blessed is he and those who have attained unto the Kawthar of steadfastness in this mighty Cause. He hath ever been remembered and hath attained unto God’s grace. God willing, may they at all times hearken unto the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing and the murmuring of the Kawthar of the Merciful’s utterance, and become aware of the station of the Day of God and that which beseemeth it.

Convey greetings to Farajullah. He is enkindled with divine love. He must, throughout the days and nights, beseech and supplicate God, and ask Him to preserve this most exalted station, for the barking ones are striving with the waters of idle fancies and vain imaginings to extinguish the fire of God’s love. O Faraj! God’s relief hath come, yet the people perceive it not. The Hidden Treasure hath appeared, yet the people recognize it not. Behold the people of the Bayan, how they have hastened to the pond, forsaking the Most Great Ocean. What aileth them? How is it that they understand not? By God’s life! They worship idols without any proof from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. It behooveth thee to ask thy Lord to preserve that whereon thou art. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the call of the Single One, Who summoneth thee in the prison of Akka to the supreme horizon and remindeth thee of that which hath been revealed in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. Under all conditions We counsel thee to be steadfast, for mighty is the Cause and the servants are weak. Blessed are they whom the chains of the polytheists and the clamor of the deniers have not kept back from the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever attaineth unto steadfastness hath attained unto all good. Praise the Object of all creation Who hath made mention of thee in prison. This mention is, in the sight of God, better and more praiseworthy than the treasures of the world. Know thou its value and be thankful. O thou who art mentioned at the Throne! We have made mention of My loved ones and have accepted what they have done in My path, and We make mention of My leaves and My handmaidens as a grace from Our presence. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good, men and women, to be lost.

We have revealed unto the aunt and her daughter that which beareth witness before the faces of the world to the loving-kindness of the Ancient King, Who proclaimeth at all times: “There is none other God but Me, the One, the All-Informed.” We testify that they both believed in God in the earliest days and manifested steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Exalted, the Great. Convey unto them My glad-tidings and remind them of My loving-kindness and bounty which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. They have ever been and continue to be engaged in service to God and His loved ones, and have in truth shown no remissness. We beseech God to ordain for them that which shall exalt their station and elevate their rank.

We make mention of the wife of him who ascended unto God, and of her who is with her, and of every handmaiden who hath believed in God and held fast unto His sure cord. Verily We have made mention of every leaf who hath clung to the Tree and turned unto and believed in Him Whom all on earth denied, save those whom God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath willed. Every servant who hath believed and every handmaiden who hath turned unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, hath been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One.

We make mention in this station of My handmaiden who attained the presence of her Lord while He was imprisoned through that which the hands of the heedless had wrought, and We make mention of her son and his wife, and I am the All-Knowing Remembrancer. The Sun of God’s loving-kindness hath shone upon all, and the souls mentioned have attained unto that which hath been the hope of them that are nigh unto God and of the sincere ones. All ears in the world are attentive that they might hear “O My servant” and “O My handmaiden,” and all eyes of the peoples are waiting for the Hand of Power to rend asunder the veil. How many souls expired in their longing for the Divine Day and attained it not. Now must the souls and handmaidens who have attained remember during the nights and days “Praise be unto Thee, O God of all worlds.”

At this moment the Tongue of Grandeur maketh mention of His handmaiden Shirin, and likewise of Firdaws. How many princes and princesses awaited these days yet attained them not, while handmaidens who were counted as lowly attained that which hath been the goal of all worlds. Bounty is in His mighty grasp - He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. He is the Generous, the Merciful. We convey Our greetings unto Shirin and Firdaws and give them the glad-tidings of divine favors. Blessed are they both and joy be unto them. The glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon those who have attained unto My remembrance and have drunk the choice wine of steadfastness in My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Praise be unto Him, then praise be unto Him for what He hath bestowed upon us and sent down unto us from the heaven of grace and bounty that which cannot be equaled by aught in the kingdom of creation. The mentioned loved ones and the acceptable leaves have each drunk from the ocean of remembrance that which hath no likeness or equal. Now is the time when all things should speak “Well done! Well pleased!” - likewise that honored one and this servant - but what use is it when the people are seen to be intoxicated with the wine of pride? Has taste been forgotten, or have the senses become altered and confused? The ancient world hath attained unto new meanings, and the decayed bodies of utterance have appeared in wondrous attire, yet the people of the world are seen to be deprived and portionless. The command is God’s, the Overseer, the Self-Subsisting. He judgeth as He pleaseth and decreeth as He willeth, and He is the Commander, the All-Knowing.

This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings and salutations unto each of the mentioned loved ones and secluded leaves - upon them be the glory of God - and beseecheth confirmation for each, for the ungodly and the treacherous lie in wait. I beseech God to protect them through His Name, the Preserver, and through His Name, the Powerful.

Concerning the honoured Leaf, upon her be the Glory of God, you wrote that you have entrusted her to God. He said: “God willing, she has been and will continue to be under the glance of His favor. Convey My greetings to her on behalf of the Wronged One. Praise be to God, she has been blessed with meeting and serving you. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist her and to ordain for her the best of what He hath decreed in His Book. Verily, He is powerful over all things.”

Your kindred have not been and will never be forgotten from sight, for the Sun of loving-kindness is ever-shining and manifest.

They had mentioned Aqa Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God. After it was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, a wondrous and sublime Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for him. God willing, may he attain unto it and drink from the Kawthar of divine favor - a drink after which there shall be no thirst.

They had mentioned Haji Khalil and his nephew, upon them be the Glory of the All-Merciful. After presentation, this supreme utterance shone forth from the Dayspring of utterance, the Lord of Names. His exalted Word: “Recently their names have repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Again convey My greetings to them and adorn them with the lights of the Self-Subsisting Name. Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which was mentioned and recorded in the divine Books of the past and present. I beseech for them success. May they gaze at all times toward the supreme horizon and be engaged in the remembrance of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. We beseech God to protect them beneath the canopy of His grace and grant them the greatest portion of His everlasting bounties.”

This servant also conveys greetings and salutations to each one, and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, for everyone’s confirmation. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Until now, for everyone about whom you have written, answers have descended from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of Lords. It appears to this evanescent one that no name has been omitted by the Most Exalted Pen. God is sufficient as witness.

And concerning what you wrote that praise be to God, the loved ones and friends everywhere are at ease, He said: “Ask God to assist all to act according to what hath been revealed in the Book from the Pen of Command. By the life of God! Had they acted upon the divine ordinances and commandments from the beginning of the Cause until now, you would have witnessed this day to be different from this day and this earth to be different from this earth. He Who possesseth the Mother Book beareth witness to this. The Wronged One dwelleth in prison, and that which would cause the manifestation of human stations and the tranquility and security of the peoples of the world hath been mentioned and continues to be mentioned, but few are found who act upon it. We beseech God to roll up the carpet of vain imaginings and to adorn the world with the lights of certitude.”

This evanescent servant tenders praise and glory to each of the loved ones of that land who have drunk from the eternal Kawthar and who are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon, and he begs confirmation for all. Verily He is powerful over all things. His Holiness the Most Great Branch and His Holiness the Most Mighty Branch – may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps – each convey their greetings and have shown such bounty and love that this servant is incapable and powerless to describe. Likewise, the denizens of the pavilion of infallibility and grandeur convey their greetings to your honor and to the Leaf who is related to your honor. Glory and praise and remembrance and thanksgiving be upon your honor and upon those who have arisen and declared: “God is our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth and the Lord of the mighty throne.” And praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Servant

14 Rajab 1302

=== END BH00185 ===

=== START BH00186 ===

In the month of Muharram of the year 99

O Muhammad-Hasan-i-’Attar, may the Glory of God rest upon him! Consider thou this!

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

All praise, sanctified beyond mention, allusion, word and meaning, befitteth the most holy and most exalted court of the Beloved One Who, through a single effulgence shed from the Sun of His firm utterance, illumined the horizons and caused every faltering tongue to speak with surpassing eloquence. He it is through Whose will the education of the world hath ever been sustained, and by Whose decree the quickening of nations hath been and shall forever be accomplished. All the atoms of the universe are moved to exultation and joy by the fragrance of His manifestation. Blessed is the servant whom neither the doubts of the veiled ones prevented from his goal, nor the intimations of the followers of the Bayan kept back from the Beloved of the worlds. A handful of dust, unworthy of mention, have laid claim to existence, and souls who know neither beginning nor end have, through their pretensions to knowledge, become the cause of misguidance. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to sanctify and detach the people of Baha from all else but Him, that the Pharaohs of the world and the tyrants among the nations may find themselves agitated and unsettled before their steadfastness. The Pharaohs and tyrants referred to here signify, in one sense, the people of the Bayan, who through their vain imaginings have deprived themselves of the manifest Sovereign and the Lord, the Self-Subsisting. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of divine favor that such wickedness and heedlessness as shown by these souls hath never been witnessed. We pray God to confirm all in turning unto Him and in steadfastness in His Cause. Verily, He is the Protector of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones beneath the talons of Thy enemies, and Thy chosen ones in the grasp of the transgressors among Thy creatures. O Lord! Do Thou protect them through the hosts of the unseen, whereby Thou didst protect Thy Prophets, Thy Messengers and Thy Chosen Ones. O Lord! Illumine their faces with the light of Thy countenance and their hearts with the effulgences of the suns of Thy knowledge. O Lord! They are Thy servants and Thy creation who have turned unto Thee and have voiced Thy praise on a Day whereon all have turned away from Thy beauty. O Lord! Aid them to be steadfast in Thy Cause and draw them ever closer unto Thee in all conditions. This servant knoweth with certain and perfect certitude that there is no blessing in the kingdom more excellent than nearness unto Thee, and no gift greater than Thy good-pleasure. I beseech Thee to illumine our faces from the Sun of Thy grace and to ordain for us through Thy Pen of Decree that which beseemeth Thy glory and majesty. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Thereafter, thy letter was received, and from it wafted the sweet savors of certitude. Praise be to God that they are speaking His praise and are the recipients of His grace, for were it not for His prevenient grace, who would be capable of turning unto Him and recognizing Him? His is the praise that transcendeth the praise of the sincere ones and the pens of all that was and shall be. After perusal, it ascended and attained the presence of the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Then, after permission was granted, thy letter was presented, and this is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in reply, exalted be His glory:

He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing

O Hasan! Thou hast witnessed the effulgence of the light of My countenance and attained unto the outpourings of the ocean of Mine utterance. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest favor. We have remembered thee and revealed for thee that which solaceth the eyes of them that are nigh. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and the earth! I beseech Thee by the light of Thy countenance, whereby the horizon of the heaven of meanings and utterance was illumined, and by the fire of Thy Tree, whereby all in creation were set aflame, to aid me in serving Thee in this Day which hath been mentioned in Thy Books and whereof Thou didst give glad-tidings unto all through the tongue of Thy Messengers. O my Lord! Thou art He at Whose call all things have called out, and by Whose Word all in the kingdom of creation were attracted. I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of Thy names and by the treasuries of Thy knowledge, O Creator of the heaven, to assist Thy servants in celebrating Thy remembrance and praise, and in standing firm in this Cause whereby the hearts of those who denied Thee and Thy signs were thrown into turmoil. O my Lord! Every tongue hath testified to Thy grace and mercy, and every voice to Thy generosity and favors. There is none other God but Thee, the Bestower, the Bountiful.

Praise be to God! That honored one hath, through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, attained. He hath drunk from the Kawthar of reunion and partaken of the ocean of meeting. We beseech the Source of bounty and the Dawning-Place of generosity to ordain from the Most Exalted Pen, for all the friends, the reward of attainment and meeting. Verily, He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Kind, the Bountiful.

And concerning what was written about Aqa Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. A wondrous and sublime Tablet was specifically revealed for him and sent in the handwriting of this servant. God willing, may he drink from the oceans of inner meanings concealed within the divine words and hear with delight and satisfaction from the true Holy Spirit. For He hath said that among the distinctive features of this Most Great Revelation is that whenever any soul attaineth unto a word of the divine words, or a tablet from the tablets, or any of the bounties, the Holy Spirit proclaimeth in the highest voice in the Kingdom of the Unseen “May it be pleasant and wholesome!” Blessed is the soul that hath attained, the eye that hath seen, and the ear that hath heard. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the One Who Warbleth upon the Branches […]

This is a Day wherein everyone who has advanced has attained the Most Exalted Horizon, and every person of insight has proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongs to God, the Lord of Lords!” The Supreme Pen makes mention of the friends of the Lord of Names, saying: Today the attraction of the verses has seized all atoms. Today Mount Sinai circles round the Manifestation, and Batha proclaims “The Truth has appeared!” The House is enraptured and joyous at the appearance of its Lord. Blessed is the soul whom the cawing of the crows has not prevented from the true elixir. I swear by the Sovereign of the Word that if all the world were to catch a fragrance from this Garment, all would turn their faces toward the Friend. Say: O friends of Truth, be not saddened by the taunts of the wayward and the denials of the deniers, for these matters have ever been and will continue to be proofs of the truth of the Truth, exalted be His glory. If you hear an unseemly word from some ignorant, heedless person, it matters not, for he and all that pertains to him will soon return to nothingness, while you today drink from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and hear the words “you are of Me.”

At this moment, one of the near-stationed angels who was circling round made supplication: “O my God, my Lord, my Goal, my Beloved, and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and the earth! I beseech the ocean of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy grace that I might hear a hundred thousand curses and reproaches and imprecations in Thy love, and that this ear might but once be blessed with hearing the most sweet words ‘Verily thou art of the people of Baha.’” At this moment, upon hearing these wondrous and sublime words, the servant who was present before His face engaged in writing down the verses was observed to become ignited like a globe of fire. Blessed are they who are set ablaze by the Word of God, and woe to the heedless!

Ask of God, exalted be His glory, to make thee steadfast and grant thee a portion of the sweetness of His utterance. How many powerful souls were seen to be weak at the time of the revelation of the Word, and how many learned ones were counted among the ignorant at the time of His manifestation. Today, every light thing soars in spiritual atmospheres through the name of God and His favor, while every heavy thing lies fallen and cast out upon the earth of self and desire. Beseech ye God to save all through His mighty arm and draw them to the Most Exalted Horizon. Verily, He is the Helper, the Succourer. Praise be unto Him Who praises and speaks in this moment.

At the end of this Tablet, this Wronged One conveys greetings to the friends of that land and says: Verses, remembrances and words are being sent down like copious rain without cessation from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s loving-kindness. Has such a bounty ever appeared in any age? Has any pen or tongue ever announced such a matter? Nay, by My life! Therefore, those who drink the choice wine of utterance must manifest themselves with such spirit and joy that all contingent beings may perceive their fragrance. In this Revelation, matters have appeared such that no fair-minded person has any cause for hesitation. But God guides whom He willeth to His straight path. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

In the name of the All-Glorious!

But O My loved one! Where is the ear worthy of hearing the utterance of Truth? I swear by the life of the Beloved Being that if the servants were to discover the fragrance of this single Tablet, which hath been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s utterance in the name of Abu’l-Qasim, and were to attain unto its meanings, all would find their way to the ultimate purpose and achieve the final cause of existence. However, the veils of heedlessness have brought forth negligence, and greed hath blinded the eye of truth. This servant is bewildered in the ocean of wonderment as to how certain souls have remained deprived of the divine fragrances that have encompassed the world this day, and have been forbidden from the splendors of the Sun of proof and testimony. They have witnessed the influence of Truth and beheld His power, and have observed with their own eyes the manifest fulfillment of all that was explicitly foretold in the Book. Nevertheless, they have devoted their ears to croaking and have deprived themselves of hearkening to the Word. More wondrous than all are those earthen fragments who attribute themselves to the Bayan, yet remain deprived of its Sovereign, its Revealer, and its Beloved. They are exactly like those souls who call themselves Shi’ih - and We take refuge with the All-Merciful from their schemes, their heedlessness, and their error - who, throughout successive generations, have fabricated traditions from their own idle fancies and have prostrated themselves before them, until the Hand of Divine Power rent asunder the veil and revealed what was hidden in their hearts. Thus it was witnessed how they hung that Essence of being and, at the decree of the divines who were among the pillars and nobles of the Shi’ih, martyred Him with the bullets of hatred. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Now these deluded souls walk in the same footsteps and lead the helpless people to idols.

I beseech Thee, O my God and the God of all who are in earth and heaven, to protect Thy servants from the defilement of those who have turned away from Thy sweetest call, denied Thy most great signs, and cast behind them Thy Covenant and Testament in the kingdom of creation. O Lord! Aid Thy servants to be fair-minded and to acknowledge that which their eyes have seen and their ears have heard in Thy days, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of all peoples! Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

And as for what you wrote concerning Aqa Shaykh Muhammad of the people of Manshad, upon him be the Glory of God, mention of him was made in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. This blessed Tablet was revealed especially for him. He speaks, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Most Ancient, the Most Great[…]

Verily We make mention from Our Most Exalted Pen of him who hath been named Muhammad in the kingdom of creation, and We have mentioned him before as a token of Our grace, for verily We are the All-Knowing Rememberer. Blessed is he who hath attained unto My days, turned towards My countenance, and uttered My beautiful praise. Today, every possessor of vision hath won this most great bounty, and every possessor of hearing hath won the hearkening unto his Lord’s call, the Expositor, the All-Wise. Happy the lands from which the fragrance of the Robe hath been wafted, and the city o’er which have passed the breezes of the dawn of My glorious and wondrous Day. Happy the soul that hath taken the chalice of immortality in My Most Glorious Name and drunk therefrom through My mention, the Mighty, the Gracious.

We have aforetime enjoined upon the friends of God and His servants that wisdom whereby We have taken the covenant from those who have turned unto God, the One, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou, O Muhammad, inasmuch as thou hast shattered the idols of vain imaginings through the name of thy Lord, the Possessor of mankind, and drunk from the ocean of certitude. We have made mention of thee in such wise as nothing on earth can equal. He Who speaketh these words beareth witness: There is none other God but Me, the Numberer, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We counsel thee to observe wisdom lest there occur that which God abhorreth and the clamor of them that have denied the Day of Judgment be raised. Hold thou fast unto the cord of wisdom in all circumstances. Verily He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Beware lest the affairs of men grieve thee. Behold and then call to mind what befell God’s Messengers and His chosen ones when He sent them with manifest sovereignty. Among the people were those who turned away from them and opposed them, and those who pronounced sentence for the shedding of their blood. Thus did their desires command them without any clear proof from God, the Lord of all worlds. We summoned them to the supreme horizon, yet they confined Us in this mighty fortress. We desired for them the good of the hereafter and of this world, yet they abandoned Us in this remote prison. We opened unto them the gates of blessings, yet they prevented Us from the bounty which God created through My Name, the Bestower, the Invincible.

And We make mention of My loved ones in that place, and We send Our greetings unto them, and We counsel them to manifest supreme steadfastness and that which beseemeth this Day whereof God gave glad-tidings through the tongues of the Messengers. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have laid hold on the hem of wisdom and upon those who have turned unto the Most Great Ocean on this momentous Day.

Praise be to God! The Sun of bounty hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of divine favor. Blessed are they who have on this day attained unto but a single letter, how much more a word and a tablet. The entirety of the world cannot equal a single word. How excellent is the state of the soul who hath today attained unto this most great bounty and this most exalted and noble station. However, according to divine command, all must hold fast to the cord of wisdom. Therefore, if outwardly the friends of God were to openly engage in teaching, this would surely cause uproar and clamor among the heedless divines, and likewise cause disturbance in the hearts of certain friends who are mentioned before God. Before the martyrdom of Badi’, these matters were in effect, and afterward the decree of wisdom was revealed with utmost clarity from the heaven of God’s command. Blessed are they who raise its standards and preserve its reins. Repeatedly was this blessed word heard from the Tongue of Unity, exalted be His grandeur: “O friends! Today drink ye the living waters in the name of the Beloved of all possibility, in defiance of the followers of all religions–a draught whereof the polytheists, the wayward, the deniers and the heedless shall not find a trace upon their lips. In receptive, fertile, and capable lands, deposit and cast the Word of God. From barren earth nothing groweth and nothing springeth forth.” In all conditions, they must act according to that which God hath willed. In truth, service to the Cause hath been and shall ever be teaching, but with wisdom. All good is for those souls who have today arisen to serve the Cause. It is hoped that the true friends will not deprive themselves and will receive from the Dayspring of abundant grace that which shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven.

As to what was written concerning Aqa Siyyid Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God, who was the writer of the letter–praise be to God, he hath been and is remembered in the mention of God, exalted be His glory, both before and after. This servant conveyeth infinite greetings to him. Mention of him and Aqa Muhammad-Husayn, and the plea for their forgiveness, was submitted at the Most Holy Court. By the life of the Beloved! Thereupon did the ocean of forgiveness surge, and they attained unto that which they desired from the depths of the bounty of their Lord, the Mighty, the Generous.

As to what you wrote concerning Mulla Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, a most sublime and holy Tablet hath been revealed for him from the heaven of divine knowledge and hath been dispatched. God willing, may he drink from its oceans of inner meanings and attain unto that which God hath willed. Though he is already aflame with the fire of love and attracted by the light of His countenance - blessed and happy is he! This servant conveyeth his greetings to him and beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid him in serving His Cause. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Likewise, specifically for Mulla Hassan, upon him be the Glory of God, a wondrous Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of bounty. By the life of the Beloved! Every letter of these Tablets is, in the sight of God, superior to all that is visible and invisible. God willing, may those possessed of insight who gaze toward the Most Great Horizon drink from the chalices of divine utterances the living waters and occupy themselves in the gathering of contingent beings with wisdom and utterance in remembrance of the peerless Friend. Convey on behalf of this evanescent servant greetings unto him. God willing, may he shine forth like a brilliant star from the horizon of the heaven of meanings. His petition was presented at the Most Holy Court at the appointed time. The Sun of favor hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of grace, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken that which the tongues of all on earth are powerless to recount. From the most sublime and holy Tablet the degrees of favor are evident and clear. Blessed is he! The servant beareth witness that he hath attained unto a Tablet before which all previous tablets have bowed down. Within His grasp is the Kingdom of grace - He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

And as to what thou didst mention concerning Ali, upon him be the Glory of God - after it was presented before the Most Exalted Horizon, this most sublime and holy Tablet was revealed from the presence of the all-pervading Will. God willing, may he attain unto it and drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness. His words, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the Witness, the All-Hearing

O Ali! We have desired to make mention of thee and those who have believed, on a day which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. This is a day wherein the atoms cry out: “The Revealer of verses hath come, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Goal of them that know!” God had taken the covenant of this Day from all who are in the heavens and on earth, yet when He appeared with the truth, the people turned away save those who shattered the idols of vain desire through the Name of the Lord of all being and turned with radiant faces toward the Most Exalted Horizon. How many a learned one hath lamented in separation, yet when the ocean of reunion surged, turned away and showed pride before God, the Beloved of the sincere ones. Say: By God! The Hidden One hath appeared and hath spoken that whereby the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise have been attracted. Blessed is he who hath recognized and found the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Ali! The river of thy Lord’s mercy hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen. Take thou, in My Name, and drink therefrom through My binding and wise command. We give thee glad tidings, and to those who have believed in that place, of a bounty from Our presence and a favor from Our court. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We counsel you with that which hath been sent down in the Book from the presence of One mighty and powerful. Beware lest the conditions of the Pharaohs frighten you, or the doubts of the tyrants sadden you - they who have adorned their heads with turbans yet have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. They attained the heights of glory in this vain life through My Name, but when I manifested My Self, they pronounced judgment against it with evident tyranny. O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! The Wronged One counseleth you from the precincts of the prison to be steadfast in this Cause, whose greatness hath been attested by the tongues of the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise, and whose sovereignty hath been witnessed by every truthful, just and discerning one. Hold fast unto it in the name of your Lord, the Possessor of Names, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Creator of the heavens, for having made known unto us the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause, the Source of Thy Revelation, and the Dayspring of Thy Most Exalted Word, at whose appearance the dove cooed upon the branches.” This is the Day which God foretold aforetime - the Day whereon mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. Thus hath the gate of inner meanings been unlocked by the key of utterance, when the All-Merciful was walking in the most exalted station and calling all to His straight path.

God willing, may all the friends in those regions drink from the Kawthar of divine favor, fix their gaze with utmost steadfastness upon the Most Exalted Horizon, and attain unto that which is pleasing unto God, glorified be His majesty. This hath been and shall ever be among the most mighty matters in the sight of God. Today is the day of mention, praise, steadfastness and service. Blessed are they who have attained unto that which is befitting. His honor Aqa Muhammad Isma’il of the people of Ya presented a petition to the Most Holy Court, which arrived through his honor Haji ’Abdu’r-Rahim, upon him be the glory of God, His mercy and His favor. Several names were mentioned therein. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed for each one, and as commanded, this servant wrote and sent them - deliver them unto them. As for what you wrote concerning the blessed location, this matter is, according to His command, with his honor Afnan, upon him be all the most glorious glory. Let whatever he deemeth advisable be carried out. Each of the persons whose names were in your letter have attained unto their purpose and all have been honored with a divine Tablet. God willing, may they attain unto the presence of the Tablets and discover therefrom the heavenly blessing, and through the Name of the One True Intended One, may they be blessed with this most great bounty. The glory of God be upon his honor, the Afnan of the Divine Lote-Tree, and upon thee, and upon those who have hastened with their hearts unto the Most Great Ocean and have drunk therefrom in the name of our Lord, our Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Again it is mentioned that at the end of your letter was mention of the scribe, upon him be the glory of God. The extent of his mention and sincerity was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious, Most High Court, and these pearls have appeared from the ocean of divine knowledge. Blessed is he and those who have attained unto the mention of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious Lord. His word, exalted be His majesty: He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

This is a Book which the All-Bestowing hath sent down from the heaven of grace unto him who hath turned unto Him and voiced His praise on a day whereon every heedless doubter turned away. Thou didst desire a drop from the clouds of the heaven of thy Lord’s bountiful mercy; thereby did the ocean of bounty surge, and the Countenance of the Ancient of Days turned toward thee from this glorious horizon. Give thanks unto God for this Most Great Remembrance. Verily He draweth thee nigh and guideth thee unto a station that shall gladden the eyes of them that are brought near. The clouds of munificence have rained down their bounties, and the Sun of generosity speaketh before all peoples: “The Truth is come, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the One, the All-Knowing.” Grieve thou not over anything. Rather, rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me in the Most Great Prison, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is held the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.”

These blessed verses, which are in truth greater than the heavens and the earth, were revealed specially for his honor Javanmard, upon him be the glory of God. God willing, may he attain unto them and drink from the ocean of His bounty.

=== END BH00186 ===

=== START BH00187 ===

Beloved and exalted is He, His Eminence the Name 66 [of God], upon him be all 9 [Glory] most glorious, may observe:

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power

Praise be to God Who sent down the Furqan in the month of Ramadan. Verily it is the light of utterance that hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s knowledge, the Lord of all religions. Through it appeared the law of unity and the sign of detachment in the world of possibility. Exalted is He Who revealed it unto the King of the Messengers and the Manifestation of the Ways, through whom the hearts of those who are nigh unto God took flight, and the decree of the Book was established among the monotheists. The servant doth offer prayers unto Him - prayers from which the sincere ones inhale the fragrance of servitude, sincerity and faithfulness - and unto His family and companions through whom God established His Cause among His servants and His ordinances among His creation. These are honored servants whom God hath described in His Books, both past and future. Verily, He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

May my spirit be a sacrifice unto your remembrance! The blessed letter which was in truth the key to the gate of joy and gladness arrived and was opened. Blessed is He Who confirmeth His loved ones through the breathings of the pens of His chosen ones. That which thou didst write was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. Thou hast spoken with truth and justice. The Wronged One hath heard and answered thee. We beseech God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, to preserve thee and ordain for thee that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to assist His loved ones to hearken unto thy remembrance, thy praise and thy utterance. O Zein! The glances of loving-kindness have ever been directed towards the friends of that land. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the remaining souls. We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of steadfastness, which in one station is reckoned as the first ornament. Verily, He is powerful over all things. God, exalted be His glory, hath loved and continues to love those who are firm and steadfast. His mercy hath preceded His servants and handmaidens, and His grace hath encompassed those who have turned unto Him with radiant faces and have acted according to what was commanded in His perspicuous Book.

Praise be to God, news of Your Eminence hath arrived and continues to arrive. In these days numerous telegrams have reached Beirut specifically announcing the release of the poor ones from the prison of the princes. His Eminence the Name 66 [of God], upon him be all 9 [Glory] most glorious, hath been released. Knowledge is with God. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to protect His loved ones and servants and deliver them from the hosts of vainglory. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Concerning what thou didst write about Haji Khavar, upon him be 66 9 [Glory of God], and his services in the path of God, it was presented. Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which they intended. As commanded, convey greetings, and likewise from this evanescent servant.

As for what was written concerning the dear son of that noble person, the Name 66 (Allah), the Most Truthful, upon him be from every 9 (Baha) His Most Glorious Baha - a detailed reply was sent to him. If they send something to him, they should give him this glad tidings. Praise be to God, the effulgences of the Sun of Grace concerning him are manifest and evident, requiring no mention now or before. His brother arrived in these days and attained the presence despite the turmoil in these parts. After imprisonment in the Land of Ta (Tehran), in this land day by day some new event occurs and some new discussion arises. For thirty years or more the servants were forbidden through exhortations and counsels from contention, conflict and corruption. Nevertheless neither government, nation nor people are content, imagining that there is an intent to cause corruption. Every fair-minded person has testified and continues to testify, and every person of insight has acknowledged and continues to acknowledge, that corrupt matters and reprehensible deeds have been forbidden to such a degree that they are killed but do not kill, they endure but do not inflict, they hear but do not speak. Yet not one fair-minded person exists before the government to speak a word and inform the authorities. Although even if something were said perhaps no one would listen, if hearing is found then surely by God’s grace speech will also be found - the capacity of ears creates utterance and expression. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes from God, exalted be His glory, that He will aid the rulers and learned ones of the earth to hearken to the blessed word of truth. Verily He is powerful over all things. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

As for what was written about Aqa Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God (Baha’u’llah), from the people of Naj mentioning Aqa Muhammad-’Ali from the people of Riz - when this detail was submitted He said: “O Zayn! We make mention of him who was named Muhammad before Baqir and give him glad tidings of God’s grace and favors, and We counsel him to steadfastness and to that which befits the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. We send greetings from this station upon him and upon the faces of those who have held fast to the cord of their Lord’s grace, the Mighty, the Powerful. And We make mention of him who was mentioned, who was named Muhammad-’Ali, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. Blessed is he who has turned to the Supreme Horizon, acknowledged the unity and singleness of God, recognized what was hidden and attained what was mentioned in His perspicuous Book. And We make mention of him who guided to the Path and caused him to hear that for which ears were created to hearken unto. Blessed is every guide, every hearer, every doer, and every one who has arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. O Muhammad before Hashim! Remind the people with wisdom and utterance lest the whisperings of Satan prevent them from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” End quote. Praise be to God, all three attained. This servant conveys greetings to each one and begs confirmation and seeks success for them from God, exalted be His glory.

And concerning what was written about Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God (Baha’u’llah), and his wife, when submitted He said: “O Hasan! We have made mention of you and do mention you and We beseech God to ordain for you the good of the hereafter and this world, and to decree for your wife that which benefits her and what He loves for her. Verily He is the Protector of those who do good, male and female. We send greetings from this station upon them both and upon those who have adorned their temples with the ornament of godliness. Verily the Wronged One makes mention of whoever has turned to the Supreme Horizon and loves whoever has loved God, the Lord of the worlds.” End quote.

He is God - exalted be His glory, grandeur and power!

O Mahdi! Thou hast been mentioned in such wise that the fragrance thereof shall never cease to perfume creation throughout the duration of utterance. We beseech God - exalted be He - to forgive thee, thy parents and thy spouse. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. He heareth and seeth. Verily, He answereth the prayers of all who supplicate Him. He forgiveth whom He willeth through His grace, and ordaineth as He pleaseth. He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

We make mention of him who is named Iskandar and counsel him to be trustworthy among all people and to observe that which God hath revealed in His perspicuous Book.

We make mention of Ali-Akbar of Kha and counsel him with that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds, may be exalted.

O Muhammad-Hasan! The Wronged One remembereth thee from His prison and counseleth thee to be steadfast in the Cause of God, the Lord of all beings. We beseech Him to aid thee to act in accordance with His commandments, He Who is the Strong, the Ancient of Days.

O Hasan! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He hath testified and doth testify to the oneness of God, exalted be His glory. He hath ever been sanctified above the mention of aught else but Him and exalted above whatsoever hearts and minds can comprehend.

O Ali! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto God. Hold fast unto the cord of His sure and extended grace.

O Mirza! Have you recognized and turned towards Him? Say: How can I recognize Him Who cannot be known except to the extent decreed? I testify that there is none other God but Him. He created me, sustained me, and taught me that which every veiled learned one hath failed to comprehend.

Praise be to God! May each of these souls who have been mentioned act in accordance with that which will cause the exaltation of His Cause, the glorification of His Word, and the sanctification and detachment of His servants from all that God loveth not.

As to what was written concerning Aqa Mirza Habibullah, upon him be the glory and favors of God, who had sent a letter about those who have set out for the Most Great Goal through the guidance of Aqa Shaykh Muhammad, upon him be the glory and light of God, this matter was presented, as was the petition from Ja’far, upon him be God’s grace. His word, may our souls be a sacrifice for Him:

He is God - exalted be His station, might, power, grandeur and majesty! […]

O beloved! Your mention hath been and continues to be remembered before the Wronged One. Some time ago, a reply was sent to that which thou didst submit. In all cases, We beseech the Self-Sufficing One to aid thee. Ja’far’s letter arrived and was presented by this servant. Convey on behalf of the Wronged One greetings and salutations, and say: O Ja’far! Thy letter was received and that which flowed from thy pen in praise and glorification of the Goal of the world was heard. We beseech God to aid thee to accomplish that which today conduceth to the exaltation of His Word and the refinement of souls.

We have made mention, and continue to make mention, of the friends in that land. All are remembered and inscribed in the Tablet. We counsel all to observe trustworthiness, chastity, sincerity and faithfulness. We beseech God to aid them all to perform good deeds and eschew evil, and likewise to adorn them with the ornament of unity. The world is illumined through unity and concord, and laid waste through discord and dissension. O friends! Know ye the value of these days and with utmost love, fellowship and wisdom, remind the servants, that perchance they may turn to the supreme horizon through the fragrances of utterance and hold fast unto the divine commandments. Peace and glory be upon you and upon those who have guided you, caused you to recognize, and made you to hear.

This servant hath written the aforementioned utterances as commanded, to be sent to his honor Aqa Mirza Habibu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God. They have arisen and girded up their loins to serve. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to manifest through them that which will cause the Word of Unity to be upraised amongst the believers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Mention was made of his honor Aqa Siyyid Husayn. When presented before His countenance, He said: “Blessed is he and his father. We counsel him to perform deeds purely for God, the Lord of the worlds.” The adornment of the youth of the people of unity hath been and ever shall be obedience to divine laws and the good-pleasure of parents. May his honor Husayn, upon him be the peace of God, be aided. This servant beseecheth God to adorn him with the ornament of His good-pleasure.

To his honor, the cherished friend Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-’Ali and his son, upon them be the Glory of God, I convey greetings. Praise be to God, they have not been and will not be forgotten.

The sister of him who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion, upon him and her be God’s forgiveness, mercy and loving-kindness, was mentioned, and this exalted word was revealed from the Source of bounty: We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to forgive her, adorn her with the greatest bounty, and cause her to enter a paradise whose breadth is as the breadth of heaven and earth. Blessed are she and her brother. God’s mercy, their Creator and Fashioner, hath preceded them.

Through his honor Aqa Muhammad-Isma’il, upon him be the Glory of God, regarding his brothers - they have attained acceptance. Happy are they and we.

The supplication of his honor Aqa Muhammad, upon him be God’s peace and loving-kindness, was read in the presence of His countenance. He said: “We have heard that which the Tongue of the Wronged One spoke before thee, and We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to grant thee that which He hath ordained. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.”

Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which the friends of God have ever yearned and hoped for. This servant and your honor must beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid His friends to preserve that which hath been granted. The Cause is mighty; at every moment one must seek divine confirmation. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Near One, the Hearer, the Answerer.

Mention was made of His honor Darvish-i-Samad in the presence of His Countenance. He said: “We make mention of him from the prison and counsel him with that which will manifest man’s station in the realm of possibility. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who created him and taught him utterance as a token of His grace, and He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. O Samad! We have heard thy mention and have mentioned thee with that whereby the sincere will perceive the fragrance of love and affection. We beseech God to enable thee to do that which shall profit thee in this world and the next. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful. Baha enjoineth all to eschew desire and biddeth them observe righteousness and piety and that which God hath revealed in His Manifest Book.”

And regarding the mention he had made of Aqa Muhammad-Hasan, his uncle, He said: “His mention hath been and is before the Wronged One. Praise be to God, they have attained unto that which was recorded and inscribed in the divine Books. He should beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, for that which is the cause of steadfastness and firmness. O Muhammad-Hasan! Say: Glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things! I beseech Thee by Him Who conversed with Thee on Sinai, and by Thy Preserved Tablet, and by the mysteries of Thy Book, to ordain for me that which shall profit me in this world and the next. 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 Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Let them persevere with this blessed passage. God willing, the closed doors shall be opened and whatsoever is beneficial for them shall appear from the horizon of His Will. Let them act with the utmost wisdom in that land and speak with moderation. “Speak unto all men…” etc., as was previously stated. This servant also conveys greetings to them and seeks their success.

And regarding what was written about a letter received from His honor Aqa Muhammad-Hasan-i-Khayyat, upon him be the Glory of God, praise be to God he is favored with divine grace. Some time ago he wrote a letter to this servant; a detailed reply has been written and God willing will be sent. Likewise in that letter and in a Tablet given to one of the emigrants, expressions of loving-kindness and favor regarding him were recorded and inscribed. We beseech God, exalted be His station, to enable him to attain the blessing of pilgrimage. On behalf of this evanescent one, convey greetings, praise and glorification to every soul who intends [to make the journey].

And likewise mention was made of His honor Aqa Mahdi (from the people of Rasht), upon him be the Glory of God. He hath been and is remembered before His Countenance. Praise be to God, he standeth firm in service and uttereth the mention and praise of the Peerless Friend. After presentation He said: “O Mahdi! Upon thee be My peace and My glory. The Wronged One hath heard thy call and remembered thee before and at this moment. Blessed art thou for having fulfilled thy covenant and pledge and cast away idle fancies, turning unto the horizon of certitude. We beseech God, exalted be He, to preserve thee and assist thee and give thee to drink of the choice wine of steadfastness. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

“O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! We have made mention of thee and of him whom thou didst mention. Convey My glory unto him. We have heard his mention and perceived from it the fragrance of My love, the Mighty, the Wondrous.” Convey the greetings and salutations of the Wronged One to all thy friends and relatives. In these days mention of you hath also flowed from the Pen in other places. We beseech God to protect thee and grant thee the good of this world and the next. He is verily powerful over all things.

Another of His autograph letters, adorned with the date of the second of Safar, arrived and was presented before His presence. He said: “O Zain, thy mention is accepted and thy praise approved. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid thee in all conditions in that which is conducive to the honor of His friends and the abasement of His enemies. The people of unity are encompassed and the polytheists encompassing. All Islam must gather together and with the utmost humility and supplication turn unto the Self-Sufficing Lord. They must free their eyes from inflammation with the drops of the water of fairness, purify their hearts and breasts with the Kawthar of trust in God and detachment, and likewise deliver their tongues from the mention of aught else, seeking salvation, nobility and glory from God, exalted be His glory. Perchance they may be delivered from the abasement that hath befallen them and strive during their remaining days to make up for what hath escaped them, exerting mighty efforts.”

As for thy mention of His Holiness the Name of God (66), upon him be all Glory (9), multiple letters from him arrived and responses were issued, but this servant hath not yet succeeded in dispatching them. God willing, they will be sent these days. Praise be to God, he is successful in service and engaged in the refinement of souls. I beseech God, exalted be His most great glory, to aid His Holiness at all times, to assist his utterance and strengthen his wisdom. Adherence to wisdom is most necessary. We beseech the Most High to aid us in holding fast to its cord and clinging to its hem.

And as for what thou didst write regarding Aqa Mirza Habibu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God (66, 9) and His favors, that he had sent a letter mentioning the believers, including Muhammad-Sharif and describing his steadfastness and service - this detail was presented before His presence. His words, may our spirits be sacrificed for Him:

“In the Name of the Merciful, the Compassionate

O Muhammad-Sharif! The Wronged One hath heard thy call and answered thee from the precincts of His Most Great Prison. We have called all unto God and counseled them to righteousness and piety. Among the people are those who turned away, those who denied, and those who pronounced judgment against Us without any proof from God, the Lord of the worlds. We desired light for them; they desired fire for Us. Thus was the matter decreed. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is the servant who is adorned with the ornament of fairness and speaketh with justice. He is indeed among the people of unity in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Great. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who heard the call and acted according to what was commanded by the Ancient Ordainer. We beseech God to aid thee in His remembrance and praise, and to enable thee to serve His manifest Cause. And We beseech Him to forgive thy father and those for whom thou didst seek forgiveness. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

And We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Sadiq, who desired to detect the fragrance of the Bayan from the garment of God’s favor, the Lord of all religions. Blessed is the face that turned, the heart that advanced, and the temple that was adorned with the robe of fairness in this Cause, through which every person of insight hath testified to the unity of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, and the Lord of the glorious Throne. We beseech God to make him steadfast in the service of His loved ones and eloquent in His beautiful remembrance.”

And likewise a youth named Imam-’Ali sought favor. This matter was presented before His presence, and He said: “O ’Ali! Thy mention hath been made. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto that which most are deprived of. We counsel thee to steadfastness and faithfulness, and We beseech God to grant thee the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily He hath power over all things.”

Concerning what was written about Ali Haydar, mentioned by Nayib Ali Akbar Bey, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before His Presence. A wondrous and exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for him - forward it to the honored Bey to be delivered to him. The mention of the honored Bey has been and continues to be before His Presence. The Glory be upon him and upon those who have recognized the oneness and singleness of God. This servant conveys greetings and praise to them and to Ibn-i-Nur, upon them be the Glory of God.

It was mentioned that Aqa Muhammad-Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, returned from Aintab as commanded. The people of Aintab had expressed satisfaction with him. After this was presented, He said: The friends of God should, in whatever place they enter, cause joy to be manifested upon their arrival and sadness upon their departure from that city, that land, that air and its people. O Zayn, if you meet him, mention on behalf of the Wronged One that he acted according to what he was commanded upon his departure from there.

Likewise, mention Abul-Qasim. God willing, may all be assisted to perform goodly deeds and display praiseworthy conduct. This servant also conveys greetings and praise to them and all the friends, and beseeches assistance for all. His Holiness Ismu’llah Al-Asdaq, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory, was mentioned. Well is it with him.

Regarding the inquiry about Huquq, how much should be paid on nineteen mithqals - God’s ordinance has been set at nineteen percent. Calculate accordingly and it will become clear what amount applies to nineteen. It was also asked whether, if it exceeds nineteen, it must reach another nineteen or if the excess is also subject to Huquq. Whatever exceeds nineteen is not subject to Huquq until it reaches another nineteen.

As commanded, write to Nun and Jim that wherever divine Huquq remains unpaid, they should collect it and send it to Jinab-i-Amin or Jinab-i-Samandar, upon them be the Glory of God, obtain a receipt, and report back so that action may be taken according to His will. In these days, some in various regions have fallen into great hardship, including the families of the prisoners who are both in debt and face delays in their daily sustenance. May God assist all to pay the Huquq. Since affairs are dependent upon outward means, this command has come from the All-Wise Commander, that those who act according to what they were commanded in the Book may benefit from it. Glory, praise and exaltation be upon you and upon God’s sincere servants, and praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.

The Servant

9th of Rabi’ul-Avval 1302

Regarding sending someone for the matter of the garden, God willing, what was written before will be carried out. If it be from another land, there is no harm in it.

=== END BH00187 ===

=== START BH00188 ===

Praise be to God Who hath manifested Himself through truth and revealed through His sovereignty whatsoever He hath willed. He, verily, is the One foretold by the Messengers in the Books of old, that He would turn the dawn into darkness and walk upon the high places of the earth. Praise be to God Who hath named Himself Jehovah in the Torah, the Comforter and Spirit of Truth in the Gospel, and in the Qur’an the Great Announcement, at Whose appearance all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, and the limbs of all creation trembled, save those who clung to the hem of the protection of their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Exalted is the God of Hosts, the Lord of existence, the Possessor of the visible and invisible, Who is established upon the Throne resting upon the water. Exalted, exalted is His Name above the description of every describer, exalted, exalted is His remembrance above the mention of every mentioner. He, verily, is the Sovereign at Whose establishment upon the Throne the tongues of the Prophets and the Concourse on High proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust.” I pray, send peace, and glorify those who have heard, responded, and arisen to aid the Cause of their Lord, and acted according to that which was commanded by God, the All-Knowing, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Wise.

O my God and the God of all names, Creator of earth and heaven! Thou seest me as a fish writhing in the dust, as I behold Thy servants turning away from Thee after Thou didst create them for Thy knowledge and service. I beseech Thee, O Lord, by Thy generosity which hath encompassed existence and by Thy sovereignty which hath prevailed over all possibility, to aid Thy servants to arise to that which beseemeth Thy days and befitteth Thy presence. O Lord! Illumine the eyes of hearts with the lights of Thy knowledge and their sight with beholding the horizon of Thy grace. Thou art He Who hath ever been and will ever be. There is none other God but Thee, the Witness, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Thereafter, there reached Me from the Tree of Thy being the fruits of love and knowledge. When I gathered them, I praised God, our Lord and your Lord, our God and your God, for having enabled you to make mention of Him and to praise Him. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid you in all that He loveth and approveth, and in the wisdom which God hath made the foundation of all deeds in the Book. After observing and perusing [your letter], it was brought before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, may His grandeur be glorified, and the contents were made known. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath uttered in the Kingdom of Utterance, His word, exalted be His grandeur […]

O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Countenance! Give thanks unto God for having enabled thee, confirmed thee, manifested thee, caused thee to know Him, given thee utterance, roused thee to His love and guided thee to His straight path. All the souls in the world are convinced of, acknowledge and confess this path which hath been mentioned, inasmuch as in the divine Books, both of the past and present, mention hath been made of the Path, the Balance and the new matters to appear on the Divine Day, and all have been promised these things and are expectant thereof. Nevertheless, when the Lord of Hosts and God of existence became manifest and the Path became visible, all were found heedless and veiled save whom God wished. Such was the heedlessness that seized these withered souls that they hearkened not to the cry raised between earth and heaven, nor heard the blast of the trumpet and the striking of the horn. They are occupied with transient colors and debarred and deprived of the eternal, everlasting stations. Their vain desires have withheld them from God Who created them, sustained them and quickened them through a word from His presence. Blessed is the soul who today ariseth to serve the Cause with complete wisdom, detached from all else and purely for the sake of God alone. Take thou the Book with a power from Us and a command from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the Commander, the All-Knowing. Whosoever today acknowledgeth the Truth and acteth according to that which God hath revealed, hath been enabled and confirmed to take the Book. Reflect upon that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, His exalted Word: “And We desired to show favor unto those who were brought low in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors.” Despite the ignorant divines and worthless mystics, this most exalted station hath been granted unto you and likewise unto those whom they counted as ignorant and mocked. Man must at all times take refuge in God, glorified and exalted be He, that he may be preserved from the evil of self and desire. No loftiness, sublimity or station is worthy of mention save that which God, exalted be His glory, bestoweth. For instance, as is evident today, the divines of the earth who considered themselves as banners of guidance and possessors of the highest station are not and were not mentioned before God, while you are mentioned. As is observed, the Supreme Pen hath repeatedly turned toward that direction and mention of you and the other friends hath flowed therefrom. A hundred thousand tongues would be inadequate to render thanks for this. Verily, He Himself rendereth thanks on behalf of His servants, and this is true thanksgiving, but most people are heedless. Oceans of meaning lie concealed and hidden in the words that shine forth from the Divine Mouth. Blessed is the soul that hath attained, and woe unto the deniers.

[That which thou didst write concerning the unity and harmony of the friends of God, upon them be the Glory of God, and likewise the gathering of the loved ones and their remembrance and praise of the Beloved of the worlds, was presented at the Divine Threshold and was acceptable. His words, exalted be His grandeur:]

God willing, they are enabled to perform the deeds they have done for His sake, and God willing, they shall be enabled to carry out all the divine ordinances. However, in all things they must observe wisdom, and all are commanded and obligated to follow this divine word.

[The names of the souls mentioned in thy letter were presented at the Most Holy Court. Divine verses from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will were specially revealed for each one. God willing, may all attain unto them and drink from the living waters concealed in the chalices of the words of the Lord of Names and Attributes. His words, exalted be His grandeur:]

(Jinab-i-Isma’il, brother of Rajab)

He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing

O Ismail! The Lord of the Friend calls you from this most exalted station and mentions you through what flows from His Most Exalted Pen, that you may rejoice and be among the thankful. Be in the Cause of your Lord in such wise that neither the veils of the world nor the clouds of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the worlds, shall hinder you. Take hold of God and leave all else besides Him. He verily suffices you in truth. Thus commands you He from Whose presence is a preserved Tablet. How many a servant has drunk from the Kawthar of life from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and how many a servant has cast it behind him, turning away from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou and those whom vain desires have not kept back from the Creator of heaven and who have turned with radiant faces toward the countenance of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

(To Rahmatullah, brother of Azizullah)

He is the Dawning Place from the horizon of heaven

O Rahmatullah! My mercy has preceded thee and My grace has encompassed thee, and I am the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. I have guided thee to My path and caused thee to know the Dawning Place of My Cause and the Source of My verses, and have made thee speak My praise and aided thee to turn toward My luminous horizon. We counsel thee to show forth the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause whereby the foundations of existence were shaken, save for those who held fast to the hem of the protection of their Lord, the All-Informed. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent down from the heaven of utterance that which brings joy to the eyes of those who know. Preserve the verses of thy Lord as thou wouldst preserve thine eye. He, verily, is the Preserver, the All-Knowing.

(To Asadullah, brother of Azizullah)

He is the One Who rules over all who are on earth and in heaven

O Asadullah! Be steadfast in the Cause, walk the straight path, be patient in adversity, grateful in prosperity, and act according to what thou art commanded. Thus does the Mother Book command thee. Should a croaker come to you with the book of the wicked ones, cast it behind you, turning toward the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Verily He is with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the Mighty, the All-Seeing. Let nothing make thee grieve in the path of God. Rejoice in the Most Great Joy which speaks from the highest horizon of the world: “Verily there is no God but I, the Almighty, the All-Choosing.” Soon shall the earth and its ornaments and bounties pass away, and there shall endure what hath been sent down to thee from God, the Revealer of verses.

(To Agha Siyyid Kazim from K)

He is the Observer, the Manifest, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing

A Book sent down by the All-Merciful to him who has believed in God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. O Kazim! We have seen thy turning toward Us, We have turned toward thee from this Most Exalted Station and have mentioned thee with that which has perfumed the atmosphere of utterance throughout all possibility. Be grateful and say: “Praise be to Thee, O God of the seen and unseen.” We heard thy call and answered thee. His knowledge has preceded all created things and His grace has encompassed all who exist. We have accepted from thee what thou desired in the path of God and have made thee a trustee from Our presence over what thou hast, and have permitted thee to dispose of it as thou pleasest. Verily thy Lord is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but He, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Loving. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Favor and glorify thy Lord, the Lord of Hosts.

(To Ismail son of Khudadad)

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great […]

O Son of the Khan! Hearken unto the Call from the Land of Decree from thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. The Call of thy Lord hath been raised from Zion, and Jerusalem hath been blessed with the fragrances of the verses of thy Chosen Lord. The City hath descended from the heaven of Will, and therein hath the Throne been established by the command of God, the Revealer of mysteries. This is the Day wherein the concealed hath been revealed and that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of creation, hath come to pass. Rejoice, O Ismail, in that the Manifestation of the Friend hath made mention of thee from the most exalted station. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the luminary of knowledge. Blessed is he who hath recognized and hath said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of verses.”

(To Jinab-i-Ahya Ibn-i-Yusuf)

In His Name, Who shineth from the Most Exalted Horizon

A Book sent down by the Lord of Names to those in the kingdom of creation, that the Call may draw them to God, the Lord of the worlds. O son of Yusuf! Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee this perspicuous Remembrance through which mercy hath appeared, the heavenly table hath descended, the bounty hath been perfected, and the proof hath been completed from God, the Exalted, the Great. Every soul was created for the Day of God, yet when He appeared and the Promised One manifested Himself, every heedless and remote one turned away. Blessed is he whose strength was not weakened by the affairs of creation, nor was he hindered by the doubts of those who denied the Day of Judgment.

O Ahya! When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My loving-kindness, praise thy Lord with myriads of holy ones. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that whereby the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, is uplifted. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto that which God hath desired, and woe unto the heedless ones who have cast the ordinances behind their backs and committed that which hath caused the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise to lament in a noble station. Thus hath the ocean of thy Lord’s loving-kindness surged, and the fragrance of the Divine Garment hath wafted between the heavens and the earth.

(To Jinab-i-Mirza Muhammad Husayn Mustawfi of Turbat)

He Who is established upon the throne of His Most Great Name

We have deposited the meanings of the former Books in a word from Us and have sent it to thee as a favor from Our presence that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Generous. And it is this: He is the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery. He hath come with the truth with such sovereignty that neither the hosts of the heavens and earth can withstand Him, nor can the conditions of those who have turned away from God, the Peerless, the All-Informed, prevent Him from that which He desireth. O Muhammad-Qabil-Husayn! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee - He Who hath summoned the people unto God, the Lord of Names, and hath given glad tidings unto all of this Divine Wine, from which they who drink thereof find the sweetness of the Beloved’s oppression. By the life of God! It is sweeter than honey and more pure than Kawthar and Salsabil. We were seated upon the throne in Our Most Great Prison when We heard thy mention and remembered thee with this Remembrance through which the world hath been perfumed and every seeker hath turned unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Be thou aflame with the fire of the love of God. Soon will all thou beholdest perish, and there shall endure only that which thou hast wrought in the days of thy Lord, purely for His radiant countenance. We counsel thee to be patient and steadfast, and to that through which the station of man becometh manifest in the contingent world. Verily, thy Lord is the Counselor, the All-Knowing.

(To Jinab-i-Mulla Rajab-’Ali of Jalkih of Turbat)

In My Name, the Rememberer and the Remembered

[…]

O Rajab-’Ali! The Day hath come and the Promised One proclaimeth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting!” How many a mighty one hath cast the world behind him, turning unto the Lord of the Ancient Days, Who hath come with manifest sovereignty! How many a learned one hath turned away from the Truth, and how many an empty one hath attained His sealed wine! They have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, following their own idle fancies and vain imaginings. Say: O concourse of divines! Let not the world exalt you. Fear God and be of the fair-minded. Say: Beware lest ye interpret God’s verses according to your desires or expound them by that which ye possess. Ye are learned in the eyes of your like, yet ignorant before God, the Lord of all knowledge. We established learning that it might draw you nigh unto the ocean of My loving-kindness, yet through it ye turned away and waxed proud before the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Blessed is he who hath perceived the fragrance of the Revelation and believed in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Strive that there may appear from thee that which the Concourse on high and they who circle round this glorious Station shall remember. Beware lest the veils of men withhold thee from the Truth, or the allusions of those who turned away when the appointed time came and the Promised One appeared. Blessing rest upon the people of Baha who have circled round the will of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

[From ’Abbas of Furugh]

He is the Most Great, the Most Glorious

This is a Book sent down by the All-Bountiful to him who was named ’Abbas, that he might rejoice and be of the thankful. O ’Abbas! We make mention of Muhammad through whom We named the Dugh as Furugh. He hath attained the ultimate goal and ascended to the Supreme Companion. Verily thy Lord is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Blessed is he who hath remembered and remembereth him in accordance with what My Most Exalted Pen hath uttered before and at this hour. The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified that he was among those who turned to the Desired One and believed on a Day wherein most of the servants disbelieved. To this beareth witness He through Whose Word every mouldering bone is quickened. We glorify him, pray for him, and send greetings upon him from this Station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Crimson Scroll, and as ’Akka among the hosts of creation, and as the Protected City in the Books of the Messengers. Blessed be he and his kindred and My loved ones in that place who have cast away idle fancies and held fast unto certitude by the command of One mighty and wise. Give thanks, O ’Abbas, for having been mentioned before the Countenance, and for that which hath been revealed unto thee wherefrom the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance hath been diffused throughout all possibility. Exalted is He Who hath remembered thee and turned toward thee from this Station both near and far.

We praise God with praise that guides all created things to extinction at His gate, for He has been made manifest with such grace that mention of it transcends the knowledge and wisdom of these servants. For every name that was in the letters, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed that he might give thanks for his Lord’s grace and rejoice in His favor that has preceded existence. As commanded, those verses were written in tablets and sent, and this is another grace. Blessed is he who has attained his Lord’s favor, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Regarding Allahverdi, upon him be the Glory of God, his petition arrived before and was presented at the Most Holy Court. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed for him, and likewise for those souls mentioned in his petition - all attained the grace of God. Regarding Ibn-i-Shahid, upon them both be the Glory of God, what you had written was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke from the Mouth of Godhead which was gladdened by My name and My love for My loved ones in the station We accepted for My remembrance.

The mentioned souls whose petitions were presented at the Most Holy Court, and likewise in the correspondence they had sent to this evanescent servant - all names that were mentioned became the recipients of grace. However, sending all at once is not permitted as it contradicts wisdom. They will be sent gradually. God willing, all will be enkindled with the fire of God’s Word - an enkindlement that neither the associating of the polytheists, nor the turning away of the deniers, nor the objections of the objectors, nor the insinuations of the heedless shall prevent.

O true brother, a hundred thousand times must we give thanks that we have attained this supreme gift. Observe the heedlessness of people who, despite acknowledging the Day of Resurrection and confessing the Hour’s appearance and its signs, arose in rejection and objection when it appeared, save whom God willed. But light has been and will be victorious over darkness - in His presence darkness has no ruling power.

And regarding what you had written about Aqa Muhammad Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Throne. This is what the Speaker of Sinai spoke, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Manifest, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

This is a Book sent down in truth from God, the Lord of the worlds. Verily it speaks the truth from the highest station in the world. The Day has come and the Self-Subsisting calls all to the Unique, the All-Informed. O Muhammad-Husayn! Your letter came before the Wronged One containing your name. We make mention of you that you may thank your Lord, the Strong, the Trustworthy. Beware lest the blame of the ignorant take hold of you in the Cause of God, or the insinuations of the corrupters who cast God’s commandments behind their backs and followed the ways of the mischief-makers prevent you. They claim for themselves the highest stations and wrongfully consume people’s wealth - they are truly among the losers. Soon will come a day wherein they will cry for help but none shall help them. Thus does He inform you, with Whom is a mighty Tablet. Let nothing grieve you. Be steadfast in God’s Cause and His service. Verily He hears and sees, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: By God, this is the renowned Day, were you of those who know, and this is the Day of service, were you of those who hear, and this is the Day wherein is ordained for whomever God desires what shall never perish, were you of those who are certain. Blessed is the ear that hears what the Tongue of Grandeur has spoken, and the soul that has arisen in service, and the face that has turned to His luminous horizon. The Glory from Us be upon those who have held fast to this mighty Cord.

I submit: Your letter dated the sixth of Shawwal was received, and from it wafted the fragrance of love for the Peerless Beloved. God willing, may this sweet-scented breeze never cease to blow from the gardens of the heart. After all of it was perused in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, They showed utmost kindness and said: “God willing, may they become the cause of unity among all the hearts of the loved ones of God, in such wise that its fragrances may be diffused throughout all cities and the earth be seen as one single land.”

Regarding what you wrote about him who beareth the name 66 J M, on whom be the Glory of God, They said: “Since in all Tablets We have enjoined wisdom, and he did not find these matters advisable, therefore he spoke what he spoke and uttered what he uttered. God willing, may the horizons of hearts at all times derive light and radiance from the Most Great Luminary. The efforts of souls who have arisen to serve will not and shall not be lost. ‘Whoso is for God, God is for him’ - this is an ancient utterance, yet most firm and sound. Hold fast unto it, a command from the presence of the All-Wise Commander.”

And concerning what you wrote about Mirza Ibrahim of S. and Mashhadi Husayn of Y., on whom be the Glory of God, it was submitted, and a wondrous and exalted Tablet was revealed for each. God willing, may they attain unto them. Likewise for Aqa Muhammad-Taqi, on whom be the Glory of God. This servant beseecheth his Lord to draw all nigh unto Him and aid them to do what He loveth and is pleased with. It is hoped that the horizons of the world may be illumined by the lights of the stars of the heaven of manifestation. This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings and salutations to all the friends and masters.

To his honor ’Azizu’llah, on whom be the Glory of God, I convey greetings. The replies to his letters have been written; if they do not arrive this time, God willing, they shall arrive next time. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid him in what beseemeth this divine Day. Praise be to God, they are under the glance of divine favor, and the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet revealed specifically for them is being sent. It is hoped that they may forever remain mentioned and enduring in the gathering of the world in the name of the Ancient Lord.

Concerning what they wrote about the House and their request that God, exalted be His glory, accept it - at a special time it was submitted before the Throne, and the sun of acceptance rose from the horizon of the mouth of God’s Will. His word, exalted be His grandeur: “We have accepted the House as a bounty from Our presence and have elevated it through a word from Us, and verily I am the Mighty, the Wise.” God willing, may they regard all the friends wherever they may be according to their stations as set forth by the Supreme Pen. The Glory be upon thee from Us and upon those who have traversed the lands for the love of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

I bear witness by God that Mulla Ali and Ibn-i-Shahid and the other friends, upon them be the Glory of God, stand before the divine eye. Previously, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was sent down from the heaven of God’s will especially for them, and God willing, will continue to be sent. Their mention is recorded at the Divine Throne and their deeds are, praise be to God, accepted. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed especially for the son of Ali, upon him be 966 [the Glory of God], and God willing it will be sent, and there is hope for their other son as well. The Command belongs to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Glory be upon you and upon the loved ones of God in those regions and in all directions, and upon your family and upon those women who have believed in the All-Informed Single One. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. An exalted Tablet will be sent especially for your wife. The special Tablets revealed for the aforementioned souls, as well as the responses to the petitions, and likewise the responses to the letters which this servant has submitted, will all be sent gradually in accordance with wisdom. The special message is that the Most Mighty, Most Blessed Branches of the Divine Lote-Tree - may my spirit, my being, my essence and all that God, my Lord, has bestowed upon me be a sacrifice for the dust of their feet - send radiant and glorious greetings from the horizon of the heaven of loving-kindness to you and all the leaves of the Tree of Divine knowledge, and remember you with wondrous mention.

=== END BH00188 ===

=== START BH00189 ===

In the name of our Lord, the Most Invincible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God, Divine relief hath come after hardship. O Beloved of my heart! There was a time when, for the sake of God’s Cause, they were imprisoned. The One God is witness to their state and doth attest to these words, that throughout all nights and days this servant struggled without arms against the hosts of sorrows and grief, until one day a special Tablet, destined for His Holiness the Afnan, the letter A and H, upon whom be all the most glorious splendor of God, descended from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will, suddenly adorning heart and soul with the ornament of joy. For from that most mighty and holy Tablet wafted the fragrance of that Beloved One’s well-being and deliverance from imprisonment. Some friends forwarded certain letters in that Beloved One’s hand, each of which caused the lips of this evanescent one’s spirit to smile, and all were presented before the throne of Him from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden. The effulgences of the Sun of grace were visible and manifest from the horizon of bounty, requiring no mention from this evanescent one. A hundred thousand regrets that nights and days passed while the gate of utterance remained sealed, yet there is hope that through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, the gate shall hereafter be opened and responses to previous letters shall be presented and dispatched. The cause of delay in these days was that the fetid winds of the souls of the polytheists had somewhat passed over this land as well. The greatest glad-tidings is that in the days when that Beloved of the soul was confined in the prison of Isfahan, one most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed which indicated, proclaimed and spoke of that Beloved One’s oppression. By command it was not sent, for the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this blessed word: “O servant in attendance, preserve it and dispatch it after deliverance.” However, that Beloved One was remembered night and day. At this time, by command, it was raised to the sovereign heights until it attained the presence of the Face, and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this most exalted Word, exalted be His utterance:

He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing

O Dove! Warble upon the bough of remembrance and praise in the name of thy Lord, the Possessor of Names, and give glad tidings unto the people of God’s favor, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Verily, a band of youths desired to extinguish the light of God with the force of their armies, their cannons, and their swords. We beseech God to quench their fire through His Name, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

Say: O concourse of friends! Beware lest the might of the enemies cause you grief. It behooveth you to commit your affairs unto God. Verily, He will seize the oppressors as He seized those before them, making them a lesson to those who are discerning. Say: Beware lest the affairs of creation prevent you from the Truth which hath come with the Kingdom of Utterance and hath called all unto God, the Single, the All-Informed.

Do these oppressive souls not take warning from what hath transpired before? What oppressor hath ever profited from his tyranny? All have been and are in manifest loss. Nevertheless, the smoke of pride and vainglory hath deprived their eyes from beholding the lights of justice. They say that which they understand not, and do that from which every just one, every equitable one, every seeing one, and every learned one would dissociate themselves.

I swear by the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance that erelong will the oppressive souls become aware of their loss and witness it with their outward eyes. Verily, thy Lord is the True Informer, the Trustworthy.

Say: O friends! Stand firm upon the straight path in such wise that the fragrances of your steadfastness may be wafted among the people. Every matter is established through you and made manifest for you. Reflect upon what transpired in the Dispensation of the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake. How many were the souls who engaged in mockery, rejection, and cursing, while behind them a group of companions sustained themselves with but a date pit. Later, that straitness, confinement, hardship, and difficulty were transformed into complete abundance and great prosperity.

In this Most Great Revelation, God - exalted be His glory - hath not and will not grant respite to the oppressors. Verily, He is possessed of terrible might. Ye must at all times engage in the promotion of God’s Cause with wisdom and prudence. The world hath never been, nor is it now, worthy of attention or observation, much less of attachment or preoccupation. Death shall come in any case. By the life of God! In the path of Truth and for the love of Truth, a hundred thousand martyrdoms are preferable to other forms of death. This is apparent in what is spoken, but in reality, the ocean of life cannot be compared to martyrdom in His path, exalted be He, for martyrdom in itself possesseth eternal stations, everlasting life, and perpetual existence. This station hath endless exposition.

The Command is in the hands of God, the Lord of all religions. Souls need educators, teachers, and reminders. You must, during the days and nights, water the trees of the garden of utterance with the living waters and nurture them that they may yield wondrous, sublime, and ripe fruits. For thirty years or more, We have forbidden all people from corruption, conflict, contention, and reprehensible deeds. We have borne the oppression of the oppressors and the tyranny of the heedless. Yet these unconscious people have not desisted, and heedlessness hath reached such a point that if the Almighty, the Powerful were to seize the people of a city and leave but one person as a reminder, that one person would still rise in opposition. In view of the requital for the abhorrent deeds of the chief of this land, nearly one crow […]

O beloved of my heart! The servant supposed that in the realm of education souls would be found who would somewhat comprehend what is intended in this Most Great Manifestation. Now it has become evident that even if a hundred thousand worlds should reach their end, the people still remain at the beginning, as if they had seen nothing and heard nothing. According to the letter of the honored and revered beloved, His Holiness ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Power, several volumes of books and writings fell into the hands of the enemies. Nevertheless, they did not comprehend a single word thereof. For had they understood, they would have known with absolute certainty that this Most Great Manifestation is for mercy, not for affliction; for guidance, not misguidance; for eternal life, not for aught else. Despite all they have said and heard, it has not yet been established that the purpose was and is not oppression, corruption, conflict and contention. May God grant the power of understanding and aid His loved ones to act according to what has been revealed in the Book. The tribulations of this time have had various causes, the blame for which lies both within and without, for certain souls within, due to heedlessness and ignorance, have spoken that which has caused the disturbance of souls, even though these same souls testify to the justice and truthfulness of this Most Great Manifestation. The servant beseeches God to assist all to pure truthfulness and pure deeds. Verily, He has power over all things.

His Holiness Mulla Muhammad-’Ali-Dahji, upon him be 99 [Baha’u’llah], turned some time ago toward this direction bringing numerous petitions from M.R. and those parts and other regions. An answer was revealed but, due to wisdom and the delusions of the land of Ta, was not bestowed upon him, as it was thought he might encounter the ambushes of evil ones in the wilderness. Now it has been sent. That beloved one should observe it and forward it, and if that beloved one himself should turn toward those parts, it would be well-pleasing unto God, for the people are very receptive in all regions. May God confirm all to arise in His Cause and raise up souls who will arise with complete dedication to serve, and if the Tablets of M.R. and some regions should be given to Mulla Muhammad-’Ali himself to deliver, it would be most pleasing, for he returned from the Land of Purpose in utmost sorrow. May joy overtake him after sorrow, and ease after hardship.

The authoritative letter which you inscribed after release from imprisonment, dated the twentieth of Dhi’l-Hajja, brought tranquility to the spirit and boundless joy to the soul. After learning of its contents, I approached the presence of the Lord of Creation and presented all before Him. Thus did the Tongue of Utterance speak, as the Temple of Oneness was established upon the Throne of Grandeur. He said, exalted be His glory and magnificent His utterance:

“O Dove! O thou who gazest toward the Most Exalted Horizon! There hath befallen thee in My path that which befell Mine own Self at the hands of the oppressors among My servants and the transgressors among My creatures, they who violated My Covenant, shattered My Testament, cast aside My Book, disputed My verses, and committed that which caused the dwellers of My Kingdom to lament and the inmates of the Tabernacle of My Glory to cry out. Grieve thou not, for thy Lord is with thee under all conditions and hath assisted thee with truth when He delivered thee from prison and established thee in His service, speaking forth His praise. Blessed art thou and happy art thou! Thou art he who hath witnessed and beheld from the factions that which hath troubled the hearts of the righteous and hath heard that which caused the chosen ones to lament.”

Praise be to God! The dawning rays of the Sun of Providence are truly of such magnitude that the denizens of the Supreme Kingdom are bewildered, let alone this servant and his like. At one time the Tongue of Grandeur uttered these words: “O attending servant!” After Varqa - upon him be His Glory - turned toward Azerbaijan, outwardly no news of him arrived. The purpose of mentioning these words is that mention of that beloved one has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence.

Regarding what you wrote about his eminence S. - upon him be the Glory of God - he himself sent to the Most Holy Court all that transpired. In truth he has endured and continues to endure many hardships. This servant beseeches his Lord to protect him. However, mentioning him in correspondence may cause misunderstanding, in the sense that some friends relate whatever they hear in such a way that news reaches the enemies and may cause harm to sacred souls. In any case, praise be to God that what the enemy intended was contrary to God’s will, to their utter frustration.

And regarding the mention of the honored beloved, his eminence Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah and his leaf - upon them both be the Most Glorious Glory of God - and their household - upon them be the Glory of God and His favors - who all showed the utmost love toward that beloved one, what they have done is evident. Indeed it was befitting. This servant beseeches that they be granted what they desired in the path of God, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Regarding what you wrote about the results of imprisonment, praise be to God that whatever occurs and whatever harm befalls His loved ones is transformed. Imprisonment in His path has become the cause of freedom and deliverance, just as through your imprisonment those few souls found life and attained salvation. This is why it has been said: “You have won, whether it falls even or odd.” This is unique to this Cause, for whatever has befallen it has become the cause of exalting the Word of God. God willing, may those newly planted trees yield wondrous and sublime fruits.

Regarding what they mentioned about the location and instructions for dhikr, it was submitted according to the command that the beloved one should travel in [the letter] ta and its surroundings, and wherever they enter, they should go to the mosque and engage in teaching. If the stay in each location is not prolonged, it would be better and more acceptable. The means will be provided, God willing. I beseech the Truth to illumine all those regions with the light of His knowledge, and that from the utterances of that beloved one, countless saplings may be planted and attain delectable fruits.

A letter was sent previously by that beloved one mentioning numerous names, requesting wondrous and exalted Tablets for all. Now if these should be sent, let that beloved one inform us, as some time has passed and there has been delay in sending them, this being due to the imprisonment of that beloved one.

As for appointing this servant as representative for the visitation: On the 12th of Jumada al-Awwal, one hour after nightfall, this evanescent one, as your representative, intended the ultimate goal and attained the visitation. Praise be to God, it was also adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Blessed be it unto your honor and unto me.

Several Tablets were entrusted by the honored friend Aqa Mirza ’Inayat, upon him be 66 9 [Baha’u’llah]. The envelope was addressed in his name. That beloved one may deliver them to him in whatever manner deemed appropriate. It is very important that they reach him. Likewise, there is an envelope addressed to Mulla Muhammad ’Ali, upon him be 66 9 [Baha’u’llah], which should reach him.

The Most Great Branch of God 66, may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps, and the other two Branches, may my spirit be sacrificed for their footsteps, send greetings and say: “Praise be to God that His hand of providence granted deliverance. Night and day we beseeched freedom from the Truth, exalted be His glory, and through His grace it was answered.” Likewise, the people of the pavilion of infallibility and glory send greetings and say: “During the days of imprisonment we were grieved and sought deliverance from the Truth, exalted be His providence. Praise be to God Who fulfilled His promise and delivered you in truth, and He is the Powerful, the Mighty.” And all others of those who circle round also send greetings and praise. Indeed, all were delighted by that beloved one’s well-being and with utmost joy and gladness were engaged in praise and glorification of the Beloved of all worlds.

When this servant’s writing reached this point, another door opened and a fresh mention was heard, namely that a packet arrived from that direction addressed to the honored master, his eminence the Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God. Since he was not present and had appointed this servant as his deputy, with permission the packet was opened. A letter from his eminence M.H., son of the exalted A.B., upon them both be the Glory of God, was observed. Praise be to God, the fragrance of love for the Beloved of all possibility wafted from it. I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His station, that He may confirm him as He confirmed his father in steadfastness in this mighty Cause. The mention of “Greatest Name” to him depends on the favor of that Beloved One. Although his letter was addressed to his eminence the Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, yet all of it was adorned with the mention and praise of God, exalted be His glory. This servant beseeches his Lord to manifest through him that which befits His impregnable, mighty and exalted Cause. That Beloved One should remind all and counsel them with wisdom from God. This wisdom that is mentioned refers to the conduct of the Ancient Beauty during His sojourn in Baghdad. In the beginning of His arrival in Iraq, the divines and notables of that land would not approach, as they had heard meaningless words from the foreigners of that land. In short, such suspicions had become a barrier and obstacle that their penetration and removal seemed very difficult. However, the conduct of God, exalted be His glory, was such that in a short time all the notables among the divines, princes and others turned towards Him. The Cause reached such a station that even the sons of kings in that land showed complete sincerity. They would specifically go for pilgrimage to Kazimayn, peace be upon them both, and sometimes to the mosque, and during the days of mourning for the Prince of Martyrs, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for him, it was as if the effects of that greatest tragedy were resurrected on the Day of God. God willing, may all be confirmed in that which causes the remembrance, acceptance and attention of the servants. Likewise, in the aforementioned packet there were multiple letters and petitions from his eminence M.H. before M.W., upon him be the Glory of God. The petition was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. They showed complete favor. Indeed, his petition itself was speaking, mentioning and revealing the conditions of the sender. Each letter of it was honored with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds and was calling out in His name. God willing, may they be seen more enkindled in every moment. We beseech God to preserve the fire of His love and increase their light of steadfastness and knowledge. Enkindled souls are indeed the cause of enkindlement, especially if they appear with patience and calm. This evanescent servant conveys Greatest Name and greetings to them and says: Congratulations and blessings to you, for you have found the sweetness of this Day and attained what most on earth were prevented from. God willing, may they be assisted with divine confirmations and supported in that which causes the exaltation of the Word of God. And the souls mentioned in their letters were each honored with the mention of God, exalted be His glory. This is that bounty which previous books gave glad tidings of, and God willing, the letters will be sent to his eminence the Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for assistance in all conditions.

That esteemed beloved one had written instructions regarding his own people, and since those instructions were given with permission and leave, therefore that beloved one should support them in carrying out what they have determined. And if anything is needed, whatever any soul gives will reach him, for the All-Glorious Truth has been and is the Guarantor of the friends, and He well fulfills His promise. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Munificent, the Generous.

As to that beloved of the heart, his honor A.B., upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, in truth he is the cause of the turning and enkindling of that region. We beseech the Most High that there may be manifested through him that which He hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. God willing, they shall conduct themselves with wisdom and utterance. Praise be to God, they have been assisted to turn in love and steadfastness and to direct their attention to the friends. All this is from God’s grace upon him. Verily His grace is beyond compare in the heavens and the earth, as every just and discerning one doth testify.

This lowly one conveys greetings and salutations to them, and beseecheth from the Exalted Truth whatsoever is worthy of His generosity, exalted be His station. Likewise do I convey greetings to the gentlemen and friends of that land, and I say unto them that they should know the value of these days and at all times strive to guide the thirsty ones in the valley of heedlessness to the ocean of knowledge, and deliver and free the captives of self and passion through the hosts of remembrance. What day hath darkness not overtaken? What beginning hath not met its end? All are in motion, and motion itself is evidence of stillness. All speak, and speech itself is a truthful witness to silence - meaning that ere long all shall return to their earthen home. Verily we are God’s and unto Him do we return.

Therefore they must not be prevented by the might of the oppressors. Pure intention and sanctified deeds are today reserved for the men and heroes of the arena of truth and utterance. In such case, should harm befall them in the path of the Friend, it is as the water of life to the spirit. The negligent one is fearful; what concern have others? God willing, may they hold fast to wisdom and to that which hath been revealed in God’s Book. Verily He is with them and will aid them as He pleaseth, and verily He is the Powerful, the Strong, the Trustworthy.

Another submission: this servant wrote a letter to Mulla Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], which should be delivered to him. Regarding the Tablets, it was also mentioned to him that whatever that Beloved One deems advisable, He should act accordingly. O Beloved of my heart! The world appears ready at a time when complete despair prevails. Glory be to God, from this negation and this affirmation! God willing, a new creation shall appear and become manifest between the two, despite the polytheists. However, we must lament our own doing. Poor Sa’di spoke well: “Sa’di cries out against his own self.” In brief, the cause of the commotion in the land of Ta [Tehran] has been those who claim to love. Outsiders have said what they have seen and heard, but these people have said that which they themselves do not believe, and have become the cause of fear. The fault lies with us, not with the government. However, I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His glory, that He may inspire the government authorities with that which has been and is His blessed will. By the life of God! If they became aware, they would turn toward the one peerless Friend. In any case, there is hope that they may turn from the north of conjecture to the south of certitude, and become cognizant of that which is intended and that which is the cause and means of security and safety. Verily, He is the Helper. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. May the glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon you and upon those who hold fast to the Sure Handle and believe in God, the Lord of the First and the Last.

The Servant

22 Jamadi’l-Avval 1301

=== END BH00189 ===

=== START BH00190 ===

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

All praise that is sanctified above the comprehension of the world and the recognition of nations befitteth the court of the glory of the Most High, Who alone, through the Supreme Pen, rendered His Cause victorious in days when the Sun of justice was concealed behind the clouds and the Luminary of equity was veiled behind the mists, to such extent that the horizon was darkened and the world intoxicated and stupefied. Trembling had seized the tribes, and the streams of knowledge were cut off and prevented from flowing through creation. The clouds themselves bear witness, and the mists themselves testify, while the atoms of all created things acknowledge and the realities of all things confess that there was no helper save the scratching of the Supreme Pen. In such days did He, alone, arise to champion the Cause - an arising that caused the seated to tremble and the mighty to be perturbed. And when the clouds were somewhat lifted through the grace of the Pen of the Lord of Lords, and the lights of the Luminary of justice shone forth, there arose from behind the veils clamor and croaking. Every heedless one fell into vain imaginings and every infidel arose in opposition. Instead of gratitude, they began to complain; in place of faithfulness appeared faithlessness, and in place of justice, tyranny became manifest. Those who from the beginning of the Cause were heedless and veiled laid claim to knowledge and insight, and with the utmost cunning and deceit, strove to mislead those who had accepted and become unified with the Truth.

Glorified art Thou, O Revealer of verses and Manifestor of clear proofs, Master of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the light of Thy countenance whereby the earth and all thereon were illumined, and by the fire of Thy Lote-Tree whereby all things were attracted, to aid Thy servants to return unto Thee and to repent before the door of Thy grace, even though they have committed that which caused the dwellers of Thy Paradise and the occupants of the tabernacle of Thy majesty to lament, and the Primal Point to cry out from Thy most exalted horizon, and the eyes of Thy Prophets and chosen ones and the near ones among Thy servants to weep. O Lord! Thou seest them cast upon the earth of heedlessness and forgetfulness, their deeds having prevented them from soaring in the atmosphere of Thy love, from turning to Thy face, and from entering the paradise of Thy presence. I beseech Thee, O Desired One of the world and Lord of the nations, by Thy mercy which Thou hast made the supreme cause for the tranquility and joy of Thy chosen ones, by Thy bounty and grace and favors, to deliver them from the darkness of self and passion. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the mysteries hidden in the treasury of Thy knowledge, to assist Thy servants in Thy days that they may discover the fragrance of Thy most sweet utterance whereby earth and heaven have been perfumed. O Lord! This is Thy Day and the Day of Thy manifestation. The door of Thy grace hath been opened, the ocean of Thy mercy surgeth, and the fragrance of Thy bounty is wafted. I beseech Thee not to deprive Thy servants of Thy grace and bestowals and gifts which have, by Thy command, encompassed all created things. Verily, Thou art the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty.

Send Thy blessings and peace and glory, O my God, upon those faces whom Thou hast, through Thy power, exalted to a station whereunto the hands of them that are beneath them fall short of attaining. I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath prevailed and by Thy might which hath encompassed all, to strengthen them as Thou didst strengthen them before, in such wise that they may see all else but Thee as a handful of dust. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all men and the Speaker in the final return. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your arising, your remembrance, and your praise. This evanescent servant has been blessed to receive your letter, which spoke in praise of God, proclaimed His Name, called to His Cause, made mention of His remembrance, guided to His path, and conveyed your submissiveness, humility, turning and dedication to your Creator, your Maker, our Life-Giver and your Life-Giver. When I detected the fragrance of certitude, I opened and read it, and ascended until I attained and presented it before the countenance of our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and earth. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which attracted the souls and minds. His word, exalted be His majesty and all-encompassing His bounty: In My Name, the Manifest, the Resplendent, Who standeth before the faces of the world.

O Afnan! Upon thee be My Baha, My mercy and My loving-kindness. Say: By God! He hath appeared, and whoso denieth Him hath denied the Bayan and before it the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, even unto the Primal Point. To this testifieth all things, and beyond them the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

O Afnan! Hear thou in Persian: Say: A Revelation hath appeared and a Sun hath dawned and a Light hath risen. Whosoever denieth or rejecteth Him, denial and rejection themselves shall curse him. Say: By God! He hath not appeared in such wise that clouds could prevent Him or mists could withhold His light. Today all the Prophets and Messengers circle round Him. By the life of God, the heedless are in grievous drunkenness.

Say: Read ye the verses of God, then judge with fairness. He hath ever been independent of you, of your acceptance and your faith. They that are endowed with insight from God are worthy to behold the lights of the Lord of Power from the Most Sublime Vision. By the Sun of certitude that shineth resplendent from the highest horizon of the world, this Wronged One hath, throughout the nights and days, made mention of the servants of God and summoned them to the supreme horizon. Neither the hosts of the world deterred Him, nor the clamor of nations. He arose with a power that none can equal and a might that none can rival - an arising that caused feet to stumble and hearts to quake, save those who detached themselves from the world and all therein and turned their gaze to the most exalted horizon.

Say: Acceptance and rejection, reward and punishment, return unto the souls themselves, while God is sanctified and detached from all. The blind are debarred from beholding the horizon of light, and the deaf are deprived of hearing the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai. Blessed is the soul that hath completely rolled up the worlds of fancy and lifted its eyes from the realm of idle imaginings. Such a one is and hath ever been worthy to behold the lights of the Sun of Truth.

Reflect upon the Shi’ih sect - what came of their zealotry, their lamentations, their seeking and their weeping? What was their end and what fruit did it yield? Say: Take ye warning, O men of understanding! Take ye warning, O men of insight!

Convey thou My greetings to all who are related to the Divine Lote-Tree. Say: The heaven hath come with manifest smoke. Guard ye yourselves through this Most Great Name. It would be regrettable should the people of the Bayan walk again in the footsteps of the Shi’ihs and follow their vain imaginings, with their end being what was witnessed.

O Afnan! By My life, thy sorrow grieveth Me even as thy joy delighteth Me. Yet know thou with clear certainty that truth is with you. The world hath written volumes about its own faithlessness - how many kings hath it dispatched from palaces to tombs, how many traces hath it erased through centuries and ages. That which endureth and lasteth is the Word of God. By the life of God, whoso attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good. Were the Supreme Pen to expound this station in detail, all would hasten to the place of sacrifice to seize and attain unto it. Consummate wisdom requireth concealment. He knoweth while people know not; He understandeth while people understand not.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, upon those with you, upon those who love you, and upon those whom the cawing of the cawers hath not kept back from God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Lord! Deprive not these poor ones of the Bayan from the Kawthar of Thy meanings. One is poor in wealth, another poor in understanding - the first lacks means to purchase things, the second lacks capacity to accept meanings and knowledge. By the life of our Lord! The second is more destitute and in need of prayer.

The Afnan of the Sacred Tree, this ephemeral one, and the friends must beseech God for deliverance and protection, that perchance they may return. Otherwise, the Truth has been and remains sanctified above all. In these days it is heard that the Tongue of Grandeur recites the blessed Surih “Say: O ye unbelievers!” - even as the Primal Point, may our souls be sacrificed for His sake, foretold this. Great was the wonder at the assembly of Manshad, for it much resembled the assembly of the Mother City [Mecca], nay, was even baser. This servant, after witnessing and learning of this, paused. However, fearing that concealment might not find favor in the Most Sublime Vision, it was mentioned. After this was presented, the Ancient Tongue spoke that which would bestow the spirit of justice upon dust and confer the power of equity. Yet it is unknown what effect this will have upon the heedless, for He has said: “It increaseth nothing in the wrongdoers save loss.”

In truth, those whom God has granted insight have become aware and perceive the divine fragrances. However, it is not permissible to place these in the hands of deluded souls. In Kaf and Ra, many divine verses have been plagiarized and mixed together, thinking they might compose a book and engage in misguidance. By the life of our Lord and your Lord, our God and your God! Nothing will profit them today except that they repent and return to God, the Single, the One, the All-Informed. First it should be given to Aqa Shaykh ?, upon him be the glory of God, that he may make a copy […]

Let them carefully compare and verify, and if possible have someone read it to some of the people of Manshad, and then read it to the Manshadi assembly who sent the darkened page of opposition. His honor Aqa Mulla Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God, God willing stands firm on the path of the Cause, and their clamor and croaking has not prevented him from the Lord of the Covenant. Let them also consider it, and if a copy reaches his honor, the beloved and honored Raj, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, it would be most pleasing. Similarly, let all the souls in the surrounding areas observe it, that perchance it may become the cause of the remembrance of the servants. In truth, today is the day of the victory of the Cause. They must act in whatever way is wise and beneficial. And it would be pleasing if his honor, the honored one, his honor the Teacher, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, would also consider it. The purpose is that the party of God may become aware and give awareness to the heedless souls about the path of truth, the nature of truth, the deeds of those drawn nigh, and that which their tongues have uttered, that perchance they may attain their goal. Those poor ones are observed to be asleep and heedless, as they have no knowledge, and the former Shi’ih delusions have made those souls deluded. They have no sight of their own to see, and possess no hearing to hear, and they are turned away and heedless of those souls who are aware. What remains except that the hand of pure grace and favor may grant salvation to such souls. Surely his honor has observed the letter of those souls. Hatred and animosity are so inflamed in some of those souls that they have omitted the Greatest Name at the beginning of their writing, and the verse “every important matter” has been erased from view. Observe how heedlessness has encompassed those souls. His honor is aware of some of what has appeared in this Most Great Manifestation - equivalent to the heavenly books, nay greater, is now present, and the evidences are so manifest that no one has any excuse to turn away. Nevertheless, they said and did that which none before had done. At the end of this servant’s letter which contained the utterances of Truth, exalted be His glory, they mentioned [the word] “this ephemeral one.” It would be very good if they would act upon it and then return to the truth, that they may recognize that of which they are heedless today. Some time ago, this servant intended to write something that might deliver and preserve the ignorant servants from the well of suspicions and delusions. During the writing, certain matters arose that caused delay, and this servant also paused for some time, for He said: “I do not need what was revealed in previous books to prove My Cause, although God, blessed and exalted be He, has adorned His books with this Most Great Manifestation, which none can bear except he who has cast away the world, turning unto God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.” For this reason it remained postponed until again some friends wrote about the objections of the opposers and the calumnies of souls. Therefore it became necessary to write and send something, that perhaps God may thereby bring about a matter and preserve His servants through it. God is witness and testifier that this servant becomes ashamed to write of certain events and the deeds and actions of heedless souls, for in these days that have no likeness or similarity, it is a pity for one to occupy oneself with that which is unworthy. However, in consideration of the condition of the weak ones and some souls who have no knowledge, this ephemeral one engaged in writing certain matters and proofs and evidences. If Truth, exalted be His glory, wills, it will be sent in these days.

In the first letter, mention was made of His honor Aqa Mulla Muhammad-Rida of Muhammad-Abad, upon him be the Glory of God, who directed his steps toward Bahram-Abad, and his journey proved beneficial for the guidance of souls. When this matter was presented to the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, these blessed and exalted words were revealed: “Today, all the good that hath been revealed in the Book of God is for the one among the people of Baha who, for the sake of God, turneth toward various regions, strengtheneth the weak through the Name of God, and adorneth them with the ornament of steadfastness. Until now, no soul hath truly attained complete understanding of the Day of God and what hath been manifested from His presence, save whom God willeth. It is incumbent and obligatory upon all souls to protect people from vain imaginings. O Afnan! Consider first the Shi’ih sect: four persons became the cause of that party’s vain imaginings, calling themselves the Gates. Those illusory cities and unreal domains were built by the hands of their suspicions, and those vain imaginings became the cause of hatred, the harm of which reached even unto the Primal Point. Were any possessor of insight to ponder the events that have transpired and the conditions that have become manifest, he would find himself detached and freed from all else but God.”

The effulgences of the Sun of Grace have dawned and shone forth upon the aforementioned personage. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, to confirm him that he may again turn toward various regions for the sake of God and make the servants of Truth aware of the suspicions, vain imaginings, deception and craftiness of the barking souls. This servant conveyeth his greetings and salutations to him and seeketh confirmation and assistance from the True One.

As for the mention they made of His honor Mulla Ghulam-Rida, his petition was received. In those days, whatever was submitted regarding those matters, the Supreme Pen was stayed in response until these days when the answer to the community of Manshad was revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of creation. That which is ordained by God for him shall also be revealed. This evanescent servant seeketh guidance and desireth confirmation for all.

Concerning what they wrote about the incident involving His honor Mirza [Ali-Rida], upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, the deceit and trickery they perpetrated against him is but the same record of the characteristics of those souls. Glory be to God! To what degree have deceit and trickery reached! I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to make those souls aware of their ignorance and doubt, that they may return unto God, their Lord, and repent before Him. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Generous. Praise be to God that his honor remained protected and the arrows of craftiness and guile had no effect upon him. I beseech the Most High to make him confirmed in His remembrance and in serving His binding and wise Cause. I convey greetings and salutations to him and seek confirmation from the True One.

Concerning what was written about Aqa Shaykh Mahdi, upon him be the Glory of God, that he exerted great effort in his introduction and rendered assistance - after this matter was presented, these sublime words were revealed in response, blessed and exalted be His utterance: “Blessed is he and blessed is he who has attained to the service of the Cause in the Days of God, the Lord of the worlds. O Mahdi! Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee. We have sent down for thee in these days that which nothing in all creation can equal, and We have sent it to thee as a bounty from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Thy deed hath previously been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Give thanks unto God for this wondrous remembrance. We send from this station Our glorification upon thee and upon him who made clear to thee My straight Path, and upon him whom thou didst guide to My manifest and perspicuous Way.”

Praise be to God, they have attained unto the lights of the utterance of the Purpose of the worlds, and their deed in that matter hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. This is of His latter grace. In these days they have written a letter to this servant; a reply was sent containing the verses of God. I beseech the Truth to confirm them in grasping His verses with such strength that the power of the world will neither weaken nor render them helpless. According to what was mentioned, in these days they have guided a certain person, and that person hath also sent a petition to the Most Holy Court. The answer was revealed in this servant’s letter written to the Shaykh, upon him be the Glory of God. I beseech and implore the Truth, exalted be His glory, to confirm him in steadfastness and service, to protect him from the reprehensible and aid him in the commendable, and likewise to preserve him from the evil of heedless and oppressive souls.

With utmost humility I convey greetings and glorification to the honored Afnan of the Sacred Tree, upon them be all His most glorious Glory, and I beseech God, exalted be His station, for their good in this world and the next, and for all that hath flowed from the Supreme Pen in the Book. I testify that He hath related them to Himself and raised them to a station whereby the servants draw near unto God, the Lord of creation. Likewise, I convey glorification and greetings to the loved ones and friends of that land. I beseech and implore the Truth to confirm them all in the Most Great Steadfastness and enable them to remind the servants. He is powerful over all things. There is no God but Him, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens. Glory, peace, and praise be upon your honor, upon those with you, upon those who hear your words, and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to Him, for He is the Master of the Day of Judgment.

The Servant

8th of Dhi’l-?ijjih al-?aram, 1302

The papers have arrived. What was requested has been sent, and previously too, the honored Amin, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, had sent what was requested. If it has been duplicated, there is no harm; your honor may keep them.

Regarding what was written that the honored physician, upon him be the Glory of God, has requested a power of attorney - from the beginning it was decided that his honor should deed the house in your honor’s name. If they send a valid deed, they will be given power of attorney.

One receipt for what was sent by the honored Aqa Mirza Muhammad Ibrahim, upon him be the Glory of God, and what was sent by the handmaiden of God, his wife, upon her be the Glory of God, was previously dispatched. God willing, all will arrive and be delivered.

Furthermore, some time ago a special Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will for His Honor the Teacher, and a special Tablet for His Honor Haji Mirza Aqa, and likewise a special Tablet for His Honor Aqa Siyyid M - upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory. These have now been sent and should be delivered. And several Tablets were revealed in response to the petitions of some, which have been delayed for a year until now. These too should be delivered. A wondrous and exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace specifically for His Honor Aqa Muhammad Hasan A.T., upon him be the Glory of God, and a most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance specifically for His Honor Aqa Mulla Muhammad - upon him be 966 [the Glory of God]. These have been sent, and God willing they will attain unto them.

=== END BH00190 ===

=== START BH00191 ===

Let the spiritual beloved, his honor Ibn Ism 66 [Allah] al-Asdaq al-Muqaddas, upon them both be all His most glorious Glory, take note.

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Praise be to God! The ears of seeking are continuously blessed with the cooing of the dove of love and affection, and eyes witness and testify to the observation of the clear signs of Truth. With each arrival of that beloved’s letter, boundless joy is obtained, for all are adorned with mention of the Beloved, praise of the Beloved, service to the Cause of the Beloved, and mention of the companions of the Beloved. In truth, this bounty is one whose taste never alters and whose sweetness endures in the soul. I beseech, with utmost humility and supplication, the Originator of all beings and the Creator of possibility, that He withhold not this bounty and that He set that beloved ablaze with such a fire that its effects become manifest and evident from all directions.

O my God and God of all who are in the world! Thou hearest my sighs in separation from Thy loved ones and seest my tears shed in love for them in Thy days. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, which, when it dawned upon the mirror of existence, imprinted therein the word “Verily, there is no God but Him,” to assist those who are near unto Thee among Thy creation, and the unified ones among Thy servants, and the sincere ones among Thy creatures to arise to serve Thy Cause in such wise that neither the hosts of the world nor the doubts of the nations shall deter them. O Lord! Thou seest them circulating in Thy lands, hoping for the penetration of Thy Word into the hearts of the people of Thy kingdom. O Lord! Aid them through Thy power, Thy might, and Thy sovereignty, and make known to Thy servants that which Thou hast ordained for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Beloved of the world and King of eternity! I beseech Thee by Thy Sun of generosity and Ocean of bounty to bestow through Thy grace upon all these steadfast souls the river of mercy, that all may, through the endeavors of those detached souls, partake thereof and remain not deprived. This is the Day which Thou didst promise in all books, scriptures, psalms and tablets through the revelation of verses and manifestation of clear proofs. O All-Knowing! Pour forth from the clouds of Thy grace the rain of mercy upon the soil of hearts, and assist the heedless servants that they may not deprive themselves of the springtime of Thy divine mercy, and may receive from Thy loved ones and chosen ones that which is the cause of salvation for all. O Lord! Have mercy upon Thy servants and creation, then grant them that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent Whom the denial of all the world deterreth not, nor doth the oppression of any oppressor frighten. The atoms have testified to Thy power and might, and all created things to Thy greatness and authority. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

O my God and my Master! This is a day wherein hath appeared that which was ordained aforetime in Thy binding decree concerning one of Thy loved ones, and his family hath been brought before Thy presence, and Thou hast spoken that which causeth the seedlings of Thy knowledge and wisdom to spring forth in the gardens of hearts. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Branches and by the Hands of Thy Cause among Thy servants to adorn him with the robe of Thy grace and immerse him in the ocean of Thy forgiveness. Thou art He Who hath ever been omnipotent through Thy will and sovereign over all who are in Thy earth and heaven. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O beloved of my heart! After this servant became aware of that spiritual friend’s letter, he turned toward the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, and all was presented before His countenance. This is what flowed from the Salsabil of the bounty of the Lord of creation. His words, exalted be His grandeur:

The Supreme Pen has ever remembered the sincere ones and those drawn nigh. Blessed is the son of My Name who attained My presence, was stirred by the breezes of My loving-kindness, drank from the choice wine of My grace, stood before My throne, circumambulated My prison, heard My call, and arose to aid My mighty Cause. God willing, divine favors have encompassed and will continue to encompass him. At the time of his presence, the Tongue of Grandeur promised him confirmation. In all conditions he has been and will remain beneath the shade of the glances of bounty. He has drunk what trickled from the chalice of generosity.

The veiled and heedless ones must be made aware of this spiritual, true water. Most of the servants are occupied with their desires and are heedless of and debarred from the Lord of earth and heaven. O ’Ali! Arise to serve the Cause in such wise that all on earth shall witness thy arising. We have testified to this, and We are the All-Knowing Witness. Then speak forth with remembrance and praise amongst the concourse of creation, that they may be drawn to the supreme horizon and brought near to the One, the All-Informed. We have sent down from the heaven of grace that which all tongues are powerless to praise. To this testifies He Who speaketh in all things: “There is no God but Me, the Speaking One, the All-Seeing.”

Look thou and remember at all times when thou wert at the gate and didst hear what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered from this luminous station. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all the friends in that land and other regions. God willing, may all drink from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful. For if they attain unto it, by My Self, the Truth! should all who are on earth engage in cawing and croaking, they would behold them all as non-existent and as things forgotten.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto My call, for He remembereth thee as He walketh in the prison. Verily thy Lord is the Remembering, the All-Hearing. A people who were and are not worthy of mention, and who are heedless and unaware of God’s Cause, have busied themselves with denying a Cause the like of which hath never appeared in all creation. They worship the idols of fancy and vain imaginings and perceive it not. Say: O heedless ones! Bring forth what ye possess and We shall bring forth what We possess. Then judge with equity for the sake of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. Doth it beseem man to follow the croaking and turn away from the trilling of the Most Exalted Pen? Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. Say: Judge fairly, O people of the earth, concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds. Break not God’s Covenant and His Pledge, and follow not vain imaginings if ye be of them that hear. The carpet of idle fancies hath been rolled up by the hands of the power of your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: Cast away what ye possess and take what ye have been commanded by God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We, from this spot, send Our greetings upon thee and upon them that are with thee, and upon those who have attained unto the lights of certitude when the Sun of knowledge shone forth from this glorious horizon.

A few days ago, this firm and blessed word was heard from the Tongue of Truth, exalted be His grandeur. He speaks, exalted be His majesty: “O servant present, write to Ibn-i-Ismullah, upon him be My glory, that he should consult with Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise with Asad, upon him be the glory of God, and appoint for every locality someone who can engage in teaching the Cause in accordance with divine principles and law. This matter is more important than all other matters.” In truth, this matter is most momentous. Those souls who are suited for this task should proceed to cities and villages throughout the earth. If one or two persons who know Turkish and are possessed of wisdom could proceed to those regions, it would be most excellent. Although there is no teacher in those parts, in this year many have turned towards them. These matters depend on the resolve and firm determination of those beloved ones and other friends.

As to what you wrote concerning his honor M, upon him be the glory of God, the Truth, exalted be His majesty, has repeatedly delivered him and preserved him through His arm of power and might. And in this last instance, according to His command, this servant wrote and sent a great and exalted circle specifically for him. Convey this evanescent one’s greetings and praise to him and mention that your station is great - preserve it, for in the Most Great Prison numerous Tablets have been revealed specifically for you from the heaven of the Will of the Goal of all worlds. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of unity that all that is hidden and manifest cannot equal even one of those Tablets. Today is the day of deeds and the day of the most great bounty. The sea of life is surging and the Lord of bounty is present. It would be most regrettable if one such as yourself should not attain, as befits these days, to that which is worthy. The days are passing, and all that exists therein will return to nothingness. One must turn to that which endures.

In any case, mention of him was made in the Most Holy Court, and this is what the Tongue of God spoke in reply. He speaks, exalted be His remembrance: “He should act according to what has been revealed in the Book. Whatever he has striven for in the world to acquire wealth, fame and honor, or may strive for, has yielded and will yield no fruit, just as it has yielded no fruit for others. That which appears from him in this divine Day - this is what will endure and persist. This is a day when every soul can possess whatever he desires, for the Sun of generosity has risen and the ocean of bounty is manifest and visible. He has been and will be under the glance of God’s favor, and it is for him to act as befits the days of God, the Lord of all worlds. God willing, may he be assisted to preserve his station and be successful in that which He loves and is pleased with.”

This evanescent servant hopes and expects that through the infinite grace of the Truth, exalted be His majesty, he will attain to what God desires for him. Some time ago this supreme word was heard from the Tongue of the Lord of Names. He speaks, exalted be His grandeur: “Write to Ibn-i-Ismi, upon them both be My glory, that his honor M.S. must deliver the Huququ’llah and not give it to the oppressors.” This firm and blessed word has appeared from the horizon of will with perfect kindness and favor. God willing, may he be successful in acting upon it and be recorded by the Supreme Pen among those who act in the Manifest Book. The world and all that profits it in the first and last will pass away. This is the Most Exalted Word. Verily your Lord is the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist them in reading the Tablets that have been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will especially for them, for through their reading shall be opened before their faces the gates of divine mercy, and they shall comprehend that which is now hidden from them.

Concerning what they wrote about the Huququ’llah sent from the Green Land, it was presented before His presence. This is what was issued from the Source of Command: News of this matter was received, and We commanded that two hundred tumans of it be delivered to Mirza ’A.B.N., upon him be the Glory of God, and he shall deliver it according to what was assigned, and the remainder shall be sent. This is from My bounty, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Verily, We love its sender and have found from him the fragrance of My love at all times. He hath attained the testimony of My Most Exalted Pen before and at this time. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Regarding what you wrote mentioning the honored lady, the Most Holy Leaf, upon her be the Glory of God, His mercy and His loving-kindness, it was presented in the pavilion of chastity and grandeur. They showed great kindness and said that, God willing, you should always write details about her. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant that blessed leaf patience and to adorn her with the ornament of steadfastness. Her tribulations and those of the Crimson Leaf, through whom the luminary of love shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of faithfulness, have been severe. The Crimson Leaf, throughout her life, was encompassed by tribulations and hardships, yet all of these, in the love of the Beloved of the worlds, were sweeter to her taste than all the sweets of the world. And she herself writes to the blessed Most Holy Leaf that which brings solace.

Concerning what you wrote about Aqa Mirza Ayyub, upon him be the Glory of God, and his withdrawal and silence, it was presented before the Most Holy Presence. His blessed and exalted Word is: “O Ayyub! This is not the day of seclusion. Arise from the horizon of certitude with that which will illumine every darkness, raise up every seated one, quicken every motionless one, cause every mute to hear, every silent one to speak, gladden every sorrowful one, and draw near every heedless one who is far. Beware lest the affairs of the world sadden thee. The Most Great Joy calleth thee from the direction of the Prison with that which is sweeter than the Kawthar and Salsabil. Arise in the name of the Cleaver of the Dawn and take the cup of success, then drink from it in My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.” That which is befitting must appear from you, and the fruit of the tree of humanity must become manifest. These are the days for sowing. Sow in good soil that which will cause to grow the grass of wisdom and utterance in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Thus wert thou commanded before and at this time. This is the time for speech, silence is not beloved. These are the days of revelation and witnessing, concealment is not permitted. Give thanks to thy Lord for having taught thee and commanded thee in this Tablet what behooveth thee. He is, verily, the All-Explaining, the All-Wise.

Regarding what you wrote about the honored lady Fatimih Jahan, upon her be the Glory of God, the portion for the feast reached the Most Holy Presence and was accepted, and what was intended was carried out. Give glad-tidings to that beloved leaf that her eyes may be consoled, her heart be assured, and that she may thank her Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. God willing, may she be occupied at all times with the remembrance of the Beloved of all possibilities and be enkindled with His love.

As to what you wrote concerning the delay in answering your letters, God is my witness that everything received from you was read one after another and replies were sent. During the days when, by divine command, they departed from the Most Holy Court to their homeland, for some time - that is, for several months - no letter apparently arrived from you. Later it became known that they had accumulated in Hudayda, and due to lack of means, or disruption of routes, or other matters, their dispatch was delayed. Afterwards, His Honour Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of the worlds, sent them successively, as was detailed in previous correspondence. Likewise, numerous exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of divine will specifically for you and were sent. God willing, this servant is enabled to reply to the blessed letters of the friends and loved ones. Until now none have been neglected, and God willing, none shall be in future, especially those from you, with whom there has been from the beginning of the Cause a firm and established inner connection and heartfelt love. Yes, sometimes there are delays, and the reason for this is known to you and all the friends - there is no need for further explanation.

Another matter: the petition of Jinab-i-Aqa ’Abdu’l-Husayn, upon him be the glory of God, was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke: “Blessed is thy name, O ’Abdu’l-Husayn! Thy letter hath been presented and hath attained the honor of being heard in the city of ’Akka, which was built for My Name.” This is that city which in previous books was mentioned as the City of God and the Beloved City, and which by the Most Exalted Pen in this Revelation has been recorded and designated as the Most Great Prison. Blessed is he who hath attained unto understanding, and woe unto the heedless! Convey My greetings to the friends in that land and say: By My life, the Cause is mighty, mighty indeed! The people of fancy and vain imaginings exist in that land and are constantly striving to lead holy souls astray. They worship the calf and perceive it not; they hasten to the fire and know it not; they rush towards the rebellious ones and understand not. God willing, may the divine friends be adorned with the ornament of steadfastness and illumined with the lights of certitude. O ’Abdu’l-Husayn! We have mentioned thee before and at this time. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing Witness. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have cast behind them the dawning-places of vain imaginings and have held fast unto the cord of God, the Most High, the Most Great.

A Most Holy Tablet was also revealed specifically for him. Convey the copy of these firm verses together with the Most Holy Tablet to him. And regarding the mention he had made of the souls who have accepted the Faith, it was presented before His presence. This is what the Mother Book spoke in reply:

O son of My name! Upon you both be My glory! All the souls mentioned in the letter have attained the grace of God. Some time ago their mention flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. God willing, may they strive to teach the Cause, that perchance the peoples of the world may become aware of their purpose and discover the cause and reason of their creation. The most excellent of all deeds is the teaching of the Cause of their Lord, the Most High. In these days, verses and tablets were sent to the land of Kha and the Green City. Convey greetings to all on behalf of the True One and give them the glad-tidings of His grace and favor. God willing, may all attain unto that which God loveth, in such wise that the colors of the world and its ornaments and things may not occupy them or keep them back from the Beauty of the Ancient of Days. We have repeatedly revealed for thee that which speaketh with the most eloquent utterance in the contingent world. By My loving-kindness and My compassion and My grace - beware that thou give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

As to your mention of the honorable mother, upon her be the Glory of God - when this was presented at the Most Holy Court, He said: “Excellent is that which she hath spoken. Verily We have mentioned her before and We mention her now, and We have revealed a Tablet for her and sent it to her, that she may be among those who have attained in My perspicuous Book. And We have revealed for My handmaiden who was named Fatimah and for thy other sister that which brought solace to their eyes. Verily thy Lord is the Gracious Revealer.”

Most Holy and Exalted Tablets were sent specifically for each one. God willing, they will attain unto the fragrances of the utterances of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and drink at all times from the ocean of His love. He verily is the Gracious Giver.

And regarding what you mentioned about the sister of the King of Martyrs and the handmaidens of God - upon her and upon them be the Glory of God - when this was presented before the Throne, the Sun of favor shone upon each one. Thus did the Beloved speak, exalted be His glory: “O son of My Name! All have been and are under the glances of God’s favor. They are mentioned in the Most Holy Court and the Sun of Grace shines upon each one. God willing, may they drink at all times from the wine of steadfastness and be occupied with the remembrance of the Friend. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath detached herself from all save Me and hath spoken My beautiful praise.”

O beloved of my heart! In these days the teaching work is more important and greater than all other matters. Pure and eloquent souls must travel to various lands and with wisdom and forbearance guide the heedless people to the divine waters. The soil of hearts must be made receptive and the Word must be sown. All must know and become fully aware that the purpose of this Most Great Manifestation has been and is the reformation of the world. The decree of conflict and contention, and whatever is above or below it, has been lifted. God willing, may all act according to that which He loves and is pleased with. Blessed is he who enjoins what is right, purely for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Another submission: The spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, had previously written a letter to this evanescent servant containing names of various individuals from the land of K and its surroundings, requesting Most Holy and Sublime Tablets specifically for those souls from the ocean of generosity and favors. However, that letter reached this evanescent one after seven or eight months, therefore what was requested was delayed. In these days some Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of mercy; God willing, they will be sent so that they may deliver them to whomever is deemed appropriate. He himself mentioned that if someone other than himself would go to those regions, meaning the lands he had visited, it would be most beloved, for the complete hope is that all may be adorned with the ornament of steadfastness. Therefore, after consultation, they may send whoever they deem appropriate to those parts. And if the beloved of the soul, His Holiness ’Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, the Possessor of Power, would proceed as he had intended, it would be most beloved. God willing, through his presence the spirit of life will be breathed into the decomposed temples of the world, and they will arise with perfect steadfastness and engage in service to the Cause. This is not difficult for God.

Another entreaty: This servant conveys sacred greetings, stripped of all worldly distinctions, to the friends of that city and other lands who have drunk from the Kawthar of eternity and who gaze toward the highest horizon. He beseeches that, God willing, you may be set ablaze with such a fire that all the waters of the world would be powerless to extinguish it, and be illumined with such a light that the veils of the peoples cannot obstruct it, and manifest such steadfastness that the very essence of constancy would be moved to glorification and praise by the greatness of your steadfastness. This is the station of the people of Baha who are embarked upon the Crimson Ark. None but the pure in heart can comprehend this station. Blessed is he who recognizes it, and woe unto the heedless. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Verily the glory shining forth from this luminous horizon, the station of our Lord, the Almighty, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who have attained unto the Cause of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

The Servant

9 Dhi’l-Hajjih 1298

Regarding what you wrote about union in marriage, it was presented before His presence and He said: “Verily He blesses them both and assists them to mention and praise Him, and confirms them in that which God, the Lord of the worlds, has willed. O son of My Name! Convey from Us greetings to the face of your cousin’s daughter and give her the glad tidings of My grace, My mercy and My loving-kindness, subject to the aforementioned conditions.” This matter has been accepted before the Throne. God willing, may they act with the utmost joy and fragrance according to that which the All-Merciful has commanded, and be thankful to God.

=== END BH00191 ===

=== START BH00192 ===

O beloved spiritual one, his honor Mirza Ghulam-’Ali, may the Glory of God rest upon him.

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

The essence of praise and utterance, and the quintessence of thanksgiving and explanation, befit and are worthy of the most holy, most sacred court of the Lord of all possibility, Who, in the midst of the blazing fire of hatred, bestoweth the water of everlasting life and guideth all through the light of His supreme horizon. He is the One Who was not prevented by earthly afflictions, nor was He held back from that which beseemeth Him by the tyranny of the people. Throughout the nights and days, the tongue of grandeur speaketh and the waters of utterance flow forth continuously. Blessed are they who have turned with pure hearts, sanctified breasts, and radiant faces toward the countenance of God. Today earth and heaven are illumined by the effulgences of the light of His face. Our Lord, the All-Merciful, hath indeed foretold this in the Qur’an through His exalted words: “And the earth shall shine with the light of her Lord.” On this day, the denizens of the highest paradise and the supreme heaven circle round with chalices and decanters, bestowing upon those who have turned unto Him. A hundred thousand regrets for those souls who remain submerged in the depths of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Glory be to God! The Greatest Scene is illumined and the Lord of Destiny speaketh, yet the servants, intoxicated with the wine of heedlessness, remain veiled. This servant, purely for the sake of God, mentioneth all the peoples of the world, morn and eve, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, beseeching God–exalted be His glory–that He may aid them all and guide them to the Dawning-Place of His Revelation. He, verily, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth and mighty to do as He pleaseth.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of utterance surgeth throughout creation and the near ones hasten to the Dawning-Place of divine knowledge! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the dwellers of the graves arose and the Call was raised from the Mount, to assist Thy loved ones to stand firm in Thy Cause and to illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy knowledge. O Lord! Thou beholdest them turning toward Thy most exalted horizon and clinging to the cord of Thy grace. O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Self and by the Dawning-Places of Thy Revelation and the Day-Springs of Thy knowledge to send down upon them from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will draw them nigh unto Thee. O Lord! Withhold them not from Thy sealed wine and the mysteries of Thy self-subsisting Name. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth and Who is never frustrated by anything. Thou doest as Thou pleasest and ordainest as Thou willest. I bear witness, O my God, at the revelation of the lights of Thy countenance and the manifestations of Thy might and power in Thy days, to that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath testified before the creation of Thy servants and before Thy heaven and earth–that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my God! Send Thy blessings upon those who have inhaled the fragrance of Thy utterance, heard Thy call, and arisen to serve Thy Cause in days wherein every steadfast one was shaken, every patient one was terrified, every assured one was frightened, every firm one was made to tremble, and every people lamented. O Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones beneath the talons of hatred and Thy chosen ones under the swords of the enemies. I beseech Thee, O Protector of the world and Deliverer of the nations, to free them from the oppressors among Thy creatures and the tyrannical ones among the people of Thy realm. Then ordain for them, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, the good of this world and the world to come. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.

O thou who gazest toward My direction and hast turned to Mine horizon! Hearken unto My call from around My throne: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. I have manifested Myself for the reformation of the world and have summoned all unto the Most Sublime Horizon, yet the people call Me to the fire. What aileth these people that they comprehend not a single utterance from God, the Lord of all worlds? We had previously sent down unto thee that from which flowed the river of utterance throughout all contingent being. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who created thee, fashioned thee, and acquainted thee with that which was hidden from every great scholar. We make mention of thee at this hour when the Wronged One is seated upon the throne of prison through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Blessed is the ear that hath been honored to hear My call and the eye that hath been ennobled by beholding the lights of My countenance, the Everlasting, the Mighty, the Wondrous. The servant who is present hath laid thy letter before the Face on a dark night, and that which thou didst write hath attained unto the hearing of thy Lord, the Hearing, the Responding. We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning unto Us. We turn unto thee from this exalted and glorious station. Give thou glad-tidings unto My loved ones on My behalf with wisdom and utterance, then impart unto every steadfast one that which hath been sent down from the heaven of grace, as a token of Our favor, and I am the Ancient Bestower. We have pardoned those whom anxiety seized when the raven croaked and earthquakes overtook the loved ones of God, the Lord of the Sublime Throne. O My loved ones! Be not grieved by that which hath befallen you. Read ye what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “Our Lord! Pour forth upon us patience, and make firm our steps, and help us against the unbelieving people.” Say: Beware lest the affairs of men grieve you. There hath befallen you in the path of God that which befell the Prophets and Messengers. By My life! The riches of the world and the treasures of kings and rulers cannot be compared with your grief in My path. Put your trust in all matters in God, your Lord and the Lord of your fathers. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Say: Be ye assured of the grace of God and His mercy. He is with you and will seize those who have wronged you even as He seized aforetime. Blessed are they who are endowed with insight. Where is the serpent, and where is the wolf, and where is the king of Rome who imprisoned the Wronged One without proof or sin? To this beareth witness He in Whose grasp is the dominion of the whole earth and in Whose right hand is the kingdom of revelation and creation. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.

We make mention of Dhabih, who attained the recognition of God in the earliest days and quaffed the choice wine of inner meaning from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. He stood firm in the remembrance and praise of God and in aiding His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous. We have made mention of him in numerous Tablets and have revealed for him that which God hath made a testimony unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. In the Supreme Horizon he heareth that which the Speaker of Sinai uttereth from His mighty and impregnable station. The glory rest upon him and upon thee and upon thy mother and thy two brothers and thy two sisters, and upon him who hath been named ’Ali in the perspicuous Book. We were with him when he was speaking My gracious praise, and We revealed for him that from which those near unto God perceive the fragrance of eternity. Blessed is he and blessed is he who hath attained unto this mighty and impregnable station.

Praise be to God, all have been immersed in the waves of the ocean of meanings and illumined by the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth. From the verses revealed, the divine favors are evident and manifest. This servant at all times seeketh confirmation and assistance for that spiritual friend and others. Praise be to God, the kindred of His Holiness Dhabih, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, have been and are beneath the gaze of His loving-kindness. God shall soon reveal that which is hidden from eyes. God willing, may all act in a manner befitting the Days of God.

Concerning the mention made of the honored Khadijih Bigam, upon her be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Throne. Thus spoke the Tongue of Grandeur - exalted and glorified be His utterance: O Khadijih! God willing, mayest thou be adorned with the ornament of true kinship. This station is most great and cannot be attained except through detachment from all who have denied and turned away from God, the Exalted, the Great. Thy mention was made in the presence of the Wronged One, and for successive years that which evidenced the grace of God, exalted be His Glory, was revealed in thy name. Be thou grateful unto thy Lord for this great favor. O youth! Give her these glad tidings from Me. We beseech God to assist her to remain steadfast in this firm and impregnable Cause. In numerous Tablets hath she been mentioned and wondrous and sublime Tablets have been revealed in her honor. God willing, may she be mindful as befitteth and speak in praise and glorification of God. It behooveth everyone to fix his gaze upon the Supreme Horizon alone. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto this most exalted station, and blessed is the maidservant who hath attained thereunto.

This servant also conveyeth greetings and beseecheth God, exalted be His Glory, on her behalf for that which beseemeth His days. This servant hath repeatedly sent her letters. It is hoped that she will occasionally refer to them, as this causeth the increase of love. In these days one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to her. God willing, may she drink from the waters of His mercy and receive her portion from the choice wine of His inner meanings.

Likewise mention was made of the honored Khanum Sultan, upon her be the Glory of God. It was presented in the Holy Presence. Thus spoke the Kingdom of Utterance: O My handmaiden! Thy mention was made in the Most Great Prison before the Wronged One. Therefore the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation and the Day-spring of heavenly inspiration hath, from this remote spot, turned toward thee and summoneth thee to the Supreme Horizon, saying: Take, in the name of the Lord of the worlds, the wine of steadfastness, and drink it in remembrance of Him and in His love. By the life of God! Whosoever attained unto this, the clamor of the world did not withhold him from the Lord of eternity. Today the kinship of all hath been and is with God, exalted be His Glory. Hold fast to the cord of kinship with thy Lord, detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus doth the Mother Book command thee in this final abode.

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

O Ni’matu’llah! Whosoever hath attained unto this Cause hath attained unto the grace of God and the heavenly table sent down from the heaven of His Most Generous Name. Say: By God! The Most Great Announcement hath come, through which hath appeared the Straight Path of God. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and turned unto the Most Exalted Word that hath proceeded from the mouth of the Will of his Lord, the Speaking, the All-Knowing. Beware lest the conditions of creation frighten thee. Hold thou fast unto the hem of Truth, detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken, while seated upon a mighty throne.

It is abundantly clear that the grace of God, exalted be His glory, hath encompassed all, and His mercy hath preceded all else. However, O my spiritual friend, you and this servant and all other friends must, with the utmost humility and supplication, beseech the Exalted Truth that He deprive not His friends and servants of the outpourings of His days. Most people are heedless; they know not what hath come to pass, what hath been made manifest, and what realm this is. Would that the servant were granted permission to proclaim throughout the world that which would attract the hearts of all beings.

As for that which was mentioned concerning thy father, who hath ascended to the Most Exalted Companion, and likewise the mention of his wish for martyrdom, this matter was presented before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, blessed and exalted be His Word: O youth! Verily thy father attained unto acceptance in the early days and quaffed My sealed wine in My Name, the Self-Subsisting. He is of those who accepted and believed and arose to serve the Cause until he was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. His name hath been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen among the martyrs in the Crimson Tablet, and We named him the Sacrifice in My perspicuous Book. Upon him be My glory and the glory of them who are in the heavens and earth.

The grace of the Goal of the world hath encompassed him. He was ever blessed with the mention of the Intended One and stood firm in service to the Cause. Blessed be his holiness and those who were with him and those who loved him for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the seen and unseen.

Regarding the mention of the honored lady and the leaf, the mother of J.A.T. and his sister - upon them be the Glory of God, His mercy and His loving-kindness - a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed and sent specifically for each one, from which the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness truly wafts. In this tribulation in the land of Ta, some of the leaves proved stronger than certain men, and this is a statement which this servant heard with his own ears from the Blessed Tongue: “Blessed are they and joy be unto them.” This servant conveys greetings and salutations to each one, and begs from God to ordain for each that which befits His loving-kindness and bounty. Mention was made of the spiritual friend J. ’Ali [Pas H.A.] - upon him be the Glory of the All-Merciful. Praise be to God, he has been and continues to be mentioned in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. This servant has repeatedly heard mention of him from the Ancient Tongue. When his letter was presented before the Throne, upon reaching his name, these supreme words shone forth like the sun from the horizon of the heaven of the All-Merciful’s utterance - exalted be His utterance, glorified be His bounty, and magnified be His favor: He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed.

O Ali! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! That which befell thee of sorrows in the land of Ta during the tribulation hath been mentioned before the Wronged One. Verily, He was with thee and doth witness and see, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The heedless ones have arisen to extinguish the divine light, and the band of the misguided have exerted their utmost effort to quench the fire of the love of the Lord of the worlds. What profit did Pharaoh gain, what fruit did he reap from his deeds, and what effect did his tyranny yield? With all his might he arose to shed the blood of children, yet in the end the divine hand of providence reared and manifested Moses in his own house. The divine will prevaileth over all things.

Reflect upon the tenderness of God, exalted be His glory, and the oppression of His enemies. For thirty-two years or more We forbade the people of God from contention, dispute and corruption. The clouds of decree rained the showers of tribulation upon them, yet they remained patient. They heard vile words, yet responded not. They witnessed the height of abasement, yet made no protest. They were slain, yet slew not. Nevertheless, the unjust people desisted not. Ye have seen the people of God–their patience, their tranquility, their forbearance, their compassion, their love and their dignity have been witnessed and are known to most, yet they have been branded as mischief-makers and people have arisen to harm them.

Such is the state of mankind. The Truth hath not and will never overlook the oppression of the oppressors, especially in this Revelation wherein each of the tyrants hath been requited. Consider the Sultan of Rum aforetime and those who circled round him. God seized them with the grasp of the Mighty, the Powerful, for without cause he sent the people of God to the Most Great Prison. Likewise consider Raqsha and the Wolf. Observe the Liar of the land of Ta who was known as the Truthful. Yet the heedless people have not awakened and remain utterly deprived of the ocean of knowledge and wisdom.

Your honor must in all conditions fix your gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon and arise to serve the Cause. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings, whosoever among you hath arisen in the divine path is preserved and treasured in the presence of God. These earthen fragments who pride themselves on their armies, ranks and oppression dissolve at the encounter of a little water. One fever extinguisheth the flame of pride, and the fire of greed and passion is quenched. Glory be to God! Yet they have not and will not become aware. Without cause they have intended harm to steadfast and assured souls. They have seized and imprisoned the friends of God with manifest tyranny, without crime or transgression. By the life of God! They have regarded prison as paradise and counted oppression among the signs of justice, for these tribulations have befallen them in the path of the Beloved. Blessed is he who loveth them, remembereth them, serveth them and draweth nigh unto them. He is assuredly among the people of the most exalted Paradise in the Book of Names. To this testifieth the Wronged One of the horizons, Who speaketh in the prison that there is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon those whom the suggestions of the people have not caused to slip from My straight path.

Today every soul who hath turned unto Him hath attained that which none before him hath attained, and hath comprehended that which the people had not comprehended before these days. The servant beseecheth his Lord that the door of His grace may remain open before the faces of those who have turned unto Him, who have professed His unity, who have drawn nigh unto Him, and who are sincere. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful over all things, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

And mention was made of Haji ’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness. After being submitted before His presence, the Ocean of Knowledge surged forth with these manifest and resplendent waves. His utterance, exalted be His majesty and abundant be His grace:

He is the All-Knowing Witness

O ’Ali! My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that thou hast turned unto God and attained the choice wine of His love when every heedless and remote one turned away. Thou art he who answered thy Lord when thou didst hear His call, and acted in accordance with His commandment when thou didst recognize Him, and testified to that which the Tongue of Grandeur had testified before the creation of the world: that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Mount hath been adorned with the lights of the Revelation, and the Sacred Valley proclaimeth, and the Hijaz giveth glad tidings unto the servants of what hath shone forth from the horizon of God, the Lord of the worlds. Joy hath seized the whole world while the peoples are in manifest loss, save those who have cast away that which withheld them from God and have held fast unto My strong cord. O ’Ali! Thou didst attain My Tablet aforetime, and We revealed therein that which draweth thee nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon and attracteth thee to My luminous countenance. Blessed is the servant who hath recognized My days, and the soul that hath attained unto this mighty and wondrous Cause. Say: O my God! I testify that I was asleep and the hand of Thy grace awakened me, I was heedless and Thou didst acquaint me with the wonders of Thy favor, I was hesitant and Thy most sweet call hastened me when it was raised between earth and heaven, and I was dead and the breezes of the dawn of Thy grace quickened me. I beseech Thee, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations, by Thy Name through which Thou hast guided Thy servants unto Thy straight path and sent down upon them that which made them mighty in Thy days, to aid me to be steadfast in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy right hand is the dominion of earth and heaven. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praise be to God that the honored one attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness. Some time ago, a letter from His Honor, the Beloved of hearts, Haji Mirza ?.Y.’A., upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness, reached this servant wherein detailed mention was made of him. After being submitted before His presence, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of infinite mercy specifically for him and was dispatched. We beseech God, exalted be His majesty, and hope that He will assist him in that whose trace shall never be effaced from the world. Verily, He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Strong, the Mighty.

As to what thou didst write regarding permission for his journey, it was submitted. He commanded: This year, it is best to wait, and later if wisdom requireth, permission shall be granted. In all cases they must be mindful of wisdom. All are commanded to this. In the days of sedition, whatsoever was spoken for God and in His path was adorned with the ornament of acceptance, and even if some negligence or heedlessness was manifested by a few souls, they were adorned with the ornament of God’s pardon, exalted be His remembrance. He saith, exalted be His mention: Take ye wisdom as a command from Our presence and a decree from Our court, and I am the Commander, and I am the All-Wise.

This evanescent one is grateful to God and rendereth praise, and remembereth Him in the nights and days, for through pure bounty He hath manifested souls who are adorned with the ornament of His love and are engaged in His remembrance. That which is worthy of mention is, in truth, this station. The Command is in His grasp and He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Great. The Glory shining from the heaven of the loving-kindness of our Lord be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the remembrance of God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

On the 29th day of the month of Rajab, 1301

=== END BH00192 ===

=== START BH00193 ===

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

Praise be to God Who hath appeared and revealed what He hath willed. Verily, He is the One with power over whatsoever He pleaseth. The conditions of creation cannot frustrate Him, nor can the opposition of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling, weaken Him. When He appeared and manifested Himself, He established Himself upon the Most Great Throne amidst all the world, and spoke that whereby all things were attracted and all faces were turned from every direction toward the countenance of the Lord of Names. Then He spoke another word whereby smoke enveloped all who are on earth and in heaven, and whereby He distinguished between His servants and His creation. Thereupon the doubtful turned back, the hesitant turned away, the idolaters lamented, the heedless cried out, the sincere hastened, the devoted took flight, and the near ones drew nigh. The sweetness of the call so possessed the people of Baha that they cast away the world and turned toward the Most Great Name, directing their hearts to the horizon from which the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory proclaimed that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Bestower.

This evanescent servant testifieth with the tongue of his heart, his being, his outward and his inward self, that He hath tried His servants through the appearance of tribulation in the kingdom of creation. Blessed is he who hath been intoxicated by the wine of divine knowledge and hath detached himself from all else, turning unto his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! Thou beholdest the burning hearts of Thy loved ones and hearest their cry and lamentation in their separation from Thee. O Lord! The heaven hath been darkened by the sighs of the faithful, and the leaves of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing have turned yellow from the moaning of the hearts of Thy chosen ones who are far from meeting Thee, from Thy presence, Thy mercy, and Thy favors. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the hidden and treasured Power which none hath known save Thyself, to cause to flow from the fountain of Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall fill them with joy and delight, such that the conditions of Thy creation shall not sadden them, nor shall the oppression of Thy enemies who have cast away Thy Book and clung to vain imaginings in Thy days cause them distress. O Lord! This servant beholdeth the stream of life flowing from the right hand of Thy throne and the ocean of bounty before Thy face. I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou hast subdued the world to ordain for him whom Thou hast mentioned in Thy Tablets that which shall profit him in Thy worlds. Answer his prayer through the ocean of Thy knowledge, aid him in Thy service, and give him to drink that which shall cause him to become so enraptured in Thy love that he shall make mention of Thee among Thy servants, detached from all else but Thee. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp is the kingdom of names. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

My spirit be a sacrifice unto your remembrance and unto your steadfastness! The servant has perceived from the traces of your pen the fragrance of God’s love, the sweet scent of God’s affection, and the emanating musk of sincerity in the service of God. When my breast was gladdened by its breezes, and my eyes were consoled by its words, and my heart rejoiced in its fragrances, I was seized with power and ascended unto the heaven of utterance until I attained the presence of the throne of our Lord, the All-Merciful, and presented that which it contained. Thereupon the Ancient Countenance turned toward me and spoke, exalted be His sovereignty: “We behold Our Name ‘Jamal,’ upon him be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy, at one time upon the highest summit of joy and at another immersed in an ocean of sorrows. Say: O Jamal! Thou hast arrived upon the shore of the sea of divine mysteries. It behooveth thee to gather the pearls of knowledge and wisdom and to detach thyself from all who are on earth. Thus doth thy Lord, the Wronged, the Stranger, make mention of thee. Be thou vocal with My Name, arise to serve Me, and make mention of that which hath been sent down from My Kingdom. Whoso heareth, it shall be for his own sake, and whoso denieth, verily thy Lord is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised. Do sorrows overtake thee after the All-Merciful hath made mention of thee in the Tablets in such wise that the Trump was blown thereby and the dwellers of the graves were stirred? Exalted, exalted be the Lord of Revelation Who hath aided thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of His Revelation and the Dayspring of His verses, and Who hath given thee to drink of the choice wine from the hand of His grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Reflect upon what the idolaters have said regarding Me after I came unto them with verses before which every scroll, every scripture, every tablet and every mighty book hath bowed down. Among the idolaters is he who hath said that He hath fabricated lies against God, and among them is he who hath said that He hath stolen the verses and revealed them in His Name, and among them is he who hath said that He hath claimed divinity, and among them is he who hath said that He drinketh tea from crystal cups. Thus doth thy Lord make mention of thee that thou mayest be filled with manifest joy. O Jamal! Rejoice thou in the remembrance of thy Lord, then call to mind when thou didst stand before the Gate and didst hear the call of God, the Most Exalted, the All-Wise, and didst hear with thine own ears that which the Tongue of Grandeur did speak in His prison which hath been named by all names in the Crimson Tablet from the Most Exalted Pen. Verily thy Lord is the All-Remembering, the All-Informed. Leave the creation behind thee and turn with thy whole being unto the Truth, then hearken unto that which hath been raised from this glorious station. Verily he who desired to harm Me and kill Me and decreed My imprisonment now lamenteth beneath the dust while thy Lord dwelleth in this exalted castle. Say: O God of the worlds and Beloved of the nations, Who hath appeared through the Most Great Name! I beseech Thee by the fragrance of Thy raiment and the breezes of Thy mercy and the sweet scents of Thy revelation and the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy grace that Thou make me to be among such as are not deterred by the opposition of any opposer or the censure of any critic or the gloating of any far-removed idolater.

O Jamal! The All-Sufficient, the Most High declareth: Thou art among those souls unto whom the mercy of God hath been and shall be vouchsafed. I swear by My life that thou art beneath the canopy of My mercy and the pavilions of My grace. At all times thou must summon the servants, purely for the sake of the All-Merciful, to the Kawthar of utterance. Whoso heareth, the benefit thereof shall return unto him, and for those who turn away there is and hath been no path. They speak according to their own desires, for they cling to and are entangled in vain imaginings. One petition from thee reached Us, and in truth the sweet fragrances of contentment and joy were inhaled from it. However, the subsequent petitions breathed forth the winds of sorrow. The worthless ones of the earth are not worthy of mention - such as the deniers, the oppressors, and their clamor and uproar. They are like unto a raven that alighteth upon the branch of a tree, uttereth a croak, and flieth away. I swear by the Sun of utterance which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of divine knowledge that the life of such souls is seen to be briefer than that. How then can they be worthy of mention or deserving of utterance? Whoso drinketh from the Most Great Ocean, it shall profit his own soul, and whoso denieth, it shall be to his own loss. In the path of the lovers, the fewer the rivals, the more beloved is the quest. Even as the True One, exalted be His glory and dominion, hath borne hardships and heard base and unworthy utterances, so too must that soul follow the example of his Lord. The people are weak and appear as children. One must deal with them with kindliness. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Forbearing. In most Tablets We have commanded the friends of God to unity, yet discord is witnessed. O Jamal! Strive with all thy limbs, members and tongues in this matter, that perchance the sun of unity may shine forth amongst the servants. By My life, through it the Cause of God and the glory of His loved ones shall be made manifest. Thus doth thy Lord command thee, as He commanded thee before, and commandeth thee at this time. Hold fast unto wisdom, lest that which will agitate souls should appear. Convey to the loved ones in that land the cup of salutation from before the True One and gladden them with this mighty glad-tidings. Say: Today ye must all be occupied with the remembrance of the sovereign of eternity and hold fast to the cord of unity. Unity is like unto an architect, and is as a door leading to the divine commandments and laws, while discord is the destroyer thereof. Hold ye fast, O My loved ones, to the hem of unity in My Cause, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. This Day hath no peer nor likeness. Strive ye that ye may attain unto the divine Word. For instance, should any soul today attain unto the word of contentment, his mention shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Look not upon that which ye abhor today, but rather unto My sweetest call and My Cause, the Mighty, the Beloved. What significance hath a transient thing, that man should be disturbed, fearful and grieved on account of it and that which appeareth therefrom? Behold all things with Mine eye; then shall ye find yourselves upon the shore of the ocean of certitude. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The mention of all hath been and shall ever be before His Most Holy Presence. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The people of Baha must today strive for the unity of the peoples of the world and the reformation thereof. The Concourse on High had supposed that the people of Baha today had attained unto this station, yet now they observe them perplexed and bewildered in discord and diverse matters. Do ye not desire that there should proceed from you that which would be acceptable to the Concourse on High, the denizens of Paradise and the angels drawn nigh? Strive then, O people of Baha, in that which the Lord of Names, Who speaketh in this noble station, hath commanded you. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Thou hadst made mention of his honor Aqa Siyyid ’Abdu’l-Hadi, upon him be the glory of God. His petition was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what God hath revealed in response:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

O My servant! God willing, thou hast ever been and wilt ever remain dwelling beneath the canopies of divine loving-kindness, and attaining unto the outpourings of the clouds of the Lord’s generosity. Thy call hath been honored by the hearing of the Lord of Names, and these resplendent pearls of utterance have emerged from the shell of the sea of divine knowledge. Thou must, with the utmost endeavor, be occupied with service to the Cause. Whosoever is today adorned with the raiment of unity and embellished with divine virtues - such a one is accounted among those who have arisen to serve the Cause. Blessed is the soul that hath fulfilled its covenant and attained unto that which was commanded by its Creator. Praise be to God that thou hast drunk from the ocean of meeting and witnessed the effulgences of the Sun of utterance. Some time ago a Tablet was revealed by the Supreme Pen and sent especially to thee. The grace of the True One hath been and shall ever be with thee. The station of assured souls is ordained with God. Verily He is the Single One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The glory of God be upon thee and upon thy wife who hath turned unto God, hearkened, responded, and attained unto that which was hidden in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds.

And likewise there was a letter in the envelope from his honor Mirza Ibrahim and his honor Mirza [name], upon them be the glory of God, which was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what the All-Merciful hath revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance:

He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed

O Ibrahim! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee from the precincts of His Most Great Prison and giveth thee glad tidings of that which moved the Supreme Pen when it turned towards thee. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. By God’s life! A word from the words of thy Lord is not to be equated with the earth and all that is thereon. Hearken and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Revealer of verses! I testify that by Thy light the horizon of Revelation shone forth, and the fire of Thy love seized hearts, veins and limbs. Thou art He by Whose call all things were attracted, and at Whose grief the Concourse on High lamented, though Thou wert, through Thy sovereignty, powerful over all who are in earth and heaven. Say […]

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whom the fragrance of divine utterance was diffused and the ocean of true knowledge surged! I beseech Thee to inscribe for me, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which shall perpetuate my remembrance in Thy Kingdom and in the Book which hath been touched by the Pen of Thy decree. O Lord! I am the supplicant who hath hastened unto the ocean of Thy bounty, and I am the seeker who hath turned toward the horizon of Thy favors. I implore Thee to make me, in all conditions, steadfast in Thy love, vocal in Thy praise, and firm in this Cause whereby the feet of most of Thy servants have slipped and the tribes of Thy earth have lamented. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One, possessed of great bounty. I beseech Thee, by the drops from the rain clouds of Thy mercy and forgiveness, O Lord, to accept from me, through Thy grace, that which I have not performed in Thy days. Then write down for me what I have done in Thy love, and ordain for me and for my rib what beseemeth the heaven of Thy grace and the ocean of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent One Whom neither the conditions of the world nor the clamor of nations can hinder. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou desirest through Thy power. Thou art, in truth, the Peerless, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Great.

Blessed is he who hath attained unto the verses of his Lord. We beseech the Truth that they may drink the sealed wine from the words of their Sovereign Lord and remain so firm in the Cause that neither the winds of the world nor its conditions shall hold them back, and that in all circumstances they may be mindful of that which He loveth and is pleased with, detached and free from all else.

Likewise did the Ancient Beauty and the Lord of all nations turn toward the realm of generosity and reveal these decisive verses in mention of His Honor Aqa Mirza Ismail:

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

This is a mention from Us to him whose letter was presented before the Wronged One in this mighty prison. Behold the power and sovereignty of God! He who ordered My imprisonment now lamenteth in the fire, while the Wronged One speaketh from this noble station and testifieth to that which God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth: that there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He is the One Who ruleth over the kingdom as He pleaseth. Neither hosts can weaken Him nor kings prevent Him. He hath come for the reformation of the world as a grace from Him, and He is the Generous, the Bountiful.

O Ismail! Rejoice in that the Lord of Glory mentioneth thee and commandeth thee that whereby the musk of divine knowledge is diffused throughout all possibility. Exalted is thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Possessor of this mighty grace. We have heard thy call and read thy letter, and We have answered thee with these verses whereby all things have proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Peerless, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.” Say: O God of the worlds! I beseech Thee by the Name which Thou hast made the Sovereign of all names to assist me in that which beseemeth Thy days, then write down for me, with the Pen of Thy grace, that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

Likewise was mention made of His Honor Mirza Muhammad Husayn Kh., upon him be the Glory of God, at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and these sublime words shone forth from the horizon of the Will of the Lord of Names and Attributes. He, exalted be His dominion, saith:

In the Name of the All-Knowing, the Peerless One[…]

Fix your gaze upon this blessed word which is like the sun in the horizon of the heaven of understanding and like the celestial sphere for the ocean of utterance: “Make mention of Me amongst My servants with wisdom, that I may make mention of thee in My Kingdom with glory.” God willing, may ye attain unto this most exalted and most glorious station and be turned towards the Friend. For ages, the embodiments of vain imaginings lamented and wailed in separation from the Manifestation of the Lord of all beings. Yet when the horizon of the world was illumined by the splendorous rays of the Ancient Sun, all were seen to be deprived and excluded, save whom thy Lord willed. Yea, the Day of Grace appeared and the Divine Word made distinction. The pearl became distinguished from the pebble. He, verily, is the One Who distinguisheth, Who differentiates, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We beseech God–glorified and exalted be He–to aid you in His remembrance and praise in such wise that the lights of the remembrance of the Most Great Name may encompass your entire being and its fragrance be diffused amongst the servants. Today, owing to the lack of capacity in the earth and its peoples, the station of steadfast souls is not known. Yet I swear by the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of the Prison that ere long their stations shall become manifest and evident to all the peoples of the world. Thy Lord, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Informed.

In your previous letter dated the 4th of Ramadan, you made mention of Jinab-i-Khudadad and Aqa Azizu’llah, upon them be the Glory of God. This was presented at the Most Holy Court, and this is what the All-Knowing hath revealed in reply:

“O My Name! The servant present hath made mention of what thou didst write concerning My loved ones who have cast aside all else but Me and have turned to My countenance. Through them will God raise up a people. Verily, thy Lord is the Informed, the All-Knowing.” O Jamal! God willing, mayest thou be blessed with divine favors and be content and thankful with His will. Concerning the friends who have quaffed from the Kawthar of inner meanings and are turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon, of whom thou made mention–this was presented at the Most Holy Court. No good deed of any doer hath been or shall ever be lost. I swear by the Sun of Utterance that shineth from the heaven of knowledge that should anyone heave a single breath for the sake of God, that breath shall attain unto the Most Holy Court and shall be recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Greatest Scroll. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the remembrance of God and His service, and hath offered the choice wine of revelation with the hand of grace, detached from all who are in the heavens and the earth and all who are in the kingdom of command and creation. Thus doth thy Lord desire to behold His servants. By the life of God! They are indeed the triumphant ones. Many are the matters that are today hidden from eyes, for the means of their manifestation exist not, due to the lack of capacity among the people. Soon shall they be made manifest and evident through God’s all-encompassing power. Convey greetings from God unto those souls and mention that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in their praise, that they may attain unto the breezes of God’s verses with such joy as shall not be clouded by the dust of the world nor seized by the gloom of sorrows. Give them the glad-tidings of the signs that have appeared from the Finger of the Will of the All-Merciful. Whatsoever hath been manifested from any soul in the path of God hath been accepted at the Divine Threshold.

Today is the day when the Sun of the Most Great Name is rising from the horizon of the world, mentioned in every Book by a different name. In the Torah It appeared and was recorded by the name of Jehovah - a name which, before the advent of Moses, was concealed in God’s treasury of knowledge. Thus in the Torah He says: “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name Jehovah I was not known to them.” And He says: “And God spoke further unto Moses: Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.’” Say: By the True God! He has come Who turns the dawn into darkness and Who walks upon the high places of the earth. Rejoice in My remembrance, O My loved ones, and be of such character that the fragrance of God’s love may be wafted from you. This behooveth him who hath turned unto My holy and luminous horizon. We have mentioned you before with that which hath diffused the fragrance of the garment, and We mention you as a favor from Us. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Protecting, the Mighty.

O My loved ones! We have previously counseled the servants with that which would benefit them in this world and the next, but the people remain in manifest remoteness. Blessed are ye for having hearkened unto God’s call and responded to it on a day wherein souls lamented, save those whom God, the Lord of the worlds, did please. God willing, may you remain steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, for We have previously given tidings of the appearance of the barking ones in the lands. Under all conditions, hold fast to the hem of His grace and cling to the cord of His bounty.

O Jamal! We make mention of the people of distinction who have cast aside all else and turned to the Supreme Horizon, that they may rejoice in that which hath flowed from the Most Great Ocean at this noble scene. We hear those who make mention of Us and We behold the deeds of those who have arisen to serve the Cause with manifest sincerity. Upon them be the glory of God, the glory of the Concourse on High, and of the near angels. The sun of sincerity is shining and manifest from the hearts of some. Their names have been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen in My Mighty Tablet. Beseech the True One that He may aid all to recognize this wondrous and blessed Day, lest they miss that which shall cause grief and regret to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Praise be to God, all are mentioned before the Throne and are adorned with the ornament of the favors of the Lord of nations. God willing, all have been and shall be successful in attaining that which God has willed. Peace be upon them, glory be upon them, and splendor be upon them.

Furthermore, the wanderers in the land of ?ad are mentioned in the Most Holy Court, and the glance of favor is directed towards them. God willing, may they be gladdened by this Greatest Glad-Tidings. This evanescent servant conveys greetings to each one and expresses utter lowliness and nothingness. Would that I had been with them and had received what they received in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great.

Another matter is that there is no news from his honor Aqa Mirza H-S T-F, upon him be the Glory of God. Please inquire about his condition on behalf of this servant and write the details. Although this servant has been somewhat remiss, since he sent letters and certain items in trust through his honor Mulla Muhammad-’Ali-i-Dahji, upon him be the Glory of God, and this servant had supposed that the aforementioned gentleman would return soon and a reply to his letter would be sent. However, his return has been delayed until now, though in these days there is hope that he will obtain permission and return. We beseech God, exalted and mighty be He, to assist him in that which is befitting and worthy in this day. It would be most welcome if he would not take note of this servant’s delay and would continue as before. In any case, this servant ever hopes and expects forgiveness from the friends of God. The glory of God be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who have attained to the recognition of this mighty and exalted Day.

=== END BH00193 ===

=== START BH00194 ===

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Glorious!

Exalted is He Who hath caused the Pen to speak, taught the nations, and revealed what He desired of the mysteries of eternity, whereby the sincere ones rejoice and the steadfast ones soar. Exalted is He Who hath caused gladness through the Most Great Joy and hath turned with the most pure heart toward the Most Sublime Vision, the Station wherein the Lord of Destiny proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Again, exalted, exalted is He Who hath opened the gates of heaven with the key of His Most Glorious Name and hath made known unto all that which shone forth and glittered, dawned and illumined, gleamed and radiated. He is verily the Hidden Mystery though He walketh among His servants, and He is verily the Treasured Secret even as He speaketh throughout His lands. He is the Speaker in His silence and the Silent One when He uttereth the Most Exalted Word amongst creation. Can fancy comprehend Him? Nay, by the Lord of all beings! Can hearts know Him? Nay, by the Sovereign of existence! Can tongues describe Him? Nay, by His Name, the All-Bountiful! When the Supreme Pen desireth to move in the arena of His praise, it is overwhelmed and bewildered, and when the Tablet desireth to bear His wondrous mention, it is transformed and convulsed. Were it not for His confirmation, the Pen would swoon away for all eternity in both the kingdom of earth and heaven, and were it not for His sustaining power, hearts would be annihilated by the force of the call of the Lord of the realms of might. Exalted, exalted is He Who hath, through His grace, caused the springs of wisdom to gush forth amidst all creation. Blessed is he who hath attained to hearing its flow and hath drunk of its nectar. He is of those whose hearts have been illumined by the lights of the Countenance that hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity after the passing of all things. Exalted is this praiseworthy Station, this Most Great and blessed Spot. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to make known unto all that which hath appeared in creation. He is verily the Lord of invention. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

The servant hath attained unto the effect of your ink, which bore witness to your love and sincerity towards God, our Lord and the Lord of the worlds, our Creator and the Creator of all nations. After long periods of time, the bird of faithfulness brought glad tidings through your distinguished letter. I immediately took it, opened it, read it, and turned towards the Dawning-Place of Revelation, presenting its contents before His Presence. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke - may my spirit and the spirit of all in the realm of earth and heaven be a sacrifice for His utterance - and His sweetest words were these:

O Samandar! This Wronged One hath heard thy call from this Most Great Prison, and remembereth thee with that which hath caused the fragrance of utterance to waft among all things possible, the perfume of the garment amidst the concourse of holiness, and the sweet-scents of revelation between the heavens and the earths. Blessed is he who hath found the fragrance of God in His days and hath spoken that which His Most Exalted Pen hath spoken. There is none other God but He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou for having heard, having turned, having drawn nigh, having entered the precincts of the Throne, and having heard that which none have heard save whom thy Lord, the Almighty, hath willed. Make mention of the Wronged One amongst the servants. Say: By God! He hath desired naught for Himself. He hath chosen tribulation that ye might draw nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon. All things bear witness to this, yet most of the people are heedless. We mentioned thee before, and this is yet another time, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, and arise to celebrate His Most Glorious Name. He, verily, is the All-Knowing Teacher. Hold fast unto the cord of remembrance in the kingdom of creation and say: O peoples of earth and heaven! By God, that which was hidden from time immemorial hath appeared. Behold ye, that ye may know your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Informed. We have heard that which thou didst call upon God in thy letter which thou didst send to the servant who standeth before the Throne. Thy Lord is, verily, the Faithful Witness.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who circumambulated around Thy Throne and was named Nabil-i-’Ali, then bear witness that he circumambulated the Most Great Scene and heard the call of the Lord of Destiny from this exalted Prison. O Muhammad-’Ali! Hearken unto the call of the Prisoner. He remembereth thee from this praiseworthy station at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Grieve not at anything. Rejoice in My remembrance, My loving-kindness, My mercy, and My grace which have preceded all creation, for I am the Merciful.

We make mention of Our servant Al-Baqi, who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: Blessed art thou for having been faithful to God’s Covenant and His Testament, and for having believed in Him when every doubting polytheist denied Him. Soar in the atmosphere of joy for the Lord of Revelation remembereth thee from the direction of His mighty Prison. By God’s life! The conditions of the world have not troubled Me, nor the ranks of the enemies, but sorrows have seized Me on account of that which the hands of those who have committed what was unseemly for the days of God have wrought. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s grace. He heareth the call of whosoever calleth upon Him and turneth unto whosoever hath turned unto His luminous countenance. Give thanks unto God for having caused thee to hear His call and for having acquainted thee with that whereof most of the servants are heedless. Thy Lord is, verily, the Helper, the Succourer.

O My loved ones who have soared in the atmosphere of My love and quaffed the choice wine of My favor and turned their faces toward My countenance after the turning away of My creatures and My people! Give them glad-tidings from Me and proclaim unto their faces from thy Lord, the All-Wise. Say: O My loved ones! Be united in My Cause and gather around My Word. This is My counsel and My command, and among the wondrous expressions of My novel wisdom. Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Book; he is of them that have attained unto all good in a mighty tablet.

Were ye to become aware of what befalleth Me of sorrows, ye would abandon the world entirely and would act in accordance with that which ye have been bidden by your Lord, the All-Bountiful.

We make mention of him who hath uttered praise of his Lord among others, and the All-Merciful hath testified that he is among them that have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. We have mentioned him once by his most noble name and at other times by another name. He, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth. O Ashraf! The Most Exalted Pen giveth thee glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for thee in the Most Glorious Kingdom. Be steadfast and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the mystics. We have made mention of thee and do mention thee as a favor from Us, and I am the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Husayn-i-Qaf! Hearken unto that which the Lord of the world calleth thee, while imprisoned in the prison of the nations who turned away when the Ocean of Meeting surged and who denied that which the All-Merciful had testified to in His wondrous Day. Be steadfast in this Most Great Cause and hold fast unto His [firm] cord. Reflect upon God’s grace and His favors. Verily, He maketh mention of His loved ones from this exalted station. Say: This is a station which hath been mentioned by the Most Beautiful Names in the Book of God, the Creator of heaven - at times named the Most Great Prison, at others the Most Exalted Station and the Supreme Paradise, and yet again the Heaven of this Heaven. Thy Lord, verily, is the Powerful over whatsoever He pleaseth. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Then We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-i-Baqir, that he may rejoice in the glad-tidings of his Lord and hold fast unto the cord of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. O Nabil-i-Baqir! Rejoice in that the Lord of creation maketh mention of thee from this station which hath been honored by God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. We have called the servants unto the supreme horizon, yet they turned away from that which would profit them and turned unto that which every vain imaginer commanded them. Blessed art thou for having hearkened unto the verses of thy Lord and having received from the hand of bounty My choice sealed wine. Drink thereof once in My Name and again in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Beloved. Blessed art thou for having held fast unto the Book of God and dwelt beneath His extended shadow. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen make mention of thee amidst the concourse of creation. By the life of God! Through it thy mention shall endure throughout the permanence of the Kingdom.

Make mention of him who was named Isma’il. Say: O Siyyid! Give thanks unto God that the Wronged One hath uttered thy name in this Prison which hath become renowned throughout the world and which God hath made the seat of His mighty throne. The Wronged One calleth thee unto God and counseleth thee to manifest supreme steadfastness. Follow thou and be of them that hold fast. Grieve not over anything. By the life of God! All that causeth the hearts of men to be troubled shall pass away. It behooveth everyone who hath turned unto the supreme horizon to rejoice in that which hath been ordained for him in a perspicuous Book. When thou hearest the crowing of the crow, be not disturbed. Put thy trust in the One, the All-Informed. Beware lest anything prevent thee from the remembrance of God and His praise. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen counsel thee from this remote station.

We make mention of him who is named by Ha before Jim (Haji Aqa Baba), who turned towards the Dayspring of the Revelation of his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. He is among those who turned and drew nigh until he entered the seat of the Wronged One in this Prison, which God hath made the Dawning-place of sorrows. Remember when thou wert present before the Countenance and didst hear the call of the Wronged One and didst behold the Hidden Beauty Who shone forth from the horizon of the Vesture with a sovereignty before which necks have bowed low. We make mention of thee as a favor from Us, that thou mayest arise to serve thy Lord and speak forth His remembrance which hath encompassed all lands. Rejoice thou in My remembrance, then drink the Kawthar of My loving-kindness from the hand of My bounty. Thus doth the Lord of all beings command thee. Convey My greetings unto the faces of My servants in those parts who have cast aside all else but Me and have taken what came to them from the heaven of My grace and the horizon of My mercy and the Dayspring of My bounty which hath encompassed all regions.

We make mention of Javad (from Ishtihard) who was mentioned in thy letter. Give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance and My grace and My loving-kindness, and say: We made mention of thee before and this is yet another time. Thy Lord is verily the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Give thanks for having been remembered before the Wronged One, and for that which hath been sent down for thee that shall not perish, through the eternity of My Most Beautiful Names. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful. Be thou of such character as befitteth the Cause of thy Lord. Thus doth the Prisoner command thee and counsel thee from this far-distant spot. Convey My greetings unto the faces of My loved ones in thy land and give them the glad-tidings of My manifest grace. Say: We hear and We see, and I am the Hearing, the Answering. Say: Act ye according to what ye have been commanded in the Book of God. Thus doth the Lord of Creation command you from this firm Stronghold.

And We make mention of him who is named Muhammad (Ishtihard). By God! Were he to inhale the fragrance of My verses, he would soar in the atmosphere of longing and would summon the servants to the Covenant of their Lord, the All-Knowing. O Muhammad! Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God in such wise that all beings would bear witness thereto. Thy Lord commandeth thee with that which shall profit thee in the Hereafter and in this world. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

Then hearken unto what the Lord of the worlds calleth out to thee and maketh mention of him who is named Hasan (Mashhadi) who drew nigh and turned towards the horizon of his Lord’s Cause, the Most Holy, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Hasan! We have heard thy call and have answered thee with that by which the Concourse on High and they that circle round the Throne of thy Lord, the Most Great, were attracted. Blessed art thou for having taken the choice wine of life in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and drunk thereof despite those who disbelieved when there came unto them the Dayspring of Revelation with manifest sovereignty. Guard thou this most exalted station as thou wouldst guard thine eyes. Thy Lord is verily the Commander, the All-Knowing. We make mention of thee and all who have newly entered the City of Reunion, and We give them glad-tidings of this Day whereby the Scriptures of God, the Lord of all worlds, have been adorned. Blessed are they for having turned towards and drawn nigh until they entered the stronghold of divine knowledge in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful. We say: Happy are they, and all things proclaim that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered in this noble station. When ye have attained unto the sweet fragrances of God’s verses, arise and say:

Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen! We beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the sincere ones hastened to the ocean of Thy reunion and the near ones to the seat of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to make us in all conditions be looking unto Thee and speaking Thy praise. Then write down for us, O Lord of Names, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which Thou hast written for Thy trusted ones and chosen ones who have drunk the Kawthar of Thy bounty and the choice wine of Thy bestowals. Thou art verily the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and Thou art verily the Truth, the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Kind, the Generous.

Verily We make mention of Our servant Nasir, that he may rejoice in the verses of God, the Sovereign Lord, the All-Informed. O Nasir! Thy remembrance hath been mentioned before the Throne, and there hath been sent down for thee that which draweth the hearts of the sincere. Remember when thou didst turn thy face toward My countenance and didst traverse paths by land and sea until thou didst arrive at the Most Great Prison and enter beneath the canopy of My grandeur and the pavilion of My loving-kindness, and didst drink the choice wine of My verses, and didst hear My call, and didst recognize My Revelation and My sovereignty and My majesty. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Can this remembrance be equaled by what the kings possess? Nay, by the Lord of Lords! The Pen of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, beareth witness to this. Rejoice thou in My Most Great Remembrance and say: I have turned toward Thee, O Lord of all nations. I beseech Thee by Thy Self not to deny me the Kawthar of Thy bounty nor to withhold from me the fragrances of Thy days. I testify that this Day is Thy Day and this Revelation Thy Revelation, and that Thou art the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

What else can this servant say or submit? Divine favors, like torrential rains, are flowing and streaming from the heaven of His Will in such wise that none hath ever been capable of describing them as they deserve. For every soul mentioned in thy letter, whether addressed to this servant or to Jud (upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]), wondrous and sublime verses have been sent down from the heaven of grace, as thou canst observe. All must reflect upon the tenderness, mercy and generosity of the True One–exalted be His remembrance, exalted be His Name, and exalted be His attributes–and with a hundred thousand tongues, hearts and souls thank the Beloved of the worlds. God willing, thou shouldst deliver or read to each person that which hath been specifically revealed for them. However, wisdom must be observed in all things, for if the divine verses were to be widely circulated among the people, it would surely give rise to hatred and opposition.

Regarding what thou didst mention about the trading goods, it was submitted before His presence and He commanded that, as before, they should continue trading with them and have permission to dispose of them. He hath said–sweet are His words: “O Samandar! We have accepted what thou didst send and have returned it to thee that thou mayest profit thereby among the servants and follow what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Book.”

O beloved of My heart! Thou and the trustworthy and sincere souls bear witness how much wealth was brought to this land and was refused, and after supplication and entreaty only what was necessary was accepted. Furthermore, after the revelation of the Book of God and the establishment of divine rights, He specifically commanded that none should demand the Rights of God. This depends on the good pleasure of the souls themselves–that is, the obedient, believing, devoted souls who pay the Rights of God with perfect submission and contentment. And now the situation has become such that He has specifically commanded that whoever has Rights of God with them should pay them. Thus it is evident what has transpired and what has become manifest.

Concerning what you wrote about the fixed contributions, all was presented before the Throne, and they will most assuredly dispatch them with utmost diligence to wherever they were sent. We beseech God to guide all to His straight path. O beloved of My soul! The Day of God hath appeared - this Day which hath been named by the tongue of all the Messengers as the Day of God. Nevertheless, these deluded people remain occupied with previous mention, heedless and deprived of the Truth, glorified and exalted be He. Beseech God to grant fairness and bestow sight. Say: On the Day of God none is mentioned save the Truth, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, despite those who have clung to the imaginary Qa’im, the fabricated successorship, and the false caliphate. Woe unto them! Again woe unto them! Would that they were aware of matters. By the Truth itself, they walk in the darkness of idle fancies and comprehend not.

Furthermore, regarding the letter of His Excellency ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], which was sent in the name of His Excellency Jud, upon him be Baha’u’llah - this servant was blessed to behold it, and truth was with His Excellency, for much time had passed and the sending of correspondence was neither expedient nor wise. However, a few days ago, a detailed petition that had been written some time ago was dispatched, as were other petitions to the honored and revered gentlemen, upon them be Baha’u’llah. This servant beseeches the Truth, glorified and exalted be He, to aid him at all times in mentioning the sincere ones and those near unto God. Verily, He is the Answerer, the Generous. The reply to the gentlemen’s letters has never been and will never be delayed, unless some impediment arises or some excuse presents itself.

And concerning what His Honor Mulla ’Ali-Akbar (upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]) wrote about Siyyid Baqir Isfahani, who is the brother of Mirza Murtada entitled Sadru’l-’Ulama - this deluded one has been trained by Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani. The trainer and the trained are both in the depths of hell. This person was in Karbila and is a most deluded man. He never had and does not have any understanding or awareness, and he was never and is not at all informed about this Cause. Whatever he says he has heard from that malicious one and deluded souls, and he speaks without comprehension. He had gone to the Holy Land to acquire religious knowledge hoping to become a mujtahid and plunder the people, but he did not succeed and returned. This is his story. God willing, His Honor ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar (upon him from all glory its most glorious) must bring the dead to life through divine fragrances and bring the unconscious to awareness, and must at all times be engaged with utmost effort in teaching the Cause of the Creator of existence, and strengthen weak souls through the Ancient Name, that they may attain to such a station where they behold the light of certitude and assurance and attain recognition of the Day of God and what beseemeth it. For most people now know not what is happening. The people of the Bayan who have turned away from the Countenance of the All-Merciful are in truth observed to be like the people of the Furqan. Without any change or alteration they cling to matters that those false souls cling to. They know not what they say or to whom they turn. Say: By the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings, this Day hath no likeness or comparison. The Ancient Beauty and the Most Great Name speaks that wherewith the Point of the Bayan gave glad tidings to all creation. To this testifieth every just and knowing one. Those who have turned away today have indeed denied God and His verses. To this testifieth all that was revealed in the Bayan, but the people are in evident veils. This is not a day for anyone to cling to a word or hold fast to a former mention. This is a wondrous Day, the Sun of wonders is risen, the Sea of wonders surgeth, and that which hath appeared therein cannot be compared with what appeared before. Were it otherwise, all that was foretold would be meaningless and vain. Say: O heedless ones! Is it permitted that on the Day of God ye should occupy yourselves with mention of aught else but Him and cling to former traditions? Nay, by the Self of God Who dominateth all the worlds! This is a Day wherein all must turn to the Dawning-Place of Revelation and speak of what appeareth from His presence. Whoso acteth contrary to what God hath commanded, he is assuredly among the perishing ones. To this testifieth all things and behind them the Lord of Names Who speaketh between the heavens and earth. I end these words at this point and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds.

Another submission is that you should convey sublime and wondrous greetings from this servant to all the friends in that land and say: I hope, God willing, that you will drink from one sea and gather upon a single point. O friends! Today is the day of remembrance and praise, and today is the day of service and obedience. Strive to succeed in that which will cause the perpetuation of name and mention and spirit and soul. You made no mention of the son of Janab-i-Abhar, upon him and upon his father and mother be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and likewise of the relatives of Janab-i-Mulla ’Abdu’r-Rahim, upon him and them be the Glory of God, although mention was made of Janab-i-Mulla ’Abdu’r-Razzaq, upon him be the Glory of God, in the letter of the Name of Bounty. In any case, the purpose is that it be known and certain to the friends of God that they have been and are mentioned in the Most Holy Court. This is of His great bounty. What else can I say and in what tongue can I express it? Indeed, whatever I might say in mention of Janab-i-Nabil-i-Qabil-i-’Ali, upon him be His most glorious splendor, would be insufficient. This is a station where both mention and its absence are bewildered. I beseech and hope from God, exalted and mighty be He, that He will, at all times, give him to drink of the sealed wine and waft unto him the fragrances of the stirred garment. Verily He is the Merciful Giver. Indeed the tongue falls short in mentioning the loved ones of God. I remember all with utmost sincerity; none have been nor will be forgotten. The mention of submission of sincerity to the drinkers of the wine of divine knowledge depends on your attention, grace and bounty. The Glory be upon you and upon them and upon all who have attained unto the Straight Path of God. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00194 ===

=== START BH00195 ===

In the name of God, the Just, the Wise!

This is a Tablet wherein God has sent forth His Name the Just, and breathed from it the spirit of justice into the temples of all created things, that all may arise to observe pure justice and judge themselves and others, not deviating therefrom by so much as a hair’s breadth.

O thou Name! We have made thee as a sun among the suns of Our most excellent Names between earth and heaven. Therefore, shine forth upon all things created in the realm of existence with thy glorious and wondrous rays, that perchance mankind may gather beneath thy shade, cast tyranny behind them, and be illumined by thy holy and resplendent light.

O thou Name! We have made thee the source and repository of Our justice amongst Our near-serving ones. Through thee We manifest the justice of every just one, and with thy adorning We beautify Our devoted servants.

O thou Name! Beware lest this station make thee heedless of humility before God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Know thou that thy relationship to Us is as the relationship of all else - there is no difference between thee and what is beneath thee of all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. For when We ascended the throne of justice, We created all contingent things through a word from Us. Thus hath thy Lord been the Wise Overseer of all things.

We have raised certain names to the Kingdom of immortality as a grace from Us, for We are the Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Say: There is no relationship between Him and His creation. Glorified is He above all that He hath created and above what His remembering servants mention of Him. The relationship that is attributed to Him and mentioned in the Tablets hath appeared from the Will that was sent forth from the Purpose that was created by My all-pervading and decisive Command.

However, We have chosen thee, distinguished thee, and elevated thee in this Tablet that thou mayest be grateful to thy Lord and be of those who are detached. Beware lest the exaltation of thy name keep thee back from God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. We exalt whom We please by Our command. Verily, We have power over what We wish and authority over what We desire.

Behold in thyself naught save the radiance of the Sun of the Word of Command, which hath shone forth from the horizon of the mouth of thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. See within thy being no power, might, motion or stillness except by the command of God, the King, the Mighty, the Powerful. Move by the breezes of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, not by the winds that blow from the direction of self and passion. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen command thee, that thou mayest be of those who act.

Beware lest thou be like unto him whom We adorned with the ornament of names in the kingdom of creation, yet when he beheld himself and the exaltation of his name, he denied God Who created him and provided for him, and fell from the highest station to the lowest depths.

Say: Names are as garments with which We adorn whom We will among Our seeking servants, and which We remove from whom We please by Our command - for We are the Powerful, the Ruler, the All-Knowing. We consult not Our servants regarding their removal, even as We consulted them not at the time of bestowal. Thus know thou the command of thy Lord and be of those who are assured.

Our power is not withheld from anything, nor are the hands of might fettered, if thou be of those who know. Say: Every name that recognizes its Lord and transgresses not its bounds increases in station at every moment, and upon it shines in every instant the sun of its Lord’s grace, the Forgiving, the Generous. Through the steps of detachment it ascends to a station wherein it tells of naught save its Creator and speaks only by His leave […]

He moveth not save by His Own Will, for He is, verily, the Mighty, the Just, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O thou Name! Glory within thyself that We have made thee the Dayspring of Our Justice amidst all worlds. Ere long shall We raise up from thee Manifestations throughout the kingdom, and through them shall We furl up the standard of tyranny and unfurl the carpet of justice between the heavens and the earths. Through them shall God erase the traces of oppression from the world and adorn the corners of the horizons with their names among all worlds. These are they through whom the countenance of existence, both seen and unseen, doth smile, and they are the mirrors of My justice amongst My servants and the dawning-places of My names amongst My creatures. Through them shall the hands of oppression be severed and the arms of justice be strengthened. Thus have We ordained the matter in this Preserved and Sacred Tablet. O thou Name! We have made thee an ornament for kings. Blessed are they who adorn their temples with thee and judge with pure justice among men and rule according to what God hath decreed in His Ancient and Decisive Book. No ornament hath been ordained for them better than thee. Through thee their sovereignty is made manifest, their fame is exalted, and their names are remembered in the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Great. And whosoever depriveth himself of thee, he is naked between the heavens and the earth, though he be clothed in the silk of all the world. O concourse of kings! Adorn your heads with the crowns of justice, that their lights may illumine all regions. Thus do We command you as a bounty from Our presence, O concourse of sovereigns. God shall soon manifest in the earth kings who shall recline upon the cushions of justice and shall judge amongst men even as they judge their own selves. These are among the choicest of My creatures among all created things. O people! Adorn your temples with the mantle of justice - it befitteth all souls, did ye but know. Similarly with courtesy and fairness - We have enjoined these in most of Our Tablets, that ye may be among the doers. He commandeth no soul save what is good for it and what shall profit it in the hereafter and in this world, and He is in His Essence independent of the deeds of every doer and of the knowledge of every learned one. Verily, God hath manifested Himself through this Name in this Tablet unto all things. Blessed are they who are illumined by its lights and who have attained unto it - these are among Our near servants. We have planted with the hands of power in this Paradise the trees of justice and have watered them with the waters of grace. Soon shall each one bring forth its fruits. Thus hath the matter been decreed, and there is none to revoke it from Our presence. We, verily, are the Commander.

O Manifestations of Justice! When the breezes of power waft, summon the concourse of the Bayan and remind them of this Most Great and Mighty News. Then ask: “O people! By what proof did ye believe in ’Ali while rejecting Him Who was promised to you in all the Tablets?” Consider, O company of the ignorant! Then fear God, O heedless ones! Do ye claim belief in My Herald while denying My Own Self, the Mighty, the Wise? Your likeness is as those who believed in John the Prophet, who was to herald unto men the Kingdom of God. Yet when the Word appeared, they denied It and pronounced judgment against It. God’s curse be upon the wrongdoers! This, after he had called the servants in all days with the loudest call, taken from them the covenant of God’s Word, and heralded unto them His meeting, until he sacrificed his life for love of His glorious and wondrous Self. But when the veil was rent asunder and the Most Great Word appeared, they objected to It, saying: “It hath transgressed that which John commanded.” Thus did their souls prompt them to that which deprived them of meeting their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. And among the polytheists were those who said: “That which the son of Zacharias brought was never established on earth, nor was his law firmly founded in the land among the servants. Before its establishment, none should come.” Thus did they wax proud against the Spirit and were among the opposers. And among them were those who said: “John baptized with water, while He Who hath appeared baptizeth with the Spirit and associateth with sinners.” Even as ye hear the utterances of the people of the Bayan in these days saying what they say, nay speaking that which none before hath ever spoken. Woe unto those who follow these polytheists! Say: O people of the Bayan! Be ye ashamed before the beauty of your Lord, the Most Merciful, Who hath appeared at the midmost heart of creation with a manifest and clear proof. And He Who came to you before with the name of ’Ali, verily He heralded unto you My meeting and informed you of My Self. He moved not except through My love, nor breathed save in My remembrance, the Mighty, the Wondrous. He informed you that every light would be darkened before His splendor, and every bearer of a burden would cast off its burden, and every trustee would relinquish his trust. Thus was the Command sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the Most High, the All-Knowing. Yet when the Hour came upon you while ye were heedless of it, and the beauty of the Beloved dawned from the horizon of your Lord’s will, the Mighty, the Powerful, ye turned away from it and objected to Him and denied His signs and associated partners with His Self, until ye sought to shed His holy, pure, mighty and radiant blood. Say: O people! Fear God and limit not God’s Cause by your own limitations. Verily, He commandeth as He pleaseth by His command, and He is the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: By God! He speaketh within My breast and calleth in My spirit and uttereth with My tongue. He it is Who awakened Me through the breezes of His command and caused Me to speak between the heavens and the earth. Say: By God! It grieveth Me to be among you and hear from you that which no ear hath ever heard before. But God hath manifested Me with the truth and I am commanded to worship none but Him and to remind you of that which is better for you than the kingdom of dominion of the heavens and the earth. Were the matter in My hands, I would not have manifested Myself before these evil ones, but He is the Chooser; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. O people! Look not upon Me with your eyes nor with […]

By God, the Truth! Nothing shall profit you this day, even if ye seek the aid of all who are in the first and the last. Say: O people, behold My beauty through Mine eyes, for if ye look upon Me through eyes other than Mine own, ye shall never know Me. Thus hath the decree been sent down in the tablets of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise. Say: O people, I call not among you for Myself by Myself, but verily He calleth as He willeth by His Self unto His servants. To this bear witness My sighs and My cries, then the yearning of My heart, if ye be of the just. Can the leaf which the winds of God’s will have seized remain still of itself? Nay, by Him Who hath caused Me to speak the truth! Rather doth He move it as He pleaseth, for He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth, and verily its movement and its trembling within itself are a testimony to its truthfulness, were ye of those who know. Behold then, O people, the state of the flute that hath fallen beneath the fingers of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and into which the divine breath doth blow. Can it of itself remain silent? Nay, by your Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful! Rather do manifold melodies issue forth from it as He willeth, for He is the Mighty, the Ruler, the Powerful. Can the sun rise from the horizon of the divine decree without light, or can it withhold its rays from all things? Nay, by the Self of Baha! To this doth every just and discerning one bear witness. Say: O people, verily the fingers of the power of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, move this Most Great Pen, and this is not of Mine own accord, but rather from God, your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of old. O concourse of the idolaters! Do ye object to this Pen, or to Him Who moveth it by His sovereignty? Say: Woe unto you! The people of the highest Paradise are astonished at your deeds. Then doth the eye of justice weep for My sake, and the reality of justice lamenteth at My tribulation and woe, and mourneth for what hath befallen My Self at the hands of those who were created by My will and who were to glory in standing before Me and to seek blessing from the dust of My blessed and mighty and exalted feet. O Manifestation of Justice! I complain unto thee concerning those who disbelieved and associated partners with God after having pledged themselves to My Self in all the Tablets and in the Tablet which God hath preserved in the treasuries of His protection and made hidden from the eyes of all creation. Say: O people, when ye enter the Ridvan and perceive a rose, inhale its fragrance, and if ye find therein the sweet scents, fear God and deny it not, and be not of those who recognized and then denied and became of the unbelievers. Verily, were there one possessed of true smell, he would find from all that appeareth from Me the fragrance of God, the Holy, the Mighty, the Generous. O ye manifestations of this Name! Ye were created by My command and were raised up by My will. Beware lest this station prevent you from humbling yourselves before your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, on the Day when God shall come in the shadows of the clouds with great sovereignty, and shall breathe therein the spirit of life upon all beings, and shall adorn the Ridvan with My Name, the Mighty, the Bountiful, and shall renew man therein with the ornament of the All-Merciful, and shall embellish all things with the mantle of Names from the presence of a wondrous Creator. Ye were created for that Day. Fear God and deprive not yourselves of that great bounty. O ye who are named by this Name! Let not names deceive you on that Day. Hasten ye to the court of grace, even if the clouds of the Cause rain down upon you the arrows of wrath. Beware lest ye […]

Say: In less than the twinkling of an eye none shall possess anything on that Day, and the Command shall belong to God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Say: O people, fulfill the Covenant of God and break not the pledge which ye made with Him in the sanctuary of pre-existence in the presence of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Say: Open your eyes, for by God the Truth, that Day hath indeed come to pass and God hath come in the shadows of the clouds. Blessed be God, the Sender, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great. Then shall all who are in the heavens and earth be seized with fear, and all the tribes of the Concourse on High shall lament, save him whom the hand of the All-Glorious hath taken through His sovereign might, Most High, Most Exalted, and hath rent the veil from his eyes with the finger of Destiny, and delivered him from those who were in doubt concerning the meeting with God, the King, the Mighty, the Glorious. Say: By God, all names have been transformed, the wailing of all things hath been raised up, and every soul hath been shaken, except those who have been quickened by the breathings of the All-Glorious that have wafted from the direction of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and awakened them from slumber and purified them from the defilement of the idolaters.

O Tongue of Eternity! Vary thy verses, for the ears of men cannot bear what hath been sent down from the heaven of thy nature and the atmosphere of thy will. Cast upon them according to their measure in remembrance of what thou art, for this is manifest justice. O peoples of the earth! Know ye that justice hath grades and stations and meanings beyond count, yet We sprinkle upon you a sprinkling from this ocean that it may cleanse you from the defilement of tyranny and make you among the sincere ones. Know ye that the root of justice and its source is that which the Manifestation of God Himself ordaineth in His Day, were ye of them that know. Say: He is the Balance of Justice between the heavens and the earth, and though He should come with a cause that would strike terror into all in the heavens and on earth, verily this would be manifest justice. The terror of creation is but as the terror of the infant from weaning, were ye of them that perceive. Were the people to discover the essence of the Cause, they would not be dismayed, but rather would rejoice and be among the thankful. Say: Though autumn winds may strip the trees of spring’s adornment, this is but for the manifestation of another adornment. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of a mighty, powerful One. And of justice is to give each his due, as ye observe in the manifestations of existence, not as most men imagine. Ponder ye then, that ye may understand the purpose of what hath been sent down from a wondrous Pen. Say: The justice at which the pillars of oppression tremble and the foundations of polytheism are destroyed is to acknowledge this Revelation in this Dawn wherein the Sun of Baha hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity with manifest sovereignty. Whoso believeth not in Him hath gone out from the fortress of justice and his name is recorded among the oppressors in the preserved tablets of might. And he who performeth all the good works of heaven and earth and dealeth justly among men unto the end that hath no end, yet hesitateth in this Cause - verily he hath wronged his own soul and is accounted among the oppressors. Await ye, O people, the days of justice which have indeed come in truth. Beware lest ye be veiled from them and be of the heedless ones. Say: O people! Adorn your temples with the ornament of justice, then judge by what God hath decreed in His Tablets and be not of the transgressors. Say: Whoso drinketh a drop of water by My command, this is better than the worship of all who are on earth, for God accepteth not the deed of anyone except it be adorned with the ornament of My permission among the worlds. Work ye, O people, according to what We have commanded you in the Tablets, for it hath been sent down from the heaven of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Powerful. And he whose sight is turned away from the fragrance of the garment of My name, the All-Merciful, verily he seeth in all things the signs of his Lord, the Just, the Wise.

O Most Exalted Pen! Raise up the servant who was named Rida after Nabil from among the manifestations of justice in the kingdom of creation. Indeed, his justice is his faith in God, and the justice of the heavens and earth cannot equal it. O servant! Hearken unto the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen, then gather the people on the shore of the Most Great Ocean which hath appeared through this Most Ancient and Pre-existent Name. Protect the servants of the All-Merciful lest the countenances of recognition be changed through the buffetings of the manifestations of Satan. Thus doth thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, command thee. Act according to that which thou hast been commanded by the Mighty, the Beautiful. Be as a barrier between the Gog of polytheism and the hosts of the All-Merciful, lest they transgress their bounds. Thus hath the command been sent down from the heaven of the decree of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have made thee a remembrance from Us amongst Our servants, and We have made thee a fortress for Our creation amidst the worlds that thou mayest protect them from the arrows of allusions and remind them of this News whereby the temples of names were shaken, faces were transformed, the lands of pride were split asunder, and fruits fell from every lofty and impregnable tree. Blessed art thou for having shattered the idol of fancy through the power of thy Lord and having cast away from thy temple the garments of blind imitation, adorning it with the robe of unity through this Holy, Blessed, Exalted and All-Encompassing Name. Know thou that the people of the Bayan have objected to their Lord, the All-Merciful, and have denied Him in Whom they believed, after We had enjoined them in all the Tablets not to be veiled by anything created between the heavens and the earth at the time of My appearance. Among them are those who have denied My Self while reciting My words, and among them are those who pride themselves in the books that were sent down before Me. Say: Today, were everyone in the heavens and earth to be filled with precious books from which the fragrances of My Cause and the sweet savors of My love do not waft, they would not be mentioned before God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. Say: Woe unto you, O people! All that was revealed from the kingdom of the Bayan was revealed in remembrance and praise of Me, if ye be of them that know. Say: Shame upon you for having broken God’s Covenant, cast His Testament behind your backs, and returned to your abode in the lowest of the low. O My Name! Thou hast remained alone among the people of the Bayan, though the Bayan was revealed solely for the mention of My wronged and lonely Self. Say: O people, fear God! By God, the Primal Point breathed naught but My remembrance, spoke naught but in praise of My Self, and the Beloved of His heart was none other than My luminous and resplendent Beauty. O My Name! Know thou that He through Whom the temples of justice were raised up and the lights of grace shone forth hath been attributed to oppression by the polytheists. Thus have these oppressors dealt with My Self. Soon shall this earth be changed through the oppression of these people and affairs shall be thrown into confusion. Thus doth the Tongue of truth and knowledge inform thee. The tablets of fire have been spread throughout all lands, and the manifestation of Satan shall pass by you with a book. Then say: O servants of the All-Merciful! Leave these behind you and turn to the Word of God, the Firm, the Wondrous. A single letter thereof equalleth not what hath been revealed from time immemorial or what shall be sent down from the heaven of sublime glory. O My Name! Purify My servants from the fragrances of all else but Me, then attract them through the wondrous melodies of My verses and words, then cause them to soar in the atmosphere of My nearness and good-pleasure that they may seek the sanctuary of My glory and the house of My grandeur. Thus hath it been sent down in truth, and it is indeed a revelation from thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Knowing. Then prevent them from shedding blood, for We have forbidden them in all […]

They made a mockery of God’s laws, transgressed the fortress of His Cause, and were among the heedless. The harm of their deeds returned to the root of the Tree–thus was the matter, if thou be of them that hear. Verily, those who dispute and fight with people have departed from the paradise of justice and are accounted among the oppressors in the preserved tablets of might. Those who have been martyred in the path of God in these days are among the most exalted of creation, and they made mention of God openly such that the multitude of enemies could not prevent them from remembering God, their Creator, until they were martyred and became of the triumphant. At the time their spirits ascended, all the tribes of the Concourse on High received them with the banners of the Cause. Thus was the matter decreed in truth from the presence of the Mighty, the Wise.

Say: O my God and my Lord! Thou art He Who hath planted the trees of justice in the paradise of Thy Cause and Thy wisdom. Therefore, preserve them, O my God, from the tempests of fate and the storms of tribulation, that their branches and boughs may be raised high in the shadow of Thy grace and the shelter of Thy mercy. Then cause to dwell, O my God, beneath their leaves such as are the chosen ones among Thy creation and the near ones among Thy servants. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Forgiver, the Merciful.

We have created the paradise of justice through a power from Us and a might from Our presence, and We have sent it unto thee with fruits of wondrous glory. Therefore taste of its fruits and rest in the shade of its leaves that thou mayest be preserved from the fire of the idolaters. Thus have We perfected Our favor upon thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord and be of the thankful. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

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=== START BH00196 ===

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

Praise be to God Who is single in His might, unique in His grandeur and glory, and Who revealed less than a needle’s eye of the light of His Beauty, whereupon the lovers swooned away - they who were the dawning-places of longing, attraction and eagerness. Among them were those who sacrificed the crown of life for His radiance, and among them were those who recovered and exclaimed:

“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the Covenant, Who hath appeared on the Day of Meeting! I yearn to drink the wine of martyrdom before Thy face, O Beloved of the world and Goal of the nations, and to behold in Thy path and for love of Thee the drawn swords and piercing spears. By Thy glory, O Beloved of those near unto God and Goal of the mystics, I desire not that my body be cast upon a bed and my soul be wasted in Thy days, O Sender of verses and Manifestation of clear signs! By the fragrance of Thy lock suspended upon Thy back, I long that from me might be diffused the fragrance of martyrdom whereby every dead one riseth, every bone is quickened, every motionless thing stirred, every tongue loosened, and every sorrowful one made glad. By Thy glory, O Sovereign of existence and Knower of the seen and unseen, this servant knoweth of a certainty that martyrdom in Thy sacred court is the greatest of all deeds, yet Thou hast forbidden it through Thy Most Exalted Pen and Thy most manifest, most firm, most great, most glorious Command. I beseech Thee, O Water of existence, Fire of hearts, Life of the mystics and Light of them that are near unto Thee, to ordain for me and for Thy loved ones the reward of those who were martyred in Thy path. Then cause us to be among those who have cast aside their own wishes, clinging to Thy will and holding fast to Thy good-pleasure. Decree for us through the Pen of Thy decree that which will preserve us from the schemes of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs, and who have risen to harm Thee and frustrate Thy Cause. O my God and God of the world, my Goal and Goal of the nations, I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name through which every treacherous one is shaken and every oppressor feareth, to gather Thy loved ones beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy nearness that they may hear Thy sweetest call and circle round Thy throne, O Thou Who holdest the reins of all things! O Lord, forgive me and Thy loved ones and dear ones, then grant us the best of each world among Thy worlds. Verily Thou art He Whose generosity hath not been withheld from created things and beings. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

And then the letter from that honored beloved one dated the twenty-fifth of Safar was received, for upon the head of every letter thereof were raised and fixed the banners of the mention of the Beloved of the world. Exalted be this most high station which giveth life and bestoweth spirit! Should all the world attempt to enumerate the delight that the sincere and the pure-hearted derive from the mention and praise of God, they would surely find themselves powerless to do so. After reading and becoming informed thereof, he proceeded to the praiseworthy station and, after receiving permission before the Throne of the Intended One, he submitted it. He, exalted be His grandeur and magnified be His majesty, said: “We, from this station, send Our glorification upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His Testament, who have not violated them and who have held fast unto them until he ascended unto God, the Lord of all men.”

O Samandar! This blessed word has flowed from pen and tongue beyond all reckoning, yet the realm of utterance ever seeks its repetition, for most men are heedless and occupied with their own fancies and imaginings. How often does it happen that through a single letter of the Mother Book they become deprived, and through a single drop of the Most Great Ocean they remain unaware. Fidelity to God’s Covenant is a mighty matter. Well is it with him who holds fast unto it, and woe betide the heedless. God willing, may all the friends be adorned and achieve new and fresh life through the spirit of the Word, for whosoever has truly found life through it remains firm and steadfast in the Covenant, inasmuch as faithfulness walketh before him, trustworthiness is at his right hand, truthfulness at his left, the light of certitude shineth above his head, and the spirit of detachment moveth with him. The tranquil and steadfast soul hath conquered and will continue to conquer the realm of hearts through these hosts. In this Most Great Revelation, the hosts of Truth have turned to the reformation of the world without weapons. By My life, by My life, the weapons of God’s hosts have been and are more penetrating and sharper. Consider how a single word hath conquered and continueth to conquer the world. He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Convey greetings from this Wronged One to the friends in that land. All must arise to serve the Cause and, with perfect unity, steadfastness, wisdom and utterance, offer the Kawthar of divine knowledge to the servants of the All-Merciful. Last week a Tablet was sent to Nabil, upon him be the Glory of God. God willing, may they recall from its fragrance the days of attainment, and through the Kawthar of God’s mention, may they adorn lifeless temples with the garment of life. Glory be upon him and upon you and upon every steadfast and upright one. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Great.

O my beloved! This evanescent servant had no hope of being enabled to make this mention, but God’s Will preceded my will and my volition was nullified. In the morning, while engaged in preparing tea before His presence, the Ancient Beauty proceeded to another chamber, and after my arrival and attendance He said, exalted be His bounty: “O servant, bring pen and paper.” This servant is powerless to describe what he heard from the Kingdom of Utterance. I swear by the Beauty of the Desired One and the Sovereign of the unseen and the seen that in most times during revelation, joy and sorrow encompass this servant to such extent that none save God, exalted be His station, knoweth its measure–joy from hearing the wondrous and sublime melodies of God, glorified be His majesty, and sorrow from fear lest the verses be neglected and memory fail to preserve them. By the very truth of His Being, if a drop is able to perfectly describe the waves of the sea, then this servant too would be able. By the life of the Desired One, He is the Powerful and we are powerless. We beseech Him for assistance in all conditions. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

As to the mention of the beloved ones, Aqa Mulla ’Abdu’r-Razzaq and Mulla ’Abdu’l-’Azim, upon them be the Glory of God and His bounty, and likewise their degrees of longing, yearning and steadfastness in God’s Cause which you have written about–they should indeed be thus, nay even more exalted and sublime. In that same place where they reside, let them hold fast to the cord of service and engage in teaching the Cause. Their noble father, upon him be the Glory of God, His mercy, His bounty and His grace, has been and continues to be remembered in the Most Holy Court from the earliest days until now. God willing, may they walk in his footsteps.

O beloved of my heart! If the joy and delight of this servant and that eminent one and other friends be confined to these outward limited things, then by the life of our Purpose and your Purpose, we and they would be in manifest loss. Today the Fountainhead of seas is manifest and the Dawning-Place of the Sun is evident and radiant. The Choice Wine is present before all faces and the Kawthar of life is bestowed by the hands of grace. We must, with wisdom and utterance, grant a portion to the dead of the earth and, with the utmost joy and fragrance, engage in the education of the people of creation. It is hoped that the breathings of divine verses - which every fair-minded one confesses his inability to reckon - will set all atoms in motion and raise them up to service. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Concerning what was mentioned about several volumes of books that arrived in that land in the name of the chief of customs, and likewise what was written about certain allusions being contained therein under the veil of counsels and admonitions - such unclear indications and allusions that neither nourish nor satisfy should not be attributed to the Truth. That beloved one has observed the Book of the King and noted what was revealed to the monarchs. London too may be an island. Many a counselor deserves counsel greater than what he counsels, and many an admonisher is disowned by his own admonition. This brief explanation suffices for that detailed account. By the life of God, the people are in strange delusion. Would that the world knew, would that the people understood!

Regarding what you wrote that His Honor Haji Muhammad Ibrahim, upon him be the Glory of God, also desired to see that book - this was due to his good faith, as he thought perhaps it might be from the Truth. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. Convey from this evanescent one greetings to his honor and mention that some time ago these manifest verses were revealed from the heaven of God’s Will. His word, exalted be His majesty:

“O thou who hast turned to the Countenance! The Books of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, suffice thee. When but a single verse thereof is revealed, all the books of the world bow down before it, and around it circle the Kingdom of Utterance. The Concourse on High bear witness to this, as do they who circle round the Throne in this forbidden station. He hath appeared and made manifest that which was hidden in the treasury of knowledge and preserved beneath the seal of protection and recorded in the Book of God, the Lord of what was and what will be. Through knowledge of Him, all existence can dispense with the knowledge of the world, and through the light of His Name the earth and heaven were illumined, would ye but know it. He hath opened the gate of meeting through the key of power and guided all unto Him, yet most of the people do not understand.”

Such utterances have flowed from the Supreme Pen in such wise as to quicken decayed bones and teach flight to weighty forms. The purpose of mentioning these divine verses and this servant’s submission is that his honor and other friends may rest assured in the grace of God, exalted be His glory, and know with clear certainty that through Him the world of existence can dispense with all else. He is the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing.

And regarding what was written that His Honor Haji Muhammad Ibrahim, the aforementioned, upon him be the Glory of God, requested that mention be made of him in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence - this petition was granted, and after its submission and hearing, these sublime words were revealed from the heaven of verses. His word, exalted be His glory and sublime be His utterance:

In My Name, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Great […]

O Abraham! We have made mention of thee when We heard thy call and witnessed thy turning towards Us - and before these, verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Once did We make mention of thee in the Tablet of Our name ‘The Mahdi’, and again in other Tablets - verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed be thine ear for having heard My verses, and thine eye for having turned to My horizon, and thy hand for having taken hold of My perspicuous Tablet. Thou hast been mentioned by My Most Exalted Pen in such wise as nothing can equal it, to this doth this Wronged One, this Exile, bear witness. Hold fast unto it and cleave unto that which hath been sent down in the Book from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the light of recognition and hast been honored with the mention of the True One, exalted be His glory, which is greater than all good. Now strive that perchance thou mayest succeed in quickening a soul. We have aforetime said: “Whoso quickeneth a soul is as though he had quickened all mankind.” Hold fast unto the means and become the cause of the enkindling of hearts. The fire of the Divine Lote-Tree is manifest and ablaze, and the light of the countenance is radiant. By the name of the Beloved of the worlds, keep ablaze that fire and illumine the world with this light. Verily, He is with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who have cast aside the idle fancies of men, turning unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

[The text continues with additional passages addressing other individuals, including mentions of Tahmasb Khan and Mulla Ja’far, with similar themes of divine recognition, steadfastness, and service.]

O youth! The Lord of Names remembers thee from this horizon and calls thee to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, He heareth the call of him who hath turned unto Him and answereth him through His grace. He is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the Knower of the unseen. Every elder who in this divine springtime hath inhaled the fragrance from the rose-garden of inner meanings is recorded and inscribed before God as one of the youths of Paradise. The station of this Day is evident from what hath been mentioned. Blessed is the soul that hath found His fragrance and recognized His station. Such a one is accounted among the people of vision in the Most Sublime Vision. Blessed is he who hath heard and beheld the signs of his Lord, the Most Great, and woe unto him who hath gone astray and erred. The glory be upon thee and upon him who hath heard the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha.

And this is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Fay?u’llah, upon him be the glory of God. He - blessed and exalted be He - saith:

In My Name, the Protector over all names!

The glance of Our favor hath ever been directed towards thee and the gates of utterance have been opened before thy face. Thou hast attained unto that which the leaders of the earth, its great ones and learned men have been deprived of. Exalted is thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, and exalted is thy Master, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Strive ye today to kindle the lamp of unity in the assemblage of the world and preserve it from diverse winds through the name of the Lord of Oneness. In this way, the light of justice shall dawn and all shall be observed as free and unfettered. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee in serving His Cause and to send down upon thee from the heaven of His bounty a blessing from His presence. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

And this is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Ustad Musa, upon him be the glory of God, and his brother. He, exalted be He, saith:

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed!

The Wronged One Who hath been imprisoned in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds, remembereth thee - He upon Whom hath befallen that which caused the Holy Spirit to lament. How many nights wherein sleep fled from eyes because of what the hands of the people of idle fancy had wrought - they who cast the Book of God behind their backs and followed the ways of the corrupt ones. Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One and this Perspicuous Tablet hath been revealed for thee. When thou attainest unto it, arise and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Sovereign of the world and Lord of the nations, for having remembered me while Thou art independent of me and of all who are in the heavens and the earth. I beseech Thee by Thy mercy which hath preceded all things and by the lights of Thy countenance to strengthen me to be steadfast in this Great Announcement.

The glory be upon thee and upon thy brother and upon those who have attained unto the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

And this is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Mashhadi Taqi, upon him be the glory of God, and his brother. He - exalted be His grandeur and His bounty - saith:

He is the Protector over what was and what shall be!

[…]

O Taqi! Samandari, who hath quaffed the choice wine of My love and soared in My atmosphere, hath made mention of thee. We make mention of thee from My Most Exalted Pen, through whose movement the mystics have sought the station of sacrifice. Verily thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. The Intended One calleth them that seek Him, and He Who is Remembered remembereth him who hath remembered Him and hath attained unto His mighty Cause. O concourse of men! The Lord of Destiny hath come and commandeth you to that which draweth you nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Hearken unto My call and arise to make good what hath escaped you in this wondrous Day. By the life of God! Nothing of all things shall profit you this day, nor shall the treasures of earth and heaven avail you save through this Name, before which, when it was manifested, the Kingdom of names bowed down, by the command of One mighty and powerful. Thus have We sent down the verses and varied them as We wished, and I am verily the Gracious Revealer. The glory be upon thee and upon thy brother and upon all who have turned unto God and have testified to that whereunto testified the creation before them, that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Peerless.

And this is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Javad, upon him be the glory of God. He, exalted and mighty be He, saith:

He is the All-Seeing, the Speaking, the All-Knowing

O Javad! The Wronged One hath turned toward thee and remembereth thee with that which shall cause thy name to endure amongst the worlds. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, yet the people have turned away, following every heedless doubter. Blessed is he who hath held fast to God’s covenant and His testament, and woe unto every polytheist and infidel. We have manifested the pearls of the ocean of utterance before the faces of the servants. Among them are those who turned away, those who denied, and those who recognized and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Lords!” We counsel thee to justice in all circumstances and to trustworthiness, which God hath made among the most excellent of deeds. They who have attained today unto the recognition of God are assuredly among the people of Paradise in the Books and Tablets. Thus have We adorned thy head with the crown of utterance that thou mayest rejoice and thank thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Blessed is he who possesseth a heart, a mind, and vision to reflect upon the oceans of God’s bounty. Specifically for each of the mentioned names, the ocean of grace is surging and from the Lote-Tree of utterance and knowledge He hath planted that which is the cause of wealth and independence of all in the world. God willing, may eyes attain unto recognition. Greetings and salutations are conveyed to all. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that through His revealed verses He may kindle the fire of unity among the loved ones in such wise that all may be seen as letters of one word and be accounted as leaves of one tree. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Bestower, the Answerer.

A new and glorious tiding is this, that the prayer of that beloved one - wherein was mentioned the renewal of the Covenant, the renewal of the Testament, the renewal of remembrance, the renewal of praise, the renewal of thanksgiving, the renewal of glorification, the renewal of turning unto God, and the renewal of forgiveness - attained the most holy, most exalted Presence and the supreme heights, reaching the hearing of the Lord of Names. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak, blessed and exalted be His utterance: “O Samandar! What thou didst submit before hath been heard and hath been granted acceptance. The matters mentioned in thy petition have been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Blessed art thou, and blessed are thy father and mother and brother, and the leaf thy wife, and the other leaf, and their children, and My leaves, and those who love you purely for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Then blessed art thou for having renewed thy covenant and thy testament, and for having expressed thy thanksgiving and praise, and for having revealed what was in thy heart during the nine days, for the sake of God, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Verily thy sins, both past and future, are forgiven, and We shall aid thee through Our grace, for We are the Bountiful, the Generous.”

God willing, protect the people of that land from the smoke of doubts and vain imaginings through the Name of the Beloved of all possibility. Beseech the True One to reveal the condition of the world as it truly is, that all may shun that which perisheth and cleave unto that which endureth. Verily thy Lord is the True, the Trustworthy.

End. Praise be to God that that beloved one hath attained unto what he submitted, and this servant wisheth, on behalf of that beloved one, to render thanks and praise to the Beloved of the worlds with a hundred thousand tongues and utterances. However, if it be accepted in the presence of the might of the True One, exalted be His glory, He doeth what He willeth and decreeth what He pleaseth, and He is the Strong, the Powerful.

Convey this ephemeral one’s expression of sincere devotion to His Honour, the beloved of the heart, the noble Nabil, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. God willing, may he ever remain steadfast with supreme steadfastness in the Cause of the Lord of creation and be engaged in service, that all atoms may testify to his presence. They are ever before the face of God. And convey greetings and glorification to His Honour, the beloved of the soul, Aqa Muhammad Javad, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors. God willing, may he at all times drink from the immortal Kawthar and be engaged in the remembrance of the True One. Likewise to the noble ladies who dwell in that house, and the noble lady ’Izziyyih Khanum, upon them and upon her be the Glory of God - I convey glorification to all. God willing, through the grace and favor of the True One, exalted be His glory, may they be confirmed and assisted in that which He loveth and is pleased with. The people of the pavilion of chastity and grandeur convey glorification to all. The Glory shining and gleaming from the horizon of the heaven of the mercy of our Lord be upon you all and upon those with you and upon those who have drunk the wine of steadfastness in this mighty and glorious Day.

The Servant

27 Rabi’u’th-Thani 1300

The petition of ’Izziyyih Khanum, upon her be the Glory of God, arrived when there was no opportunity to present it. Therefore, God willing, it shall be presented and afterwards a reply will be sent according to what God willeth. Likewise the petition of Shaykh Baqir.

=== END BH00196 ===

=== START BH00197 ===

In the most pure and holy gaze of my Master and Beloved, he who bears the Name 66, upon him be 966 and upon all who exist be the splendor of God.

In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

May my soul be a sacrifice unto Thee, O thou who hast arisen to aid the Cause of God! May my spirit be offered up for thee, through whom the horizons have been perfumed and from whom the sweet savors of the remembrance of our All-Knowing Lord have been wafted! How can an ant describe this station unto which the birds of divine knowledge cannot soar, and to which the minds of the wise cannot ascend, save whom God, the Lord of all worlds, willeth? Were I to attempt to describe that which thy tongue hath uttered in praise of God, both remembrance and pens would be exhausted, yet this blessed remembrance would not end. When I beheld my powerlessness to offer fitting praise of this station, I sought God’s help and beseeched Him to reward thee as befitteth His all-encompassing grace.

Again, may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for thee! The servant hath been honored by the letters which proceeded from thy presence - first that which issued from the land of Ta, then what followed twice from the land of ?a, then two twin letters arrived, one from the land of Kaf dated the 13th of Jamadiyu’l-Avval, and the other from the land of ?ad dated the 14th of Jamadiyu’th-Thani, and in the second was a small letter adorned with thy handwriting dated the 22nd of Jamadiyu’th-Thani.

Praise be to God for these successive, continuous, and uninterrupted bounties which bore thy boundless favors. This evanescent servant was blessed to receive these, and prior to these mentioned letters, was honored by two blessed autographs before arriving in the land of Ta, which were written en route. Responses to some were submitted and sent through Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the Glory of God. Likewise from the direction of the land of Ha, I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His glory, that what was submitted may attain the honor of His presence. All were presented to the Most Holy Court at the beloved times. Again a mighty Tablet hath descended from the heaven of favor and the original revelation is being sent. Similarly, regarding the names mentioned in thy letters, those that were in the Book of Ta have been revealed and sent with Amin, and the rest shall be sent, God willing and with His aid.

Concerning what thou didst write about the blessed verse of inheritance, “Blessed art thou for having comprehended that which was revealed from God” - since Jinab-i-Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Glory of God, the Lord of all worlds, had inquired about inheritance, by command that which was revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas regarding this matter was written specifically for him and sent. Similarly, he had inquired about the law of marriage, and what was revealed regarding this was also written and sent by command. All these passages are revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and that mighty Book was sent specifically to thee. God willing, thou hast by now been blessed to see it.

Regarding thy remark that the meaning of the Book of ?a and Kha and Za et cetera was not clear, He said: “This station is ‘We have recorded all things in a Book.’” Thus it endeth.

Each portion mentioned in the Book equals nine, and from each number sixty is intended, which in total equals the name Muqit, and likewise it descends by sixties until it reaches the station of Jim, and those two stations which are Ba and Alif have not been mentioned, that our Lord may decree concerning them as He pleaseth. From each of these in this Dispensation one and a half portions were deducted and added to the offspring, who receive the portion of two Ta’s. God willing, they shall become aware of the mysteries of that Most Holy, Most Exalted Book at the time of attainment of His presence.

Furthermore, it is submitted that despite the greatest prohibition, travelers from all directions arrive at the Most Great Prison without permission, and they know the beloved of the people of this land and to what degree they persist in opposition, denial and corruption. In any case, each day new conversations are heard. It is strange how the loved ones consent to commit that which causeth harm to the Root of the Tree. And all expect to remain. In brief, now in every village of the surrounding villages numerous souls reside and the corruptors have found means to say whatsoever they wish. From the very gathering and excessive coming and going, the government itself hath been disrupted. We beseech God to bring forth good through this. In no year has there been such gathering in this land. Another group must be appointed to arise to serve the travelers.

Moreover, your honor knoweth what transpireth, despite the lack of outward means and the wickedness of the people of this city and the arrival of newcomers. Although all have understood that the harm of these matters returneth to the Root of the Tree, yet they remain heedless and unaware. We beseech God to aid them to do what He loveth and is pleased with.

Another matter: the neighboring Khajih, whenever present before the Throne, asketh about your honor’s condition and speaketh well of you, and whenever your letter arrived they were truly delighted. God willing, your honor will mention them in future letters so it may be conveyed to them. Although this servant hath somewhat conveyed your honor’s affection to them, since there was no explicit mention of them in your honor’s letter, out of fear of speaking falsely, a satisfactory explanation was not given to them.

Furthermore, regarding Aqa Muhammad Sadiq from the people of K, they wrote a letter to this servant about the Huquq, as your honor yourself noted on its back. It was presented to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. According to the command, one portion thereof should be given to the deserving ones in that city, and two portions should be sent to Zaynu’l-Muqarribin, for the people of that land are very deserving.

Although these small amounts do not suffice for that land, they are somewhat useful. Regarding what was written about Jinab-i-Nabil (upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]) from the people of Qa’in, it is very good that they should proceed to the land of Ha. We beseech God to aid him to help his Lord through what He hath commanded in the Tablets.

Regarding what was written about Jinab-i-Hasan-i-Qabli-’Ali Khan, their petition was presented to the Most Holy Presence. A special exalted Tablet was revealed and will be sent later.

Concerning Aqa Ghulam-’Ali, son of Jinab-i-Dhabih, upon them both be Baha’u’llah, it was submitted and according to His command that he should remain engaged in his trade there, as this is closer to godliness before God. Praise be to God, divine favors have been and will continue to be bestowed upon the relatives of Jinab-i-Dhabih. Wherever they may be, they are under the shadow of Truth. The gaze of favor is directed towards His loved ones. Travel to this land is in no wise permitted. We beseech God to grant them the sweetness of following His command. By My life, it is sweeter than all sugar, honey, candy and whatsoever is above them. Verily, He is the All-Wise Ruler.

Regarding Aqa Muhammad-Hasan, about whom you had written that you would bring along, it was submitted. He said: “There is no objection to what thou hast intended. We love to approve what thou hast approved, as a favor from thy Lord, Who, were He to be described by generosity, His Essence would be ashamed to be attributed thereto, and were He to be characterized by grace, He would be embarrassed to be mentioned in His presence. Verily thy Lord is far exalted above what hath been mentioned or will be mentioned. He is indeed independent of all names. There is no God but Him, the Eternal Unseen.”

At the time of writing this petition, the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His grandeur, said: “Write in My name M.H.: Those souls who, during their travels and journeys through the cities of God, have shown love to that person, even if less than the eye of a needle, We have honored them with a special favor and have sent down that which will bring joy to their eyes.”

Concerning what you had written about the believers in the land of Ta, then in Q.M., then in K., then in S., about their love for God, their being set ablaze with the fire of His love, and their being attracted by the signs of His grace, and then what you mentioned about all the villages - all was presented before the Divine Throne. Regarding each one, countless favors have dawned and are shining from the horizon of grace, which neither the pens of all worlds could enumerate, nor the tablets of the heavens and earth could contain.

Furthermore, regarding what you had written about Jinab-i-Haji Mirza K.M.A.L.’d-Din and Aqa Mahmud and Haji Mirza ’Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon them be Baha’u’llah and His favors, through the companionship of Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be Baha’u’llah, a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of eternal favor specifically for Aqa Mahmud, upon him be Baha’u’llah, from which shone forth the evidences of grace, bounty, generosity and favor. This servant was astonished at the time of its revelation that despite what had been reported about them, how they were honored with this most holy and exalted Tablet. Now from your letter what was hidden has been revealed and what was concealed has become manifest. I swear by the Most Great Name, this servant was so overjoyed that nothing greater could be imagined, for I had been very concerned about their matter, as there had previously been perfect love between this evanescent servant and them. We praise God, we thank God, and we glorify God for having caused him to attain that which the near ones have attained. And from that blessed Tablet, this servant became certain that in these days the fragrance of their love would waft. Praise be to God that through His favor we have attained unto this.

Concerning the mystic circle you mentioned, the written text has been sent to your presence. As far as possible, it should be written with musk and saffron. This servant has also added some red ink for its color and permanence. Whosoever wishes to bear this great gift must, after ablutions, sit in a private place turning towards the Point of God, and then with complete humility and supplication recite the Verse of Power revealed in the first line, then the Names of God revealed in the second line, and then read the prayer revealed in the center of the form. Then it should be folded, and while folding it, one should repeat nineteen times - or according to the number of the Greatest Name (9) which is closer - these luminous words: “He is the Protector, the Helper, the Assister, the One Whose help is sought.” Then keep it folded and do not reopen it. If it must be opened for copying, this same procedure must be repeated. Its offering at the Divine Threshold is one mithqal of gold, however a lesser amount has been permitted for the honored Aqa Siyyid Husayn-’Ali. Your honor is surely aware that the intention is that a gift be made in this station, and its benefit returns to the bearer and giver himself. He is, verily, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. However, great care must be taken that it is written correctly and in accordance with the original.

Regarding what you wrote about Nabil of the land of Kaf mentioning this lowly one, and that the beloved one had recorded his words - his mention was presented at the Divine Threshold and the Sun of favor has risen from the horizon of grace. We beseech God to assist him in all conditions as He assisted him before, and to cause his remembrance to endure in His Book, and his spirit and soul in His Kingdom and Dominion. He is verily the Protector of whoever turns to Him and the Master of whoever faces His luminous direction. Please convey on behalf of this evanescent non-existent one profound and exalted greetings to him. I presented his greetings specifically before the presence of the Branches of God, and all return greetings.

Likewise, regarding Nabil, formerly Mahdi, entitled Kh A N from Alif whom you mentioned - he was specifically remembered in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. Perfect grace was manifested regarding him and an exalted Tablet was specifically revealed for him which will be sent, God willing. Please convey greetings to him on behalf of this evanescent one.

Another submission: This servant has sent the reply to the letter of one of the steadfast women of the land of K which that beloved one had sent. May it come before your most pure and luminous gaze and then be forwarded. As for the matter of the wife of the honored brother Haji M J, as commanded, they should act according to what is best for the aforementioned Haji. Your honor will observe the letter and become informed.

Another news is that Haji Mirza ’Ali-Akbar and another person have arrived in Haifa. The aforementioned Mirza had previously written that their stay in that land was not possible and had requested permission to come to Mosul. After arriving in Mosul, all the mighty and protective Tablets which Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin had mentioned proved ineffective, and now they have arrived in Haifa. Similarly, before them, Shaykh Muhammad, along with another person from the Jewish community who had turned towards the All-Merciful, arrived. Muhammad Mustafa gave them some of the wealth they had so they could go to Tripoli and engage in work, as the aforementioned Shaykh’s stay in Iraq was not possible due to conflicts between him and his father. Thus Muhammad Mustafa sent them to these parts. However, a malicious Persian joined them and showed them kindness until one night, finding the opportunity, he took everything they had including their books and left. The aforementioned person arrived at the Most Holy Court stripped of all possessions - they had even taken his coat. News has arrived that several others are also on their way. What more can this servant say about the arrivals to this land?

Another of the novel occurrences is that in these days the former chief who was in this city has, praise be to God, attained to the ornament of faith and has openly arisen to mention the Truth and His loved ones. After some time, they summoned him and another person arrived, and according to some of the corrupt ones, now no fragrance of love can be detected from him; rather, the opposite, such that on the last day of the month of fasting, they returned the seven who had left the prison and were residing in the finest quarters where the chief officers stayed, back to prison. Let us see what will become manifest later. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And he intended to attain the Most Holy Court, but permission has not been granted thus far. In any case, this land is like a chameleon - each day it appears in different colors, but all people weave their own imaginings while what our Powerful Lord has willed remains firm, enduring, permanent, penetrating, and dominant over all who are in the kingdom.

And regarding what was written about the blessed leaf, her eminence Ta, upon her be the glory of God and the glory of those in the kingdom of creation, it was submitted, and her petition was also presented before the Throne. This is what was revealed in response to it from God, her Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.

O My Name! We have understood what thou didst mention in the leaf which called upon its Lord and attained that which was the purpose of its creation and its stages. Blessed is she, inasmuch as her letter hath been presented and she hath been mentioned before the Throne. This, verily, is the most excellent of her deeds in her days. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We had mentioned her before and adorned her head with the crown of thy Lord’s favor, and We sent unto her through the Trusted One that which rejoiceth her heart and the hearts of them that are nigh. We make mention of her at this time in this manifest Prison, and We glorify her in this station and bid her to be patient in what she desireth. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The means and wisdom with which We have been commanded do not require her departure from her homeland. We beseech God to pour forth upon her patience from His presence. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Thou wert present before the Throne and hast known the Prison and what is uttered therein at all times.

This servant submitteth that following the presentation of the petition of that Leaf of the Divine Lote-Tree, upon her be the Glory of God, the Sun of favors rose from the horizon of grace. Although previously a Most Holy Tablet had been specifically revealed and sent for that leaf, these wondrous and exalted verses were again revealed from the heaven of bounty. It is most clear and evident that God’s favor hath been bestowed upon her. However, this land is witnessed in a different state each day and hath not yet become settled according to what was revealed in the Tablets. It hath been difficult and most difficult from every direction - from the opposition of the opposers, the wickedness of the enemies, and the agitation of the people of this region from every sect and tribe. No place of residence can be found. The finest house in Acre is the one which hath now become the seat of the Throne. Your honor hath observed that eighteen souls, young and old, are present in the Most Holy Court. The upper floor of the building hath four small rooms. Thus it is evident how difficult the situation is. The honored Trustee, upon him be the Glory of God, during his presence, having resided in this land for some time, became aware of the confined space. Therefore, he strove earnestly to acquire some land and build a house. No land came into their possession until a plot was found near the house. After investigation, it became known that its owner desired to exact the price of all of Acre for that plot of land. The Most Great Branch, may my spirit be a sacrifice unto the dust of His most pure footsteps, hath taken residence in what is considered the changing room of a bath house. Would that the difficulty were limited to this matter alone. He is, verily, the All-Numbering, the All-Knowing.

Regarding the envelope sent on the 9th of Shawwal, God willing it has by now arrived and they have been blessed to visit the Most Exalted, Most Holy Tablet, as it was sent by two routes. At every moment, my spirit be a sacrifice for thee, my Beloved, my Lord and my Master, I conveyed thy praise, glory and exaltation in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court before the holy faces of the Branches of the Divine Lote Tree, the people of the pavilion of divine infallibility, and the blessed Afnan. Especially the shining lights of the horizon of the Throne, each with a pure and exalted tongue, conveyed holy exaltation transcending the realms of mention and utterance. Likewise, I conveyed thy beloved exaltation to each of the circling loved ones, and all, one by one, express utter evanescence, complete nothingness, and most wondrous, most holy, most exalted, most sublime exaltation to thy presence. Verily the Most Glorious Glory and the Exaltation which hath dawned and shone forth from the Dayspring of Grandeur be upon thee, O thou who hast arisen with thy whole being to serve God and to aid His Cause, the unassailable, the firm, the mighty, the inaccessible. Servant 66 [Allah]. 11th of Shawwal 90.

A further submission: At the time of the return of his honor Aqa Siyyid Yahya, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], he was asked to convey to his honor Ismu’llah ?a, upon him be the glory of his Lord, that a piece of felt between one and two layers, neither too thin nor too thick, matching the known dome that the aforementioned gentleman had measured, should be completed and sent with whoever was traveling. It is not known what happened to this.

My spirit and being be a sacrifice for thee. The two petitions that were submitted to the blessed presence of the Two Most Exalted, Most Holy, Most Supreme Greater Branches were presented. The gracious reply was written and sent. Their letters should reach his honor Aqa Siyyid Yahya. The envelope of the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet, along with the mystic circle and two blessed autographs of the Two Greater Branches, and two petitions from this servant to the two most exalted names, Afnan 66 [Allah] and Ismu’llah ?a, and a letter in reply to the letter of the assured ones of the land of Kaf, and the letter from the people of the sanctuary which they wrote to his honor Aqa Siyyid Yahya, all were sent in one envelope to thy presence. My spirit be thy sacrifice. Again regarding the inscription of the mystic circle, it is submitted that if it is written with good rosewater and red ink it would be most beloved before God, for after its completion this servant presented it at the Court of the Throne. The main purpose is that it should be written with something fragrant, and now at the Divine Throne the fragrance of good rosewater is more beloved than musk and other scents. End.

=== END BH00197 ===

=== START BH00198 ===

Praise and glorification and exaltation and sanctification, sanctified above the recognition of all on earth and in heaven, befit and beseem that Most Desired One Who hath opened the door of correspondence with the finger of power and aided His Cause through the hands of the heedless. Exalted be His station! How many souls of fire who bear the light yet remain heedless of it, and how many enemies who are engaged in rendering assistance yet remain veiled therefrom. Through the feet of the courier He conveyeth His abiding grace to worthy and acceptable souls. He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Glorified be He Who aideth His Cause as He pleaseth and assisteth it as He willeth. And the light and the mercy and the glory and the peace and the splendor be upon His chosen ones and His loved ones and His trusted ones and His envoys and His beloved ones who have not broken His Covenant and His Testament, who have drunk the choice wine of His love from the hands of His bounty, who have arisen to serve His Cause and have spoken His praise, and upon those who have forsaken their station purely for His sake and have chosen exile to exalt His Word and have traversed the lands to teach His Cause with wisdom and utterance and with that which hath been sent down in the Book from the presence of the All-Merciful.

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Face’s light the horizons were illumined and through Whose love’s fire the hearts of the lovers were melted! I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy mercy in Thy days and by the winds that pass over the most exalted Paradise in the springtime of Thy Manifestation, to draw near Thy chosen ones and Thy servants to the ocean of Thy knowledge and to protect them from those who have denied Thy truth and violated Thy station and pronounced judgment against Thy chosen ones without any command from Thy presence or any Book from Thy midst. O my Lord! The world hath been set ablaze by the fire of hatred, and Thou art the One with power to extinguish it. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the standard of power hath been raised, to preserve the righteous ones and to ordain for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will aid them and protect them and strengthen them and enable them to achieve that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art the Lord of the Beginning and the End, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all mankind. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance, and a sacrifice for your steadfastness, and a sacrifice for your uprising! Your letter hath given me to drink of the Kawthar of your utterance, whereby my burning thirst for attaining your presence and meeting you was increased. When I had partaken of these cups, I approached the station of our Lord, the Cleaver of the Dawn, and after my presence and presentation, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which, were it to be cast upon fire, thou wouldst find it […] and upon stones, thou wouldst find them luminous pearls. His word, exalted be His majesty and mighty be His might:

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

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. He beareth witness unto all that hath appeared from My presence, yet most of the people perceive not. We desired for them the light, while they desired for Us the fire. They truly do not understand. They have cast the ocean of knowledge behind their backs, hastening unto the dawning-places of idle fancies. Behold what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an concerning them: They have changed God’s favor into ingratitude and caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition.

O My Name! O thou who gazest toward My horizon! Look upon the idols of the earth, how they have gone astray and led the servants astray until they disbelieved in God, the Lord of Lords. They read the Book night and day, yet when its Revealer and Sovereign came, they turned away from Him and spoke as they had spoken throughout ages and centuries. By God! They are the first party to turn away from the Truth and to deny the Source and the Return.

The servant who was present hath brought thy letter and read it before the Wronged One. We perceived from it the fragrance of thy remembrance and praise, and thy steadfastness in this Cause whereby the mountains have been crushed. Blessed is he who hath found from thee the fragrance of My loving-kindness and hath witnessed what the Tongue of My Grandeur witnessed before the creation of earth and heaven. Remember My chosen ones on My behalf and explain to them what thou hast heard from Me concerning the virtues of fellowship and unity. Say: Through unity the gate of power is opened. Reflect, O people of insight!

O My Name! Gladden all through the bounty of God, glorified be His majesty, and remind them of that which leadeth to the manifestation of the Cause, the exaltation of the Word, and the sanctification and purification of the human soul. If they would hear the call of the Wronged One with the inner ear and act as We have commanded, then erelong the lights of revelation shall illumine both East and West, and the banners of victory shall be seen in all directions. It is clear and evident that in this most mighty and exalted Revelation, the attributes and characteristics of the beasts of the wilderness have been strictly forbidden in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. Teaching must be conducted with wisdom and utterance, and triumph achieved through the hosts of goodly character and deeds. In such case, should the friends of God, glorified be His majesty, hold fast for a time to what hath been mentioned, they shall soon behold all who dwell in the lands adorned with human qualities and shall utter “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.” What this Wronged One hath spoken and speaketh is effective and all-conquering, were they to cleave unto it and act accordingly. At present most are occupied in relating the words of others. God willing, may all be purified and sanctified through the water of the All-Merciful’s utterance and become occupied with teaching the Cause. This is a station which the pen is powerless to describe and understanding faileth to comprehend. The words of holy souls are so effective and penetrating that they can make a withered tree fresh and adorned with delicate, precious fruits. Blessed are they that hear and blessed are they that act, and may the mercy sent down from the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon My chosen ones and loved ones who have cast aside all else but Me and followed My straight path.

God willing, may all the chosen ones and loved ones become enkindled by the heat of God’s creative Word and hold fast to that which is the cause of exaltation, that what He hath willed may be made manifest, though the heedless be averse. I present my nothingness before all and beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to grant all a portion from the Most Great Ocean.

As to what was written concerning His honor Mirza Abul-Fadl, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors - whatever his honor deems advisable is beloved and acceptable at the Divine Threshold. God willing, His honor Mirza must make every effort and move with complete enthusiasm to ignite the dormant souls and adorn them with a fresh spirit. Today is the day when man can acquire eternal bounty and become the possessor of everlasting grace. This servant is ever mindful of them, as if they are standing before my eyes. The servant beseeches his Lord to manifest through him that by which every possessor of smell may detect the fragrance of steadfastness and the Cause of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. O beloved of my heart! In truth, his honor has revived the land of Ta, for he has described the outpouring of divine love, the kindling of the fire of affection, the gathering of friends, and the receptivity of its people in such a way that it truly bestowed boundless joy, delight, gladness and expansion. It is most evident and clear how much this servant is gladdened by mention of the chosen friends of God who are adorned and illumined with the ornament of steadfastness and the lights of love. Blessed are you and the friends of God in that place. Would that the servant were with you in those gatherings you mentioned.

As to what you wrote about the receptivity of that land and likewise its need for numerous teachers, after this was presented, these exalted words were revealed from the heaven of the favor of the Lord of Names, exalted be His glory: “O My Name! God willing, steadfast and receptive souls shall be assisted to recognize this Most Great Cause. After recognition of God, exalted be His glory, the command to teach is the greatest and most mighty. A witness to its greatness is what God revealed in the Book aforetime: ‘Whosoever quickens a soul is as though he has quickened all humanity.’ Blessed is he who has arisen to serve the Cause and moves by God’s will, the Lord of the worlds.” End quote.

God willing, the affairs of that land shall be set right through his honor’s attention, and the friends shall arise with complete resolve to serve the Cause of the Lord of all beings with wisdom and utterance in unity. This is what the servant asks of his Lord in the nights and days, and he beseeches Him to answer for His servant what he desires of His grace which has preceded the kingdom and the realm of heaven.

You wrote mentioning the gatherings, meetings and homes of the friends of God, exalted be His glory, and likewise in each gathering the meeting with groups of divine friends. These details were presented in the Most Holy Court of Him Who was God and there was naught else besides Him. This is what was revealed from the Most Exalted Throne, exalted be His utterance and mighty be His command […]

O My Name! O thou who travels throughout the lands for My Cause and the exaltation of My Word! Blessed are the houses that become gathering places for the loved ones of God, attracting souls and being adorned by the presence of His chosen ones. Blessed is the land that has attained in My days, which God has made a dwelling place for My pure ones, and blessed is the house that has found the fragrance of My loved ones, and blessed are the faces that have been illumined by the Sun of My loving-kindness. All these mentioned gatherings are favored by God’s grace, and specifically for those present, wondrous and sublime verses have descended from the heaven of divine will. We have placed in the mouth of each of them the sweet fruit of divine knowledge and the table of utterance, then We said: “Rejoice in that thou hast attained thy Lord’s loving favor.” Praise be to God that all are adorned with this supreme word and have attained to hearing it. We give them glad tidings of God’s grace and bounty, and We send Our greetings to them from the prison, and We counsel them with that which will exalt the Word of God and their stations among the servants. The Command is in God’s hands, the Lord of creation.

O thou beloved of My heart and mentioned in My soul! By the life of our Purpose and your Purpose! After these passages were presented, the Face of God was set ablaze and verses were revealed of such nature that all the peoples of the earth would be powerless to transcribe them, let alone this evanescent servant. In secret, with utmost supplication I was saying: Would that all the world were present to attain unto the hearing of the revealed verses which flow and descend like pouring rain. I seek God’s forgiveness for this comparison, I seek His forgiveness and turn unto Him. Verily He is the Forgiver, the Generous.

As for the mention of his honor the Sahib, may God’s favors be upon him, God willing he has been and is successful, and I beseech the Most High to confirm him in that whereby his mention shall endure throughout the eternity of His Most Beautiful Names. Verily He is the Lord of the hereafter and the former times, there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful. This evanescent one sends greetings to him and gives him glad tidings of God’s favors, exalted be His glory. This servant’s petition is that, as they have written, it would be most preferable to meet individually with certain souls for the expression of the matter. Attention to one or two persons is easier and closer to piety, as discussion occurs with collected thoughts and untroubled mind. We beseech God the Most High to guide all to His straight path.

They had mentioned his honor Aqa Muhammad Husayn N, upon him be the Glory of God. In these few days, my beloved, his honor Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, wrote a letter to this servant and had mentioned him. This servant beseeches God to increase his confirmations moment by moment. In any case, since his mention was in the blessed handwriting of your honor, it attained the honor of being heard in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. The Tongue of the All-Merciful in the Kingdom of Utterance spoke these words, exalted be His glory:

In My Name, the All-Evident, the All-Knowing[…]

O Nawwab! The All-Giving remembers thee from the prison quarter, at a time when He hears the buzzing of flies on His right, and the howling of wolves on His left, and beholds the banners of sorrow before His face. Thus doth My tongue recount unto thee that thou mayest know and be of them that remember. Ponder then upon My power and My sovereignty, and the cord of My tranquility and the ocean of My patience, that thou mayest discover My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Were He to desire, He would seize all who are on earth through a single word from Him. Verily thy Lord is the Omnipotent, the Almighty. He heareth and is patient, He seeth and concealeth, and He is the Concealer, the Generous. Were We to recount unto thee what hath befallen Us in these days, thou wouldst weep as those who are bereaved. Blessed art thou for having turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and arisen to serve the Cause of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Convey My greetings unto My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of My gracious remembrance. The Light shining from the horizon of the Prison be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this exalted station.

And likewise He made mention of Aqa Mir from Jasb, may the glory of God rest upon him, these manifest verses were revealed specifically for him from the heaven of inner meanings. His words, exalted be His majesty:

In My Name, the Witness, the All-Knowing

O Mir! The Wronged One remembers thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him through that which the hands of those who denied God’s proof and testament have wrought and who disbelieved in His favors. They are indeed in heedlessness and error. Grieve thou not over anything, but rejoice in this Most Great Remembrance, for when it flowed from My Pen, the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names remembered thee. Thus doth the Lord of all humanity give thee glad tidings that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. O My loved ones in Jasb! There hath befallen you in the path of God that which hath befallen Us. Soon shall pass away what the people possess, but that which is with God, the Lord of the Day of Return, shall endure. We were indeed with you and heard your cry and lamentation. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Seeing. Blessed is he who hath fulfilled My Covenant and heard My call and turned unto My Kingdom and attained unto patience in what befell him in the path of God, the Cleaver of the Dawn. We give you glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness and grace, and We send Our greetings upon your faces from this station. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My prison be upon you and upon those who have attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness, who have arisen and declared: “God is our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the earth and heavens.”

Praise be to God, the outpouring of grace hath reached such a station that is truly beyond all mention and description. None can enumerate the seas of His mercy and the suns of His favors. Verily He knoweth what He doeth and is aware of what He saith, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

He made mention of the beloved of hearts, Samandar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of destiny. Through God’s loving-kindness, grace, mercy, bounty and generosity, he drinketh at all times from the Kawthar of life from the cup of his Lord’s favors, and his is the highest chalice in this mighty and wondrous Cause. His mention was raised. His words, exalted and glorified be He: O My namesake! Upon thee be My Glory! Verily he is of the fishes of this ocean and a star among the stars of this heaven and a word from My Most Great Book and a fragrance from the fragrances of Paradise. Upon him be My Glory and My loving-kindness. Ask thou God to preserve him through His power and to preserve his station through His Name, the Omnipotent, the Mighty.

Indeed with complete determination he hath arisen to serve the Cause of our Lord, the Possessor of all names. God willing, may he be confirmed in all worlds.

We make mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Shaykh Abu’l-Qasim and Aqa Nasru’llah, upon both of whom be the Glory of God, who were mentioned in the blessed letter presented to the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court. Praise be to God, the manifestation of favor hath shone forth like the sun from the horizon of heaven. His blessed and exalted Word:

“Verily We have turned toward them from the direction of the Prison and We send Our greetings unto them and counsel them to show forth love and unity and that whereby the Cause of the Lord of creation may be exalted amongst His servants.” They will, God willing, be assisted in all matters and be confirmed in that which He loveth and is pleased with. The Shaykh, upon him be the Glory of God - praise be to God that his mention hath not been and will not be erased; at all times they are present before His face.

Concerning what was written about the delay in responding to the letter: Thus far, through divine grace and His confirmations, whenever an esteemed letter was received, a detailed response was submitted, except for one letter mentioning the friends in Rasht. Since other letters arrived before it, a brief response was submitted. However, wondrous and exalted divine Tablets have been revealed specifically for some of those souls mentioned therein and will, God willing, be sent. The end of the petition is adorned with this great glad-tidings: On Monday the 12th of Rabi’u’th-Thani, four hours after sunrise, as your representative, it was presented to the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court and by proxy that which is the purpose of all worlds was accomplished, and likewise was honored with acceptance. Well is it with you! To all the chosen ones, loved ones and gentlemen who are present in that gathering, I express my utter nothingness and likewise convey greetings and salutations. God willing, may all in these divine days drink from the Kawthar of mention, utterance, steadfastness and exposition, and act in accordance with that which will exalt the Cause of God. The Glory that is manifest, evident and shining from the horizon of the heaven of our Lord’s favor be upon you and upon those who have attained to serving you and those who love you and hearken to your words and are honored to meet you and upon those who have drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cups of our Lord’s bounty, the Powerful, the Generous. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Concerning what was written on the back of the blessed letter about your being at the house of Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali-’Askar and Jinab-i-Haji Khavar, upon him be the Glory of God, was in your presence, and likewise the mention of the blessed Tablets of Rasht and mention of the Tablet of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ibrahim-i-Gurgani and its being erased from your memory and its being cast into your being at that moment - you mentioned this matter in such a way that it affected this servant as well. This detail was presented to the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court. His blessed and exalted Word:

“O My Name! O thou who hast drunk the Kawthar of My love! Verily We are thy Helper, thy Confirmer, thy Teacher, thy Inspirer, thy Protector and thy Succourer. Verily He is with thee and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. When thou speakest in gatherings and reflectest on matters, verily He inspireth thee and teacheth thee and aideth thee through wisdom and utterance. Verily thy Lord is the Helper, the All-Wise. And We make mention of ’Ali before ’Askar and he who was named Khavar. Verily he carried the Tablets out of love for My Self and eagerness to follow My Cause. We send Our greetings unto him wheresoever he may be and We give him the glad-tidings of My grace which hath preceded him and the favor which hath encompassed him, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have sought thee out of love for God, the Lord of the worlds.”

When His handwritings were presented in His presence, the Most Great Branch and the Most Mighty Branch - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto the dust of Their footsteps - and the members of the Divine Sacred Household and some of the kindred were present. After their completion, each one manifested such bounty, mercy, love and favors that this ephemeral one is truly incapable of describing. The hearts were illumined by the lights shining from their glorifications, and the horizons of utterance were brightened by their mention and words. In brief, all offered holy glorification, transcendent above worldly conditions and their people’s limitations, for me to convey to that Beloved One. His is the praise and favor in all conditions. By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, truly the heart rejoices and the breast expands from mentions wherein the sincere ones find the fragrance of kindness, untainted by the dust of loved ones and directions. Dominion belongs to God, our Lord, the Revealer of verses and the Manifestor of proofs. There is no God but Him, the One evident through signs. May my spirit be a sacrifice unto Your presence.

While sealing the envelopes, the true messenger brought spiritual glad tidings, and immediately upon arrival and visitation they were presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. This is what the Lord of the World uttered in the Most Great Prison:

O My Name! The servant present read thy letter before the Face of the Wronged One. Light be unto thee and grace be unto thee, for thou didst speak certain words from which wafted the fragrance of true wisdom. Assuredly, until the result of any deed becomes somewhat apparent, or until its fruit becomes known to the extent possible, attention to it is fruitless. Excellent is what was said, and the Speaker is God in His first Book: In matters, their end must be considered before undertaking them. What thou didst do was, praise be to God, wise and acceptable. We beseech God that He may, through thee, open the doors of hearts and assist thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and through thee aid His Word and exalt it despite every learned one who denied God’s right and His Cause, and rejected His proof and disputed His verses. O My Name! Upon thee be My glory. Convey My glorification to the faces of My loved ones who are saddened by My sorrows, and give them the glad tidings of My joy and happiness and bounty. God willing, may all be illumined by the lights of the Face and act according to what hath been revealed in the Book.

This blessed handwriting, dated the 27th of Safar and numbered 3, from which this servant repeatedly and successively drank the cup of nearness and reunion and joy and meeting - there was and is no opportunity to present details beyond this. In brief, all that transpired was honored with acceptance in the Most Holy and Most Glorious Presence. The servant praises his Lord for this evident, clear and manifest bounty. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00198 ===

=== START BH00199 ===

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

I have attained thy letter which was adorned with the mention of the Desired One and embellished with praise of the Beloved of the worlds. Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Qiblih of all peoples, and set thy face toward the countenance of thy Lord, and art numbered among those who have attained. The letter which thou didst address to this servant, this humble one, brought joy to this evanescent servant’s heart. We beseech God to aid thee to love Him and to gain His good-pleasure, and to make thee among those who are steadfast in His Cause in such wise as to be detached from all the worlds.

As for thy request that thou be mentioned in the Most Holy and Most Glorious Presence, and thy seeking of forgiveness - this servant presented himself before His countenance and made his petition. Then did the sun of grace and forgiveness dawn forth from the horizon of revelation in such wise that this poor servant is powerless to describe it. And as for what thou didst desire regarding the meeting, this is what hath been revealed from the Dayspring of utterance - exalted be His glory: “We beseech God to ordain for him what he desireth and to strengthen him to remain steadfast in this Cause whereby the mountains have been scattered, and to write down for him that which shall solace his eyes and gladden his heart and bring tranquility to the hearts of them that know.”

Regarding thy question about spiritual condition - most of those who make claims in these days have been and will continue to be merely people of words rather than of true spiritual state. All matters are held within the grasp of divine power, confined and limited. Whosoever moveth contrary to His good-pleasure is counted among the people of words, even should he be immersed in the ocean of spiritual state and sailing upon the depths of silence and quietude. And whosoever turneth unto the Truth and obeyeth His commandments is remembered as being among the people of spiritual state in both beginning and end. The spiritual state that is beloved in the sight of God today is the acknowledgment of His unity, the recognition of His oneness, the sanctification of His Being from any likeness, the elevation of His Self above all similarity, the carrying out of what He hath commanded in His Book, and the avoidance of carnal desires, deceptive allusions, and conjectural, imaginary interpretations.

This is not the day of interpretation, for the winds of explicit declaration are blowing. O my beloved! Most have taken God’s Cause as a plaything and considered it as children’s sport. They have turned away from His commandments and accepted His prohibitions, yet still count themselves as accepted and consider themselves to be of the Truth before all people. God is sanctified above what they have said. Ears were created to hearken unto God’s commandments, not for rejected, imaginary suppositions. As thou hast observed, certain souls in the past were deprived of the divine law and abandoned the decree of the Book, yet still counted themselves among the people of inner meaning. We testify that they found neither the fragrance of the inner nor the outer meaning, but wandered in the wilderness of suppositions and idle fancies - verily, they are among the most lost! Today the people of spiritual state are those souls who have been attracted by the sweetness of the divine Word in such wise that all who dwell on earth cannot prevent them from turning to the countenance of the Ancient of Days, and they are assured of and act upon what hath been revealed in the Book. This is the station of the people of spiritual state, and whosoever is otherwise hath been and shall remain among the people of mere words.

As to what you had written regarding the meaning of “Man Yuzhir” and “Huva Yuzhir”, no such phrase appears in the Bayan. Rather, it is “Man Zahr” and “Man Yuzhir”. “Man Zahr” refers to Him Who appeared in the year sixty, and gave the people glad tidings of “Man Yuzhir” Who has appeared at the earth’s pole and calls all peoples unto God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. All that was revealed in the Bayan was intended for this Most Great Manifestation, as attested by what was revealed therein and in the Tablets of God, the Mighty, the Generous.

As to your question about God’s favors and wrath toward His servants - we seek refuge in God from His wrath and anger - this is very clear and evident. “Turn not unto those with whom God is wroth.” The signs of divine wrath are visible in those people who act contrary to His good-pleasure and wander in the wilderness of error. And God’s good-pleasure is not imaginary - one who acts in accordance with what the All-Merciful has ordained in the Tablets has attained His good-pleasure and walks the path of His contentment. Blessed is he and those like him. Such heedless, deluded souls are tormented in all divine worlds, and these souls have chosen wrath for themselves unknowingly. Otherwise, His mercy has preceded all things.

Observe that in the Most Holy Court there has been and will be naught but mercy. Then when a Command shines forth from the Dawning-Place of Command, whoever turns toward it and acts according to what God has willed is numbered among the people of mercy. And for one who remains remote and deprived, this same divine Word which was pure mercy becomes pure wrath in regard to the one who turns away. Some manifestations of this wrath appear in the turning away of the soul in this visible world, but all of it appears after the ascension of the spirit. We seek refuge in God and turn unto Him. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Likewise consider God’s favors which today shine forth from the horizon of loving-kindness. For instance, when He mentions someone favorably in one of the Tablets, that very thing becomes the cause of the perpetuation of that person’s remembrance in the world of remembrance and his spirit in the world of spirits. By Him Who made me His servant! Were I to describe for you this most mighty, most exalted station, its description could not be completed by pen and ink. Your Lord, the Possessor of all creation, bears witness to this. Blessed is the soul that has attained His favors and preferred His commandments over the imaginings of all else.

We beseech God to grant us steadfastness in His love and detachment from all the worlds. Verily He is the Answerer of prayer and the Most Merciful of the merciful.

And as to what you asked about unity (tawhid), this station has been elaborately explained in numerous tablets from the Divine Authoritative Pen, sufficient for all the peoples of the world. You should endeavor to collect, as much as possible, the Persian and Arabic books that have been revealed from the Divine Source in this Most Great Revelation. There remains no knowledge except that which has been mentioned in the tablets of my Lord and your Lord, and no station except that which has been detailed therein. In one of the Persian tablets He says, exalted be His glory and sublime be His praise: The purpose of unity is not to consider two as one, rather its purpose is to consider the One as sanctified above all, for He is not associated with His creation nor is He known through any other than Himself. And one should observe the lights of His manifestations in all things, that is, to see all things sustained by Him and dependent upon Him. This is the station wherein He says “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him.” He has ever been, in the heights of inaccessibility and in the summit of exaltation, sanctified above all things and ever shall be. Some who count themselves among the people of unity are walking on the shore of polytheism and wandering in the wilderness of multiplicity, yet they do not perceive it. In another place He says, exalted be His remembrance: “Through My Name were raised the banners of unity and were planted the standards of detachment” to the end of His holy utterance, exalted be His remembrance. And these stations depend upon acceptance of the Truth, for if a person should practice unity his entire life, yet if from the Pen of the Cause a word of negation is revealed concerning him, he would be counted among the people of polytheism. As you observe, most nations today utter the blessed words “There is no God but God,” yet in the sight of God they were not and will not be considered among the people of unity, as the Supreme Pen has testified in most tablets to the polytheism of those souls. Today it is incumbent upon the one who turns to God not to look to what he or others possess. He must purify his ears from all that the people possess to hear the divine utterances, that he might attain to what God has intended. In brief, whosoever is accepted today is counted among the people of unity, and without this he is deprived and forbidden. Were this servant to mention all that has been revealed from the heaven of the divine will regarding these stations, a book would have to be composed, and these times do not permit such undertakings. We beseech God to assist you in His service, His praise and His remembrance. Verily, He is the Protector of those who remember Him.

Regarding your question about the state of one who claims that these pilgrims to the Ka’bah of the Divine Purpose go as Muslims and return as infidels, or who interprets this, or claims “I am a certain person” - I call God, His angels, His Messengers, His Prophets, His chosen ones, the denizens of His realms of glory, and the bearers of His throne to witness that such words proceed only from those who wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and pride, and who tread the paths of wickedness and evil. By Him Who illumined the dawn of utterance with the lights of His countenance and brightened the horizon of certitude with the manifestations of His presence - were anyone to recognize the excellence of these days and become aware of that which is hidden from mankind, he would surely kiss the feet of one who has turned toward the Court of the Divine Purpose, would prefer the dust of his footsteps to all he possesses, would honor and magnify him, would stand before him in humility, would be submissive to his deeds, would not raise his voice above his voice, and would not speak in his presence without his consent. For the seeing sage and the informed mystic perceives in one who has sought the Intended One and turned toward the face of the Beloved naught but the love of God and the manifestation of His grace, the affection of God and the expressions of His favors. Whoso is deprived of this most mighty, most impregnable station is indeed blind, by the Lord of the Hereafter and of the former times. Such a one cannot be counted among humans; nay, the beasts are superior to him. To this testifies everyone who has turned his gaze from human limitations toward the most pure horizon, this greatest of vistas wherein the Lord of destiny proclaims in the most exalted call between earth and heaven: “There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.”

This is the station of travelers who have emigrated for the sake of God, who have turned toward the Beloved by God’s leave, and who move by God’s good pleasure. This is the station of the sincere emigrant and the agreeable traveler. If one truly has the love of God in his heart, he will see himself as utterly effaced before those souls who have returned from the presence of the Beloved after attaining to the Ka’bah of the Divine Purpose, even though outwardly these pilgrims may be deprived of apparent knowledge. For today nothing is required save divine love and following His commandments, as mentioned. These words are not specifically about all pilgrims - this station belongs to those pilgrims who have entered the pavilion of certitude and truly attained to the love of God. Consider earthly lovers: if someone comes from their beloved’s presence, even with a disapproving countenance, the lovers welcome him and show him the utmost kindness. This is the station of earthly lovers, as mentioned. Now observe the lovers of the Countenance of the All-Merciful - those who have truly drunk from this cup and attained this everlasting draught. They surely show perfect humility before those who seek the Ka’bah of the Lord of the worlds. These are the companions of glory in the Tablet of eternity, as attested by His Most Exalted Pen. In brief, the people of insight behold in the pilgrims the signs of their Intended One and are humble and submissive before these signs. Blessed is he who in His days has attained the fragrance of God and has preferred Him above all else.

None knows the interpretation of God’s utterance save His Own Self, the All-Pervading, and those who have attained unto the lights of inner meaning and exposition from His presence. These understand according to their capacity and station. Thus hath the All-Merciful decreed. Yet most among the people comprehend not. This much is evident: that which is intended by God is manifest and evident in the Tablets with utmost clarity and lucidity. None hath been, nor ever shall be, commanded to interpret the divine words. We testify that they who interpret in this Day are among those who indulge in idle fancies. We beseech God that we may hold fast unto the cord of clear pronouncement and walk with utmost steadfastness in the path of His good-pleasure.

And concerning claims in this station, various utterances have been revealed from the Pen of God’s Will, but this servant shall mention one of the utterances of the All-Merciful which was revealed in Persian, so that no one may have opportunity for interpretation and claims, and that which is explicitly stated may be known. His words, exalted be His majesty:

Many are the deluded ones, each afflicted with some delusion. We have forbidden people from delusion, that they may hold fast to the manifest Sovereign. Some have clung to and grasped their own vain imaginings, wandering in the wilderness of fancy while deeming themselves among those endowed with insight. They walk in the desert of heedlessness while counting themselves among the horsemen in the arenas of divine presence. By My life! They are among the deluded ones, they are among the bewildered ones, they are among the heedless ones, they are among the abased ones. They have not yet attained to that which even children have comprehended, for every child knows that if a new Manifestation were to appear each day, the divine Cause and heavenly ordinances would remain suspended and ineffective among humanity.

Say: O people! If passion has barred you from the Dawning-Place of guidance, at least do not transgress the bounds of fairness. If one were to show the slightest fairness, they would never utter a word that would cause division among the people and discord among the loved ones. Rather, they would strive with all their might and power to exalt the Most Great Name with penetrating effort and lofty endeavor. By My life! They are asleep, and were you to behold them with My eyes, you would find them among the dead.

At the time of Our migration from Iraq, We informed most of the servants about what had appeared and would appear, such that were the revealed Tablets to be read, all would testify to what hath flowed in this Tablet from the truthful, trustworthy Pen. Say: O people! If ye desire the water of life, by God it hath indeed flowed in His name, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Blessed are they who drink thereof! And if ye desire power, lo, it hath dawned from My horizon - exalted be your Lord, the Lord of all worlds! If ye desire the verses, they have indeed filled the horizons - fear ye God and be not among the deluded ones! If ye desire clear proofs, they have appeared in their essence and have shone forth each day from this manifest horizon.

Say: Draw ye the servants through this Name whereby the Cry hath been raised, the Hour hath come to pass, earthquakes have seized all the tribes, the heaven hath been cleft asunder, the earth hath been split, the mountains have been scattered, and that which was sent down in the Tablets of God, the Almighty, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Great, hath appeared. Whoso claimeth a station, attraction, rapture or yearning without this Name, he is among the most lost, even should he utter all expressions, cause rivers to gush forth from rocks, subjugate the winds, and cause the clouds to rain. Thus have We sent down the Command on this blessed night wherein the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh through His Most Great Name, and the Kawthar of utterance hath flowed from the Kawthar of thy Lord’s mouth, the All-Merciful. When thou hast attained, arise, then lift up thy hands and say: Praise be to Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and the earths.

As the Pen of the Ancient of Days and the Most Great Name now declares: should anyone appear with all the signs before the completion of a full thousand years - each year comprising twelve months according to what was revealed in the Furqan, and nineteen months according to what was revealed in the Bayan, with each month being nineteen days - you must never believe them. In one of the Tablets it is revealed: “Whosoever lays claim to a Cause before the completion of a full thousand years is verily a lying impostor. We beseech God that He might graciously help him to retract and repent. Should he repent, God will surely turn unto him. If he persists in his claim, God will assuredly send one who will deal mercilessly with him. Verily God is severe in punishing!” For the harm of such souls returns to the Divine Tree itself and has been and will be the cause of dissension, disputation, strife, the wavering of weak hearts, and the instability of the Cause among the people. We beseech God to make them aware of their own selves and aid them in what He desires. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

Say: Deem not the Cause of God as a plaything, O ye who possess understanding. Be not content with the bitter sea when the sweet and flowing waters are surging. Ponder upon the divine utterances and gaze upon them with penetrating vision, that perchance ye may attain unto a drop from the oceans of inner meanings that lie concealed within the Bayan, and in this spiritual dawn deprive not yourselves and the servants of God from the wafting breezes of the divine garment. By the Essence of the Ancient of Days! Baha weeps over you and laments for you, and desires naught for Himself, and has endured the harm of all who are on earth for your deliverance, salvation, and turning unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praiseworthy.

This servant hopes that through the bounty of the All-Merciful, all may reach the shore of certitude in such wise that they may see themselves as utter nothingness and witness God as the Everlasting, the Eternal, and the Self-Subsisting over all. God willing, your honor must at all times be engaged in serving the Truth, that is, guiding heedless souls and, through goodly remembrances and wondrous utterances, drawing veiled souls to the direction of divine unity. Conflict and contention have never been and will never be praiseworthy. If heedless souls become aware through words of counsel, then excellent is the aim; otherwise, avoidance of such souls is necessary and obligatory. In this Revelation, reprehensible deeds and ego-driven conditions have never been and will never be acceptable. Surely you have heard how some of the people of the Bayan and their false leaders were immersed in the sea of passion and held fast to and practiced reprehensible deeds, but in this Most Great Revelation such things have never been countenanced - all have been explicitly forbidden. Blessed is he who acts according to what has been commanded by the Truth and abstains from what the people practice.

O beloved! Arise to assist the Cause of God with such steadfastness as may lead to the firmness of souls. Convey my greetings to each and every one of the loved ones in that land. Sublime tablets have been revealed for them from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s Will and shall, God willing, be sent later. That which is essential today and takes precedence over all deeds has been and shall ever be steadfastness. Consider how two souls, each among the most heedless and wicked of men, went to Gilan and what mischief they caused. One claimed “I am the Most Great Branch,” and those souls who were in that land immediately accepted him. The other claimed truth for himself, and him too they accepted. Loss be upon the seeker and the sought! Though later the falsehood of both was made clear to them and they returned to the truth, from the beginning they should not have paid heed to such souls. Rather, through the power of faith and the strength of the love of the All-Merciful, they should have arisen to discipline those two souls. The cause of these matters has been the vain imaginings of some. Each day a call is raised, and from every corner a calf appears, and the people, weak and inconstant, no sooner hear the lowing of the calf than some, unaware, fall down in worship before it.

Your chief concern must be to make the loved ones in that place steadfast in the Cause of God, in such wise that they regard all else as non-existent. Consider the time of Moses: after He repaired to Mount Sinai to receive divine ordinances and heavenly commands, and when thirty had become forty complete days, He returned to find many people turned away and deprived of the truth by the lowing of a calf. He said: “O My people! For years I dwelt among you with divine verses, heavenly proofs, manifestations of power and expressions of oneness, calling you to the truth, yet you have still not fully turned to the lights of the Ancient Countenance. How is it that by the mere lowing of a calf you have become worshippers and adorers?”

O brother! Bewilderment upon bewilderment! To the extent possible, you and the honored ones dwelling in that land must strive that all may drink from the wine of steadfastness and remain firm and immovable as a mountain in the Cause of God. We beseech God to protect them, to aid them, and to send down for them that which will make their remembrance endure among all remembrances, their spirits among all spirits, and their bodies among all bodies. Verily, He is the Protector of whosoever turns to Him and the Answerer of whosoever calls upon Him. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Generous.

=== END BH00199 ===

=== START BH00200 ===

He is God - Exalted be His Glory, Majesty and Power!

Praise, sanctified from all allusions, letters, indications and words, befitteth the Day which hath been mentioned and recorded by the name of the True One in the divine Books. This is the Day wherein all possessors of hearts and vision shall be blessed with the light of the revelations of the Lord of Names. Exalted be this Day, for it is the Day of unveiling and meeting. It is the Day which, in all heavenly Books and among the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the cities of names, is known and attributed as the Day of God, as He, exalted be He, hath said: “Lead forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.” And the Nightingale of Utterance hath warbled upon the branch of the Qur’an in another station: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds, and the Kingdom on that day shall be God’s.”

In truth, this Day hath a station from which the hand of praise falleth short, and the voice of remembrance is powerless to attain unto it. At one time this blessed word shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will: “O servant in attendance! Verily the Day walketh before the faces of the world and speaketh, and it is indeed the City of God which hath descended from the heaven of Command. Verily it is that whereby the sealed choice wine hath been unsealed, and the ocean of life hath surged in the contingent world, and the Dove hath cooed upon the branches. Verily there is no God but Him, the Protector over all names, and He doeth what He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O beloved of My heart and one who is mentioned before the throne of My Best-Beloved! Observe how far the heedless souls are removed from the shore of truth and debarred from the holy station of nearness. Throughout all nights and days they beseeched the Dear All-Knowing One for the attainment of this most exalted and holy Day, yet when the veils were rent asunder and the Hidden One became manifest and the Concealed One spoke forth, all clung to vain imaginings that neither nourish nor satisfy, and remained deprived and veiled from that which God had intended. All friends must supplicate the Self-Sufficing One with utmost lowliness and devotion, that perchance the slumberers may awaken, the heedless become aware, the misguided find the straight path, and those unknown may attain the ornament of divine mention in the sacred scriptures and tablets. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One to raise up souls who shall arise purely for His sake and detached from all else, and who shall arise to teach His Cause with the utmost humility, submissiveness and servitude unto God, the Truth. By the life of God! Their very beings shall surely influence the world. To this testifieth every knowing name and every wise book.

[…]

When Thy glorious missive, dated the eleventh of Jamadi’l-Avval, reached this evanescent servant, it brought tidings of joy and dispelled all gloom. Praise be to God that it conveyed news of Thy wellbeing and health. In truth, this servant hath in these days pondered deeply and found that no service worthy of God’s Day hath proceeded from him. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of utterance that I behold myself abashed and ashamed. Yet I cherish the hope that the All-Powerful, the Lord of Names, may assist His other chosen ones and friends to accomplish deeds worthy of His path, that through divine grace they may, with perfect detachment and freedom, guide souls to God, glorified be His majesty, and lead them to the supreme horizon.

All the Prophets and chosen ones, including the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - endured countless afflictions and calamities for the exaltation of God’s Cause, until certain cities and lands were illumined by the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth. I beseech God, exalted be His glory and abundant His favors, to aid that beloved one through wisdom and utterance, and through that which attracts the hearts of His servants. This servant knoweth not today what he writeth or presenteth, for the wine of heedlessness hath overtaken him in such wise that he ascendeth at one moment and descendeth at another. The matter is in God’s hands, the Lord of the Last and the First. Such mentions will cause grief to sanctified hearts, therefore I seek forgiveness from God, the All-Glorious.

When this evanescent servant learned of Thy noble letter, he turned to the Most Exalted Station and presented all before His presence. Thus spoke the Tongue of the All-Merciful in the Kingdom of Utterance: “O physician! Upon thee be My glory! The servant present submitted thy letter before the Wronged One, and all that was mentioned and written therein was presented. God willing, thou shalt drink and give to drink from the Kawthar of divine favor and the ocean of merciful bounty. This Wronged One hath commanded all the peoples of the earth to that which conduceth to tranquility, freedom and comfort, that the whole earth might be seen as one country and all gather beneath the shade of one Word. By the life of the Beloved! Were the servants to attain unto that which the Wronged One hath desired, the world would be adorned with the ornament of joy and delight, such that its sorrows and their hosts, its grief and their legions would become nonexistent and disappear. Nevertheless, they regarded the Dayspring of reformation as the source of corruption and thus deprived themselves of divine bounties.

O physician! So long as the lights of the sun of justice remain concealed behind clouds, the people of the earth have not and shall not find tranquility and comfort. Arise for God’s sake and speak for His sake; perchance the people may become aware and arise to that which beseemeth their stations. Through the revelation of Books and the sending of Messengers, God hath desired the unity and concord of His servants, and the education and comfort of all in the land. Yet now it is observed that religions and laws have been made the cause of rancor and hatred. Therefore, this Wronged One hath desired, through the grace of the Lord of Names, to remove and efface this rancor and hatred from among the servants. Had the divines, mystics and rulers of the earth pondered even briefly on that which hath been manifested, assuredly today the people of the Furqan would be seen above all peoples and ascendant over all […]

Glorified art Thou, O Thou at Whose separation the lamentation of the yearning ones and the cry of them that are nigh have been raised! I beseech Thee by the Word through which the spirit of life was breathed into all creation, and by Thy Name whereby the horizon of proof was illumined for the followers of all religions, to draw Thy servants and Thy creation nigh unto the ocean of Thy knowledge and recognition. Then bestow upon them the Kawthar of Thy bounty through Thy grace and favor. O Lord! Thou seest their poverty and Thy wealth, their weakness and Thy strength. I beseech Thee by the Light that shineth from the horizon of Thy Manifestation to assist me and Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause, and enable them to remember and praise Thee amongst Thy servants. Thou art He Whom the conditions of men cannot frustrate, nor can the intimations of those who have turned away from Thee prevent Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! My outer and inner tongue beareth witness that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been alone, unique, one, self-subsisting, eternal, and wilt ever remain as Thou hast been. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Regarding what you wrote about the gatherings of past days, it was mentioned and He said: Indeed it is as you have written - meetings and gatherings were being held and it was not known who was guiding and who was misguiding, who was seeking truth and who was spreading rumors, whether they came seeking honor or were themselves spies. In all circumstances, gatherings are not permitted - one must act with utmost wisdom, for people are ignorant and heedless of the essence of the Cause. If they were to become aware of but one word from this Book, one drop from this Ocean, or one ray from this Light, all would be seen circling round. Take wisdom by My command and set aside all else. Thus doth the All-Knowing command thee from this noble station. Although all that hath flowed from the Pen hath been counsels and exhortations, yet if a single leaf or tablet should be revealed, or if they should hear that it has gone from one place to another, they would surely become agitated. By Him Who hath caused all things to speak in praise of His Self! Were they to understand what God hath willed, most would perish from joy and gladness. The purpose of all these utterances is that people must be educated with the utmost joy and fragrance, and made aware of that which will profit them. God’s mercy hath preceded all and His grace hath encompassed all. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

And concerning what you mentioned about him who was named with Alif and Ha in the Kingdom of Names: This servant was honored by what he sent and recited before the Face what he had composed, and this is what the Tongue of the Beloved uttered after hearing it: We have heard what was uttered by the tongue of love and affection in remembrance of this Wronged One Who hath called the people to the supreme horizon and the ultimate goal. We have remembered him with that whereby his remembrance shall endure throughout the continuance of the names in the kingdom of creation. We beseech the Lord of all beings to assist him and enable him to do that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to give him to drink of the choice sealed wine, whose seal was broken by the name of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens.

Regarding what you wrote about seclusion, meaning that you do not frequent coffeehouses, it was mentioned and He said: Yes, what an excellent […]

As to the fact that Tablets are not being sent from this place and the answers to correspondence are delayed - this hath been and will continue to be due to wisdom. For if they were to be sent continuously and successively, a friend would disclose matters to another friend who hath no knowledge of the secrets of his heart, and these would become widespread and lead to mischief. The assured ones and they that are steadfast must remain patient and silent, and be seen to be composed and dignified. They must not utter that which is not permitted, nor follow that which is unseemly. They must not confirm every speaker nor consider every claimant to be truthful, nor trust in every newcomer. They must speak with wisdom and hold fast to kindliness and mercy. Through the sword of spiritual morals and goodly deeds must they assist the Truth and protect the people from the arrows of Satan. The fragrances from the flowers of the gardens of God’s kindness and mercy have encompassed the world, and yet its people remain veiled and deprived. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

And as for what you wrote concerning Aqa Mirza Muhammad, when the details were submitted to the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, He stated that all the people of Iraq are informed and aware of the details, and beyond them verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The substance of this matter is that this servant was present during all events that occurred in Iraq. The details of this preface are that after the passing of the late Jinab-i-Mirza, upon him be the Glory of God, Jinab-i-Mirza Siyyid Ra?i repeatedly attained the Most Holy Presence and with utmost humility and supplication requested that “We wish to divide these properties, and there is fear that disputes may arise among the heirs and strife and corruption may ensue.” No response was given. God is witness that he persisted to such a degree that no greater insistence could be imagined. Finally he petitioned, expressing in these words that “The purpose is for the Master to be present while some money-changers divide the items. His presence would be a source of assurance and prevent disputes and conflict.” Then He said, “The Master is but a child.” Then he submitted that “Whoever else You designate would also be excellent, but the Master must also be present.” Then for several days […] until one night Jinab-i-Mirza Siyyid Ra?i attained the Most Holy Presence and produced a key which he placed before Him. He asked, “What is this?” He submitted, “This is the third portion of the properties. After division, seven thousand tumans worth of jewels and four thousand tumans worth of effects constitute the third portion. The choice lies with the Most Holy Presence.” He said, “Aqa Mirza Musa claims that considerable sums of cash are with his sisters and their mother, which they have concealed from me. In this case, it would be best to hand over this third portion to him so that he too may be satisfied.” He submitted, “This servant is not responsible for this matter, as the circumstances of the aforementioned Mirza are evident in the Most Holy Presence. We submit the third of properties and items to the Most Holy Presence; let them act as they deem advisable. We have no obligation to give it to the aforementioned Mirza.” He further submitted that “Had any of the outward divines become involved, they would have taken the third portion and caused other scandals as well. And in these latter days the late Aqa, upon him be God’s mercy, had trust in no place but here, therefore we acted according to his wishes.” Then by command they sent that same key to the chest containing the third portion to Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Musa himself, upon him be the Glory of God, son of the deceased. Similarly, regarding the third portion of real estate, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Siyyid Ra?i came and transferred it. That too He commanded should remain in the hands of Aqa Mirza Musa, son of the deceased, until its disposition would later be determined. The purpose is that that beloved one should know that a sum of property was here in the hands of Aqa Mirza Musa, and afterwards all those properties reverted to the Most Holy Presence in accordance with and conformity to the resplendent Law, and the deed bearing the seals of many divines and learned ones is in hand.

Then suddenly the matter of exile occurred. After arrival in the garden of Najib Pasha, which was named Ridvan, His Holiness appointed Aqa Mirza Muhammad and the aforementioned Mirza as agents to rent out the properties and spend the proceeds as commanded. This servant knows only that an agency arrangement was made; beyond this, this servant was not properly informed whether this agency was established in both their names or in one name. Whatever happened afterwards, that Beloved One knows. The purpose of these submissions is that now too all those properties belong to the Truth, as testified by all the people of Iraq as well as by the deed in hand. His Honor Mirza took possession of everything, even the third which had no connection to him. Moreover, he seized even the house that was the Blessed Place. All these matters occurred due to the imprisonment of the Beloved. In truth, this servant thinks much about His Honor Mirza’s circumstances, for he endured many hardships and truly served the friends and followers. But at the time of fruition, they let it all slip away for nothing. This ephemeral one does not forget the times when they sat in the Most Holy Presence and tears flowed involuntarily from their eyes. What happened that with one commotion all this love and friendship and devotion vanished? Or perhaps what this servant hears about them has no basis, for until now not a word has been heard from the Beloved’s tongue confirming or indicating the truth of these reports. And this servant’s hope from God, exalted be His glory, is that He may enable them not to efface their services and labors and not to lose their lofty station. The station is very great and the Cause very mighty. I swear by the fragrances of the Robe that had they turned to the Truth in those days and left the city, they would now be seen prominent and manifest like a banner upon the hills. In any case, God willing, may they not lose this bounty, and may the veils of fear, ornaments, imaginings and suspicions not prevent them from the Truth and conceal them from considering the end. Not every rumor can be spoken, and not every hidden thing should be revealed. The Prophets, God’s blessings be upon them, spoke saying “Would that my people knew!” Would that this servant could meet with them once, that what was hidden from them today might be revealed. This ephemeral servant at all times begs the exalted Truth for their protection, that they may be seen aflame with divine love - a flame whose effect would be manifest in the kingdom of creation. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Generous, and what the servant desires is not difficult for God. And among the great favors shown them is that when some of the loved ones were hurt by certain of their words and deeds and showed distress, even hatred, a command issued from the Source of the Cause that no one should speak any unsuitable word about them. May my spirit be sacrificed for His bounty and His favor! By the life of the Intended One, they will ultimately be seen remorseful, but when remorse bears no fruit. This servant and that Holy One and all the friends must cling to the hem of God’s mercy and compassion and submit our needs, that perhaps God, exalted be His glory, may adorn them with a new ornament and honor them with fresh robes. Verily He has power over all things.

We beseech God to assist all to attain that which is befitting. These are the days for goodly deeds and spiritual qualities. At one time these words flowed from the tongue of the Beloved: “O servant! These are the days of pure servitude, that all may arise with the utmost lowliness, submissiveness and detachment to serve the Cause of the Lord of creation. Through the manifestation of this station hath been and shall be revealed man’s station in creation. He whom God abaseth, God shall exalt through His grace.” The friends must at all times be counseled and reminded, that they may all conduct themselves in such wise that others may inhale from them the sweet fragrances of sanctity, holiness and pure servitude unto God, the True One. Idle talk and the ways of the misguided have never been and shall never be worthy of the friends of the Self-Sufficient Lord. O friends! Aid ye the Cause of God through the hosts of goodly spiritual qualities, the ranks of holy deeds, and the banners of humility, submissiveness and supplication. By the life of God! No hosts in the world have been or shall be mightier than justice and wisdom. Had the kings of the earth held fast unto these two, all the peoples of the earth would have attained unto supreme tranquility and greatest ease. But now the sun of justice is veiled behind the clouds of oppression. We beseech God to deliver this light from the claws of darkness. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful.

Convey greetings to all the friends on behalf of this evanescent servant. God willing, may all be assisted to that which He loves and is pleased with, and may they conduct themselves with the utmost wisdom, calm and dignity. The world has been and ever shall be transient. Through God’s grace, they must, God willing, acquire in this transient abode an everlasting station. In all conditions they must strive to quench with the waters of wisdom the fire of hearts and the rancor and hatred of all. Whosoever today becomes the cause of clamor and agitation has strayed from God’s good-pleasure. That which all must fix their gaze upon and act according to today is teaching the Cause, that all on earth may acquire tranquil souls and goodly qualities and deeds. And this teaching, if conducted with spirit and joy - otherwise silence is preferable. The Lord of the Beginning and the End! Had the people of the world been aware of God’s purpose, they would all have arisen with complete yearning, enthusiasm, determination and power to serve. But it is veiled from them because of what their hands have wrought. The glory be upon you and upon them and upon those who have recognized the word of unity in this grievous age. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Prophets and Messengers.

Another matter: I conveyed the greetings and praise of the honored lady, upon her be the Glory of God, to the people of the pavilion of chastity and greatness. All send greetings to you and to that leaf, and each expressed their loving-kindness. Praise be to God, mention of you and those related to you has been and God willing shall continue to be made in the prison.

To his honor Jalalu’d-Din, upon him be the Glory of God, this evanescent servant sends boundless greetings. May he be assisted, God willing, to serve the Cause and make mention of God and praise God. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant the blessing of meeting, that we may speak and listen in the shade of the Tree […]

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=== START BH00201 ===

True praise and spiritual commendation befits the people of Baha, who have turned to the supreme horizon through the guidance of the Most Exalted Word and have drunk the sealed wine in His Self-Subsisting Name. These are the souls from whose steadfastness the essence of steadfastness is made manifest, and from whose knowledge the reality of recognition shines forth. These are the dawning-places of divine praise and the treasuries of the wisdom of the Eternal. The lights of the world shine from their radiance and the acceptance of nations appears through their acceptance. These are the souls whom neither the might of the world nor the power of nations could deter, and whom neither doubts, insinuations, commerce, the wealth of servants, nor whatsoever is in the lands could deprive. With the finger of detachment they rent asunder the veils and tore away the shrouds. With celestial power they arose to serve the Cause - an arising that caused the polytheists to sit, and with an assurance that caused the transgressors to tremble. The ornaments and colors of the world neither barred nor hindered them. With illumined hearts and radiant faces, on the Day of Recompense they set forth for the place of sacrifice. They offered up the crown of life in the path of the peerless Friend. These are they whose mention hath flowed from the Pen of God in the Books of both past and future. The All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “Men whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of God.” And one of the people of the Qur’an hath said: “Blessed are we, and blessed are the companions of our Qa’im, and their blessedness exceedeth our blessedness.”

David saith: “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name.” By “priests” are meant those souls who are assured and at peace with this Most Great Cause and Mighty Message. In specific books they have interpreted “priest” as “servant.” He saith that on that day Moses and Aaron were mentioned among His servants. These are the mighty ones whom the power of princes did not weaken, and whom the oppression of tyrants and pharaohs did not prevent from mention and praise in the realm of creation. These are the surging sea and the cause of success and salvation. Previously, one sacrifice was mentioned and the books of the world bear witness to its description. But now thousands of sacrifices, aflame with divine love and the light of merciful grace and passion for the Divine Lord, have set forth to the most distant goal and attained the supreme martyrdom. Not one of those holy souls returned alive. Nevertheless, the people are unaware, and in complete heedlessness strive to extinguish the light of the Lord of all beings. The signs have encompassed the world, and the power of God, exalted be His glory, shineth like the sun at the zenith of the heaven of meaning and utterance. From the first day, without pause or silence or stillness, He hath stood manifest before all faces, calling out with the most exalted voice, and commanding all to what God hath willed. Behold the Tablet to the Sultan, and likewise the Tablets to the kings. O My loved one! The world is bewildered. If man remaineth veiled from this Revelation, to what can he cling, and how can he enter the arena of certitude and recognition? At every moment a perspicuous Book descendeth from the heaven of will, and at every instant the Sun of proof shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of knowledge. Our Lord, our Goal, our Beloved, and the Purpose of all in the heavens and earth speaketh the truth.

Thus saith the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He: O servant in attendance, the recompense of the people’s deeds in the Day of Reckoning hath deprived them of the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven.

Glorified art Thou, O Manifestation of Light and Speaker on Sinai! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy celestial dominion and the mysteries of Thy kingdom, and by the trees which Thou hast planted with the hands of Thy loving-kindness in Thy most exalted Paradise, and by the fragrances wafting through Thy supreme Garden, to rain down from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace upon those who have turned toward Thee that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and adorn them with the robes of Thy favors. O Lord! Thou seest them turning toward the horizon of Thy Revelation and holding fast to the cord of Thy generosity. They are those who, when they heard Thy sweetest call, turned to Thee with radiant faces, and when Thy most exalted horizon appeared, declared: “We believe in Thee, O Lord of Names and God of the throne on high and of earth below, Master of the hereafter and of the world of old!” O Lord! Thou seest him who hath rent asunder the veils through Thy Name and Thy power, who hath turned toward Thee in Thy days, who hath acknowledged that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken, and who hath confessed what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book of the wonders of Thy commandments and ordinances. I beseech Thee by the heaven of Thy bounty and the oceans of Thy favors to assist him under all conditions to stand firm in Thy Cause and to arise in Thy service. Then ordain for him the good of the hereafter and of this world, and that which will profit him in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs, both hidden and manifest. There is none other God but Thee, the One Who speaketh from Thy praiseworthy station and Thy frequented House. O God, my Lord, my Goal, my Master, my Support, and my Hope! Send Thy blessings upon Thy loved ones who have not broken Thy covenant and Thy testament, who have arisen and remained steadfast in Thy remembrance and praise, such that neither the doubts of the people nor the oppression of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs and have disputed Thy proof have deterred them. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

I submit that the flowing pen of that honored one, which was mingled with love and affection, perfumed this ephemeral gathering, for it was adorned with the mention, praise, glory and thanksgiving of the Goal of all the worlds. God is my witness that this servant has ever mentioned and continues to mention the loved ones of God, day and night, appearing before His presence and engaged in the revelation of verses. While writing, I beseech the Self-Sufficient Lord with utmost humility and supplication to protect His loved ones and assist them, that they may attain unto everlasting stations in this transient world. He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. After reading the letter and becoming aware of its contents, I soared with the wings of longing and detachment until I attained the presence of the Lord of Creation. When I appeared, the Ancient Beauty turned toward me and asked about what was in my right hand and commanded me to read. I presented it to its end, and when it was complete, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, saying “the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He”:

In My Name, the All-Encompassing over all names […]

A Book revealed by the Creator of the heavens and the Sovereign of the Kingdom of eternity unto him who hath turned towards the Most Sublime Horizon when the people of the earth and their princes and divines turned away from Him. To this testifieth He Who proclaimeth in every state that there is none other God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, that His call may draw him unto the kingdom of My utterance and bring him nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

O thou who holdest fast to My cord and cleavest to the hem of My robe! Hear thou My call from the direction of My prison. Verily, it announceth unto thee My bounty and My loving-kindness and My mercy that have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. This is a Tablet from whose horizon hath shone forth the luminary of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, and a Book wherein hath been set down that which delighteth the eyes of them that are near unto God.

We have made mention of thee aforetime with a mention that no other mention can equal, and We make mention of thee at this moment when the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the throne of His Most Great Name. That which was hidden in the knowledge of God hath been manifested, and He Who was promised in the Books of the Messengers hath come. Blessed is the soul whom the books of the world have not withheld from the Most Great Name, who hath arisen before all faces and taken the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him, and hath read what is therein despite those who have denied the Day of Judgment.

We were seated upon Our seat when the servant who was present entered with thy letter and read it before the Wronged One. We heard it and have answered thee with verses before which all verses have bowed down, and with an utterance around which every wondrous utterance hath circled. Be thou vocal in My praise and mindful in My remembrance and soaring in My atmosphere and steadfast in the service of My Cause, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

Blessed art thou for having fulfilled the Covenant of God and His Testament, and for not having been hindered by the doubts of the divines who have committed that which hath caused the Supreme Paradise to lament and the Most Exalted Heaven to weep, and then those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn, and in the morning and at sunset.

We have heard that wherewith thou didst commune with God and have found therefrom the fragrance of thy love. Thy Lord is verily the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. He is with him who loveth Him and desireth Him. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Say: O people of the earth! Fear ye the All-Merciful and follow not those who have denied the Proof. Follow Him Who hath come from the horizon of power with a perspicuous command. From the Pen of the All-Merciful hath flowed the Water of Life. Draw ye nigh and drink thereof in His Name, the Sovereign over all names, and by His command, the firm, the unshakeable.

We have stood before the faces of the world and called all unto that which draweth them nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. They have turned away from the Truth, having followed every doubting scholar. Thus hath the Ocean of inner meanings revealed its utterance and the Sun of bounty its evidence, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Gracious, the Bountiful.

Now hear the divine verses in Persian: From the inception of this Cause until now, We have summoned all on earth - kings and subjects, learned and ignorant - without any veil or barrier to the Lord of all beings. The path has been made clear and the proof manifest, verses have been revealed and evidences made apparent. Yet the people cling to vain imaginings and remain heedless of the truth, save whom thy Lord willeth - they are the ones who turn away. Though they have witnessed the former people who considered themselves the most excellent of all creation, and have seen what befell them on the Day of Retribution for their deeds, yet in this Revelation they again busy themselves forming a party like the party of old. Say: Fear God and follow not the ways of the heedless. Follow Him Who hath come to you with the Kingdom of utterance and manifest sovereignty.

Throughout ages and centuries, various sects occupied themselves with cursing one another from pulpits, each following a path according to their own fancy. When the Sun of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of God’s will - exalted be His glory - all arose in opposition and protest. The supreme cause and greatest reason for their rejection was the opposition of the divines and religious leaders of the age, who in the early years arose with hypocrisy and issued the decree for the shedding of the most pure blood. The divines of Iraq and other lands committed that which caused the eye of the world to weep and the Tablet and Pen to lament.

Glory be to God! Even one like Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Najafi, who was the pivot of Iran’s divines, was observed to be the first to turn away. The actions of other divines are clear and evident - they understood not even a needle’s worth of the truth of the Cause. Now the words of that party have emerged anew. Say: O heedless ones! This is the Day of God, wherein none is mentioned save Him. Turn from the west of idle fancies to the east of certitude. Return from that which is with creation to that which is with God. Let not the opportunity slip away; count these moments as precious. A single instant of these days cannot be equated with centuries and ages.

Hearken to the call of this Wronged One. Turn from oppression to justice, from tyranny to equity. Days pass like lightning - strive that you may attain the true lights of unity. The slaves of idle fancy deemed themselves monotheists, and the worshippers of their own conjectures counted themselves detached. Yet when the sun of divine testing shone forth from the horizon of the All-Merciful’s will, all were found in manifest loss.

The children of Abraham and the heirs of Moses, whom they had considered the lowliest of parties, rent asunder the veils and partook of the choice sealed wine from the hand of bounty of the Self-Subsisting Lord. Yet the notorious divines known as Shi’ites remain to this day hesitant and opposed. By God’s life! Such oppression was manifested from these souls as hath not been witnessed from the beginning of creation until now.

You must, with wisdom and utterance, give the glad tidings of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed on Sinai to the people of the world according to their capacity, that they might drink from the Euphrates of the mercy of the Ancient of Days, which floweth from the right hand of the Most Great Throne, and thereby be quickened and attain eternal life.

We convey Our greetings to the party of God and give them the glad tidings of God’s grace, loving-kindness and mercy. Say: O party of God, with the swords of piety […]

Aid ye the one true God with goodly deeds and spiritual qualities, that perchance the fire of hatred and animosity kindled in the breasts of the followers of religions may be quenched by the rain of divine mercy and the living waters of celestial counsel. O people of God! Hearken unto the voice of Him Who is wronged. Perchance the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen may cause you to attain your true purpose and lead you to the highest summit. The splendors shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon My loved ones whom neither the ascendancy of the divines nor the clamor of the foolish deterred from God, the Lord of the worlds.

Through the attraction of the words of the Desired One of the worlds on this blessed night, all things are witnessed to be in a state of rapture. The sealed wine hath taken hold of them. They possess a world other than this world, and experience such joy and ecstasy that the perceptions of those who dwell in the dust are powerless to comprehend or describe it. In all conditions we hold fast to the cord of His bounty and cling to the hem of His favor, beseeching Him to guide the heedless servants to the ocean of wisdom and to bestow His grace upon them. Verily our Lord is the Hearer, the Answerer, and worthy to respond.

Concerning what was mentioned about the honored mother, upon her be the Glory of God, the word of forgiveness hath been revealed and made manifest from the mouth of the Will of the Desired One of the worlds. Blessed and welcome tidings be unto her.

And concerning what was mentioned about the handmaiden of God, Fatimeh, upon her be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy Court and attained the honor of being heard. The Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, saith: We have heard her call and witnessed her turning unto Us. We make mention of her with a clear mention. God hath forgiven her and the letters Ha and Sin which ascended unto Us, and I am the All-Knowing Bearer of Glad-tidings. We make mention of every servant who hath turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and every maidservant who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. Nothing whatsoever escapeth God’s knowledge, no affair preventeth Him, nor doth the oppression of the aggressors frighten Him. He alone hath arisen in the world with such steadfastness as hath shaken the foundations of the edifice of the idolaters, and with such constancy as hath caused the feet of the heedless to slip. The glory from Us be upon her and upon him who hath ascended and upon her who hath ascended and upon everyone who is steadfast and firm.

Praise be to God! The ocean of forgiveness hath encompassed all and the sea of bounty is manifest at its utmost height. Would that the people of the world were aware and would not deprive themselves of everlasting grace and eternal glory through occupation with two fleeting days. However, the recompense of the deeds of the people of earth hath prevented and deprived them. In all conditions, authority and judgment belong unto the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, in the end, meaning these days.

Mention was made of the Leaf, the wife, upon her be the Glory of God. After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, these verses were revealed from the divine Kingdom of utterance. His word, exalted and mighty be He: O My handmaiden and My leaf! We have made mention of thee before, and at this moment with such mention as hath attracted the hearts of those who are endued with understanding. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the garment and attainest unto the breezes of the verses, say:

My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and thanksgiving, and unto Thee be gratitude and bounty, for having guided me unto Thy straight path and made me aware of Thy Great Announcement, the recognition of which hath been forbidden to the people of Thy realm. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy handmaiden turning unto Thy most exalted horizon, and Thy leaf clinging to the Sadratu’l-Muntaha. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and by the splendors of the lights of the sun of Thy manifestation, to make me in all conditions attracted by Thy verses, enkindled with the fire of the Tree of Thy Cause, speaking in Thy praise and glorification, and steadfast in Thy knowledge. Ordain for Thy handmaiden, O my God, through the Pen of Destiny, that which shall profit her in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is. There is none other God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Grace hath encompassed all things and mercy hath taken precedence and taketh precedence over the entire world. None hath ever been, nor shall ever be, capable of limiting the outpourings of a single word from the words of Truth, or one letter from the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. Man is bewildered, nay the dwellers of the highest Paradise are bewildered at what intoxication hath overtaken the world and prevented it from drawing nigh unto God, exalted be His glory. Wonder upon wonder, amazement upon amazement! The servant beseecheth God, his Lord and the Lord of the Throne and earth, to aid His servants to know Him, to turn unto the lights of His countenance, to gaze toward His horizon, and to hold fast unto His firm cord.

Mention was made of his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Sadiq, upon him be the glory of God. After it was submitted before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, a blessed Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Will and sent forth. God willing, may they drink from the fountain of its letters the Kawthar of utterance and circumambulate the Ka’bih of its words with true circumambulation. By the life of our Purpose and your Purpose! That for which the eye was created hath appeared, and that for which the ear was brought from nothingness into being hath been raised up. What more can the servant say or mention? He beseecheth God to aid him in remembrance, praise and service to His Cause. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the All-Seeing Witness.

Likewise mention was made of his honor Aqa Mirza ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, at the Most Holy Court. Another Tablet was revealed especially for him from the Most Great Scene and sent forth, that he might be illumined by the lights of the divine Tablet and perfumed by the fragrances of its verses.

Praise be to God that each of these mentioned souls hath in truth attained unto the Mother Book, and there hath been revealed that which hath been and shall be the cause of eternal mention and everlasting life. I beseech Him, exalted be His glory, to aid in preserving that which He hath bestowed, for many are the thieves, countless are the treacherous ones, and the deceivers lie in wait. I beseech God to preserve them all and aid them in that which He desireth.

As for the mention made of the leaf, the other consort, upon her be the glory of God, after it was submitted at the Most Holy Court these verses were revealed. The Lord, blessed and sanctified is He, saith: O Muhammad! We wish to make mention of thine other consort and adorn her with the ornament of thy Lord’s remembrance, and give her glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for her from the kingdom of My wondrous utterance. O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call. Verily He hath made mention of thee in such wise as nothing can equal. He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O My handmaiden! Rejoice in My remembrance, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the All-Bountiful. And We make mention of thy daughter at this moment with such remembrance as, when it flowed from the Pen of Revelation, caused all mention in the heavens and earth to bow down before it. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, as a token of His grace, and made mention in such wise as shall cause your remembrance to endure throughout the eternity of My most excellent attributes. This is attested by a clear Book which is with Him. The glory of God rest upon thee and upon her from God, the Lord of all worlds.

The Call is continuous, the mention unceasing, the thanksgiving eternal. This station requires continuity, but how can the mention of creation compare with what hath been manifested by the Creator? We are all lame and mute, yet since we are reckoned as His and are turned toward Him, His grace and favor have encompassed and will continue to encompass us. He is the Bestower, He is the Kind. In brief, all the souls mentioned, whether men or women, are remembered in the presence of God and have attained unto the divine verses. Happy are they, blessed are they! Glory and praise and mention be upon you and upon those whom no matter hath deterred from God, the Mighty, the Forgiving. And praise be unto Him, for He is the Lord of the Day of Resurrection.

The Servant

15 Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1304

At this moment, access was gained to the presence of the Most Exalted, the Goal of the worlds. His blessed and exalted Word: O ’Abdu’l-Hadir! Write to the friends of the Truth that they should in all conditions hold fast to wisdom, lest the clamor of the divines and the commotion of those servants who have denied God and His signs be raised, and who have disbelieved in Him after He came unto them with a manifest Cause and mighty sovereignty. In some of the revealed verses it hath been enjoined that the friends should engage in mention and praise before the faces of the world, as in the blessed verse revealed specifically for M.H.: “Blessed is the soul whom the books of the world have not kept back from the Most Great Name, and who hath arisen before all faces and taken the Book of God with a power from Him, and read what is therein, to the shame of those who have denied the Day of Judgment.” At this time, to act upon this verse would be unwise, for it would cause the fire of hatred to blaze in the breasts of the transgressors and oppressors. But its time will come. Mention of this verse and other verses is beloved when the people show some measure of acceptance and partake of the choice wine of revelation. Blessed are they that act! Blessed are they that are patient!

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=== START BH00202 ===

He is God, exalted be His station, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

After completing my previous petition in response to your letters, there was some delay in sending it. Another letter dated the 25th of Dhi’l-Qa’dah emerged from the horizon of love and utterance. Praise be to God, this fresh bounty arrived and became the cause of boundless joy. After reading and reviewing it, it was presented before the Most High. This is what the Tongue of the Intended One spoke in reply:

O Zayn! Praise be to God, you have attained unto countless bounties and have been enabled to recognize the Treasury that had forever been hidden from minds and eyes. In these days a letter arrived from the Overseer (Nazir), expressing the desire to visit the Land of Ha [Haifa] and also the intention to print the Kitab-i-Iqan. In view of this undertaking, your presence was requested, but this matter was not accepted. They themselves should obtain a correct copy and proceed with what they have intended. Great care must be taken in the correction. If a book of verses is published, it is beloved before God, provided it does not cause mischief and commotion. In all cases, the command is in His hands. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. End.

A letter was written to this servant from the honored Physician and the honored Overseer, upon them be the glory of God, and it was presented in the Most Holy Court. He said: “Praise be to God, they have always been thinking of promoting the Cause of God. May the True One, glorified be His majesty, confirm them and enable them to achieve that which is adorned with the ornament of immortality.” He showed great kindness. God willing, this servant will also respond to their letter. Although a few days ago a letter was sent to the beloved Physician, upon him be the glory of God, God willing it will arrive. In any case, this evanescent servant begs confirmation for them. Today all must be vigilant and act in ways that exalt the Cause of God. Divine verses have encompassed all regions, are found with every soul, and are visible in every house. Now we beseech Him to enable and confirm His servants in what is befitting. Verily, He has power over all things.

And regarding what you wrote about the honored wife of the departed and elevated Aqa Seyyed Abu-Talib, upon him be the glory and mercy of God, who had sent some passages from the tongue of the deceased to be presented in the Most Holy Court - these were presented and attained the honor of being heard. And this utterance shone forth from the Dawning-Place of the Beloved of all possibilities: “O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! The first matter of the deceased was this statement: ‘My God, Thou art my witness that I am ashamed for not having been able to render a service worthy of this blessed Day.’ Excellent indeed was what he spoke in the station of humility, submission and supplication. And We say in this regard that he indeed acted as was befitting. He was among those who attained recognition, drank from the cup of certitude, and adorned his temple with the ornament of steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech the Most High to accept what he did in His path and to remember him with a remembrance that neither extinction nor forgetfulness can encompass. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.”

O my God! Thou art my witness that I was helpless. I beseech Thee by Thy grace and bounty to forgive me and to overlook the transgressions of this sinner. Though we are the transgressors, Thou art the Ocean of Mercy.

O Zein! We have heard his call and what he uttered. Verily he was mindful, holding fast unto God and clinging to His robe. We beseech the Most High to forgive him, to purify him, to cause him to enter the most exalted station and draw him nigh unto Him in all His worlds. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering.

I testify that he turned to the Most Sublime Horizon and believed in God, the Lord of all beings. He heard the derision of the enemies and that which caused the hearts of the pure ones to burn - those who broke God’s Covenant and His Testament by following the sources of conjecture and the manifestations of idle fancies.

O Abu-Talib! Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee for having fulfilled thy covenant and pledge. I testify that thou didst achieve the greatest steadfastness in the Cause of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, and didst drink of His sealed wine sealed with His Self-Subsisting Name. Thou didst arise to serve the Cause in such wise that neither the affairs of men nor the doubts of the divines who wandered in the wilderness of error and transgression could deter thee. Thou art he who witnessed hardships and calamities and accepted abasement for the glory of God’s Cause, thy Lord, and wast content with what befell thee for the exaltation of His Cause and the elevation of His Word.

Blessed is he who remembereth thee with goodness and testifieth to that which the Wronged One hath testified in this station. O seeker! The Wronged One remembereth thee and remembereth thy tribulations in the Cause of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth. He recounteth thy virtues and what thou hast accomplished in thy days. Can treasures compare with what hath flowed from His Most Exalted Pen? Nay, by the Lord of Names! Thus hath grace appeared from the All-Bountiful.

The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to thy being wronged, to thy turning unto Him, thy humility, thy submissiveness, thy remembrance and thy praise in days wherein the standards of oppression were raised in most lands.

O God of the world and Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy Most Great Name and the effulgences of the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of eternity, to protect Thy loved ones and chosen ones from the oppression of the aggressive ones among Thy servants. Then forgive them through Thy generosity and favors, and grant them the blessing of meeting Thee in each of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O My Name! Upon thee be My Glory! Convey the call of the Wronged One to his remaining kindred and console them on My behalf. They have always been and continue to be in My sight. Let Ismi-Jamal, upon him be My Glory, also write something and send it, expressing satisfaction. The end is in God’s hands, the Lord of the worlds. We send Our greetings from this station to them and console them. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Regarding what was written about the Huquq, it has been pardoned. The tongue of the Beloved uttereth this blessed word: Had people not withheld the Right of God and had they paid or would pay it, God would have bestowed bounty upon them. We beseech God to grant them abundance. Say: Be not grieved. By the life of God! One moment for that departed soul is now better than all the joy, delight and comfort of this world. The ear of the world is not worthy of hearing this mention, for limited minds are unable and incapable of comprehending this lofty station. Knowledge is with God, the Wise, the All-Informed.

As for what you mentioned concerning the son of Ismu’llah-i-Asdaq the Most Holy - upon them both be all His most glorious Glory - I laid it before His Presence. He said - and His sweetest utterance is: “O Zayn! The servant present here laid before Me that which the son of My Asdaq - upon them both be My Glory and My mercy - spoke. In these days a letter arrived from him too. Praise be to God, he dwells beneath the shade of the Tree of Providence and is engaged in service to the Cause. God willing, may he be confirmed in that which will cause the fragrance of eternity to waft from him. Convey My greetings and salutations to him. Verily We make mention of him as We have mentioned him before, and We give him the glad tidings of My tender care, My mercy, My providence and My grace which have encompassed all existence.” End quote. This servant also conveys greetings and salutations to them. Some time ago a detailed letter was sent to them. God willing it has arrived. And mention was made of the women - that is, the household of Ismu’llah-i-Asdaq, upon him and upon them be the Glory of God and His mercy. Regarding each one, manifest tokens of providence were evident and clear. Some time ago, especially for the exalted Leaf - upon her be the Glory of God - a wondrous and sublime mention was revealed and sent. Likewise mention was made of their household members who are present. Praise be to God, all are objects of His providential regard.

And as for the mention they had made of the son of ’Ali-Nur - upon him be the Glory of God - and the matters they had written concerning Deputy ’Ali-Akbar - upon him be the Glory of God - all was laid before Him. This is what was revealed in response:

In His Name, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!

O ’Ali-Akbar! We have heard thy call and what thou didst desire from God, the Lord of the worlds, is clear and evident. Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One and in all matters speak this word and place thy trust in Him:

“O my God and my Master! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy light shining forth from the horizon of Thy grace, to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and to decree for me through Thy bounty that which will profit me in Thy worlds. O Lord! I know not what profiteth or harmeth me. Thou knowest better than I know my own self and what is with me and what hath occurred and will occur in my heart. I beseech Thee to send down upon me that which will profit me in the Hereafter and in this world and will draw me nigh unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven.”

O ’Ali! In all matters place thy trust in God and with utmost contentment commit thy affairs to Him. He was and is the Trustworthy One, and will assuredly manifest whatever is best. Despair not of the spirit of God and His mercy, and trust in Him in all conditions. That which was true wisdom hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Now if thou dost submit and attain unto this station, it is acceptable and beloved; otherwise, seek whatsoever thou desirest. The command is in His grasp. He doeth and judgeth and commandeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. End quote.

Regarding the matter of Mirza Abu’l-Fadl - upon him be the Glory of God - whatever they have written, these matters depend upon consultation. Whatever emerges from consultation, act accordingly.

Mention of ’Ali-Nur and his relatives was made from the Tongue of Providence. God willing, may all attain unto that which God loveth.

The mention of Haji Muhammad-Hashim who attained the presence, and his son - upon them both be the Glory of God - was laid before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He said: God willing, may they dwell beneath the pavilions of grandeur and rest in the shade of the Tree of Grace. End quote.

The mention of the family of the King of Martyrs and those related to him, nay all those who love him - may my spirit be a sacrifice for them - has been and continues to be within the pavilion of mercy. Blessed are they and blessed is he who mentions the two shining Lights who attained all bounty and all good from God, the Bestower, the Generous.

Likewise, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Husayn and his father and those with them - upon them be the Glory of God - have attained to the mention of the Desired One and been adorned with the ornament of His favor. This servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, not to deprive any of the friends of this most exalted, most holy ornament, and to confirm in its preservation those upon whom it has been bestowed. Verily He has power over all things, is worthy to answer prayers, and praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

And concerning the mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Baqir - upon him be the Glory of God - and the ascension of his departed mother, and likewise the mention of the ascension of the departed and blessed Jinab-i-Haji Mirza Kamalu’d-Din - upon him be the Glory of God, the True King, the Manifest - all were presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. He said: “O Zayn, upon thee be My peace and My glory! We have previously mentioned Jinab-i-Kamal’d-Din and offered condolences to his family, and commanded them to patience and resignation, which are among the attributes of the sincere ones. Blessed is he! He believed in God and turned to Him and drank from the hand of His bounty that which was denied to all on earth save whom God willed, the Lord of the worlds. He never hesitated in mentioning God and praising Him. We beseech God to forgive him and remit his trespasses and cause him to enter within the precincts of His mercy. We make mention of his sons and his wife and those with them, both female and male, and We ask for them the good of the hereafter and of this world, and steadfastness in the Cause of God. By My life! This is the crown of all deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

“We make mention in this station of him who traveled and migrated until he arrived and attained Our presence and heard the call of the Wronged One in His mighty, impregnable station. O thou who hast journeyed unto Us! Hearken unto My call. We make mention of thee and counsel thee with that whereby the Cause of thy Lord may be exalted, and with the wisdom which God hath made the foundation of all deeds. Verily He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Forget not what We have commanded thee. We beseech God to assist thee in what He loveth and approveth, to grant thee the good of the hereafter and of this world, and to ordain for thee and thy descendants, through His Most Exalted Pen, that which shall never perish. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous.

“We make mention of Muhammad-Baqir and give him the glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of the worlds. Verily He heareth the call of those who commune with Him and seeth the deeds of those who have turned toward Him with illumined hearts. He is indeed the Hearer, the Answerer.

“We make mention of the handmaiden who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion. Blessed is she! She attained unto My mention before her ascension and after it. We beseech God to draw her nigh unto Him and to cause her to enter the lofty chambers in the Most Exalted Paradise. How excellent is that mighty, wondrous station!

“We make mention of My loved ones in that place who have held fast to that which they were commanded. He is indeed the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed.

“We make mention of the sons of Khalil and counsel them to perform pure deeds and that which befitteth their stations, and that whereby the fragrance of their love and knowledge may be diffused amongst the small and the great. And We make mention of the handmaidens who have believed in God, the Single One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

In the name of God, the One!

The individual mentioned by Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah was mentioned in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. He said: “The grace of God hath turned and continueth to turn towards him. God willing, may he be occupied at all times with the remembrance of God and remain steadfast in service to His Cause. Blessed is the eye that gazeth upon His grace and the ear that is turned to His call.”

This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, that He may aid the honored friend Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah to achieve unity and concord among the friends of God in that land. This matter is of utmost importance and acceptable in the sight of God. He that causeth healing and fellowship among hearts in this day is mentioned as among those near to God. Blessed is the soul that hath attained, and the servant whom God hath aided in this.

Jinab-i-Haji Ghulam-’Ali and those with him have returned, and the funds that were written of have arrived. The names of the souls were mentioned in His presence. He said: “O Zayn! All that they have sent, whether from those associated with him or others, was presented and accepted. It behooveth them to thank God Who created them, provided for them, reared them, aided them to recognize Him, and gave them to drink of the Kawthar of His utterance. We verily send Our greetings to them from this Spot and give them glad tidings of what hath been ordained for them. We beseech God to draw them near in all conditions, to aid them to be steadfast, and to ordain for them what He hath ordained for His chosen ones among His near servants and handmaidens. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Praise be to God that mention was made of each one and the glance of grace was directed towards them. Should one offer thanks for a hundred thousand years, one could not adequately express gratitude for a single word that hath appeared from the Dawning-Place of grace. The name of each one was honored. That Beloved One gave all of them the glad tidings of His supreme grace, that all might attain to the greatest joy and occupy themselves with praise and gratitude to God. The other trusts that were with him also arrived.

As for the mention that was made of Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. This is what the Kingdom of Utterance did speak […]

O thou who hast turned thy face! We have heard thy call and have turned toward thee from the direction of the luminous Spot. God willing, thou shalt attain unto that which God loveth and unto deeds from which the fragrance of sincerity shall be wafted throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven. And God willing, thou shouldst hold fast unto the Book of God and act according to that which hath been revealed therein, for if the loved ones of God who are scattered throughout the lands were to act upon that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will as a token of His grace, the light of His Cause would encompass the world. Grieve not for what hath befallen thee in the path of God. The cause of every affliction hath not been and is not heedlessness. Tribulation is for those who love Him, and this hath been mentioned before. Reflect upon what hath been revealed in the Hidden Words which have descended from the heaven of the Divine Will. He saith: “O Son of Man! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy,” and so forth. And He saith: “For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree and patience under My trials.” If in certain instances heedlessness hath occurred, verily He hath forgiven what is past. God willing, arise henceforth to make good what hath escaped you. The world is not worthy of mention, and its evanescence is witnessed at every moment. Arise to serve the Cause of God with wisdom and utterance. Turn unto Him and place thy trust in Him. Verily He will protect thee and assist thee and make known unto thee what thou desirest, and ordain for thee that which will bring solace to thine eyes and gladden thy heart. Hold fast unto the Most Great Handle and unto that which beseemeth these days. He Who remembereth thee at this moment hath passed successive years during which He found no place of safety for Himself, and in all conditions stood firm among the enemies, summoning all to the Supreme Horizon. There hath befallen Us in the path of God that which hath caused all things to lament. No deed is ever lost in the sight of God, nor shall it ever be. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and arise to that which beseemeth thee. Every deed that appeareth for the sake of God - its recompense is preserved in the treasury of the All-Knowing, the Trustworthy. Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven, and by the ocean of Thy bounty and the river of Thy mercy, to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise and in the service of Thy Cause. O my Lord! I have fled from myself and from all else unto Thee. Write down for me, therefore, that which Thou hast written down for Thy loved ones. Then preserve me beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy providence and enable me to act in accordance with that which Thou hast taught me of its excellence, station and benefit. Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all names. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Zein! Ask God for assistance on behalf of His servants. Verily He concealeth and loveth not that one should speak or reveal or disclose. Thy Lord is verily the Concealer, the Forgiving, the Merciful. In any case, convey what hath been revealed unto the aforementioned person. God willing, he shall be enabled to do that which is meet and seemly. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth mankind unto His straight path. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.

The petitions of Haji Ghulam-’Ali were received, but for reasons of wisdom no reply was given. He also made entreaties on behalf of certain souls; these too were postponed for reasons of wisdom. Let your honor mention that the aforementioned Haji hath made mention of all and delivered the petitions, and all have attained unto that which is beloved, inasmuch as mention was made of each one before the Presence and they have been illumined by the lights of His grace. This sufficeth all, would they but know it. Praise be to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

Mention hath been made of His Honour Darvish Khavar, upon him be the Glory of God. Well done for what he hath accomplished in the path of God. Of that which he brought, three tumans should be given to His Honour Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah and two tumans to His Honour Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon them be the Glory of God, and concerning the other five tumans, they commanded that a feast be held on behalf of the Wronged One.

According to His command, the book that was carried by His Honour Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, should be arranged by your honour, and one volume thereof should be sent specifically to His Honour Aqa Shahvirdi, upon him be the Glory of God. And regarding the copies about which instructions were previously given, these should be carried out. Care should be taken in its dictation, for due to the scribe’s preoccupation, errors are possible.

Concerning what you wrote about the arrival of His Honour Nazir, upon him be God’s loving-kindness, and the execution of that with which he was charged, it was presented. They said: “Blessed are they, happy are they, and may it be wholesome unto them.” If the friends were to discover and become cognizant of the station of this blessed word “happy” which hath issued from the blessed lips, they would be blessed with boundless joy.

This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings and glorification to all, and from every gathering requesteth mention. Peace and the glory shining forth from the horizon of God’s loving-kindness be upon your honour and upon them and upon those who are with you and who love you and upon every steadfast servant.

The Servant

18 Muharram 1300

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=== START BH00203 ===

O Zabih in the letter Kaf! He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

This is a sacred Tablet wherein is mentioned that which shall ignite in the hearts of the servants a fire by which, God willing, all veils and allusions may be burned away, rendering their souls pure for God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful. By God, the Truth! Whoso reciteth the verses of God in such wise that they flow from his tongue, he shall detach himself from all who dwell in the heavens and on earth and draw nigh unto this holy court, this luminous and radiant Scene. Were the servants to discover the love from which these words flow forth at this moment, they would sacrifice their very selves for this Wronged One, Who findeth Himself amidst the Gog of hypocrisy and hath no helper save God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Dhabih! Hearken unto that which is revealed from the direction of grandeur, the spot whereon is established the throne of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon. I hear and see what the idolaters have done to My Other Beauty after My First Manifestation, and I am the Witness over all things, the Powerful, the Protector, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

O Dhabih! Tarry not in the Cause of God. Bear thou witness to that which God hath witnessed before the creation of earth and heaven. Then detach thyself from the manifestations of names and behold Him Who created them by His command, and be not of the doubters. Purify thyself from all allusions, then thy vision from the ophthalmia of words, then behold with Mine eyes My Beauty, then speak My words in My praise, then know through Mine eyes this pure, radiant, holy and wondrous Beauty.

O servant! Arise with My power, then break the chains of imitation through My Name, the Powerful, then the fetters of fancy through My sovereignty, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Encompassing. By Him Who hath caused the Dawn to speak My praise, if thou seekest to know Me through aught else but Me, thou wilt never know Me. Thus have I commanded in the holy, mighty and impregnable Tablets of God.

O Dhabih! We are astonished at these servants. By God the Truth! We have sent down unto them verses which, were they to be recited to the mountains, would cause them to crumble, and to the heavens, would cause them to be cleft asunder, and to the earth, would cause it to split open. Yet they stir not within themselves, nor do they ascend unto God in less than a moment. Their hearts have hardened through following their own selves and desires, and they have turned away from Him at Whose command the heavens and earths were created. By thy life! If anyone were to command them to worship the calf, they would worship it throughout the nights and days, and would take it as their lord instead of God, neither examining to know it nor prostrating with understanding. Thus hath it been, if thou be of them that know. And if God were to come unto them with His sovereignty, and the angels of the heavens were to surround Him, and He were to manifest unto them all signs, they would never believe in Him, but would worship their fancy without any clear proof or lucid Book.

Behold how when Ali came with God’s sovereignty and His signs and His proof, most of the servants turned away from Him, having followed their fancies and being of the heedless. All drew proofs from what they possessed of the words of God and the words of those who were created by a letter thereof, then turned away from Him Who created the Revealer of verses by His firm, transcendent, mighty and impregnable command. Had they beheld God through God and sought to know Him through His Self, they would not have been veiled from God and His meeting, nor would they have strayed from the path. Thus observe in every Manifestation from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end, that thou mayest be of them that know.

Although My previous Manifestation rent asunder all fancies through God’s power and counseled them in every line not to object to Him Who would appear with the truth, Whose manifestation is longed for by all who are in the Supreme Concourse and all that hath been created between the heavens and earth - yet when He appeared with the truth, they turned away from Him and were veiled by the veils of their own selves, and were of them that turned aside. And when it is said unto them: “By what proof did ye believe in Ali aforetime?” they say: “The verses.” Yet when the verses of thy Mighty, All-Knowing Lord are recited unto them, their faces darken and they flee therefrom, placing the fingers of rejection in their ears lest they should hear […]

Thus have the veils of heedlessness encompassed them, and they are numbered among the losers. If thou wouldst incline the ear of thine inmost heart unto that which issueth from their mouths, thou wouldst hear from them what thou didst hear from the people of the Furqan at the time when God came upon the holy seat of glory and the matter was decreed by the Mighty, the Powerful. If thou hearest from Me, leave them and their remembrance and whatsoever is with them behind thee, then turn thy face to the Beauty of thy Lord and fear no one, and be not of the patient ones. Then take the chalice of immortality with thy right hand and drink it in My Most Glorious Name. Put thy trust in God, and verily He will cause thee to speak the truth and will acquaint thee with that which no one among all the worlds hath known. Were We to recount unto thee what hath befallen Us, the pen and ink would not suffice, nor would the Tablets be adequate, and God is witness and well-aware of this. However, We beseech God that He may bring thee into the presence of the Throne that thou mayest witness and become apprised of the mysteries which We have concealed from the servants, and whereof We have not mentioned a single letter among all created things. Arise to aid the Cause of God and His Command. By God! That which the people have taken as an object of love for themselves instead of God - would that he had been but like one of them! But the people have been worshippers of idle fancies and idols. Thus doth thy Lord make mention of their names in these days wherein We remained among the people without any helper or supporter. We had previously sent thee a Tablet, and before it another Tablet, and before that yet another Tablet. We beseech God that He may grant them unto thee and reveal unto thee what hath been treasured therein. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thy letter hath come before Us in this Prison, and We have read it and found therein the fragrance of thy love for God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. We recognized thy longing for God and thy yearning to attain His presence, and thy desire to arrive at the seat of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. We have not failed in Our promise and We fulfill what We have promised - thus have We prescribed for Our own Self the truth before the creation of the heavens and the earths. We desired to bring thee into Our presence, but the idolaters interposed themselves between Us and thee, and expelled Us from Our lands until they imprisoned Us in this distant land. If thou desirest to journey unto God and to migrate unto Him, then verily the sun of permission hath dawned from the horizon of command that thou mayest do what thou willest, and We have given thee leave to present thyself before Us and to witness that which no one among the servants hath witnessed, and to become acquainted with that which is concealed from the eyes of all the worlds.

O Dhabih! The Pen of God hath determined to converse with thee in the new and wondrous Persian tongue, for His love hath ever been and, God willing, shall ever be with thee. Hearken, then, to the holy melodies, by a single letter of which the hearts of them that are detached have been and shall be entranced. Thou hast never been forgotten and, God willing, never shalt be. Three exalted Tablets were given to Akhavi to forward. Perchance he hath delayed for some wisdom concealed in His mystery. Nevertheless, behold thou a Tablet for all creation, at the head of which these most sweet words have been inscribed by the Most Holy Pen of the Most High: O servants! The Manifestation of Truth hath never been mistaken for aught else and never shall be. He hath ever been, and shall ever remain, sanctified above all attributes, deeds and actions of all created things, for He is known through His own Self, and all else is known through Him. Beware, O people, lest ye turn to aught else but Him, for all else is created by His command and brought into being by His will. O servants! Gaze with pure eyes upon the Greatest Scene. Ye have ever been responsible unto your own selves, and the sign of the knowledge of the Countenance of the All-Merciful existeth within you. Verily, He doth not command His servants that which they possess not and are powerless to achieve. If this station existeth in man, then he is responsible unto himself for the knowledge of God and needeth no one else. And if this sign be lacking, no blame attacheth unto him, and the Pen of Command and Prohibition moveth not against him. Hearken, then, to the call of this Singing Bird in all things, and be thou not veiled by any veil, nor hindered by any glorification. Behold with thine own eyes the Cause of God, and ponder the appearance of this Servant amongst men, the concealment of others than Him, and the exaltation of His Cause, that perchance thou mayest become aware of a subtle matter whereof no soul is aware, and attain unto the Kawthar of eternity and the most pure and choice Salsabil. By Him Who hath caused Me to speak between the heavens and the earth! Were I to make mention of the tribulations that have befallen Me and the calamities that have descended upon this land, thou wouldst surely be grief-stricken and flee to the wilderness. Therefore, to protect thee, these have not been revealed, that perchance they may be mentioned in person, and this is not difficult for God. That honored one is aware that in less time than that, this Servant did not endeavor to preserve His own life. Day and night was He afflicted in the hands of the idolators until the Cause of God was exalted and the Name of the Powerful was established upon His throne. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! I taught and protected one even as the people of India teach their birds which they call parrots. When he observed that this Servant appeared openly amongst the servants and no harm befell Him, and that in this land none opposed Him, he emerged from behind the veil and arose to slay Me. And when he found himself frustrated, he took up his pen to calumniate and wrote what he wrote. If that honored one were to examine with penetrating vision the accusations he hath made against this Servant, he would observe his falsehood as clear as the sun and would understand that his purpose […]

He had no other desire except to prevent people from drawing near to the Source of the Cause. Now it is evident what this imprisoned servant hath endured. Despite having power over him - and all bear witness that I was capable of whatsoever I willed - nevertheless, with full knowledge of him and what lay within his breast, I protected him through the hands of power. Now he hath come forth and attributed such calumnies to this servant that the Pen is ashamed to mention them. Would that ye were informed of the truth of the matter! If one possessed of insight were found and were to examine his words, he would become aware of his true condition. Wondrous Tablets have been sent down from the heaven of eternity in answer to the objections they have raised against the Truth. God willing, they shall come before your honor’s eyes. Ponder them carefully and reflect upon them. God willing, ye shall attain unto the pearls deposited therein. Hearken in these latter days unto My call: Consider all these people as non-existent and count them as nothing, except those souls who are today steadfast and firm in the Cause of God. This is the word of truth, and after truth there is naught but error. We hope, God willing, that ye shall not be deprived of the clouds of divine mercy nor prevented from the canopy of His grace.

O Zabih! Observe in the wonders of My wisdom how in all things created between earth and heaven there appear and are manifest the signs of wisdom and the evidences of divine craftsmanship. Vain imaginings have ever deprived men of the pure essence of divine oneness and their original divine nature. Be not troubled by the changes and transformations of the earthly realm, for in all things such transformation has been and will continue to be. Yet in whatsoever appears and becomes manifest there surely lies concealed a wisdom which none but the pure in heart can comprehend. Consider, for instance, the visible sun which nurtures all who dwell on earth, and in this station its bestowal of every right upon its rightful recipient is evident. Yet the lamp suffers complete harm thereby, and likewise the moon and stars all remain bereft of light in themselves, such that on a day of bounty none of these names are manifest. Now, no harm befalls the sun if its appearance extinguishes the light of all else. Observe how the moon, stars and lamp, which are luminous and counted among the greatest of created things, are in this station deprived by the sun’s appearance and nurturing power, while weak things through the sun’s nurturing attain their highest station and manifestation. Therefore ponder this within thyself that thou mayest be among the successful ones and perchance attain to God’s purpose and be not veiled by the allusions of the opposers.

Likewise observe the Sun of Meanings and reflect upon the hidden divine mysteries and concealed heavenly allusions, that thou mayest not remain deprived of the effusions of this Most Great Ocean from which all seas, both first and last, have appeared and to which they return. The Tongue of God proclaims: Look to the essence of this Cause in this Revelation and to that which hath appeared through pure power, both of decisive verses and of horizonal and personal signs, that thou mayest remain steadfast in His Cause. Compare not the Word of Truth with the words of others, for it hath been and shall ever remain distinguished from all else, and every soul after hearing it becomes assured that this indeed is the Truth. Consider My first Revelation, when naught but the allusions of words current amongst them deprived the people from the right hand of the All-Merciful. And since unpurified ears were accustomed to former utterances, they were therefore deprived of hearing and comprehending the melodies of the All-Merciful and the words of divine glory on the Day of Resurrection. This is why in all books, scriptures, psalms and tablets I have revealed with the tongue of power and might that at the time of the Manifestation none should cling to aught save the Manifestation Himself, for the wayfarer on the path of guidance shall never attain to his original homeland, which is the station of the Most Holy Sanctuary within man’s self, unless he sanctifies his heart, sight and hearing from all that he hath heard. This matter hath ever been difficult and arduous for all peoples at the time of Revelation, for each people hath been veiled by thick veils of the allusions of previous utterances, and this is most clear and needeth no elaboration.

Has there ever been or will there ever be anything like it! In the year sixty that soul beheld with his own eyes and heard with his own ears. Yet it behoveth not the people of the Bayan to remain veiled from the Ancient Beauty Who hath appeared at the point of setting forth with supreme might and glory, for all the veils of the past were rent asunder by My previous Manifestation, Who counselled all in most explicit language and most wondrous exposition. In all the Tablets hath He made the recognition of the divine Being dependent on naught else. Alas for those who have made the recognition of God and of His Self contingent upon that which was created through His firm, His mighty, His wise Command!

Verily hath it ever been the way of men that in the days of God, when the Sun is shining resplendent, manifest and evident, they pay no heed thereto, remaining veiled by their selfish desires. Then after Its setting, multitudes newly profess their faith through mere fancy, heedless that the winds of divine tests are ever blowing and the tempests of trials are at all times sent forth from the direction of the All-Merciful, distinguishing particle from particle and hair from hair.

O Pen of the Most High! Change Thy melody and chant in clear Arabic tongue, that perchance the hearts of all created things may be drawn to Thy holy court and brought near to Thy sacred, pure, most pure and luminous countenance, and be severed from those who cling to the idols of self and passion and who have turned away from Him to Whom all creation testifieth that He is indeed God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Say: O people! Enter ye this gleaming white expanse which hath appeared with the hue of crimson sand on the shore of the Most Great Sea. By the True One! Were ye to behold it through Mine eyes, ye would perceive therein all colors, though God hath sanctified it from all color and from all that hath been created in the heavens and the earth. Say: Do ye deny My Self, yet read that which hath proceeded from My Pen? Alas for you, O company of the heedless!

O Dhabih! Reflect upon him whom We made an example to Our discerning servants, such that should anyone observe his walk, he would be convinced that he hath ever been a denier of God, an idolater, one who turned away from His presence, who doubted His Cause, who clung to aught else but Him and who held fast to the hem of every obdurate polytheist. After God manifested His sovereignty and sealed prophethood with Muhammad, the Apostle of God, he then seeketh proof through the Imamate and through what Husayn ibn Ruh had said, though he had veiled people through words attributed to him that the Qa’im was in Jabulqa and the like, as thou hast heard with thine own ears and wast among those who heard. If thou wouldst observe today, thou wouldst recognize that the people of the Furqan were veiled from God and the Manifestation of His Self only through what this man had related. God is witness and knoweth what I say. If thou shouldst see him, say: O thou denier of God, who hast turned away from His presence, who hast associated partners with His Beauty and rejected His verses that have encompassed all worlds! Were We to will today to make all things His friends, We would be able to do so through one word proceeding from My Pen which is moved by the fingers of My power, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the All-Wise. Die in thy wrath, O thou who hast turned away from God since time immemorial, for hadst thou truly believed in God in any age, thou wouldst not have denied His Self in those days when He appeared with a sovereignty that encompassed all created things.

Say: O rejected one and manifestation of Nimrod! By what proof did you believe in Ali, and before him in Muhammad the Messenger of God, and before him in the Son who was named the Spirit, and before him in the Interlocutor whom We called from the Tree toward which the gaze of God was directed, and which spoke at all times saying: “Verily, I am God, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous.” Say: O handful of dust! Why did you turn away from the Lord of Lords after the clouds of the Cause were rent asunder and He came upon the heaven of holiness and the matter was decreed from God, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise? Say: By God, every atom curses you, as does Ali in the Supreme Horizon, but you have veiled yourself and occupied yourself with that by which you were named with a name through which you boast among your likes, and you were among the veiled ones.

Beware, O Dhabih, lest you be veiled by his veils. By the True God, today Iblis flees from his own deception and the Antichrist from his own misguidance. Guard yourself from his exhalations. By God, they blow from the depths of hell, and God has made him a warning to those who were on earth, such that he cannot walk upon stable ground, much less upon the path of God which is finer than a hair and sharper than a cutting sword of steel. Know you the purpose of God in that which the Tongue of Truth spoke concerning him, that you may be of those who know.

By your life, O Dhabih, there exists not in My heart hatred for any created thing, for God has purified it from every indication and from all whereupon the name of anything may fall, and God is witness to what I say. However, when these people recognized God’s favor with their eyes and hearts, then denied it, there was revealed from the right side, the seat of the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, that which would awaken His servants that they might be of the awakened ones, and that the near ones might not draw near to them, and that the breaths of punishment might seize them from Him and from those who disbelieved and associated partners with God after that which was sent down from the heaven of the Cause, while around it were hosts of angels. Reflect upon that which has flowed from the Pen of God, then ponder His words, that perchance you may attain unto that which is treasured therein of pearls that have no like in creation, and thereby become independent of all the worlds. Thus have We informed you and told you once again, as a grace from your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, unto yourself and unto those who are with you, that you may be apprised of Him and of that which has issued from His Pen and from His mouth, and may be possessed of clear vision, and may say at every moment: “Praise be to God Who has guided us unto Himself, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing.”

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=== START BH00204 ===

O Abdullah! The Most Exalted Pen calleth aloud from the highest summit, saying: “O Abdullah! Rejoice in God’s loving-kindness and grace. Verily He hath turned unto thee and hath sent down from the heaven of bounty that which is milk for infants and a feast for men, a treasure for the poor and rain for the verdant hamlet, glory for the trusted ones and a standard for the learned, a remembrance for the righteous and an admonition for the chosen ones. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

We have enjoined upon Our loved ones wisdom and utterance, the reformation of the world and the refinement of the souls of nations. Blessed is he who hath heard My call, and woe betide every froward denier. Thus have We lit the lamp of utterance in the niche of knowledge. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe betide every heedless doubter.

Take thou the chalice of utterance in My name. Verily it shall guide thee to the straight path. The ocean of My loving-kindness hath surged and the fragrance of My grace hath wafted, while the people are in wondrous stupor. Beware lest the affairs of the world withhold thee from the Lord of all mankind. That which thou beholdest today shall perish, but that which hath been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen in the most sublime station shall endure.

Say: O concourse of the earth! Behold, then remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came with the signs of God, the Lord of Lords. The learned ones of the earth and its rulers turned away from Him until they desired to shed His blood. We delivered Him through Our grace, for verily We are the Mighty, the Bountiful. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto the lights of the Revelation and the handmaiden who hath turned unto God, the Lord of all beings. We beseech God to forgive thy father and to send down mercy upon him from His presence. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Giving.

O Arslan! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and was presented by him who is named Majdu’d-Din. We have mentioned thee in such wise as to delight all eyes. Take thou the cup of utterance and drink therefrom in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. We counsel those who have believed to unity and concord. By the life of God! Through these twin pillars the horizons are illumined. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe betide him who hath denied and broken the Covenant.

Say: O friends of God in the lands! Cast away that which ye have been forbidden and take hold of that which ye have been commanded in the Book. Blessed is he who hath remained silent concerning that which is unworthy of mention. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken as a command from His presence, and He is the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

We have endured that which hath befallen Us at the hands of the oppressors and pharaohs of the earth, and have commanded all to be patient through God, the Lord of all men. Blessed is the strong one whom the might of the world hath not withheld from the Most Great Name, and the seeing one whom the veils of glory have not hindered. We have mentioned the friends of God and His loved ones and have commanded them with that which shall exalt their stations among the parties.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Thy letter came before the Wronged One aforetime, and We held back the reins of the Pen for a time until the appointed hour was fulfilled. We have mentioned thee with verses that all the books of the world cannot equal, and with a command before which necks have bowed. Verily, the ocean is before your faces; take thereof by My leave, then drink in My Name through which God hath subdued the kingdoms of justice and equity. Grieve not over the world and its vicissitudes. Hold fast unto that which hath been sent down unto thee from God, the Cleaver of the Dawn. How many a learned one hath been prevented by pride, and how many an ignorant one hath heard and hastened to the Dawning-Place of verses! How many a servant hath turned away from the Truth, and how many a handmaiden hath heard and responded, saying: “Thine be the praise, O Thou Who art the Desire of the world, and Thine be the glory, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the earth and the heavens!” When thou beholdest the waves of the ocean of My utterance and findest the fragrances of My words, say: […]

O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the Point through which Thou didst separate the books of the world, and by Thy Most Great Name whereby Thou didst subdue the nations, and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the hidden mysteries in Thy Book, to aid me and Thy servants to act in accordance with what Thou hast sent down to us from the heaven of Thy Cause. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, acknowledging Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and confessing Thy grandeur and Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are detached and such of Thy creatures as are sincere. Then ordain, O my God, for Thy loved ones that which shall profit them and preserve them and draw them nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Aqa Quli, that the remembrance may draw him to a station wherein he shall behold none save God, the Lord of the Day of Return. Hearken unto the call from the direction of Akka: Verily there is none other God but Him. His are the most excellent names and the most exalted attributes. He doeth what He willeth through His command, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He ordaineth what He willeth for whomsoever He pleaseth. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. He sendeth down from the heaven of proof the rains of knowledge, and causeth to appear from the ocean of utterance the pearls of wisdom and exposition. Blessed is the seeker who hath arisen to serve the Object of his search, and the learned one who hath attained unto the Dawning-Place of remembrance. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe the trust which God hath made the first ornament of the temple of man. They have lost who cast it behind their backs and committed that which hath caused the Proof and the Evidence to lament. When thou hast attained unto the hosts of utterance and witnessed the proof of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, say:

O my God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having mentioned me and guided me to Thy Most Great Announcement whereby the hearts of the servants were stirred. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy standing firm in Thy Cause and by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen whereby Thou didst subdue the cities and lands, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy love, and eloquent in Thy praise amidst the righteous.

Your book has reached Our presence and has been honored with the attention of the Wronged One while He was imprisoned at the hands of those who denied the Cause and turned away from Him at Whose appearance the tribes lamented and the eyes of the righteous were consoled. O Rahim! The All-Knowing remembers you and bids you to observe justice and equity and that whereby the Cause of God, the Manifester of clear evidences, may be exalted. Beware lest anything deter you from the Creator of heaven. Cast aside what the people possess, holding fast to that which has been sent down from God, the Knower of the secret and the manifest. We have stood before all faces and revealed the Cause with power and authority. Among the people are those who have perceived the fragrance of the All-Merciful and hastened unto Him, and among them are those who have denied God’s proof and His evidence by following the manifestations of idle fancies, and among them are those who have ordered My imprisonment - he who is base yet was named exalted. Thus did his soul prompt him, and he is assuredly among the wrongdoers in the Book of Justice inscribed by the Supreme Pen from God, the Cleaver of dawn. We have endured in God’s path what no eye hath beheld, to this bear witness the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise, then He Who is established upon the throne of Revelation with a power that the hosts of the wicked cannot weaken. Your book hath reached the presence of the Wronged One. We heard your call and have answered you with verses that cry out before all faces: “The appointed time is come, and He Whom God’s Messengers have promised, the Lord of the Day of Return, hath appeared.” We have heard that which you called out to God. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for you that which shall profit you. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Let nothing grieve you. By God! The Day is come, while the people are in doubt and error. This is the Day wherein the greatest joy hath appeared through this Revelation, whereby the limbs of the transgressors who broke God’s covenant and committed that which they were forbidden in the Mother Book have trembled. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and turning away from all else. Thou knowest what I have wrought in my vain life. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which the ocean of forgiveness surged in creation and the fragrance of generosity wafted throughout the world, to make me detached from all save Thee, content with Thy good-pleasure, speaking Thy praise, and steadfast in serving Thy loved ones. Thou art verily the One with power over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. O Ancient Beauty! Turn Thy face from the Most Great Prison toward him who hath remembered Thee, that he may thank his Lord, the Powerful, the Protector, the Mighty, the Loving. He who is named Abdul-Ghafur desired to drink from the Kawthar of inner meanings from the hand of his Lord’s bounty, the All-Forgiving. We heard thy call and have answered thee with this sealed Book which hath descended from the heaven of thy Lord’s will, the Lord of existence. He verily commands all to righteousness and piety and forbids wickedness and indecency. Blessed is he who hath heard and acted, and woe unto every heedless one who is rejected. The breezes of Revelation have wafted and the horizons are illumined, yet the people do not understand. They worship idols and perceive it not; they do what they are forbidden yet know it not. Blessed is the strong one who hath rent asunder the veils, and the powerful one who hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings. Beware lest the glory of the people prevent thee from My Name, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Cast aside what they possess and take the Book of God with a might that the hosts cannot prevent. Thus hath the gate of utterance been opened unto all who are in creation, as a grace from God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Grieve not over any matter. Trust in God in all things. He verily aids whoever turns to Him and assists him with the hosts of the seen and the unseen. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved.

O Lord of the world! Remember Hasan whose letter reached Thy prison, and give him the glad-tidings of that which moved Thy Most Exalted Pen to his mention - the Pen through which the trumpet was sounded and all who are in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, except such as God, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, willed. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which will exalt your stations and the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Hold fast unto goodly character. He enjoineth upon you that which profiteth you in all His worlds. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Be silent in the station of silence, and speaking in the station of utterance, and expounding in times of exposition. Thus doth He Who possesseth the knowledge of all things command you in a perspicuous Book. He loveth silence and enjoineth it upon all. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The first word is the recognition of God, the Lord of all worlds, and the second is steadfastness in His Cause. Thus hath it been sent down from the Pen of Revelation, when He Who conversed on Sinai was seated upon the throne of Manifestation, speaking that which enraptured the hearts of the sincere ones. O men of earth! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. By God! He desireth naught for Himself. He hath sacrificed His joy, His delight, His glory, His felicity and His comfort for the refinement of your souls and your entry into the Most Exalted Paradise - the station wherein whoso entereth shall neither perish, nor be grieved, nor shall his soul be troubled. Thus hath the Tongue of Faithfulness spoken in the kingdom of creation, that He might acquaint you with the stations which have been ordained for you by God, the Forgiving, the Generous. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the breezes of these days, and beware lest the might of sovereigns frighten you. Leave the world and whatsoever is therein unto the kings, then occupy yourselves with the conquest of hearts through the hosts of wisdom and utterance, and through the character We have enjoined upon you aforetime and will continue to do so. I am the All-Knowing Rememberer, and I am the Kind Counselor, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Choose what is praiseworthy under all conditions. This is what ye have been commanded in the Scriptures and Tablets. To this testifieth every truthful and trustworthy one. Blessed is he who loveth the world for the sake of God, the Lord of the ancient days. He hath created creation as a token of His grace, that His Self might be known, and as the Dawning-Place of His signs and the Dayspring of His firm Command. Well is it with him who hath cast away vain imaginings and taken that which he was bidden by an ancient Commander.

O servant of God! Abdullah, known as Ansari, died in yearning for My call, not having heard from the Kingdom of My utterance. O My servant! Thou hearest at this time, through the grace of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. O My servant! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. There is no God but He, the Single, the One, the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful. It behooveth thee, in recognition of this bounty, to be ever mindful of My verses throughout thy days, detached from all else but Me, thankful for the wonders of My grace, submissive to My command, and abstaining from that which I have forbidden in My Great Book. The Wronged One remembereth him who remembereth Him, and asketh God to assist His servants in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to enable them to perform deeds which shall be a treasured possession with Him. He is the Protector of the sincere ones. Blessed is the heart that hath been purified from rancor and hatred, illumined with the light of unity, and hath not turned towards those who disbelieved in God and denied His mighty and impregnable proof. O people of Baha and Dal! Know your stations. By God’s life! Ye have attained unto that which none of God’s servants in previous centuries and ages have attained. We beseech God to assist you in preserving this most exalted station and supreme rank, and to make you among the triumphant.

We make mention of him who hath been named Vahhab, that he may inhale the sweet fragrances of God’s loving-kindness and be of them that are steadfast. O Vahhab! This is a Day wherein the Mother Book hath spoken forth amidst the factions, yet the people are in strange drunkenness - their vain desires have debarred them from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He Who was hidden hath appeared through His Name, the Self-Subsisting, and hath desired to give the servants to drink of His choice sealed wine on this Day when the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen is raised, while the people are in manifest error. They have turned away from their God, clinging to their idle fancies - these are indeed the abased ones. They have risen to harm the Wronged One and have committed that which hath caused the hearts of the sincere to be consumed. Thus have their souls enticed them - they are verily among the slumberers. They have neither heard the Call nor the Cry that was raised in truth. We testify that they are among the dead.

We counsel thee to observe pure justice and that which befitteth the station of man. Thy Lord doth command His servants with that which profiteth and exalteth them. He is indeed the Protector of the believers. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to draw thee nigh unto Him. He is verily the Hearing, the Answering.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention in the Book of him who hath turned to the Most Great Ocean while the nations were in manifest rejection, that the remembrance may draw him to the Kingdom of Utterance and bring him nigh unto God, the Lord of this wondrous Day. O Baqir! Upon thee be My glory. Hear My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily, there is no God but Me, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and aideth him who turneth unto Him. He is verily the All-Giving, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge. He heareth every call and seeth every deed. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Take hold of the Book of God with such might as the thorns of the oppressors cannot prevent thee - they who enter the mosques in My Name, yet when I manifested Myself, turned away from Me, following every heedless doubter.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me through Thy signs and caused me to hear Thy call. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the shells of the ocean of Thy bounty and by the lights of the orb of Thy manifestation, to strengthen me in such service as will exalt my station before the Concourse on High and honor me with the mention of acceptance in the court of Thy glory. Verily, Thou art the Almighty to do what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. O Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. Ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones, then write down for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Giving, the Compassionate, the Most Generous.

And We make mention at this time of My loved ones whose names have not been presented before the Wronged One, that the breezes of revelation may draw them to the most exalted station. O My loved ones! Hear My call, then help Me through wisdom and utterance. This is what the All-Merciful hath decreed as He established Himself upon the throne with power and sovereignty. This is the Day of joy and gladness. Beware lest the happenings of the world or the affairs of the nations grieve you. Turn ye and drink the choice wine of utterance which hath flowed from the Pen of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily, He is with you at all times.

And We make mention of My handmaidens there who have heard the call and turned towards it. We ask God to aid them to be steadfast in His Cause and to ordain for them that which He hath ordained for the beauteous ones of the Most Exalted Paradise. He is verily the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. The glory from Us be upon My servants and My handmaidens who have held fast to My covenant and My testament, and have acted according to that which they were commanded in My Book that speaketh before the faces of the world. The Sovereign hath come - the Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of Lords.

O Tongue of Proof in the Kingdom of Utterance! Make mention of him who was named Muhammad-’Ali, that the breezes of revelation may stir him and draw him nigh unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The Kingdom hath appeared and the Sovereign of the celestial realm speaketh therein with His most exalted call, yet the people comprehend not. They have denied God’s favor after its descent and rejected His proof and His evidence, yet they perceive not. The ocean of utterance hath surged in the realm of possibility before the faces of all religions, and the power of God, the Lord of existence, hath encompassed all. Among the people are those who heard and turned away, those who accepted, and those who pronounced judgment against the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. This is a Day wherein the mountains have been scattered and the tree-trunks uprooted, yet most of the people understand not.

O party of God! Abandon what the people possess and take what ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Blessed is he who hath soared in My atmosphere, clung to the cord of My love, and uttered My praise among My servants. He is indeed among those who are brought nigh in the preserved tablet.

Behold, then remember when We stood in the Land of ?a until the fire of hatred was kindled in their breasts. The wolves of the earth gathered against Us and imprisoned Us without any proof from God, the Lord of the Kingdom. We were in prison for numbered months until the hand of power delivered Us, despite those who denied God’s might, the Lord of the Promised Day. Thus did the Sun shine forth from the horizon of the prison with verses which none know save those who are brought nigh.

O Manifestation! The Lord of Destiny hath, from the direction of the prison, turned toward thee and made mention of thee with that which the treasures cannot equal. Hear the call from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beloved. The rivers have flowed, the fruits have appeared, and the seas have surged, yet most of the people know not. Their desires have prevented them and their imaginings have veiled them, yet they know not. They have abandoned that which they were commanded and committed that which caused the sincere ones to lament.

We have heard thy call and answered thee before, and in this irrevocable Tablet which calleth out among the parties through this Hidden and Manifest Name. We beseech the Exalted One to assist thee in the triumph of His Cause through wisdom and utterance, and to confirm thee such that thou movest not save by His leave. He is verily the Commander, the Mighty, the All-Loving. Blessed art thou for having turned to the Dayspring of Certitude while people were veiled by doubts and imaginings. Joy be to the One Who, with the finger of power, rent asunder the veils of those who prevented the servants from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of the Kingdom. Verily, these veils are their divines who cast the Covenant of God behind their backs and who deny His signs.

Sing upon the branch of utterance the praise of thy Lord. He verily heareth and seeth. He is indeed the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Witnessed. He hath appeared and made manifest His straight path, and hath sent down for every seeker that whereby hearts and minds are attracted. Remind My loved ones on My behalf and proclaim unto their faces greetings from the Wronged One.

O Abbas-Ali! Hearken unto the everlasting call of God. Verily He maketh mention of thee and remindeth thee of verses which have descended from the clouds of grace and the heaven of justice like unto rain - God forgive the simile. We beseech God, exalted be He, to make known unto His servants that which He hath manifested and revealed. He, verily, is the Sustainer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We counsel you to fear God and to associate with all peoples in a spirit of fragrance and delight, and to act in accordance with that which will strengthen unity and harmony. He, verily, is the Commander, the Mighty, the Great. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth - through Him were hoisted the standards of divine unity and the banners of detachment, through Him were the earth seized with trembling and the tribes raised their laments, and through His appearance all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Mighty, the Beautiful.” We counsel you in all matters to observe justice and fairness, and that whereby the stations of existence shall be made manifest - existence which hath appeared from the ocean of the bounty of its Lord, the Clement, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Say: O people of creation! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of invention and cast off the nature of beasts. Adorn your temples with the ornament of love and fellowship, and be not of the heedless. Beware lest ye backbite one another, and beware lest ye commit that which would grieve the hearts of the servants of God, the Lord of all worlds. We have created you and manifested you and commanded you to that which causeth the lips of existence to smile and giveth assurance to the hearts of them that know.

O brother! Behold and then call to mind that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: the Day when men shall be as scattered moths, and the mountains shall be as carded wool. This is the Day which Muhammad, the Apostle of God, mentioned aforetime, and before Him the Spirit, and before Him He Who conversed with God. We counsel you to that which beseemeth the mercy of your Lord, which hath preceded the heavens and the earth, and whereby your stations shall be exalted. Say: Hearken unto the counsel of Him Who is wronged, and be not of the oppressors. Behold the power of My Most Exalted Pen and My Most Great Word - these two guide the servants to the Most Glorious Horizon, if ye be of the fair-minded. We have brought forth the pearls of wisdom and utterance from the shells of the ocean of the knowledge of God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is he who hath vision, who hath witnessed and seen, and blessed is he who hath turned toward Him; and woe unto every froward sinner. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the light of divine proof. Blessed is he who hath turned, recognized and acknowledged; and woe unto them that deny!

=== END BH00204 ===

=== START BH00205 ===

He is the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Supreme!

O Rahim! Pass through the lands like the breezes of the spirit, that through thee the temples of the servants may be renewed with the adornment of God, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Powerful. And when thou arrivest in the Land of Alif, present thyself before Our Name whom We have named the Most Great Fath with the words of God, the All-Possessing, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great.

Say: O servant! Thou knowest how thou didst stand between the heavens and the earth, and thou didst recognize the Ancient Beauty when thou wert present before the Throne, and the sun of the mention of thy Lord’s name shone upon thy face from this radiant, holy, and luminous horizon. Beware lest thou grieve within thyself or follow every froward devil. Know thou that today whatsoever veils the people from the face of thy Lord is among the greatest of idols, even if it be from the most exalted of servants. Therefore shatter it with the power of might and strength, and tarry not for a moment.

Know thou that when We raised up the Cause, the fire of hatred was kindled in the breasts of the idolators, and they rose against Me in such wise as cannot be recorded by the Pen, and thy Lord is witness to what I say. And thou, O Rahim, mention before Him what hath befallen My wronged Self, and be of them who remember. Beware lest thou add or subtract; speak with pure truthfulness, that perchance thy words may affect the hearts of them who are nigh, free them from the veils of fancy, and draw them near to the seat of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, the Impregnable.

Say: By God! There hath befallen Me that which hath befallen no one in all the worlds, for I nurtured and strengthened one among the servants that he might aid his Lord and be among the helpers. And when he grew and felt security within himself, he emerged from behind the veil with swords of steel. By God! He struck at Me at every moment and warred against My Self and disputed the verses whereby his own faith and the faith of all in the heavens and earth were established. Then he cried out within himself the cry of the oppressed, and thus did it come to pass with Us, if thou be of them that hearken.

Say: O Most Great Fath! Know thou that the Cause of God cannot be confused with aught else, and whatsoever appeareth from Him is like unto the sun in the midst of heaven. By God, the Truth! Were all who are in the heavens and earth to gather together to produce the like of a movement of His finger, they would never be able, nor could they ever have the power, and this is an undoubted truth.

Say: The proof in these days is My manifestation, and beyond it the verses which have been sent down in truth in such wise that all created things combined are powerless to reckon them. And beyond these are the power that hath encompassed all possibilities, and the mercy that hath preceded all beings, and the sovereignty that hath transcended all the worlds. When they who harbored rancor in their hearts against the Youth witnessed that the Cause had appeared and was manifest, they arose to spread calumnies, that thereby they might instill hatred into the hearts of those who desired the face of God, the King, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beautiful.

Soon there shall come unto thee one from whom thou shalt find the hatred of God, that he might turn thy face away from the holy direction. When this occurs, arise with the steadfastness of God, then open thy lips with My command and My sovereignty and say: The kingdom on that day is God’s in truth, and We have become independent through Him of all the worlds.

Say: O thou who associateth partners with God! Dost thou deny Him by Whose will’s decree from His Pen the heavens and earth were created, and Whose grace hath encompassed all things, such that all things have arisen to praise His Self? If thou wouldst purify thyself from the veils of heedlessness, thou wouldst hear in truth and […]

O servant! Bear witness to thine own self as detached from the world and all that is therein, then arise to serve the Cause in such wise that shouldst thou desire in thy soul to transform all created things through the sovereignty of thy Lord, thou wouldst transform them through the Name of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Almighty. Thus hath the tongue of might and power counselled thee and taught thee from the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Choosing, that thou mayest be of those who are endued with knowledge.

O Merciful One! When thou enterest the Land of Kaf, present thyself before the Dhabih and convey unto him that which God hath shown thee, that thou mayest be numbered among the witnesses. Say: O servant, hearken unto My word and stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord like unto the upright and steadfast Alif. Say: In the name of God, the Most Invincible, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Supreme. Then raise thy hand through My sovereignty and power, and with it rend asunder the veils from the face of every soul, by My Name, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Then speak by thy Lord’s leave and say: O people! Beware lest the greatness of names veil you, or the clouds of glory prevent you. Put your trust in God, your Lord and the Lord of your forebears. Ponder within yourselves: if ye deny what hath been manifested in this Revelation, by what proof do ye uphold your faith, and by what evidence do ye justify your beliefs? Thus hath the Spirit spoken at this moment out of love for the souls of men, and thy Lord is verily a Witness and Well-Informed of this.

Know thou that he whom We taught and aided throughout all days, and whose mention We exalted to honor the Word of God - a wisdom which none save thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing, comprehendeth - when he witnessed that his fame had spread among the people and that none from previous religions would oppose him, became confident in himself, emerged from behind the veils, warred against his Chosen Lord, disputed by his own self, and was numbered among the opposers. By God, O Dhabih, the root of the matter was not as thou hast heard. If thou wouldst reflect upon the spread of his name and My standing before the people, thou wouldst discover that which is hidden from the eyes of all mankind. Would that thou couldst understand from the allusions of speech that which none hath understood, and be of them that comprehend.

We desire not to reveal matters in their entirety and have veiled them, having regard to Our Name, the Concealer, until God shall bring about His purpose and manifest one who will discover and mention it among the servants and be of them that remember. Rise thou to serve God and His Cause, then aid Him with thy tongue and utterance and with what is cast into thy breast. This is better for thee than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earths. Be thou one who maketh mention of Us among the servants, then remind them of this Cause, the like of which the eyes of creation have never witnessed. To this all atoms bear witness, yet the people are heedless thereof and are numbered among the negligent.

We had previously sent down unto thee a Tablet from which the fragrance of God, thy Lord, is diffused, such that if thou wert to place it upon all who are in the heavens and earth, thou wouldst find them all standing in praise of thy Creator, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Invincible. We sent it by thy brother’s hand as a favor from Us unto thee, that thou mightest be thankful to thy Lord and be of the grateful ones. O Dhabih! By the True One, I speak not of My own desire, but God taught Me at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and to this beareth witness that which hath been sent down from the Pen of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. Say: The Lord of Words hath come upon clouds of verses, whereupon the words of them that hint were struck dumb. Thus hath the matter appeared from One mighty, powerful and wise. All that We have mentioned unto thee regarding stations is, by God, due to the weakness of the servants; otherwise, had We found the people mature in those days, We would have imparted unto them that which would have made them independent of all the worlds. Guard thyself in these days, for therein faces have turned away from […]

Be thou uplifted by thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Yet it behoveth not one such as thee to be perturbed, for turmoil afflicteth only those who have failed to recognize God by God. But they who have known their Creator by His own Self and by that which is with Him - these are they who are secure from the greatest terror and are numbered among those who dwell in safety. Lift up thy head, that thou mayest witness God’s dominion above thee; then turn thy gaze toward the holy direction, that thou mayest behold what no one among all creation hath ever witnessed. Say: O people! Would ye deny yourselves the mercy of God? Would ye be numbered among those who declared “God is our Lord,” yet when He appeared with sovereignty and power, rejected Him and turned aside? And thou - purify thyself from all that would veil thee from God, thy Lord. Then emerge from behind the veil of silence with clear and lofty utterance, that thereby the people may be reminded in these days wherein heedlessness hath overtaken the dwellers of earth and heaven, save for certain letters of Our hallowed and luminous names. By God! Never hath there appeared a day mightier than these days wherein the Sun hath shone forth and wherein its lights have effaced the radiance of every brilliant and lofty star. Soon shall clamor be raised in your land, and the manifestations of Satan shall come unto you with mighty guile and deceit. At that time, turn not thy attention unto them, but fix thy gaze upon this luminous and radiant Scene. Say: I have known God, my Lord, by His own Self and not through aught else, and I have become independent of all the worlds through Him. Thus have We commanded thee and inspired thee. Hearken then unto My words, take the reins of authority in that place purely for the sake of God thy Lord, and exercise beautiful vigilance. Beware, beware lest thou be perturbed by the whisperings of those whose names shall not be mentioned this day before thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

O Merciful One! If thou shouldst find there him whose name We mentioned when thou didst depart from before the Throne, glorify him on Our behalf that he may detach himself from all else save God and be of the thankful ones. And verily, when We found him in a state of fear, We did not explicitly mention his name in the Tablet lest he be among the perturbed. And if he desires to catch the fragrance of the garment from the traces of God, present thyself before him with this Tablet, the shining, the holy, the wondrous, the inaccessible. Say: O servant! Step forth from behind the veils and fear no one in the Cause of thy Lord, for verily He will protect thee as He hath protected thee time and again, and delivered thee from the hands of the oppressors. This is the Day wherein if one were to hearken with the ear of innate nature unto all things, one would hear them all proclaiming between earth and heaven, saying: “The Kingdom on that Day is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent.” Beware that thou fear no one, for verily the power of thy Lord will protect thee from the harm of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God. And if thou findest in thyself any weakness, strengthen thyself through My Name, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Hast thou not heard of the days when thy Lord stood alone against all the peoples of the heavens and the earth, when all nations rose up against Him, yet He sought no help from anyone and shone forth from the horizon of power with manifest sovereignty, until the hosts of the unseen descended and He caused to descend into the hearts of His loved ones tranquility and steadfastness from the presence of the Mighty, the Powerful? Be thou assured in thyself, for God hath ordained for thee a station of exalted glory shouldst thou remain steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord. Verily, He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He desireth. We have indeed become aware of the tribulations and hardships that have befallen thee through the drops of destiny that have rained upon thee, and We have grieved at the adversities that have touched thee. But grieve thou not, for that which hath befallen thee hath also befallen thy Ancient Lord, and thou hast followed God in the calamities that descended upon Him from all directions. God will soon reward thee for this and verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. He will raise thee up in truth and give thee twice what thou desirest, for verily He is the Omnipotent, the Powerful. Say: O my Lord! Praise be to Thee for the adversities that have touched me in Thy path and the tribulations that have descended upon me in the ways of Thy good-pleasure. Therefore, O my God, preserve me, then send down upon me that which will make me steadfast in Thy Cause, then establish for me a seat of truth with Thee, and be Thou my Helper, then my Sufficiency, then my Guardian in this world and the next, then send down upon me every good thing Thou hast ordained for Thy near servants. O my Lord! Deprive me not of the laws of Thy holiness and Thy good-pleasure, and remove me not from Thy nearness and meeting with Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Then mention there the servants who have shattered the idols of vain desire through the power of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and who have rent asunder the veils of fancy through the sovereignty of God, the Most High, the All-Conquering, the All-Encompassing. Then mention them with what thou hast known and understood that they may lament for this Wronged One Who hath been afflicted at the hands of His heedless servants. Say: By God! Such adversities have touched Us as have touched no one else, and such hardships have befallen Us that no learned one can recount them. And ye, O servants of God, arise to remember your Lord, the Most Merciful, and forget not His favor that hath encompassed you, and be not of the veiled ones. We have mentioned some of them and concealed others through wisdom from Us and command from Our presence, and none is aware of this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O servant journeying unto God! When thou arrivest in the land of Sad, glorify its people on Our behalf and say: “The glory rest upon you, O ye servants, from this Prisoner Who hath been imprisoned in the prison of destiny and found none to help Him, would ye but know.” And shouldst thou meet the beloved one, convey unto him the glorification from the tongue of God, the King, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, and say: “O servant, arise to promote the Cause of God and His remembrance, and tarry not for less than a moment, and in all things place thy trust in God, thy Lord. Verily, He will protect thee from the harm of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were among those who joined partners with their Lord.” Remind the people of that which the Spirit hath cast into thy heart, and be not of them that tarry.

If thou shouldst see Hassan there, glorify him from Us, then mention to him what thou knowest of the tribulations that have befallen Us, that he may be informed of what hath come upon Us from those who believed, then disbelieved, and imagine within themselves that they are the doers of good. Beware lest thou forget the time when thou didst enter the sanctuary of security before thy Lord and the lights of His countenance shone upon thee from this luminous and manifest horizon. Cast behind thee every mention, then speak forth the praise of thy Lord between the heavens and the earth, and be not veiled by those who have disbelieved in God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Verily, there hath been ordained for thee in the heaven of destiny a station. Beware lest thou deprive thyself thereof. Then turn thy face toward the court of thy Lord and pay no heed to the world and its people. Thus doth the Pen of hidden glory command thee. Let not thine eyes turn away from the vision of thy Lord, and say:

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Protect me in these days wherein heedlessness hath seized all who are in the heavens and on earth, and smoke hath enveloped all who dwell in the dominions of creation and command. Then make me steadfast, O my God, in a Cause beside which nothing can stand, and grant me a seat of truth with Thee, for Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. O Lord! Give me to drink of the water of life, that my heart may be purified from the promptings of them that have disbelieved and joined partners with God and were among those who mocked the signs of God. O Lord! Aid me in Thy Cause and cause my tongue to speak forth the wonders of Thy remembrance, and deprive me not of that which is with Thee, for nothing is hidden from Thy knowledge, and Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest through Thy word ‘Be,’ and it is. O Lord! Sever me from every attachment, then purify me from all that beseemeth not Thy station, then cause me to soar in an atmosphere wherein naught is heard save the melodies of the birds of eternity, that I may be sincere before Thy face, gazing upon Thy beauty, detached from all else besides Thee, and turning unto the sanctuary of Thy presence. Leave me not, O my God, to myself and my desires, and make me not of those who acknowledged Thee and Thy signs one day, then on another day denied Thee and that which was sent down from Thee, and were among the deniers. O Lord! Make me so firm that all who are in the heavens and on earth shall not cause me to slip, for Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.”

And if thou shouldst meet Husayn, remind him of Our remembrance with a goodly remembrance, that he may be mindful in these days wherein most tongues have been cut off from the remembrance of God - thus hath the matter been ordained, though most men perceive it not. Say: O servant, stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord and turn not to the right or to the left. Walk before the Cause with God’s dignity and tranquility, then detach thyself from all that was and shall be. And if thou art enkindled with this fire, arise to remember thy Lord; otherwise be patient, then show forth yet more patience until God shall bring about His purpose. Be not of those who are disturbed by every clamor. Take heed lest thou be disturbed when those who doubt the meeting with their Lord are disturbed; for when the veil was suddenly lifted, they fled from around the Throne like a crumbling edifice. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, We have not remembered you save for the love that preceded you, as ye yourselves would testify, were ye of those who reflect. Say: Today there is no protector for anyone from God’s decree. Whoso holdeth fast to this Ark that saileth upon the crimson sea shall be saved and secure, and whoso turneth away shall be drowned and shall perish. Thus do We explain the matter unto thee with clear signs and dazzling proofs, that thou mayest stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause and be of those who in this Day have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and who abide beneath the shadow of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Praised One. Take heed lest thou forget God’s favor upon thee, and turn not unto the idolaters and that which issueth from their mouths. By God, they are in naught but unbelief and limited discord. Purify thy hands from every hem, then take hold of the hem of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

O Rahim! Remember from Us those servants who have settled there, and convey unto them the stories of thy Lord, that they may become of those who are mindful. And say: O people, be not of those who cling to a name among names while turning away from Him by Whose command the names and their kingdom were created - thus was the matter, did ye but know it. Sanctify yourselves through this water flowing in the rivers of these words, that it may purify you from all that your Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved, loveth not, and draw you nigh unto God’s direction, and bring you to a station of praised glory. And if thou shouldst see one who exhorteth the people and findest in him some light, remind him from Us that he may turn with his heart to this luminous and manifest direction, detach himself from all else but God his Lord, and turn wholly unto God Who created all things by His command. Thus doth the Tongue of God command him now, that he may act according to that which he hath been bidden by the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. And if thou findest not in him the fragrance of God, conceal the matter lest it create discord - thus doth the Pen of might command thee in mystery. And if thou shouldst turn to other lands and meet Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin and Rida’r-Ruh, remind them both of God’s remembrance and share this Tablet with them, that they may know what hath befallen Us from Our servants who were deluded by names after We commanded them to detach themselves therefrom at the time of the Manifestation. Yet when the heaven of idle fancy was cleft asunder and God came with evident and manifest sovereignty, they denied Him in Whom they had believed and became of those who join partners with God. Say: Arise both of you in God’s Cause, your Lord, then rend asunder all veils, and be not of those who after the Command still show patience. Then convey God’s Cause unto Our servants, that they may arise from heedlessness and turn unto that which is better for them than all that was and shall be.

O Rahim! By God’s grace and loving-kindness, remind the people, yet in all conditions hold fast to divine wisdom, for contention is not beloved. Rather, through eloquent words and goodly counsels, guide the people from the vanishing stream to the everlasting ocean. For the earth and all that is therein is not the purpose of God - nay, in His sight it is non-existent and void, and never hath been nor ever shall be worthy of His attention, but is left to its people. That which hath ever been beloved in the sight of God hath been and shall ever be the pure hearts of His servants, that perchance a few souls, cleansed from self and desire, may enter the precincts of nearness to everlasting life. And this too hath been due to His all-embracing mercy towards His servants, for verily He is independent of all the worlds. And if thou seest Kamal, convey unto him the glory of God, thy Lord, and likewise unto him who was named Ali before Akbar. Then remind them both of what hath befallen Us at the hands of Our transgressing servants. Say unto them: This is the Day wherein We have drawn aside the veils and manifested the Cause with evident sovereignty. Arise for the love of God and the promotion of His Cause, and tarry not for less than a moment. Then convey Our glory unto those who have believed in God and His signs, be they female or male, young or old.

=== END BH00205 ===

=== START BH00206 ===

Blessed be the Lord Who speaks upon the Throne, through Whose Name hath been raised the standard of “There is none other God but Him” upon the heights of the hearts of them who are nigh unto Him, and the banner of “He is the Peerless, the All-Informed” upon the most exalted station of the hearts of them that have turned towards Him. Blessed be this Day wherein the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen hath been raised in the kingdom of creation, wherein the ocean of knowledge hath surged, the sun of revelation hath shone forth, the birds have warbled, the Concourse on High hath called out, and all things have spoken. By God! The world hath been adorned through the appearance of the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Secret, and the Preserved Symbol, Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name amongst the nations. Rejoice, O ye people of the City of Names and ye dwellers of the pavilion of grandeur, in that the Speaker of Sinai speaketh from the Most Great Scene, the station honored by the advent of the Lord of Destiny, whereby the eyes of them that are nigh have been gladdened, the limbs of the idolaters have quaked, the faces of the sincere have been illumined, and every face that hath turned away from the Dawning-Place of Revelation on this manifest Day hath been darkened. Exalted is He Who hath spoken the Most Great Word and caused all things to speak, testifying that there is none other God but Him. Through it the Hour hath appeared, the knowledge of which was denied to every one possessed of insight and to every upholder of unity. And whosoever desired to know it, the Tongue of Grandeur warned him with His words, exalted be He: “Wherein art thou to mention it?” Blessings, peace, glory and splendor be upon them whom the taunts of the enemies have not kept back from God, the Lord of Names, and whom the hosts of creation have not frightened in this Cause, whereby the hearts of the learned, the mystics, the literary ones and the princes have been perturbed. These are honored servants unto whom the Tongue of God, the Almighty over what was and what shall be, beareth witness.

Glorified art Thou, O God of the world and Desire of the nations! Thou seest and knowest that when this servant desireth to make mention of Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, such trembling seizeth him that his very foundations are shaken and every vein in his body is stirred, for how can one who hath neither mention nor station describe those who have sacrificed their spirits in Thy path and hastened to the place of martyrdom in Thy Name? I testify that they are servants whom Thou hast sanctified from the descriptions of all save Thee and the mention of aught except Thee. Thy Most Exalted Pen, through one movement of which Thou didst create all things, hath extolled their praise in the arena of glorification. I beseech Thee, O Thou through separation from Whom hearts have melted and servants have cried out, to ordain for this servant what Thou hast ordained for them through Thy bounty, though I am not worthy of it. O Lord! Thou art the Generous, and I am the supplicant at Thy gate. Disappoint me not through Thy favors and gifts. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This servant hath attained unto your letter, and when I broke its seal, I heard your cry and your lamentation in the love of God, our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth. By the life of the Beloved! I have read that which you have whispered to the Lord of Eternity and the King of Nations, and I wept at your separation and your burning in remoteness from God, the King, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. It is as though the fire of thy love hath ignited and consumed me. When it was kindled, I sought the Kingdom of Reunion until I attained the presence of the face of our Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Then did the Face of God turn toward me and asked about what was in my hand. Thereupon I opened it and presented what was therein of the remembrance and praise of God. When it was completed, the Kingdom of Utterance was stirred and the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke […]

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One, and arise to serve the Cause in such wise as to be sanctified from worldly matters. Thou hast ever been beneath the shadow of God’s grace and art mentioned in His Book. Thou must arise to accomplish that which will promote the Cause of God and unite the hearts. Whoso submitteth unto God, God will verily exalt him. I swear by the Sun of Divine love which shineth from the dawning-places of the hearts of the chosen ones that if anyone performeth a deed for God’s sake, that deed will shine like the morning star in the heaven of divine knowledge. With the ear of thy soul hearken to the rustling of the Pen of the All-Merciful, and arise to do that which will exalt and elevate the Cause of God, and thereafter behold its fruits. Thus doth the All-Informed acquaint thee, and the All-Knowing instruct thee. Thou hast been and, God willing, shall continue to be under the glance of His loving-kindness. Strive that the strangers may find no opportunity for opposition and objection, and that the lamp of love and prosperity may, through the oil of wisdom, shine brightly among the righteous ones. Act thou according to what We have commanded thee before and in this Tablet, that thou mayest behold the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Bountiful, thy Lord, the All-Recording, the All-Knowing. Fix thy gaze upon the horizon of My Cause and act in accordance with that which winneth My good-pleasure, that from it may be wafted the fragrance of My acceptance. Thus doth the Temple of My Revelation command thee from His glorious and impregnable station.

Be vigilant regarding the Cause of God at all times. Some souls, following their selfish desires, have caused and continue to cause division, making the Cause of God a pretext. They do what their desires command them and attribute it to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. How much blood hath been shed in this path and how many heads have been raised upon spears in this wondrous Cause! Say: O people, be fair in God’s name and commit not that which harmeth the Cause of your Lord, the Mighty, the Great. Stand with perfect steadfastness and make mention with the utmost joy and fragrance, that perchance some may become mindful and forsake their desires and turn unto the Lord of the throne on high and of earth. Verily, He knoweth and concealeth, and He is the Concealer, the All-Wise.

O Ali! Most people are heedless, and the intoxication of selfish desires hath prevented them from turning to the court of oneness. Ask God, thy Lord, to make them recognize His straight path and aid them in that which beseemeth the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. Know thou that the servant who was present before the Throne hath presented what thy tongue of love uttered in praise and remembrance of God. We have heard it as a token of Our grace and have answered thee with a Tablet that calleth with the most exalted call and guideth the people to the path of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Say: O people! Answer the call of God among you and follow not those who acknowledge what God hath acknowledged in word but deny it in deed. Verily thy Lord is the Witness, the All-Hearing.

God willing, thou shalt be assisted in that which causeth the remembrance of people, their guidance, their turning unto God, and their sanctification and detachment. Rejoice thou in this remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Desire of the nations. I beseech Thee to assist me in Thy remembrance and the service of Thy Cause in such wise that nothing visible or invisible in Thy kingdom and Thy lands may hinder me. O Lord! Inspire me with that which will render me sincere in Thy love, a helper to Thy Cause, and detached from all else but Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O Ali-Akbar! The Lord of Destiny has willed to make mention of the Land of Sad, wherein has been raised the banner of the love of God. Blessed is it and blessed is he who has turned unto it purely for My sake and visited therein My trust and My deposit. Thus has the tongue of My loving-kindness spoken from the Lote-Tree of My grace, and I am verily the All-Bountiful. O Land of Sad! Give thanks and rejoice in that God has exalted thee to a station wherein thou shalt soon be pointed out by the fingers from all directions. Verily, grace is in His hand - He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth of His creation. He, verily, is the Omnipotent over what He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. Blessed art thou and blessed are thy people who have inhaled the fragrance of God’s garment and have tasted the bitterness of tribulation and adversity in His path. By My life! They are of those whom the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise make mention, and whom every tongue that hath spoken the truth in God, the Lord of the final end, doth praise. O people of Sad! Ye are they who forsook your homes for the love of the All-Merciful when the wolf howled among you and the serpent moved with perfidy and error.

O Haydar! We have manifested thee and made thee known and taught thee and given thee to drink of My choice wine which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an. God had described it in the scrolls and books and psalms through the tongue of His chosen ones of old. But when its seal was broken by the finger of the Almighty, every heedless one turned away from it while the sincere approached it with radiant faces. Blessed is the Lord of Names Who revealed it and reserved it for those who answered the call of their Lord with humility and turned unto Him. Thou hast heard from the enemies that which caused the Concourse on High to weep. Hearken now unto that which the Lord of Names mentioneth unto thee from this station round which circle the sincere at all times. Thus have We cast unto thee from the ocean of Our loving-kindness the pearls of Our mercy. Gather them in My name, then give thanks unto thy Lord at eventide and at dawn.

O Hasan-i-’Ali! The dwellers of Paradise and the inhabitants of the sacred precincts - they whom God has preserved from turning to any direction save His Own - have testified to your tribulations. They are the ones who have made their submission and humility and all their remembrance for God, the Lord of Lords. The dwellers of the cities of names have wept at your afflictions, as beareth witness to this He Who created the heavens, Who hath appeared unto the world through the Most Great Name and hath spoken that whereby the mountains have been crushed. Reflect upon the grace of thy Lord, then thank Him with such gratitude as will attract the hearts and cause the spirits to soar.

The names of those mentioned in your letter were presented by this servant before the Throne, and unique and exalted verses were revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of Oneness for each one. O ’Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar! All those souls are mentioned before the Throne and are recorded by the Supreme Pen in God’s Book. Some of those souls were recipients of multiple Tablets which were previously revealed and sent in their names. The Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Source of His Books has testified to their tribulations in the path of God. The Divine Word and the letters of the hidden Scripture have borne witness to what befell them for the love of God. I swear by the life of the Beloved that on this second night of the blessed month of Ramadan, He makes mention of His loved ones in most wondrous utterance. Were they to become aware of but a sprinkling or a drop from the ocean of favor manifested towards them, there is fear they would perish from joy. Now they must expend their complete effort to ensure this most great, most exalted station is not lost and remains secure. The fire of heedlessness and disobedience will surely consume the saplings of deeds. After the episode in the Land of Sad (Isfahan), all were adorned with the ornament of forgiveness and attained the special favors of God - exalted be His generosity, exalted be His grace, exalted be His bounty, and exalted be His grandeur. The Exalted Truth bears witness that were they to reflect even briefly on divine favors, they would never be sorrowful nor find themselves grief-stricken. The varied things and ornaments of this transient world have become veils and prevented people from witnessing - otherwise all would turn with utmost joy and detachment to the horizon of the Lord of creation. The face of the Lord of creation has turned toward the faces of the people of Sad who have cast behind them the books of conjecture and fancy and have taken what was sent down from God, the Lord of all beings. He sends His greetings to them and makes mention of them with such mention that when it appeared from the heaven of His Lord’s will, the Mother of Remembrance bowed down before it. Give them the glad-tidings of My remembrance, My mercy and My favor, then make mention of them on My behalf. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. God willing, all the chosen ones should arise to that which will exalt the Cause of God and act accordingly. Reflect: which deeds today cause the elevation of the servants and the exaltation of the Cause? Conflict, contention and corruption have been forbidden in most Tablets, and this blessed word was previously revealed from the heaven of will: “The victory of the Cause of God is through the sword of wisdom and utterance, not through the sword of steel or anything else.” Many similar statements exist in the divine verses. God willing, those possessed of insight have seen and understood. In this case, the people of truth must reflect on what will remove the veils of creation today and cause the sublimity and exaltation of God’s Cause.

O Ali! Ponder upon that which hath flowed from the Pen. With thine own life make thou a sacrifice in the path of Truth. This is a martyrdom that is not confined to pen or tongue or utterance or tablets. The name of Ha, upon whom be all the glory of God, the Most Glorious, attained unto this supreme martyrdom, even before his outward martyrdom, inasmuch as he had no will or desire or thought of his own. All these he sacrificed for the sake of the Beloved, and afterwards he attained unto outward martyrdom also, offering up his life in the path of the true Beloved. He cast off from his head the crown of life and laid it at the feet of his Friend. Blessed is he who hath recognized this station, and blessed is he who hath found the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful. Whosoever hath, in truth, surrendered himself unto God and hath, in His path, become freed from all else save Him, such a one taketh no account of his own station and name and fame, but fixeth his gaze upon the Cause of God and that whereby His wisdom is established. I swear by the Sun of My utterance that he who hath attained unto that which My Pen hath spoken hath indeed prospered in all the worlds of My dominion. Beware lest anything debar you from My straight Path. All must strive with utmost endeavor to acquire the word of divine good-pleasure. The people are ignorant and heedless. An interpreter is needed, and if that interpreter act in accordance with the command of God, assuredly will the light of his utterance illumine the world and draw the peoples to the sanctified Seat of Glory. O Ali! Since the Almighty - exalted be His glory and magnified be His grandeur - hath sanctified the victory of His Cause from contention and conflict and the drawing of swords and the like thereof, therefore must ye cleave unto the cord of goodly deeds and spiritual qualities. If anyone act according to that which hath been mentioned, for the sake of God, he will assuredly influence the world and rend asunder the thick veils, inasmuch as whatsoever God hath ordained as the cause and means for the triumph and exaltation of His Cause is indeed penetrating and effective. To this testifieth every discerning soul. Ye must conduct yourselves with the utmost wisdom and never let it slip from your grasp. Trust not every claimant, believe not every speaker, nor reveal that which is hidden to every supplicant. Some souls are attracted by one word and repelled by another. In teaching, speak ye such words as will manifest the heat of the love of God. If the hearer be set ablaze and attain unto the wine of steadfastness, he will gradually comprehend that which was hidden from him. The Most Exalted Pen hath mentioned and continueth to mention wisdom and its degrees in diverse utterances, that all may derive their portion and share therefrom.

That which ye had written concerning Mirza Muhammad Husayn was presented before the Presence. This is what hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance of our Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate:

He is the One manifest from the horizon of Revelation […]

This is the Book which the Wronged One hath revealed for whosoever desireth to draw near unto the ocean of utterance in days whose mention the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an and in previous Books sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers, that he may take hold of the Book by his Lord’s leave and drink therefrom the Kawthar of life which hath flowed from the finger of God’s will, the Lord of all worlds. Hearken unto My call and arise to make mention of Me and to praise Me in such wise that the sweet-scented breezes of thy Lord’s verses, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, may attract thee. Blessed is the father from whom hath appeared one who hath recognized God and His signs, and blessed is the mother who hath given birth to one who hath turned toward the Supreme Horizon and believed in the One, the All-Informed. Hearken unto that which the All-Hearing uttereth, that the All-Seeing may show thee that which hath delighted the eyes of the Messengers. The waves have appeared from the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance, moved by the breezes of revelation in this noble station. Bear thou witness as God hath testified before the creation of the heavens and earth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh is indeed the One intended in God’s scriptures and promised by the tongue of them that are nigh. Whoso hath attained unto this testimony hath attained unto the grace of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And concerning what you wrote about Haji Ghulam-Rida, after submission these exalted words dawned from the Dayspring of the All-Merciful’s will:

He is the One Who calleth from the Supreme Horizon! Glorified be He Who hath appeared and manifested the Cause as He desired. He, verily, is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Rejoice in that the Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of thee, when the Dawning-Place of Names was imprisoned in ’Akka through that which the hands of the disbelievers had wrought against the Hidden Mystery. Reflect upon the world and its people - verily it showeth thee that which proveth its passing. By God’s life! It proclaimeth its evanescence at all times and calleth the people with its loudest voice to the Most Exalted Station, yet most of them perceive not. Beware lest the affairs of creation veil thee from the Truth that speaketh in the world through the Most Great Name and announceth unto all the Praiseworthy Station. We make mention of him who hath turned toward the horizon of utterance in this station which hath been named with the most beautiful names in God’s Book, the Lord of what was and what shall be. When thou hast attained unto My Book and drunk therefrom the choice sealed wine, give thanks and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast aided me to recognize the treasury of Thy mysteries and the repository of Thy verses. I testify that Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all existence.

Concerning what you wrote about the foreigner, that is, one from Europe, it was submitted and He said that if such souls should take and send to their own countries there is no harm, but if they should reveal it in that land it would cause mischief, and whatsoever is given must be correct. Some copies of the Book of Certitude present in this land have not all attained the ornament of correctness, and if the book which the Greater Branch recently sent to Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin containing the Tablets to the Kings be given, it would be best, but only after assurance. God speaketh the truth and He mentioneth the proof and guideth the way.

And concerning what you wrote about Haji Mirza Hasan, upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah], it was submitted. This is what God revealed in answer to him:

He is the One Who speaketh in the Mount […]

Give thanks, O Hassan, for having attained unto My days, discovered the fragrance of My loving-kindness, turned to My horizon, heard My call, and drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hands of My bounty. By the life of God! Grace belongs to him who hath found, heard, recognized and responded to his Lord - He through Whose manifestation the hidden Secret and the treasured Mystery were revealed, the Cry was raised between earth and heaven, and the Nightingale warbled upon the branches of the Tree of Names: “Verily, there is none other God besides Me, the Single, the All-Informed.” He that is endowed with hearing is he who hath attained unto the verses of God, and he that is endowed with sight is he who hath beheld the Supreme Horizon when the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven appeared with mighty sovereignty. Say: All greatness extols from behind Him, all loftiness boweth before His dominion, and every possessor of knowledge fleeth from the field of understanding when therein courseth the Pen of the All-Merciful. By My life! Wert thou to find the sweetness of utterance, thou wouldst soar in the atmosphere of the All-Merciful and find thyself in a joy that encompasseth the joy of the world. Thus doth the Lord of Eternity make mention of thee with an utterance which God hath sanctified from all mention and words after its appearance in its garment. Thy Lord speaketh as He willeth, even as He decreeth what He desireth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. They who are heedless this day of what hath been manifested in creation are accounted as the most heedless ones in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thou hast indeed attained aforetime unto the verses of God and His mercy. Be thankful for this bounty which, by the life of God, no other thing on earth can equal. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Prefer what We desire for thee above what thou desirest for thyself. Thy Lord knoweth thee better than thou knowest thyself. He, verily, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have desired to make mention of thy Lord with spirit and fragrance for the people of possibility, on whose faces thou beholdest the radiance of humility before God, the King, the Mighty, the Praised. He inscribeth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of meeting Him and of entering the Kaaba of His presence. Nothing can frustrate Him in what He willeth. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He desireth. He is the Single, the All-Knowing. Thus have We adorned the ocean of meanings with the ark of thy Lord’s wisdom, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. The glory be upon thee and upon thy family whose heart hath attained unto the light of God’s love and turned unto Him when the Desired One came with clear proof.

Regarding what you wrote about the funds, give nine to his honor Aqa Siyyid Abu-Talib and send another nine to his honor Samandar. They should give these in that land to one of the friends of God, and it will be written to them, and they should deliver the remainder to one of the friends.

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=== START BH00207 ===

Praise be to that Omnipotent Lord Who befitteth and deserveth all glorification, Who hath transformed the weakness of His servants on the Day of Return into strength and hath bestowed distinction in such wise that He hath sent forth, through His conquering might and overwhelming power, without any weapon, the Wondrous Name unto a realm adorned with ranks of armies and successive multitudes. Indeed there hath appeared a power that hath no likeness in the world nor any peer among the nations. Were the servants to ponder upon this, they would cast away all they possess, turning unto God, the Lord of Lords. Prayers, peace, glory and splendor be upon the friends of God and His chosen ones who have arisen to unite the hearts of His servants and have acted according to what they were commanded in the Book. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Bestower. My spirit be a sacrifice unto your remembrance and unto your service.

The exalted letters of Your Holiness arrived like showers of mercy. Each was a key to the gate of joy and a gift for the gladness of hearts. After reading and contemplating them, they were directed to the Supreme Heights and were presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings, attaining His presence and hearing. His utterance, mighty be His exposition and glorious His proof:

O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Each of thy letters was a manifest glad-tiding and an evident joy. Praise be to God that thou hast witnessed, with both outer and inner sight, the waves of the ocean of utterance and hast taken up thy station beneath the blessed Lote-Tree. This bounty hath no likeness, and this grace hath had and hath no equal. The world and its ornaments, its embellishments and its colors shall by inevitable decree return to nothingness, while that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen and hath streamed forth from the clouds of mercy shall endure and remain established. We testify that there is no God but Him. His are the glory and the splendor, the grandeur and the majesty. He giveth unto whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He desireth, and He withholdeth. Verily, He is the Powerful, the All-Choosing.

The worlds of dominion and kingdom have all borne and continue to bear witness to this supreme grace that hath encompassed the world and its peoples, and hath manifested that which the Daysprings of knowledge and the Dawning-places of utterance are powerless to mention and describe. Nay rather, all have acknowledged their impotence and confessed their shortcoming. Blessed is the soul that hath held fast to the Self-Subsisting Name, and hath taken and quaffed the choice-sealed wine from the hand of divine bounty. Praise be to God that that Afnan is the cup-bearer of the choice wine and the bestower of rank and station. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee a herald of His Name, a harbinger of His Revelation, one who standeth in service to His Cause and speaketh forth His praise, and to ordain for thee that which will exalt thee through His Name and honor thee through His glory. He, verily, is the One Whom the conditions of men have not hindered, nor hath the might of princes deterred. He hath come with a power before which the power of the world stood powerless, and with signs at whose appearance the signs of the nations were obliterated. He, verily, is the Most Great Book, the Speaker, the One Who remembereth before the faces of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Your letters which were sent to this servant were each adorned with the light of divine unity and aflame with the fire of the divine Lote-Tree. Great is the station of this Day, for the Ancient Lord hath appeared in manifest sovereignty, speaking and conversing upon the Mount of Knowledge. Blessed is the ear and eye that hath attained to witnessing and hearing. The loved ones of that land are each remembered before the Wronged One with a mention that is, with God, more memorable than the most memorable mention, and hath been inscribed by the Supreme Pen. Say: O people of God! Be not saddened by the calumnies of the servants, the oppression of the oppressors, the turning away of those who turn away, and the cawing of the crows. Had people recognized the excellence of My Day, they would have cast away the treasures of the world, turning to My horizon from which hath shone forth the Day-Star of My Revelation, whereby the heavens and earths were illumined. Glory be to God! The Tongue of Utterance speaketh upon the Mount of Knowledge before the faces of all religions, and divine verses descend like the spring rains of God. Yet the servants remain barred from drawing nigh and deprived of witnessing. Glad tidings, O My loved ones, for how the Wronged One hath turned toward you and mentioned you with a mention whereat the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven spoke forth: “O people of earth and heaven! The gate of generosity hath been opened and the Ancient Lord hath appeared with a sovereignty before which all that the people possess cannot stand - they who abandoned what they were commanded and did what they were forbidden in the Book of God, Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

In most pages the Pen that revealeth verses hath been occupied with mentioning His loved ones. Happy are they and blessed are they. All must hold fast to love, fellowship, unity and harmony, and must speak with the tongue of truth these exalted words which were previously revealed from the Pen of Utterance: “Death to the veiled ones! Pain to the frozen ones! The King of kings hath come! That perfect Treasure hath come! That hidden Mystery hath been made manifest! To the chagrin of the base multitude!”

By the Sun of Truth! Today the oppressors, transgressors and all they possess are as a handful of dust before the Lord of Lords - nay, more contemptible still. Arise to promote the Cause through heavenly power and divine might, but with wisdom and utterance. Wisdom consists in deeds and actions that cause the people of earth to turn unto God. O My loved ones! I do not wish for any of you to be tainted with the dust of rancor and hatred. In truth I say: Your essential realities were created from light. You must be radiant and effulgent before all faces, in such wise that the people of East and West may be guided by and attain unto that light. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Kind, the Compassionate, the Generous, possessed of great bounty. In all conditions We have beseeched and do beseech God, exalted be His glory, for the protection of His loved ones. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Informed.

This day is specially dedicated to His Holiness the Prince of Martyrs, Husayn ibn ’Ali. A visitation tablet was revealed from the Tongue of Grandeur, and Mirza Mahdi, upon him be Baha, had previously requested it. Now it is sent that the sincere ones may recite it. Say: O My loved ones! The deed of that holy one among the manifest deeds in the world is as the sun among the stars. Blessed is the soul who, in the days of ’Ashura, mentioned that Essence of being with this Most Great Remembrance and Most Perfect, Most Complete Word, and who attained to its recitation. Say: Take the tablet of God with a power from Him and a strength from His presence, then do what ye have been commanded by One Wise in Command.

His letters are in truth eloquent harbingers of the fellowship and unity of His loved ones, and likewise of the rectification of matters that have occurred and become manifest through Him. Such lofty and goodly deeds are truly befitting of Him. This servant beseeches his Lord to manifest unto His Afnan that which will cause them to appear among His servants like suns in the horizons. One letter caused sorrow and grief, but praise be to God, it was not long before the details became clear. A soul like unto a spiritual beloved, his honor Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’l-Karim, upon him be the glory of God and His favors, who is mentioned before the Throne and inscribed in the Book - surely his grief becomes the cause of grief to the loved ones and friends. One envelope from Him wherein you had written the details did not arrive, but praise be to God, it arrived afterwards, mentioning his deliverance and his sanctity, and this became the cause of supreme joy after complete anguish, and evident ease after great hardship. Praise be to God that the matter did not become doubtful and there became manifest to all that which was the cause of his success, triumph and sincerity of deed. After this matter was presented before the Most Holy Court, these exalted words were revealed:

“O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory! Glorify on My behalf the countenance of ’Abdu’l-Karim - upon him be My glory - and illumine him with the lights of My utterance. Then recite unto him that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My grace. It behooveth him to render thanks unto God throughout the nights and days, inasmuch as He hath manifested that which was the cause of supreme joy to the loved ones of God and His chosen ones, and to them that are nigh unto Him among His creation. The Most Great Host and the Manifest Helper! Today it is pure and goodly deeds - by My life, through them God glorieth before His near angels. Blessed is he and joy be unto him! O ’Abdu’l-Karim! The Tongue of the Ancient of Days at this moment, on thy behalf, rendereth thanks unto Its own Self and uttereth and maketh mention of the blessed word of praise, for the praise that befitteth His Most Holy and Most Exalted Court is the praise that appeareth from the horizon of the utterance of the Goal of all the worlds. Say: Unto Thee be thanks, and unto Thee be praise, and unto Thee be bounty, and unto Thee be glory! Thou beholdest me, O my God, confessing to my powerlessness and the powerlessness of all on earth, acknowledging my poverty and the poverty of all in the lands. I beseech Thee, O Ocean of Generosity, by the heaven of Thy bounty and the Sun of Thy munificence, to aid me and Thy loved ones in that which will exalt Thy Cause and manifest the sanctification of Thy Being from all else but Thee, and the detachment of Thine Essence from aught else save Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Sweet Call and Thy Most Beautiful Names, and by the manifestations of Thy power in the kingdom of creation, and by Thy Announcement whereby earthquakes seized the tribes of Thy earth and the limbs of them that turned away from among Thy creatures trembled, to make Thy loved ones in this station the manifestations of Thy mercy, the dawning-places of Thy forgiveness, the sources of Thy attributes and the daysprings of Thy bounty, that their station may thereby be exalted among Thy servants. O Lord! We are Thy servants and Thy creation. We have turned toward Thee, detached from all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Lamp which the winds have encompassed, and by the light of Thy Cause which the doubts of the people of error have not veiled, to open before the faces of Thy loved ones the doors of Thy providence, and to ordain for them that which beseemeth the Ocean of Thy generosity and the Sun of Thy glory. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

In truth I say the friends are at most times present before My face and are adorned with the luminous ornament of divine remembrance. We beseech God to manifest from them each day that which will draw them nearer unto Him. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Afnan! You mentioned the Afnans, upon them be the glory of God, His care, mercy and grace. At the moment of presentation before Him, the sun of joy rose and shone from the horizon of the House. Blessed are they both and joy be unto them. They have done what was befitting of them in the days of their Lord. At their mention, the river of God’s care flowed and the ocean of His bounty and remembrance surged. We testify that they have done that which has diffused the fragrance of sincerity and steadfastness among all creatures. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to inscribe for them from His Most Exalted Pen that which nothing can equal - neither what is treasured on earth nor what is seen in heaven. Thus has the Pen of My loving-kindness moved in the field of My utterance, as a bounty from Me, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Surely you too were pleased with what was manifested. This Wronged One testifies that the mention of this praiseworthy deed has attracted the people of the cities of love and detachment. My tongue in My prison bears witness to this, as a mercy from Me to all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Glory be to God! The mention of this matter caused joy to those who circle round the Lord of all beings and the dwellers of the Most Glorious Pavilion, and they all uttered: “Praise be to Thee, O God of the world!” This bounty has no end and this ocean no shore. It behooveth the people of God to hold fast to the cords of the Lord of the world’s generosity, to thank Him, praise Him, mention Him and describe Him for having enabled them and aided them in that which is befitting of His days. Verily He is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the Confirmer, the Generous. That which has become the cause of the exaltation of the station and elevation of the ranks of His loved ones has been made manifest. I beseech Him to protect them and to ordain for them that which will gladden their hearts and tranquilize their souls. He is verily the Powerful, the Chosen One, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

As for your mention of the payment of debts and the resolve of the friends of that land and their assistance - all was presented, and He made special mention of each one in such wise that the very rocks of the world beseeched God for the power of hearing, that they might attain unto that which was revealed. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and worthy to answer. All your deeds during this journey have been adorned with the ornament of acceptance and the glory of His good-pleasure. This is the greatest of all the world’s bounties, now and forever. And all that you wrote regarding the dominion of this land was presented before Him and was honored to be heard. The Most Great Branch - may my spirit and being be offered up for the dust of His footsteps - specifically commanded that what was mentioned should be adhered to. He said the intention of the Afnan is in itself effective and beneficial. This is the truth, there is no doubt therein.

The servant beseeches his Lord to ordain for His Afnan that which will attract the hearts of the world and the souls of the nations. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer. There is no God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed.

After the presentation of the petition, other news arrived which truly brought fresh glad-tidings, and that is the account of the feast which Haji A. ?. - upon him be the glory of God - gave for both the faithful and others. Well done to him! This deed is a praiseworthy deed, for it is the cause of the turning of beings […]

O Afnan! Upon thee be my Baha! The aforementioned feast was among the requirements of divine wisdom. This deed hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. We testify that it was indeed a crown upon the heads of deeds and a sun in the heaven of actions. Convey my glad-tidings unto him and remind him of what hath been revealed by my Pen. By my life! He hath done what behooveth the days of his Lord. I have illumined him with the light of my utterance and my good-pleasure that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. Such deeds are a mighty cause for the unity of hearts and the turning of faces toward the Lord of all existence. Today all must hold fast to that which causeth the nearness and attraction of the peoples of the world. O Afnan! Glad-tidings! Glad-tidings! In these days the Orator of utterance ascended the pulpit in the City of Lovers and proclaimed with the most exalted call: “O people of the Most Exalted Paradise and O Manifestations of the Supreme Heaven! Rejoice and be glad in that the lovers have hastened to the place of sacrifice on the Day of the Covenant!” Then the Herald called from another direction: “This is the day wherein the companions of the Crimson Ark have attained victory through that which befell the Lord of all creation in the Land of Ta. God, the Lord of Destiny, hath illumined the prison-land through the arrival of ’Ali-before-Akbar.” Then the Herald called from the right of the luminous spot: “O concourse of earth and heaven! This is the day wherein the Trusted One arrived at a manifest prison in the path of God, the Lord of all the worlds.” Glory be to God! The oppressors imagine that through these afflictions and the kindled fire, the divine light and the fire of the Lord’s Tree will be extinguished and destroyed. The Wronged One testifieth that were all who are in the heavens and earth to gather to extinguish the light, they would find themselves utterly powerless. The Books of God have testified to this, both in the past and future. Blessed are they who understand.

The Afnan and the loved ones of that land all bear witness that the people of God have never intended, nor do they intend, conflict, corruption or disputation with anyone. For nearly forty years they have endured and resigned themselves to countless hardships and tribulations. Nevertheless, the fire of hatred in the breasts of the people of hypocrisy is observed to be greater than before. God hath sealed their hearing, their sight, and their understanding, for through these rejected satanic deeds they earn everlasting punishment and perceive it not. Soon shall perish the world and all that they possess, and they shall find themselves in grievous torment.

The protection of His Majesty the Most Great Emperor, may God assist him, hath become the cause of the inflammation of the fire of hatred. For some time they have been secretly engaged in instigation and zealously seeking means of oppression, until in these days the hidden contents of the breasts of the oppressors have become manifest and evident. Surely they have heard some of what hath transpired. Convey greetings to the General of that land on behalf of these people who are scattered throughout the world, and say: This people, in view of the favor that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of justice of His Majesty the Emperor, are all looking unto him and holding fast unto his good-pleasure. For this reason the oppressive souls have instigated a group against this wronged people, and have again stained the soil of some lands with blood shed in the path of God. We beseech God to assist that Dawning-Place of justice and equity in protecting this wronged band. Verily, He is powerful over all things. In truth, the cause and reason for this hatred is the manifestation of the favor that His Majesty the Most Great Emperor hath shown toward these wronged ones. We beseech God to assist His Majesty in protecting His flock. Verily, He is the Helper of those who help and the Supporter of the just ones. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty.

Your Excellency should mention to the General all that has transpired. It is hoped that His Honor will convey to His Imperial Majesty what will evoke His favor and ensure the protection of these oppressed ones. This servant, nay the world itself, is astonished that although these wronged ones have been and continue to be more submissive and humble than all other groups in Iran, and have obeyed whatever was commanded and ordained, and in all circumstances and instances of oppression and transgression did not raise a hand nor resort to defense - as the General himself and the noble officers of the illustrious government (may God assist it) have known and know - yet every day some evil from the wicked people becomes manifest.

His oppression of us is intense and evident

We have no recourse save to make it known

Let us see what the justice of His Imperial Majesty requires and commands. They have repeatedly stated that the purpose of these declarations is to inform, so that all may become aware and cognizant of the oppression of the tyrannical souls and the patience of these wronged ones. In truth, the matter is in God’s hands. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Protector, the Helper, the Succourer. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The servant, in closing, beseecheth God, his Lord, to protect His loved ones through the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to exalt them through His Name amongst all peoples. Verily, He is the Guardian of the doers of good and the Lord of those who place their trust in Him. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In all conditions, I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to assist these wronged ones in that which is the cause of the Most Great Steadfastness. Verily, our Lord is the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. In these days, the Throne is established in Haifa, together with a company of those who circle round it, the emigrants, and the travelers. Praise be to God, all are adorned with piety and illumined with the light of detachment. Each day they attain the honor of presence and meeting. This is a peerless, mighty grace. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for His loved ones that which befitteth the heaven of His bounty. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

A further submission is that several months ago, a sacred Tablet known as the Proclamation, as well as the Glad-Tidings, were dispatched according to the command of the Lord of the Unseen and the Seen. This Tablet contains laws that were scattered throughout the Most Holy Book and other Tablets, which the Blessed Being Himself gathered together. In that Tablet it was mentioned so that all may know and discover those laws that are the cause of tranquility for the peoples of the world, the comfort of nations, the elimination of discord and dissension, and the establishment of unity and harmony, and that they may raise their voices in praise and gratitude to the Goal of all the world’s peoples. In truth, the most great favor hath been made manifest, but the unjust ones of the earth have risen in such opposition that the Concourse on high are engaged in lamentation and weeping. O my God! O my God! Protect Thy servants, then aid them through Thy power and might. Verily Thou art the Most Powerful of the powerful and the Most Merciful of the merciful. Until now, no news of the arrival of that most mighty, most holy Tablet hath been received, and if it hath arrived, it must needs be translated so that their Majesties the kings - may God assist them - may become aware of its purpose and know of a certainty that this Community hath had and hath no purpose save the removal of corruption and the manifestation of justice and fairness. I beseech the True One to cause that Tablet to reach its destination. Verily He is the Powerful, the Commander, the All-Wise. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who are present before you and who hearken unto your words and your mention of the Cause of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earths. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

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=== START BH00208 ===

In the Name of the Most Glorious!

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, God of all worlds, my Purpose and Purpose of the mystics, my Beloved and Beloved of the monotheists, my Adored One and Adored One of those near unto Thee, my Desire and Desire of the sincere ones, my Hope and Hope of the expectant, my Refuge and Refuge of the seekers, my Shelter and Shelter of those who take refuge, my Goal and Goal of those who turn unto Thee, my Vision and Vision of the beholders, my Paradise and Paradise of those who attain, my Kaaba and Kaaba of the yearning ones, my Attraction and Attraction of the lovers, my Light and Light of the bewildered and penitent, my Rapture and Rapture of those who remember, my Cave and Cave of those who flee, my Stronghold and Stronghold of the fearful, my Lord and Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

I praise Thee for having made me to be attracted by Thy verses and to turn toward the horizon wherefrom shone the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance, and to be among those who accepted when most of Thy creation turned away. Thou art He Who, O my God, hath opened the gate of heaven with the key of Thy Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Great, Most Glorious Name, and called all to the ocean of meeting. When Thy sweetest call was raised, the attraction of that call seized those in the kingdom of names and the Concourse on High, and through it the fragrance of the garment of Thy Manifestation wafted over the lovers among Thy creation and the yearning ones among Thy creatures. They arose and hastened to the ocean of Thy reunion, the horizon of Thy beauty, the tabernacle of Thy manifestation and glory, and the pavilion of Thy might and meeting. The wine of reunion so intoxicated them that they became detached from all they possessed and all that people possess.

These are servants whom neither the might of Pharaohs deterred from turning to the pavilion of Thy grandeur, nor did the hosts of tyrants frighten from beholding the dayspring of Thy signs and the dawning-place of Thy clear tokens. By Thy glory, O God of existence and Educator of the seen and unseen! He who hath drunk the Kawthar of Thy love from the hand of Thy bounty is not deterred by the conditions of Thy creatures, nor is he disturbed by the turning away of those in Thy dominion. He calleth out with the loudest voice between earth and heaven and giveth the glad-tidings unto the people of the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the effulgences of the suns in the heaven of Thy gifts.

Blessed is he who hath turned toward the Kaaba of Thy meeting and become detached from all else save Thee. Mighty is he who hath acknowledged Thy might and turned toward the Sun of Thy providence. Learned is he who hath recognized Thy manifestation and confessed Thy conditions, Thy signs and Thy clear tokens. Clear-sighted is he whose eyes were illumined by the light of Thy beauty and who knew Thee when Thy call was raised. Hearing is he who attained unto hearkening to Thy utterance and drew nigh unto the surging ocean of Thy verses.

O Lord! This is a stranger who hath hastened to his most exalted home beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and a sick one who hath turned toward the ocean of Thy healing. Therefore, O my God and Enkindler of fire within my liver, behold the tears of mine eyes, the sighs of my heart, the burning of my liver, and the blazing of my limbs. By Thy glory, O Glory of the world! The Glory is consumed every moment by the fire of Thy love in such wise that were any of Thy creatures to approach him and hearken with the ear of innate nature, he would hear the sighing of the fire from every vein of his veins.

The attraction of Thy utterance and the wine of Thy favors have so seized me that my call ceaseth not nor doth the hand of my hope return unto me empty. O Lord! Thou seest mine eyes fixed upon the direction of Thy grace, mine ears turned toward the kingdom of Thy utterance, my tongue speaking Thy praise, my face set toward Thy face after the passing away of whatsoever was created by Thy word, and my hands raised toward the heaven of Thy bounty and bestowal. Wilt Thou forbid the stranger who […]

O Lord! Will you drive away the poor one who has hastened to the homeland on high beneath the shadow of the wings of Your mercy, and will You bar the destitute one who has rushed to the shore of the ocean of Your riches? Will You shut the door of Your grace in the faces of Your creatures after having opened it through Your might and sovereignty? Will You blind the eyes of Your creation after having guided them to the Dayspring of Your Beauty and the Dawning-Place of the lights of Your countenance? No, by Your glory! This is not my thought nor the thought of those servants who are nigh unto You and those who are sincere among Your creatures. O my Lord! You know and see and hear that by every tree my cry is raised, and by every stone my wailing and lamentation are lifted up. Have You created me, O my God, for tribulation, or for the manifestation of Your Cause in the kingdom of creation? You hear, O my God, my sighing and my crying, my powerlessness, poverty, need, distress and lowliness. By Your glory! Weeping has prevented me from remembering and praising You, and such are my sobs that they have bewildered the bereaved mothers and stopped their crying and sighing. O Lord! I beseech You by the Ark through which the sovereignty of Your Will and the influence of Your Purpose were made manifest, and which moves by Your power upon both land and sea, that You will not seize me for my grievous sins and major transgressions. By Your glory! The oceans of Your forgiveness and mercy, and Your past treatment of the sincere ones among Your chosen ones and the unified ones among Your messengers have emboldened me. O Lord! I see that the manifestations of Your bounty have attracted me and the wine of Your utterance has seized me from all directions, such that I see nothing except that it makes known to me and reminds me of Your signs, Your manifestations and Your attributes. By Your glory! Whenever I turn my gaze toward Your heaven, it reminds me of Your loftiness, elevation, exaltation and supremacy. Whenever I look to the earth, it makes known to me the manifestations of Your power and the appearances of Your grace. Whenever I behold the sea, it speaks to me of Your greatness, might, sovereignty and majesty. When I turn to the mountains, they show me the standards of Your victory and the banners of Your glory. By Your glory! O You in Whose grasp are the reins of the world and the bridles of the nations! The heat of Your love and the wine of Your oneness have so taken hold of me that I hear Your remembrance and praise in the whistling of the winds, Your attributes and descriptions in the murmuring of the waters, and the mysteries of Your decree which You have deposited in Your realm in the rustling of the trees. Glory be unto You, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! Praise be unto You for having made known to Your servants this Day wherein the Kawthar of life has flowed from the finger of Your bounty and the springtime of revelation and meeting has appeared through Your manifestation to all who are in Your heaven and on Your earth. O Lord! This is a Day whose light You have made sanctified from the sun and its effulgence. I testify that it has been illumined by the light of Your countenance and the dawning of the lights of the morn of Your manifestation. This is a Day wherein every despairing one has been clothed in the robe of hope, every sick one adorned with the garment of healing, and every poor one drawn nigh unto the ocean of riches. By Your beauty, O Sovereign of eternity and He Who is seated upon the Most Great Throne! The Dawning-Place of Your signs and the Manifestation of Your attributes, despite His ocean of knowledge and heaven of understanding, has confessed His powerlessness to know the least of the signs which are attributed to Your Most Exalted Pen - how much less Your Most Glorious Being and Your Most Exalted Essence! I know not, O my God, by what remembrance to remember You, by what description to describe You, and by what praise to praise You. If I describe You by Names, I see that their kingdom was created by the movement of Your finger and trembles in fear of You […]

Were I to praise Thee through attributes, I would witness that they are Thy creation and within Thy grasp, and it befitteth not their manifestations to stand before the gate of the city of Thy Revelation - how much less the station whereon Thou art established upon the throne of Thy grandeur and might, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven! All that is adorned with the garment of words is verily created in Thy kingdom and brought into being by Thy will, and is unworthy of Thy presence and unsuited to Thy court. Since the sanctification of Thy most exalted Self from all that is created in the realm of existence and all that hath occurred to the hearts of the chosen ones and the minds of the faithful hath been established, the horizon of unity dawneth and it becometh manifest to the free and the enslaved that Thou art one in Thy essence, one in Thy command, and one in Thy manifestation. Blessed is he who hath detached himself in Thy love from all else save Thee, hath hastened to the horizon of Thy manifestation, and hath attained unto this cup, beyond whose station all the seas do lie. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy power, might and dominion which have encompassed all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to cause the servants to recognize this manifest path and this straight way, that they may acknowledge Thy unity and oneness with a certainty that the doubts of the suspicious cannot affect nor the imaginings of the wayward obscure. O Lord! Illumine the eyes of Thy servants and their hearts with the light of Thy knowledge, that they may become aware of this most exalted station and most resplendent horizon, lest the cawing of the ravens prevent them from beholding the effulgence of the light of unity, or hinder them from turning towards the horizon of detachment. O Lord! This is the Day wherein Thou didst give glad tidings unto all of Thy manifestation, Thy dawning and Thy effulgence, and didst take the covenant of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets, and didst make the Bayan the herald of this Most Great and Most Glorious Manifestation, and this Most Luminous and Most Exalted Dawning. Yet when the horizon of the world was illumined and the Most Great Name appeared, they denied Him and His signs, save those whom the sweetness of Thy remembrance and praise did seize, and upon whom descended that which none can reckon save Thy knowledge that encompasseth all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. Thou knowest, O my God, that the Revealer of the Bayan counseled all who are in the realm of possibility concerning Thy Cause, Thy manifestation and Thy sovereignty. He said - and His word is most sweet - “Beware lest the Bayan and its Letters shut you out from the All-Merciful and His sovereignty,” and He said “Should He produce but a single verse, reject Him not. Hasten unto Him that He may cause to descend upon you what He willeth of His grace. He is, verily, the Lord of creation and the Sovereign of existence.” Thou seest, O Beloved of the world and He Who hath appeared through the Most Great Name, that He hath indeed come with the Kingdom of verses in such wise that the atoms themselves bear witness that they have filled the horizons. Yet despite this most manifest and most glorious Revelation, and these verses which none can reckon save Thy knowledge, O Lord of Names, Thou dost witness and behold their turning away from the Dayspring of Thine Essence and their objection to the Source of Thy knowledge and Thy signs. Pride in sin hath seized them to such extent that they have denied Thy manifestations, Thy appearances and Thy signs, which every discerning eye can see upon all things, testifying to Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty and acknowledging Thy Revelation and Thy power. They have spoken concerning Him that which hath caused the inhabitants of the most glorious pavilion and the Concourse on High to lament, and by their words the livers of Thy chosen ones and the hearts of Thy loved ones have melted. Such heedlessness hath overtaken them that they have cast behind their backs Thy most great signs and have taken their own idle fancies, O Lord of Names and Sovereign of earth and heaven. And verily Thou, O my God and Beloved of my heart, hast adorned with the mention of this Day Thy Tablet which none hath known save Thyself and […]

I have named it the Day of God wherein naught should be seen save Thy Most Exalted Self, and naught should be mentioned save Thy sweetest remembrance. When it appeared, trembling seized the limbs of all creation, and every learned one was struck dumb, and every knower was perplexed, save those who drew near through Thy might and partook of the choice wine of Thy Revelation from the hand of Thy grace, and drank in Thy name, and exclaimed: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds! And glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the hearts of them that yearn!”

O my God, my Lord, the Goal of my hope and the End of my desire! Thou seest and hearest the sighs of this Wronged One from this darksome pit which the vain imaginations of Thine enemies have built, and from this blind well which the idle fancies of the wicked among Thy creatures have digged. By Thy Beauty, O Thou Whose glory is unveiled! I am not impatient in the troubles that touch me in my love for Thee, nor in the adversities which I suffer in Thy path. Nay, I have, by Thy power, chosen them for mine own self, and I glory in them amongst such of Thy creatures as are near unto Thee and such of Thy servants as are wholly devoted to Thy Self.

I beseech Thee, however, O Thou Who art the Educator of the world and the Sovereign of nations, at this moment when, with the hand of hope, I have clung to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy and loving-kindness, to forgive Thy servants who have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and have turned toward the splendors of Thy countenance, and have drawn nigh unto the horizon of Thy good-pleasure, and approached the ocean of Thy mercy, and have spoken forth Thy remembrance in their days, and have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love. Ordain, then, O my God, for them, before their ascension and after it, that which beseemeth the loftiness of Thy bounty and the sublimity of Thy grace. O Lord, cause them who have ascended unto Thee to abide within the precincts of Thy most exalted Paradise and beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and the tabernacles of Thy glory. O Lord, sprinkle upon them from the ocean of Thy forgiveness that which shall make them worthy to abide, for all eternity, within Thy most exalted kingdom and Thy most sublime dominion. Verily, Thou art the One Who doeth as He pleaseth.

O Lord! Deprive not Thy loved ones of the sweet savors of this Day whereon the mysteries of Thy name, the Self-Subsisting, have been unfolded, and all that had been enshrined within the treasuries of Thy knowledge was revealed. This is the Day, O my Lord, whose atoms cry out and say: “O Lord of Revelation and Sovereign of all creation! I sense the fragrance of Thy reunion, as though Thou hast manifested Thyself and hast opened wide the gate of meeting with Thee to all that are in Thy heaven and on Thine earth.” O Lord! He who hath recognized the fragrance of Thy garment hath assuredly perceived that the world hath been honored by Thy coming and hath attained unto the sweet breezes of Thy reunion. Yet, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations, I know not in what spot Thy throne of grandeur hath been established, nor which place hath been blessed by Thy footsteps and illumined by the light of Thy countenance.

By Thy glory, O Lord of all being and Sovereign of the seen and unseen! Every man of learning hath gone astray in his attempt to know Thee, and every exponent of wisdom hath been confounded in his efforts to fathom the signs of Thy greatness. To such an extent have all confessed their powerlessness to attain true knowledge and their inability to soar unto that heaven wherein hath shone forth one of the Suns of the Manifestations of Thy knowledge and the Daysprings of Thy wisdom. None hath the right to make mention of this most exalted station and most sublime habitation which Thou hast placed above the understanding of Thy creatures and the testimonies of Thy servants. It hath ever been veiled from comprehension and knowledge, and sealed with the seal of Thy name, the Self-Subsisting.

By Thy might and dominion which pervadeth the kingdom of earth and heaven! Were any one of Thy chosen ones and Thy messengers to contemplate the workings of Thy Most Exalted Pen, which is moved by the finger of Thy Will, and were to ponder its mysteries, its influences and all that proceedeth therefrom, he would be so perplexed as to find himself powerless to speak or give utterance […]

The heart falls short of true knowledge, for at times it sees the water of life flowing through all contingent things - which Thou hast named forms - raising those in their graves; and at other times there appears from it fire, as if kindled from the Fire of the Divine Manifestation when the Interlocutor spoke on Sinai. How wondrous are the expressions of Thy power and how mighty are the revelations of Thy might! Every learned one hath confessed ignorance before the effulgent rays of the Sun of Thy knowledge, every powerful one hath acknowledged powerlessness before the surging waves of the ocean of Thy strength, every wealthy one hath admitted poverty before the manifestations of the treasuries of Thy riches, every mystic hath acknowledged extinction before the revelations of the light of Thy Beauty, every mighty one hath confessed abasement before the dawning of the Sun of Thy glory, and every possessor of greatness hath acknowledged his nothingness and the nothingness of all else, and the permanence of Thy greatness, Thy sovereignty, Thy loftiness and Thy power.

O my God and the God of all things, my Sovereign and the Sovereign of all things, my Beloved and my Goal! Thou knowest that I make mention of Thee today on behalf of those among Thy creation who are detached, and I describe Thee with the tongue of those among Thy creatures who profess Thy unity, that perchance there may arise from the sighs of their hearts in Thy love and ardor that which shall consume all that preventeth Thy servants from turning toward the heaven of Thy knowledge and the kingdom of Thy signs.

O my God and the God of names, Creator of earth and heaven! This is a day wherein he whose breast hath been set aflame with the fire of Thy reunion communes with Thee. Where is separation, O my God, that union might be recognized at the manifestation of the light of Thy singleness and the dawning radiance of the Sun of Thy oneness? I ask Thy forgiveness, O my God, for all this and for all that hath flowed and floweth from my pen in Thy days. I bear witness that Thou hast not made communion a station for me, but rather for those who have preceded me through Thy command and Thy will, and Thou hast made verses specially reserved for this mighty Manifestation and this Great Announcement, wherewith the pages of Thy glory and Thy Preserved Tablet have been adorned.

O Thou Who kindleth the fire in the breast of Baha and manifesteth the light in the heart of Baha! I thank Thee for having taught Thy servants how to remember Thee and the ways to commune with Thee through Thy Most Holy and Exalted Tongue and Thy Most Mighty and Sublime Utterance. Were it not for Thy permission, who would dare describe Thee with glory and grandeur? And were it not for Thy teaching, who would know the paths of contentment in the kingdom of creation?

I beseech Thee, O Lord of Bounty and Sovereign of existence, to guard Thy servants from the suggestions of their hearts, then raise them to a station where their feet slip not from the manifestations of Thy deeds which Thy wisdom hath necessitated and whose mysteries Thou hast concealed from the face of Thy creatures and creation. O Lord! Withhold them not from the ocean of Thy knowledge, and deprive them not of what Thou hast ordained for those near to Thy chosen ones and the sincere among Thy trusted ones. Then grant them from the ocean of certitude that which will still their agitation, and transform, O my God, the darkness of their fancies into the light of certitude. Then make them steadfast and upright upon Thy Straight Path, lest the Book prevent them from its Revealer, and Names from their Creator, Provider, Originator, Sovereign, Manifester, Destroyer, Exalter, Abaser, the One with power over them, and the One Who prevaileth over their designations.

Verily, O my God and my Lord, Thou didst send down the Book to manifest my Cause and to exalt my Word, and through it Thou didst take the pledge of my Self from all that hath been created in Thy kingdom. Thou seest, O Beloved of the world, that the oppressors among Thy creatures have made it a stronghold for themselves, whereby they have turned away from Thy Beauty and denied Thy signs and […]

Thou art the One Who, O my God, counseled them in Thy mighty Book and didst say: “O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful, and deny not Him Who hath made the Bayan to be but a leaf amongst the leaves of His Paradise. Verily it was a gift from Me unto Him. Should He accept it, He, verily, is the Most Bountiful, and should He cast it away and reject it, He, verily, is the Just Judge in His judgment, the Praiseworthy in His deeds, and the Obeyed in His commands. To none is given the right to object to Him.”

O my God! Thou seest the Wronged One among those who have denied Thy right and turned away from Thy sovereignty. He around Whom circle the proofs, and in Whose name and by Whose sovereignty the Evidence crieth out at the highest pitch amidst all created things - they have committed in His days what no pen can recount, and perpetrated that which hath caused the Spirit to lament and the denizens of the Kingdom and the dwellers of the pavilions of the Realm of Might to cry out. Were anyone to hearken with the ear of innate nature, he would hear the sighing and lamenting of all things at what hath befallen Him Who is the Wronged One of the horizons at the hands of them from whom Thou didst take the Covenant on the Day of Separation.

Is there any just one, O my God, who will judge fairly in Thy Cause? Is there any possessed of sight who will behold with Thine eyes? Is there any endowed with hearing who will hear with Thine ears? Is there any with a tongue who will speak the truth in Thy days? By Thy glory! O Thou Who gazeth from Thine all-glorious horizon and heareth what the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary uttereth! Were anyone to look into Thy Books which Thou hast named the Bayan and ponder on that which hath been revealed therein, he would find every book thereof heralding My Revelation, speaking My Name, bearing witness to My Self, proclaiming My Cause, My Remembrance, My rising and My dawning. Yet despite Thy proclamation, O my God, and Thy declaration, O my Beloved, I have heard and seen what they have spoken concerning Me and what they have committed in My days.

O Lord! I testify in this station, despite those who have turned away from Thee, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, and this is Thy Day which hath been adorned with its mention in Thy Scriptures, Thy Books, and Thy Tablets. He Who speaketh is indeed the hidden Treasure, the concealed Mystery, the preserved Tablet, the veiled Secret, and the sealed Book. He is to be obeyed in whatsoever He ordaineth, commandeth and revealeth, and is beloved in whatsoever He ordereth by His sovereignty and decreeth by His power. Whoso hesitateth for less than a moment hath denied Thy right and all that Thou hast revealed in Thy Books and Scrolls and sent down through Thy chosen ones, Thy Prophets, Thy Messengers and Thy Trustees.

I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose hands lie the kingdom of the heavens and earth and in Whose grasp are all who dwell in the dominions of command and creation, to withhold not the glances of Thy favors from them who have borne hardships in Thy path, quaffed the cup of tribulations in their love for Thee, entered prison in Thy name, and endured what none of Thy creatures and beings have endured. O Lord! They are Thy servants who answered when Thy call was raised, who turned their faces when the light of Thy countenance shone forth, and who hastened forth when Thy most exalted horizon appeared with Thy Name whereby all who are in Thy heaven and earth were thunderstruck. O Lord! Ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who welcomed the arrows of the idolaters in Thy Cause and Thy love, and hastened to the dawning-place of tribulation in Thy name and remembrance. Thou art He Who, O my God, hast promised in the decisive verses of Thy Book to mention them therein as a recompense for their deeds in Thy days. O God! Bestow Thy blessings upon them and […]

Let Thy names be magnified, O Lord, upon their countenances through a takbir whose sun hath dawned from the horizon of the mouth of Thy will and whose lights have appeared from the kingdom of Thy utterance. O Lord! Immerse them in the ocean of Thy mercy and illumine them with the lights of the daybreak of Thy manifestation. Then forgive, O my God, their fathers and mothers, through Thy bounty and Thy grace and Thy favors. Then send upon them, from the right hand of Thy most exalted Paradise, the fragrant breezes of the garment of Thy Most Glorious Beauty. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily, Thou art the Ruler, the Commander, the Bestower, the Forgiver, the Generous. And praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the world and O Thou Who art mentioned in the hearts of them that have recognized Thee.

=== END BH00208 ===

=== START BH00209 ===

He is God, exalted be His station, the Greatness and the Power!

Praise be to God Who, when seated upon the Throne of Manifestation, proclaimed: “There is none other God but Me, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting”; and upon the Throne of Concealment: “There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.” When established upon the Seat of Grandeur, He uttered that which caused the sincere ones to soar in the atmosphere of divine knowledge and the near ones to ascend unto the heaven of certitude. Then He spoke another word whereat all who are in earth and heaven were shaken, save those whom God honored and drew unto the Most Exalted Horizon. We testify that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified beyond the mention of all created things and exalted above whatsoever the possessors of understanding have uttered. Glory be unto Him! How great is His dominion, how perfect His proof, how manifest His signs, and how evident His testimonies! When He appeared from the horizon of His Most Great Name, the peoples differed by reason of their following the imaginings of those who preceded them. Woe unto them for having cast behind them His Most Exalted Pen and followed the bidding of the workers of iniquity who denied the Lord of the Beginning and the End. Praise be to God Who caused the Pen to speak and taught man what he knew not. Verily He is the One Who ruleth as He pleaseth. At times He withholdeth, and at times He causeth to flow. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

The servant hath attained unto your letter which testified to your turning toward the Most Exalted Horizon and your acknowledgment of that which God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End, hath acknowledged. When I read it, I found from it the fragrance of the garment of your love for God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Through it my eyes were cheered, my heart was gladdened, my inner being was delighted, and my breast was dilated. We beseech God to assist me and grant me this blessing which strengtheneth both body and spirit. Verily He is the Answerer, the All-Loving. My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance.

After the first letter dated the 20th of Dhi’l-Qa’dih was presented before the Face and submitted, no response was manifested from the horizon of utterance. Then your second letter dated the first of Dhi’l-Hijjih became a source of boundless joy and was likewise presented before the Face, but no response appeared from the horizon of divine will. Then the third letter dated the 27th of Muharram arrived, and likewise. It was later understood that these delays were due to certain wisdom, as these regions have not been free from disturbances owing to the rebellion and transgression of those who have risen against Islam. We beseech God to aid the true religion and cause it to prevail over all religions. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower.

In any case, days passed and nights elapsed until one day, the fifteenth of Sha’ban, I was commanded to present myself, and the Beloved ordered me to read your letters once again, and He, may our spirits be a sacrifice for Him, answered one request after another.

O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! What thou didst send of the letters hath been received in the Prison, and We have heard what thou didst express in thy petitions. Let nothing grieve thee in the Cause of God. We conduct affairs with wisdom lest that occur which would sadden hearts. By My life! Thou art mentioned in the Prison. Blessed art thou and blessed are those with thee who have followed that which they were commanded by God, the Lord of the worlds. The rosewater which ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar and the son of the martyr who served the Wronged One in the Land of Mystery sent hath been presented before the Face, and likewise other items arrived. We beseech God to assist all in that which He loveth and is pleased with.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Muhammad-Hasan of Ya, blessed is he in his sojourn there. There is no objection to his engaging in some occupation and returning to his home. Convey My greetings to him and give him the glad tidings of My remembrance of him, that he may be among those who rejoice. Say unto him: Thou hast turned, thou hast drawn nigh, and thou hast attained. Give thanks unto God for this great bounty. None should journey to this land, for it is unsettled. We see what others see not. We desire naught but good for the loved ones of God, and they must hold fast unto what is befitting in all conditions. This is what the Wronged One hath chosen for the loved ones of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Javad son of Murad, We have accepted his turning and drawing nigh. Give him glad tidings from Me, that he may rejoice in what the tongue of the Wronged One hath spoken in this remote prison. Blessed is he who hath held fast today unto the ordinances and commandments of God and hath acted according to what is commanded in His wise Book. Say: O My loved ones! Hold fast unto the cord of God’s loving-kindness and cling to the hem of His all-encompassing grace. It behooveth you to act in such wise as would sanctify the Cause among the servants. By the life of God! This is manifest good.

Concerning the two handmaidens from N and J, We beseech God to forgive them and purify them from all that beseemeth them not. Give them the glad tidings that they have been remembered in the prison. Blessed is the soul that hath been mentioned before the Wronged One, and the heart that hath attained His love, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

As for him whom thou didst forget to mention and acknowledged this in thy later letter, by My life, thine acknowledgment of forgetfulness in this station is the very essence of remembrance. Be thou grateful and among the thankful ones.

Know thou that the Supreme Pen maketh mention of the Name of God, the Most Truthful, who turned toward the Most Glorious Horizon in the Prison Land by leave of his Lord. He hath another station, when he turned toward Iraq and attained what the near ones attained. He is verily the star that shone forth from the horizon of heaven. This is truly a noble station. Blessed is he who visited him in the Land of Ha, as pronounced by the Pen of his Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

The first light that shone from the horizon of eternity and the first fragrance that wafted from the garment of the mercy of the Lord of Names be upon thee, O thou servant who gazeth toward the Supreme Horizon. I testify that thou didst hear the Call and answer thy Ancient Lord, and didst turn toward the Countenance when the servants turned away from it, and didst acknowledge the Day that was mentioned in the Book. Blessed art thou, and again blessed art thou, and blessed is he who turneth unto thee and visiteth thy luminous resting-place. I testify that thou didst drink the Choice Wine sealed from the hands of the bounty of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, Who speaketh the truth: There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. We have mentioned him in other stations. He is verily the Faithful, the All-Knowing. Here endeth the passage.

As to what thou didst write concerning Mulla Ali-Akbar, it was submitted. God willing, may he be occupied at all times with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds, and in whatever land he dwelleth, may he be enabled to serve the Cause with wisdom.

And in thy second letter was mentioned Mulla Muhammad-’Ali of Dahaj. It is strange that the one mentioned hath not arisen to settle his debt which was guaranteed by thee, despite countless emphases on such matters. We beseech God to enable us to do what profiteth us. Trustworthiness, religious devotion, and truthfulness are deeds whose benefit returneth first to the person himself and then to others. However, it is strongly suspected that he hath not had the means to pay it.

Concerning what you wrote about the Surahs and Tablets of the Land of Mystery, desist in this matter for now. And concerning what you wrote about the books of one Muhammad from the people of S who was with Aqa Muhammad-Hasan, it was mentioned and They said let them remain with you. And concerning what you wrote about Aqa Rajab-’Ali - may the 966 [Baha’u’llah] be upon him - and what he left behind, these matters must be handled according to divine laws. All those funds do not reach his spouse as given in N and J. Although such funds are not worthy of mention, yet since one must act according to divine laws, it is mentioned. The inheritance must be distributed according to the laws. Now you may use those funds in your possession and offer tea to the friends of that land for the sake of that departed believer and his departed believing wife. God willing, both are immersed in the ocean of divine forgiveness.

Concerning Aqa Muhammad-Baqir, this is what the Beloved uttered: God willing, may all the loved ones of God be illumined by the lights of His countenance. O Baqir! Give thanks to God that thou wert mentioned before His presence and didst turn to God, the Lord of the worlds. Grieve not over remoteness, for nearness is in His hand - He ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth among His servants. He is the Ordainer, the Wise. The earth hath not found rest. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Be patient and say:

Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy knowledge and enabled me to attain unto Thy mention and praise. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and trustees, and that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. O Lord! Deprive me not of the outpourings of the rain of Thy mercy, and drive me not from Thy door which Thou hast opened unto all in Thy heaven and on Thine earth. O Lord! Ordain for me a seat of truth near unto Thy mercy and a station of security beneath the shadow of Thy sovereignty and dominion. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

God willing, the friends of God must engage in service to the Cause, and service to the Cause means acting according to what hath been and shall be revealed in God’s Book. Today, goodly character, pleasing deeds, and teaching God’s Cause with wisdom are essential. O Baqir! God is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, and witnesseth all deeds and words. We beseech God to aid thee and all His friends to perform such deeds as shall cause the exaltation of His Cause. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained the recognition of God, the King, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

And concerning what thou didst mention about his brother Ramadan-’Ali, We beseech God to forgive him through His grace, to immerse him in the ocean of His bounty, and to ordain for him that which shall profit him in the Hereafter and in this world. He is verily the Bestower, the Generous. O friends! Be content and thankful with what God hath commanded, for creatures have not been and are not aware of their own affairs and their outcome. God knoweth and He is the All-Knowing, the Wise. With utmost joy and fragrance, occupy yourselves with promoting the Cause of God and act according to what is in the Book. The promotion and service of every soul hath been and shall be according to their capacity. For example, if today someone offers a cup of water to one of God’s friends, they have succeeded in serving the Cause according to their capacity and to the measure of their deed. Strive that no matter escape you that would cause eternal regret and endless remorse.

And concerning what thou hast mentioned about Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali, We bid him as We have bidden Our servants before, and counsel him to fear God, to remember Him, and to act according to what the All-Merciful hath revealed in His mighty and unerring Book. O Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali! He Who loveth God hath mentioned thee in His Book, and We make mention of thee with that which will gladden thy heart. Give thanks unto God, the Single, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle and cling to the hem of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to turn towards Thy most exalted horizon and to set my face toward Thee after all things have perished. I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of Names and by the power wherewith Thou didst create earth and heaven, that Thou leave me not to myself, but cause me to be moved by Thy will. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And concerning what thou hast mentioned about Mihman, blessed is she for having attained unto this wondrous name, and blessed is she for having shown steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Master of the Day of Judgment. In the path of God she hath borne hardships and hath, to the extent possible, been engaged in service to the Cause. God willing, she was and ever shall be adorned with the ornament of divine love and embellished with the greatest steadfastness. Her mention hath been and will continue to be before the Wronged One. We beseech God to aid her and those who are with her in that which He loveth and is pleased with.

Furthermore, the sublime Tablet which thou didst receive from Mulla Muhammad-’Ali and dispatch as commanded hath arrived.

Regarding the Book of Prayers thou didst write about, it shall certainly be corrected. The friends may inquire about any passage that cometh to thy notice.

Concerning the books of Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], let them send the corrected copy of the Book of Verses, and likewise the Book of Prayers after correction. A Persian copy hath also been started here.

As for what thou didst write about Haji Ghulam and Haji ’Abdu’llah, their mention was submitted before His presence. A kind word concerning them was uttered from the Source of utterance. Return to Iran would be preferable. God willing, wherever they may be, may they be engaged in remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds with the utmost joy and delight.

Furthermore, most people are deprived of the chosen ones of God and are engaged in the utmost deceit, trickery and guile. Among them is Husayn, known as Sukhtih, who hath made plans to travel to and from Cyprus, and surely cometh and goeth by that route. The friends of God must avoid him, for often they become the cause of discord among the friends. One named Taqi came to this land and later was dismissed and departed. Afterwards it became known that in Aleppo the aforementioned Sukhtih had deceived him and taken him to Cyprus. We beseech God to open the eyes of those who walk in the wilderness of fancy and error. By the life of God! They are in manifest remoteness and grievous sin.

Furthermore, convey greetings from this evanescent one to the friends in that land, and mention to Ismu’llah Safi, upon him be the Glory of God, that his letter was received, causing the utmost joy and gladness. God willing, may you be occupied with the remembrance of God in all conditions. This servant hath never forgotten that person in special occasions, and regarding the matter thou didst mention, God willing, it hath by now arrived.

In relating recent news, they have taken possession of the Land of Mystery [Baghdad] and its surroundings. All that the All-Merciful had revealed in the Tablets has come to pass. Surely the Tablet to Ra’is is before His blessed eyes. In any case, in those regions, blood was shed beneath every tree, and the cries and lamentations of the servants, of widows and others, rose up from the hills and mountains, cities and villages. Verily the Pen is powerless to describe what transpired therein. The Tablet to Ra’is indeed informed us of what would occur there. After news of the Bishop’s arrival in Adrianople, a prayer was revealed from the Most Holy Court, and He commanded the friends to recite it, saying “This, despite My knowledge that successors are like their predecessors.” This is what was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen:

He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth, in His Name, the All-Subduing over all names.

O My God, the All-Merciful and the All-Powerful over creation! I beseech Thee by Thy Self to protect the Sultan. Then I beseech Thee not to regard him and the transgressions of his predecessors in sovereignty, but rather to behold the ocean of Thy bounty, the heaven of Thy grace, and the sun of Thy favors. O Lord! Ward off from him the hands of evil with the Hand which Thou hast made to be above the hands of all Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

From these blessed words it can be understood that relief will come to the Sultan, but this will be after great losses that have occurred and will occur. Furthermore, regarding that which was forbidden from the Most Holy Court, and which was repeatedly and successively forbidden to the people through healing utterances, manifest verses and clear words - as that honored one can testify - most did not succeed in hearkening to the divine call and were not adorned with the ornament of acceptance and deeds, until a word was revealed to his honor from the Source of Command. It appears its purport was that since they did not heed the divine command, they would be prevented in other ways. God, the Exalted, the Great, has spoken truth. In any case, more than one hundred and fifty souls are now residing in this land and were in the utmost joy and comfort, but now ease has been transformed into hardship.

Among the matters that have occurred in this land is that his honor [Baha’u’llah] has incurred debts exceeding two thousand tumans - two thousand tumans belonging to the merchant partner, and a considerable sum from the poor merchant himself. It is evident that this amount was given with trust in God. The aforementioned personage has thoughtlessly taken on this burden. I have briefly mentioned this; if I were to detail the debts and recent occurrences of this city, you would surely become saddened. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Concealer, the All-Wise. Your honor is not aware of what people are now saying and what is befalling the Cause. Jinab-i-Salman has become aware of some details, that is, before the spread of news about the aforementioned person who was in this land. In any case, from outward appearances this land has become very constricted, as wheat has risen from eight tumans per kharvar to twelve tumans, and likewise other items. We beseech God to assist His servants to hearken unto His Cause and to trust in Him, to deliver us from the promptings of self and passion, and to enable us to achieve that which will profit us in the Hereafter and in this world. Verily He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. I swear by the Most Great Name, had they hearkened to that which was sent down from the heaven of bounty, all would have attained perfect outward and inward blessings. Now the debts of Aqa ’Abdu’l-Ahad and other debts have reached four thousand tumans. This is a brief account of the situation in this land. For some time now nothing has been received from the government for the friends, and we praise God for this, although it was not worthy, and the government itself is now in great difficulties.

Another matter: For some time after the arrival of your honor’s letter and its presentation before the Most Holy Court, no response appeared from the horizon of the Cause, as was mentioned. After some time, the command was issued to present your honor’s letter at the Most Holy Court. After a second presentation, an answer was revealed, but then for several months it was not sent due to wisdom’s requirements, just as specifically for certain souls who were in that land at that time and whom your honor mentioned, divine verses were revealed from the horizon of grace, but there was such delay that some of those souls arrived at the Prison City without permission. These delays were due to the requirements of wisdom and expediency. A letter also arrived from Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Muhammad. Its answer has been delayed until now. This ephemeral one conveys greetings to him. May God willing, he be assisted and confirmed in all conditions. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to open unto him the gates of joy and gladness, blessing and bounty, and expansion.

Another matter: It was previously written that fifty tumans would be sent to that land. They have written that it was given to Haji Ahmad to deliver upon his return from Mecca. They should write the details of this.

Regarding the mother of Aqa Muhammad Hasan, the situation of this land has been repeatedly explained. It is not at all advisable for her to come to this land, now or ever. Let her occupy herself with some matter there until later what is required becomes clear. Whatever is necessary will be done later, if God should will it.

Convey greetings and praise to the gentlemen and friends of that land, contingent upon that Holiness’s favor. The circumambulators and dwellers of the Most Holy Land, especially in service to that Holiness and all the loved ones, offer infinite greetings. Glory be upon Your Holiness and upon them. The Servant. [On] 19 Safar 1295. The Branches of the Blessed Tree - may my spirit and all that my Lord hath bestowed upon me be a sacrifice for their glory - convey most mighty, most impregnable, most holy greetings to that Holiness and all the inhabitants of that land. The people of the pavilion of divine infallibility have especially commanded at this time that I should convey greetings on their behalf to that honor, and to the honor of the Name of God, the Chosen One, and to the honored guest.

=== END BH00209 ===

=== START BH00210 ===

He is God, the Mighty, the Beautiful

Unique glorification, sanctified above limitation and the knowledge of created things, befitteth the court of might of that Eternal One, Who hath been and shall forever be ensconced within His own most holy and exalted sanctuary, and Who, from time immemorial unto time everlasting, shall remain upon the seat and throne of His independence and grandeur. How utterly independent hath His sacred Essence been from the comprehension of all created things, and how immeasurably exalted shall it remain above the praise of all dwellers of earth and heaven! Through the pure bounty of His grace and the sublime excellence of His mercy, He hath deposited within all things that are seen and known the sign of His knowledge, that no thing might be deprived of recognizing His presence according to its capacity and station. And this sign is the mirror of His beauty in creation, and the more this most exalted, most wondrous, and most impregnable mirror is polished through striving and endeavor, the more shall the manifestations of His names and attributes and the evidences of His knowledge and signs be impressed and reflected therein, to such degree that every thing may witness in its place and every thing may know its limit and measure, and may hear from all things that there is no God but Him and that ’Ali-Qabli-Nabil is the Manifestation of all names and the Dawning-Place of all attributes, that all were created by His will and all act by His command.

Although this mirror may draw nigh unto the holy gardens of the All-Merciful and the sacred precincts of divine intimacy through spiritual struggles and heavenly attractions, becoming cleansed of dark impurities and satanic fancies, yet since every matter hath its appointed time and every fruit its determined season, the appearance of this grace and the springtime of this beneficence hath ever been in the Days of God. Though He hath bestowed upon all days a portion of His wondrous favors according to their capacity, yet He hath ordained for the days of His manifestation a station beyond the comprehension of those endowed with understanding. Thus, should all the hearts of those who dwell in the heavens and the earth turn in those divine days towards that Sun of celestial glory and be directed unto Him, they would all find themselves sanctified, illumined and purified. Exalted be this grace, before which no grace hath preceded! Exalted be this bounty, which hath no likeness in creation nor peer in invention! Exalted be He above all that they describe or mention!

Thus in those days none hath needed nor shall need another, as was observed when most of those who sought the divine sanctuary in that heavenly Day spoke forth with such knowledge and wisdom that none besides those holy souls had ever attained nor shall attain to a single letter thereof, even should they engage in study and learning for a thousand years. Thus have the loved ones of God been independent of all knowledge in the days of the manifestation of the divine Sun; nay rather, the springs of knowledge and wisdom have flowed uninterruptedly from their hearts and innate nature.

O Hadi! God willing, thou hast been guided by the lights of the eternal morn and the appearance of the everlasting dawn, that thy heart might be sanctified from dark and transient souls, and thou mightest find all knowledge and mysteries inscribed therein. For verily it is the comprehensive Book, the perfect Word, and the all-encompassing Mirror. “We have recorded all things in a clear Book, if ye would but know.”

And furthermore, a question about detachment was asked. That respected one has understood that detachment means detachment of the self from all else save God - that is, to ascend to such a station wherein nothing whatsoever among all that exists between the heavens and the earth can prevent one from the Truth. In other words, neither love of anything nor occupation with it should veil one from divine love and engagement in His remembrance. As is evident to behold, most people today have clung to vanishing ornaments and grasped onto vain causes, thus depriving themselves of everlasting blessings and the fruits of the Blessed Tree. Although the wayfarer in the paths of Truth may attain to a station wherein he sees no place or station save detachment, yet this matter cannot be expressed in words, nor can the Pen step forward to inscribe it. This is of God’s grace, which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. In any case, detachment has never meant and will never mean the squandering and waste of wealth, but rather means turning unto God and relying upon Him. This station, in whatever way it is achieved and through whatever thing it becomes manifest - that is detachment, and its beginning and end. We therefore beseech God to detach us from all else save Him and grant us reunion with Him. Verily there is no God but Him. His is the Command and the Creation. He bestoweth what He willeth upon whomsoever He willeth, and He is powerful over all things.

Furthermore, a question about return was asked. This matter has been mentioned in detail in all Tablets with various explanations and countless wisdoms. God willing, let them refer to these so they may become informed of its nature. The beginning of all things is from God and the return of all shall be unto God. None can deny this. The return of all is unto the Truth, though some return unto His mercy and good-pleasure, and others unto His wrath and fire. In the Persian and Arabic Tablets, all these matters have been fully and completely mentioned. Refer to them if you wish to know. Likewise, the Primal Point - exalted be His grandeur - has written about this in detail in the Persian Bayan. Let them refer to it, for a single letter thereof suffices all the peoples of the earth. And God hath recorded everything in a Clear Book. Likewise observe in your own beginning that it was from God and unto God shall it return. Even as ye began, so shall ye return, and unto Him shall ye all return.

And as to what thou hast asked concerning the well-known tradition “He who knoweth his self hath known his Lord” - know thou that this utterance hath, in each of the infinite worlds, wondrous meanings according to that realm, whereof none besides that realm hath any knowledge or understanding, nor ever shall have. Were all of these meanings to be mentioned as they truly are, neither all the pens in creation nor all the oceans of ink would suffice to record them. Yet a drop from this vast, infinite ocean shall be mentioned, that perchance it may guide the seekers to the goal of their quest and lead those who search unto their ultimate objective. God guideth whom He willeth unto His mighty, powerful and glorious path.

Consider, for instance, the rational soul which is a divine trust deposited within human beings. Observe within thyself how movement and rest, will and purpose, and all else above and below these, as well as hearing, sight, smell, speech, and other outward and inward senses, all exist through its existence. Indeed, were its connection with the body to be severed even slightly, all these senses would be deprived and prevented from their effects and actions. This is most evident and known, that the effect of all these aforementioned causes is dependent and conditional upon the existence of the rational soul, which is a sign of the manifestation of the sovereign Unity. Through its manifestation all these names and attributes appear, and through its concealment all become non-existent and perish.

Now, if it be said that it is sight, it is sanctified above sight, for sight appears through it and exists by its existence. And if thou sayest it is hearing, it is observed that hearing is mentioned through attention to it, and likewise with all else that can be described by names and attributes which exist in the human temple. All these diverse names and manifest attributes appear and are witnessed from this sign of unity, yet in its essence and reality it is sanctified above all these names and attributes. Rather, all else in its presence is utter nothingness and complete void.

If thou wert to contemplate with the minds of the first and the last unto eternity upon this divine subtlety and manifestation of holy eternality, thou wouldst assuredly find thyself incapable and wanting in truly knowing it. And when thou observest thine own powerlessness and limitation in attaining to the knowledge of the sign that exists within thyself, thou wilt surely behold with the eye of inner and outer vision thine own impotence and that of all created things in knowing the Divine Essence and the Sun of eternal glory. The acknowledgment of powerlessness in this station, when based on insight, is the utmost limit of the knowledge of the servant and the highest attainment of the worshippers.

If thou shouldst ascend, through the degrees of trust and detachment, to the heights of holy independence, and open thy spiritual eye, thou wouldst see this utterance free and detached from the limitations of self, and wouldst hear with the ear of understanding from the divine holy Dove that “whoso knoweth anything hath known his Lord,” for in all things there is the sign of the manifestation of eternal glory and […]

The resplendent dawnings of the Sun of Divine Unity are manifest and visible, and this hath never been, nor shall ever be, confined to any single soul, and this is the truth in which there is no doubt, if ye be of them that know. But the primary purpose of knowing the self in this station is to know the Self of God in every age and dispensation, for the Ancient Being and the Ocean of Truth hath ever been sanctified above the knowledge of all else. Therefore the knowledge of all knowers returneth unto the knowledge of the Manifestations of His Cause, and they are the Self of God amongst His servants, His Manifestation amidst His creation, and His Sign among His creatures. Whoso knoweth them hath known God, whoso acknowledgeth them hath acknowledged God, and whoso confesseth their truth hath confessed the signs of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting. Thus do We expound the verses unto you, that ye may be guided by the signs of God.

O Hadi! Be thou guided by the guidance of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things. Then gird up thy loins to aid the Cause of God, and follow not those who have taken the Samiri as their protector instead of God, who scoff at the signs of God in derision and are among the transgressors. When the verses of thy Lord are recited unto them, they say: “These are but veils.” Say: By what discourse, then, did ye believe in God, your Lord? Bring it forth, if ye be of the truthful! The Cause hath now reached such a pass that, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, all who are in the heavens and on earth secretly weep and lament over the oppression of this servant. Yet We have placed Our trust in God, our Lord and the Lord of all things, and I behold all who are in the kingdom but as a handful of clay, save those who have entered into the depths of the love and knowledge of God. Thus do We make mention unto thee, that thou mayest be of them that know.

As to what thou didst ask concerning the tradition that the believer is alive in both worlds - yea, this is true, even as the sun which hath risen in this atmosphere, which hath appeared in this heaven, which was in this cloud, if ye be of them that understand. Nay, if thou remainest steadfast in thy love for thy Lord and attainest unto the station wherein thy feet shall not slip, there will appear from thee that which shall quicken both worlds. This is a revelation from One mighty, all-knowing. Therefore give thanks unto God for having bestowed upon thee from this Kawthar whereby the spirits of them who draw nigh are quickened, and for having raised thee up in truth and sent down unto thee the verses whereby God’s proof hath been perfected unto all the worlds. By God! Were a single drop thereof to be bestowed upon the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, thou wouldst find them all enduring through the endurance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

It is known to that honored one that all names and attributes and all things, both visible and manifest and hidden and unseen, after the removal of the veils from their faces, naught shall remain save the sign of God which He hath deposited therein, and this shall endure for as long as God, thy Lord and the Lord of the heavens and earths, willeth - how much more so the believer, who was the very purpose of the creation of existence and life. Even as the name of faith hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning and will endure unto the end that hath no end, likewise the believer hath been and ever shall be alive and enduring, circling round the Will of God from time immemorial. He it is who endureth through the endurance of God, abideth through His abiding, is manifest through His manifestation, and is hidden through His command. It is evident that the most exalted horizon of immortality hath ever been the dwelling-place of them that believe in God and His signs. Never shall extinction find its way unto that sacred seat. Thus do We impart unto thee the verses of thy Lord that thou mayest stand firm in thy love and be of them that know.

Since all these matters have been set forth in detail in most of the Tablets, they are here mentioned with utmost brevity. We hope, God willing, that thou mayest attain unto the furthermost horizon of detachment and arrive at the reality of the journeys which is the station of survival through God, and like unto the sun become influential, radiant and luminous in the world of dominion and the kingdom. Despair not of God’s grace, for none despaireth of His bounty save those who are in loss.

Then make mention from Us to thy companion who hath been named Rida, and give him the glad tidings of what God hath desired for him, that he may be of them that rejoice. Then remind the servants not to falter when a momentous matter cometh unto them. Say: Be steadfast in the Cause of God and His remembrance, transgress not the bounds of God, and be not of the transgressors.

Indeed, it behooveth all in this day to attain unto and remain firm in such a station that should all the devils of the earth gather together to turn them aside from the path of God, they would prove powerless and would find themselves utterly impotent. Say: O people! Be ye the might of God against His enemies and His mercy unto His loved ones. Be not of them who are so overcome by atmospheric moisture that no trace remaineth in them of male or female, and they become of the indolent. Arise, O people, from the couches of heedlessness through a fire which, were all who are in the heavens and earth to face it, ye would find its trace. This is what God counseleth you, that ye may be of them that know.

When thou arrivest at the City of God, remind its people and give them glad tidings of the remembrance of God in their remembrance, that they may be of those who receive glad tidings. Then remind the House and its people, and those from whom thou perceivest the fragrance of holiness from this sacred and noble scene. Then give glad tidings to Rida and those who are with him from among the loved ones of God. Then remind them from Us with a gracious reminder. Then recount to them what hath befallen Us from those who desired to sacrifice themselves in Our path while in their hearts was a rancor greater than every lofty mountain. Thus doth God reveal what is in the hearts of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, the Lord of all worlds. And among them was he who turned away, then repented, then disbelieved, then believed, until he ended at his beginning in the lowest depths of hell.

O people of the Bayan! Fear God and be conscious of Him in your own selves, such that ye neither associate with him, nor feel comfort in his presence, nor sit with him in gathering, nor be of the heedless ones. Flee from him unto God, your Lord, that God may protect you from him and from his evil and from his hosts. Thus do We inform you with justice that it may be a mercy from Us upon you and upon all created things. By God! Were ye to have the glance of faith, ye would find in his countenance the trace of hell. By God! From him wafteth the odors of hatred which, were they to waft over all created things, would transform them to the lowest of the low. Thus do We recite unto you from the verses of God and cast upon you from the words of wisdom and teach you the ways of piety, purely for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

By God! His face testifieth to his unbelief, his utterance to his hypocrisy, and his form to his turning away, if ye be of those who perceive. He claimeth within himself the essence of detachment just as Satan claimed and said: “I have purified my face for God, the Lord of all worlds, and therefore I did not prostrate before Adam before, nor will I prostrate, for were I to prostrate to other than God, I would then be of the idolaters.” Say: O accursed one! If thou hadst believed in God, why didst thou disbelieve in His glory and His beauty, His light and His radiance, His sovereignty and His grandeur, His power and His might, and wert of those who turned away from God Who created thee from dust, then from a drop, then from a handful of clay?

By God, O people! Were he to mention God, he would mention Him only for the deceit that is in his breast. Fear God and draw not nigh unto him, O people of unity! And if he commandeth you to good, he commandeth you to evil, if ye be of those who know. Beware lest ye trust in him or in what he possesseth, and sit not with him in the gatherings of the loved ones. By God! We desired naught in what We mentioned to you save My love for you, O concourse of the sincere ones.

And ye, O people of the Bayan! Aid the All-Merciful with your hearts, your souls, your tongues, your bodies, and all that ye possess and all that ye have, and be not of the patient ones. By God! O hosts of God and His party! This hypocrite hath done unto Us what Satan did not unto Adam, nor Nimrod unto Abraham, nor Pharaoh unto Moses, nor the Jews unto Jesus, nor Abu-Jahl unto Muhammad, nor Shimr unto Husayn, nor the Dajjal unto the Qa’im, nor the Sufyani unto God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Generous.

By God! The clouds of the Cause weep over Us, then the clouds of bounty, then the eyes of those brought nigh. Thus hath befallen Us in the land of exile in the prison of the enemies. We have informed you of a letter thereof, nay less than that, that ye may be of those who are informed, and perchance there may be kindled in your hearts the fire of love and ye may aid Us in every matter and not be of the heedless ones.

Then mention the Mahdi, against whom that which grieveth the hearts of the mystics was perpetrated. Say: O servant, be patient in the Cause of God and His decree, then be steadfast in all things and be not of them that waver. And if abasement toucheth thee for My name’s sake, be not disheartened within thyself, but stand firm in thy love. Then call to mind the days when the sweet-scented breezes of God, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Great, wafted among you. Then detach thyself, thy spirit and thy very being from such as these, and be in the kingdom among Our steadfast servants.

Then mention the Majid in Our behalf, and those with him among God’s chosen ones and His loved ones, that ye may be of them that rejoice. Say: Beware lest thou gather with the enemies of God in any place, nor hear aught from them, even if they recite unto thee from the verses of God, the Mighty, the Generous. For Satan hath led most of the servants astray by their agreement with him in mentioning their Creator with the utmost of what they possess, as ye find among the concourse of Muslims, in that they make mention of God with their hearts and tongues and do all that they are commanded, and thereby have they gone astray and led the people astray, if ye be of them that know. When Ali came unto them with the truth, with the signs of God, they turned away from him and disbelieved in what he brought from the presence of One Wise, All-Informed. Thus doth God cast upon you that which shall preserve you from all else but Him, as a mercy from His presence unto the worlds. Then mention the Rahim in Our behalf, that he may be mindful within himself and be of them that remember.

Say: O servant, remind the servants of that which God hath taught thee, then guide the people to the good-pleasure of God, then forbid them from drawing nigh unto the satans. Say: By God, on that Day there was no balance of God save the love of God and His Cause, then My love, if ye be of them that know. They who turned away from Me have turned away from God, and this is My proof, were ye of them that perceive. O people, sanctify your eyes, then your hearts, then your souls, that ye may distinguish the countenance of God from the faces of the idolaters. Then mention those who have believed in God and His signs, then His light and His splendor, then in Him Who shall be made manifest in the Mustaghath, that it may be a mercy from Our presence unto them and a remembrance unto the worlds. And whoso turneth away from Me, turn ye away from him and draw not nigh unto him ever, and this is what hath been inscribed in the preserved tablets of might. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00210 ===

=== START BH00211 ===

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who by Thy most sweet call hast enraptured the heart of the world, and through the fragrances of the garment of the remembrance of Thy Most Glorious Name hast perfumed the realms of eternity! The rapture of longing hath seized me through the letter sent by the burning phoenix of love, wherein he warbled with the melodies of the nightingale of separation upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of yearning. How ardent are the sighs of the fire of his heart in his love for Thee, O my God, and how tender the attraction of his heart in his love for Thee, O my Beloved! The fire blazeth and surgeth from the burning of his heart in separation from Thee, and the Mount flieth from the rapture of his heart in longing for Thy countenance. The earth is rent asunder by what it hath inhaled of the fragrances of separation from the dwelling-place of union, yet the heaven rejoiceth in his spirit amidst the channels of destiny and his seeking of Thy good-pleasure and his desire for that which pleaseth Thee. O my God, that which hath appeared from the horizon of Thy most pure Tongue hath been confirmed, in that Thou didst name him the Phoenix, for I see that he liveth and rejoiceth and delighteth in the midst of the fire of sorrows even as the nightingale in paradise, and in the sphere of fire he singeth with Thy Chosen Name, and in the depths of the sea he uttereth Thy praise and announceth the glad-tidings of meeting Thee. Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great, Most Wondrous, Most Glorious Name, and by Thy Beauty that hath dawned from the horizon of the prison with lights that cannot be concealed, that Thou kindle the fire of his love in such wise that its flames may seize every lifeless one, melt every frozen one, cause every stationary one to soar, soften every hardened one, draw nigh every distant one, and gather together every scattered one, for verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art, verily, the Potent over all things.

My spirit and my soul be a sacrifice for Thee! The letter of that beloved of heart and soul, which was perfumed with the fragrances of the garment of the remembrance of the Beauty of the Most Merciful and the countenance of the All-Glorious, reached this evanescent servant and was illumined with the splendors of its wondrous words and exalted meanings. Praise be to God that the fragrance of that beloved was inhaled from his most pure letter. Indeed my eyes were solaced, my vision was illumined, my innermost heart was gladdened, my spirit rejoiced, my heart was attracted, my soul was stirred, and my heart cried out: “To Thee, to Thee, O companion of my heart and intimate of my soul, Thou Who art remembered in all my limbs and witnessed before the throne of my Lord, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved!” The supplication which he had offered was presented before the glorious throne in the late afternoon of Monday of the first Rabi’, and from the Dawning-Place of the utterance of the Most Merciful these most sweet and wondrous words shone forth, exalted be His majesty:

“O thou who hast turned thy face to the Qiblih of the horizons and art enkindled with the fire of separation! Hearken unto the testimony of God which hath prevailed over the worlds. I bear witness by My own Self unto My own Self that there is none other God but He, and that thou art among those who have fulfilled the Covenant and discharged the trust of God on the Day whereon souls were agitated, flesh did creep, and feet did slip. The grace of thy Lord hath encompassed thee, and also thy father and mother, whom We have adorned with the ornament of Our Most Glorious Name in the kingdom of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We hear from thee that which passeth through thy heart and floweth from thy tongue in remembrance of thy Lord. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. And We have heard that wherewith thou didst commune with God, thy Lord, and there hath appeared before the Throne the leaf which hath been adorned with the remembrance of God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Blessed art thou and thy brother and those who are with thee and who hear what thou mentioneth in remembrance of thy Lord, the Dayspring of lights. Those who object to thee are in heedlessness and behind a veil. Ask thou God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things and the Lord of creation, to gather all upon the shore of this Most Great Sea and to make them recognize His Self, the Mighty, the Chosen One.”

O Samandar! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Power, Who addresseth thee from the direction of the Most Great Prison. Though every soul hath heard His call and turned towards Him - as witnessed by the fact that most of the peoples of the earth, of whatsoever faith, cling to and turn toward the name of the All-Merciful - yet such hearkening is not acceptable in the sight of God, for they remain veiled from the true Purpose. Therefore hath the decree of rejection gone forth from the Source of Divine Command concerning such souls. They who today have attained unto the hearing of the Divine Call - these are the gems of existence, both seen and unseen. This Call resembleth not the call of the first or the last, nor are its hearers like unto the souls of before or after. Observe how, despite being encompassed by the utmost severity and the most extreme affliction and abasement from all directions, yet from the horizon of the Prison the Sun of the Cause hath risen with such radiance that, were it beheld with the eye of the heart, it would be seen that its effulgence hath encompassed the kingdom of the seen and unseen. In the midst of abasement, it manifesteth such glory that the might of all in the heavens and earth is as naught before it. The eyes of all creation have been gladdened by what hath shone forth from the horizon of the Prison, and ears have been purified to hearken unto what hath been raised therein, and all things have been stirred by its most sweet call. How wondrous is this Revelation, the like of which hath never appeared in creation! It is as though every atom of earthly dust danceth from its fragrances, moveth in its atmosphere, and seeketh to attain the presence of its countenance. God willing, your honor should remind the people with utmost yearning and attraction, yet never forsake wisdom in any circumstance. Some people are weak, some heedless, and some knowing yet deniers. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The conditions of all are witnessed and known to God, but as He regardeth with favor, He hath not wished to rend the veils of souls. Verily thy Lord is the Concealer, the Forgiving, the Generous. It is known that God’s infinite favors have been and will continue to be bestowed upon your honor, and especially from the heaven of grace have Tablets been revealed and sent in the very script of revelation - you shall attain unto their perusal. And regarding the differences mentioned in the letter of Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, this evanescent servant, after observing before His presence, submitted it, and from the Source of Command was revealed, exalted be His grandeur: “We testify that the son of Nabil, who was named Kazim and then Samandar, hath believed in God and His signs, and the truth beareth witness with him, and all things bear witness, by the testimony of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that he is among those who have acknowledged the unity of God and His singleness, and was among the monotheists. None may object to him in the Cause of his Lord. He hath turned toward the Qiblih of the world, and he is of those who have rent asunder the veils through My Name and shattered the idols of fancy through My remembrance and sovereignty. By My life! He is among the triumphant.”

They stated: This utterance of the All-Merciful which was revealed concerning you is “Be thou grateful and among those who render thanks.” However, in view of the fact that in these days We are occupied with momentous and crucial matters - for never before has the Cause of God been openly proclaimed to the rulers of the earth, in none of the Manifestations of the divine Oneness was the Cause of God proclaimed as befitteth it, as they saw wisdom in concealment - but in these days the dominating Will of God and the prevailing Purpose of the King of Oneness have ordained that He should summon all and draw them to the divine realm. Therefore the clamor of all has been raised, and from every quarter they have sought and continue to seek with the talons of hatred to extinguish the divine Spirit. Thus must the loved ones, as far as possible, be mindful of reconciliation. This has been and will be closest to wisdom. However this matter depends upon wisdom and prudence, lest conflict and contention arise between any parties that might cause harm to the loved ones of God. Be thou assured that thy Lord knoweth what is in the hearts and distinguisheth the corrupt from the righteous. Verily He knoweth all things. Unambiguous words have ever been sent down and made manifest from the Source of the Cause, yet people interpret them according to their own desires. We beseech God to make them recognize the Manifestation of His Cause and His sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds.

If you meet Mulla Isma’il, convey greetings on behalf of this evanescent servant. Although the holy fragrances have not been inhaled from him, yet in view of past friendship, this servant, purely for the sake of his Lord, the All-Merciful, submitteth this that perchance he may become detached from the cord of doubts and idle fancies and hold fast to the firm handle of God. They recite a poem fitting for this station:

O ?afi?, thy task is but to offer prayer,

Care not whether it be heard or unheard.

Therefore must the servant, purely for the sake of God and with his gaze fixed upon the realm of fidelity, remind his old friends of what he hath understood. If one hearkeneth, it is for his own sake, and if one turneth away, verily God is independent of all worlds.

One day, in the presence of the Most Great Throne, it was heard from the Most Holy Tongue: “They have deprived him through the cord of past delusions from the Truth. Would that he had knowledge and recognized That Which he hath clung to! By My life! Were he to know, he would instantly repent and return unto God, the True, the Manifest King.” They know not of His Cause, nor do they wish to become acquainted with it. Like those souls who today cling to idols, they refuse entirely to hearken unto the Word of Truth, lest they might turn from that which they possess toward Him Who possesseth all authority. And He said: “Write to him: Hast thou not heard the consummate, primal Word which hath been revealed from the Source of the Pen of Command: ‘Verily, the wayfarer on the white path and crimson pillar shall never attain to the station of his homeland except through detachment from all that is in the hands of men’?” And write to him: “Apart from all the proofs, evidences, verses and conditions of this Most Great Revelation, I ask but one question: Was the Bab - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - aware of this Revelation or not? If thou sayest He was not aware, thou hast denied knowledge to the Source of knowledge itself. And if thou confirmest that He was aware, We say: Given His knowledge of this Most Great Revelation and its lack of truth, He would have been obliged to announce throughout the entire Bayan that such a mighty matter would appear and that ye should not turn to it, for the purpose of the Bayan was to establish truth and invalidate all else, just as it is recorded in all heavenly Books that false pretenders would come and their words should not be accepted.”

“O fair-minded hearer! If thou canst find in the entire Bayan a single verse suggesting, even indirectly and without explicit statement, that should someone appear ye should hesitate for even a moment, We would count those who pause among the rightly guided. Throughout the entire Bayan He biddeth all to turn toward Him at His mere call, even before the presentation of proof. I adjure thee by God - would any person of understanding utter such words? Nay, by My true Self! How much less One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed! For there are many false pretenders who have made and continue to make claims, as ye hear from every corner. What wisdom, then, lay in having devoted the entire Bayan to the mention of this Most Great Revelation, removing from this Cause all limitation and restriction to such extent that He saith that however and whenever He appeareth He hath free choice, and stating that the entire Bayan and all the Most Beautiful Names, laws and ordinances revealed therein were and are contingent upon the confirmation of that Sun of Revelation and dependent upon the Word shining from the horizon of the mouth of that King of Reality?”

“Reflect a little! It is most unbefitting for ones like you to hesitate in a Cause that is more evident than any proof or evidence. Have ye not heard what He saith, exalted be His glory: ‘Proof itself is ashamed to be proof for Him.’ Today it behoveth all to gather around the all-embracing Word and strive according to their capacity to assist the Cause of God, for the Ancient Beauty hath Himself, after entering the Most Great Prison, undertaken momentous and mighty affairs, even as He hath taught, one by one, all the rulers of the earth.”

Strive ye according to your capacity to aid the Cause of God, for the Ancient Beauty Himself, after His arrival in the Most Great Prison, undertook matters of great moment and significance, even as He taught the kings of the earth one after another, as thou art aware of some of these instances. Consider with fairness: is it permissible to oppose or befitting to turn away from such a Soul Who today stands alone between earth and heaven, summoning the peoples of the East and the West to the Truth with the utmost power and dominion? Nay, by His very Self, the All-Merciful! With all these enemies among the wielders of power and might, it is not permissible that the people of the Bayan should arise in opposition. O fair-minded one! If thou deniest Him, whom wilt thou accept, and by what proof wilt thou establish thine own faith? Bring it forth! By My life, ye have no escape today. Hearken unto the call of Him Who summoneth thee for the sake of God. Cast aside what thou hast and take what God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, hath commanded thee.

I swear by the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of the Prison that had this Revelation not appeared, the Point of the Bayan would never have uttered a single word of that which He revealed. Consider the Books of old: the announcement of each subsequent Prophet was contingent upon the words of the preceding Prophet, and all made mention thereof through subtle allusions, as ye have seen and heard. What, then, was His purpose in saying that caution in religion should not withhold thee from turning to that Sun of Truth, for to the extent of thy hesitation thou shalt abide in the fire? By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, the Bayan was revealed solely for My mention and praise, and the Dove warbled therein only for My firm and mighty Cause.

Even as in this Most Great Revelation no word hath been revealed stating that should someone come forward with a claim, ye should accept him or turn unto him, save after the passing of a full thousand years, and such limits as have been set down. Beyond this word, nothing hath ever flowed or shall ever flow from the Most Exalted Pen, nor is it permissible that it should, for many are the thieves lying in wait, and many are the ravens who claim to be doves. The example of this Revelation is like unto that of the son of Zachariah and Jesus, son of Mary. Reflect, that thou mayest know, then turn unto God, thy Lord, with a pure heart and radiant countenance.

Say: O my God and my Master! Base desire hath kept me from Thy mention, O my Lord the Most Glorious, and the world hath withheld me from turning unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all names. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Cry was raised between the heavens and the earth, through which the Hour was bewildered within itself, and through which earthquakes seized all the tribes, that Thou deprive me not from the ocean of Thy Most Great Name, of which every drop crieth out with the loudest voice between earth and heaven that verily He is the Quickener of the worlds, the Beloved of the worlds, and the God of all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth. O Lord! Strengthen me through Thy power and might, that I may shatter with the arm of certitude the idols of idle fancies of the polytheists. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent, the Strong, the Mighty, the Great.

The ode of Khajeh was presented in detail at the Most Holy Court. This word shone forth from the dawning-place of the All-Merciful mouth: The ocean of nearness and reunion is surging and its fish are in the utmost hopes. The curse of God be upon those who have come between him and them. That which is beloved today is that your honor and his honor your brother - upon you both be the Glory of God - should be engaged in your trade with the utmost effort and striving, for the earning of livelihood in this Revelation is accounted as among the good deeds. And in the teaching of the Cause likewise be engaged with perfect wisdom. If it be deemed advisable and Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-’Ali should move purposely toward the Desired One, there is no objection. However, if Jinab-i-Amin should turn toward the direction of the Desired One, it would be more fitting for them to set out together. Although outwardly the door of attainment to the presence is closed, for the satans have prevented it from every direction, yet should a soul become successful in inhaling the diffused fragrances in this city and its surroundings, which is the seat of the Most Great Throne, he will attain unto all good and the decree of attainment to the presence will be true regarding him. Therefore, at the time of setting out, one must be content with whatever may befall him. In truth, contentment hath ever been and will continue to be beloved before God. In any case, I convey wondrous greetings to his honor your brother, and I observe many expressions of bounty and favor in relation to him from the direction of the Desired One. We beseech God to assist him under all conditions. Verily, He is powerful over all things. And the supplication that was submitted was presented before the Face. From the Dawning-Place of favor the answer hath been revealed and will be sent. Upon you both be all-glorious Glory and all-resplendent Light.

And regarding that sum which was mentioned, it was presented before His countenance and this blessed verse was revealed: “We have accepted it from thee and apportioned it amongst the servants and preferred those who circle round the Throne, for they are poor. Verily thy Lord is the All-Possessing, the Most High.” For there are many souls, both those who are associated with the loved ones of God and are now imprisoned in this Most Great Prison, and both young and old who remain from the martyrs of the past - all are observed to be in utmost difficulty. Although there is not yet anything substantial available to relieve even the outward needs of some of the loved ones, and they are present in every land, both in Iraq and in Mosul and other regions, therefore that sum should be distributed according to the command as follows: Fifty tumans to Jinab-i-Dhabih of the people of K, which was previously assigned; ten tumans to the family of Ustad Ahmad who entered the prison with God, which should reach the land of K, and a letter which that same honored one wrote to his home - its reply and receipt of delivery should be sent to the Most Holy Court; twenty tumans to the family of Jinab-i-Hajji Ja’far who entered the prison with God in Tabriz, and receipt of delivery should be sent; fifteen tumans to the family of his brother, the aforementioned Karbila’i Taqi, receipt of delivery to be obtained and sent; the remainder should reach Jinab-i-Aqa’i Aqa Siyyid Mahdi, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. It has been mentioned to him what should be done, but the more quickly they can deliver it, the more beloved it is and will be in the sight of God. And if it reaches Jinab-i-Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in Mosul, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, that is also good - he will deliver it. Thirty tumans in the land of T to Jinab-i-Mirza Husayn from TF should be given to a trustworthy person to deliver quickly and send receipt to the Court of the Throne. And further, they should not be confident in any person at all times, but should be mindful of this blessed word which has risen from the Dayspring of the mouth of the All-Merciful, His word, exalted be His majesty: “Be not confident in anyone’s words, be observant of their deeds. Many a man claims the highest station, yet when he sees that which he desires not, he objects to God, the Lord of Names.” The total of several items [145 tumans] - whatever remains should reach His Holiness Zayn in Mosul, upon him be the Glory of God the Most Glorious, and he will carry out what he is commanded to do. Two turquoise or black bordered headscarves, ten to twelve tumans if found, should be sent - here a Christian physician has requested them; previously in Tehran they were given at these prices, now consider. And further, one mann of sewing silk, one-third colored and two-thirds white. Hasten in sending the headscarves as they have been promised for some time. Again it is submitted that twenty tumans should also be sent in the land of T to Jinab-i-Mulla ’Ali-Akbar SM for him to deliver to the children of Jinab-i-Aqa’i Ismu’llah al-Munir, upon him be the Glory of God the Most Glorious. This servant’s special request: if a trustworthy person is departing, send some of the blessed writings of His Holiness the Exalted One, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - it would be a great cause of joy and gladness to this transient one’s heart. Verily the spirit and glory and radiance be upon your honor and those with you among the people of Baha, upon them be the Glory of God and His mercy.

=== END BH00211 ===

=== START BH00212 ===

In the name of God, the Sufficient, the Helper!

First, one must know wherein the All-Wise Lord and All-Knowing Sovereign hath placed this mighty matter and sublime mystery. Then must one purify and sanctify the soul and spirit from the cage of self and desire, that it may become worthy of this divine trust and heavenly artifice.

Take then the luminous water from the dark fire, that the high may be distinguished from the low, and separation be made between water and earth. After separation, let purification occur that it may be fit for marriage and mixture. That is, burn the sulfur with gentle fire, which is the moist putrefaction of the wise ones, until the earth of sulfur is extracted from the water of sulfur.

Apply this subtle, sharp, luminous water to this dark earth repeatedly through distillation and redistillation until no water remains in the earth and all water has been obtained. Then apply some of this water to the purified earth and leave it in the aforementioned moist putrefaction. Repeat this until this sulfurous water unites with the mercurial earth.

Then feed some of this water to new mercury twenty-one times, or less or more, until this earth becomes waxy. At this point the lunar elixir is complete. If you wish, you may apply the first distillate to the sulfurous earth repeatedly until this divine water dissolves whatever essence of soul remains in this earth, such that no trace of soul remains therein. At this point the pillars of the Stone - which are spirit, soul and body - will be prepared.

Herein is revealed the mystery of divine unity in this wondrous art. Then apply some of this profound solution, which is the mercury of the prophets, to this purified earth until this divine water dissolves this silver taken from mineral gold and makes it part of itself - that is, until the sulfurous earth unites with the mercurial water, meaning it becomes waxy. Then leave this waxy earth in solution for some days until you achieve the end of waxing, which is the first station of dissolution. This is the complete degree of the gates of the lunar elixir.

Thereafter, if you wish to feed the aforementioned purified oil, which is the same as the soul, to this illuminated waxy earth, the solar elixir will be completed. This is among the greatest gates - whoever attains it has attained the ultimate goal.

Know also that some seekers of this art attempt to marry incompatible spirit and body without proper measurement and preparation, hoping to achieve mixture - but this is extremely unlikely and they will never reach their aim. This word in this science is among the secrets of the prophets and sages: that spirit will not dwell in a foreign body, nor will body accept a foreign spirit. If this matter is understood, you will attain all that you seek.

Some have called the Stone the microcosm, taken from the macrocosm, for they consider man to comprise the three genera, which are vegetable, mineral and animal. Though the form of this temple is of the lesser world, yet its inner reality reflects the greater world. They have likened the creation of stone to the creation of man - that is, it appears from the earth and returns to the earth. But nothing grows from the earth except through water. Therefore understand, O seeker, the signs of mysteries in the inner meanings of words.

I shall mention one of the symbols of the Prophets so that you may become aware of all the mysteries of this Cause. If you comprehend its symbols, know that God, blessed and exalted be He, created the earth from water and created the sun to shine upon the earth. Then vapors and smoke arose, and thus the heaven was created. Then, through consummate wisdom, it was known that the heat of the sun would harm the earth, so through perfect power He created the clouds to rain upon the earth, causing all its hues and colors to appear. Furthermore, know that the greatest pillar in these works is fire, through whose aid all these stations must be completed - yet it must be a gentle, subtle fire, for the swift effect of fire upon oil is evident and clear and needs no mention or proof.

If you wish to work in a new way and follow a fresh path, gather together the breaths of minerals and their spirits and bodies according to the natural measure that is hidden from the sight and understanding of men. Then purify them until they are cleansed and purified of all dirt and blackness, so that each may manifest a color according to its natural disposition - that which is disposed to whiteness becoming white, and that which is capable of redness becoming red and crimson. Then blend these with a true universal blend, for no universal blend takes form except by turning all into flowing liquid water. Then let them dissolve until they blend and unite in a true union from which they can never separate or divide, even if you employ every possible stratagem.

This is the station of the immortality of bodies and the resurrection of forms from their place to the paradise of eternity, which is the station where this mercurial spirit becomes eternal in the immortal sulphuric body - meaning that the removal of tincture or any change or alteration is impossible at this station, unless God so wills. At this point the resurrection of bodies in this degree is complete. This is one of the secrets of nature and jewels of the knowledge of creation in the natural world that I have imparted to you. Therefore be grateful for this supreme bounty and mighty favor that none has ever attained before, neither among the sincere ones nor among the cherubim.

Some of the Prophets completed the work with mercury alone, the mention of which has never been permitted and never will be permitted, and which has ever been hidden in the treasuries of infallibility and stored in the vaults of power.

And know that if you return this illumined subtle solution, which you have taken from the divine tree of wisdom, three times to its base until it becomes sharp and […] with mercury, which is sulphur, and the tincture, which is the purified earth, it combines - that is, it dissolves and then coagulates. At this time it manifests and appears with the color of ruby, and is ready for all bodies - meaning it penetrates, volatilizes and tinges all [types of] minerals.

And know, O seeking wayfarer, that within the visible minerals are hidden subtle [glorious] tinctures for those servants who have been blessed with this greatest result, although the animal tincture is more potent, subtle, noble, strong and suitable. And know that the noblest minerals that carry the tincture are four: mercury, sulphur, arsenic and sal ammoniac. And their bodies are gold, silver, lead, iron and copper. The greatest of all for producing the redness of gold is from copper, and for the whiteness of silver is from lead. As for the essence of redness, it is sulphur, and the essence of whiteness is arsenic and mercury. And the purification, union and combination is the work of sal ammoniac. These are all the categories of minerals that were mentioned.

As for the divine mineral which is from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it is known from the essence of words and manifest jewels, as has been shown. Thus it became known that the foundation of the work is from mercury and sulphur, but not the common mercury and sulphur. “The filter they prepare for their work is not with the trembling, flowing mercury of commerce.” Although it is the same market mercury and sulphur that encompasses all the earth, such that no place is deprived of it - this is only due to the expansion of God’s infinite mercy and divine favors. The purpose is to open these two pillars so they may open and combine by their own aid without interference from others. The key is elemental fire, by whose aid they open and combine. Each soul has gone a path and devised a method according to their own penetrating vision.

And know that the science of balance [tadbir], which was among the most difficult sciences for the ancient philosophers and others, such that volumes were written about it, all depends upon your insight and intellect - there is no need for external weights.

Do not think that what has been mentioned was taken from anyone - I have never studied wisdom nor been taught it, rather it was bestowed by the subtle spirit of grace.

Since the explanation has reached this point, I shall renew the subject regarding the different names mentioned in books, so that you may understand all the degrees and no doubt or uncertainty remains for you. So know that the foundation of this firm matter and great mystery is from the sun and moon, which are the mercury and sulphur of the prophets and sages. They are mentioned by many names so that the subtle matter remains hidden from view and protected from strangers, lest any unauthorized person become privy to divine secrets and knower of the treasuries of eternal wisdom - such as mercury and sulphur, heaven and earth, spirit and body, male and female, eastern mercury and western mercury, water, soul, and body - head and tail, manifest and hidden, black and white - has been called by all these names, while some have abbreviated it to a single name, calling it “stone.” Thus they became cognizant of the mysteries of the process, and took a water which they named eastern mercury, sulfuric water, sharp water, concentrated vinegar, alum water, virgin’s milk, universal key, living water, wine, vinegar, calf’s urine, and children’s urine. When the distillation was completed three times - that is, when the first water taken from the olive tree was returned to the sediment and left to putrefy until three cycles were complete - they called it triple water, and it is the key to the divine treasure. Similarly, its earth has been called by countless names such as lead, antimony, philosophical copper, white lead, magnesia, litharge, mineral head, body, western mercury, and so forth.

Know that these names were not mentioned in vain; rather, in the stages of the process, according to each condition and color, they established a name and determined a designation. For example, before processing and purification, when blackness remains in it, it is termed pitch, antimony, copper, and black lead. After being freed from impurity, blackness and darkness, it is called white magnesia, whitening sulfur, white lead, lime of eggs, purified earth, new earth, child, silver and moon. After marriage and refinement it is referred to as leaven, gold, seed of gold, red sulfur, the sun, Roman disk, and philosophical anemones - just as man is designated and described by different names and titles in each state, from the condition of a clot until being invested with the robe of “Blessed be God, the best of creators.” Likewise are the stations of all created things and all that is mentioned, if thou wouldst observe with a pure and clear eye. All these different names were mentioned so that minds would not slip and become confused by the diversity of terms. This is naught but pure mercy and the essence of grace.

All the Prophets and sages have mentioned this matter through symbols, riddles and different names, as when the Commander of the Faithful was asked while delivering the Sermon of Exposition: “O Commander of the Faithful, does alchemy exist?” He replied: “Yes, by my life, it did exist, does exist, and will exist.” They asked: “What is it?” He said: “Verily in flowing mercury, lead, vitriol, saffron-colored iron, and green copper rust lie earth’s treasures.” They said: “O Commander of the Faithful, we do not understand.” He replied: “Make some of it earth and some water, then cleave the earth with water, and the work is complete.” They said again: “We do not understand.” He replied: “No more than this, for the ancient philosophers added no more lest people make sport of it.” And it is related that Abraham the Friend said: “Knowledge is in the egg, though not an egg.” He was asked: “What then is the work, and what is the egg?, and what is other than the egg?” And [the Prophet] (peace be upon him) said that the egg is the world, containing the four natures wherein lies all knowledge.

It is said that Jesus, the Spirit of God and His Word, stated that it exists. When asked what it is, he said: “The Word of God.” People were divided between religious law and wisdom concerning it, for he said “He who has no sword, let him buy one,” and added nothing more to that. And Balinas the Wise mentioned this when describing the inscription on the tablet in Hermes’ hand, saying with absolute certainty that the higher comes from the lower and the lower from the higher, performing wonders from the One, just as all things came from One - its father is the Sun and its mother is the Moon. He also said that the subtle is more noble than the gross, the Light of Lights through the Power of Powers ascends from earth to heaven, then descends becoming master over earth and heaven, the higher and the lower. Know that God, blessed and exalted, took a line and split it lengthwise, then turned one around the other, thus creating the world. The line is formed from the point when moved - understand what we say.

Then know that when God created all things from the four elements - fire, air, earth and water - the four primary natures emerged: heat, cold, moisture and dryness. When combined, fire became two parts heat and dryness; water two parts cold and moisture; earth two parts cold and dryness; and air two parts heat and moisture. Then God Almighty created from this the higher and lower worlds. What had balanced natures remained over time, while what was unbalanced returned to corruption. As we said regarding the composition of the two luminaries, when the Almighty created the Sun He balanced its natures except for fire which He increased, thus it came with the color of fire. And He created the Moon with balanced parts but water dominated the parts, thus it came with the color of water. So the two active ones came, not the passive ones, for the active ones are fire and water while the passive ones are earth and air. Know this, O Abbas, then understand. As for what has balanced natures, fire cannot burn it nor can pools drown it - this is pure gold which nature has cooked. Know this, for by God I have revealed to you the two great gates of practice and knowledge, and mentioned all that you need and seek.

Know then, O seeker, that this hidden work has been called “animal” for two reasons: first because just as animals have spirit, soul and body, so too does the Philosophers’ Stone contain these; and second because the origin of this work is from purified oil which is related to animals, thus it was given this name. And it was called “air” because the three things and three elements in the atmosphere of the realm of possibility constitute this greatest pillar, and after its pillars appear in the outer world of existence it becomes external. The application of the name “stone” to this thing is because the stone attracts iron through the spiritual power inherent therein, and likewise this mighty pillar attracts and transforms all bodies through spiritual power and divine force.

No symbol, riddle, metaphor or mystery remains in this matter except that We have unveiled and made it clear. Although I have never had and do not have any desire to write, nevertheless I have mentioned this blessing in such detail and precision so that you may witness within your inmost heart the sign of God’s power and ascendancy in the realm of bodies, and become prepared for the encounter with the Most Great Elixir, the honored Essence and the glorious, mighty Spirit - He Whom God shall make manifest - for He is the transformer of spirits, the renewer of elements, and the resurrector of hearts and minds.

Having reached this blessed name, purely for His sake I mention another explanation of this science, so that the honor and favor of that Remembrance may endure among the servants until the appearance of that Sun of Truth, that hidden Purpose and praiseworthy Point. Then take from the white resin which is the purified, whitened sulfuric earth - meaning in a state of true whiteness with no darkness remaining - and afterward mix it with red resin which is the moist soul, meaning the purified oil that has been cultivated with lime and has reached the state of non-burning oil and is truly red. Let it dissolve until nothing of the earth remains except that it has been dissolved. At this point the work is complete, and this reaches its end in small measure.

When the dawn of inner meaning and exposition breaks forth from the horizon of certitude, hold fast to it that you may hold fast to the sure handle and the most exalted luminous thread and the most complete firm cord, that you may be among those who have drunk from the gems of inner meanings from the springs of the All-Glorious and be among those who are firmly grounded therein.

Know then that this science, for all its nobility and loftiness, pertains to the natural world. How can one who does not comprehend the natural realms comprehend the science of what lies beyond nature? Yet despite all these degrees they consider themselves learned. Glory be to God above what they say about that which they do not understand!

After all these stages of utterance, explanation, elaboration and exposition, I counsel you that attaining the Most Great Elixir will make you independent of all that exists in the visible kingdom and that which you need of food, drink, clothing and necessities. However, you will still remain needy and constrained, even more intensely than before, for unity indicates separation and wealth is the path to poverty. Therefore seek that which will make you independent of the elixir and all who are in the heavens and earth - for that is the furthermost Tree, the supreme subtlety, the most glorious pavilion and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and the stations of nearness in the dwelling place of eternity. This is the counsel of this servant. Although occupation with these matters does not bar this door - say: Enter therein, O people, in security. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00212 ===

=== START BH00213 ===

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

Praise be to God Who is single in His bounty and unique in His beneficence, Who is sanctified above whatsoever the people of creation utter and holy beyond every mention and description. I testify that there is none other God but Him, in acknowledgment of His grandeur and in recognition of His sovereignty which encompasses what is and what has been. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower, Who hath spoken a Word whereby standards were raised upon standards, and the banner of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” was hoisted upon the highest peaks.

Praise be to God Who hath manifested Himself through the Most Great Mercy, the Supreme Compassion, and the Providence that hath preceded all created things. Exalted, exalted is our Lord, the Possessor of the hereafter and the former times. Exalted, exalted is our Lord, the Sovereign of the throne and earth, Who hath made victory to lie in wisdom and utterance, and hath forbidden all from that which would grieve mankind.

He is the One at Whose manifestation proof and evidence circled round Him, and before Whom the books of all religions bowed down. He is the One Who walketh while Dominion proclaimeth from His right: “By God! That which was recorded in God’s books of old hath appeared!” and the Kingdom crieth out from His left: “The Promise hath appeared and the Promised One hath come, through Whom the heavens and earth have been illumined!”

Exalted, exalted is He above the inability of tongues to praise Him, of pens to extol Him, of hearts to comprehend Him, and of eyes to behold His beauty. He hath appeared with truth and taken His seat upon the throne. Thereupon all things proclaimed: “By God! The gate of heaven hath been opened, and the Lord of Names hath come, through Whom the sealed choice wine hath been unsealed, the hidden secret revealed, and the horizon of the world illumined by the light of His Name, the Self-Subsisting - He through Whom the limbs of every idol have trembled and the foundations of every stubborn disbeliever have quaked.”

[…]

Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can this impotent one mention Thee after acknowledging and confessing that all remembrances and descriptions are barred from Thy holy court and forbidden from the carpet of intimacy with Thee? Yet the wonders of Thy generosity and grace, and the dawning of the Sun of Thy permission to Thy loved ones and servants, have emboldened him. O Lord! Thou seest the evanescent one turning to Thy everlasting Name, and the abased one clinging to the cord of Thy glorious Name. O Lord! Deprive him not of the ocean of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy grace, and aid him in that which Thou hast entrusted to him in transcribing Thy verses. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the fruits of the Tree of Thy grace to protect Thy loved ones from the evil of those who oppose Thy Cause, and to assist them in that which befitteth Thy Revelation in Thy days. O Lord! Cause Thy servants to know what Thou hast intended for them through Thy bounty and gifts. By Thy Most Great Self, were they to recognize Thy favors, they would circle round Thy Cause and hasten to the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and Goal of the seen and unseen, by the fragrances of Thy verses and the sweet-scented breezes of Thy days, to grant them the sweetness of Thy utterance and teach them the mysteries of Thy Book and what Thou hast intended for them from the ocean of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy gifts. O Lord! Vain imaginings have prevented them from turning to Thy horizon, and idle fancies from facing the Dayspring of Thy revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration - He Who hath testified of Himself by Himself that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified above the mention of those near unto Him and exalted beyond the highest praise of them that profess His unity. I testify that this Day is Thy Day and these are Thy servants and Thy creation. How many a remote one, O my God, hath been brought near by the hand of Thy grace, how many an ignorant one taught by the tongue of Thy bounty, how many an oppressor awakened by the breezes of Thy justice! How many a darkness hath been illumined by the lights of Thy favor, how many a seated one raised up by the wonders of Thy kindness, and how many a sleeping one stirred by Thy call! O Lord! All things have testified to Thy power, and Thy servants to their weakness. I beseech Thee to assist Thy loved ones in patience and steadfastness, and to make known to Thy creatures what Thou hast intended for them through Thy bounty and favors. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous. And I pray, send greetings and glorification upon those who have arisen to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee in such wise that the oppression of Thy servants and creatures hath not deterred them. These are servants who have endured in Thy love what none in Thy realm have endured. O Lord! Aid them through Thy power which hath encompassed all contingent things and through the might which hath overcome all creation. Though they, O my God, have cast aside their own desires, yearning for Thy will, and have turned away from their own wishes, facing the manifestations of Thy will, O Lord, reveal unto them what Thou hast ordained for them in the heaven of Thy bounty, that their hearts may be assured by the lights of Thy grace and the manifestations of Thy mercy. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Kind, the Merciful.

Thereafter, the servant hath attained unto the trace of your ink and pen, and the fragrances of joy have taken hold of me in finding it adorned with the ornament of the love of our Lord and our Beloved, the Goal of all worlds. When I read and perused it, I sought admission and presented what was in your letter before the Throne. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken forth in the place named the Most Great Prison in the Book of Names and the Exalted Paradise in its Crimson Tablet.

He is the Witness, the Hearer, the All-Knowing.

O Fadl! The Wronged One makes mention of thee and gives thee glad tidings of that which was revealed unto thee from the Supreme Pen aforetime and in this perspicuous Book. He counsels thee to remember Him, to praise Him, and to teach His mighty Cause. This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down to all who dwell in the realm of possibility, that He might give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. Say: Verily He hath appeared with the truth and hath manifested what He desired, and hath summoned both kings and subjects unto God, the Single, the All-Informed. Say: This is the Day whereof God’s Books have made mention aforetime, and it hath been named the Day of God, were ye of them that know. Say: Verily He hath appeared with the truth, and upon the most great throne hath the One Who conversed with God taken His seat, calling out to the nations and summoning them unto His straight path. Among the people are those who have denied God’s proof and His evidence, and have pronounced against Him with manifest tyranny; and among them are those who have inhaled the fragrance of the Beloved and have hastened unto the supreme horizon with a speed that hath outstripped the lightning that flasheth and gleameth. Blessed are they whom the affairs of self have not withheld from the Lord of all creation, who have cast the world behind their backs and held fast unto the wisdom wherewith they were bidden by the presence of the Mighty, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou for having spoken with wisdom when the questioner asked of thee that which he desired. Verily thy Lord is the Instructor, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: O people of Baha! Take heed lest the might of names frighten you. Hold fast unto that which is praiseworthy and place your trust in God, the Mighty, the All-Lauded.

O Fadl! That which thou didst send to this servant was presented at the Most Holy Court. Praise be to God that He hath enabled thee to observe the wisdom revealed in the Tablets. Excellence is that which thou didst utter when thou wast asked concerning that which was inquired. All the friends must observe and hold fast unto that which hath been revealed from the Pen of the All-Merciful. We have enjoined upon all the Most Great Love. Blessed is he who hath discovered the fragrance of My utterance and hath apprehended that which hath been revealed in My perspicuous Book. All must conduct themselves with the utmost kindness and mercy towards the servants of God. In such case, should any tyranny befall those sanctified souls, this hath been and shall ever be the ultimate desire of them that are nigh unto God and of the sincere ones. Say: O friends! The world hath never had, nor doth it now possess, any significance. Man must inevitably pass beyond it. Now if this passage be made in the name of Truth, it shall endure for as long as endureth the kingdom of earth and heaven. Convey greetings unto all and give them the glad-tidings of God’s bounties, that they may all rejoice and act in accordance with that which God hath willed. From certain souls hath glory been taken away, and this hath been recorded by the Supreme Pen in God’s Book. Every fair-minded and discerning person testifieth that whatsoever hath come to pass on earth had been mentioned aforetime. Blessed is the eye that seeth and the ear that heareth. Woe unto the heedless ones! God willing, the people of God must stand firm in the Cause of God with penetrating vision, stalwart hearts and steadfast feet, and must deal with all men with spiritual attributes. Today virtuous character and praiseworthy deeds have been and shall ever be the helpers of God’s Cause, and this matter hath been repeatedly revealed by the Supreme Pen. We beseech God that all may discover and act upon this. The end.

In response to what you wrote about presenting the aforementioned prayer on your behalf, it was again presented at a specific time before His presence. This is what was revealed in response once more:

“O Fadl! The Lord of all beings remembers you that you may give thanks to your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. The servant present here has presented what you have supplicated to God, the Lord of all men. We have heard and answered you through this Tablet, which God has made the Dawning Place of life for all who are in the earths and heavens. When you discover the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful and hear what the Speaker of the Mount has spoken from the most exalted station, arise and say:

‘Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Master, my Provider, and my Helper, for having caused me to speak Thy praise and for having made me recognize Thy horizon, from which most people have turned away. I beseech Thee by Thy greatest signs and by Thy sweetest call which hath been raised between earth and heaven, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty and the clouds of Thy mercy that which will tranquilize the hearts of Thy loved ones in such wise that the conditions of the world and the might of nations will not frighten them. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.’”

Regarding what you wrote about one of the friends of God expressing grief over the believers’ involvement with the craft of elixir-making, verily he hath spoken the truth. Indeed, right is with him in prohibiting this act. Multiple Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of divine Will and sent to various regions concerning this. It is most strange that despite clear prohibition, they engage in this futile pursuit. Some souls in Iraq and the Land of Mystery inquired about the known hidden craft. In response, there was revealed from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s Will that which was revealed. This servant repeatedly heard from the Blessed Tongue saying that had the questioners not attributed weakness and less than that [to the Manifestation], surely not a word would have been revealed concerning it. He repeatedly and emphatically forbade the servants from engaging in it in the Book. As commanded, you and the trustees of the Cause should wisely and eloquently prevent the friends of Truth from engaging in this pursuit which is, in reality, a waste of life.

The servant beseeches his Lord to assist His loved ones to do what He loves and is pleased with. Had the accepted souls acted according to what God desired until now, the earth would be witnessed differently now. God willing, it is hoped that henceforth this servant and all may be assisted to act according to the Friend’s good-pleasure and occupy ourselves with what is beloved in His presence. May we not speak before hearing and not command before being commanded, that we may be counted among those servants of whom He says: “They speak not before He speaks and act by His command.” Steadfast souls should today speak that by which hearts are attracted and all should engage in teaching God’s Cause. Although the Cause of Truth has never needed and needs not the help of others, and will soon become evident like fire upon a mountain, yet the likes of this servant who spent precious life engaging in forbidden pursuits should take heed from the utterances of the Revealer of verses and engage in teaching God’s Cause, that perchance they may quicken dead souls with the water of life and adorn the heedless with the ornament of awareness. This is the greatest deed, this is the true elixir, and this is the purpose of that which is known in the primal reality.

In most Tablets He hath bidden that ye enlighten the peoples of the earth and guide them unto that which shall profit them. Today the heaven of understanding hath been raised up and the sun of knowledge hath dawned. Let not the opportunity pass by, and deem the time precious. This is a day wherein man can attain unto that which, in any other day, could not be attained were he to possess all the treasures of earth. Today ye hearken unto that which in no other time could be heard. Strive ye that ye may attain unto everlasting remembrance. Such are the loving counsels and blessed admonitions of the Beloved of all possibility.

Concerning what was mentioned about certain laws, that some friends declare them permissible - this evanescent servant hath never heard a word from the Blessed Tongue regarding these matters. Glory be to God! How can any soul, of his own imagination, make such declarations? The duty of this servant and other friends is to keep our gaze fixed upon the Most Glorious Horizon and that which floweth from His Most Exalted Pen. Whatsoever He commandeth, we must accept with our whole souls and arise to fulfill it. As He hath stated in one place - these are His words, exalted be His glory: “In My Name was raised the Standard of ‘He doeth what He willeth,’ and by My Command was hoisted the Banner of ‘He ordaineth what He pleaseth.’”

What right have we to speak of laws before they are revealed? Verily His command must be obeyed, and we, God willing, are among the obedient ones, the acknowledgers, the assured ones.

Regarding those souls whom you mentioned in the aforementioned incident who were subjected to arrest and imprisonment, this was presented at the Most Exalted, Most Holy Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur pronounced: He is the Remembering One, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing.

O Abu’l-Fadl! The Tongue of Glory calls thee from the Prison of ’Akka and gives thee glad tidings of thy Lord’s grace, the Lord of all names. When thou hearest this, and attainest, give thanks and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of all the worlds!” We desire to make mention of the friends of God who have been seized and imprisoned without evidence or any Book from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O ye beloved of the Most Merciful! Rejoice in that the Wronged One remembereth you with this remembrance, through which the fragrance of the garment hath been wafted between the heavens and the earth. Ye have borne for My love what no servants have borne before. To this testifieth the Pen of God, the Speaking, the All-Knowing. Be not grieved at what hath befallen you. There hath befallen Us that which hath caused the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Highest Heaven to weep, while most of the people remain heedless. They have seized Us time after time, and imprisoned Us again and again, and verily He, from the Most Great Prison, before the faces of all the world, calleth out and saith: “By God! The Day of God hath appeared, and in it the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret have spoken. Verily, there is no God but I, the Single, the All-Informed.”

O friends! There hath befallen you that which hath befallen the Truth Itself. Praise be to God, ye have committed no wrong but have been wronged; ye have sought to harm no one, yet have been subjected to utmost harm; with perfect kindness ye besought God’s mercy for mankind, yet ye beheld the might of vengeance; ye sought freedom, yet were led to captivity. All the trees of Paradise cry out “Blessed are ye!” and their fruits proclaim “Glad tidings unto you!” If no wrong proceedeth from someone, and he acteth not contrary to that which God hath ordained, then whatsoever befalleth him in God’s path shall become manifest in the world like a banner upon the hilltops. O beloved of the Most Merciful! Blessed are ye for your patience, and yours is a goodly beginning and end. How beloved are tribulations in the path of the Lord of Names, and how fruitful are hardships in the way of the Peerless Friend! By the life of God! The sovereignty of the world cannot compare with this station, nor can the glory and riches of princes equal it. How many were the nights when beasts and birds and predators were at rest in their lairs and thickets and groves, while ye were in the clutches of enemies.

The counsel of this Wronged One is that ye should not let go of this most exalted station. Under no circumstances should ye depart from the requirements of human nature. Leave bestial traits and savage ways to those who practice them. Hear and speak not; give, and seek not to receive. God willing, may each of you be seen as a standard of justice and a banner of wisdom. And assuredly through these pure deeds and sanctified, holy characteristics, the lights of justice that have been obscured by the oppression of the oppressors shall shine forth through God’s name. Then shall ye see the earth transformed into another earth, and the atoms shall cry out with their loudest voice: “The horizon of justice hath been illumined by the sun of the remembrance of our Lord, the Mighty, the Manifest, the Hearing, the Seeing.”

O people of ?ad! O emigrants of the land of ?ad! O strangers in the land of ?ad! O captives in the land of ?ad! The Most Exalted Pen hath not been heedless of you. There hath flowed from It concerning you that which is adorned with everlasting life. It hath fulfilled what was due to the Truth; what remaineth is for you to preserve this station. God willing, with utmost sanctity and […]

Manifest amongst the people with sanctification, compassion, kindness and loving-kindness. No deed hath ever been, nor shall ever be, lost in the sight of God. Those souls from among you who have ascended to the Most Exalted Horizon have attained such glory and bounty as all the world is powerless and incapable of reckoning. O people of ?ad! Hearken unto that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken before and speaketh at this moment - that which shall gladden your eyes and rejoice your hearts. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Your names have been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in numerous Tablets. To this beareth witness the Lord of Names, while seated upon the throne of His Name, the All-Chosen. In the path of God ye have endured that which caused the rocks to cry out and the mountains and hills to lament. Sorrows have befallen you in this Cause; ere long shall ye find yourselves in joy from your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Rejoice in that the Wronged One remembereth you and giveth you glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for you by God, the Lord of all mankind.

We make mention of everyone who hath ascended in foreign lands while migrating in the path of God, the Lord of spirits. The light shining from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Names be upon you and upon those who have arisen to aid the Cause of their Lord through wisdom and utterance. I bear witness that ye believed in God when every idolater and doubter denied Him. Ye turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon and hearkened unto the call of your Lord, the Lord of Names, and were afflicted with trials when the call of God, the Lord of Lords, was raised. Blessed are ye and blessed is he who remembereth you after your ascension to a station beyond the remembrance of all servants. Thus crowed the Cock of the Throne and cooed the Dove of Justice when darkness encompassed all regions.

Praise be unto the Desired One of the world, through Whose ocean of bounty all have been embraced. Every soul mentioned in your letter hath been blessed with divine favors, especially yourself and the wife of he who beareth the Name 66, upon whom be all the most glorious Glory of God. Likewise for the honored ones Buzurg and Shir-’Ali, upon both of whom be the Glory of God, wondrous and exalted Tablets have been revealed and sent. God willing, they shall attain unto them. I swear by the Truth that all that existeth and is visible cannot equal even one of these Tablets. All have been blessed with divine mention in this time. You have repeatedly been blessed with wondrous verses from the tongue of the Divine Unity in this letter, and moreover the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been revealed especially for you. Similarly have the emigrants to the land of ?ad been adorned with the ornament of God’s mention, and regarding those souls who have ascended to the Most Exalted Horizon, wondrous and sublime verses have been revealed. Today no deed or mention remaineth hidden. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God to assist all to preserve their stations and to give them to drink from the choice wine of steadfastness. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Regarding your mention of Aqa Muhammad-Rida and Aqa Mirza ’Ali, upon both of whom be the Glory of God, and your request that their names be presented at the Most Exalted Threshold that they might attain unto divine bounties - as per your request this was presented, and two Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of grace and sent. Deliver these unto them that they may drink therefrom the choice wine of their Lord’s mercy, the Bestower, the Generous. I request that on behalf of this evanescent one you convey profound and exalted greetings to them and to all the friends in that land. God the All-Knowing beareth witness that this evanescent one is occupied with the mention of the friends most of the time. God willing, may we all be assisted to serve the Cause of God in a manner befitting this wondrous Day. Glory be upon you and upon the friends of God, they who shall fear not, neither shall they grieve.

=== END BH00213 ===

=== START BH00214 ===

May the beloved of my heart, son of His Holiness the Most Truthful Name of God, Ali-Qabli-Muhammad, upon them both be the Most Glorious Splendor of God, take note:

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Praise and glory befit that Incomparable Being Who revealed the pearls of the ocean of wisdom and utterance, and by them attracted pure and illumined hearts. His is the praise and bounty, and His the grace and glory. Through His all-embracing mercy and all-encompassing favor, He made the companions of the kingdom of command and creation aware of that station which is sanctified above decline and extinction, and gave them tidings thereof. Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! We beseech Him to aid His servants in two mighty matters after the recognition of His Sacred Being and steadfastness therein: tears that fall through the fear of God, and drops of blood that are shed in His path. These two matters have ever been and will continue to be acceptable at the Divine Throne. And when the second was forbidden, a third took its place: the expenditure of one’s life in the path of knowing Him, that one might know and make known.

I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Sovereign of the throne and earth, by the blood that was shed in Thy path out of longing for meeting Thee, and by the tears that fell through fear of Thee, to make me and Thy loved ones ready to manifest Thy Cause among Thy servants with wisdom and utterance. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. O Lord! Thou seest him who turned to Thee in the early days and did mention Thee among the people. O Lord! Aid him through Thy bounty and generosity to assist Thy Cause with the hosts of remembrance and utterance, and ordain for him that which will exalt him among Thy servants. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of the first and the last. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds.

O Lord! Thou seest Thy servant who desires to make mention once again of him who traveled purely for Thy sake, to manifest my love for him and my longing to remember him morning and evening. O Lord! Make his tongue a sword to separate truth from falsehood, his sight keen to witness Thy signs and lights, and his feet firm as a mountain that neither the might of the world nor the clamor of nations can shake. Then cause, O my God, the tree of his being to be ignited with the fire of Thy love, that it may burn away the veils of Thy creation and the coverings of Thy servants. Verily, Thou art the Single, the One, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

And then, O beloved of my heart, thy noble letters arrived repeatedly. Indeed, their repetition is desirable, for each is adorned with the ornament of the love of the Beloved of the worlds. The fragrance of sincerity wafts from them, and the sweet savors of service and faithfulness spread therefrom. Blessed is the ear that hath heard the call of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven. Each was a gate to the city of love, affection, fellowship and unity. After their perusal, reading, comprehension and inhaling their fragrance, they were taken to the station of the Lord of all beings and were presented before the Divine Throne, attaining the honor of His attention. His word, exalted be His glory and universal His bounty:

In My Name, through which those in the graves arose […]

The Book sent down by Him Who conversed on Sinai, when He was established upon the Throne of Manifestation, unto him who hath migrated unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, who hath attained the presence of His Countenance and heard the Call when it was raised in truth, and who hath attained that which was inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

The Most Exalted Pen hath testified to thy turning unto Him, thy presence before Him, and thy standing at the door which hath been opened unto all who are in the invisible and visible worlds. Blessed be thine ear, for it hath heard the strident voice of My Pen; blessed be thine eye, for it hath beheld My presence; and blessed be thy heart, for it hath turned unto My praiseworthy station. Preserve that which thou hast been given by God, then thank Him for this bounty which all the treasures of the earth cannot equal.

Illumine the hearts with the lights of My utterance, and the eyes with the radiance of My countenance, and the souls with that which hath shone forth and appeared from the horizon of God, thy Lord, the Possessor of all existence. When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me and for having manifested unto me from the treasuries of Thy Most Exalted Pen the pearls of wisdom and utterance. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs, whereby the hearts of the Concourse on High were attracted, and by Thy Word, through which Thy mercy hath preceded all who are in earth and heaven, to make me in all conditions one who speaketh Thy praise, who guardeth Thy Cause, who supporteth Thy Faith, who placeth his trust in Thee, and who committeth his affairs unto Thee.

How can I thank Thee, O my God, for Thy gifts which have encompassed me from all directions, and for the effects of Thy Pen which have attracted me from all regions? O Lord! Thou seest me gazing toward the horizon of Thy good-pleasure and desiring that which will cause me to dwell in Thy vicinity. O Lord! My heart findeth no rest save beneath the canopies of Thy grandeur, and my spirit findeth no repose except in circling around Thee. I beseech Thee, O Thou by Whose command all created things appeared and all contingent beings bowed down before it, to aid me in that which will cause Thy Most Exalted Word to be upraised, and Thy manifestations to appear in the kingdom of creation. Thou art He Whom the might of the powerful cannot weaken, and Whom the force of princes cannot hinder. Thou doest through Thy power whatsoever Thou willest. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Son of My Name! Upon thee be My Glory! Thou hast ever been and art remembered; the gaze of loving-kindness is directed towards thee, and the waves of the Divine Ocean of utterance have been and are being sent forth in the form of letters, and likewise the pearls of wisdom emerging from the shells of the Sea of Divine Knowledge have reached and continue to reach thee. Beseech thou the True One, exalted be His glory, to strengthen the power of vision that it may become capable of beholding and may perceive that which hath been manifested. Thou and the dwellers of the cities of truthfulness have been and are witnesses that this Wronged One hath, from the very beginning, arisen before the faces of men through His all-compelling power and all-encompassing might and hath drawn aside the veil; yet the heedless and ignorant servants have arisen in opposition and have wrought that which hath caused the hearts of the near ones to be consumed and the minds of them that are nigh unto God to be perturbed. Say: O people! How long will ye wander in the wilderness of error, and how long will ye remain heedless and unmindful of the truth and of yourselves? The days are drawing to a close, and yet ye behold yourselves in manifest error. Strive ye, that perchance in these days of the Manifestation ye may drink from the immortal Fountain and receive your portion of the sealed Wine. This Wine at times appeareth in the form of fire, and at others in the form of the resplendent light. It bestoweth eternal life and conferreth everlasting love. Blessed are they who have arisen to make good their losses and who have received their portion from the Ocean of utterance of the Lord of all worlds. Convey My greetings to the friends and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace. By the life of God! That which hath been ordained for the steadfast ones is such that were it to be revealed even to the extent of a needle’s eye, all who are in the heavens and on earth would swoon away, except such as God, the Lord of all worlds, hath willed. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty be upon thee and upon them that hearken unto thy words concerning this Most Great Announcement and upon them that have held fast unto the cord of unity by the command of God, the Lord of creation, Who is manifest at the time of return.

O beloved of My heart! The hands of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory, are manifestly extended in outward appearance and imperceptibly spread forth in the inmost essence through favors beyond recognition. The heaven of grace is upraised and the clouds of mercy are pouring down. A springtime hath appeared which hath transformed stone into tree, and from that tree is raised the cry “Is there any respite?” God is My witness and the world My testimony that not for a moment have the effulgences of the gaze of His loving-kindness been withheld; yet ye behold how heedless are the servants, how ignorant, how veiled, and how debarred. The wrath of God hath seized them, the might of God hath withheld them, as a recompense for their deeds, as a requital for their actions. When a Cause whose fragrances have encompassed the world, whose evidences have appeared before the faces of all, and whose signs are above all other signs - what further Cause do they await and what Manifestation do they seek? Say: Die in your wrath! He hath appeared through Whose finger’s movement all created things are set in motion. In truth, the words spoken aforetime rest firm and established upon their throne, which declare: “When the world becometh corrupt, the world as a whole becometh corrupt.” All corruption hath proceeded from those heedless souls - they have wrought that which the pen is powerless to describe and the tongue is impotent to recount, while upon the pulpits they recite “soon shall they know.” Fie upon them! Glory be to God! The highest of parties hath become the lowest of parties, and the most profitable of religions the most unprofitable of religions. Thus hath He made their highest their lowest. We must hold fast to this blessed word which hath flowed from the wellspring of the Supreme Pen. His word, blessed and exalted be He: “Be patient, verily thy Lord is the All-Patient.”

Concerning what was written about orientation towards the Land of Qaf, praise be to God, every land is blessed with the lights of the Most Great Luminary, even if limited to a single soul. Woe unto those who have wished to extinguish this lamp and put out this light - their very foundations mock them though they perceive it not. After presentation before the Most Holy Court, this supreme utterance appeared from the highest horizon, blessed and exalted be His Word:

O Son of My Name! Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Effort is the key, and in one station the Kawthar of utterance floweth thus: whatsoever hath appeared or shall appear on earth is by the will of God, exalted be His glory, through the service and endeavor of His loved ones. Divine confirmation and success have ever been and shall ever be with you. However, these days require befitting service and worthy deeds. Although from the beginning until now, My Name, upon him be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy, and you have heard in the path of the Goal of all worlds that which was unworthy to be heard, and have borne that which was heavier than all things in the world - the tyranny of oppressors and the assault of aggressors did not prevent you.

Now arise, through the power and might of God, exalted be His glory, with such arising as may cause the steadfastness of other souls. The ocean of utterance surgeth at all times, and the rays of the Sun of bounty shine resplendent before the faces of the world. The Mother Book speaketh without veil or covering. From a single Point, that Point manifesteth the knowledge of the first and the last. Each letter thereof is a treasure wherein are concealed the pearls of wisdom and utterance of the Goal of all worlds. No cloud can veil this Sun, nor can the oppression of tyrants or the doubts of the suspicious prevent this light from shining.

Today the call of the All-Merciful is raised from the Kingdom of utterance. Moses crieth out “By my Lord, I have attained!” and Abraham uttereth “My Lord, forgive!” Yet the deeds of men are as a thick veil, preventing their ears from hearing and their eyes from seeing. We beseech God to assist thee that thou mayest cleanse eyes from inflammation with the collyrium of divine wisdom.

O Son of My Name! With complete detachment take hold of the keys to hearts and minds - these are the Words of God, exalted be His glory. Every door hath been and shall be opened thereby, and every city hath been and shall be conquered thereby. He is the bearer of the Crimson Standard, upon which is inscribed by the Pen of Creation the blessed word “The Truth hath come.” The mention of crimson in this station referreth to the manifestation and appearance of the word “Verily He is God,” not to war and bloodshed. The Kawthar of life floweth from the right hand of the Throne of the All-Merciful, yet seekers are scarce and non-existent. We beseech God to create in the utterance of His loved ones such influence as may transform hearts and minds. The Command is in God’s hands, the Possessor of the Unseen and the Seen.

The rain of mercy descendeth in such measure that man cannot undertake to describe it. Especially for this evanescent one, verses of Divine glory are revealed night and day, yet the people have been so seized by heedlessness and the ornaments of the world that one despaireth of their awareness and knowledge, unless the Hand of Divine education bestoweth a grace and delivereth the people from the ocean of heedlessness and ignorance. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O Son of My Name! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Each of the towns and regions through which thou hast passed hath been exalted by the mention of the sovereign Lord in the Most Great Scene and adorned with the glance of His favor. All the souls mentioned have been honored with the verses of the Most Exalted Pen. We give them glad tidings of Our loving-kindness and make mention of them through verses that all the books of the world cannot equal. Blessed is he who hath attained unto them, recognized their station, and acted according to that which was revealed therein from the presence of the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is the servant who hath been mentioned before the Countenance, and blessed are the lands that have been illumined by the lights of the utterance of their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. This is a Day before which all other days have bowed down, and wherein that which the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise have circled round hath been made manifest at morn and eventide. We beseech God to aid them to champion His Cause and to ordain for them that which shall make them so mighty that the onslaught of the oppressors shall not weaken them. The days shall pass away, the world shall come to an end, but glory, exaltation and dominion shall endure for the friends of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Listen with thy Persian tongue to the divine call raised from the direction of the Prison. Take that whereby My Cause shall be exalted and whereby the sanctification of My Being shall be manifested among My servants and the purification of My Self shall appear among My creatures. Thus doth command thee He in Whose possession is a perspicuous Book. The Trusted One, upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, hath repeatedly made mention of the friends in the land of Kh. and H. and other regions, and wondrous, transcendent verses have been revealed and sent down for the names mentioned. He hath repeatedly made mention of Aqa Siyyid ’Ali, upon him be My glory. Praise be to God, they are known by the name of Truth and are steadfast in service. The small house had not and hath not the capacity to contain the manifestation and emergence of the sun, let alone the lights of the deeds of those who are nigh, the sincere ones, and the detached ones. In truth, the expanse of the world is too confined for the appearance of these stations as they truly are. We beseech the Truth to reveal even as much as the eye of a needle of that which is hidden. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. God shall soon reveal the stations of His friends and shall exalt their mention among the peoples. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost.

We make mention of the friends in Kermanshah, that they may rejoice in God’s remembrance and His loving-kindness. Verily Ibrahim committed that which caused the Supreme Paradise to lament. When he saw the idolaters he said, “I am with you and follow in your footsteps,” and when he saw the believers in divine unity he said likewise. But God forgave him as a mercy and bounty from His presence, for He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Generous. In the beginning he was united with one of the heedless ones. We have veiled his sin and what he did in his vain life. We beseech God to assist His servants in that which He loves and is pleased with.

We make mention of all the friends in that land and ask God to sanctify each one from whatsoever was and is unworthy of His days. O My friends! Today is the day of assistance, and the hosts that aid the Cause have ever been and shall ever be goodly character, pure deeds, wisdom and utterance. Hold fast unto these, detached from all that God loves not. Thus does the Supreme Pen command you by His leave, and He is the True Counsellor, the Trustworthy.

Arise to assist the Truth with unity and harmony, and in the Name of God, glorified be His majesty, bestow upon the servants the Kawthar of utterance. The love of God has been and ever shall be the educator of all things. How many souls who never saw a school have, through divine love, attained such station that the rivers of wisdom have flowed from their hearts and tongues. Strive that perchance ye may succeed in that which shall endure and remain immortalized in God’s Book.

My God, my God! The Wronged One bears witness to Thy unity and oneness, and that Thou hast no peer, no partner, and no minister. Thou hast sent down Thy grace and revealed the treasures of Thy utterance. I beseech Thee by the Point through which the books of the world were detailed, and by Thy Command which held sway over the nations, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge, and the effulgences of the Sun of Thy wisdom, to assist Thy loved ones to act in accordance with what Thou hast commanded them in Thy Book. Then send down upon them from the heaven of Thy bounty the rain of Thy mercy. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

That which was revealed encompassed the world with its mercy and seized it with its rapture. Blessed are they who attain unto this station. The stone has no share in the station of the pearl, nor has the bitter water any partnership with the sweet sea. By night and day the Supreme Pen flows forth as a bounty upon His loved ones and servants. Specifically for the friends in Asadabad, two years ago there was revealed that which perfumed the world with its fragrance. According to reports it did not reach its intended recipients, having fallen into the hands of a thief on the way who took it. The purpose is that the friends of God, exalted be His glory, have ever been and shall ever be mentioned before the Throne. The servant gives them glad tidings of His favors, informs them of His bounties, acquaints them with His gifts, and makes mention to them of the heaven of His generosity and the luminary of His grace. Likewise, I beseech for each one that which will cause the exaltation of God’s Cause, glorified be His majesty. Should any of the friends arise with determination and hold fast to that which attracts hearts, numerous souls would turn to the Supreme Horizon. Today the loftiness and sublimity of God’s Word is manifest from every city and the radiance of the light of His Cause is dawning. Therefore most are found receptive to the Word. This depends on the determination of the friends. The servant asks his Lord to grant them success, assist them, draw them nigh, and ordain for them the good of this world and the next. Verily He is the Lord of all created things, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the earth below.

In the previous letter and manuscript from that Beloved One, a book was received from that spiritual enraptured lady, upon her be the Glory of God and His favors, which she had written in proof of this Most Great Cause and Mighty Announcement. It attained the honor of being read in His presence, after which He bestowed it upon the people of the household, saying: “The dove of her utterance has warbled, and the tongue of her heart has spoken. Blessed is she, and joy be unto her! She has witnessed, acknowledged and confessed that which the Tongue of Grandeur had spoken before the creation of all things. God has inspired her heart with that from which has flowed the fountain of wisdom and utterance in this Cause, at which the limbs of the mighty have trembled. We beseech God to assist her and grant her success at all times in that which befitteth His days. He is the Helper, the Generous.” Give her My glad-tidings and remind her on My behalf, for I am the All-Knowing Rememberer. We make mention of My handmaidens there, give them glad-tidings through My verses and remind them through My words. We beseech God, exalted be He, to ordain for each one of them that which shall abide with them in every world of His worlds. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

I conclude My words with mention of the Leaf of Paradise, whom We have mentioned in the Crimson Tablet from My Most Exalted Pen, and in various tablets, scrolls, epistles and books beyond number save by God, the Numberer, the All-Knowing.

The ocean has come and carried away the drop; the sun has come and encompassed the atom. In truth, each letter of these illumined letters has been and is the enlightener of the world, the quickener of the world, the attractor of the world, and the mover of the world. In this case, the servant has no power to make mention or utterance. However, since this leaf is from His garden and this drop from His river, therefore according to his capacity and station he has wished to make mention of the friends of God. God is witness and testifier that each one is treasured and preserved in the heart - that is, their mention and their love. We beseech God, our Lord, the Lord of earth and heaven, to aid them to perform such deeds before which all deeds shall bow down, and to manifest such virtues by which the horizons shall be adorned. I conclude these words at this time with remembrance, glorification, glory and praise upon your honor and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne and the Lord of the Exalted Seat.

The Servant

9th of the month of Safar 1305

=== END BH00214 ===

=== START BH00215 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise befitteth the most inaccessible, most holy court of the Lord, the Desired One, Who through His Most Exalted Word on the Day of the Covenant hath exposed the dissension concealed in the hearts of the people of discord, and through that same blessed Word hath manifested the harmony of the people of concord. He is the One Who hath power to transform His bounty into retribution for the polytheists and His light into fire. With a single word He hath brought all to account and weighed them in the balance. Neither doth the acceptance of them that turn unto Him add unto His glory, nor doth the rejection of them that turn aside diminish it. He hath ever been independent of mention and utterance, and will continue to be so forever. All creation standeth present in a single sphere, and the call from the direction of His grandeur embraceth all, yet thereafter through deeds and words their stations become diverse and their conditions scattered. Whoso accepteth and believeth in that which is best–he is of the companions of the Crimson Ark; and whoso denieth and turneth away–he is of the people of fire in the Book of God, Lord of the throne and of the dust. Blessings, peace, glory and praise be upon them who have not changed the bounty of God nor denied His sovereignty. These are they whom neither the hosts of the world nor the ranks of the nations did frighten, nor were they prevented by the intimations of those who disputed His verses, denied His evidences, and warred against His Self. The servant beseecheth his Lord to open the eyes and aid all to justice and fairness. Verily He hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but He, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Thereafter, the letter of that honored one and revered friend arrived. The servant perceived from it the fragrance of your sincerity and your turning to God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth. After reading and becoming apprised of it, he repaired to the court of the Lord of creation. When it was presented before His Countenance, this is what was revealed in reply from Our Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. His words, exalted be His majesty and universal His bounty:

In My Name, the Hearer, the Answerer

They have denied the Dawning-Place of My verses, which are equivalent to all the divine books of the past and future that have been sent down from the Kingdom of His utterance, and whatsoever was subsequently manifested was clearly visible and evident from His verses. They have clung to mere fancy. Such is the condition of the servants that they have newly arisen to voice objections through vain imaginings. Say: O ye who are bereft of fairness, what have ye understood of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth”? By My life! Through My Name the banner of “There is none other God but He” hath been raised aloft, and the standard of “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth” hath been unfurled. Were they who are lost in fancy to ponder this most exalted and blessed Word, they would cry out and utter “We repent unto Thee, O God of the worlds and Beloved of the nations!” But conjectures and fancies have become an obstacle and a veil, and have deprived them of the light of the Sun of justice. Soon shall they know what hath escaped them in the days of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. In this Revelation, every word that hath dawned from the horizon of the Will of God, glory be to His majesty, all mention, nay all books, bow down before it. Where is the vision to see, and where is the hearing to hear, and where is the heart to understand? The state of the heedless is that they play with their own vain imaginings, even as they have been occupied therewith for a thousand and two hundred years and more. He who hath drunk from the stream of fancy is not worthy to draw nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, except through the grace of God, the Lord of the worlds.

With justice and fairness do I declare that if any soul be adorned with even a trace of fairness, he would testify that whatsoever hath in this day been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen sufficeth all mankind, and that all the pens in the world are powerless to expound its full meaning. If they acknowledge that God doeth whatsoever He willeth, then what meaning have their objections? And if they deny this blessed word, then the matter is settled and the verse returneth unto its Source, its Beginning and its End, and no further discussion is needed. O my brother! For twelve hundred years and more, such souls were engaged in opposition, disputation and strife. During their debates, they would beat their heads against each other like elephants with their trunks, denying one another, nay, cursing and reviling each other from every faction to another. Yet on the Day of Testing, they all found themselves among the people of hell-fire, and neither their beliefs nor their deeds were of any avail, nor did they yield any fruit. Say: Consider then - what was the fruit of the deeds and the result of the beliefs of the Shi’ih sect who counted themselves foremost among the world’s factions and most learned among nations in their deeds and beliefs? This servant knoweth, and knoweth well - the fruit thereof was that they martyred the Lord of the world. Such souls and their like have been reared in delusions throughout the ages. How can they enter or even approach that station whereof He saith the dwellers of Sinai would be thunderstruck? Far, far be it! Save by emptying their hands of all they have heard and seen. Great is the Cause and great is the Day! The heedless among the people of the Bayan cling to the same delusions as the Shi’ih sect, busying themselves with misleading men and women through the ropes of idle fancies, even as was done before. Say: Reflect a little on the lies of the past, that perchance ye may be warned. In one instance, this exalted word descended from the Kingdom of Utterance of the Lord of Names - glorified be His majesty: “O servant in attendance! Blessed is the soul whom names prevent not from their Owner, and whom idle fancies deprive not from the dayspring of certitude.” They imagine these days to be like the days of old. Say: Nay, by My life! This is the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. This is the Day which Moses foretold, and which the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an through His words, exalted be He: “Lead forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.” Though the days of the manifestation of God’s Repositories may in one sense be called the Days of God, yet this Most Great Day is special, and in it is made manifest the Great Announcement. Say: Fear God, O people, and invalidate not the truth through your desires. When ye discover the fragrance of My utterance, and behold the lights of My horizon, and hear My call, arise and say: “Here am I, O Thou Goal of the world! Here am I, here am I, O Thou Beloved of all in the heavens and the earth!”

O brother! Man is bewildered as to what he should mention and what he should say. The Primal Point - may our souls be a sacrifice for all else but Him - declares that if He should pronounce upon the heaven the decree of earth, or upon the earth the decree of heaven, no one has the right to object or ask why or wherefore, and whoso sayeth ‘why’, hath indeed disbelieved. In this Most Great Revelation, whenever any name was mentioned in the Most Holy Court, verses were revealed specifically for that one from the heaven of divine Will. This was in accordance with the promise given in the Tablet to His Holiness the Name of Bounty - upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God - wherein He states that should names to the number of atoms be presented in the Most Holy Court, divine verses would be revealed specifically for each one. However, this bounty is assured and established only for those who have turned to Him, who are steadfast, and who are firm. And whosoever turns away, the light returns to its source while he remains in evident loss.

These objections all stem from lack of insight and fairness. In Iraq, a Tablet was revealed in the name of Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani. After some time, one day as They were proceeding in that direction and this servant was following at some distance, in the middle of the bridge, suddenly They said, without looking at this servant or turning Their blessed head in any direction: “This Tablet is not for this Muhammad. Muhammad is a name that will attain to it after three thousand years.” For God’s sake, have mercy upon yourselves and upon the servants. Do not embody the vain imaginings of the past and become the cause of the martyrdom of God’s loved ones. The world has no constancy. You were not and are not aware of the root of the Cause. If you deny the proof He has manifested, which is equivalent to all divine proofs and heavenly evidences, what can you establish?

Mulla Abdul-Khaliq, who was among the Shaykhi leaders, at the beginning of the Cause when the Primal Point - may our souls be a sacrifice for all else but Him - appeared in the garment of the Bab, showed acceptance and submitted a petition. Mention of him was revealed from the Source of Supreme Grace and outwardly perfect bounty was shown towards him, until a Tablet was sent specifically for him containing these exalted words - His exalted Word: “Verily I am the True Qa’im Whose appearance you have been promised.” After reading this, he cried out and arose in complete rejection, and because of him a group in the Land of Ta [Tehran] turned away. Say: O fair-minded ones! Today these objections are not befitting. You are not aware of the mysteries. Divine knowledge has encompassed and continues to encompass all things. Whatever has later become manifest was previously revealed with complete clarity from the Supreme Pen in the Suras, and all are aware and bear witness that this ephemeral one speaks with truth. Have they not seen the Suriy-i-Ra’is, or have they not read the Suras to the Kings?

Some time ago this servant submitted some papers to one of God’s loved ones, but due to numerous occupations has not yet succeeded in completing them. I beseech God to enable me. Surely that honored one knows the reason. During nights and days I am occupied with writing. Correspondence arrives from all directions, and in response Tablets are revealed from the heaven of grace, and this servant is occupied with transcribing them, and how many letters arrive addressed to this servant and […]

I should respond and apart from this great and momentous matter, for some time another occupation has arisen which has engaged this evanescent one. One must pray on behalf of the heedless souls. They are indeed very far removed and are unaware. Those souls must reflect upon what has occurred in the past and become mindful. This servant beseeches his Lord to aid them to achieve that which He loves and is pleased with, to make them be among the just, among those who repent, and among those who return unto Him.

As regards what they mentioned that some steadfast and upright souls appear distressed, and furthermore some, God forbid, deny knowledge to the Truth, glorified be His majesty, this evanescent one submits that it would be well for them to read for a time the revealed Tablets, that perchance they may become aware of a drop from the ocean of divine knowledge. Alas! Alas! “Not an atom’s weight in the heavens or the earth escapes His knowledge.” This is attested by that which hath been sent down from our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth. O brother! Not every soul hath been or is worthy of this court, nor is everyone privy to the mysteries of the Truth. The heedlessness of some hath reached such a point that they have not yet become aware of their own ignorance, for had they become aware, they would not deny knowledge to its Source. Wonder upon wonder! The steadfast and firm ones today are souls who, should all on earth become manifestations of names and embodiments of attributes and hesitate less than that regarding this Most Great Cause and Mighty Announcement, would see them all as non-existent and null. Blessed are the steadfast ones! O my beloved, where are the steadfast ones, where are the firm ones, and where are the upright ones? I beseech and implore the Truth not to deprive the world of the light of the countenances of the steadfast ones, the firm ones, the upright ones, the arising ones, the devoted ones, and the doers of good.

As to what they wrote concerning the verses revealed about that person: “Verily We have mentioned thee with a mention before which all mentions bow down.” Every letter that appeareth from the tongue of the Will of the Lord of the invisible and visible realms - all the letters of the world, the mentions of nations, and whatsoever they possess, all bow down before it. This distinction pertaineth to the mention of the Truth and the Word sent down from the heaven of Will. The whole world is mentioned before the Truth. Whosoever today attaineth unto the mention of the Truth hath attained unto all good. However, this station is contingent and dependent upon steadfastness, and in most Tablets this point hath been revealed. Should the entire world turn today in acceptance, the effects of the divine manifestation would appear in all. This station remaineth so long as the acceptance remaineth; otherwise “the manifestation returneth to the Manifester, and He returneth to His origin.” These matters are clear and evident, as hath been revealed with utmost clarity and explicitness in the Book of Certitude and other books, as well as in Tablets. Those verses were revealed two years ago, and those changes occurred afterward. Say: O embodiments of vain imaginings! Break the idols with the strength of certitude and hold fast unto the Truth, glorified be His majesty. At one time a word is revealed concerning a person, and at another time He abrogates it. “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” Reflect upon the abrogating and abrogated verses in the Qur’an. Were this servant to wish to mention all these degrees in full, he would be held back from matters a hundred thousand times greater than these mentions. And what hath been submitted and mentioned was due to the love that existed and exists for that honored one. Say: Have shame before God - at least be silent, that perchance ye may find a way to the Truth. Say: If the intent is to deny knowledge, they themselves are more worthy of it, as every fair-minded and discerning one would testify. In any case, it would be more fitting and seemly for them to occupy themselves with denying their own knowledge […]

Convey greetings from this evanescent one to the loved ones in that land. I know not what has transpired, that those who have never had any knowledge are heeded, while those who have ever been with that renowned person go unheeded. Assuredly this is among the sublime mysteries of understanding. God preserve us! The glad tidings are that some time ago a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed specifically for you and sent, that your eyes might be consoled thereby and that you might find therein the fragrance of our and your Beloved. This letter is not to be given to anyone, for it would pass from hand to hand until reaching the polytheists, and those souls collect whatever of the sacred writings fall into their hands. They have stolen many of the verses of God, exalted be His glory. He verily is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. You may read it for any soul, that each soul may know its station.

As to what was mentioned regarding the Holy Days, they are the first and second of Muharram. However, wisdom does not at present permit their observance, for the heedless party–that is, the Shi’ih–have formed and continue to form other notions. Therefore this ordinance and other ordinances are for future days, and their time shall come. Thus hath spoken the tongue of our Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Naw-Ruz: that day is a festival, whether the sun passes into the new year at the beginning of the day or at its end, for the sun’s effulgence on that day encompasses all its hours. Therefore that day is considered a festival from morning onwards. Likewise the Most Great Festival falls thirty-two days after Naw-Ruz–the evening of the thirty-second day marks the beginning of the Festival. Blessed is the soul that inhales the fragrances of this wondrous, this glorious Day and is not deprived of its splendors. In one of the prayers these exalted words were revealed from the Pen of the Lord of Names–blessed and exalted be His utterance: “O my Lord! This is a Day whose light Thou hast made holy, rising above the sun and its effulgence. I testify that it hath been illumined by the light of Thy countenance and by the dawning rays of the Morn of Thy Revelation.” This station is mentioned in the divine Holy Books. This servant concludeth with this much. Even this much that hath been and is mentioned increaseth the rancor of the heedless ones, for it hath been said: “A blessing unto the righteous, a curse unto the wicked.”

Never have we heard that should divine grace take hold of a soul, it would cause that one to turn away. There hath never been and is no doubt that no one is worthy by himself to be mentioned by God. That the Pen of the world’s Desired One engageth in mentioning His servants–this proceedeth from the effulgent rays of the Sun of grace. They said: “O servant in attendance! If the Most Concealing Name should conceal what is in a soul, and the Most Bountiful Name should mention that one with good, would this be cause for objection?” By My life! Should a soul be blessed by a breath of this grace, he would place the right side of his face upon the dust and cry out “I turn unto Thee, O Most Bountiful, O Most Generous!” Where is fairness? Where is the power to perceive? We beseech God to aid him to recite and read those same verses with an illumined heart and penetrating vision, that he might perchance catch the fragrance of the garment and not be deprived.

God is witness and testifier that this blessed word melts the liver. Now observe the grace and bounty of God - at what station it stands and at what degree our vain imaginings. We beseech God for reformation, seek His favors, and implore His grace. Were the sun of His justice to shine forth for but a moment, the entire world would deserve eternal torment, and were the sun of His grace to shine forth even to the extent of a needle’s eye, the very name of transgression would be erased and vanish from creation.

O my God, my Lord! We are weak and hopeful of Thy grace. We cling to the cord of Thy generosity and hold fast to the hem of the robe of Thy bounty. Leave us not to ourselves. O Mighty One, take the hands of the weak and deliver them from the abyss of idle fancies and desire. Thou art the Helper and Thou art the Powerful. We are helpless and we are weak. Without Thy grace, the spirit hath no comfort, and without Thy bestowal, the soul hath no effect. O Generous One! Adorn our unworthy deeds with the ornament of acceptance, and conceal our unseemly words with Thy forbearance. We have none besides Thee and desire none except Thee. Grant us shelter in the sanctuary of infallibility and bestow upon us dwelling beneath the canopy of Thy grandeur. Preserve us from the fire of self and passion, of idle fancies and transgression. We have no protector save Thee. We turn to the gate of Thy grace and await the wonders of Thy mercy. Do what befitteth Thy greatness and beseemeth Thy generosity and grace. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Generous.

Regarding what you mentioned about the blessed ring, this matter was entirely presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He smiled and said: “Write that you shall attain, God willing. Be patient until God bestoweth upon thee His other favors. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Last and the First.”

The mention of the spiritual friend, Aqa Tahir, upon him be the Glory of God, who in previous years attained the presence, has been and is in the Most Holy Court. At this moment too He said to convey greetings to him and make mention of him from the Wronged One, that he may rejoice in My remembrance and be of the thankful ones. This servant also conveys greetings to him and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, for confirmation especially for him. Wondrous and sublime verses have been revealed, and likewise mention of some who were in his letter. God willing, these will be sent these days. I beseech God that they may drink from the ocean of grace and be illumined by the lights of the sun of bounty - that is, that they may receive their portion from the hidden meanings in the divine verses which are, in truth, the heavenly food and the spirit of the Kingdom of eternity. Glory and praise and exaltation be upon you and upon those who have stood with supreme steadfastness and have said: “God is our Lord and the Lord of the Throne and earth.”

The Servant

7th of Rajab 1302

On this day the letter of the honored friend Aqa Muhammad Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, arrived. Convey greetings to him. God willing, his reply will also arrive. The dye and henna sent have arrived. The servant asks his Lord to send down for him that which will bring comfort to his eyes. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful.

=== END BH00215 ===

=== START BH00216 ===

He is God – exalted be His station, to Him belong majesty and grandeur

Praise be to Him Who is sanctified above the limitations of all created things, the Revealer of verses, Who through the sweetness of His call has drawn all creation to His most exalted horizon, such that some became intoxicated from the cup of the remembrance of their Beloved and turned to the place of sacrifice, while others adorned themselves, and yet others, enkindled with the fire of longing and desire, gave up their lives in the wilderness. Glory be to God! All that hath been mentioned is but the effect of a call that was raised from the Most Exalted Pen by the permission of the Lord of Names. Yet who hath the power to soar in His atmosphere or to voice His praise? I testify that whatsoever hath appeared in creation was created by His command and was brought into being by His will. Glorified be He Who hath made abasement a glory for His loved ones and tribulation a healing for His chosen ones, who utter no word before He hath spoken and who act according to His commandment.

The Jews came, raised the standard of rebellion, and in concert with their divines arose to oppose and protest against the Spirit (Jesus). That which they regarded as the cause of the abasement of the people of God, and acted upon accordingly, became the very source of glory, and that which they counted as the means of extinction became the pathway to everlasting life. Thus it was observed that afterwards the kings of the earth gloried and continue to glory in His name. The people of illusion came and opened their tongues in derision against the Lord of Reality and of the Hijaz, and with the utmost effort strived to extinguish the light. However, God – exalted be His glory – made that which was meant for extinction into the cause of illumination, and through the very means of debasement made manifest the way of exaltation.

Likewise in this Most Mighty, Most Exalted, Most Holy, and Most Glorious Cause, it can be seen that ere long these same souls who today mock or persecute shall arise to serve and voice His praise. Of this there is no doubt, and the Lord of all kingdoms shall assuredly… This servant’s pen is truly incapable and wanting in providing a detailed account of this station. Neither is there opportunity to witness it, nor is there any end to the mention of this station. Glorified be our Lord, the Most Exalted!

May my soul be a sacrifice for your praise. At a time when this evanescent servant was engaged in writing, your letter adorned both home and gathering, and upon beholding it, the sound of the waves of your love reached both the outer and inner ear and was seen by both the outer and inner eye. Blessed is your pen in that it moves in remembrance of our Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and earth, and blessed is your face in that it has turned toward the face of our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the kingdom of command and creation. After perusal, it was presented before the Most Exalted Face. His words were: “O My physician! Treat My people with My Blessed, Mighty, and Wondrous Name. Remind them of My days and what befell Me from the hosts of the heedless. Thou wert created for the remembrance of God and His service. Hold fast unto it, for through it thy station will be made manifest and thy rank will be elevated. Thus doth the All-Informed apprise thee and the Bearer of Glad-Tidings give thee tidings. Turn not thy attention to the people and their clamor. By My life! God shall soon return them and their utterances to dust with manifest loss.” O physician, soon these existing and visible souls and what they have spoken shall be seen as extinct and non-existent. Place thy trust in God and hold fast to the cord of wisdom. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee from the precincts of His mighty prison. Be vigilant in all conditions and trust no one, especially those who associate with rulers and government officials, for such souls are unaware of the reality of this Cause and are veiled from it by their own imaginings. You yourself bear witness that were they to become aware of the truth, they would arise in unity and engage in educating the world. I wonder: Have they recognized and denied, or have they been prevented by their desires in following every distant crier? O physician! By the Most Great Name, if they were to attain but a drop from this ocean - that is, if they were to comprehend even as much as a needle’s eye of God’s purpose - they would surely lament and bewail what they have lost in this blessed Day. Say: Believe not every speaker, nor follow every crier. Say: It behooveth you to ponder what ye hear. By God’s life! I desire at every moment to speak to the number of all atoms. Would that the world might know and understand!

Concerning what you wrote about how after the arrival of some of the heedless and ignorant ones, they arose due to the instigation of certain individuals and girded themselves to harm you - such things have ever befallen and will continue to befall God’s chosen ones. However, despite their wishes, God shall turn all this into glory, honor and lasting remembrance for you throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty. We beseech God to protect you and to maintain you at all times in that which pleases Him. Praise be to God that your wisdom prevailed and the words “they turn back upon their heels” became manifest.

And concerning what you wrote about Sassoon, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], praise be to God that through the power of God’s Ancient Name he has broken the chains of blind imitation and has drunk from the wine of unity. I bear witness as God has borne witness that there is no God but Him, and that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger, His Manifestation and His Appearance, and that He is the Source of His Most Beautiful Names and His Most Exalted Attributes, and through Him God adorned the Night Journey and opened the gates of knowledge to the face of all in creation.

As to what you wrote concerning how the Jewish people cried out at the top of their voices “Sasson ibn Rajwan, Hairim, Hairim” - blessed is he in having been made the target of such rejection and abuse. This is the same cry they uttered when they gathered against the Spirit [Christ]. Verily, We say: How pleasant and wholesome for him! And blessed are they who have tasted the food of tribulation in the path of the Lord of Names. By the truth itself, they are the triumphant ones, they are the knowing ones, they are the near ones, they are the sincere ones. One must beseech the Truth at all times, by night and by day, to keep him steadfast that he may be enabled to preserve what has been bestowed. This is a word that, like the morning star, has dawned and risen from the horizon of the heaven of divine wisdom. Blessed are they who understand.

Praise be to God that through your wisdom the fire of hatred has been quenched and the tongues of the heedless silenced. We beseech the Truth, exalted and mighty is He, to ever assist you in that which will cause the exaltation of His Cause. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

As to what you wrote about how that noble personage asked how it was possible for the claimant to make such claims - he was indeed pure in nature and showed love at the time when the Sun of the horizons rose from the horizon of Iraq. One day the Beloved of the world, accompanied by some companions, went to visit Salman Pak. On the return journey, Mulla Shaykh-’Ali, who was among the learned and resided in Kazimayn (upon them be greetings and peace), was present and conversing with Him. The aforementioned Mulla Shaykh-’Ali mentioned that the son of the late and forgiven Khan, namely Mirza Muhammad-’Ali Khan, had seen a dream, and he related that dream, saying that they were very sorrowful. At this point He said: “Go and give him glad tidings. Soon his affairs will be set in order and he will attain to what he desires.” And He expressed satisfaction with him, that is, with the aforementioned Khan. When this servant heard these words, he became very happy, for his late father in his lifetime never uttered a word that would cause sorrow. And he [Mulla Shaykh-’Ali], as commanded, went and delivered what he was instructed to convey, for on another day he came and mentioned that he had attained the presence of the Khan and related the matter. Now the Khan himself must guard against whisperings so that the fruits of those glad tidings may be fully manifested.

As for Mirza Husayn-i-Qumi, you know that he had absolutely no knowledge of this Cause, and whenever adversity occurred, he was the first to deny it, and when conditions became secure, he would count himself among the first to believe. We seek refuge in God! Again we seek refuge in God! He it was who spat upon the face of Quddus in the land of Taff with manifest cruelty. Such transgressions appeared from him that the pen is ashamed to mention them. Later he would express repentance in the blessed presence. The details about him are known and need not be mentioned. He speaks whatever his own desires command him. That statement which Khan related to you was among his fabrications. By God, besides Whom there is no other God, he had no knowledge of any matter, nor does he now. Sometimes he would attain the blessed presence and would come to this servant, while the essence of the matter remained hidden from him, for they would always say to him that two faults were observed in him, both of them grave: first, that he had no control over his tongue, and second, that he had no control over his feet - he would go wherever he pleased and speak whatever he wished. His conduct, deeds and words are clear and need not be mentioned. As for that statement: First, the Manifestation has ever been and will ever be speaking that which He is commanded. In that station, neither a claimant nor one who summons others is to be seen. These two terms were among those commonly used in the school, while the Truth is sanctified, holy and exalted above them. By ‘school’ is meant that which is the source of satanic whisperings - its teacher is fancy and its students are idle imaginings. If one were to contemplate, truly without the taint of ulterior motives, upon that which has been revealed, he would understand who the Source of the Cause was and who the Manifestation of Revelation was. They would always say that the divine Source of the Cause had concealed Himself in the garments of names, that the Dayspring of Justice might be preserved from the evil of tyranny. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Verily He is the Powerful, the Trustworthy, the Mighty, the All-Willing. From the late Mu’tamidu’d-Dawlih, that is, Mirza ’Abdu’l-Wahhab, who was among the mystics, certain verses were heard, including this couplet which he composed: “I am enchanted by Thee, not by that countenance and tress / Where there is Paradise, there is neither morning nor evening.”

Verily the Most Holy Court is sanctified from these mentions and from the vain imaginings of creation. And this saying of Husayn-i-Qumi is not correct according to any standard, for it often happens that one who summons is a pretender. However, if the one who summons was the Truth, meaning that he was calling people to the innermost essence which none knoweth save Him, this is correct; and if he was a claimant, meaning one claiming the station of Manifestation, this too is complete. In any case, the ignorance of that worthless Siyyid has reached such a degree that one is left bewildered - he perceives not what he says nor understands what he utters, as every discerning and fair-minded person will testify. Apart from these matters, this servant was in Iraq. By God, the All-Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting - that person whom the Siyyid mentions was incapable of speech in the presence of His countenance. At first, this servant was also unaware until it was observed that in His presence he was like any ordinary person. This servant kept this matter concealed in accordance with the blessed word mentioned before, as He would always say that the Source of the Cause kept Himself veiled in the garments of names. In any case, outwardly this servant observed this matter and a hundred thousand times uttered “God, the Most High, the Most Great, speaketh the truth.” We beseech God to assist people to illuminate the darkness of suppositions and imaginings with the light of certitude. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Another submission is that some time ago this servant sent a detailed letter to your honour which was forwarded to Mosul to Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah to deliver to you. No reply has been received. God willing, it has now arrived.

Regarding what you wrote about the deeds of certain ones, you are right. In truth, some of the friends have not preserved the sanctity of the Cause and have caused people of every description to arise in rejection and protest. Yes, during the days of Ridvan, it was revealed from the heaven of divine Will that the pen is lifted, but They have said that there must not be transgression beyond the bounds of propriety and what reason abhors. This is God’s firm decree. Blessed are they who act accordingly. We hope that henceforth they will perceive from the fragrances of the Cause that which conduces to glory, exaltation and the station of true humanity.

When this ephemeral one reached this point in this letter, your other missive opened the gates of joy and became the source of delight and gladness. After perusing it, it was submitted to the Most Holy Court. He smiled greatly at its contents and showed His favor. The next morning, the Most Great Branch - may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps - appeared before His presence, and this servant, as commanded, presented your esteemed letter to Him. Again mention was made of you. Praise be to God that you have been and continue to be the recipient of this great favor. I beseech God that He may never, from time immemorial to eternity, withhold this distinction from you. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

That which you wrote regarding the reason for departure from Hadba and its details was indeed most graceful. Well done to that pen which became the cause of joy to the Beloved of the world! As to what you wrote concerning Muhammad Surur Effendi, it was submitted. He said: “We have mentioned him before and We beseech the Most High to assist him upon His straight path and to ordain for him that which shall benefit him in all the worlds of His worlds. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering.” O physician! Due to the actions of some in the past, most people have entertained unseemly doubts about God’s most exalted, most impenetrable, most holy Cause. Some have imagined that, God forbid, God forbid, the chosen ones and the near ones are not acceptable. However, God shall establish the truth through His words. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty. Soon there shall be made manifest to all the world that which they are now heedless of and veiled from due to the whisperings of the satans of the earth. Remind the people with wisdom and utterance that there may appear to them that which the All-Merciful hath sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers.

From this evanescent one, convey greetings and glorification to them and say: Well done to thy hand and arm! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the sealed wine, which hath been the love of God and His Prophets. Thou art he who hath broken the bounds of the Jews and believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving. Blessed art thou in that thou hast been named after the Lord of the worlds Who shattered the idols through the power of His Lord, the Almighty.

As to what you wrote concerning Aqa Mirza Musa, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], it was submitted to the Most Holy Court. He said: “O physician! He hath suffered much in the Cause of God and hath endured unseemly words until he drank the choice wine of God’s love from the hand of grace and attained unto a station wherein his mention in the Supreme Concourse was more renowned than his mention on earth. This lofty, most exalted station and this glorious, most sublime place he nearly forgot entirely due to a minor outward change. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of eternity that all the world in comparison to an atom of that favor hath been and shall be as nothing, for the world and all that is therein shall perish at a word, while that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. By My life! It grieveth Me to see him extinguished after his enkindlement, and distant after having drawn nigh unto the Most Great Ocean. Until now, in all circumstances, consideration hath been shown to him, for the right of faithfulness is beloved to Us. Therefore no word save that which is good hath been uttered concerning him, and We have commanded all the companions that if aught appeareth from him that is good, they should mention it, and if, God forbid, otherwise, they should remain silent. Perchance through the breaths of these words he may awaken and attain unto the words ‘I have repented unto Thee and turned my face toward Thy court.’ Say: Dost thou deny thyself everlasting stations for the sake of these fleeting days? Where are they who ruled over most of the earth aforetime? Hearken unto the voice of the faithful counselor and act upon this blessed word which declareth: ‘Say: God! Then leave them to their vain disputes.’ God willing, may he turn wholly unto the supreme horizon and arise to make good what hath been lost. Say: Know thou the value of thy station and let it not slip from thy grasp. That which thou now beholdest shall soon be hidden. Hold fast unto that which shall endure for thee as long as God’s most beautiful names endure. Thus doth the Wronged One counsel thee out of His love. Verily thy Lord is the Witness, the All-Informed.”

Concerning what you wrote about Abdullah, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], it was submitted and He said: “O Abdullah! Blessed art thou for having won the grace of God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed art thou for having cast aside vain imaginings and taken hold of that which thou wast commanded in the Book from God, the Exalted, the Great. Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God, the God of all who are in the heavens and earth, my Master and the Master of all who are in the kingdoms of Command and Creation! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the gate of understanding was opened to all contingent beings, to make me one of those who have detached themselves from all else save Thee and have acknowledged Thy unity and oneness. O Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee, relying upon Thee, and beseeching Thy ancient bounty and all-encompassing grace. Wouldst Thou, O my God, disappoint one who has raised his hands of hope toward the heaven of Thy generosity? Would one who has sought the fountain of Thy nearness, O my Beloved, be kept distant? I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, by which the limbs of the nations have trembled, to make me one of those whom neither the might of the world nor the oppression of the heedless has frightened from Thy Cause, O Master of eternity! Then ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who hastened to the place of sacrifice in Thy love. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

That special Tablets were not sent to the aforementioned souls, upon them be the Glory of God, this has been and will be due to wisdom. You know that people are heedless. If special Tablets were sent to one or two of the friends, it would surely become widely known, and this would be contrary to wisdom. For people have not yet understood that the purpose of this Cause is to exalt the primary Cause and to establish that which the Messenger (peace be upon Him) brought. They have suspected corruption and continue to do so, mistaking pure good for evil. Had they become somewhat aware of the purpose, they would now see the banner of Islam at the highest station and would surely have been preserved from this great humiliation that occurred in the recent war. But what was decreed has been decreed, and the Command is in the hand of God, the Master of the Throne and earth.

My request of you is to convey this servant’s greetings and sincere regard to all the friends of God. God willing, may all be seen as links in a chain and manifest the utmost wisdom and steadfastness, lest something occur that might cause some weak souls to waver. You too must observe wisdom with the utmost determination and act accordingly.

In Muharram 1297

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=== START BH00217 ===

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Glorious!

Praise be to God Who hath manifested that which was hidden and revealed that which was treasured up, through which the mysteries of what hath been and what shall be were made clear. He, verily, is the One of Whom the Point of the Bayan gave glad tidings in what the All-Merciful revealed unto Him. He spoke, and His Word is the truth: “I have written an essence in His remembrance, which is that He cannot be indicated by My indication, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan. Yea, by His glory, that Word is, in the sight of God, greater than the worship of all that is on earth, inasmuch as the essence of all worship leadeth unto that. Therefore, as thou hast known God, know Him Who God shall make manifest, for He is more glorious and more exalted than to be known through any save Him or to be referred to by the indication of His creatures. I am, verily, the first servant who hath believed in Him and in His verses, and I have taken 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 none other God but Him; all are upheld by His command.”

I testify that He, exalted and mighty be He, hath spoken the truth and informed all of Him Who hath ever been sanctified beyond mention and utterance, and exalted above the comprehension of all who dwell within the realm of contingent being. Yea, by His grandeur, every beauteous praise is ashamed to be attributed to Him, and every exalted name blusheth to draw nigh unto the court of His glory. Blessed is he who hath pondered His verses and hath taken from the gardens of His utterance the virgin fruits of His knowledge. He verily witnesseth to that whereunto God hath testified in His Book, and ascendeth unto a station which neither the books of the world nor the intimations of the nations can obscure. He speaketh that which the Spirit hath spoken: There is no God but He, the Dominant, the Self-Subsisting.

Glorified be He Who hath manifested through His sovereignty that which He promised us in His Book. He spoke, and His Word is the truth: “The Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s.” Minds are perplexed concerning those who have doubted the Day of God and that which hath appeared therein. Yea, by His glory, He hath forewarned of them, speaking the truth: “Are they not in doubt as to the meeting with their Lord? Lo! He encompasseth all things!”

Glorified be He! The Most Exalted Pen hath not moved to make mention of the Most Mighty, Most Holy, Most Glorious Manifestation save to refer to Divinity, Lordship and the like. And although the Point of the Bayan, exalted and mighty be He, hath spoken as mentioned before - namely, that “He cannot be indicated by My indication, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan” - yet the transgressors have sought to adduce proof thereby concerning God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall be. Perdition and misery be upon them! They have turned aside and objected to God, and have denied the Day which they were promised in His perspicuous Book - the Day whereon mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. We testify that they are in evident smoke, and their hearts have been enveloped by the clouds of idle fancy inasmuch as they have turned away from God, the True King, the Certain.

This is a Day wherein none should be mentioned save God, and the covenant of this Day was taken from the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous in the Qur’an and in the holy Books of old. Yet most people understand not, nor do they perceive. Blessed is he who is adorned this Day with the lights of certitude, turning away from those who are in doubt concerning this blessed, mighty, and inevitable Day.

This is a petition from this servant, known as ’Abdu’l-Hadir before the Throne, to those who drink from the choice wine of inner meanings in the Days of God, that all may, through God’s might and power, enter the impregnable fortress of steadfastness and certitude, remain protected from the arrows of the people of conjecture, doubt and fancy, and with the utmost love and unity engage in teaching the Cause of God. It is written in Persian that all may understand the purpose of this evanescent servant.

In all the holy Books mention is made of the Day of God and the appearance of Truth, as some of which has been cited. Should anyone reflect upon what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, he would become aware of the greatness of this blessed Day. Among the verses revealed from the heaven of Will concerning the meeting with God, He says, glorified and exalted be He: “It is God Who hath raised the heavens without pillars thou canst behold; then mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the sun and moon: each travels to its appointed goal. He ordereth all things. He maketh His signs clear, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.”

Despite this decisive blessed verse and other verses, most people remain veiled and are seen wandering in the wilderness of doubt and uncertainty. Some of the veiled ones among the Babis have objected as to why the Ancient Beauty - may the spirit of all in the kingdom of Command and Creation be sacrificed for Him - has claimed Divinity. The baseness of these people has reached such a point that the pen is ashamed to mention what they have said.

In the Book of Isaiah it states that the everlasting God shall come. In the Qur’an it states: “Whose is the Kingdom this Day? God’s, the One, the All-Compelling!” And likewise: “And thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank.” And the Primal Point - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him - states: “Verily He speaks in all things: ‘There is no God but Me, the Dominant, the Self-Subsisting.’” Yet these deluded souls have not attained unto a drop from the ocean of utterance and speak that which no ignorant one has ever spoken.

This servant is bewildered and amazed at how they have interpreted and understood the utterances of the Exalted One, for in some passages He speaks “Verily I am God, there is no God but Me.” This much is submitted to these gentlemen: that the veiled ones of the Bayan have regressed to the first step, nay lower than that, for the people of the Qur’an accept and believe in the cry “Verily I am God” that was manifested from the Sinaitic Tree. Yet these ignorant people have denied and rejected this blessed word from the Truth Himself. Woe unto them, then woe unto them! Nay, the essence of woe itself seeks refuge in God from their woe and from their ignorance and hatred.

Today the people of God are souls who have consumed doubt and uncertainty with the fire of certitude and are assured of the Day of God and His meeting. Blessed are they, then blessed are they! By God the Truth, Paradise itself yearns to meet them and circles round them. The Tongue of God has foretold of these doubtful heedless souls, saying: “What! Are they in doubt as to the meeting with their Lord?” Should one possessed of an illumined heart reflect upon these exalted verses revealed from the heaven of Divine Will, he would become aware of the loftiness of this blessed Day and the baseness of the heedless and wayward souls, and would thank God, glorified be His majesty, with both outer and inner tongue for having enabled him to attain this most exalted station, which is the station of certitude in the meeting with God.

Today the veiled ones among the people of the Bayan are seen to be more heedless than all other peoples. That Countenance of the Divine Purpose, of Whom the Point of the Bayan said “He cannot be indicated by any indication, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan” - Him they measure against their own fancies, understanding and knowledge. Their own realities curse them, yet they hear not, and all things dissociate themselves from them, yet they perceive not. To that most glorious, most exalted, most impregnable, most holy station - before Whose sacred threshold certitude itself is abashed to be mentioned - what attributions they have made and what differences they have created! Hearken unto what the Dove of the All-Merciful warbled upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of the Bayan. His word, exalted and mighty is He: “By Him Who is single in majesty and grandeur, Who brought forth all things from nothing after His own pattern - certitude itself is abashed to be certain of Him or to prostrate before Him, and evidence is abashed to point to Him [or to any other]. Dost thou think thou canst know Him, or prove His existence through aught else than Him? Know then with the most decisive certainty and the most conclusive, determined command that He, exalted be His glory, mighty be His might, hallowed be His holiness, magnified be His grandeur, and glorified be His attributes, maketh all things to know Him through His own Self. Who then can know Him through aught else?” And likewise they all gave glad-tidings of this most wondrous, most impregnable, most holy, most exalted Revelation, saying - His word, exalted be His glory: “He is the One through Whom, when the Tongue of His eternal holiness speaketh, He createth in a word whatsoever He willeth of prophet, saint, truthful one or pure one. For all that hath been created are signs from His presence and ambassadors from His court. All have declared that there is no God but God and have awaited the One Who would remind you of God’s presence. For ye were not created save to attain His presence. He is the One Who createth all things by His command. Beware, beware on the day of His manifestation lest thou be veiled by the Unity of the Bayan, for that Unity was created by Him. Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words revealed in the Bayan, for they are His own words in the temple of His previous Manifestation. He is the Sun of Truth, the Point of Oneness, the Countenance of Lordship, the Essence of Divinity, and the Being of Eternity. Were He to take His seat upon the dust, the very atoms of dust would proclaim ‘This is the throne whereon the All-Merciful is seated!’ If clay should thus glory in being the place of His throne, how then should the possessors of thought glory in God, the One, the Subduer, and seek tidings of God, the One, the Manifester?”

O ye possessors of illumined hearts! Consider and reflect upon these wondrous and exalted words. He saith that with but a single word from His utterance He createth whatsoever He willeth, whether Prophets, Saints, and the like. He declareth that all have borne and do bear witness to His Divinity, and explicitly affirmeth that all were created for His meeting. Then He warneth lest any soul should be debarred or veiled from the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery by reason of a single point of the Bayan or aught that hath been revealed therein. And He hath expounded this theme to such an extent as to declare that should that Countenance of the Desired One take His seat upon the dust, the very atoms thereof would testify that this is the Throne whereon the All-Merciful hath been established. Yet despite this, the worms of the earth have hesitated concerning the mention of His Lordship and the like, and have clung to their own vain imaginings regarding certain passages of the Bayan, turning away from the Truth, though they have not understood even a single letter thereof, even as the followers of the Qur’an remained deprived of its meanings.

And if any soul this day be not assured of this exalted Truth and His meeting, he is deprived of the Kawthar of certitude and is recorded among the doubtful in God’s Book. I beseech Him - exalted be His glory, His sovereignty, the splendor of His manifestation and His grandeur - not to withhold His friends from the lofty station of certitude. Verily He hath power over all things. I hope, God willing, that His divine favors may encompass all. How excellent is that which hath been said:

Though we have spoken much, yet without

The grace of God we are as naught.

Without the grace of God and His chosen ones,

The angel’s page is black, though pure his tongue.

That which is incumbent and obligatory upon all this day is fellowship and unity, for discord hath ever been and shall continue to be the cause of the dissipation of God’s Cause, even as hath been revealed in most of the Tablets from the Supreme Pen. Blessed is he who hath found the sweetness of God’s utterance and is numbered among the doers.

With utter nothingness, powerlessness and supplication, I entreat all to conduct themselves with one another in perfect love and harmony. Let them not seek to initiate any matter or utter any word that might cause discord. Had certain souls not become the cause of discord heretofore, most of the heedless ones would have turned to the horizon of the Cause. All must fix their gaze upon that which hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s Will, and should they fail to comprehend any of the divine verses or differ in their interpretation, they must inquire of the Source of the Cause. Verily He knoweth what He hath revealed in truth, but the people know not. For instance, when someone asked about the blessed Surih of the Temple and other revealed Surihs containing certain addresses, what was their object, He said: “Verily the Addresser and the one addressed are one and the same, and it is My Self, the One Who dominateth the worlds.” After this clear, brilliant and manifest statement, it behooveth no one to interpret, expound, or speak contrary to that which God, the Lord of the worlds, hath decreed.

God willing, all must give utterance to that which is the Will of God, and strive with the utmost endeavor in matters that lead to the exaltation of His Cause. People are observed to be heedless and asleep. Those who have drunk of the choice wine of inner meanings must awaken these souls through the divine fragrances. I hope that this word will be accepted by all and that they will act upon it. Whenever the odor of discord is perceived, such grief encompasses this servant that pen and utterance fail to describe it. We beseech God to aid all to do what He loves and is pleased with. The world has never had, nor has it now, any worth, and no one is free from its afflictions and trials except those souls who are occupied with the service of God’s Cause. If outwardly any tribulation befalls them, it is the essence of mercy, for it comes upon them in the path of God - this is a station which all those near to God and sincere ones have sought and continue to seek. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, for aid to walk in the path of His good-pleasure and to be detached from all else save Him.

Rejoice, O loved ones of God and His chosen ones! By God, He has ordained for you what He has not ordained for any others. Read what hath been sent down in the Book that ye may be among those who are informed. Soon shall appear what He has promised you in His perspicuous Book. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of sanctification that all the wondrous and sublime favors which He has promised to His loved ones shall be made manifest, even as ye have all witnessed how everything that was revealed by the Divine Pen concerning the transgressors and oppressors has come to pass. Some of these this servant shall mention here, that ye may be convinced that He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen, and that He is indeed the Powerful One Whom the Pharaohs could not prevent from accomplishing what He purposed. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He pleaseth.

Among these is what was revealed in the Surih of Fu’ad at the beginning of imprisonment. His words, exalted be His glory: “Soon will We dismiss the one who was like him and will lay hold on their prince who ruleth the land, and I am the Mighty, the Compelling.” What was revealed in this blessed verse came to pass, as most have heard that after the one like him was seized, God, the Mighty, the Powerful, seized the prince. And He seized this prince in such a manner that all souls were astonished. God, the Most High, the Most Great, spoke the truth.

In the blessed Surih of Ra’is, in which He addresses him by the name of Ra’is, He saith–exalted be His glory: “O Ra’is! Thou hast committed that which hath caused Muhammad, the Apostle of God, to lament in the Most Sublime Paradise, and the world hath made thee so heedless 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.” Until His words–glorified and exalted be He: “Thinkest thou that thou hast the power to quench the fire which God hath kindled in the horizons? Nay, by His own Self, the True One! Wert thou of them that comprehend. Rather, by what thou hast done its flame and heat have been increased. Soon will it encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath the decree been issued, and none from all who are in the heavens and earth can withstand it. Soon will the Land of Mystery and what is beside it be changed, and what had been in the grasp of the King will pass out of his hands, and upheavals shall appear, and lamentation will arise, and corruption will become manifest in the lands, and affairs will be disrupted by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression. The dominion will be altered, and so severe will conditions become that the very sands on the desolate hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will flow from all things, and thou shalt behold the people in sore disturbance.”

And likewise in the Most Holy Book He saith–exalted be His grandeur: “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 thee, 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 thy 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.” The meaning of the “Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas” is Constantinople, which is situated between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Blessed is he who pondereth the verses of God and is of them that are assured.

Should this evanescent servant desire to mention the mysteries of what was and what is to come, which have been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will, verily these pages would not suffice. Many books and volumes would need to be written. The purpose is that the loved ones of God should not fix their gaze upon the varying conditions of these numbered days, but rather should be focused on and assured of what the Lord, exalted be His glory, hath ordained for them in His infinite worlds. And with the utmost joy and eagerness they should arise to serve His Cause. God willing, it is hoped that through the endeavors of His chosen ones, the banner of differences in all cities will be furled, and the banner of love and unity will be unfurled.

In brief, know ye your worth and waste not your time. The Lord of Days is manifest, and any deed performed therein for God’s sake shall be the lord of deeds. Blessed is he who hath made his desire to be extinguished in God’s desire, and who hath acted according to what was commanded in His mighty and wise Book.

And after Mulla Muhammad-’Ali-i-Dahji arrived and all the petitions of the friends which they had submitted to the Most Holy Court were received and presented before the Throne, from the Dawning-Place of Divine bounty expressions of favor were manifested towards all. Blessed is he whose letter attained the presence of the Most Great Vision and whose mention was made before God, the Mighty, the Wise. However, due to God’s consummate wisdom, no response to the petitions was outwardly sent. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The essential purpose is the mention of assured, devoted, content and well-pleasing souls that occurs at the Most Holy Court. Praise be to God that the authors of the petitions have attained to this most impregnable, most holy, most exalted, most glorious station. They must with utmost joy and gladness occupy themselves with the praise and glorification of the Beloved of the world and the Goal of all nations. God willing, appropriate expressions of favor have been and will be shown to each one. Soon will God exalt those who have believed and make them mighty in the earth, and He will abase those who were proud. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, and His Cause is the Truth. Were the veil to be lifted by less than a needle’s eye, all would soar on the wings of certitude in the atmosphere of longing, would pass beyond self and others, and would act with utmost joy in accordance with what He has commanded.

Another matter: Jinab-i-Rafi’ has undergone many hardships. According to the command, he should engage in some occupation in that land. Whosoever succeeds in rendering him assistance is beloved before the Throne.

Glorified art Thou, O my God and the God of all things, my Adored One and the Adored One of earth and heaven! Thou knowest and seest that in my heart there is naught save love for Thee and for Thy loved ones, purely for Thy sake. I beseech Thee by the Ancient King Who is established upon the Most Great Throne that Thou assist them in Thy love and good-pleasure, that they may pray for me in Thy days as I pray for them through Thy bounty and favor. Then answer us, O our God and our Goal, in what we seek through Thy grace and loving-kindness. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Servant

In Rajab 1293

=== END BH00217 ===

=== START BH00218 ===

O Samandar, upon thee be the Most Glorious Glory of God!

He is the Commander, the Ruler, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed

O thou who soarest in My atmosphere and gazest toward My horizon! Hear My testimony that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. Nothing escapeth His knowledge and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. We make mention of the loved ones of God and seek for each one the Kawthar of utterance from the chalice of the bounty of the Lord of all possibility. The steadfast ones shall soon behold the effulgences of the light of their Lord’s gracious favors. Each of thy requests hath been heard. Convey My greetings and glorification to those souls who have set their faces toward the Most Exalted Homeland and the Supreme Summit, and illumine them with the effulgences of the mention of the Most Great Luminary. Praise be to God that steadfast and firm souls have been raised up. God is My witness that this Wronged One hath loved to meet His loved ones, but for some time the oppressors and calumniators have arisen to subvert the Cause of God and have striven to harm His loved ones. One whom We protected for forty years hath been ignited with the fire of hatred - he is the cause of the seduction of the calumniators, the treacherous ones and the oppressors. Praise be to God that whatsoever was hidden in their hearts hath been made manifest, that the servants of God might distinguish truth from falsehood. This is the most great bounty that hath shone forth from the Dayspring of utterance of the Lord of destiny. Blessed are they that hear! Therefore have We paused in granting permission. If they act in accordance with what was previously mentioned in this regard, the reward of attainment unto His presence shall be fully recorded for them. This is among God’s irrevocable promises, there is no doubt in this. It hath been recorded in confirmation in My Perspicuous Book. Illumine the loved ones of that land and its surroundings with the effulgences of the light of God’s bounty. We beseech God to aid all to champion His Cause.

O my God, O Thou Who art Gracious, Merciful, Beloved, and the Ultimate Goal! I testify that Thou hast, with the finger of power, broken the seal of the Choice Wine and, through the sovereignty of the Name of the Self-Subsisting, hast granted eternal life to the realm of hearts and souls. This Wine is the utterance that hath flowed and appeared from the Tongue of Grandeur. Blessed is the soul that hath taken and drunk this most pure Wine from the hand of Thy bounty. O Gracious One! Withhold not Thy servants in these days from the breezes of revelation and the fragrances of divine inspiration. Grant them power, bestow upon them success in such wise that neither the hosts of doubts may prevent them nor the ranks of allusions drive them away. Aid them in that which beseemeth Thy Revelation and Thy establishment upon the throne of Thine utterance. O my Lord! Through clear evidence hath been established Thy wealth and Thy power, and our poverty and our helplessness before the manifestations of Thy grandeur. O my Lord! Thou knowest and seest that one of Thy servants, who hath been named Samandar in Thy most pure Presence and Most Luminous Station, hath desired to make mention of Thy loved ones through the tongue of Thy grace in the kingdom of Thine utterance, that their hearts may rejoice thereby and their faces be illumined. O my Lord! Ordain for him from the ocean of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy bounty that which he hath desired, and disappoint him not of the effulgences of the Sun of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs. There is none other God but Thee, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection.

O Party of God! Be not grieved. The vicissitudes of the world have ever been and shall ever be. Hearts adorned with the ornament of divine love shall not be seized by sorrow, nor shall life and possessions preoccupy them. What behooveth steadfast souls today is to cling to wisdom and utterance in guiding the heedless and hesitant, and to give all a share of the most pure and luminous wine. Reflect upon what hath befallen this Wronged One from the first days until now - at times under the blows of the misguided, at times in chains and fetters. I swear by the lights of the Sun of Truth that illumineth the seen and unseen realms that We have borne afflictions the like of which no ear hath heard, yet since they were in God’s path they were sweet and beloved. By the life of God, to them that are in love, colocynth is as sweet as honey. Strive that ye may not, through names, be deprived of their Creator and Revealer. Act towards all as ye would wish others to act towards you.

My God, my God! Aid Thy loved ones in that which befitteth Thy Manifestation and Revelation, then enable them to assist Thy Cause through the wisdom Thou hast sent down in Thy Books, Scriptures and Tablets. O Lord! All things testify to Thy grace and bounty, and to Thy might and power. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

We make mention in this place of him who was named Javad, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. We testify that he arose to serve My Cause with such steadfastness as no love of anything could deter. He responded when the Call was raised, saying: “Here am I, O Lord of all beings and God of the throne on high and of earth below.” We bear witness to his acceptance, his turning toward God, and his steadfastness in this Announcement which caused every oppressor to lament and made the countenances of the sincere to smile. We beseech God to adorn him with the crown of utterance and illumine him with the ornament of My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous. The glory be upon him, upon his family, upon those in his household, and upon all who hear mention of him in this Most Great Announcement and love him for the sake of My sanctified and luminous countenance.

O Ahmad! We have mentioned thee before and at this time. Soon shalt thou witness what hath been ordained for thee by the Pen of God, the Lord of all worlds. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones and friends.

We make mention of My handmaiden who attained Our presence and of My handmaidens who have heard and believed in God, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O My handmaiden, O Aziziyyih! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and hath attained His presence and hearing. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee detached from all else save Him and to cause thee to hold fast unto His firm and mighty cord.

O S.M.! We have willed to mention thy submitted matters and grant answers to each one individually. Give glad tidings from Me to him who was named Muhammad-Qabil-Javad of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. We have mentioned him before and at this time, by the command of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Soon shall the world pass away, and there shall endure what We have ordained for him, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. What thou didst send with him hath attained Our presence and been accepted, as a grace from God, the Lord of all worlds. We beseech Him to open before his face the door of His bounty and to make him among the helpers of His Cause.

O Tahmasb Kh.A.! Thou didst desire to attain Our presence and hearing, and to witness the signs of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath so desired. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. We have accepted thy presence and thy standing before the gate that hath been opened unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Rejoice and say: “Praise be to Thee, O Thou through Whose command every wise decree is manifested!”

O Siyyid Taqi! Upon thee be My everlasting glory! Thou didst desire to attain My presence and meet Me, but the calumniators have come between thee and Me. We beseech God to adorn thy intention with the ornament of His good-pleasure and to render thy deeds acceptable through His all-pervading grace. Had people known the excellence of every word that hath proceeded from the tongue of My grandeur, they would have sacrificed their lives in My path. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Knowing, the Enlightener.

O Mashhadi Taqi Salmani! Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having aided me to turn towards Thee and for having remembered me through Thy never-failing verses. I beseech Thee, by the lights of Thy throne, to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for those who have attained Thy presence and have quaffed the choice wine of reunion from the cup of Thy bounty. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Hasan, son of Ustad Ali! Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One. We have remembered thee with that which the treasures of the world cannot equal. Say: O my God! Withhold me not from the ocean of Thy bounty, nor from the Kawthar of Thy generosity. I beseech Thee to ordain for this servant that which Thou hast ordained for the sincere ones. Thou art, verily, the Most Merciful of the merciful.

O Karbila’i Muhammad-Rida! We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning towards Us. We have remembered thee with that which hath caused the fragrances of the All-Merciful to waft throughout all existence. Blessed art thou for having heard, turned towards Us, and attained unto this wondrous utterance.

O Mashhadi Hasan! Thou hast attained unto the Day of God, wherein the Tongue of Grandeur maketh mention of thee with that which the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth cannot equal. Rejoice thou in My remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Revealer of verses, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Aim and Desire of those in the heavens and on earth! I beseech Thee to record for me, with the Pen of Thy bounty, the reward of attaining Thy presence. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

O Darvish! The tranquility of the world and its peoples lieth in purification from defilement. We beseech God to sanctify His servants from whatsoever hath prevented them from drawing nigh unto Him. Say: Praise be unto Thee for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and my temple with the ornament of Thy love. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be,” and it is.

O Samandar! We have made mention of those souls who have desired to turn towards the Most Great Ocean, and each one hath been favored with manifest verses and sublime words. Blessed and welcome be unto him. We have desired at this time to make mention of Our loved ones in Ra and Shin.

O Karbila’i Qasim, O Attar! Thou hast attained unto the mention of God in this spot which He hath made the circling-place of the Concourse on High and the pavilioned maidens of the Most Glorious Paradise. Be thou thankful and among those who praise. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee and to ordain for thee all the good that He hath ordained for His sincere servants.

O Yahya! Thy mention hath been honored by being heard and thy name by attaining His presence. We make mention of thee with that which shall never perish, as long as the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised, endureth. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee and those in Ha and Mim among the children of the Friend and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God, among the guardians of His sanctified House and the protectors of His holy City. The Trustworthy One, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, hath mentioned them time and again, and before him Haydar-’Ali, upon him be My grace and mercy. We beseech God that there may appear through thee and through them that which beseemeth His days. By the life of God! The Mount rejoiceth at your presence and the Tree calleth out your name, and in the revelation of Kudak there appeared that which none can deny save he who disbelieveth in God, the Single, the One, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Knowing.

O heirs of Him Who conversed with God! Hear ye My call. It draweth you to My horizon and bringeth you near unto God, the Single, the All-Informed. Give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Merciful. He hath aided you to turn towards Him and guided you unto His straight path. Say: He Who speaketh from the Most Exalted Horizon is indeed the path of God for all who are in the heavens and on earth. Say: O heirs of Him Who conversed with God! The Torah crieth out this day in My Name, saying: O people of the earth! Fear ye God and be not of the wrongdoers. The Sun of Justice hath shone forth and that which was promised in the Books and recorded in the Scrolls hath appeared. Turn ye with radiant faces and be not of the heedless. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in this holy, exalted, mighty and impregnable station.

My God, my God! Thou knowest that Himmat hath attained unto permission. Aid him, O my God, in that which beseemeth Thy days, then preserve him through the hosts of Thy power, then ordain for him the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence and have heard Thy sweetest call from the Prison of ’Akka and have witnessed that which was hidden from mankind. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.

O Samandar! Upon thee be My glory! Indeed, from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them and Jinab-i-Yunus Khan, upon them both be the glory of the All-Merciful, the reward of attaining His presence and meeting Him hath been recorded. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O Samandar! Thou didst make mention of Muhammad from the land of Za and Nun. He hath attained unto the mention of God. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to strengthen him in supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the limbs of all names have trembled. Convey My greetings unto him and give him the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My loving-kindness and hath appeared from the depths of the ocean of My bounty. Verily thy Lord is the Munificent, the All-Bountiful.

We wish to make mention at this time of him who is named Haji Ghulam, who traversed land and sea in his longing to attain the presence of his Lord, the Lord of all days. We accepted thy presence as proxy on his behalf. We beseech God to ordain for him the reward of those who soared in My atmosphere and spent their wealth in My path, the manifest, the straight.

And We love to make mention of him who turned unto My face and drank the choice wine of reunion from the hand of My bounty and arose to serve My Cause in My days - he whom We named Jamal in My mighty and glorious Book. O Jim! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Samandar mentioned thee before thy Lord. We make mention of thee with a mention which God hath made the sovereign of all mentions. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

O Jamal! Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to ?ubbu’llah. In thy previous petition thou didst mention thy satisfaction with him. Verily, this mention hath attained acceptance and good-pleasure in the presence of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. And We make mention of the son of him who was named Shaykh Ahmad, who ascended unto the Supreme Companion out of love for God, the Lord of all creation, and tasted the sword’s venom in his longing to attain the presence of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There is no harm in delay in Ra and Shin. If journey and movement be acceptable and desired in the land of Mim […]

O Samandar! The pledge is from you and faithfulness from your Lord, the Generous. We make mention of him who hath been named Hasan from the land of Ta, and give him glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. We testify that thou hast fulfilled thy covenant and pledge, and mentioned his name in this noble station. We counsel him and those in Ba and Dal with the wisdom We have sent down in the Scriptures and Tablets. It behooveth man to hold fast unto that which draweth people nigh unto the One, the All-Informed. Say: Act, O servants of God, according to that which We have counseled you before and after. Lay hold on righteousness and the fear of God, as commanded by the Wise Ordainer.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Isma’il! Thy name was present before the Wronged One, brought by Samandar, the fire of My love. We have made mention of thee as a token of Our grace and mercy. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: My God, my God! Ordain for me that which profiteth me and draweth me nigh unto Thee in all Thy worlds. I testify that Thou knowest me better than I know myself. With Thee is the knowledge of all things in Thy perspicuous Book. O Lord! Purify me from all that is unseemly in Thy days and adorn me with the ornament of Thy love, the Mighty. Then write down for me what Thou hast written for Thy chosen ones who have cast aside all else but Thee, holding fast to the cord of Thy mercy which hath preceded all in the heavens and the earth.

O Samandar! Every fire in the world is extinguished by the waters of the objections of the calumniators and perverters, yet this Fire is observed to increase with each passing moment. The seas of hatred and animosity have failed to quench it. Each day it appeareth with a new light, a new flame, and a new utterance, though from every direction an arrow is aimed and from every side a sword is drawn. He Whom We preserved through successive years hath been taken by the manifestations of idle fancies as a lord for themselves besides God. Moreover, thou hast heard of the deeds of the followers in the Great City. God, exalted be His glory, through His complete power hath revealed the true nature of those souls that all might, after hearing and witnessing, become aware and return unto the truth. It behooveth Us to leave off mention of them and make mention of him who soared in My atmosphere and held fast to the cord of certitude in My days and acted according to what was revealed in My Book. He was named ’Aziz Kha in the Book of Names. We testify that he turned, was present, and attained unto that which was inscribed in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great. We beseech the Most High to strengthen him each day in His remembrance and praise and to confirm him in such steadfastness as neither the ranks of princes nor the hosts of divines can shake. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Hearer, the Answerer. Convey My glory unto him and give him the glad tidings of My verses and illumine him with the lights of My wondrous remembrance.

My God, my God! The Wronged One desireth to make mention of Thy loved ones in Ra and Shin, upon whom there hath descended in Thy love that which hath caused the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy grandeur and the inhabitants of Thy most exalted Paradise and the supreme Heaven to lament. O Lord! Aid Thine enemies to return unto Thee and to turn repentant unto the door of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. We have made mention of Our loved ones there and have sent down for them in the Crimson Book that which shall endure as long as Our most beautiful names endure. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Giving. We have made mention of ’Ali ibn Nasir–upon them both be My glory–before and at this time with a Tablet that no other tablets can equal. We beseech God to make him a treasure unto Himself. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

The loved ones in that land have all attained to the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory, and are present before His face. Blessed are they and happy are they! We beseech God, the Most High, to make them the standards of His guidance amongst His servants and to aid them to serve His mighty Cause. The Wronged One desires to make mention of His loved ones in Qaf and its surroundings, that they may rejoice and be transported by the rapture of the call to the Most Exalted Horizon. O My loved ones! The glance of favor hath ever been directed towards you. That which none save God, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, can reckon hath been ordained for you. They who have turned unto Him and have attained possess such a station that were less than a needle’s eye thereof to be revealed, the dwellers of the earth would be thunderstruck. The Mother Book beareth witness unto this at this manifest time. Convey My glorification unto them and give them the glad-tidings of the ocean of My mercy and the heaven of My loving-kindness and My grace that hath encompassed both worlds.

O Samandar! The honored teacher has stood before the Countenance. Verily God has forgiven him and those whom He wishes to forgive from among His servants - He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. O teacher! You have attained to the presence and meeting, and to that which was announced in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We beseech God to rain down upon you from the heaven of His bounty the showers of His gifts. He is verily the Compassionate, the Generous. We testify that you turned towards Him, attained His presence, and heard the call of the Wronged One in His mighty prison. This is a deed that cannot be equaled by the deeds of the world. Soon shall the doers behold the recompense ordained for them from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Samandar! The loved ones of that land have ever been and continue to be before Our sight. The Tongue of Grandeur hath moved to make mention of them by night and by day. Blessed are they and joy be unto them! They have attained to that which none hath attained save those whom their Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, hath willed.

A Tablet hath once again been revealed specifically for Abdul-Baqi, upon him be My Glory, and another Tablet for Abdul-Ali, upon him be My Glory, and those souls mentioned in his petition. We beseech God that He may aid them all to perform such deeds and display such character as would cause the servants to turn towards God, the Single, the All-Informed.

In most Tablets We have commanded all to observe wisdom. Nevertheless, in some cities and villages there appeared that which caused the near ones to be struck with terror and the sincere ones with dismay. The first sedition appeared in Iraq, for on the first day of Ashura, in place of sorrow there appeared joy, and in place of silence there arose the sound of singing. In brief, this action caused the word of malicious souls to be exalted, although the intention of those who performed these acts was to celebrate the appearance of the Primal Point, may our souls be a sacrifice for Him - that is, His blessed birth on the first day of Muharram - and likewise their belief that all the Imams, the blessings of God be upon them, had returned and emerged from their graves. Yes, this matter is true, but the people of the world have not yet recognized the appearance of the Promised One, save for a few. Therefore, the requirements of God’s loving-kindness and favor - exalted be His glory - are that, as in the past, all should occupy themselves during the days of Ashura with commemorating the tribulation of the Prince of Martyrs, may our souls be a sacrifice for Him, until such time as God shall unveil to His servants the mysteries of His Manifestation and what He hath sent down in His perspicuous Book.

This Wronged One, in the land of Ta [Tehran], would fast on the eve of Ashura, and on the following day would partake of tea and bread after noon. This was the practice of the Wronged One, and some of the souls present are aware of this and know it. In Iraq too, during the days of Ashura, one should be occupied with commemorating the tribulation. The loved ones should fix their gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon and hold fast to and act according to such practices as are customarily observed. The tribulation of His Holiness is most great. Blessed are they who understand.

The glory that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those whose names have flowed from the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, we are God’s and unto Him shall we return.

=== END BH00218 ===

=== START BH00219 ===

He speaks, and His sweetest utterance is:

God willing, may you be blessed with divine favors and be oriented towards and speak of that which cultivates noble character in the servants. O physician! People are heedless and need educators and teachers. Through the care of divine physicians and the sages of the age, they must discover their ailments and seek to cure them. Strive that perchance the heedless may comprehend the fruits of goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Should they attain to this station, each one will see himself as a reformer, refiner, and guide to the heedless and the negligent.

The Pen of the Wronged One hath, in most instances, commanded love, kindness and unity, and hath explicitly mentioned in the Tablets the victory referred to. Nevertheless, it is observed that some have mistaken corruption for reformation and counted it as victory. Nay, by Him Who created the world through a word from Him! The victory of God’s Cause hath been through wisdom and utterance, and that too hath been made contingent upon the utmost joy and radiance. We beseech God to assist all to achieve what is befitting for this day.

Say: O servants! Ye have been brought from nothingness into the realm of existence to build up the world. Corruption and contention have never been and are not worthy of man. Today, if anyone should cause grief to another, of whatever faith, he is not beloved in the sight of the Wronged One. To this testifieth My outer tongue and My inner tongue, and beyond these every discerning knower and every hearing scholar.

The foundation of religion, which hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s command, hath been for the unity and concord of all peoples. O physician! Observe now how this pure gem hath become sullied with the dust of vain imaginings and through the tyranny of the ignorant hath reached such a state that it hath become the cause of enmity between the servants of God.

This is the pure water of the Kawthar of utterance which hath flowed from the divine kingdom of knowledge. Blessed is the one who hath drawn near and drunk therefrom in the name of God. It is hoped that the people of Baha will attain to that which God hath willed and become dawning-places of affection and unity, that perchance through divine favors and heavenly bounties they may become the cause of the reformation and development of the world.

Convey greetings and salutations to the friends in that land on behalf of this Exile and say: God willing, may you be engaged in the remembrance of God with perfect wisdom in such wise that your words may influence hearts. We counsel you to be compassionate, merciful, forbearing, trustworthy and truthful, that perchance the darkened world may be illumined through the lights of praiseworthy character and goodly deeds. This is the meaning of victory that hath been revealed in the Book.

If today any deed should appear from anyone that would cause affliction and harm to another, that deed in truth reverteth to the Wronged One. Fear ye God, O My loved ones, and avoid all that intellects would abhor. Thus doth My Pen counsel you and My truthful and faithful tongue admonish you. Ye are before Mine eyes. We make mention of you and commune with you and give you glad tidings of what hath been ordained for the sincere ones in the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds.

As regards what was written concerning the movement and attention of that personage with his family, it was submitted, whereupon He said: “At present it is not and has not been advisable - with Him is the wisdom of all things in a perspicuous Book. This land too, due to certain matters, is observed to be declining day by day. You are in Our thoughts and whatever is advisable has certainly been and will be mentioned. Convey My greetings to her and give her the glad tidings of My remembrance. God willing, God’s special favors have been and will continue to be with her. The reward of no doer of good has been or will ever be lost. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous.”

As regards what you wrote concerning Sa?id, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], it was submitted, whereupon He said: “O Sa?id! Mention was made of thee before the Wronged One. We make mention of thee through this remembrance. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to grant thee a goodly end, to ordain for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto Him, and to decree for thee that which will profit thee in this world and the next. Verily, He is the Lord of creation and the Possessor of Oneness. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

He said write to the physician, upon him be My glory: “O physician! Convey My greetings to My loved ones and deliver unto them My peace, and give them the glad tidings of My will and My favor and My grace, and counsel all by My leave with wisdom, and wisdom, and wisdom, lest there appear from anyone that which would disturb even a gnat, how much less a human being. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath taught us what He desired and guided us to the straight path.”

This is what the Kingdom of Utterance hath spoken: “O Muhammad-i-Amin! Thy letter was presented and the servant present before the Wronged One read it, and We have answered thee with that which will solace the eyes. Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the fragrance of utterance was wafted throughout creation and the ocean of knowledge surged! I beseech Thee to aid me in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book and to enable me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants. O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy grace and holding fast to the hem of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the Name through which the breezes of generosity were wafted over the world and the fragrance of the garment of Revelation was diffused among the nations, to make me in all conditions one who makes mention of Thee, who gazes toward the direction of Thy grace, and who acts according to that which Thou hast commanded me from the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. O my Lord! I am the poor one who hath sought Thy bounty and favors, and the needy one who hath hastened toward the ocean of Thy riches. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have turned toward Thee and have turned away from all else beside Thee. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom the conditions of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the signs of every heedless doubter prevent. There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the All-Conquering, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

O Muhammad! We have seen what thou didst send unto the Wronged One. We beseech God, exalted be He, to acquaint thee with that which shall profit thee and teach thee that which shall guide thee to His straight path. The Tree of Wisdom, its root, branch and twig is the knowledge of God - exalted be His glory, magnificent His station, and great His grandeur. He cannot be known except through Himself, nor can He be described by what the people possess. Know thou that all mention, all description, and all knowledge returns unto His Messengers and ends with His chosen ones whom He hath sent unto His servants and His creation. Blessed is he who hath recognized this most exalted station and attained unto that which God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, hath desired.

God willing, thou must strive to attain unto such wisdom whereby thou and all other created things may benefit both outwardly and inwardly. The wisdom of the people of Persia, which some of their eminent divines claim to possess, hath been and is mere words - it began with words and ended with words. Every person of insight beareth witness to that which the Wronged One hath testified in this mighty prison.

God willing, through the bounty of the True One, mayest thou drink from the divine ocean of knowledge and be illumined by the Sun of Truth. Some of the philosophers of Persia have inquired of this Wronged One concerning certain words of previous philosophers, and the inquirer had studied under ?akim-i-Sabzivari. In the early days, this Wronged One would engage in answering such questions. In response to their question about the “simple reality,” that was mentioned which any person possessed of sight and hearing would witness and hear, directing him to the horizon of guidance. Nevertheless, no trace appeared from the inquirer.

Ask thou God, besides Whom there is none other God, to assist all to achieve that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Lord of the Throne and earth, and the Sovereign of the hereafter and this world. All people have passed by the choice wine of fairness and occupied themselves with the bitter water of tyranny. They have deemed the learned ignorant and the ignorant learned, and wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and ignorance, following the dictates of their desires, save whom God, the Lord of creation, willeth. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance.

As commanded: Be not assured by such persons, for their purpose is merely to have something said, as hath become evident, manifest and proven. Whatever was mentioned hath been answered, but barren earth is not capable of growing vegetation. To this every discerning scholar beareth witness.

O Muhammad! This Wronged One hath summoned all the peoples of the world unto the Lord of Eternity, and guided them to whatsoever conduceth to the tranquility of humankind. Yet the heedless people have clung to vain imaginings and idle fancies, turning away from the Manifest Truth. They have taken conjecture in place of certitude, and have worshipped the idol, mistaking it for the Self-Subsisting. Such is the condition of the people. By the Sun that shineth above the horizon of the heaven of utterance! This Wronged One hath desired naught but pure good, and hath spoken naught save that which enjoineth righteous conduct and befitteth the station of man. Yet they visited upon Him that which none other hath endured. We have heard, in the path of God, the clash of the swords of enemies and the neighing of the steeds of the wicked ones, and We have been patient through His grace and favor. We beseech Him in all conditions to assist His servants in that which He willeth and to grant them success in that which He loveth and pleaseth. Verily He is the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of the hereafter and the present world.

God willing, may that honored one observe the Cause of God with penetrating vision, an illumined heart and an expanded breast, and ponder upon it, that he may attain unto the pearls of the ocean of inner meanings. We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee with this Remembrance whereby the gate of true knowledge hath been opened to all who dwell within the realm of possibility. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath appeared in the manifestation of His conclusive and wise Command. Soon shall the world and whatsoever it containeth of ornaments, souls, sciences and arts pass away, and the Cause shall remain with Him Who hath testified to His Own Self by His Own Self before the creation of all things. Verily there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. It behooveth all to cleave unto wisdom and to associate with the people in a spirit of joy and fragrance, and to acquaint them wisely with that which is hidden from the eyes of the heedless ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

They have stated that it is most difficult for such souls to ascend unto the Kingdom of certitude, to speak for the sake of God, and to turn unto Him. Many such souls have been mentioned in the letters of the friends of God and numerous Tablets have been revealed specifically for each one, yet afterwards no news whatsoever was heard of those souls. Beseech ye God, exalted and glorified be He, to assist the people in that which is pleasing unto Him. Let them at least understand this much: that discord, conflict and contention have never been and never will be worthy of God and His chosen ones. Man must strive to promote unity. He is as the eye among mankind. Thus was it mentioned before and at this time. At one time this blessed word shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will: O servant who art present! Verily this Day walketh before the faces of the world and speaketh, and verily it is the City of God sent down from the heaven of the Command, and verily it is that whereby the sealed choice wine was unsealed and the ocean of life surged in the contingent world and the Dove warbled upon the branches. Verily there is no God but Him, the Supreme Ruler over all names, and He is the Doer of whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This is what the Tongue of the Intended One hath spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance: O physician! Upon thee be My glory! A servant presented thy letter before the Wronged One, and that which was mentioned and written therein was made known. I pray that thou mayest drink from the Kawthar of divine favor and the ocean of merciful bounty, and give others to drink thereof. This Wronged One hath commanded all the peoples of the earth to that which would bring them freedom, liberty and tranquility, that the whole earth might be seen as one country and all might gather beneath the shadow of a single Word. By the life of the Beloved! Had the servants attained unto that which the Wronged One desired, the world would have been seen adorned with the ornament of joy and delight, in such wise that sorrow and its hosts, grief and its cohorts, would have been seen to be non-existent and vanished. Nevertheless, they regarded the Dawning-Place of reformation as the source of corruption and thus deprived themselves of the divine bounties. O physician! So long as the lights of the sun of justice remain hidden behind the clouds, the people of the earth have not and will not find tranquility and rest. Arise for God’s sake and speak for His sake, that perchance the people may become aware and arise to that which befitteth their stations. Through the revelation of Books and the sending of Messengers, God hath desired the unity and concord of His servants and the education and tranquility of all who dwell in the lands. Yet now it is seen that religions and laws have been made the cause of hatred and rancor. Therefore hath this Wronged One desired, through the grace of the Lord of Names, to remove and efface this hatred and rancor from among the servants. Had the divines, mystics and rulers of the earth pondered but a little on that which hath appeared, assuredly the people of the Furqan would today be seen above all peoples and sovereign over all. The Word had not yet been fully uttered from the mouth of Will when they arose to pronounce the verdict of unbelief and stood up in rejection and protest. Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou at Whose separation the cry of the yearning ones and the lamentation of them that are near unto Thee have been raised! I beseech Thee by the Word through which the spirit of life was breathed into all creation, and by Thy Name whereby the horizon of proof was illumined for the followers of all religions, to draw Thy servants and Thy creatures nigh unto the ocean of Thy knowledge and recognition. Then grant them to drink of the Kawthar of Thy bounty through Thy generosity and favors. O my Lord! Thou seest their poverty and Thy wealth, their weakness and Thy power. I beseech Thee by the Light that shineth from the horizon of Thy Manifestation to assist me and Thy loved ones to remain steadfast in Thy Cause and to enable them to mention Thee and praise Thee amongst Thy servants. Thou art He Whom the happenings of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the signs of those who have turned away from Thee prevent Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven! My outer and inner tongue beareth witness that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been One, Alone, Single, Self-Subsisting, the Eternal, and Thou wilt ever continue to be as Thou hast been. There is none other God but Thee, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Concerning what you wrote about gatherings of meetings held previously, it was submitted and He said: “The truth is as you have written - meetings and gatherings were being held where it was not known who was guiding and who was misleading, which seeker was investigating and which visitor was unknown, whether they came seeking fame or were themselves spies. In all circumstances, gatherings are not permitted - one must act with perfect wisdom, for people are ignorant and heedless of the root of the Cause. If they were to become aware of a single word from this Book, or a drop from this Ocean, or a gleam from this Light, all would be found circling round. Take wisdom by My command and set aside all else - thus does the All-Knowing command you from this noble station. Despite all that has flowed from the Pen being counsels and exhortations, nevertheless if a leaf or tablet appears or they hear that someone has gone from one place to another, they will surely become agitated. By Him Who has caused all things to speak in praise of His Self - if they were to recognize what God has willed, most would perish from joy and gladness. The purpose of all these utterances is that people must be educated with the utmost joy and fragrance and made aware of that which benefits them. God’s mercy has preceded and His grace has encompassed all. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

And regarding what you mentioned about him who was named with Alif and Ha in the Kingdom of Names and what he composed - the servant was honored by it and recited it before his Lord’s face, and this is what the Tongue of the Intended One spoke after hearing it: “We have heard what the tongue of love and affection spoke in mention of this Wronged One Who has called the people to the supreme horizon and the ultimate goal. We have mentioned him in such wise that his remembrance shall endure through the perpetuity of names in the kingdom of creation. We beseech the Lord of the servants to confirm him and assist him in that which He loves and is pleased with, and to give him to drink of the choice sealed wine whose seal was broken by the name of God, the Possessor of Names and Creator of heaven.”

Concerning what was written about seclusion - meaning you do not go to coffeehouses - He said: “Yes, what was done…”

And regarding that Tablets are not being sent from this place and there is delay in responding to letters - this has been and will be due to wisdom, for if they were sent repeatedly and consecutively, a friend would disclose to another friend whose heart’s secrets he knows not, and it would spread and cause corruption to appear. The assured and confident ones should be seen as patient, silent, dignified and composed. They should not say what is not permitted, nor follow what is not befitting. They should not confirm every speaker nor consider every claimant truthful, nor be assured by every arrival. They should speak with wisdom and hold fast to kindness and mercy. With the sword of spiritual morals and goodly deeds they should assist the truth and protect people from the arrows of Satan. The fragrances from the gardens of God’s kindness and mercy have encompassed the world, yet its people remain veiled and deprived. Verily He speaks the truth and guides the way. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Beautiful.”

And concerning what you wrote about Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], the details were submitted to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence and He said: “All the people of Iraq are aware and informed of the details, and beyond them, verily your Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

At a certain time these words flowed from the tongue of the Beloved: “O servant! These are the days of pure servitude, that all may arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of creation with the utmost humility, submissiveness and detachment. Through the manifestation of this station, man’s station in creation has been and will be made evident. Whomsoever submitteth unto God, God will exalt him through His grace. The loved ones should be counseled and reminded in all circumstances, that they may all conduct themselves in such wise that others may inhale from them the sweet fragrance of sanctity, holiness and pure servitude unto God, the True One. The idle fancies and vain imaginings of the people of error have never been and never shall be worthy of the friends of the Self-Sufficient Lord. O friends! Aid ye the Cause of God through the hosts of goodly spiritual qualities, the battalions of holy deeds, and the banners of humility, submissiveness and supplication. By the life of God! No hosts in the world have been or shall be mightier than the hosts of justice and wisdom. Had the kings of the world held fast unto these two, all the peoples of the earth would have attained unto supreme tranquility and the greatest ease. But now the sun of justice is veiled behind the clouds of oppression. We beseech God to deliver this light from the claws of darkness. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful.”

At this moment, a call was raised from the Most Holy Court summoning this servant. After presenting himself, this blessed word shone forth from the Dayspring of divine knowledge: “O servant! We make mention of My physician and his son Jalalu’d-Din and his mother, and We send Our greetings unto them and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and mercy. We beseech Him to protect him beneath the shade of the Tree of His Cause. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful. There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

2 Ramadan 1298

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=== START BH00220 ===

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious Lord!

Praise be befitting and worthy of that Imperishable Beloved Who, from time immemorial and unto eternity, through the breezes of the Most Exalted Pen, hath guided the people of the Kingdom to the ocean of knowledge and taught them that which beseemeth the station of man. Blessed are they who have attained unto the melody of the Most Exalted Pen and been illumined by the lights of the Most Glorious Horizon.

This is the Day wherein Sinai crieth out “The Manifestation hath appeared!” and the Mount exclaimeth “The Lord of Names hath come!” All things are ablaze with the fire of Divine love, yet the heedless souls remain veiled and deprived of the mysteries of this Day. All previous Books have spoken of this Day, as the All-Merciful hath foretold in the Qur’an: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” Likewise, the Point of the Bayan declareth: “He is the One Who proclaimeth in every state: ‘Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of all things, and all else beside Me is My creation. O My creation, worship ye Me!’”

In all the Books this Day hath been attributed to God, exalted be His glory. Nevertheless, some of the heedless ones, misled by their leader, have denied these stations and risen in opposition and protest. God hath forewarned of them in His Book, saying: “Yet are they in doubt as to the meeting with their Lord.” By the effulgences of the Sun of Truth! The leader whom they have followed is unworthy of mention, and the heedless souls neither knew him, nor do they know him, nor do they desire to know him. For when the Word of Truth is uttered, they put their fingers in their ears, even as did the people of old. They speak but comprehend not, and imagine themselves to be guided. Nay, by the Lord of earth and heaven! They are servants who perceive not. They have taken one who brayeth as their lord besides God. Thus have their evil souls seduced them.

One is astonished! Are the people deprived of sight, or are their ears forbidden to hear? How is it that they have forsaken the sweet and life-giving ocean, yet strive with utmost diligence in pursuit of a putrid drop?

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who causeth the rivers to flow, Who splitteth the dawn, and sendeth forth the winds! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy utterance, and the heaven of Thy knowledge, and by the Light that hath shone forth from the Most Exalted Horizon by Thy command and will, to rend asunder, with the finger of Thy power, the veils of Thy creation and the coverings of Thy creatures. Then send down upon them, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will purify them from the mention of any one save Thee, that they may turn with their hearts to the horizon whence the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance have shone forth, and may hear with their ears that which the Sadratu’l-Muntaha proclaimeth among Thy creatures.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy most great signs, and by the mercy that hath preceded all created things, to protect Thy loved ones from the oppressors among Thy creatures who have adorned their heads with turbans and have arisen to extinguish the fire of Thy Tree and quench the light of Thy Cause. O Lord! Thou art the Generous, possessed of great bounty. I beseech Thee to make known unto them that which Thou hast intended for them through Thy generosity and favor. Then cause Thy loved ones to drink from the chalice of steadfastness in such wise that nothing in the world shall prevent them from Thy Most Great Name, which proclaimeth amongst the nations that there is none other God but He, the Manifest, the All-Seeing, the Witness, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

And then your letter arrived, and since it was adorned with the mention of the Peerless Friend, it brought the utmost joy and delight. God willing, may you be forever illumined by the effulgent rays of the Sun of inner meanings and drink of the sealed wine in the name of the True One, exalted be His glory. When knowledge was gained of your intention to visit the Abode of the Beloved of the worlds, after attaining presence and receiving permission, the entire letter was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful uttered in the Kingdom of Utterance - His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing

O Ghulam-i-Qabil-i-Rida! Your letter hath arrived and from it We have inhaled the fragrance of thy submissiveness and humility before God, and thy turning toward the Most Exalted Horizon in days wherein the learned and mystics have turned away, save those whom God, the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the throne and earth, hath willed. Thus hath the matter been decreed from God, the Lord of lords. We have heard that which thou didst call unto God and have answered thee through this Tablet, whose fragrance shall never cease to persist through the eternity of His Most Beautiful Names and His Most Exalted Attributes. To this beareth witness the Mother Book which is with Him. Blessed is he who cometh unto you and heareth the call of the Wronged One, Who hath summoned all unto God, the Lord of all men, and blessed is he who hath heard His call and recognized His station and acknowledged that which the Speaker of Sinai hath uttered from this Spot which God hath made the point of adoration for the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise at eventide and at dawn. By the life of God, O servant! The sincere ones inhale from thy Lord’s Book the fragrance of inner meanings and utterance, and the people of Baha that which cannot be mentioned in words. Remember My loved ones in that land on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of the Sun of My loving-kindness which hath illumined the horizons. Say: The Wronged One remembereth you for the sake of God and teacheth you that which will draw you nigh unto the Most Exalted Station, and We counsel you and those who have believed to show forth the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause, through which, when it was revealed, the earth shone with its light and the nightingale warbled upon the branches. Dominion belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful. Thus hath the horizon of the heaven of utterance become luminous and the sun of proof hath shone forth. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto every heedless doubter.

O Ghulam-i-Rida! Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the verses of God which were revealed in most eloquent Arabic. Now hearken unto the sweetest Persian, that perchance through the breezes of utterance thou mayest guide the lost unto the straight path and give the thirsty to drink from the Kawthar of inner meanings. Today the Sun of grace is risen and the ocean of loving-kindness is surging, yet most are found heedless and veiled. Some are deprived of the divine elixir because of a croaking, and others are barred from the Most Exalted Pen’s scratching and the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing by the call of the lowliest of servants. Say: O ye dead ones! The Water of Life hath appeared - hasten ye and count this time as precious. In this springtime of inner meanings, deprive not yourselves of God’s grace and loving-kindness. Today the Book of the Exalted Ones is manifest, and likewise the Book of the Wicked ones is evident. The Tablets of Light have risen, and likewise the pages of fire are spread abroad. They must become so intoxicated with the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterance that they would regard all else as non-existent and null. Today is the day of steadfastness, and today is the day of service and the manifestation of man’s station. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land on behalf of the Wronged One and gladden them with that which hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. Say: O friends! The world hath never had, nor will it ever have, any loyalty. The tongue of the world at all times announceth its own evanescence and proclaimeth, saying: “O people of the earth! Where are the bygone centuries and ages past? Where is the might of the Pharaohs, the glory of the Khosroes, and the ranks of the tyrants? Where are their armies and their standards, their treasures and their banners? Take ye warning and be not of the heedless ones!” One call of the world was Mirza Husayn Khan, the Iranian Minister, which all heard and became aware of his passing. I remind you, O My loved ones, of that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “All that is thereon is passing away […]”

The face of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful, shall endure. That Day is this Day, for the lights of His countenance have dawned from the horizon of manifestation, resplendent and evident, and all that is on earth shall be subject to annihilation, save those souls who, after the extinction of all things, have uttered the blessed words “I believe in Thee, O Lord of Names.” Today the Hand of the Self-Subsisting proffereth the sealed wine, and the white hand bestoweth the water of immortality. Take ye thereof in His name and drink ye in remembrance of Him. Well is it with you, and again, well is it with you.

The aforementioned minister, Mirza Husayn Khan, in these latter years committed no act that would cause grief; rather, he dealt kindly with the loved ones in general. Therefore none should speak of him save with good words. The hearts of the loved ones must remain sanctified from the world’s vexations. God willing, while time remaineth, the friends must acquire eternal stations, that their mention may endure in the Book of God. The Command is in His grasp - He withholdeth and He giveth, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Munificent, the Generous.

We make mention of him who is named Aqa Mir, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of the Wronged One and be of them that render thanks. O Mir! Hearken unto the call from the precincts of the Prison. He remembereth thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the Most High, the Most Great. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me the Dayspring of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Place of Thy verses, and for having guided me to Thy straight path. Glory be upon thee, upon thy wife and her mother, and upon those women who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.

We make mention of him who was named Siyyid before Mahdi and give him glad tidings of the verses of God, the Lord of the worlds. Rejoice thou in the remembrance of the Wronged One of thee, and glorify thy Lord, the Possessor of this wondrous Day. This is the Day whereof the Apostle of God gave tidings in the Qur’an, and whose mention was revealed in the Torah and the Gospel. Beware lest anything withhold thee from this Cause, at whose appearance the foundations were shaken, the mountains were crushed, and the hearts of the heedless were agitated. Blessed art thou, and thy wife, and those whom the veils of glory hindered not from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who was named Siyyid ’Ali, that he may hear thy scratching and take unto God a way. O ’Ali! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having aided thee in this Cause and enabled thee to hear His most sweet call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Cast aside the world and whatsoever is with the peoples, and hold fast unto that which thou hast been commanded by God, the Lord of all mankind. The glory and splendor from Us be upon thee, upon thy wife, and upon every discerning believer.

We make mention in this station of him who was named Hasan before ’Ali, and We counsel him to remain steadfast in this Cause whereby necks have been laid low. Take thou the chalice of certitude in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily it will draw thee nigh unto the most exalted station. Thus hath the tongue of the Wronged One spoken, while imprisoned in the hands of those who have cast behind their backs that which the All-Bestowing hath revealed in the Book. Glorify on My behalf the countenance of her who hath believed in her Lord and responded when she heard the call from God, the Revealer of verses.

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Zaynu’l-’Abidin, that the verses of his Lord may draw him to a station wherein the affairs of earth and the promptings of them that dwell thereon shall not withhold him from God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Knowing. Take thou the chalice of immortality in the name of the Lord of Names, then drink therefrom through this remembrance whereby the gates have been opened. Forget not God’s covenant and His testament. Act in accordance with that which thou hast been commanded in the Books and Tablets. This is a day wherein every speaker hath spoken, every witness hath testified, every hearer hath heard, and whatsoever was hidden in the treasuries of thy Lord’s knowledge, the Lord of the Final End, hath been made manifest. Hold fast unto the cord of godliness, then make mention of thy Lord at morn and eventide. Glory be upon the people of Baha and upon those who have believed in God, the One, the Chosen One.

We make mention of him who hath been named Siyyid ’Ali, that he may praise his Lord on this Day whereon the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” O ’Ali! Turn thy heart toward the Supreme Horizon, the station wherein the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End proclaimeth: “Grandeur belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds.” O ’Ali! The Wronged One calleth, and with Him all things call out in this darksome night, summoning thee unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and say: “O God of Names, Who gazeth from the Most Glorious Horizon! I beseech Thee by the fragrances of Thy garment and the rustling of the breezes of Thy Paradise to aid me in all conditions to remain steadfast in Thy love. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One, and within Thy grasp lieth the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.” Convey My greetings unto her who hath heard and responded to her Lord, the Speaking, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

O Abu’l-Qasim! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God hath testified before the creation of the heavens and the earth: that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath come upon the clouds is indeed He Who was mentioned in My Books, inscribed by My Pen, and concealed in the treasure of My Will, which hath encompassed all things great and small. Blessed art thou for having turned unto God when every heedless and remote one turned away from Him, and every learned one of dubious mind pronounced judgment against Him. Beware lest the affairs of earth withhold thee from the Lord of Heaven. Cast aside what the peoples possess and take what thou hast been given from the presence of the Ancient King. This shall profit thee in every world of the worlds of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of the All-Merciful in the Kingdom of Utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Glory of all who are in the heavens and on earth!” The Glory shining from the horizon of thy Lord’s will, the Lord of all mankind, be upon thee and upon every leaf who hath believed in God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing.

O Javad! The Lord of creation maketh mention of thee from the prison quarter and calleth thee unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance. By God! All the treasures of earth cannot equal it. Praise thy Lord, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. A letter from thy brother hath been received wherein My loved ones were mentioned. We have made mention of each one of them in such wise that its fragrance shall never cease to perfume the world. To this beareth witness the Ancient King Who hath come from the heaven of revelation with a perspicuous Book. Give thanks unto God for this supreme bounty, then make mention of Him at eventide and at dawn. Glory be upon thy brother and upon thee and upon thy wife. Convey My greetings unto her and give her the glad tidings of that which hath been revealed for her from the Most Exalted Pen in this glorious Script.

O ’Ali-Akbar! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the Most Great Prison, with that which will draw thee closer to God, the Mighty, the Loving. Beware lest what the people possess prevent thee from that which the Lord of Destiny possesses. Leave behind what the people have and take what God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, hath given thee. We counsel thee and My loved ones to remain steadfast in this Cause whereby the tribes of the earth have lamented and every lofty mountain been leveled. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle and cling to the hem of thy Lord, the Master of the Promised Day. Give glad tidings from Me to her who hath turned towards God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

O My Pen! We hear thy scratching by night and by day in remembrance of God and His loved ones. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath attained unto thy adorning and heard thy scratching. He is indeed among those who are brought near in a clear Book. It is as though thou hast drunk from the Kawthar of life and been seized by the rapture of thy Lord’s verses, such that the affairs of the world cannot prevent thee from the remembrance of the Lord of Eternity. Thou speakest at all times and callest out to all in the realm of possibility, giving them glad tidings of that which hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed art thou, O Pen, and joy be unto thee. I testify that thou hast not fallen short in that which thou wert commanded. It hath been proven with clear evidence that neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. We behold thee adorned with the ornament of wakefulness in such wise that thy scratching hath never ceased from the ears of those who are nigh. We see thee standing in service to thy Lord and speaking His beauteous praise.

Make mention of him who was named Khalil and give him glad tidings of the verses of the Glorious One which have been sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the All-Forgiving, the Generous. Beware lest sorrows keep thee back from thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Leave the transgressors behind thee and cling to the hem of thy Lord’s grace, the Merciful. From His prison He hath called all unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Among the people are those who have turned towards Him and those who have turned away. Verily thy Lord is independent of all worlds. Thus hath the Tongue spoken with most exalted utterance. Glory be unto him who hath heard, and woe unto the heedless.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Taqi that he may hear thy call in this Cause whereby souls have lamented and feet have slipped. By God! That which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords, hath been made manifest. He is the One to Whom the Concourse on High and the denizens of Paradise, and those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn, have borne witness. At His appearance the idol hath wailed, the foundations have quaked, and the graven images have been thunderstruck. Give thanks unto God for having remembered thee from this most exalted station with verses at whose revelation the pens have bowed down in submission. We send Our greetings upon thy face and upon My loved ones in thy region, and upon those who have, with the arm of certitude, shattered the idols of vain imaginings.

O Muhammad-Rida! My Most Exalted Pen hath turned towards thee and giveth thee and My loved ones glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for you in the kingdom of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Be thou as a bird soaring in My atmosphere, speaking My praise, turning towards My horizon, and acting in accordance with that which thou hast been commanded in the Book. Thus speaketh the Wronged One when sorrows have encompassed Him from every direction. Cast aside vain fancy through the name of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, and take the choice wine that hath been sealed with this remembrance before which all remembrances have prostrated themselves. The world and its ornaments and bounties shall pass away, and there shall endure for My loved ones that which hath been sent down from the presence of a Mighty, Powerful, Munificent Lord.

Turn, O My Pen, towards My handmaiden who hath been named Fatimih in the Kingdom of Names, and give her the glad tidings of My mercy and loving-kindness which have preceded all created things. Blessed art thou and blessed is every handmaiden who hath turned towards and responded to the Lord of the Unseen and the Seen. How many a learned one hath been debarred from the Known One, while thou hast turned towards Him and drunk His choice sealed wine from the hand of His bounty.

And We make mention in this place of My servants whose names have not been mentioned. Verily their Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. We counsel you to manifest trustworthiness and fidelity, and whatsoever will exalt the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds. O people of Baha! By God, this is your Day, did ye but know it. Beware lest the oppressor’s might deter you from this momentous News. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy in the name of your Lord, the Lord of all men, and glorify His praise at all times. The splendor shining forth from the horizon of My loving-kindness be upon you and upon My handmaidens who have turned unto God and have hearkened to the voice of God, the Speaking, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Faithful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

For each of the souls mentioned in your letter, wondrous and exalted divine verses have been revealed. God willing, may they recognize the value of this matchless blessing and arise with perfect steadfastness to serve the Cause. Today, whosoever speaks and acts with goodly words, righteous deeds, and praiseworthy character is and shall be a helper of God’s Cause. May you be assisted to achieve that which befits this wondrous Day. All the names submitted before the Divine Presence, both living and deceased, have attained infinite divine favors, for all souls adorned with the ornament of recognition are alive and enduring in the presence of the Truth. Strive that perchance you may heal a sick one in the name of God, or guide a wanderer to the straight path. This station is most exalted and lofty. Should anyone be prevented by worldly obstacles, it would be better to appoint a deputy who might give life to one who is dead in the name of God, or guide a wanderer to his true homeland. By God’s life! The Word of Truth is living and animate, penetrating, flowing, pervading and ever-moving. Well is it with them that perceive. I beseech God to cleanse all eyes from the ophthalmia of self and desire, that they may witness that which is hidden from the eyes of the heedless. This evanescent servant conveys greetings and salutations to all the friends, and beseeches them: while time has not passed away, strive that you may attain to that for which you were created. The glory, the mercy and the glory be upon you, O people of Baha, and upon them who gaze toward the Most Sublime Horizon and drink from Its luminous Kawthar. And praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The Servant

4 Rabi’u’th-Thani 1299

The original copy of this blessed Tablet, which exists in incomplete form, under number […]

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In the name of our Lord, the Most Invincible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High

Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who hearest the lamentations of them that are nigh unto Thee because of what hath befallen Thy loved ones and chosen ones, and Who beholdeth what hath come upon them at the hands of the oppressors among Thy creatures who have committed that from which the atoms have dissociated themselves and from which all created things have sought refuge. O Lord! There hath befallen Thy sincere loved ones that which hath transformed the joy of the Concourse on High into a sorrow none knoweth save Thy knowledge, O Fashioner of the heavens. Thou seest, O my God, how the ocean of tyranny hath surged through the winds of malice and hatred, and how the smoke of transgression hath seized all who dwell in the realm of creation. Thereby have ascended the sighs of the most exalted Paradise and descended the tears of the most sublime Heaven. Verily, those whom Thou didst manifest and send forth to reform the world have been seized by the idolaters with chains and fetters, who have done unto them that which hath caused the rocks to cry out and the mountains to wail. He Who beseeched Thee night and day for the reformation of Thy servants and the tranquility of the inhabitants of the earth - Thou beholdest Him, O God of the worlds, in manifest tribulation. Thou seest, O my God, how sorrows have encompassed all possibility to such extent that hearts have melted thereby and the pillars of the word of unity have been shaken. Those who have denied Thee, turned away from Thy beauty, disputed Thy signs, and broken Thy Covenant have risen against Thy people in such wise that the heaven of justice hath been cleft asunder and the skin of Thy servants hath quivered. Can the pen enumerate the afflictions of Thy loved ones? Can knowledge encompass what hath befallen them in Thy days? I know not, O my God, my Lord, and my Hope, which tribulation I should mention that hath come upon Thy chosen ones and them that are nigh unto Thee in Thy love. Shall I mention him whom the idolaters tore limb from limb in the land of Sad because he turned to Thy most exalted horizon and clung to the hem of Thy knowledge, O Lord of all names? Or him who heard Thy call and beheld Thy beauty and whom Thou didst single out among Thy servants to exalt Thy word and manifest Thy Cause, and whom Thou didst name the King of Martyrs in the kingdom of Thy utterance? Or shall I mention him who was named the Beloved in the Crimson Tablet by Thy Most Exalted Pen? Or shall I recall the Wondrous One (Badi) who appeared from the horizon of Thy power and drank the cup of steadfastness in such wise that the pillars of Thine enemies were shaken? Or shall I mention those who were seized by the river of Thy knowledge in the land of Ta (Tehran) in such wise that they sacrificed their spirits, their bodies and all they possessed in their longing for the kingdom of Thy meeting and the heaven of Thy reunion? Or shall I mention, O my Beloved, what hath befallen Thy loved ones in the land of Za at the hands of those who transgressed against them with an oppression that hath caused hearts to lament and eyes to weep? Or shall I mention, O my God, what hath befallen Thy loved ones in Kha - every land, every pebble, dust, stone and clod beareth witness to the testimony of Thy loved ones and the oppression of Thine enemies. Glorified art Thou, O King of Kings and the Merciful to the servant! Were I to mention Thy most great calamity and Thy most high tribulation which appeared in the land of Ta through that which the hands of the wretched ones acquired regarding the Glory (Baha), verily the Pen crieth out and saith: “Leave me, O Thou Who holdeth and seizeth me! I beseech Thee by Thy Lord to leave me [in my state]. Sufficient unto me is the sorrow of my heart, the lamentation of my soul, the sighing of my inner being and the screeching of my tongue.” And the paper calleth out and saith: “I adjure thee by the One, the All-Informed, to leave me and let me be in my wretched state and the sorrow of my heart and my cry and my sighing. Dost thou wish to mention the calamity whereby the hem of the robe of grandeur was soiled amongst all creatures? Or dost thou wish me to explain what hath befallen the kingdom of the Spirit whom the hands of power, might and grace had reared to be sacrificed in this Day which cannot be compared with centuries and ages?” […]

O my Master, O Ali! Can any who would remember recount what befell thee in the path of God? Nay, by thy most exalted Self and thy Most Great Name! Though by thy tribulation the foundations of rest and tranquility were shaken, and the pillars of all that was and will be were made to tremble. Yet doth this servant give thanks unto God, the Lord of the Kingdom of immortality and Sovereign of earth and heaven, that He hath not caused thy blood and the blood of His loved ones to be spilt in vain, but hath expended it in His love and yearning and desire. This is a word spoken by my Lord, my Master, and my Protector. When it descended from the kingdom of His will, the veil was rent asunder and the covering was removed, and the faces of the exalted ones prostrated themselves before the light of His manifest countenance, saying: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds and Goal of them that know!” My spirit be a sacrifice for your exile, a ransom for your tribulation, your imprisonment, and your chains! By the life of the Desired One, the liver of every knowing one hath melted from grief for you, the spirit of every learned one hath been struck with thunder at your imprisonment, the springs of sorrow have burst forth at your exile, the sea of grief hath surged at your tribulations, and the Most Exalted Pen hath lamented what befell you in His path. Blessed are ye, and blessed the father who raised you, the mother who suckled you, the earth that was your resting place, every servant who hath wept for your tribulation, and every dwelling wherein your afflictions are remembered. This servant hath been blessed to visit the trace of your pen. When I saw and read and understood and knew, I approached the Most Great Shrine and presented myself before His presence, and verily the tongue of grandeur spoke that which caused all things to lament and grief to encompass all regions. I present unto your presence, with the knowledge of certainty, that all atoms cried out and were agitated by what was sent down from the Kingdom of the Divine Will and the Heaven of Purpose. And I, in that place, was like one bewildered and astounded, with blood flowing from mine eyes and sorrow ascending beyond my control.

In Persian I submit that this servant, after countless sorrows and griefs that were in truth bone-crushing, let alone to bodies, approached the Most Exalted Goal. Verses were revealed, all indicating and proclaiming victory and steadfastness and the call to teach God’s Cause, and adorned with the good-pleasure of God, exalted be His glory, and His acceptance. And on another night He said: “O servant in attendance, this Wronged One beareth witness that they have aided God, exalted be His glory, with true aid, and this was the aid that was promised in the divine Books. Every person of insight beareth witness to that which the Truth hath witnessed, and every fair-minded one testifieth to that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and been recorded. But the oppressor hath transgressed and rebelled even as his predecessor rebelled when he proclaimed among his people saying: ‘O my people! Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me? Do you not see? Or am I not better than this one who is contemptible and can scarcely make himself clear?’ By God’s life, the second one is more unjust and more astray and more rebellious than the one who came before. Heedlessness and pride have seized him to such extent that he spoke, unaware of his deed for which is prepared for him a punishment that cannot be described in words. By God’s life, the Almighty doth witness and see, and He is ever watchful.”

In these days there hath appeared from the Kingdom of Utterance that which hath verily set aflame the hearts of the world. That Beloved One hath Himself witnessed the waves of the Ocean of Utterance, and heard the rustling of the Sacred Tree. O what an utterance! Were it to be cast upon fire, it would transform it into light; and were it to fall upon rock, it would soften it, through the Word of God, the Lord of the visible and invisible. How well it hath been said:

Thou knowest how the sun in Aries

Doth speak to flowers, both true and false;

Thou knowest how the crystal stream

Doth speak to flowers and saplings all.

By Thy life, O Beloved of my heart! Had I as many tongues as there are atoms, I would have proclaimed: “Would that I had been with you and found myself beneath chains and fetters!” I swear by the Orb of divine utterance that whatsoever hath befallen shall not be effaced, nor shall it vanish from the book of possibility. Its traces shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure, and its fruits are infinite. The first word heard from His blessed tongue was this blessed utterance. He said: “O servant present! They have drunk from the cup of divine love to such degree that the entire Concourse on High exclaim ‘Happy and welcome!’” The matter endeth here. A momentous cause hath appeared, and tyranny without reason or purpose hath come to pass in the world. Of a certainty shall the flames of this supreme oppression return upon its perpetrators. Although the investigators who were appointed and who, through deceit and artifice, showed submission, became the cause of this great sedition, yet certain ones who claimed adherence to the Truth uttered words that became the cause of the government’s perturbation and fear, and they became convinced of intentions of rebellion. The curse of God be upon the liars and calumniators! Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And since they spoke out of fear for their lives and excess of terror, may God strengthen them to return and forgive them. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Beloved of my heart and soul! The Cause is mighty, mighty indeed! From the Tongue of Grandeur we have ever heard, both this servant and that honoured one and other friends, these blessed words. Once these sublime words were heard from the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. He said: “O servant in attendance! This Cause hath no likeness to previous causes in its grandeur, neither had it nor hath it. A hundred thousand blessings upon the soul that hath attained unto steadfastness! Such a one is accounted before God among the jewels of existence.” Peter, who was the focal point of the saints and source of the righteous, in the time of the Spirit (may my soul be a sacrifice for Him), thrice denied Him on the night He was delivered up. And the Lord Himself had told him the night before that “thou shalt deny Me thrice before the cock crow.” And after the denial and the crowing of the cock, the words of the Lord came to his mind, whereupon he immediately cried out and lamented until God forgave him and made him one of those near unto Him.

But O my master! How far is this station from the stations of those souls who regarded not the whole world as equal to the wing of a gnat! They arose and uttered that which was a sword and arrows to the enemies and a mercy and light to the friends. By God’s life! The very breath of such souls is more delicate than the morning breeze and sweeter than the Water of Life! Glory be to God! How is it that whatsoever is spoken in truth and sincerity and reality is not accepted, while calumnies and lies and that which springeth from suspicion and fancy are accepted and heard? Have they not perceived from the divine verses, signs and tablets that conflict, contention and corruption are forbidden, and that the purpose is the reformation of the world through wisdom and utterance? The Book itself speaketh with these exalted words: “The appointed time hath come, and He Who revealeth the verses hath appeared for the reformation of the servants and the prosperity of the lands.”

I swear by the Sun of Truth that the sighs of the oppressed are more potent in their effect than cannons and sharper than swords! Though consummate wisdom may require that some fruits of deeds be delayed for a limited time, such delay will not prevent the inevitable decree. Assuredly the oppressors have been and will be requited. What have they seen of justice and righteousness that they have clung to the cord of tyranny and held fast to the hem of oppression? This servant hath ever wished to submit numerous petitions, but delayed doing so out of wisdom, lest some ignorant one become aware and cause harm. That honoured one should keep this writing concealed, save from trustworthy and steadfast souls capable of preserving confidences, for if some become aware they will inform others and cause grief. Although, praise be to God, there hath been and is no deceit, cunning, artifice or ill intent. The sun beareth witness to the purity of the page and the morning breeze testifieth to the delicacy of the leaf. The treacherous one is fearful; the trustworthy one hath not been and is not afraid. Would that ears were cleansed of defilement that they might attain to hearing the Word of Truth and reach true tranquility, and hearts were sanctified from veils that the imprint of the seal “Verily I am in manifest humility” might be impressed upon them. The first line of that honoured one’s letter contained this verse:

“How can I raise my head in shame before the Friend,

When no worthy service hath come from my hand?”

After offering these words, this utterance hath appeared from the Kingdom of utterance: Praise be to God, thy turning unto Him is evident, thy love is radiant, thy words are eloquent, thy steps are firm, and thy deeds are acceptable and praiseworthy. Shame, regret and remorse are for those souls who attained not the light of justice and distinguished not between light and darkness, who bestowed upon the wolf the office of shepherd and gave the treacherous one the position of guardian, who took the ignorant for the learned. Where are the eyes to see and where are the ears to hear? I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to illumine all with the light of fairness and adorn them with the ornament of justice.

In truth, this person hath been the cause of great tenderness in this servant and many others. One word that is fitly spoken is dearer in the sight of God than a hundred thousand merciless words. May the soul perish that harboureth evil thoughts about that honored one. What more can I say regarding that which hath befallen the chosen ones and pure ones of God? The knowledge of God, exalted be His glory, hath ever encompassed all things. This servant, and a hundred thousand like him, are powerless and incapable of reckoning it. The True Knower beareth witness that those holy, blessed and steadfast souls who are present in that spot have ever been and continue to be remembered by tongue, heart and pen. Their remembrances have soared, their traces have encompassed all, their steadfastness hath become manifest, and that which lay hidden in the treasuries of their souls and the repositories of their love hath become evident. God will soon adorn the world with their mention, their praise, and their deeds in the path of God, their Creator, their Fashioner and their Originator. God is witness that this servant considereth himself unworthy to move in this field and unfit to draw breath. I am unable to mention what I have known and recognized. I beseech God, exalted be He, to ordain for His chosen ones and His loved ones that which lay treasured with Him. Verily He knoweth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Another submission is that yesterday the delight of the eyes of the sincere ones, Husayn Effendi and the Leaf of Paradise, upon them both be the glory of God, were in the blessed presence, and a group was also present. Mention was made of your honor who, like a true spiritual cupbearer, was engaged in giving drink. Praise be to God, they are blessed with perfect health and well-being, and are honored and at rest beneath the shade of the unlimited, all-encompassing mercy. Whenever this servant thinks of the masters and what befell them in that prison in such detail, he dies a hundred thousand regrets. How blessed is the dust they walk upon and the air they breathe! Would that I were with the friends of God and His chosen ones! What is being submitted is mostly involuntary, for at every moment the heart is aflame: verily the heart is gladdened by your mention, the heart is enkindled with your praise, the eye weeps at separation from you, and the spirit laments what has befallen you. May God grant patience beautiful to all the friends and bestow bountiful reward. And according to the Arabs regarding fine handwriting, on the day your honor’s letter arrived, at that very moment an extended, detailed visitation took place which in truth until that time had not been performed, and it was carried out. Praise be to God, and thanks and glory be unto Him in the watches of the night and the ends of the day. My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance! This petition was submitted the same day your letter arrived, but since it was written in the letter that details would be sent in a few days, in view of this statement there was a delay in sending until the night of the 24th of Dhi’l-Hajja when another letter from your honor dated the 11th of Dhi’l-Qa’da brought light to the eyes and excitement to the soul. Oceans upon oceans of joy were attained and heavens upon heavens of delight were manifest, for it brought glad tidings of health and bestowed the good news of favor. And it was submitted before the Presence at a time when the night before, a Tablet had been revealed in mention of your honor to one of the companions in outlying regions. Copy that exactly, and here it is:

He is the Unique Herald

Verily the lamp before the Face laments like the bereaved for My loved ones and says: O Name of God! I know not at what time they seized you, in what place they bound you, and at what hour they imprisoned you. Do we hear your cry from the dark pit, or do we see you under chains and shackles through what the hands of the enemies have wrought? Would that I knew who is with you, who consoles you, and who befriends you in your tribulation. We have heard all that he has uttered and We have been patient, for verily We are the All-Patient, the All-Forbearing. We have detailed for you what has befallen the friends of God in the land who hastened with their hearts to a station which God has made the Dawning-Place of His signs and the Dayspring of His mighty Cause. By God! The attentive ear hears from all things their lamentation and their cry at what has befallen the Manifestation of the All-Merciful through sorrows, but most of the people are heedless. Counsel the servants to patience and fortitude lest there appear from them what they have been forbidden in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. The glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon you and upon those whom nothing whatsoever has prevented from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

From the revealed passages in the Tablet, the kindness, compassion, mercy, and the grief, anguish and sorrows of the Intended One, may our spirits be sacrificed for Him, are evident and clear. And praise be to God, your honor’s last letter became the cause of joy and delight for those who circle round.

As to mentioning the beloved of heart and soul, His Holiness ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Power - it is clear and evident that he is mentioned in the most exalted station with words that “his sun shall never set from the highest horizon.” Furthermore, considering that the honored mother of His Honor ’A.T., upon them both be the glory of God, has borne the hardships of His Holiness and is engaged in service, one day from the blessed tongue she was named “Mother of the Near Ones.” He said that since they are engaged in service to the Cause, they were therefore given this blessed name. A hundred thousand praises upon them and upon their children. His Honor ’A.T., upon him be the grace of God, has borne so many hardships. He said: “Verily He hath pardoned them and forgiven them through His bounty and generosity and sovereignty.” And He said: “My all-encompassing grace and My pre-existent mercy shall aid them both.”

If it be deemed advisable, mention should be made that would bring about their joy and gladness. Otherwise, the greatest concealment must be very firm. And after consideration, if there be a secure place outside the prison where it may be deposited, this would seem better and most appropriate. I have no other petition save to beseech from God, exalted be His glory, for protection, wellbeing, and the meeting and presence of His Holiness. May God through His boundless grace grant the day when eyes shall be brightened, hearts gladdened and breasts expanded. This is not difficult for God. This time too, praise be to God, the letter arrived at the beginning of night. It was read in its proper place, and then ascended and was present before His countenance. After permission was granted, it was visited and adorned with the ornament of acceptance. The glory that is manifest, evident, brilliant and gleaming from the horizon of the heaven of the generosity of our Lord, the Possessor of all existence, be upon you and upon those who have not broken the covenant of God, the Forgiving, the Generous.

The Servant

14th of Muharram al-Haram, 1301

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

The list of your petitions was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and the response descended from the heaven of grace and was dispatched. We beseech God to aid all to accomplish that which He loves and is pleased with, and to unite the peoples of the earth upon one word and one Cause. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Concerning what you wrote about Haji Mirza Muhammad Afnan, upon him be the glory of God, he is ever remembered before the Wronged One. In these days two Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets have been specifically revealed and sent to him. In truth, at all times he desires to render service. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid him and make him steadfast in His Cause and successful in attaining that which He hath revealed in His Book.

Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Javad’s funds, whenever they were assigned to any person, the funds were available and were given. And if they become available again, they will certainly be given. O Name of Generosity! The ocean of bounty is surging, but the capacity of the people of the world is lacking. In one of the Tablets it was revealed: “Were the world to possess any worth or station, thou wouldst see Me seated upon its thrones.” The intention by “world” was and is its people. And you are aware of affairs. Whenever funds become available or news arrives from any quarter, they shall be bestowed.

Concerning what you wrote about ’Abdu’l-Husayn, upon him be the glory of God, his mention and his supplication were seen and all attained unto hearing. God willing, may he be observed in the concourse of the world with utmost joy and fragrance, bearing the name of the Lord of Eternity. These are momentous days. We beseech the Truth that He may not deprive His servants of His recognition. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon his countenance and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds.

Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Jalil, upon him be the glory of God, his own petition also reached the Most Holy Court. Time is as rare as the phoenix. In these days the response will be revealed and dispatched by the will of God, exalted be His glory. Were all the degrees of infallibility to be revealed from the Supreme Pen, much of what is hidden would be unveiled, and the oneness of God and the station of true unity would become manifest and evident like unto the sun. The hand of power hath rent asunder the veils, yet the people of the Bayan are determined to present anew their vain imaginings and idle fancies in a new guise, despite the fact that divine wrath, namely the deafness and blindness of those heedless and ignorant souls, hath encompassed them. The aforementioned one had mentioned his brother; this was heard and adorned with the ornament of acceptance. One Tablet from the heaven of will hath been specifically revealed and will be sent to him. Give glad-tidings to Jalil of thy Lord’s loving-kindness. And all the souls he hath mentioned are remembered before the Countenance and have attained unto the bounty of the Word of God.

O Name of Bounty! We have desired to make mention of those whom the All-Glorious hath mentioned, that they may be assured through God’s grace and His loving-kindness, and arise to serve His Cause, the Irrevocable, the All-Wise. O Jalil! We make mention of thy brother who hath been named ’Ali with a mention that no mention in creation can equal. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. We have adorned the heaven of proof with the stars of certitude. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto the heedless. Verily My Most Exalted Pen moveth at all times in the realm of wisdom and utterance, yet most of the people are as ones sleeping, save him who hath purified his hearing from what he hath heard in the contingent world. He is of the people of this exalted and glorious station. O ’Ali! Give thanks unto God for having remembered thee in His Most Great Prison and revealed for thee that which caused the Luminary of inner meanings to shine, as a grace from Him unto thee. He, verily, is the Ever-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We counsel thee with that whereby the Cause of the All-Merciful may be exalted throughout creation, and with steadfastness in this Great Announcement.

O Buyuk Aqa! The Countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward thee from His Most Great Prison, acquainting thee with that which was mentioned in the Books of old and inscribed by the Pen of God, Lord of all the worlds. By My life! The Cry hath been raised, yet most of the people remain asleep; the mountains have passed away, yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil. Say: Fear ye God and follow not your idle fancies. Cast away what ye possess and take what hath been given you by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The world hath been renewed through the breaths of revelation, yet most of the people are as dead. They have not been awakened by the Call of God; by My life, they are among the perishing ones. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My utterance and attain unto My verses, arise and say:

I beseech Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge, by the lights of the Sun of Thy bounty, and by that which lay hidden in the treasuries of Thy power, to aid me to remain steadfast in this Cause which hath caused the limbs of the Names to quake. Thou art, verily, the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Write down for me, then, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, the good of this world and of the next. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

We make mention of him who was named ’Ali-Ashraf and give him the glad-tidings of his Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. O Ashraf! All glory lieth in turning unto My horizon, in acting according to that which hath been revealed in My Book, in arising to serve My Cause, and in directing thyself toward My station whereby the lights have shone forth. Thy name hath been mentioned before the One Who is mentioned, and there hath been revealed for thee that which shall not change throughout centuries and ages. Be thou steadfast, firm and unwavering like unto a mountain in this Cause whereby feet have slipped. O Pen! Make mention of ’Ali from Us, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Lord of all men. Dost thou know Who mentioneth thee, and dost thou recognize Who hath turned toward thee? By God’s life! If thou didst know, thou wouldst arise throughout all thy days to remember thy Lord, the Cleaver of the Dawn. He Who by His name hath adorned all the Books of the past doth make mention of thee at this moment. He before Whom is the Mother Book doth bear witness to this. Rejoice thou in this most great bounty, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind.

O Joseph! The All-Glorious hath made mention of thee. We have mentioned thee through verses at whose revelation all other verses have bowed down in submission. Remember thy Lord at daybreak and at sunset, at dawn and at eventide. O peoples of the earth! The Day hath come, and He Who conversed on Sinai speaketh in this Manifestation, saying: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the Chosen.” Blessed is the ear that hath been privileged to hear the scratching of My Most Exalted Pen, and the eye that hath beheld the Most Great Sign, and the tongue that hath acknowledged that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of its Lord, the Almighty, the Most High. Take hold of the Book of God with such strength as is vouchsafed by Him, that the clamor of the divines may not deter thee, nor the might of the valiant. We have aided the Cause through this Pen which neither the veils of the people could obscure, nor the coverings of fancy impede.

O beloved of God! The Wronged One remembereth thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from every direction. We have manifested the Cause, sent down the verses, and revealed clear proofs, yet the people remain heedless and in discord. Among the people are those who have turned toward it and those who have turned away - and whoso turneth away is assuredly among the companions of the Fire. We have found the people of the Bayan more veiled than the people of the Furqan. They wander in the wilderness of error, turning away from God, the Lord of lords. The people of the Furqan, after their praise and anticipation, pronounced their verdict against the Lord of mankind. To this beareth witness the Lord of Destiny from His most exalted station. Thus did their souls prompt them, and today they are among the denizens of the fire in the presence of God, the One, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. The people of the Bayan have followed them in their desires and fancies, having turned away from Him through Whom the Hour hath appeared and the Resurrection been established.

O Husayn! The Wronged One, Who is imprisoned in this Most Great Prison, maketh mention of him who hath called all to God, the Lord of the beginning and the end. The Supreme Paradise hath lamented what hath befallen Us, as have the inmates of the most exalted Heaven and those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. Thus have We sent down the verses and expounded them in truth, as a grace from Us, for verily I am the Mighty, the Bountiful. Give thanks unto God for My loving-kindness, My attention, and My remembrance of thee. Then guard it as thou wouldst guard thine eyes, for the polytheists lie in wait.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named ?abibu’llah, that he may rejoice in Thy remembrance and arise to serve the Cause with such strength as cannot be weakened by the might of the wicked, speaking in such wise as cannot be hindered by the clamor of all who are on earth, nor frustrated by the power of the evil ones. O beloved! The appointed time hath come and the Beloved hath appeared with such authority as no thing can withstand, nor can the tyrants of the earth who disbelieved in God when He came with the standards of His signs prevent it. Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise as to make the limbs of the ignorant tremble. Behold and remember when the Desired One came and what befell Him at the hands of the followers of the Furqan, who consider themselves the most excellent among all peoples. Say: Take ye heed, O people of insight! We beseech God to protect His party from the evil of these people and from the people of the Bayan who follow in their footsteps. Know ye that they are indeed among those who have gone astray. The Wronged One hath remembered thee with such remembrance as hath no equal in all the world. To this doth the Mother Book bear witness from its most exalted station. Take thou the reins of the Cause and preserve it in the name of thy Lord, the Master of all beings.

O Jalil! Thou hast made mention of him who is named Rida-Quli. We make mention of him as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord maketh mention of whomsoever He willeth as a command from His presence, and He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Remind him of My verses and glorify My Name before his face, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Say: We have made mention of all who have turned unto the Most Sublime Horizon, whereunto every discerning believer doth testify. It behooveth thee to beseech God, thy Lord, that He may aid His servants to remain steadfast in this mighty Cause. We love him who hath turned unto Our Countenance, and make mention of him in an exalted station.

We make mention of Our loved ones in Asadabad that they may rejoice in My remembrance, for verily I am the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. O people of God in that place! Take ye the Kawthar of steadfastness from the hands of bounty, then drink thereof in defiance of the people of the Furqan and the people of the Bayan who have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, who have turned away from His horizon, and who have disbelieved in His perspicuous Book. We have manifested that which was hidden in the treasury of protection and inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. Among the people are those who turned away and disbelieved, even to the point of rising up to shed My blood, and among them are those who have cast away the world, turning unto My luminous horizon.

O people of God! We counsel you to observe supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the hearts of the learned were perturbed and the feet of them that have attained did slip. Take ye the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds! O Jalil! Make mention of them on My behalf and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down from the kingdom of Mine utterance, the wondrous. Say: This is wondrous from all sides, if ye be of them that perceive. Say: Hold ye fast unto the cord of the Cause and cling unto the hem of the robe of the loving providence of your Lord, the All-Bountiful.

At the end of the Book We make mention of My handmaidens who have believed in the All-Informed, the One. Blessed are they for having turned unto the Most Sublime Horizon when the men of earth turned away therefrom. He verily exalteth whom He willeth as a token of His grace, and He is the Strong, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. May the glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My proof rest upon you, O people of God, and upon every steadfast, firm, and upright believer.

O Name of Bounty! There hath been read before the Wronged One that which was sent by My servant named Fay?u’llah, and the All-Bountiful hath desired to answer him with His verses which the treasures of the world cannot equal, and I am the All-Knowing Expositor. Blessed is he, for he hath believed in God and His signs in the first days, hath attained unto the Most Great Word, and hath testified to that which the Tongue of Grandeur did testify: that there is none other God but I, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. We desire to make mention in this station of him whom he hath mentioned, that he may rejoice in the loving-kindness of his Lord and be of the thankful ones. Verily, upon Samandar be My glory; he was mentioned before and is mentioned now, and unto him hath been sent down that which causeth the eyes of them that know to be solaced.

O Ru?u’llah! Rejoice thou in that the Most Exalted Pen hath made mention of thee at the dawning of the lights of the Sun of inner meanings from this luminous horizon. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. He verily maketh mention of him that remembereth Him, and hath sent down for him who hath turned unto Him that which cannot be equaled by whatsoever is with the kings and rulers. All things have testified to the bounty of the Lord of Names and to His generosity which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Muhammad! My servant hath made mention of thee, wherefore We make mention of thee as a token of My grace, for I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. My mercy hath preceded all things, as every discerning mystic doth testify. They who have been given insight from God - these indeed behold the horizon of Revelation through His eyes. But they who are debarred are assuredly companions of the fire. Take hold of God’s Tablet with the strength that proceedeth from Him, arise and say: The Mother of the Bayan hath come! He sufficeth thee, by the Lord of all worlds. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, detached from every remote idolater who hath violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, and disbelieved in Him in Whom they had formerly believed - these are numbered among the idolaters in a mighty Book.

O Muhammad! When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance and hearest His most sweet call from the horizon of possibility, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison and hast turned unto me with Thy luminous countenance. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, content with Thy good-pleasure, firm in the service of Thy Cause, articulate in Thy beauteous praise. We make mention of My handmaidens whom he hath mentioned in his letter, and give them the glad-tidings of My remembrance, My loving-kindness, My grace and My mercy, that they may render thanks unto God, their Lord, and be numbered among those who have attained in this perspicuous Book. Blessed are ye, inasmuch as My Most Exalted Pen hath moved to inscribe your names, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Most Glorious, the All-Wise. The glory of God be upon you and upon those whom We have mentioned before, and upon those whom neither the clamor of the people of the Bayan hath kept back from the All-Merciful, nor the croaking of the idolaters from this momentous News.

O Name of Bounty! The letter of Abdul-Hussein, upon him be My glory, which he had written to you, was mentioned in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. The glance of grace hath been directed towards him. God willing, may he attain unto His grace, arise in His service, be engaged in His remembrance, and be gladdened by His mention. O Abdul-Hussein! The Most Exalted Pen hath repeatedly made mention of thee. Praise be to God, thou hast attained and continuest to attain unto His grace. Be thou at all times gladdened and assured of His loving-kindness. We counsel thee to that which will cause the exaltation of the Cause and the preservation of this most exalted station, which is the station of thy mention by the Most Exalted Pen. Mention of Khan-i-Mizban and Mawzun and the sons of Khalil, upon them be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy, hath been made in thy letter. Each one hath attained unto the grace of God. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to preserve them and ordain for them what is best in this world and the next, and to inscribe for them from the Most Exalted Pen the reward of attainment to His presence, which is indeed among the most mighty of deeds before the Self-Subsisting, the Most High. Blessed are they who are remembered in this day before the Wronged One and have attained unto the special favors of the Mother Book. The Word of God hath ever been and shall forever be enduring. All things shall be seized by extinction, but that which hath flowed from His Pen shall remain forever, eternally, imperishably. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Choosing.

We make mention of My handmaidens and My female servants there. We beseech God to ordain for them the best of what is in His Book. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the All-Praiseworthy. Mention was made of Ali-Asghar who attained the presence and won, and likewise mention of Azim and Hassan and the nephew of Jenab-i-Zabih, Aqa Muhammad-Rida, was in his letter. Jenab-i-Haydar-i-Qabil-Ali made mention of these souls and a Tablet was specifically revealed for each one - some have been sent and some will be sent. And whatever Aqa Ali-Asghar had previously requested was sent in full except for one soul. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Now again each one is mentioned in the Most Holy Court and has won the favors of God. We counsel him and those who have believed in that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds, may be exalted. For today deeds and character are the hosts of God, and one must render victory through these hosts. Likewise We counsel all to the Most Great Steadfastness, for the barkeners and the deluded ones lie in wait and have made the calumnies of the previous party their motto. I am quit of them, and God and His Prophets and His Messengers are quit of them. They are indeed among the deluded ones. They wander in the wilderness of ignorance and know not.

The letter of Jenab-i-Ali-Akbar was also present before the Countenance. We send greetings to his face and counsel him in what behooveth man in these days, and We give him the glad-tidings of Our remembrance of him that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. O people of God! Know ye the value of these days and arise with the utmost endeavor, unity and accord, that the horizons may be illumined with the light of unity. Today is the Day of God and is associated with Him. The mention of aught else is not permitted. Leave ye the names of the past and the words of the past. Reflect ye on the false souls of the past who deceived millions of souls, both learned and ignorant, from the beginning of Islam until now, just as the Shi’ih party - may God forsake them - clung to those calumnies and martyred the Master of the world, and now still await the appearance of an imaginary Qa’im from an imaginary city and an imaginary realm and an imaginary station. Say: Wait ye, even as the Jews are waiting. In any case, O friends, reflect on the affairs of the past that the hints of the barkeners and the atheists may not again prevent you from the Straight Path. He is the Counselor, and He is the Compassionate, and He is the Kind One.

O Name of Bounty! We make mention in this station of thy sister who hath believed in God and His signs, and turned unto His horizon, and responded when His call was raised. We have mentioned her aforetime, and in this mighty, impregnable station We remember her on Our part and give her the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for her from the Pen of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. We make mention of My handmaidens who are there and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for them from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have mentioned every handmaiden who hath believed and have recorded her name in My wondrous Book. We counsel My servants and My handmaidens to be steadfast in this mighty Cause, and We make mention of My handmaiden whom We have mentioned before, who hath attained unto My remembrance and My favor, and I am verily the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

God willing, may the people of that land, both young and old, male and female, all arise in perfect unity and harmony to aid the Cause of God. Today, goodly deeds and praiseworthy character are the hosts of Truth, and all abide beneath the standard of the fear of God. Blessed are they who enter beneath this mighty standard and act in accordance with that which beseemeth it and the days of God. We have mentioned some steadfast, firm and assured souls secretly in this Tablet, for the station requireth no less. By the life of God! All are present before Our face and stand at the door. They have not been forgotten, nor shall they be. We beseech for them divine confirmation. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Mention was made of the Afnan, upon him be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness. There hath befallen him what befell Us in the beginning of Our imprisonment. We bid him and his brother and his wife to be endowed with beautiful patience and noble forbearance. By My life! Were they to become aware of his station, his loftiness and his exaltation, they would surely give thanks unto God, the Lord of all worlds. He hath offered up his life in My path. We have accepted it from him and We comfort and console Our Afnan, and I am the All-Patient, the All-Knowing. Soon shall We send down upon him and upon those who are there that from which they shall inhale the fragrance of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous.

We have remembered him who hath ascended unto God with such remembrance as would cause all who are endowed with perception to inhale the fragrance of His mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. We have mentioned My loved ones there. We beseech God to assist them to be steadfast to such a degree that the clamor of them that cry out, the allusions of the doubtful ones, and the whispers of the polytheists will not cause them to slip.

=== END BH00222 ===

=== START BH00223 ===

This is an Epistle which the All-Merciful hath sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance. It is truly a breath of life unto those who dwell in the realm of creation. Glorified be the Lord of all worlds! In this Epistle mention is made of him who magnifieth the Name of God, his Lord, and who is named Nabil in a weighty Tablet.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the Voice proceeding out of the Realm of Glory, calling aloud from the celestial Tree which hath risen above the land of Za’faran: Verily, no God is there but Me, the Omniscient, the Wise. Be thou as the breezes of the All-Merciful for the trees of the realm of existence and foster their growth through the potency of the Name of thy Lord, the Just, the All-Informed. We desire to acquaint thee with that which will serve as a reminder unto the people, that they may put away the things current amongst them and set their faces towards God, the Lord of the sincere.

We exhort mankind in these days when the countenance of Justice is soiled with dust, when the flames of unbelief are burning high and the robe of wisdom rent asunder, when tranquillity and faithfulness have ebbed away and trials and tribulations have waxed severe, when covenants are broken and ties are severed, when no man knoweth how to discern light and darkness or to distinguish guidance from error.

O peoples of the world! Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good. Strive to be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause should manifest My wisdom, and bend every effort to banish ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be one in thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man’s merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion. Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavours be spent in promoting your personal interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be patient in the hour of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow tares of dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts.

O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of the Lord! Ye were created to show love one to another and not perversity and rancour. Take pride not in love for yourselves but in love for your fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened. Abase not the station of the learned in Baha and belittle not the rank of such rulers as administer justice amidst you. Set your reliance on the army of justice, put on the armour of wisdom, let your adorning be forgiveness and mercy and that which cheereth the hearts of the well-favoured of God.

By My life! Thy grievances have plunged Me into sorrow. Regard not the children of the world and all their doings but fix thy gaze upon God and His never-ending dominion. Verily, He calleth to thy remembrance that which is the source of delight for all mankind. Drink thou the life-giving water of blissful joy from the chalice of utterance proffered by the Fountainhead of divine Revelation - He Who hath made mention of thee in this mighty stronghold. Endeavour to the utmost of thy powers to establish the word of truth with eloquence and wisdom and to dispel falsehood from the face of the earth. Thus directeth thee the Dayspring of divine knowledge from this luminous horizon.

O thou who speakest in My Name! Consider the people and the things they have wrought in My days. We revealed unto one of the rulers that which overpowereth all the dwellers of the earth, and requested him to bring Us face to face with the learned men of this age, that We might set forth for him the testimony of God, His proofs, His glory and His majesty; and naught did We intend thereby but the highest good. However, he committed that which hath caused the inmates of the cities of justice and equity to lament. Thus hath judgement been given between Me and him. Verily thy Lord is the Ordainer, the All-Informed. In such circumstances as thou seest, how can the Celestial Bird soar into the atmosphere of divine mysteries when its wings have been battered with the stones of idle fancy and bitter hatred, and it is cast into a prison built of unyielding stone? By the righteousness of God! The people have perpetrated a grievous injustice.

As regards thine assertions about the beginning of creation, this is a matter on which conceptions vary by reason of the divergences in men’s thoughts and opinions. Wert thou to assert that it hath ever existed and shall continue to exist, it would be true; or wert thou to affirm the same concept as is mentioned in the sacred Scriptures, no doubt would there be about it, for it hath been revealed by God, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed He was a hidden treasure. This is a station that can never be described nor even alluded to. And in the station of ‘I did wish to make Myself known’, God was, and His creation had ever existed beneath His shelter from the beginning that hath no beginning, apart from its being preceded by a Firstness which cannot be regarded as firstness and originated by a Cause inscrutable even unto all men of learning.

That which hath been in existence had existed before, but not in the form thou seest today. The world of existence came into being through the heat generated from the interaction between the active force and that which is its recipient. These two are the same, yet they are different. Thus doth the Great Announcement inform thee about this glorious structure. Such as communicate the generating influence and such as receive its impact are indeed created through the irresistible Word of God which is the Cause of the entire creation, while all else besides His Word are but the creatures and the effects thereof. Verily thy Lord is the Expounder, the All-Wise.

Know thou, moreover, that the Word of God - exalted be His glory - is higher and far superior to that which the senses can perceive, for it is sanctified from any property or substance. It transcendeth the limitations of known elements and is exalted above all the essential and recognized substances. It became manifest without any syllable or sound and is none but the Command of God which pervadeth all created things. It hath never been withheld from the world of being. It is God’s all-pervasive grace, from which all grace doth emanate. It is an entity far removed above all that hath been and shall be.

We are loath to enlarge on this subject, inasmuch as the unbelievers have inclined their ears towards Us in order to hear that which might enable them to cavil against God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. And since they are unable to attain to mysteries of knowledge and wisdom from what hath been unravelled by the Source of divine splendour, they rise in protest and burst into clamour. But it is true to say that they object to that which they comprehend, not to the expositions given by the Expounder, nor the truths imparted by the One true God, the Knower of things unseen. Their objections, one and all, turn upon themselves, and I swear by thy life that they are devoid of understanding.

Every thing must needs have an origin and every building a builder. Verily, the Word of God is the Cause which hath preceded the contingent world – a world which is adorned with the splendours of the Ancient of Days, yet is being renewed and regenerated at all times. Immeasurably exalted is the God of Wisdom Who hath raised this sublime structure.

Look at the world and ponder a while upon it. It unveileth the book of its own self before thine eyes and revealeth that which the Pen of thy Lord, the Fashioner, the All-Informed, hath inscribed therein. It will acquaint thee with that which is within it and upon it and will give thee such clear explanations as to make thee independent of every eloquent expounder.

Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world. It is a dispensation of Providence ordained by the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Were anyone to affirm that it is the Will of God as manifested in the world of being, no one should question this assertion. It is endowed with a power whose reality men of learning fail to grasp. Indeed a man of insight can perceive naught therein save the effulgent splendour of Our Name, the Creator. Say: This is an existence which knoweth no decay, and Nature itself is lost in bewilderment before its revelations, its compelling evidences and its effulgent glory which have encompassed the universe.

It ill beseemeth thee to turn thy gaze unto former or more recent times. Make thou mention of this Day and magnify that which hath appeared therein. It will in truth suffice all mankind. Indeed expositions and discourses in explanation of such things cause the spirits to be chilled. It behoveth thee to speak forth in such wise as to set the hearts of true believers ablaze and cause their bodies to soar.

Whoso firmly believeth today in the rebirth of man and is fully conscious that God, the Most Exalted, wieldeth supreme ascendancy and absolute authority over this new creation, verily such a man is reckoned with them that are endued with insight in this most great Revelation. Unto this beareth witness every discerning believer.

Walk thou high above the world of being through the power of the Most Great Name, that thou mayest become aware of the immemorial mysteries and be acquainted with that wherewith no one is acquainted. Verily, thy Lord is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Be thou as a throbbing artery, pulsating in the body of the entire creation, that through the heat generated by this motion there may appear that which will quicken the hearts of those who hesitate.

At the time when We were hidden behind countless veils of light thou didst commune with Me and didst witness the luminaries of the heaven of My wisdom and the billows of the ocean of Mine utterance. Verily thy Lord is the Truthful, the Faithful. Great indeed is the blessedness of him who hath attained the liberal effusions of this ocean in the days of his Lord, the Most Bountiful, the All-Wise.

During Our sojourn in Iraq when We were at the house of one named Majid, We set forth clearly for thee the mysteries of creation and the origin, the culmination and the cause thereof. However since Our departure We have limited Ourself to this affirmation: ‘Verily, no God is there but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Bountiful.’

Teach thou the Cause of God with an utterance which will cause the bushes to be enkindled, and the call ‘Verily, there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Unconstrained’ to be raised therefrom. Say: Human utterance is an essence which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth moderation. As to its influence, this is conditional upon refinement which in turn is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure. As to its moderation, this hath to be combined with tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures and Tablets. Meditate upon that which hath streamed forth from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, He Who is the Source of all grace, that thou mayest grasp the intended meaning which is enshrined in the sacred depths of the Holy Writings.

Those who have rejected God and firmly cling to Nature as it is in itself are, verily, bereft of knowledge and wisdom. They are truly of them that are far astray. They have failed to attain the lofty summit and have fallen short of the ultimate purpose; therefore their eyes were shut and their thoughts differed, while the leaders among them have believed in God and in His invincible sovereignty. Unto this beareth witness thy Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

When the eyes of the people of the East were captivated by the arts and wonders of the West, they roved distraught in the wilderness of material causes, oblivious of the One Who is the Causer of Causes, and the Sustainer thereof, while such men as were the source and the wellspring of Wisdom never denied the moving Impulse behind these causes, nor the Creator or the Origin thereof. Thy Lord knoweth, yet most of the people know not.

Now We have, for the sake of God, the Lord of Names, set Ourself the task of mentioning in this Tablet some accounts of the sages, that the eyes of the people may be opened thereby and that they may become fully assured that He is in truth the Maker, the Omnipotent, the Creator, the Originator, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Although it is recognized that the contemporary men of learning are highly qualified in philosophy, arts and crafts, yet were anyone to observe with a discriminating eye he would readily comprehend that most of this knowledge hath been acquired from the sages of the past, for it is they who have laid the foundation of philosophy, reared its structure and reinforced its pillars. Thus doth thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, inform thee. The sages aforetime acquired their knowledge from the Prophets, inasmuch as the latter were the Exponents of divine philosophy and the Revealers of heavenly mysteries. Men quaffed the crystal, living waters of Their utterance, while others satisfied themselves with the dregs. Everyone receiveth a portion according to his measure. Verily He is the Equitable, the Wise.

Empedocles, who distinguished himself in philosophy, was a contemporary of David, while Pythagoras lived in the days of Solomon, son of David, and acquired Wisdom from the treasury of prophethood. It is he who claimed to have heard the whispering sound of the heavens and to have attained the station of the angels. In truth thy Lord will clearly set forth all things, if He pleaseth. Verily, He is the Wise, the All-Pervading.

The essence and the fundamentals of philosophy have emanated from the Prophets. That the people differ concerning the inner meanings and mysteries thereof is to be attributed to the divergence of their views and minds. We would fain recount to thee the following: One of the Prophets once was communicating to his people that with which the Omnipotent Lord had inspired Him. Truly, thy Lord is the Inspirer, the Gracious, the Exalted. When the fountain of wisdom and eloquence gushed forth from the wellspring of His utterance and the wine of divine knowledge inebriated those who had sought His threshold, He exclaimed: ‘Lo! All are filled with the Spirit.’ From among the people there was he who held fast unto this statement and, actuated by his own fancies, conceived the idea that the spirit literally penetrateth or entereth into the body, and through lengthy expositions he advanced proofs to vindicate this concept; and groups of people followed in his footsteps. To mention their names at this point, or to give thee a detailed account thereof, would lead to prolixity, and would depart from the main theme. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. There was also he who partook of the choice wine whose seal had been removed by the Key of the Tongue of Him Who is the Revealer of the Verses of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Generous.

Verily, the philosophers have not denied the Ancient of Days. Most of them passed away deploring their failure to fathom His mystery, even as some of them have testified. Verily, thy Lord is the Adviser, the All-Informed.

Consider Hippocrates, the physician. He was one of the eminent philosophers who believed in God and acknowledged His sovereignty. After him came Socrates who was indeed, wise, accomplished and righteous. He practised self-denial, repressed his appetites for selfish desires and turned away from material pleasures. He withdrew to the mountains where he dwelt in a cave. He dissuaded men from worshipping idols and taught them the way of God, the Lord of Mercy, until the ignorant rose up against him. They arrested him and put him to death in prison. Thus relateth to thee this swift-moving Pen. What a penetrating vision into philosophy this eminent man had! He is the most distinguished of all philosophers and was highly versed in wisdom. We testify that he is one of the heroes in this field and an outstanding champion dedicated unto it. He had a profound knowledge of such sciences as were current amongst men as well as of those which were veiled from their minds. Methinks he drank one draught when the Most Great Ocean overflowed with gleaming and life-giving waters. He it is who perceived a unique, a tempered, and a pervasive nature in things, bearing the closest likeness to the human spirit, and he discovered this nature to be distinct from the substance of things in their refined form. He hath a special pronouncement on this weighty theme. Wert thou to ask from the worldly wise of this generation about this exposition, thou wouldst witness their incapacity to grasp it. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth but most people comprehend not. After Socrates came the divine Plato who was a pupil of the former and occupied the chair of philosophy as his successor. He acknowledged his belief in God and in His signs which pervade all that hath been and shall be. Then came Aristotle, the well-known man of knowledge. He it is who discovered the power of gaseous matter. These men who stand out as leaders of the people and are pre-eminent among them, one and all acknowledged their belief in the immortal Being Who holdeth in His grasp the reins of all sciences.

I will also mention for thee the invocation voiced by Balinus who was familiar with the theories put forward by the Father of Philosophy regarding the mysteries of creation as given in his chrysolite tablets, that everyone may be fully assured of the things We have elucidated for thee in this manifest Tablet, which, if pressed with the hand of fairness and knowledge, will yield the spirit of life for the quickening of all created things. Great is the blessedness of him who swimmeth in this ocean and celebrateth the praise of his Lord, the Gracious, the Best-Beloved. Indeed the breezes of divine revelation are diffused from the verses of thy Lord in such wise that no one can dispute its truth, except those who are bereft of hearing, of vision, of understanding and of every human faculty. Verily thy Lord beareth witness unto this, yet the people understand not.

This man hath said: ‘I am Balinus, the wise one, the performer of wonders, the producer of talismans.’ He surpassed everyone else in the diffusion of arts and sciences and soared unto the loftiest heights of humility and supplication. Give ear unto that which he hath said, entreating the 148 All-Possessing, the Most Exalted: ‘I stand in the presence of my Lord, extolling His gifts and bounties and praising Him with that wherewith He praiseth His Own Self, that I may become a source of blessing and guidance unto such men as acknowledge my words.’ And further he saith: ‘O Lord! Thou art God and no God is there but Thee. Thou art the Creator and no creator is there except Thee. Assist me by Thy grace and strengthen me. My heart is seized with alarm, my limbs tremble, I have lost my reason and my mind hath failed me. Bestow upon me strength and enable my tongue to speak forth with wisdom.’ And still further he saith: ‘Thou art in truth the Knowing, the Wise, the Powerful, the Compassionate.’ It was this man of wisdom who became informed of the mysteries of creation and discerned the subtleties which lie enshrined in the Hermetic writings.

We have no wish to mention anything further but We shall utter that which the Spirit hath instilled into My heart. In truth there is no God but Him, the Knowing, the Mighty, the Help in Peril, the Most Excellent, the All-Praised. By My life! In this Day the celestial Tree is loath to proclaim aught else to the world but this affirmation: ‘Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Peerless, the All-Informed.’

Had it not been for the love I cherish for thee, I would not have uttered a single word of what hath been mentioned. Appreciate the value of this station and preserve it as thou wouldst thine eye and be of them that are truly thankful.

Thou knowest full well that We perused not the books which men possess and We acquired not the learning current amongst them, and yet whenever We desire to quote the sayings of the learned and of the wise, presently there will appear before the face of thy Lord in the form of a tablet all that which hath appeared in the world and is revealed in the Holy Books and Scriptures. Thus do We set down in writing that which the eye perceiveth. Verily His knowledge encompasseth the earth and the heavens.

This is a Tablet wherein the Pen of the Unseen hath inscribed the knowledge of all that hath been and shall be – a knowledge that none other but My wondrous Tongue can interpret. Indeed My heart as it is in itself hath been purged by God from the concepts of the learned and is sanctified from the utterances of the wise. In truth naught doth it mirror forth but the revelations of God. Unto this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur in this perspicuous Book.

Say, O people of the earth! Beware lest any reference to wisdom debar you from its Source or withhold you from the Dawning-Place thereof. Fix your hearts upon your Lord, the Educator, the All-Wise.

For every land We have prescribed a portion, for every occasion an allotted share, for every pronouncement an appointed time and for every situation an apt remark. Consider Greece. We made it a Seat of Wisdom for a prolonged 150 period. However, when the appointed hour struck, its throne was subverted, its tongue ceased to speak, its light grew dim and its banner was hauled down. Thus do We bestow and withdraw. Verily thy Lord is He Who giveth and divesteth, the Mighty, the Powerful.

In every land We have set up a luminary of knowledge, and when the time foreordained is at hand, it will shine resplendent above its horizon, as decreed by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. If it be Our Will We are fully capable of describing for thee whatever existeth in every land or hath come to pass therein. Indeed the knowledge of thy Lord pervadeth the heavens and the earth.

Know thou, moreover, that the people aforetime have produced things which the contemporary men of knowledge have been unable to produce. We recall unto thee Murtus who was one of the learned. He invented an apparatus which transmitted sound over a distance of sixty miles. Others besides him have also discovered things which no one in this age hath beheld. Verily thy Lord revealeth in every epoch whatsoever He pleaseth as a token of wisdom on His part. He is in truth the supreme Ordainer, the All-Wise.

A true philosopher would never deny God nor His evidences, rather would he acknowledge His glory and overpowering majesty which overshadow all created things. Verily We love those men of knowledge who have brought to light such things as promote the best interests of humanity, and We aided them through the potency of Our behest, for well are We able to achieve Our purpose.

Beware, O My loved ones, lest ye despise the merits of My learned servants whom God hath graciously chosen to be the exponents of His Name ‘the Fashioner’ amidst mankind. Exert your utmost endeavour that ye may develop 151 such crafts and undertakings that everyone, whether young or old, may benefit therefrom. We are quit of those ignorant ones who fondly imagine that Wisdom is to give vent to one’s idle imaginings and to repudiate God, the Lord of all men; even as We hear some of the heedless voicing such assertions today.

Say: The beginning of Wisdom and the origin thereof is to acknowledge whatsoever God hath clearly set forth, for through its potency the foundation of statesmanship, which is a shield for the preservation of the body of mankind, hath been firmly established. Ponder a while that ye may perceive what My most exalted Pen hath proclaimed in this wondrous Tablet. Say, every matter related to state affairs which ye raise for discussion falls under the shadow of one of the words sent down from the heaven of His glorious and exalted utterance. Thus have We recounted unto thee that which will exhilarate thy heart, will bring solace to thine eyes and will enable thee to arise for the promotion of His Cause amidst all peoples.

O My Nabil! Let nothing grieve thee, rather rejoice with exceeding gladness inasmuch as I have mentioned thy name, have turned My heart and My face towards thee and have conversed with thee through this irrefutable and weighty exposition. Ponder in thy heart upon the tribulations I have sustained, the imprisonment and the captivity I have endured, the sufferings that have befallen Me and the accusations that the people have levelled against Me. Behold, they are truly wrapped in a grievous veil. When the discourse reached this stage, the dawn of divine mysteries appeared and the light of utterance was quenched. May His glory rest upon the people of wisdom as bidden by One Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised. Say: Magnified be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the splendour of the light of wisdom shone resplendent when the heavens of divine utterance were set in motion amidst mankind, to graciously aid me by Thy heavenly confirmations and enable me to extol Thy Name amongst Thy servants.

O Lord! Unto Thee have I turned my face, detached from all save Thee and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy manifold blessings. Unloose my tongue therefore to proclaim that which will captivate the minds of men and will rejoice their souls and spirits. Strengthen me then in Thy Cause in such wise that I may not be hindered by the ascendancy of the oppressors among Thy creatures nor withheld by the onslaught of the disbelievers amidst those who dwell in Thy realm. Make me as a lamp shining throughout Thy lands that those in whose hearts the light of Thy knowledge gloweth and the yearning for Thy love lingereth may be guided by its radiance.

Verily, potent art Thou to do whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp Thou holdest the kingdom of creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00223 ===

=== START BH00224 ===

He is the Concealer, the All-Knowing

O Jamal! The requirements of this age are different, and the requirements of divine wisdom are different. Therefore, the Pen of Will has paused in certain matters. In any case, they must observe wisdom and hold fast to it. That which causes spread [of the Cause] is not permitted today in the land of ?a. O Jamal! Look from what is with the people to what is with God. The glance of favor has ever been directed to you. They said to Jesus, Son of Mary, “Why do you associate with tax collectors?” He said, “I have come for the sinners, that through kindly counsels I might sanctify them from worldly conditions and guide them to that which will exalt them.” You should speak the word of truth with the utmost joy and fragrance. If it finds a hearing ear and is heeded, the purpose is achieved; otherwise, one should leave him to himself. Today the sun of justice is behind clouds and the moon of wisdom behind veils. One must act with forbearance. As We have written to some of the deniers: “Cut not off the fragrance of utterance which is the cause of the guidance of the world.” The meaning is that even if some do not accept from you now, you should not withdraw. Today is the day of manifestation. The ocean of mercy is surging and the grace of God, exalted be His glory, is all-encompassing. You must act in whatever way causes acceptance and joy. This is what We commanded you before and in this Clear Tablet.

As to what you mentioned regarding the friends in Dawlatabad, it has been honored with hearing. We mention them at this time from My Most Exalted Pen as a favor from Us to you, that you might find yourself in a joy that neither the troubles of the world, nor the sorrows of the nations, nor their deeds can change. Verily your Lord is the Faithful Counselor.

O Husayn! Hear the call of the Wronged One. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for causing me to hear Thy call, adorning me with the traces of Thy Pen, and illuminating me with the lights of Thy remembrance. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy utterance to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and make me steadfast in Thy love, such that neither the doubts of the people of the Bayan nor the allusions of the people of the Furqan shall prevent me. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O ’Ali! The people are in manifest error. O ’Ali! The people are in great loss. Hear the call of the Wronged One. Verily there is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The station through whose word a thousand ’Alis are created–from this the deniers of the Bayan have turned away and have clung to the vain imaginings of the Shi’ih people. Say: O people! That which never appeared in creation has now appeared. Behold the ocean of His utterance and the heaven of His grace and the sun of His manifestation, and be not of the deniers. Say: Fear God and choose not eternal torment for yourselves for the sake of two days. Hear the call of the Wronged One. By God! The one who has caused [others to be] veiled cannot speak before His face. The tyranny of Amir-Ni?am caused the spreading of certain names, lest the Dawning-Place of God’s Cause, the Lord of what was and what shall be, become known. When thou hearest My call, say: Praise be to Thee, O God of existence, for having remembered me in the prison with that which shall endure as long as the kingdom and the realm endure.

O Ja’far! Today the Most Great Scene is illumined with the lights of the Lord of Power, and all trees, leaves, fruits, earth, mountains, heaven and whatsoever is within them are rejoicing and exulting at the appearance of the Speaker on Sinai. Yet the servants are heedless, nay, turned away. We beseech His grace not to withhold, and on this blessed day when the gates of bounty are opened wide to all, not to deprive His servants of His everlasting gifts and heavenly sustenance. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

O ’Ali-Asghar! Praise be to God that thou hast turned to the Most Exalted Horizon. How many were the servants who in the nights and days sought the appearance of the Lord of Names, yet when the light of His manifestation illumined the world and the call of the Speaker on Sinai was raised from the most exalted station, all turned away save whom God willed. For some time in that land, a heedless one who had turned away was afflicted with the illness of hatred. We beseech God to protect thee and His loved ones from the doubts of those who have chosen for themselves a station in the fire, an abode in hell, and a place in the burning flame. The Command is in the hand of God, the Lord of mankind and the Sovereign of destiny. He is the One Who speaketh at the Most Great Scene with the hidden mystery and that whereby the moon was cleft asunder. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Powerful.

O ’Ali-Akbar! My Name Jamal, upon Him be My Glory and My favor, made mention of thee. Therefore there hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen that which nothing in the world can equal. When thou attainest unto it say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds, for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison and revealed unto me that which most of the nations have been deprived of. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to strengthen me in steadfastness in Thy Cause, that names may not cause me to slip in drawing nigh unto Thee, O Lord of all being and King of the throne on high and of earth below.

He is the All-Knowing Speaker! O Muhammad-Hadi! He Who loved Me and desired Me and arose to serve My Cause and to deliver My commandments and ordinances hath made mention of thee. We make mention of thee with a mention whereby, when it appeared from the Pen, all mention circled round it. Hear the call of the Wronged One from the precincts of the Prison. Verily there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is the one whom the veils of those who disbelieved in the Day of Return did not weaken. We have manifested the Cause before the faces of princes and divines with a sovereignty that hath conquered all in creation. When thou hearest the call from this most exalted horizon say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me in Thy Prison when I was wronged between the hands of Thy servants. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and by the Word whereby Thou didst unite the hearts of Thy loved ones and didst subdue Thy earth and Thy heaven, to make me strong through Thy power and a banner among Thy servants for Thy remembrance. Verily Thou art the Mighty One Whom the conditions of the people who broke Thy covenant and Thy testament and committed that which caused the dwellers of Thy kingdom and Thy dominion to lament cannot weaken. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

O ’Abdu’llah! O ’Abdul! Thy name was presented before the Wronged One. He makes mention of thee with that which caused the Water of Life to flow for the life of the world. Thank thy Lord for this great bounty. Jamal, upon Him be My Glory, made mention of thee and thou hast attained unto these decisive verses. Most of the people of the earth are deprived of the effulgences of the Sun of Truth, while thou hast attained unto them. Say: […]

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Beloved, and bounty be unto Thee, O my Hope! I beseech Thee by Thy light wherewith Thou didst illumine the Mount, and by Thy call wherewith the Trees of existence spoke forth, and by Thy command whereby Thou didst subdue both the unseen and the seen, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is. He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

O ’Ali-Akbar! Hearken unto the call from the precincts of ’Akka. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. Arise in the name of God, then raise thy right hand and rend asunder the veils of the world, by the command of the Lord of Eternity Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the evidences and proclaimed before all faces: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of Lords!” Behold, then remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, the people turned away from Him and the divines and princes pronounced judgment against Him. And before Him, when the Spirit came, the most learned of that age rejected Him until God raised Him up through power and sovereignty. Then behold when Moses came, the Pharaohs of the age and the tyrants of the people rose against Him. Among them were those who denied Him and those who pronounced judgment against Him, but God made Him manifest in the house of one who hated Him and sought His death, in spite of his will. Verily, thy Lord is the Omnipotent over what He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Subduer. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge, nor can the power of those who have denied the final return frustrate Him.

When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My utterance, say: “My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and by Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, to make me one who shatters the idols of vain imaginings through wisdom and utterance, and who breaks the might of the people of doubts through counsels and understanding. O my Lord! Aid me to turn toward Thy horizon in such wise that the doubts of the wayward shall not hinder me, and ordain for me through Thy grace that which shall draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions.”

He is the Speaker of Truth. O Hasan! Upon thee be the Glory of God! From the first days until now We have arisen before all faces through the power of God, exalted be His glory, and We have summoned the rich and the poor, the kings and the rulers, the learned and the jurisprudents and the mystics, all of them, without any veil or covering, to the horizon of the favor of the Lord of all beings. A few accepted, but most arose in opposition. We have ever been in the hands of Our enemies - at times captive, at times imprisoned, at times in chains. The tribulations of the world did not prevent the Most Great Name. Through complete power and all-encompassing might, He guided all to that which draweth them nigh unto God. Glory be to God! The Sun of Truth hath risen from the horizon of the heaven of knowledge with perfect radiance and brilliance, and the hand of power is raised before all eyes. Nevertheless, the heedless servants cling to rejection and have brought about that which is the cause of the greatest sorrow. We beseech God to make His servants aware of that which they have missed in the Days of God, that perchance they may arise to make amends and attain unto that for which they were adorned with the ornament of existence from nothingness. And We remember at this time the friends of God there and in all regions, and I am the All-Knowing Rememberer.

We have manifested the Cause, given voice to all things, sent down the verses, and brought forth what was hidden and treasured in the knowledge of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. O My loved ones there! Hear ye the Call which hath been raised in truth, despite those who denied this Great Announcement that was mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Most Great Throne and the Sovereign of the Exalted Seat. The glory from Us be upon you, upon your first and your last, and upon those whose feet have not slipped through the whisperings of the deniers and the croaking of the croakers.

O Jamal! Upon thee be My glory! Thou hast desired to ascend, to rise up, and to turn towards the Most Great Prison. Choose for thyself what God hath chosen. We have commanded thee to teach concerning this Most Great Announcement, and to remember and praise it among the servants with wisdom and utterance. A number are dwelling in that land, and from their surroundings some have sought permission. To attain unto presence and meeting is the greatest of deeds, but to tarry in that land, meaning to take up residence, is not permitted. Seven years ago We gave permission to all to return to their own lands, for teaching in that land and its surroundings hath been forbidden. In such case, hold fast unto that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God and the elevation of human stations among the various peoples. Verily this is best, most exalted, and most beloved, for the teaching of the Cause is binding upon all, but with utmost kindliness, mercy, and patience. We beseech God to aid His servants in that which He loveth and is pleased with.

Your honor, praise be to God, hath attained unto the presence and drunk the choice wine of mystic knowledge from the hand of bounty and the cup of glory. We testify that thou hast heard the Call from the Tongue of Grandeur, beheld the horizon of Manifestation, attended before the Throne, and stood at the door which God hath made the point of circumambulation for the Concourse on High and the Most Exalted Paradise. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this most great favor and supreme benevolence, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to attain unto Thy presence and to circle round the Kaaba of Thy Manifestation. I beseech Thee, by the ocean of Thy bounty, to make me in all conditions one who uttereth Thy praise and standeth firm in Thy service. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Praised.”

Thou hast sought healing for one of the handmaidens. Read what We sent thee before and hold fast unto it. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And as for what thou hast mentioned concerning him who is named ’Ali-Akbar, We have heard his call and answered him with verses whereby God hath illumined with each letter thereof a world among His worlds. He must thank his Lord for this wondrous remembrance. O ’Ali-i-Akbar! My Name, upon Him be My glory, hath mentioned thee. We have remembered thee with this wise remembrance. When thou hast drunk the Kawthar of My utterance from the hand of My bounty, say […]

My God, my God! I testify that Thou hast manifested Thyself unto all created things through the light of Thy Name, the All-Knowing. Then did the Tongue of Grandeur speak forth in the Dispensation of the Furqan: “We have recorded all things in a clear Book.” Then didst Thou manifest Thyself through Thy Name, the Merciful, unto all contingent beings, whereupon the sweet waters of Thy mercy flowed forth amongst Thy servants. And Thou didst manifest Thyself through Thy Name, the All-Bountiful, whereupon the ocean of Thy generosity surged and the rains of Thy grace descended from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness. And Thou didst manifest Thyself through Thy Name, the Expositor, whereupon the Most Exalted Pen spoke forth and revealed that which lay hidden in the treasuries of Thy knowledge and understanding. And Thou didst manifest Thyself through Thy Most Great Name, whereupon the limbs of the nations trembled and those who indulged in idle fancies lamented.

O my Lord! I beseech Thee by this Name and by the Names which Thou hast exalted through Thy command, to ordain for me that which befitteth my servitude unto Thee and Thy lordship over me. O my Lord! Illumine my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, then make mine eyes sharp and mine ears attentive that I may behold the traces of Thy Pen and hear Thy call. Thou art He at the mention of Whose Name all mention is humbled, before Whose Name all names bow down, and to Whose Cause all who are in earth and heaven have submitted. Deprive me not of the wonders of Thy bounty and of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones in Thy Book. O my Lord! Withhold not from me the cup of Thy bestowal and the choice wine of Thy recognition. Verily Thou art the Generous, there is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Muhammad-Taqi! Upon thee be the eternal splendor of God. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid thee to be steadfast and to draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. My Name Jamal hath mentioned thee and hath submitted that thou didst seek forgiveness for thy brother. Thereupon did the ocean of thy Lord’s pardon surge, and He forgave as a bounty from His presence. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O ’Ali-Qabli-’Askar! Thy worth is remembered in the Most Great Horizon. Reflect upon the people of idle fancies and upon those souls who sacrificed their spirits, which are the most precious of all things in the world, in this path, and likewise upon those souls who, like earthworms, subsist in clay. By the life of God! There hath befallen the Wronged One that which caused the eye of grandeur to weep and the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary to lament. From the land of Sad they have written that as soon as Hadi-Dawlat-Abadi heard that some had called him a Babi, fear seized him and anxiety encompassed his heart. He mounted the pulpit and cursed Cyprus and those therein, then cursed the First One to appear from beginning to end. For the sake of two days of life he uttered that which no tyrant had ever uttered and no transgressor had ever spoken. Nevertheless, he secretly makes claims to deputyship like unto himself. What intoxication hath encompassed the world that souls such as these have remained deprived of the Supreme Summit and the Most Exalted Horizon! How excellent are those souls who, with utmost steadfastness, power, might, love and faithfulness, set their faces toward the place of sacrifice and attained the most great martyrdom. Neither wealth deterred them, nor life held them back, nor glory and riches became a barrier. Fear and trepidation prevented them not. In brief, Hadi hath done that which hath caused hearts to be consumed. We beseech God to assist His servants unto truthfulness and fairness. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

O ’Ali-Qabl-i-’Askar! We beseech God to ordain for thee that which shall endure through the eternity of His names. He is verily the Protector of them that turn unto Him and the Object of them that have recognized Him. O Shir-’Ali! This Wronged One seeketh reunion with His loved ones, to this beareth witness My Pen, My will and My purpose, as well as they that circle round the Throne and the exalted Seat. But the prison land each day manifesteth a fresh color, and thus hath it become a barrier between the Truth and His creatures. We beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of meeting Him and hearkening unto His call. He, verily, is the One Who, through His word “Be,” and it is, hath power over all things. We have mentioned thee before, and at this moment with a mention that causeth the hearts of the sincere to be attracted. When thou hearest and seest, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Desire of them that are nigh unto Thee, for having caused me to turn toward Thy horizon, to speak Thy praise, to acknowledge Thy Revelation, and to confess Thy sovereignty. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones. Verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, the Generous.”

O Jamal! In these days, divine verses are being sent down like copious rain, but where are the hearing ear, the seeing eye, and the receptive heart? The oppressor hath slain My she-camel, the wolf hath devoured My sheep, and the destroyer hath sought to demolish My house. Consider now his spending and the preservation of Hadi of Dawlatabad. In one of the Tablets, this exalted word hath in these days flowed from the Most Exalted Pen: “O people of the Bayan! Reflect upon these two souls: the first is Al-Ashraf, whom neither love of the world nor its ornaments and colors prevented from sacrificing his spirit in His path, exalted be He; and the second is Hadi and his words and the preservation of his life. The martyrdom of the first is a truthful witness to steadfastness and acknowledgment, and the life of the second to wavering and denial. Know this and be among the discerning.” It is not known how the opposers of the Bayan will interpret this passage, even though this Wronged One this year commanded concealment and preservation; nevertheless, that which occurred, occurred.

Mention hath been made of his honor Buzurg, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. Praise be to God that he is remembered in the prison as though he were standing before the Face and hearing My sweetest call at this manifest time. Give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance, My loving-kindness and My grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Jamal! That which was composed by him who was named Ramadan, upon him be the glory of the All-Merciful, hath been presented and was recited before the Face by My Most Great Branch. Give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds.

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing

A Book sent down in truth from God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Baqa’i! We have heard thy call and accepted what thou hast composed. Thus have We adorned thy head with the crown of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and inscribed for thee the reward of attainment in this Clear Book. When thou art blessed with the glad-tidings of thy Lord and hearest His call, say: “My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to turn toward the shore of the sea of Thy oneness and to seek the Ka’bah of attainment in Thy days. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion, and by them who circle round Thy throne and whom Thou hast made the Hands of Thy Cause in Thy lands, to ordain for me the good of the Hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the Throne and the Sovereign of earth and heaven. Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Creator of the world and Fashioner of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to ordain for me in the Crimson Book that which shall endure through Thy eternity and persist through Thy perpetuity. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, the All-Merciful.”

O Jamal! Finally, We make mention of Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn, who turned his face to the lights of the Countenance and drew nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon until he attained the presence and heard and saw, when thy Lord was at the Most Glorious Prospect, sending down His mighty verses from the heaven of His Will that encompasseth all things. Give him My glad-tidings, remind him of My verses, and glorify My presence before his face on behalf of the Wronged One. Say: Blessed art thou and blessed is thy tongue, inasmuch as it hath uttered the praise of God. Let nothing whatsoever sadden thee. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for thee that which shall make thee a standard of His Name and an ensign of His Remembrance. By My life, My Cause, My power and My sovereignty! He is with whosoever hath turned unto Him, stood firm in His Cause, and spoken His praise. Soon shall all that is on earth perish, and there shall endure only that which hath been ordained by the Pen of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The splendor from Our presence be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and hearken unto thy words concerning this Cause, whereby the limbs of the idolaters have quaked and the hearts of the mystics have trembled, save those whom God hath willed, the King, the Just, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00224 ===

=== START BH00225 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise, sanctified beyond the mention of all created things, befitteth the most holy and most glorious court of the Desired One, Who hath, through the key of His Most Great Name, opened wide the portals of reunion before the countenance of all peoples and nations, Who hath called out with the most exalted call between earth and heaven, and hath summoned all to the most sublime horizon, the Seat of the revelation and manifestation of the Lord of Names. He hath opened wide the gate of reunion and guided all to the straight path. Yet the people remain deprived and veiled from this Day and from its recognition. Blessed are they who have perceived the breezes of the morn of revelation and who have risen from the graves of heedlessness at the breath of divine revelation. These are the servants mentioned in the books of old and those yet to come, whom God, exalted be His glory, hath given glad tidings and numbered among the people of the Crimson Ark. Exalted be His grace and great is His dominion!

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of creation and Sovereign over all servants! I beseech Thee by the breathings of Thy utterance and the lights of Thy manifestation in Thy days to ordain for Thy loved ones that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, whom Thou didst aid with the hosts of the unseen and the visible, and whom Thou didst protect from those who denied Thee and Thy mighty signs and turned away from Thee, O Creator of the heavens! Thou art He Whom the veils of Thy creation cannot hide, nor can that which Thou hast created in Thy realm by Thy will prevent Thee. Thou art He Who hath ever been the Sovereign of the kingdom of power and its Ruler, and the King of the realm of might and the Manifestation of its effects. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Thereafter, that spiritual loved one’s letter was received repeatedly, and in truth each letter thereof spoke in praise of Him Who is our Goal, your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the world. The ear was delighted by its melodies and the eye was illumined and brightened by beholding it. After its perusal, reading and examination, the Most Sublime Summit was sought and the details were presented before the countenance of the Lord of Names. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in reply, exalted be His utterance and mighty be His sovereignty:

In My Name, the All-Witnessing, and in My Name, the All-Hearing […]

O Amin! The Lord of all worlds maketh mention of thee from this most exalted Station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names. By the life of God! He draweth thee unto the station of sanctity and nearness and attainment unto His presence, even as He drew thee nigh aforetime. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have made mention of thee before and after, and in thy presence and absence. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. The servant here present hath come with thy letter time and again. He hath attained unto the hearing thereof, and there hath been sent down from the Kingdom of eternity that which is beyond compare with all the treasures of earth or with that wherein the parties take pride. Counsel the servants with that which We commanded thee when thou wert present, standing before the gate. Blessed is the servant who hath held fast unto that whereby the Cause of God hath been exalted among His servants, and woe unto those who have turned away from the Truth in that they followed them who denied God’s grace and violated the Covenant in their final end. Say: O people of Baha! Hearken unto the call of Him Who is the Lord of Names. Take ye the chalice of steadfastness and drink therefrom in the name of God, the Lord of Lords. O Amin! We have sent down verses unto thee before and after, and have expounded them as a grace from Our presence. Within the grasp of My power lie the reins of all who are in earth and heaven. O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! That whereof We forewarned the servants hath come to pass, and the clamor hath been raised throughout all regions through that which the hands of every sinful doubter have wrought. The buzzing of flies hath risen from behind the veil. Say: Fear God and follow not thine own self, O thou lying idolater! Be fair in thy judgment - if thou deniest that whereby the eye of the world hath been solaced, by what proof canst thou establish that which thou holdest? Bring it forth then, and be not of them who turned away from God when He came with power and sovereignty. The clamorer raised his cry, and those who cast the Ocean behind their backs followed him, turning unto brackish pools. Remind My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and [mercy] and of My remembrance which, when sent down from the heaven of My will, was circled round by all remembrances. Say: Beware, O people of Baha, lest the mighty ones of the earth weaken you, or the rulers of the lands frighten you. Put your trust in God and commit your affairs unto Him. He will verily aid you through the truth, and He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp is the rein of power. Say: Beware lest human conditions grieve you or prevent you from beholding the Most Sublime Vision. Cast away vain imaginings, taking hold of that which ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the sun of clear proof. Blessed is he who hath turned thereunto, and woe unto every heedless infidel.

Praise be to God! The lights of the Sun of Divine favor have encompassed the world and illumined all the atoms of creation. How strange, how utterly strange, that most of the servants are seen to be deprived. Some are held back by the intoxication of pride, others by the intoxication of wealth, some by the conditions of self and desire, and yet others by the doubts and intimations of the divines, together with the turning away, objections and denial of the people of the earth. The Lord of Names - exalted be His grandeur and His might - hath at all times called the people of the contingent world to that which would draw them nigh unto Him and guided them to the straight path. But the hardness of hearts and the wretchedness of souls have been manifested to such a degree that they denied the outpourings of the True One and veiled the effulgences of the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings behind the veils of self and passion. Not content with this, they pronounced judgment upon that which caused the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise and the inhabitants of the supreme Heaven to be seized with terror and dismay.

Glorified art Thou, O God of the world, Who hath appeared through the Most Great Name! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy mercy, the heaven of Thy grace, the sun of Thy generosity, and the celestial spheres of Thy bounty, to send down upon Thy servants that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and cause them to recognize what Thou hast manifested in Thy days and what Thou hast ordained in Thy Book for such of Thy servants as are nigh unto Thee. O Lord! Deprive them not of what lieth with Thee, nor withhold from them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Thou art He Whose mercy hath preceded all things, Whose grace hath preceded all, and Whose loving providence hath encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven.

In truth, for a long while hath this servant been immersed in the ocean of wonderment, for if man were to reflect, were there a Revelation greater than what hath been manifested, or affairs more momentous than what hath transpired, tranquility might prevail. Yet from the beginning of creation until now, as God knoweth, no such matter hath appeared. All divine Books bear witness to what hath been and is being mentioned. Were true ears to be found, they would hear today the call of all Books, summoning with their loudest voice those who turn unto them toward the supreme horizon. Verses have encompassed the horizons, evidences have filled the world, and the effulgences of the Sun of meaning and utterance have seized all things. Nevertheless, that which causeth man to be ashamed to mention is witnessed, and that which the tongue is powerless to describe is heard. The Cause is in His grasp - He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Regarding the fifty tumans which were ordered to be given to the prisoners, they have written that they were given (in the land of Q) and the receipt was sent. We beseech God to aid him who hath held fast unto that which is right and hath done that which gladdeneth the hearts of the sincere ones.

As to their having appointed this servant as a representative to attain the presence of that beloved one on their behalf - praise be to God, this intention hath been realized and hath been graced with acceptance before His countenance. Well is it with you and with whosoever hath attained the grace of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Concerning what was repeatedly written about the beloved of hearts, His Holiness Varqa, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Names - verily he standeth firm in service and uttereth the mention of the Peerless Friend. Exalted, exalted is this most high station and this supreme rank! All that that beloved one wrote was in accordance with reality. Well is it with him, pleasant unto him, and glad tidings unto his presence.

Regarding the mention made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-’Ali and Aqa Khalil, upon them be the glory of God, and the mention of their contribution that appeared in the path of God, specifically for the oppressed ones of the land of Ta - these matters were honored to be heard in the Holy Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grace hath spoken in the Kingdom of might and power. His word, exalted be His majesty:

O Amin! Blessed are they who have in these days arisen to serve the Cause. Every deed that appeareth today from any soul in the path of God is recorded as the sovereign of deeds in the presence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Blessed is Muhammad-’Ali, whom thou hast mentioned, and he who is named Khalil. We make mention of them both and give them the glad tidings of the acceptance of what they have wrought in My straight Path. Convey My greetings unto them both. We beseech God to send down upon them that which will draw them nigh unto Him and protect them from the evil of His enemies. Verily, He hath power over all things.

He is the Caller between earth and heaven!

O friends of God in M and R! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of all beings, through Whose advent the fragrance of the Divine Manifestation hath been wafted throughout the world and the Nightingale of Faithfulness hath warbled upon the Branch of Eternity that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have made mention of you before and after, and given you glad tidings of the favors of your Lord, the All-Bountiful, and informed you of the appearance of the clamorous ones in the domains of God, the Lord of all worlds. Beware lest their clamor debar you from the Day-Star of the horizons. Cast aside all else and hold fast unto that which ye have been commanded by God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O people of M and R! The Wronged One maketh mention of you in this Prison which God hath made the most exalted of stations. Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Names which hath been raised in truth as a token of His grace. He is, verily, the Mighty, the Chosen One. We make mention of A and H and those who have believed therein with such remembrance as causeth hearts and souls to take wing. Blessed is he who hath held fast unto that which is praiseworthy and acted in accordance with what hath been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of all men. By the life of God! This is the Day of remembrance and utterance, the Day whereon the stations of the servants are made manifest in this Cause at which the heaven of idle fancies hath been cleft asunder. The carpet of vain imaginings hath been rolled up by the hand of power, and the temple of certitude hath been established upon the throne, despite every ignorant doubter.

O people of Shishvan! Hearken unto the call of the All-Merciful. He made mention of you before and maketh mention of you at this time wherein the Ancient Beauty uttereth that which attracteth the hearts of them that are endued with understanding. Beware lest the affairs of men withhold you from the Truth. Shatter the idols of vain desire through the name of the Lord of all creation, and take the chalice of steadfastness in the name of the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness, then drink therefrom with power and authority. Ye are the gems in the mines of the earth and the pearls in the shell of the sea. God hath manifested you on a Day which was heralded in His Books of old, as attesteth the Mother Book which is with Him. We counsel you to show forth love and affection, and such unity as would cause the horizons to shine forth. Beware lest the might of them that have denied God, the Lord of the Final End, veil you. Soon shall the earth and all that is therein and thereon perish, and sovereignty over the kingdom and the realm shall remain with God, the Cleaver of the Dawn.

We make mention of one of Our loved ones in Shishvan who was named Haji Qabla Aqa and We counsel him with that wherewith We have counseled Our servants before, when the Most Exalted Pen raised its cry between earth and heaven: Rejoice in My remembrance of thee, then make mention of My loved ones on My behalf and give them glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for them in the Crimson Book by the Pen of God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. O people of Baha! By God, the gate of reunion hath been opened and the horizon of Revelation hath been illumined by the lights of the countenance of your Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain desires and held fast unto that which is commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of all mankind. We counsel you to observe justice and equity and that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of religions, may be exalted. And We counsel you to wisdom as We have counseled you before. Fear God and be not like those who arose and said “God is our Lord,” but when the breezes of trial blew, they turned back on their heels. O people of the world! Fear the Lord of eternity, then leave the abodes of idle fancies and vain imaginings in the name of the Lord of all mankind. By God! The Sun is at its meridian, and from the horizon of majesty the Beauty of Glory proclaimeth: “There is none other God besides Me, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.”

We make mention of other lands which have been blessed by the breaths of those whom God hath made His friends in His earth and for whom He hath sent down that which delighteth the eyes. Arise to serve the Cause and make up for what hath escaped you in the days of God, the Lord of creation. Beware lest ye be saddened by the doings of those servants who have cast the Book of God behind their backs and violated the Covenant on the Day of Meeting. Thus surgeth the ocean of utterance when the tongue of the All-Merciful speaketh. Blessed is he who hath heard and recognized, and woe unto every stubborn infidel.

O beloved of my heart! You and this servant and the friends of God, glorified be His majesty, must seek and supplicate night and day that He may not deprive His servants of hearing, sight and heart, and likewise withhold not from them the adornment of fairness. For if all the world were to attain, even less than a mustard seed, to hearing and sight, surely all would, upon hearing but one verse of the divine verses, turn toward the ocean of inner meanings. O spiritual friend! What can the servant say and what can the people hear? At every moment a thousand perplexities have arisen and continue to arise, for they have desired to veil the Sun of Truth with the clay of vain imaginings. Far, far be it! The hands of the world have ever been and shall remain powerless to achieve this. I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to deal with them through His grace, bounty and generosity, and to not deprive His servants from the ocean of His favors. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. In brief, each one of the friends whom that beloved one hath mentioned hath been blessed with the special favors of the Desired One of the worlds. His is the praise and the glory, His is the thanksgiving and the bounty.

Concerning what you wrote about the Green Land and the honored Mr. Afnan, His Holiness A. and H. - upon him be all the most glorious glory - they had written to the beloved Ibn-i-Nabil - upon him be the glory of God and His favors - and he has acted according to what was written. And concerning what was written about the sum that should reach Mosul, the amount of fifty which they mentioned during their presence was, according to instructions, sent to Mosul. And this amount of twenty-seven (27) tumans which that beloved one wrote about should be sent to His Holiness Ismu’llah Zayn - upon him be all the most glorious glory. And concerning what was written about the affairs of this land and collecting funds from some, nothing has been collected so far. Whatever has been or will be necessary will be collected through religion. They said this is most proper and fitting, and God willing, rights will be fulfilled. And since that beloved one’s intention in affairs is for God’s sake, all matters will be adorned with the ornament of improvement, even though outwardly means are cut off. But the Truth, exalted be His glory, has been and is the Causer, the Powerful, and the Manifester. Verily He has power over all things.

Concerning their appointing this servant again as representative in their second letter to attain the presence, praise be to God, at the end of the blessed month of Ramadan, on behalf of that beloved one, it was accepted and adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Likewise in the third letter, mention was made of deputized visitation and mention of His Holiness, the beloved of the heart, Varqa - upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. It was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, exalted be His glory: “O servant in attendance, be determined in the representation of the Trustee. We have accepted what thou hast done on his behalf as a favor from Us. Verily He is the Bestower, the Generous. And We mention in this station once again he who has arisen to serve My Cause and to make mention of Me and praise Me among My servants and My creation. If thou seest him, convey My greetings to him and give him the glad tidings of My mercy which has preceded all created things. The glory, shining, manifest and resplendent from the horizon of the kingdom of My utterance be upon him and upon him who has attained unto what God has revealed in the Book.”

This ephemeral one offers greetings and salutations to them. Praise be to God, they have been and are successful. It is hoped that the souls in those regions will be set ablaze by their fire - a blazing that will not be extinguished. However, in all conditions the servants in those regions must observe wisdom, for the polytheists and deniers lie in wait. The servant asks his Lord to protect His party from the rancor of the divines and the hatred of the clergy. Verily He has power over all things.

Concerning what was mentioned about the spiritual beloved, Mirza A.B. - upon him be the glory of God and His favors - truly they are engaged in service and are successful in good deeds. I beseech the Truth, exalted be His glory, to grant from the heaven of favor that which befits the ocean of His generosity and the heaven of His bounty. Verily He is the Near One, the Hearer, the Answerer.

Another matter: His Holiness the Afnan, upon him be all the most glorious splendor of God, attained presence for the first time, and again in these days renewed his request for presence. The Sun of Permission dawned and he was favored with this bounty. In truth, divine confirmation and assistance have been with him, for he attained presence repeatedly in such days. This is the effect of divine verses that were revealed in Tablets specifically for him. Every day a fruit appears and will appear from the Divine Lote Tree of utterance, and assuredly the fruits of the Supreme Pen have not and will never come to an end. Blessed are they and joyous tidings be unto them.

On the 14th day of the honored month of Shawwal, His Holiness the Afnan Aqa Siyyid M, upon him be all the most glorious splendor of God, by command departed from the Land of Purpose to the land of Ha, accompanied by the beloved of hearts Aqa Haji Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God. And the honored one, His Holiness the Great Afnan, upon him be all the most glorious splendor of God, will also attain presence in these days, as special permission has been granted to him. And his honor the Afnan Aqa Siyyid Mu?sin, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, is now present.

I beseech and hope from God, exalted be His glory, that He may assist all to that from which the fragrance of eternity wafts. In truth, this servant is abashed to make this prayer, for whatever has been revealed from the Supreme Pen specifically for them, extinction reaches it not, annihilation seizes it not, and obliteration has no path to it. However, prayer is beloved in every condition. How excellent is what was said: “O prayer from Thee, and acceptance also from Thee.” With divine generosity and grace, every matter becomes easy and simple. It is hoped that He will not deprive His servants from any good. His is the praise in all conditions. There is no God but He, the Forgiving, the Generous. The glory, the remembrance, and the praise from God, the Lord of all beings, be upon you and upon those with you and upon God’s loved ones in all cities and regions.

The Servant

15th of the honored month of Shawwal 1301

=== END BH00225 ===

=== START BH00226 ===

He is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting! Blessed and exalted be His station!

Praise be to God Who hath illumined all eyes through the vision of His lights, Who hath caused all tongues to speak forth the highest praise in extolling His Being, the Mighty, the Chosen One, and Who hath expanded the circles of thought in recognition of His signs and their use as proof of His Own Self, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Subduer. He it is through Whom the Sun of Knowledge hath shone forth and illumined all, and by His light mysteries were unveiled and veils were rent asunder, and the righteous were guided to the heaven of glory and power, and the pure in heart sought shelter beneath the shade of His All-Bountiful Name. Exalted be His mighty Cause, His wise remembrance, His ancient light, His straight path, and His all-encompassing and righteous judgment. Can any prevent His Will or stay His Decree? In His grasp is the reins of destiny and in His right hand the kingdom of creation. He ordaineth whatsoever He willeth for whomsoever He pleaseth, and shall not be asked of His doings. He hath ever been established upon the throne of glory and grandeur, and will forever remain in the heights of power and exaltation. No praise or mention can encompass Him, nor can minds and thoughts fathom His essence. All that hath been or shall be mentioned remaineth within the bounds of contingent being, while He, in truth, is sanctified beyond comprehension through knowledge and wisdom. All signs are severed from His presence and all descriptions are cut off from His gate. He shall not be asked of His doings, and He doeth what He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Hope and my Support! How can I remain silent in Thy praise and glorification when Thou hast commanded Thy servants thus in Thy mighty Book? And how dare I speak and express the wonders of Thy praise when Thou art exalted above the mention of Thy creation, the attributes of Thy servants, and the thoughts of Thy creatures? All things are perplexed, as am I, in this subtle matter and delicate remembrance. I see in myself naught but utter powerlessness before the kingdom of Thy might, and absolute poverty before the heaven of Thy power. Exalted is Thy station above the mention of Thy servants, and sanctified is Thy Being above the imaginings of all in Thy realm. What expression can encompass the kingdom of Thy sanctity, and what description can embrace the heaven of Thy transcendence? How insignificant are pen and ink to describe the vastness of Thy knowledge’s kingdom, O Lord of all beings and Creator of existence!

I beseech Thee by Thy conquering power and Thy resplendent proof to assist me and Thy loved ones in spreading Thy remembrance throughout Thy lands and in guiding Thy creation to the wonders of Thy mysteries. O Lord! Regard not our weakness and poverty, but rather Thy strength, Thy wealth, Thy might and Thy transcendence. Aid us in all conditions to exalt Thy mighty Cause, and strengthen our hearts in such wise that neither the utterances of the misguided may affect them, nor may the veils of glory prevent them from turning toward the court of Thy Most Bountiful Name. Make us so firm in Thy Cause that the clamor of the world may not frighten us, nor may we be disturbed by the oppression of nations, through the power of Thy Most Great Name. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, possessed of great favor.

Send down upon Thy loved ones, O my God, tranquility from Thy presence, that they may not be troubled when calamities and tribulations descend from the heaven of Thy decree, O Lord of all names and Creator of earth and heaven! Praise be unto Thee, O my Hope, for having spread Thy remembrance through the appearance of trials, and for having exalted Thy Cause through the descent of afflictions, and for having adorned Thy sincere ones with the robe of steadfastness and detachment, whereby they have sacrificed their spirits and bodies in the path of Thy love, and the might of the wicked among Thy creatures hath not frightened them. Were the heedless to consider, this clear proof and mighty, firm evidence would suffice them, for Thou hast said–and Thy word is the truth–“Wish ye, then, for death, if ye are truthful.”

O beloved of the heart and one who grasps the cord of affection! Your letter, containing expressions of love and unity, and intimations of fellowship and righteousness, has arrived. I beseech the Most High to reward you with the best of rewards, to protect you in His shadow from the evil of the wicked ones, and to ordain for you, through His all-encompassing grace, that which will please you. Verily, He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. And since your letter arrived in days when the clouds of oppression had risen and the darkness of tyranny had encompassed all regions, I therefore exercised beautiful patience in responding to your honor until God, through His grace, removed the harm and strengthened some of those in authority to protect the sheep of God from the wolves of the earth. By the life of your Ancient Lord! Man is bewildered by the rebelliousness of the people of loss. They witnessed manifest signs and brilliant evidences, and observed from those who turned to Him and the sincere ones a steadfastness the like of which had never been heard of in previous centuries. They recognized the power of their hearts, the expansiveness of their breasts, the firmness of their feet, and their detachment, yet they still do as they please and inflict upon them whatever oppression and enmity they desire, giving no thought to the consequences of their deeds and the repugnance of their actions. By your life! This is a bounty from God, the Mighty, the Exalted, unto those of steadfastness and acceptance. Were it not for their oppression, how would the martyrs attain this supreme station and ultimate goal? And were it not for their wretchedness, how would the sincere ones achieve this mighty station and wise remembrance? If the oppressors knew that through their tyranny the sincere ones attain to lofty ranks and sublime stations, they would not commit such acts. But because they cling to this transient world and fleeting pleasures, and are heedless of the enduring sovereignty, they imagine death to be the ultimate harm, and thereby, despite themselves, they harm the friends. How great is their heedlessness and ignorance, and how mighty is the steadfastness, firmness, patience and detachment of the sincere ones! They have illumined the horizons with the lights of the luminary of steadfastness on the Day of the Covenant, and through the power of their hearts, they have caused the limbs of the people of discord to tremble on the Day of Sacrifice. Say: O people! Whither do ye flee, and for how long will ye remain veiled from the truth? Have ye seen in the world any proof mightier than what hath appeared in this Most Great Revelation? The proof of the Cause hath encompassed all nations. The people of tyranny and enmity have grown weary of what they have perpetrated against the people of love, and ye behold the lovers in all regions, ablaze with the fire of yearning to sacrifice their souls and possessions in the path of the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Ye were wont to cite what transpired in the land of Taff as proof of the truth of Islam; how then have ye become veiled from the supreme steadfastness that hath appeared in these days? This is a supreme sign and a mighty proof which none deny save the people of transgression and error. O beloved one! There hath been sent down from the heaven of Will, regarding the martyrs, that which causeth hearts to soar, souls to quiver, and breasts to expand. We beseech God, by their pure blood and their illumined resting places, to assist us and His loved ones to be steadfast in His Cause, to arise for His remembrance, to guide His servants to the meadows of His knowledge, and to lead His creation to the paradise of His certitude. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Compassionate, the Kind, the Merciful. And we beseech Him to assist the heedless to recognize His manifest Cause and to grasp the cord of His mighty remembrance. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. O beloved of the heart! Your letter was presented with the tongue of lowliness and supplication at the Threshold of Glory, and verses of grace were revealed from the Kingdom of bounty and favor. Exalted is your Ancient Lord, Whose generosity hath encompassed the worlds and Whose mercy hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. His word - exalted be His utterance and mighty His proof - is:

He is the Expositor, the One standing before the faces of the servants.

Praise be befitting and worthy of the Most Great Cause, through whose name the banner “Verily He is God” has been raised upon the pinnacles of the cities of grace and bounty, and by whose will the standard “The Kingdom is God’s” has become visible from all directions. He is the Name at which the polytheists tremble and by which the station of the unitarians is exalted. It behooveth him who desireth to visit the Kaaba of God to sanctify himself from all else and say: “O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Baha at its most resplendent, and all Thy Baha is resplendent, to open unto the faces of Thy servants the doors of Thy mercy and bounty. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs of the first and the last.”

O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face unto him who hath loved thee and soared in the atmosphere of thy love and spoken thy praise - he who was named Muhammad in the Book of Names and Abdul-Baha in this perspicuous Book which speaketh in every state that there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Give thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath mentioned thee with that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure throughout the kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds, and hath revealed for thee that which shall gladden the eyes of those who have believed in this Great Announcement. Give glad tidings unto My servants of what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, that the hearts of those who are endued with understanding may be illumined thereby. Say: O people, fear God, then hearken unto that which hath been sent down from the Pen of God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Say: By God, the blessed verse “But He is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets” hath been fulfilled by the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds. This is the great glad tidings for those who have believed in the manifest, resplendent Light.

Glory be to God! Although mention was made of the Most Great Name in the Dawn Prayer aforetime, it is observed that most of the servants remain heedless and veiled. The Land of Sad prevented the servants from reciting it. Say: The oppressor hath commanded that whereby hearts and minds have melted. The Lord of creation beareth witness to this in this mighty prison. O Muhammad! Guard the servants lest they become afflicted with vain imaginings and idle fancies like the people of Iran. They were polytheists yet counted themselves among the unitarians. Even now it is observed that some have deviated somewhat from the Sun of sanctification and the lights of the Luminary of unity. Say: My God, my God! Aid the people of Baha in that which Thou hast desired for them through Thy bounty and generosity. Then cause them to speak Thy beauteous praise and sanctify them from the mention of any besides Thee. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Dominant, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The loved ones must be reminded at all times lest the treacherous and the thieves find opportunity and prevent the unitarians from the straight path.

At this moment the Most Great Branch entered, and We make mention of thee before His face with that which caused the rivers of wisdom and utterance to flow in the paradise of knowledge, and by which the ocean of certitude surged before the faces of all religions. Blessed art thou, and blessed be thy steadfastness and thy devotion. We beseech God to open through thee the doors of the hearts of His servants. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Generous. Blessed is the house which He made a shelter for His loved ones, and blessed is the leaf who aided them and attained to their service.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory! From the Most Exalted Pen there hath been revealed in three special days for the martyrs - upon them be My glory and My favor - that which hath had and hath no likeness. Say: O people! Know ye with clear certitude that whatsoever hath befallen the loved ones is the cause of victory and the reason for triumph. The tyranny of the oppressors and the patience of the monotheists and their steadfastness have been recorded and mentioned in God’s Book by the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed are they that attain!

As to what was mentioned concerning the two departed, elevated martyrs - upon them be the glory of God and His favor - clear verses were revealed specifically for each from the heaven of divine will and the atmosphere of lordly favor.

O Hasan! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of the hidden and the manifest! We testify that thou didst believe in God and His signs, and didst turn unto the horizon of His Revelation and His grace, and didst drink the cup of faith from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Thou didst answer when thou didst hear the Call, and didst respond when thou wast bidden by God, the Lord of all beings. Blessed art thou in that God aided thee to attain the Most Great Steadfastness when thy spirit ascended to the Most Exalted Paradise. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times that which will manifest thy station among all religions. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Precious, the All-Bountiful. We made mention of thee before thy ascension and after it. Verily thy Lord is with those who love Him at all times. To this testify the Dawning-Places of My favor throughout all possibility. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who remember thee through that which hath been sent down for thee from God, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O ’Ali-Akbar! My Most Exalted Pen hath turned toward thee in the prison of ’Akka and mentioneth thee with that which cannot be equaled by aught in the world, its ornaments, its colors and its bounties. Blessed art thou in that thou didst turn when people turned away, and didst believe when the parties of the world disbelieved, save those whom God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, did choose. I testify that thou didst turn thy luminous face toward God, the All-Informed, and didst acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur did utter before the faces of the great and small. The clamor prevented thee not from the Lord of all beings, nor did the oppression of enemies frighten thee from drawing nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon. Thou art he who heard and turned, and sacrificed thy spirit and thy wealth in the path of God, thy Lord, thy Beloved, thy Goal, and the Object of worship of all in the heavens and the earth. We beseech Him to give thee to drink at all times from the Kawthar which He hath ordained for them that circle round His presence and gaze upon His countenance. The glory, the light and the radiance from God, the Mighty, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful, be upon thee.

Concerning what thou didst mention regarding unity, this hath been heard. However, these matters have been made contingent upon consultation in the Tablets of the Lord of the Manifestation. Whatsoever proceedeth therefrom is the decree of God, and acting upon it is adorned with the ornament of acceptance and the glory of His good-pleasure. As to what ye mentioned that some of the friends desire to turn towards the Most Sublime Horizon and have sought permission to attain His presence - in these days, due to divine wisdom, such visits are not permitted. O Muhammad! By the life of God! The lamp is amidst the winds and the Ark of God is amidst the waves. Adorn My servants with the ornament of piety and illumine them with the light of detachment. We have previously stated that in this Most Great Revelation, the hosts of God are goodly deeds and praiseworthy attributes, and the virtue of piety hath been appointed as the commander of the divine hosts. Blessed are they who attain and they who act. Today is the day of teaching and service - a matter more essential and obligatory than all else is the steadfastness of the friends, for some who consider themselves to be of the people of the Crimson Ark and the City of Knowledge of the Lord of Names are somewhat tainted with former vain imaginings. There is fear lest this Cause be seen like the previous party. I seek forgiveness from God, the Most Great, from the vain imaginings of the imaginers and the idle fancies of the doubters concerning this Great Announcement and this strong, shining Light.

In the days of Our childhood, one day We went to visit one of the noble ladies who was adorned with kinship. After entering, We observed two persons with exceedingly large turbans who were expounding spiritual knowledge from behind a veil to the lady of the house. Finally, their discourse culminated in one of them, who was the greater and more prominent, stating that we must know whether Gabriel is higher than Qanbar. When this Wronged One heard these words, His whole being was set aflame, yet We chose silence. After a few minutes it was mentioned: “O honored one, if Gabriel is he who is referred to in ‘The Faithful Spirit brought it down upon thy heart’, then at that station Master Qanbar was not even present.” Now consider the heedlessness and unsuitable knowledge of the people. The station of Gabriel is the inner reality of the Messenger of God, yet he was arguing that Qanbar was more exalted because he was related to Ali. Glory be to God! That party inflicted upon the Messenger of God a wrong that had and has no equal. In difficulties they should take refuge with Him, yet His mention is entirely absent while they cling to letters that were created by His Word, as ye have seen and continue to see. The Exalted One hath said that the physical form of the Letters of this Revelation is equivalent to the spiritual reality of the Letters of the previous Revelation. This Wronged One seeketh forgiveness on behalf of all and saith: My God, my God! Protect Thy loved ones. Thou art the Generous One Whose forgiveness hath encompassed the world. Have mercy upon Thy servants and assist them to perform such deeds, show forth such character and utter such words as befit Thy days. Through one exalted word the ocean of Thy bounty surgeth, and through one effulgence of the Sun of Thy Command, the sun of generosity and forgiveness appeareth manifest and evident. All are Thy servants and live by hope in Thy generosity. Stretch forth the hand of power from the sleeve of might and deliver these souls who are stuck in the clay. Thou art the Lord of the Command and the Sovereign of Bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

News that causes the awakening and awareness of the servants is acceptable before God, but one must strive to distinguish truth from falsehood and record it. We shall assist him in all conditions if he be adorned with what hath appeared in My days and shone forth from the horizon of My loving-kindness that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and the earth. For some of the friends for whom thou didst seek favor, wondrous and sublime tablets have been sent down from the heaven of divine knowledge and the atmosphere of lordly wisdom, that the friends might drink from the cups of utterance of the Desired One of the worlds that which the spiritual Khidr drank from the fountain of darkness. O Muhammad! Thou hast ever been and art remembered. Praise be to God that thou art occupied in service and art speaking in praise and glorification. We are with thee and hear thy mention and We beseech God to assist thee and aid thee in that which shall open the doors of the hearts of His servants. Verily, He is powerful over all things. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Make mention of all those related to thee on behalf of the Wronged One and illumine them with the lights of the Sun of divine mercy. Verily thy Lord is the Kind, the Generous, and in His grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and the earth. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon thee and upon those who have heard and have turned with illumined hearts to the Most Exalted Horizon. We testify that they are the companions of the Crimson Ark mentioned in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, from God, the Commander, the All-Wise.

Blessed art thou, O thou who art mentioned in the court of the Divine Presence and art gazed upon by the glances of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving. It behooveth thee to arise to make mention and glorification among all created things and to guide those endowed with capacity, with wisdom and utterance, to the gardens of mystic knowledge and the paradises of knowledge and certitude. By thy life! This is the Day to arise to serve the Cause of God, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing. If anyone misseth an opportunity, he shall not attain it throughout the months and years. It behooveth us to beseech our Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, in the morning and the evening to protect us from the whisperings of the ignorant ones and to adorn us with the robes of steadfastness among all created things. Verily He is powerful over what He willeth. Blessed art thou and those who have quaffed the cups of tribulations in the land of Ya. Ye have been mentioned every morn and eve by the tongue of the favor of the Lord of Names, and the bounty of your Lord hath surrounded you from all directions. Exalted be your Lord, from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth and Whose bounty nothing can prevent. He hath sent down from the clouds of His mercy, for those whom thou didst mention in thy letter, manifest verses whereby all created things were stirred. Grieve not for the delay that occurred in sending the reply, for it was naught but in consideration of the wisdom revealed in the Book by the command of the Lord of Lords. He is the Judge of what is right. From Him did we begin and unto Him do we return. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

Proclaim unto those who have adorned themselves with the ornament of steadfastness and have arisen to serve the Cause of God amongst creation, and remind them of that which beseemeth these days wherein the sun of knowledge and wisdom hath shone forth. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to bestow upon His loved ones from His bounties and to give them to drink from the cups of His grace and bestowal, and to ordain for them the good of this world and the next, and to exalt their stations through His Name amongst all peoples. Verily He is the Most High, the Most Glorious. Glory and praise be upon thee and upon them and upon every one steadfast and upright. Praise be to God, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Muhammad-’Ali

=== END BH00226 ===

=== START BH00227 ===

This is the Ridvan of Confession which hath been sent down from God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

God beareth witness through His Essence unto His Essence that there is none other God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all are submissive unto Him. God testifieth by His Own Self unto His Own Self that there is none other God but Him. His is the glory and the eternity, His the grandeur and the splendor, His the might and the majesty. He giveth life and causeth death, then causeth death and giveth life, and verily He is the Sovereign in the dominion of the divine cloud, and He is the Single One, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

God beareth witness in the loftiness of His might and the exaltation of His kingdom that there is none other God but Him. His is the sublimity and the power, His the glory and the might. He sendeth down from the clouds of grace that which purifieth the realities of all things, if they flee not from the direction of the Spirit. Thus hath the command been sent down from the dominion of eternity unto the people of Baha, that perchance mankind may be mindful in the days of their Lord.

Glorified be He Whom the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth doth praise, and before Whom every soul prostrateth itself, as ye do witness. And they who know Him not this day prostrate themselves before His countenance, yet they understand not. Even as this is witnessed in the Concourse of the Bayan - they acknowledge God and Him Whom He sent aforetime, yet when He came unto them in another garment they denied Him. Thus observe in the Qur’an and before it in all religions, if thou be of them who ponder the Cause of their Lord.

The eyes of creation have never beheld the like of these who worship a name among names, then remain heedless of Him Who created it. Their likeness is as the likeness of those who worship idols yet perceive it not. Glorified be He Who hath ever been seated upon the throne of His mighty power in the eternal past, and Who hath been veiled from the comprehension of the Concourse of Glory and Majesty, then from the righteous and the learned, then from all eyes and visions.

And when He desired to shower upon the realities of all things and the hearts of all contingent beings the rain of grace and beneficence and the outpourings of bounty and favor, He rent asunder the veil of concealment and manifested Himself by the name of every Prophet in every age, until He manifested Himself by the name of ’Ali in the year sixty, then by this Name in the year nine according to the mystery of the line, until the days reached unto eighty. Then did the Beauty unveil Himself between the heavens and earth with evident sovereignty, and called out with the most exalted call through the tongue of His Self-Manifestation:

“Verily, I am He Who was God when there was none to be worshipped, and Knowledge when there was naught to be known, and Lord when there was none to be lorded over. I am He Whom none among all contingent beings hath known, nor shall any soul among all created things ever know Me. All that the knowers have known returneth unto the Word which was created by My utterance, and I am the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Powerful, the Most High. I have created all beings for the knowledge of My Self and have sent down unto them My verses in truth, lest they should doubt My Cause, the All-Powerful, the Wondrous, the All-Encompassing. Whoso claimeth for himself more than this hath indeed fabricated against God Who created him by a command from His presence.” Thus was the command revealed in previous Tablets and is now being revealed, that it may serve as a proof from Us and an evidence from Our presence unto all creation.

O peoples of the earth! Know ye the value of that which We have sent down unto you, then detach yourselves from the imaginings ye possess and take hold of God’s verses with power. Follow not the footsteps of those who, when God’s verses are recited unto them, wax proud against them, though by a single letter thereof were created the realities of the people of the Kingdom of Heaven, then the realities of the people of the Realm of Might, then the souls of the people of the Kingdom […]

Say: Through My power over the Kingdom and what has been and what will be, if ye be among those who know. I am He Who was powerful over what I willed and shall remain powerful over what I desire. The schemes of the schemers shall never prevent Me from My sovereignty, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. Say: Were We to desire to subjugate all created things and return them from existence into nothingness, We would assuredly do so through a word appearing from My Pen which moveth by virtue of My holy, glorious and bountiful fingers.

O thou who bearest My Name [Muhammad-’Ali], hearken unto what the idolators say and what issueth from their mouths. By God! By reason of it have the hearts of the pure ones burned within their chambers, and the eyes of the divine verses have wept within the pavilion of words, and the Manifestations have rent from their forms the silk of allusions and the brocade of symbols. Thus do We inform thee with truth that thou mayest be among those who are well-informed. For they have objected to Him through Whose single letter were their realities created and their names exalted in the Kingdom of Names, and their traces made manifest throughout the realms of creation, and their mention elevated between earth and heaven, if ye be among those who witness. And they have reached such heights of pride and denial as to deny the Proof of God and His Evidence, then the Manifestation of God and His Authority, then the Rising of God and His Power, then His establishment upon the throne of mighty glory. Verily those who speak like children when there ascendeth from the direction of thy Lord’s throne, the All-Merciful, deny those words which have descended from the throne of names and attributes, and when these are recited unto them their faces turn black and they are overwhelmed by the dust of hell, and there issueth from their lips that which causeth all who are in the heavens and earth to curse them. They say these words have not descended according to the divine nature. Say: O concourse of idolators! Perish in your wrath! By God, through these words hath appeared the nature of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Supreme, the All-Knowing.

O Nabil! Know thou that We concealed the mysteries of the Cause at a time which neither those who believe in eternity in the past, nor those who believe in eternity have comprehended. We remained in Our essence unique, alone, singular, veiled from the eyes of all created things and concealed behind the sanctified veils in the retreat of the Divine Essence. And when We desired to manifest the Cause in the kingdom of creation, We took a handful of clay in the grasp of Our power, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise. Then We kneaded it with the waters of holiness and breathed into it a spirit from the spirits We had created in the heaven of eternity, and We fashioned it according to a temple from among the temples of holiness, and We named it Adam in the heaven of names, if thou be of them that know. Likewise, were We to take another handful and raise from it sanctified temples, then forms of the Concourse on High, then spirits of the Prophets and Messengers, We would verily have power to do so through My sovereignty which encompasses all created things and through My command which transcends all atoms, if thou be of them that understand.

Then the days rolled on until they reached these days wherein We manifested Our true Self with this Beauty through which We have revealed Ourselves to all the worlds. Thereupon rose against Me My servants whose names shall not be mentioned in My holy and exalted presence. Rather, I created their essences by the will of My command which createth through My word. I am He Who created the names and their kingdom, Who sent forth the attributes and their dominion, Who manifested the realities and their realm, while Our ancient Self remained sanctified above them all. Nay, We made them manifestations for Our servants who fell prostrate upon their faces before My transcendent, mighty and gracious countenance.

Therefore weep thou for this Lord by reason of what hath befallen Him such as hath befallen no one before, and there hath touched Him of afflictions that which causeth the spirits of the denizens of the realm of divinity to be cut off beyond the pavilion of holiness in the Most Exalted Paradise. Then was the table of the spirit withdrawn from the mouths of them that are nigh unto God. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth that thou mayest become aware of a drop of what hath rained upon Us from the oceans of decree and be among them that know.

O Nabil! When thou journeyest from the direction of thy Lord to the regions of the horizons, remind the people of what befell the Bird of Pre-existence from the talons of the idolaters. Beware lest thou add or take away anything; rather, recount truthfully what thou hast seen for Our near servants. Say: By God! He Who was created by My word and was honored by meeting Me hath issued against Me that which kindled within him the fire of jealousy and hatred. But God hath revealed what was hidden in their breasts, and He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Then they invented against Me whatsoever suited their desires that they might thereby instill hatred for the Youth in the hearts of the holy ones.

Say: Woe unto you and unto what your passions have commanded you! Yet God hath servants whom neither the veils of allusions nor whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven can hinder. These are they who rend asunder every veil with the hand of power and might, and who recognize God through God and through that which appeareth from Him. By God! These are servants around whom circle the hosts of the Cause and whom the Spirit of Holiness doth aid at all times.

O servant! Remind the people and fear no one. Rather, place thy trust in the Self of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Then preserve thyself lest the pride of the turbans of every hateful ass cause thee to waver. Say: O people! Adorn your heads with the turbans of truthfulness and justice, not with that which is borne upon the backs of camels. Fear God and cast not the words of God behind your backs, and be not of the wrongdoers. Soon shall those who deny […]

In the name of God and His sovereignty, then His grandeur and His proof! They mention Him with their tongues and count themselves among those who remember. Then the angels of the divine Command strike their remembrances upon their heads and say: “Woe unto you, O company of polytheists! Do you fabricate lies against God and dispute with His Self and wage war against His Essence while you recite what was revealed from His presence? By God, you are in manifest loss!” Soon these people will adorn their heads with green and white turbans and thereby pride themselves among men and be among those who rejoice - just as you have seen among the people of the Qur’an, how by claiming connection to one of Our names they wore green turbans, then denied Him Who created that name. Thus observe their condition and their lack of understanding, that you may be among those who know. Say: O people! Adorn your heads with truthfulness and justice, then your temples with the robes of recognition. Beware lest you change God’s adornment among yourselves or be among those who say what they do not do and who are among the proud ones. Just as you have witnessed in these days that he who turned away from God and was proud against His verses forbids people from eating onions and drinking tobacco. Say: Be fair, O servant! Are these two acts greater in God’s sight than your turning away from God Who created you by His word? Be fair then, O people of understanding! Say: O people! Do you slay the Manifestation of God’s Self, then ask about the blood of a mosquito? Woe unto you, O heedless ones! By God, O people, Mine eyes weep and the eyes of Ali in the most exalted Companion, and My heart and Muhammad’s heart cry out in the most glorious pavilion, and My soul and the souls of the Messengers call out at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary - if you be of those who perceive. And My grief is not for Myself, but for Him Who will come upon clouds of Command with clear and manifest sovereignty. For these people will not be content with His appearance and will deny His verses and reject His authority and wage war against His Self and practice deception in His Cause, just as they did with this Self in these days, as you have witnessed. Say: O people! Fear God and let not the world delude you with its vanities. Fear God and be among the God-fearing. O people! This is the Beauty of Ali among you - if you will not believe in Him, do not fabricate lies against Him nor cause hatred to enter the hearts of His servants, nor refute truth with what you possess, nor be among the polytheists. O Nabil! We have made you a fragrance from the fragrances of the Command, that people might find through you the sweet scents of this Shirt which was reddened by the blood of hatred and suspended between the heavens and earth. O Muhammad! Arise to uphold God’s Cause and His religion and His laws and His ways. Then assist it with whatever you are able, that perchance the hands of harm may be kept from the hem of an upright Faith. For these people have changed God’s Cause within themselves and His favor upon their own selves, and have distorted God’s words from their proper places - thus were they among the doers and among those who turned away. Whosoever said that this Youth desired to abrogate the laws of the Bayan sought to cast doubt in the hearts of the rebellious ones. Say: Those endowed with iron sight will not be prevented by signs of limitation, but will enter the seat of divine unity in less than a moment. And he who has drunk the pure water of holiness from the cup of eternity from the most glorious Youth will never turn to […]

Purify thy tongue from the mention of anyone besides Me, then remind the people that thy melodies may attract them to the holy and luminous direction. Then bear witness within thyself that there is no God but Him, and that Ali is the Manifestation of His Self amongst all the worlds, and that His Glory is for His revelation and concealment, and His might and grandeur among all created things. Through Him God distinguisheth between truth and falsehood, between the fortunate and the unfortunate, and the unitarians become distinguished from the polytheists. Today no one’s call will be raised to God except through My love. Thus hath the command been sent down from the presence of One mighty and powerful. And if thou findest thyself alone in My Cause, be not disturbed, but remain steadfast, for by this will God’s Cause be established, if thou be of those endowed with luminous vision. For My loved ones are the pearls of the Cause and all others are but pebbles of the earth, and the pebbles must needs be more numerous than the precious pearls. One of these is better in the sight of God than a thousand thousand souls besides them, even as a piece of ruby is better than a thousand mountains of solid stone. Thus observe thou the Cause and the distinction between these and those, that thou mayest be of those possessed of certitude.

And if thou meetest Radi’r-Ruh, remind him of what hath befallen the Youth, then cast upon his countenance the spirit from Us. Thus hast thou been commanded from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Say: O Rida, dost thou laugh within thyself while the eyes of eternity weep by reason of what hath befallen Him from the harm of satans? Dost thou recline upon seats of ease while [the body of the Self of God] was troubled by the sting of the serpent in all days, nay, in every moment? O Rida! Arise to serve the Cause, then assist thy Lord, and tarry not for less than a moment, for thou art the Most Great Name in the preserved tablets of holiness. Then gather the people in the love of God and His Cause, then recite unto them what hath been sent down at this hour from the heaven of thy Lord, the Powerful, the Wise. Hast thou forgotten when thou didst enter the Garden of Paradise and wert present before the Throne, and there was revealed unto thee from the Divine Lote-Tree from behind a thousand veils: “Verily I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Powerful.” Then wert thou set ablaze by the beauty of the Chosen One revealed unto thee in the flame of fire, that the servants might be set ablaze thereby and the warmth of thy Lord’s love might be established in the hearts of them that know. O Rida! By God, the Pen weepeth at My tribulation and My poverty, then at My loneliness and exile, and at how the fire of rejection hath been kindled in the hearts of them that turned away. Take thou the reins of the Cause lest Satan’s fingers meddle with it and prevent the people from drawing nigh unto thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Open thine eyes and behold what hath been sent down from thy Lord that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause in such wise that none in the heavens and earth may cause thee to waver. Say: My manifestation is My sovereignty, My proof is My Self, My evidence is My beauty, My hosts are My trust in God, My party is My power, and My testimony is My rising up before all the worlds in days wherein nations and governments and their armies rose up against Me, as ye have heard and were among them that heard. O servant! Aid thou this Wronged One Who hath been opposed by one whom He taught the verses of his Lord, that he might assist the Cause and be among them that render aid. But when the breezes of assurance wafted and he found peace within himself, he rose up against God Who had created him by His word, until he pronounced judgment against Him and was among them that judge. But God protected His servant with the hosts of the seen and unseen, and aided him with truth, for He is the best of helpers and supporters. Then remind My loved ones there and cast upon their faces what God cast upon thy face, that they may thank their Lord and be among the thankful ones, and stand firm in the Cause when Satan entereth among them with manifest hatred. O Radi’r-Ruh! Hearken unto the word of thy Lord and be not among them that hesitate. First, set not thy foot in any place wherein thou findest rancor against the Youth. Beware lest thou approach it, and remain in noble detachment. And when tablets and letters appear before thee against God and His sovereignty, then trust in God thy Lord and say: “In the Name of God, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy, the Mighty, the Wise.” Then take, by God’s power, sheets of paper and write whatsoever God inspireth thee through His sovereignty in refutation of whoso hath rejected God, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Powerful. Beware lest vain imaginings take hold of thee; [consume] their veils and be not among them that imagine. And in the moment thou takest up the paper, by God the Most Great Spirit will strengthen thee and […]

The Holy Spirit speaks in thy breast, and the Spirit of Baha uttereth through thy tongue. Thus be thou assured of thy Lord’s power and be of them that are certain. We have ordained in this Tablet for most of the loved ones that they write tablets proving this Cause and send them to all lands, that perchance thereby none shall be veiled from attaining the presence of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. O servant! Act according to that which thou art bidden, delay not in executing thy Lord’s command, and be of them that act. Cast behind thee the world and all that is in it and upon it, then make thyself a bulwark of the Cause amidst these corrupters, lest they transgress their bounds and be of the transgressors.

And thou, O Muhammad, when thou arrivest in the land of Iraq and attainest the presence of the Interlocutor (Kalim), show him the garment of the Youth [and what] befell Him from His brother, that he may learn what hath come upon the Sovereign of Eternity from him whose name was exalted by His command. Thus hath it been sent down in truth from the heaven of an ancient Name.

O Kalim! Arise to champion the Cause, then assist thy Lord and be of them that render aid. And should Satan enter upon thee to cause thee to slip from thy Lord’s path, then seek refuge in God and remain under His impregnable protection. And if the tablets of delusion from him who hath waxed proud against God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, be brought before thee, cast them upon the dust, then take up the pen by My command, the Mighty, the Dominant, the All-Knowing. Then deliver unto him thy Lord’s command with kindly counsels, that perchance he may remember within himself and not wax proud before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. By God, O Kalim! That which floweth from their pens befitteth their station - they speak as children and thereby oppose the Beauty of the All-Merciful. Behold then these heedless ones! They have reached such a state of heedlessness that they seek to prove their cause through My verses, then turn away from My beauty. What aileth these people that they can scarce comprehend a single utterance from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing? Thus have their hearts been covered by the veil of self and desire, and lusts have seized them from every side, and they are as them that are dead. Leave their mention and what they possess, then shun them, then seek for thyself a safe retreat in the shadow of thy Lord’s protection and be of them that are at peace. And in all matters place thy trust in God, thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O Nabil! Go thou forth with the Book of God and His robe of grandeur that through them the sweet fragrances of holiness may be diffused among all the worlds, that perchance hearts may be purified from the defilement of fancy and desire and return to the habitation of them that are nigh. Open thy tongue in utterance, then mention what thou hast seen and witnessed of thy Lord’s Cause, that thereby the eyes of them that are veiled may be opened. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who, when the verses of their Lord are recited unto them, fall down upon their faces in prostration before God, the Lord of all things and the Lord of all worlds. And praise be to this Lord, for He is the Beloved of them that know.

The words and phrases contained within brackets in the above text in the […] manuscript

[Note: This appears to be a fragmentary editorial note in Persian referring to bracketed text in some other document. Without the full context and the text being referenced, a complete translation is not possible.]

=== END BH00227 ===

=== START BH00228 ===

He is God - exalted be His glory, His grandeur and His might!

Praise be to God Who has caused the Pen to be subdued and has manifested through it such utterances as none can know save him whom God has assisted through His command. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Choosing. And blessings and peace be upon His Prophets and His Messengers and His chosen ones, and upon Him Whom He has adorned with the ornament of His names and attributes and made the Seal of His Prophets, and upon His family and companions who held fast to His Covenant and His Testament.

And then - may my spirit be a sacrifice for your mention - your numerous letters illumined the eyes and confirmed the power of utterance. Praise be to God for what He has bestowed upon us from the table of love and affection. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings and the Guide unto the right path. However, after reading and reviewing them, boundless sorrow was produced, for they indicated your sorrow and likewise that of other friends.

As regards moving from that land, one day before mentioning certain reports, They said that the friends in that land must conduct themselves with perfect unity, harmony and wisdom, otherwise sedition would arise among them, and this is not pleasing before God. Continually this word was heard that They say the horizons shall be illumined with the light of unity. After the arrival of the honored master, his eminence the Nazir, upon him be God’s peace, inquiry was made about the condition of the friends in that land. Some were mentioned who, if permission were given, had intended to depart. After this matter was presented before Him, They said if with wisdom, that is if one or two souls would turn towards Iraq or Iran, this would be acceptable before the Wronged One. Later, unpleasing news arrived, including that sons were in no way obedient to fathers, and it was heard that the son of his eminence Aqa Mirza Abdullah had shown disrespect to him. This matter caused grief to this servant, but after his arrival in this land, this servant imparted certain words to him. In truth he expressed remorse and sought forgiveness and pardon. This servant became very pleased with him, for he accepted with complete willingness and love what was expressed. It was as if his inner tongue spoke these words: “I stand ready to make amends for the rest of my life.” God willing, they will not forget the petitions of the servant and will keep them in mind. Later news spread of differences arising between the friends in this land. After these matters were presented before Him, They said: “O servant in attendance! The people of that land are very prejudiced and have no knowledge of this community. Perhaps they imagine the friends of Truth are also like other foreigners, engaged in unseemly words and cursing and reviling prominent persons. They consider all foreigners to be heretics. Given this fact and their lack of knowledge about the condition of the friends, if they become aware of matters that have caused differences between them, they will surely manifest hatred and animosity and become the cause of sedition. In this case, the friends’ remaining in that land is not advisable.” Indeed if the honored ones of that land would hold fast to wisdom, unity and harmony, it would cause the exaltation of the Word and all would become aware that these souls were not and are not like the aforementioned foreigners. They walk in the traces of the light of justice and gaze toward the horizon of grace. Your honor was not mentioned at all in this matter and no word was heard from the blessed tongue except the expression of favor and kindness. To this testifies He with Whom is the Mother Book. And in one instance They spoke certain words which this servant wrote down exactly and sent previously. And truly all these matters were and are united in meaning, and They uttered these statements with perfect kindness. The son of his eminence the honored master Aqa Mirza Abdullah, upon him be God’s peace and favor, himself is aware of the manifestation of kindness, compassion and grace. The statement of the Desired One is clear and evident, for anyone with a sense of smell can perceive its fragrance. From the first day of arrival in the Most Great Prison until this time, this evanescent one has heard from the Pen and tongue of the Desired One […]

May the souls of all else be sacrificed for Him! Naught hath been heard from that personage but kindness, compassion and generosity. Every fair-minded one beareth witness and every wayfarer testifieth and is aware, and beyond all these, all the Tablets stand as witness and testimony to this statement. Now we beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to set aright the affairs of that land, that the light of unity may shine forth among all. God willing, may all be adorned with goodly deeds and words that conduce to the refinement of heedless souls. Parents must strive diligently for the religion of their children and its strengthening, for any child who departeth from the divine religion will surely not act in accordance with the good-pleasure of his parents and of God, glorified be His majesty. All goodly deeds become manifest and evident through the light of faith, and in the absence of this supreme gift, one will neither shun any evil nor be attracted to any good. The servant, in his tongue of powerlessness and poverty, beseecheth God to assist His loved ones and make them dawning-places of goodly deeds and daysprings of that which hath been revealed in His Book of goodness and gracious utterance.

In brief, this evanescent one’s petition is that loving-kindness hath been and continueth to be shown to the friends of that land. At this moment, which is the time of the arrival of the post, this servant was engaged in writing to the spiritual beloved, Aqa Muhammad Mu??afa, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. The bearer of your letter arrived, which you had sent to him, and he had expressed much sorrow concerning the news mentioned therein. In truth, he is right. After his letter was presented, it was stated: “That which We intended concerning Jinab-i-Zayn hath not yet been uttered. Let him be assured of God’s grace, loving-kindness, compassion and mercy. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to grant him the good of this world and the next. Should this Wronged One intend aught concerning him, He will surely convey it to him directly.”

Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the friends of that land. We ask for them all that which befitteth their station. If at times deeds have appeared from them that were unworthy of them and the Cause, yet many afflictions have also befallen them in God’s path, of which none but God is aware. We beseech God to assist them all in that which conduceth to the exaltation and elevation of the Cause and their stations. Convey greetings also to the handmaidens of that land and gladden them with the remembrance of the Wronged One.

Mention was made of all those whom you had named, and all were blessed with wondrous and glorious remembrance. Mention was made of the son of Marfu’ ’Ali Nur, upon him be God’s loving-kindness. It was presented before His presence, and He said: “We have beseeched God, exalted be He, and We beseech Him, again and again, to forgive His loved ones who were imprisoned in the Land of ?a, to purify them from all that is unworthy of them, to grant them the good of this world and the next, and to ordain for them that which befitteth His generosity and bounty. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We make mention of him and his brother who was named Zayn al-’Abidin, and We counsel him to perform pure deeds and to act in accordance with that which God hath revealed in the Book.”

As for what you wrote concerning His Holiness the Name of God J.M., upon him be from every Glory its Most Glorious, his own letter arrived. One response was sent, bearing glad-tidings of renewed loving-kindness, bounty and grace. Now another letter from him hath arrived, but there is no opportunity to reply. God willing, there is hope it may be presented later.

Regarding the mention of the distribution of funds that was made, they adorned it with acceptance. God willing, they have attained and will attain both material and spiritual wealth.

And concerning what was written about the relatives of Jinab-i-Safi, upon him be the grace and mercy of God, it was submitted. They said his mention has been before the Wronged One and God willing, special Tablets will be sent to them. Let the guest be joyful. We beseech God to assist them and assist all His loved ones to remain steadfast in His love. Verily He is powerful over all things.

The mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Baqir, upon him be Baha’u’llah, from the people of Nur was made and submitted before His presence. They said: Praise be to God, he is adorned with the ornament of bounty and speaks in remembrance of the Peerless Friend. We beseech God to ordain for him that which will make him attracted, enkindled, steadfast and eloquent in wisdom and utterance. That which has issued from the tongue of the Divine Purpose concerning him will become manifest and evident. The servant conveys greetings to him.

The mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad, upon him be the peace of God, from the people of Hamadan was made. After submission They said: Travel to this land is not permitted in these days. Let him occupy himself with his trade, be engaged in the mention of God, exalted be His glory, arise in His service and act with goodness. The weakness of the servants and their heedlessness has caused the deprivation of the friends. However, we beseech God to ordain abundant good for them in compensation for this deprivation. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

The petition of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abdul-Wahhab attained the hearing of the Beloved. They said: God willing, may he remain firm and steadfast in what he has submitted. Blessed is his father whom neither the derision of enemies nor the oppression of the wicked prevented. He adorned his temple with the ornament of servitude to God, the True One, and held fast to goodness in all conditions. May this Wahhab too, God willing, be assisted like that Wahhab to perform good deeds and utter befitting words.

And the mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Abul-Qasim from the people of Najafabad attained the honor of hearing. They said: O Zayn, it behooveth thee to beseech God to assist His servants to discharge His rights. The world is transient, its life is brief. In this case, whoever is assisted to discharge what is obligatory upon him is assuredly nearer to righteousness. O Zayn, verily We have mentioned him, given him glad tidings and commanded him to that which was revealed in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. It is incumbent upon all to act according to what hath been revealed in the Book of God, exalted be His glory. Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to him and likewise to the friends of that land, namely the land of Nun and Jim. God willing, may all attain to that which is beloved in the presence of God.

The mention of the honored beloved, Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be Baha’u’llah, was made and submitted. They said: Convey Our greetings to him and We beseech God to assist him in that which is good for him. Praise be to God, he attained the presence and was successful. It behooveth him to thank God in the nights and days.

His honor Aqa Muhammad-Javad and Aqa Muhammad-Sadiq of Nur - mention of them has attained the honor of being heard, and expressions of special favor for both have shone forth from the horizon of loving-kindness. Praise be to God, they have attained that which has no limit to its excellence. They have been assisted in their turning, acceptance, recognition and steadfastness. This evanescent servant beseeches God - exalted be His glory - to assist them and grant them success. Mention of His Holiness the Most Truthful Name of God - upon him be all the most glorious Glory - flowed from the blessed tongue. Happy is he! And peace be upon you and the mercy of God.

What needed to be submitted is this: Mirza Husayn Beg the liar, who claimed love and acceptance while squandering the property of several of the friends - that deceitful usurper wrote various things to the Holy Threshold, while the sincere friends unwittingly consider every treacherous liar to be trustworthy and count them among the people of faith. In any case, that liar met his due. Now the friends should be vigilant and not consider every liar to be truthful. In place of that unmerciful one, another person has arrived who is among those who for years served in the embassy at the Threshold. Although outwardly this evanescent one is unaware of his condition, in any case he has been and is investigating to find something with which to attack the oppressed ones. The friends of God must not be heedless nor be content with mere declarations of faith. They should completely conceal all religious matters in these parts, as its harm would return to the Tree. Mention and utterance are not permitted in these regions. Repeatedly this word was heard from the blessed tongue. They should not again be heedless nor count outsiders among the insiders. It is strange that even His Holiness the Name of God, Jamal, thought he was among the faithful. In truth, knowledge is not with anyone - it is all with God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

O beloved of my heart! If the friends of God had acted upon the loving counsels of the Desired One, perfect order would have become manifest in all affairs, the carpet of joy and delight would have been spread, and all would have fixed their gaze upon the word “Blessed is he who knows his station and rank” and would have vied with one another in humility and submissiveness. Man is like steel whose essence is hidden - through mention, utterance, counsel and education its essence becomes manifest and evident, but if left to itself, the rust of lustful desires and passions will destroy it. In all stations, utterances have appeared which are the cause of preservation, salvation and success. We beseech God - exalted be His glory - to assist His loved ones in that which He has commanded. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The other letter from His Holiness dated the 17th of Jamadi’l-Avval brought joy to the heart and bestowed boundless delight. Regarding what they wrote expressing amazement - according to the Command, His Holiness should await specific orders in all matters, meaning commands that specifically issue from the Pen. Otherwise there is much talk in the world, most of which neither nourishes nor satisfies.

And regarding what they wrote about the book of his honor Aqa Shah-Virdi - upon him be the Glory of God - it was submitted. He said: “Well done, O Zayn! By My life, thy sorrow hath grieved Me. We beseech God to change it into great joy.” End.

Concerning Jinab-i-Mulla Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, it was recorded that some of his tablets were sent from the direction of the Land of ?a. God willing, may he be joyful, for at the time of departure, out of wisdom his trust was not given to him, and thus he turned toward those parts with complete displeasure. I beseech and implore God to bestow His grace and favor him with that which is befitting, and transform his sorrow into joy.

As for Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Ibrahim, it is advisable for him to engage in some occupation in whatever land he may reside. In these days, coming to this land is in no way permitted. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to adorn him with His good-pleasure. The command is in His hands, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

Regarding the marriage of the spiritual friend Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ?abibu’llah, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory and favors, what was written is excellent in what has been done. God willing, it is blessed. As commanded, extend congratulations and convey greetings from this servant.

As for what was mentioned concerning Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Hasan, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory and favors, what your honor mentioned was submitted. He said: “O Hasan, upon thee be My peace. In all cases, stillness takes precedence over movement, though at times circumstances may indicate otherwise, meaning circumstances may cause movement to be preferred. The explicit command to depart has not been outwardly pronounced. For any soul to remain with joy and fragrance is acceptable, or to depart with joy and fragrance is likewise acceptable. Praise be to God, you have been and are blessed with God’s grace. Convey greetings to all your relatives from the Wronged One. God willing, may you be confirmed in remembrance and praise, and in deeds and words that cause the elevation of your station.” End quote. The details of matters concerning staying or departing were mentioned. In truth, the friends in that land should consult in all matters and act upon whatever your honor accepts. I beseech God to adorn the people of that land with such an adorning that none will have cause for dispute. He is powerful and mighty over all things.

Regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa ‘Ali-Akbar, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, from the people of K, and likewise the mention of Jinab-i-Mirza Badi’, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, it was submitted. He said: “O Zayn, We have heard the mention of Badi’ and have witnessed his acceptance. We send him greetings from this station and remember him with beautiful remembrance, and We beseech the Most High to grant him success and ordain for him the best of what hath been sent down in His perspicuous Book. And We remember ’Ali-Akbar who attained and visited the House and held fast to the strong cord of God. However, coming to this land is not permitted.” End quote.

Likewise mention was made of Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali of Khurramabad. Praise be to God, he has been favored with the mention of the Beloved, but meeting is not permitted, for most souls are observed to be covered with the dust of rancor and hatred. Beseech God to assist all and grant them a cup from the Kawthar of sanctification. The veils of self have prevented eyes from beholding the light of truth. They cling to vain imaginings and hold fast to idle fancies. They have attributed to a station, which was naught but the mention of God, that which causes one to feel ashamed to mention. In any case, some time ago, tablets were specifically designated in reply to the people of B.r and its surroundings, and likewise specifically for the friends of that region, but until now they have not been sent, and afterward the command is in His hands.

As to what you wrote concerning certain matters which, as this servant regards them as contrary to the laws of the divine law, some have complained about their abandonment - they stated: “O Zein! God, exalted be His glory, has in His glorious Book commanded the people to observe what is right and forbidden what is wrong, and has revealed such commandments and ordinances as will enable humanity to attain the most exalted summit and the highest horizon. Therefore, you must look to the Book of God and act according to it. The acceptance or rejection of the people of the earth is as nothing and is not and has never been worthy of attention. Blessed are you, and happy are you! The Wronged One beareth witness to thy devotion and thy deeds in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. In obeying the commandments revealed in the Book of God, even if the whole world were to oppose you, no harm would come to you. Rejoice in what the Wronged One hath uttered, and be of those who give thanks.”

Finally, this ephemeral one conveys greetings and praise to the friends and loved ones in that land. I hope that all may be adorned with that which beseemeth them. Verily, the servant concludeth his words with the remembrance of God, saying: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.”

The servant

20 Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1301

=== END BH00228 ===

=== START BH00229 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise sanctified above the mention of the people of creation and the Kingdom of Names befitteth the most holy and exalted court of the Desired One, Who, in the midst of tribulation and adversity, hath caused the Most Exalted Pen to move, raised the call, directed His will, and caused the tongue of grandeur to speak in the kingdom of utterance. Exalted is His majesty, sublime His sovereignty, resplendent His signs, manifest His evidences, all-encompassing His traces, and brilliant His lights! Blessed is he who hath detached himself from the world, clinging to the Most Great Name, whereby the peoples have lamented, save whom God, the Lord of eternity, hath willed. Woe unto those who have been heedless, turned away and objected, until they arose to waste the Cause and said as Pharaoh said: “I am your Lord, the Most High!”

Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things! I beseech Thee by Thy Manifestation, Thy appearance, Thy might and Thy power, to make known unto those who have gone astray and led Thy servants astray, and to ordain for them that which will guide them to the shore of the ocean of Thy utterance, lest they transgress their bounds, stations and conditions. O my Lord! Thou knowest what is within their souls. If Thou willest, purify them from the defilement of their words and that which their tongues have uttered. O my God and my Master! Thou seest their heedlessness, their turning away and their objections, and hearest what they speak according to their desires. Their words have prevented them from turning to Thee, and their deeds from directing themselves to the lights of Thy countenance. O Lord! Aid them to return unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Mighty, the Generous. O Lord! These are days wherein the ocean of Thy bounty hath surged and the fragrance of Thy grace hath wafted. I beseech Thee to write down for Thy Afnan, from Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which beseemeth Thy generosity and Thy favors. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent.

May my spirit be a sacrifice for your service and for your steadfastness! Two of your letters, the first dated the 29th of Rabi’u’th-Thani and the second the 19th of Jamadi’l-Avval, illumined the world of separation and remoteness with the light of reunion, for a letter is like a mirror reflecting its sender, especially when adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the world - it is the dawning-place of life for humanity. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to bestow and grant the blessing of reunion and meeting, for this is a blessing more complete and more excellent than the blessings of the world and the heavenly food sent down. All divine Books have given glad tidings of this station. Blessed are they who attain! This station can be achieved both in presence and absence, for grace is all-encompassing and mercy is pre-existent. How many were the servants who attained the presence of the Face, yet the Most Exalted Pen neither confirmed nor approved; and how many who outwardly did not attain, yet the Most Exalted Pen testified to their orientation, turning, presence, attentiveness, meeting and reunion. Exalted is His bounty and great are His favors! And some have attained both - this is from a grace that nothing in the world can equal, as hath been witnessed by the Lord of Eternity and the Master of all nations. After reading your letter and learning of its contents, approach was made to the Most Exalted Summit, and after attaining the presence and receiving complete permission, all was presented before the Throne. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, blessed and exalted be His Word:

He is the Hearer, the Answerer[…]

O thou who hast turned thy face towards My horizon, who art mentioned in My court and inscribed in My Book by the Pen of My will, and who dost soar in the atmosphere of My love! Hearken unto My call and My testimony that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever existed, sanctified above whatsoever the tongues of all created things have spoken, and exalted beyond all that hath been uttered by contingent beings. He is the One Whom the happenings of days have not hindered, nor hath He been veiled by the allusions of men. He hath come with the hosts of divine revelation and inspiration, and hath manifested that which lay hidden in the treasuries of His knowledge and stored in the repositories of His might. Thereupon the servants and dwellers of the lands rose up in rejection and protest, to such extent that they denied the Books of God and His Scriptures and whatsoever was revealed aforetime unto His Prophets and Messengers. Say: O people of the earth! Be fair in the name of God - if ye deny this Most Great Cause and this Mighty Announcement, by what proof can ye establish that which ye possess? Would ye deny Him through Whom the standard of Divine Unity hath been raised in the heart of the world and the banner of His remembrance amidst all nations? Fear ye God and be not of the ignorant ones.

Peace be upon thee, together with My Baha and My loving-kindness! Most momentous is the Cause, yet how heedless are the servants. From time immemorial hath the Supreme Pen revealed the greatness of this Cause. This is that which had been hidden from eternity, which the Prophets and Messengers alluded to both explicitly and implicitly, ever beseeching and yearning for His presence from the True One. Blessed are they who have recognized this blessed Day and partaken of its outpourings, which are the recognition of the Dayspring of Revelation and the Source of His verses.

Glory be to God! All the diverse peoples are engaged in the remembrance of the Truth and are expectant of His appearance, yet they remain veiled and heedless, save whom God willeth. Convey My greetings to the friends of God. Say: Today the fragrance of the robe of the All-Merciful is diffused, while the foul odor from the hearts of the idolaters is spread abroad. Hold ye fast to the cord of the Most Great Steadfastness and cling to the hem of grace. Should wisdom permit, summon the heedless souls to the Straight Path. Blessed is he who ariseth to serve the Cause and protecteth the weak from the craft and guile of the wicked.

We beseech God to aid His loved ones to such steadfastness that they may regard the world and all that is therein as non-existent, beholding themselves detached and free. Were God, exalted be His glory, to unveil even less than a mustard seed of that which He hath concealed, all would detach themselves from whatsoever they possess and would hold fast unto that which is with God. This is the Day whereon all that lay hidden in hearts shall be made manifest. Remember what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: “O my son! verily if there be the weight of a mustard-seed, and it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth.” This is the station of justice which God, exalted be His glory, hath mentioned. Say: O friends! Strive that ye may attain unto that which exhaleth the fragrance of immortality. Today man can attain unto an everlasting sovereignty, and likewise eternal loss. The Command is in God’s hands. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Glory be to God! This evanescent servant standeth bewildered and astonished, for that distinguished personage and others are well aware that in the days of tribulation, when the darkness of tyranny had encompassed all lands, this servant was occupied day and night in exalting the Word and raising up the Cause of God, to such extent that, by God besides Whom there is none other God, this servant found no time for sleep or sustenance. From nightfall the Tongue of Grandeur would speak, and this servant would be engaged in transcription in His presence. The heavenly food would descend in such measure that on some nights the dawn would break ere He commanded food to be brought. Likewise, on certain days and nights the Tongue of Grandeur would speak continuously for the guidance of the servants, until some light appeared in various regions and in every land a few souls were quickened by a wondrous new life in the name of God, glorified be He. Thereafter, cawing arose from every direction and braying was heard from every land. Such is the condition of the heedless and ignorant people, moved by every wind and clinging to every rope.

In all circumstances, I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that should they be capable of return, He may bestow His favor upon them and not deprive them of the ocean of His bounty in these days. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Ignorance bringeth man to such a pass that he becometh in no wise worthy of divine favors.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou Who art the Goal of all existence! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy knowledge and the heaven of Thy Cause to protect me from such disobedience as would cut off my hope and deprive me of the fragrances of Thy verses and Thy clear proofs. O Lord! I beseech Thee to have mercy upon this helpless servant whose right hand is raised toward the heaven of Thy mercy and whose other hand clings to the hem of Thy bounty and forgiveness. Make known to Thy servants who have been heedless of Thy remembrance and praise and the recognition of the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy verses, and who have arisen to lead astray Thy loved ones who have set their faces toward their Ultimate Goal and their Supreme End. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Self and by them who circle round Thy throne to assist them with the hosts of the unseen and the visible. Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Most Exalted, the Ordainer, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Mention had been made of his honor Afshar, upon him be the Glory of God, and his relatives, upon them be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, each one hath been blessed by divine favors and wondrous, sublime Tablets were specifically revealed and sent to them. God willing, may they drink from the hidden oceans of inner meanings and attain unto the fragrances of the verses. They sent a letter to this servant which was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and whatsoever was revealed from the heaven of favor specifically for them, this servant recorded in reply and sent forth. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to make them and their kindred steadfast in His Cause and firm in its service. Verily, He hath power over all things. According to His command, they should peruse the Tablets that were sent and this servant’s letters which are adorned with wondrous and sublime verses, and deliver them.

As for the mention they made of his honor Haji Ali and his honor Aqa Muhammad-Rida and his honor Haji Muhammad, upon them be the Glory of God and His favors, they were mentioned in His presence and each one was blessed with the effulgent lights of the Sun of favor. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to make His loved ones dawning-places of the suns of steadfastness and to aid them in that which will exalt His Cause.

And as for the mention of his honor Aqa Mulla Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and a Tablet of prayer was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the favor of the Best-Beloved of all existence and was sent forth. This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings and praise to him and submitteth that this is a Day whose greatness is as evident as the sun. For ages and centuries certain people have nurtured others in doubts and idle fancies, and the wine of heedlessness so overtook them that even after the appearance and exaltation of the Word and the dawning of verses and the manifestation of clear proofs, they did not come to their senses and remained utterly remote and deprived from the Dawning-Place of certitude. Now his honor who was mentioned must arise to serve the Cause through God’s favor and lead the heedless people from the desert of ignorance to the ocean of awareness and from the north of error to the right hand of guidance. In all cases, effort must be made lest the idols of vain imaginings appear again. The servant beseecheth his Lord to aid his honor to remember and praise Him and serve His Cause, and to ordain for him through His Most Exalted Pen the best of this world and the next. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Regarding your mention of Aqa Muhammad-’Ali from [location] and his intention to pay the Huquq several months ago, this servant also wrote about this matter and it was presented at the Most Holy Court. No response emerged from the Source of the Cause until these days when this supreme word shone forth from the Lord of Names - He says, exalted be His glory: “O servant in attendance, write to the Afnan, upon him be Baha, if the mentioned person has truly intended to pay the divine Huquq, let it be delivered to the mentioned souls. And likewise they had sought permission to turn towards the Most Holy Court - the sun of permission has risen. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to protect the friends from the evil of the opposers, deniers and deceivers.” The distribution details were also sent - if received, your honor should deliver them. This servant sent the reply to their letter - God willing it will arrive. The beloved of hearts, Haji [name], upon him be the Most Glorious Baha, had requested several Tablets for the people of [location] and nearby village and had written repeatedly. In these days wondrous and exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will and were sent to be delivered to Aqa Muhammad-’Ali or in whatever other way your honor deems appropriate.

Regarding ’Ishqabad and the attention of Ustad ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, to that direction which you wrote about - Ustad himself has written and sent the details of affairs, and a response regarding this matter was revealed from the Source of Will and was sent. They approved your honor’s action and it was adorned with acceptance. For a place that becomes a center for cities and villages belonging to the Russian state, acquiring lands and building there is very good. However, mentioning this to the governor is not permitted in these days. By command, silence is preferable for some time. Let Ustad be occupied with his work. If means become available and mention is appropriately made, then speaking a word would be harmless. God, exalted be His glory, is aware and vigilant - whatever He wills, its means will appear more readily than [in the blink of] an eye. All friends must observe wisdom. This command has been repeatedly revealed in divine Tablets, even to the point of prohibiting declaration and acknowledgment. Indeed the Cause is in His hands - He does what He wills and ordains what He desires. None may say “why” or “wherefore.” A hundred thousand blessings upon the soul that gazes solely toward the horizon of God’s Cause and acts according to what is commanded. Such a one is among the people of unity, the companions of detachment, and possesses a tranquil soul. Upon them be the glory of God and the glory of those in the kingdom of Command and Creation.

Concerning what was written about the spiritual beloved, Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, and his attention to securing the release of the friends, upon them be the Glory and Favor of God - after this matter was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence of the Kingdom of Utterance, these sublime words were spoken, mighty and glorious is His utterance: “Blessed is A. and H., upon him be My Glory, for he has been and continues to be concerned with securing the release of the friends of God. It behooveth him to be thus. We have chosen him and selected him for the service of My firm and mighty Cause. However, silence is preferable for a time.” End quote.

This servant submits that the promise and offering of worldly riches to secure the release of the prisoners is not permitted in these days. On two occasions this evanescent servant heard two statements from the Tongue of Grandeur. One day He said: “O servant in attendance! The people of God must today remember this blessed verse which was previously revealed to the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake.” His exalted Word: “Our Lord! Pour forth upon us patience, make firm our steps, and help us against the unbelieving people.” From this blessed word it is understood that patience is acceptable and beloved before the Throne. Likewise, one day He said: “Verily the oppressor seeks victory over Us through cannons, rifles and armies, while We seek victory over him through the Strong, the Triumphant, the Powerful, the Mighty.” After these two passages, it was repeatedly revealed in Tablets: “He knoweth what He intended by that which was uttered by His mighty Tongue.”

Regarding what was written about the cawing of the crows, this is what the Supreme Pen foretold when it moved in the arena of utterance in Baghdad. Glory be to God! Souls who are entirely heedless of and uninformed about the Cause have said that which no idolater has ever said. May God protect us and your honor from the evil of these people. For long periods they have been occupied with collecting verses, tablets and wondrous, exalted books, and their intention is known and evident. Therefore it is not permitted henceforth to give divine writings to such souls.

In these days this servant has written several pages on certain matters, and since they contain divine verses and visitation tablets that have been revealed specifically for the martyrs in these days, they are being sent. Your honor should review them and then send them to Mirza ’A.L., upon him be the Glory of God. There is and was no harm if they are presented in person to the idolaters, but giving them copies is absolutely forbidden, for they are occupied with perverting the divine verses. How small is their worth and station, yet how grandiose their words! Do they not see the sun and observe the waves of the ocean? If they deny this Call, this Cry, this Most Great News, to what cord will they cling and by what proof will they argue? From the pages that were written and sent to your honor, his station is known and his intention evident. Since this evanescent servant has seen those pages, he deemed it necessary to mention for the sake of God that which the dawning-places of fairness and manifestations of justice will observe, that they may protect the divine sheep from the wolves of the earth.

Furthermore, it is the plea and submission of this evanescent servant that greetings and salutations be conveyed to the honored Afnan of the Sacred Tree, upon them be from all Glory its Most Glorious. This is a kindness from your honor towards this evanescent one. May the Glory that is manifest, evident and shining from the horizon of the favor of our Lord and your Lord be upon your honor and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

15th of the month of Sha’ban the Great, 1301

The Tablets for Behrabad and its surroundings have, in response to the request of the honored Haji Mirza ?-Y, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, and the spiritual beloved, the honored Haji Mirza Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness, been revealed from the heaven of grace and dispatched, together with this servant’s letter written in response to the honored Aqa Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God. Your honor should peruse these and then send them to Khan Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, and write to inform him that several months ago the honored Haji Mirza ?-Y and the honored Haji Mirza Husayn specifically requested wondrous and sublime Tablets from the heaven of divine favor for the aforementioned souls. For some time no response was forthcoming from the Source of the Cause until they requested again repeatedly. The Tablets were then revealed and dispatched. Now Khan should observe whether those souls have not altered the cup; if not, he should bestow these upon them. Otherwise, their rightful recipients will become manifest. Knowledge rests with God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.

Another matter: When the letter that your honor wrote to this servant was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, a Tablet of prayer specifically for the honored Aqa Mulla Muhammad, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, was revealed from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s Will, and two days later, while this servant was engaged in transcribing verses before His presence, yet another wondrous and sublime Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace specifically for him. He has thus received this bounty twice through His generosity, munificence, and mercy. Your honor should deliver both of these. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is indeed the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Munificent.

=== END BH00229 ===

=== START BH00230 ===

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Remembrance and Utterance!

The Command belongeth unto God Who stayed His Most Exalted Pen for certain known months due to the darkening of the horizon of trustworthiness by that which the hands of creation had wrought. When the time was fulfilled and the appointed hour came, He moved it with the fingers of power that it might course through the realms of remembrance and utterance and race in the field of knowledge and wisdom. Blessed be the All-Merciful Who both restraineth and releaseth; when He restraineth it the Concourse on High lamenteth, and when He releaseth it all who dwell in the kingdoms of eternity are stirred, the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing sway, and the boughs of the trees in the cities of names stretch forth. Verily it is the Horseman of Remembrance Whom neither the cawing of the wicked nor the braying of the evil ones can hinder. He gallops and courses, calling out in the most exalted voice between earth and heaven, for God hath made Him a spirit unto the Concourse on High and a light unto the kingdom of creation. He is indeed the Ornament whereby the world hath been adorned and the fragrance of the garment hath been diffused amongst the peoples. I beseech the Lord of Eternity to acquaint His servants with the excellence of this Day for which no likeness hath been ordained in creation and no peer in invention. I glorify and pray for those who have turned their faces unto God, the Creator of heaven, whose hearts have faced the Most Exalted Horizon, whose tongues have spoken in remembrance of God, the Sovereign of Names, and whose breasts have been dilated by the breezes of this Day which God hath made the Dawning-Place of His Name whereby the back of idols was broken and the pillars of vain imaginings were made to tremble. There is no God but He, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Thereafter, the servant hath attained unto your letter and found therein that which made me joyous, for it was adorned with the remembrance of God and His praise, and embellished with that which beseemeth you in His days. When the fragrance of love seized me from the waftings of your ink, I ascended and appeared before God, the Lord of creation, and presented what was therein. Then the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, glorified be His majesty: “O Lion! We were walking in the House when the servant present before the Throne appeared with thy letter and presented it before the Face. When it was complete We sent down the answer from the heaven of Will and Power that thou mightest be thankful and be of them that attain. My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that thou didst turn, didst hear, wast present, didst recognize, didst see, and didst attain unto the presence of God, and He is the Witness. Behold then remember when We caused thee to hear My call, showed thee My countenance, and made thee witness My beauty, and I am the Beautiful One. Do the affairs of the world grieve thee after thou hast reached the shore of the ocean of joy while I am the Sorrowful One? Thou art he who hath drunk the choice wine of reunion from the hand of thy Lord’s bounty and hast attained unto the most great gladness. Thy Lord is indeed the Great One. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee and granted thee His presence. He is indeed the One promised in the books of old. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing. Be thou a servant unto the Cause of thy Lord. By the life of God, this is better for thee than all that is on earth. Thus doth My Pen teach thee and I am the All-Informed. He hath ordained for thee through His grace that which will gladden thy heart. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful.”

Your words have been heard, and all that flowed from the Pen in praise of the Lord of Names was observed. God willing, ye shall speak forth the mention of Truth with consummate wisdom and utterance in all conditions, and be occupied in His service. Praise be to God, through the wondrous favors of God thou hast attained the Most Holy Court, and the Supreme Pen hath voiced such loving-kindness as shall endure throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Keep it ever before thine eyes and preserve it as thou wouldst thy very life. At this hour service to the Cause is most essential and is the most excellent of all deeds. God willing, thou hast been and shalt continue to be assisted therein. Verily He seeth and heareth, and He is the Manifest Truth.

As to what thou didst write concerning His honor Mirza ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, after his circumstances were presented, the Sun of loving-kindness rose above the horizon of grace. He - exalted be His glory - saith: O ’Ali! Blessed art thou in that thou hast heard the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the flowing of the Water of Life in the Kingdom of Creation. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, for having made me to know Thee and to hear Thy voice, and for honoring me with Thy recognition after most of Thy creatures remained heedless thereof. I beseech Thee, O King of Kings and Ruler of the realms above, to make me attracted to Thy verses, detached from all else but Thee, and celebrating Thy praise amidst Thy servants with that wisdom which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. Verily Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy name, the All-Powerful.

Render thanks unto God that thou hast been mentioned in the Most Great Prison, and thy Lord, the Ancient One, Who proclaimeth with the most exalted Voice, hath made mention of thee, saying: There is none other God but Him, the Speaker, and I am the All-Hearing.

And the names of the friends that were mentioned in thy letter were presented one by one, and He showed loving-kindness toward them all. His word, exalted be His majesty: O Asad! The One, the Single, mentioneth thee with verses from which fountains of wisdom have gushed forth among all creatures, that thou mayest rejoice and thank thy All-Knowing Lord. O ’Ali-Qabli-Naqi! Thou hast been mentioned before the Throne and this is yet another time. Say: O Lord of Names! Praise be unto Thee for having made me to know Thee, honored me and mentioned me. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love in such wise that the allusions of those who have disbelieved in Thee shall not cause me to slip when Thou didst come unto them from the heaven of Command with manifest sovereignty.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto that which the Wronged One calleth unto thee, making mention of thee from this noble station. Give thanks for having drunk from the Kawthar of utterance while most of those on earth turned away therefrom. Say: O my God, the All-Merciful! I beseech Thee to assist me in that which will exalt Thy mention and cause my mention to endure throughout the kingdom of Thy mighty dominion.

O My Name beginning with J! The face of thy Lord hath turned toward thee from this spot which God hath adorned with the ornament of His Most Great Name, whereby the nations were shaken except such as thy Lord, the Almighty, willed. Be thou firm, then steadfast, in such wise that every weak one may gain strength thereby, every remote one draw nigh, every sorrowful one be gladdened, and every doubtful soul attain certitude. We have mentioned thee time and again that thou mayest arise to serve the Cause and make mention of thy Praiseworthy Lord.

O Abu-Turab! The All-Bountiful maketh mention of thee. By God! How sweet is your mention and your call, and how glorious is your Lord’s hearing of you! Be ye thankful unto God for having made you to be among those who have attained.

O Hasan! We make mention of thee out of Our grace. Hearken and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, for having honored me, aided me, and bestowed upon me that which most of Thy creatures have neglected. Verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

We make mention of him who hath been named Ayyub, that he may rejoice and be of them that render thanks. Thou art he that hath turned and drawn nigh and attained. To this My swift-moving Pen beareth witness. Remember when thou wert in the presence of the Throne and didst hear the call of the Wronged One, and wert of them that attained.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, who hath turned toward My Most Glorious Horizon and desired to drink the choice wine of immortality from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the Gracious. By the life of God! Shouldst thou drink thereof in My Name, thou wouldst find the sweetness of all blessings and be seized with such intoxication from the wine of divine knowledge that thou wouldst abandon all who dwell on earth and make mention of thy Lord in such wise as to attract every heedless and remote one. We counsel thee to manifest the greater steadfastness, for the Cause is mighty, mighty indeed. Rejoice in that the Wronged One maketh mention of thee from the Most Great Prison and turneth toward thee from this remote spot.

O Yusuf! Hearken unto that which thy Lord, the Most Glorious, calleth unto thee from the Most Exalted Horizon, that His call may bring thee to such a station that thou shalt abandon all humanity and behold thyself in manifest joy. Blessed art thou for having heard and turned and made mention of thy Lord when every doubting opposer turned away. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s bounty and say: I beseech Thee by Thy Self to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, seeking refuge in Thy presence and clinging to the hem of Thy luminous robe. Thus have We made mention of thee that thou mayest become aware of the favors of thy Lord and be of them that are firmly established.

We make mention at this hour of him who hath been named ’Abdu’l-Husayn, that the rapture of the breezes of revelation may seize him on this Day whereon the Ancient King hath been established upon the Most Great Throne and proclaimeth: There is none other God but Me, the Wondrous. All the treasures of earth cannot equal that wherewith thou hast been mentioned before the Face. To this beareth witness My Most Exalted Pen and that which hath been sent down in My Preserved Tablet. Make mention of thy Lord at all times and say:

O God of all existence! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Subduing Lord of Names, to make me steadfast in Thy religion, firm in Thy love, and speaking in Thy beauteous praise. I testify that through Thee the ocean of knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of the garment hath wafted among all religions, and that Thou art He through Whose Name the heaven of utterance hath been raised up and through Whose remembrance the books of the All-Merciful have been honored. There is none other God but Thee, the Most High.

The All-Praised maketh mention of His beloved servant, that all who possess the sense of smell may perceive the fragrance of the bounties of their Gracious Lord. O beloved! We make mention of thee from the precincts of this Prison. Verily thy Lord is the Merciful. Hearken unto the verses of thy Lord and take them with the power bestowed by God and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds! I beseech Thee by Thy power and Thy sovereignty and Thy majesty and Thy glory to make me one of those who have cast away the world through Thy Name, O Lord of the Ancient Days! Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. Thou takest and Thou givest, and Thou art, verily, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

As to what thou didst write concerning Aqa Muhammad Big, He saith–and His Word is the truth–in these days, due to differences and upheavals and the fires of war, turning toward the Prison is not permitted. Say: O friends of the Friend! He commandeth that today all the loved ones should fix their gaze upon the horizon of unity and soar in the atmosphere of remembrance and utterance. That is, they should, in perfect unity and harmony, occupy themselves with teaching the Cause with wisdom. This hath been and shall ever be the greatest of rewards in the sight of God. Verily, He inscribeth the recompense of attainment for whomsoever He willeth. He is, in truth, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

And likewise regarding Aqa ’Ali-’Askar about whom you wrote, it was specifically mentioned before Him, and He said: “May God reward him with the most excellent of rewards and ordain for him that which shall profit him in the world to come and in this world. Verily He is the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

Concerning the prisoners whom you mentioned, it was presented before His countenance and He said: “They must not grieve over what hath befallen them in the love of God and His Cause. That which hath come upon them hath come upon Us. Thy Lord is verily the All-Informed, the All-Knowing. They who have been imprisoned in the path of God - God will assuredly assist them through His grace and will make their remembrance to endure forever in His Mighty Book. Thus have We made mention of them in the Book of him who was named ’Ali before Akbar, who attained the presence of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: Rejoice in God’s remembrance of you. Verily, He loveth those who have borne tribulations in His path. He is, in truth, the Mighty, the Generous.”

God willing, His infinite bounties shall encompass their condition.

As for what you wrote concerning Manakji Sahib, his petition arrived from the Land of ?ad, but it is not permissible for anyone to know who the sender was. It arrived quickly, and the answer was revealed from the heaven of God’s will in those same days, but its dispatch was delayed due to wisdom. Likewise regarding the petitions of this servant which had been presented to some of the friends. When the petition of the Sahib was presented before the Throne, His Holiness the Most Great Branch - may my spirit be a sacrifice for the dust of His footsteps - was present, and He was commanded to write the answer to the petition. He wrote the response, but it was not sent because in those days some Christians had risen against the Muslims and were engaged in creating mischief with the utmost craftiness and deceit, and letters were being examined by the government lest correspondence from the mischief-makers be sent abroad. For this reason and others the letter was not sent, until this time when the Sun of Permission rose and shone forth from the horizon of grace, and his answer was dispatched. God willing, may they attain unto its meanings.

O true brother and sincere friend! Beseech ye the one true God, exalted be His glory, that souls may hearken with attentive ears, and with enlightened hearts and sanctified spirits regard the divine utterances. His honor hath inquired about certain matters, among them the differences between religions. This is a subject which, were it to be revealed in detail, would surely cause upheaval among some, for most people have not drunk from the stream of the Bayan and comprehend not the meanings of what hath been sent down from the presence of the All-Merciful, nor are they aware. Most of the servants are perplexed by the differences between religions, whereas these differences have been and shall continue to be the cause of the education of souls and their advancement. For divine laws are revealed according to the requirements of the time, age and epoch. Consider, for example, the differences between hours, and observe the variations between seasons. If a person of insight reflects even briefly, he will assuredly know that these differences have been and continue to be the cause of the unity of the servants and the preservation of all who dwell in the lands. It was formerly said: “Travel is a portion of hell.” Now if it be said: “Travel is a portion of paradise,” there would be no harm in this, for the means have changed, as can be observed today when a traveler sits in utmost comfort in a carriage and proceeds whithersoever he willeth. A person of insight perceiveth no contradiction between these two statements. Likewise, His honor hath mentioned religious beliefs and inquired which is preferred today. Though this question was not answered explicitly, implicitly all answers were sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will. God willing, may they comprehend their realities and become aware of the meanings enshrined within the chambers of words. That which is best and most acceptable today is that which is in truth the educator of the world, the illuminator of the world, and the quickener of the world. The utterances of truth have been such that were any fair-minded person to consider this very Tablet, he would testify that it is the sovereign of utterance and the king of books, comprehending all meanings. The answers to all these questions which he hath asked have already been sent down. God knoweth that nothing remaineth that hath not been revealed in the Book. All matters and affairs have been sent down from the heaven of will - that which sufficeth all and leadeth them to perfect tranquility. We beseech God to assist the people to comprehend that which is intended. Convey My greetings to His honor and mention that God willing, he should become illumined with the lights of divine love and attain His good-pleasure. When they attained the honor of presence in Iraq, God willing, may they be blessed with its trace and fruit. Verily He is the Manifestor of whatsoever He willeth through His sovereignty, and He is indeed the All-Powerful Manifestor.

This servant sent a copy of the Blessed Tablet revealed in honor of the Sahib, written in clear script, so that any of the friends who wish to make a copy may do so, allowing the original to remain preserved and reach its owner. While writing this petition, this thought occurred: let the friends in that land strive diligently so that the Sahib may become aware of the essential matter - namely, that the purpose of God, exalted be His glory, was not and is not conflict and strife, and God forbid, reprehensible acts and rejected deeds, the shedding of blood, plunder and seizure of people’s property. If they truly become aware of these matters and grasp the intent of what was revealed in the Book, they might then convey certain words to some souls that would bring assurance, and the noble ones and princes would comprehend this station and know that Truth is sanctified and exalted above all deficiencies. This Cause is as evident and clear as the sun, its path manifest and its way straight. If they would ponder this comprehensive word that has flowed from the dawning-place of the Divine Pen, they would testify to the loftiness of God’s Cause and its exaltation. He, exalted be His glory, has said: “Glory is not his who loves his country, but glory is his who loves the world.” How far between the people and what they say, and the station of God’s Cause, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting! God willing, you should remind the servants with utmost gentleness and wisdom, and exert the utmost effort and striving to unite the loved ones in that land. God knows this is what brings joy to all things. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, has counseled His loved ones in most tablets regarding love and unity, for through these the banners of victory are raised and the horizon of the Cause becomes luminous.

After your petitions were presented at the Most Holy Court and what the All-Merciful revealed in response, this servant was again summoned and He said: “O servant present! Write to the loved ones that the Supreme Pen has never paid attention to the mention of the elixir and the knowledge thereof, nor will it ever do so. Some souls asked questions about certain statements of philosophers and others. It was observed that if an answer were not revealed, it might cause delusions. Therefore it was revealed from the Dawning-Place of Divine knowledge, and We forbade all from engaging in it. Blessed is he who has heard God’s command and restrained himself from passion. By the Sun of the horizon of knowledge! Today the greatest elixir and the essence of the world is the Word of God. Say: O friends, cast this greatest elixir upon the existence of nations in the name of the Lord of Eternity, that they might be transformed and attain to the station of the knowledge of God.” And in this regard, brilliant, illuminating, and manifest utterances have flowed from the Supreme Pen and were sent to all regions before and after. Blessed is he who has heard the command of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

O Lion! Blessed are they who gather together for the love of God and His Cause, and who reflect and meditate upon the affairs of His loved ones. Give them the glad-tidings from Me of My loving-kindness, My bounty and My mercy which have preceded all things. That which thou didst mention regarding the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar was accepted before the Throne, and likewise what thou didst mention concerning the blessed spot. Verily, We make mention of those who have gathered and who gather together to serve God, that they may rejoice and be numbered among the thankful. Upon them be My glory, My remembrance and My praise. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Wise. God hath forgiven those for whom thou didst seek forgiveness. By My life! At this moment when these words have issued forth from the mouth of the Will of thy Lord, the ocean of forgiveness hath surged and the fragrance of the garment of thy Lord, the Merciful, hath been diffused. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

I beseech thee to convey to the loved ones in that land, who have drunk from the Kawthar of divine love and are adorned with the luminous robe of steadfastness, sublime greetings on behalf of this evanescent servant, and make mention to each one of this servant’s utter nothingness and evanescence. God, exalted be His glory, is witness that this evanescent servant is occupied most times with their remembrance. Verily, He is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing. The Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His Testament, and who have stood firm in the Cause on this Most Great, Most Mighty Day. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00230 ===

=== START BH00231 ===

Praise be to God Who awakened all created things through His sweetest call and made known to them His most exalted horizon from which shone forth the Sun of Revelation through His Name whereby the sun was darkened, the moon eclipsed, the earth was cleft asunder and the heaven was split apart. Exalted is our Lord, the Most Glorious, Who when He speaks all things are attracted, and when His Most Exalted Pen moves, the Kingdom of Names is set in motion. He is the One by Whose finger were rent asunder the veils of humanity and the veils of those who were debarred from the ultimate Purpose and the loftiest Summit. Blessed is he who, out of longing for His Revelation, soared above the world and arose to serve Him amidst His creation. He is the One Whom the Book praised, the pebbles celebrated, the seas proclaimed His sovereignty, the mountains His power, the winds His might, and the signs His glory and splendor. He is the One Who planted with the hands of grace the Lote-Tree of faithfulness in the white spot and watered it with the blood of the chosen ones and the near ones. Exalted, exalted be the Lord of eternity and the Sovereign of nations, in Whose recognition souls are bewildered and before Whose remembrance the sincere ones and those near to God confess their inability to soar. All things testify that He cannot be described, nor mentioned, nor comprehended, nor known. He is the Single One, the One, the Sanctified, the Mighty, the Wise. The glory shining from the horizon of Will be upon those who speak His praise, who stand firm in His Cause, who arise to serve Him, who convey His commandments, and who drink the choice wine of steadfastness among His creatures in such wise that the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names turn toward them. These are servants whom neither the affairs of the world sadden nor the veils of nations hinder nor the might of those who disbelieve and act wrongfully frighten. Blessed are they, then blessed are they. These are the people of God; through them all things seek blessing morning and evening.

Your letter illumined the heart and strengthened all members and limbs, for it was adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. Exalted be His remembrance, exalted His praise, exalted His station, exalted His recognition, exalted His description. The mention of the true Sovereign and spiritual King is, in truth, like the sun in the heaven of knowledge and like a lamp in the darkness of the world. When it shines forth it illumines the horizons, and when it appears it brightens those in all lands. Praise be to the Beloved of souls and the Purpose of all possible existence Who honored these servants in the days of His Manifestation with this most exalted station and ultimate rank, which is the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and did not deprive them from the ocean of inner meanings. He is, verily, the Generous Giver.

Regarding what you wrote about having sent multiple letters addressed to this evanescent one, before this letter only one of them arrived which was a source of joy and delight. This servant is occupied day and night with the writing of divine verses, and since numerous Tablets have repeatedly and successively dawned and shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of favor specifically for you, this servant did not make his presence known. Among these were those sent with Haji Siyyid ’Ali-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise with Ismullah-i-A?daq, upon them both be the glory of God, and also with Shaykh Salman. Praise be to God, the gaze of favor of the Purpose of the world, exalted be His grandeur, has been and will continue to be upon you, and its fruit will surely become manifest and evident in the visible world. He is, verily, the Forgiving, the Generous.

In their letter dated the 25th of Rajab, they had written that the honored physician, upon him be the Glory of God, had written that from the blessed Tongue had come the announcement of tribulation. Although the exact text of the blessed utterance is not before this servant, yet in the Tablets this matter has been revealed, both in these days and previously in the Most Holy Book, and assuredly whatsoever hath been revealed and sent down from the Divine Pen and the heaven of the eternal Will shall come to pass, even as whatsoever was revealed in the Tablet to the King of Persia and to Ra’is hath been fulfilled, word for word and phrase by phrase. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to protect His loved ones and preserve them from that which beseemeth them not. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

The people are asleep, nay dead. In one of the Tablets this blessed word hath been revealed: “No one save its people can read any book, for the scripts are diverse. For example, none but its people can read the Hebrew script, and likewise the Syriac and other scripts. But the Book of the world can be read by every soul, for upon every tablet of the world is inscribed and recorded the word of change and evanescence, and all behold this and are aware of it. Even as after a luminous day they witness with their outward eye the dark night, and in every moment they see the changes and transformations and variations, and all these matters are written in clear script in the Book of the world. And yet all are heedless and stupefied. Glory be to God! What intoxication is this that hath prevented the world from awakening, and what slumber is this that hath encompassed all! I swear by the dawning rays of the Sun of inner meanings that riseth from the horizon of the prison, that were a soul to become aware to the extent of a single hair, he would not occupy himself with these fleeting days, nor would he deprive himself of the praiseworthy station. Observe the baseness of souls - all acknowledge and confess the evanescence and nothingness of that with which they are occupied, yet each is seen to be captive to something and afflicted by something. I beseech God, exalted be He, to aid us to arise to serve Him and to stand firm in that which He hath willed. Verily He is the One desired in the first and the last. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Some time ago this evanescent servant sent a petition to His Honor the Name of God, his eminence Jim, upon him be all the most glorious Glory. That petition was adorned with divine verses. God willing, it will reach the attention of that honored one and he will be enriched by its ocean of meanings.

Concerning what you mentioned about the dream of Aqa Mirza Zaynu’l-’Abidin, upon him be the Glory of God, and the martyrdom of the martyrs, upon them be all His Most Glorious Glory, by the life of the Beloved, there hath appeared in creation that which causeth all things to curse every oppressor who hath arisen in opposition and committed that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise and the denizens of the highest heaven to weep at eventide and at dawn. How excellent are these words: “Oppress not if thou hast the power, for oppression will in the end bring thee remorse. Thine eyes may sleep while the wronged one keepeth vigil, calling down curses on thee, and the eye of God never sleepeth.” Such is the nature of men that they take such heedless souls as their leaders. They have passed by the ocean and clung to a mirage. They are deprived of the rays of the Sun and have grown accustomed to darkness. Fie upon them and upon those who have denied God throughout all ages! Before the people, they have committed deeds for worldly ornaments, the traces of which shall never be erased from the world. Soon shall they behold what they have wrought. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

After the arrival of this news, a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of divine will specifically concerning Shaykh Baqir and the Imam-Jum’ih, who have been designated as the Wolf and the She-Serpent in the Book of the Lord of Names. They specifically commanded that a copy be sent to Asad, therefore this servant sent the written copy to him. Verily it is a noble Book sent down from the presence of One mighty and wise. And as commanded, after perusing it, you should deliver it to His Holiness Ismu’llah J, upon him be all His Most Glorious Glory. What benefit is there when attentive ears are lacking and penetrating vision is absent? Otherwise, all the peoples of the earth would become intoxicated by the wine of the utterance of the Countenance of the Most Merciful and would occupy themselves with His mention, praise and service in the assemblage of the world. In any case, each faction rejoiceth in that which it possesseth. Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.

Concerning what you wrote that His Holiness Ismu’llah H, upon him be all His Most Glorious Glory, labored for years in the belief that the brethren had many who circled round the Absolute Beloved and the True Sovereign and would protect them, yet in the time of tribulation and affliction not a single soul arose for their sake purely for God’s sake to offer protection and seek justice - to the end of your words - this matter was presented at the Most Holy Court, and this is what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered:

O Asad! Hearken unto the call raised from the direction of ’Akka, which hath been lifted up from the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory: Verily there is no God but I, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We took a handful of dust and breathed into it a spirit from Our presence, and clothed it with the robe of recognition, and adorned it with the ornament of certitude, and raised it to a station whereat the tongues of the Concourse on High uttered its mention and praise. Thus doth the Intended One inform thee that thou mayest become aware of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Protector, the Glorious, the Loving.

Two honored brothers - upon them be the Glory of God - in the days when the Sun of the Horizons was shining and radiant from the horizon of Iraq, turned towards and attained the Most Holy Court. Through the fragrances of divine verses they forgot themselves and others, and arose to praise, commemorate and serve the Friend. After returning, they achieved what they had intended and sought from the Truth. The hand of divine power exalted them to such a degree that they became the focus of all the loved ones and the refuge for most of the servants who dwelt in that land. In their final days, they attained the robe of martyrdom, which is the finest ornament in the world. Verily thy Lord is their Helper, their Succourer, their Strengthener, their Exalter, their Rememberer and their Praiser. This station is one of thanksgiving and praise, a place of glorification and prayer. By My life, if someone were to contemplate the favors of the Truth, they would speak with the tongues of all things throughout their life, saying “Praise be to Thee, O Glory of the Worlds.” God willing, that honored one should look to the fruit of the tree of martyrdom, taste its sweetness, and make the loved ones aware of it. Such matters have ever occurred and will continue to occur, and were the Supreme Pen to mention their fruits, assuredly the tablets would not suffice. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou for having turned, approached, entered, heard, attained and spoken in remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have immersed themselves in the ocean of My good-pleasure and who have uttered in all conditions My word: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.”

This servant at this point submits that the Twin Luminous Lights attained the presence of the Beloved of all horizons in Iraq and were outwardly favored with such bounties as had never been witnessed for any others. Since in those days the Twin Luminous Lights were not widely known, some were astonished at the divine favors bestowed upon them, and certain ones even made some remarks. After they returned, several petitions from them reached the Most Holy Court wherein they implored for the supreme martyrdom. I swear by the countenance of the Desired One, they sought this station with such utter helplessness that nothing greater can be imagined. Whenever their petitions were presented, the Tongue of Grandeur would speak words indicating that the time and season for it had not yet arrived - that they should be patient until God brings about His decree. In truth, the divine verses took such possession of them that this ephemeral pen is incapable and powerless to describe it. God, exalted be His glory, rained down the showers of His grace upon them and elevated their station to such a degree that they became beloved of the chosen ones and renowned in all lands. They were blessed with both outward and inward bounties and sustained by the divine table. Finally they attained this most exalted and sublime station. While they were alive their station remained veiled, but after their ascension there shone forth from the Supreme Pen what did shine forth. O my beloved one who stands before my eyes! A hundred thousand regrets that this servant attained to what they attained. I swear by that Most Firm Handle by which earth and heaven were set in motion that in all conditions this servant remembers and utters “Would that I had been with them!” Would that a portion of this ocean had been bestowed and a share granted! This servant is forbidden from mentioning certain matters, otherwise he would mention that whereby people would understand what is hidden from them. At all times this evanescent one beseeches God, exalted be His glory, with utmost humility and supplication that he may be granted a drop from this cup. Verily He is the Generous, He is the Merciful, He is the Giver, He is the Bestower, He is the Compassionate, the Kind, the Forgiving, the Mighty, the Wise.

Up to this point, the answer to your esteemed letter dated the 25th of Rajab has been submitted. And the second letter of the 28th of Sha’ban arrived like a spiritual bird and brought joy to this ephemeral heart. We praise God, exalted be He, for your health, your remembrance, your acceptance and your turning to God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to God that you have been favored with God’s grace, have arisen to serve His Cause, are speaking His praise, are turned toward His face and are gazing at His horizon.

Concerning the four souls you mentioned, we beseech God to assist all to act with wisdom. During the time of the Primal Point, may our souls be a sacrifice for His sake, and after His supreme martyrdom, each year in various lands bloodshed, plunder and pillage occurred, as in previous ages. These events have been and will continue to be the cause of the exaltation of God’s Cause, though in past years such occurrences were rare. After the incident in the Land of Sad, one day when present before this evanescent servant, He said: “O thou who art present! Although this event caused sorrow and grief to the loved ones of God, it became the cause of the further exaltation of the Cause. The Supreme Pen beareth witness that they attained unto that which none before them had attained. Through their love the fire of love was kindled, and through their martyrdom the mention of God was spread amongst all creation. Blessed are they and blessed is he who draweth nigh unto them purely for the sake of God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed are they who have borne hardships for His love, who have entered prison for His Name, and who have been abased in His path. By God! They are indeed the triumphant ones. God will soon reveal the fruits of their deeds on earth. He is the Protector of the sincere ones. Blessed are the faces that were changed by the slaps of the oppressors in His days, and the necks that were adorned with chains in the manifestation of His Cause. By My beauty! He who hath been abased in My path shall soon behold glory bowing down before his face. Verily, He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing.”

As for your mention that the friends have no affliction save the destitution and poverty that encompass them all, this evanescent servant submitteth that at one time the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all in the Kingdom be a sacrifice for His sake - that Holy Being Himself together with His companions were in utmost poverty, to such degree that some had no sustenance for the night. Later came a time when one of His companions had more than two hundred horses in his stable, and upon some of them bounties rained down from all directions like rain, and they spent all in the path of the Friend, paying no heed to its accumulation. Today the friends of God must, relying upon Him, stand with perfect steadfastness in the Cause of God, and like the morning star shine bright and luminous among the people, and with wisdom and utterance call all who have gone astray to the horizon of the All-Merciful. By His very Self, the Truth! The days of glory, sovereignty, wealth and power shall all be made manifest, and divine favors shall encompass them from all directions. All souls shall turn toward them and bow down before them. Let them know the value of these days and beseech God not to be deprived of any matter which they would be powerless to rectify.

Convey on behalf of this evanescent one a wondrous and sublime greeting to all, and make mention that this is a Day the like of which hath never been. Strive ye to drink at all times from the living waters and partake of the choice wine of inner meaning, that ye may be adorned with an everlasting ornament. By the Beloved of the world, in this way all that pertaineth unto you shall endure and remain. Every small deed performed for the sake of God in this day shall be spread throughout all regions. He verily knoweth what He hath ordained for His servants who are not deterred in His path by the censure of the critic nor the oppression of any relentless tyrant. God willing, that honoured one should gladden through the mention of God those friends who have been saddened by recent events. All wealth, glory, exaltation and greatness are destined for man, but since God, exalted and sanctified be He, hath made all matters dependent upon means, they shall appear in their appointed time. This evanescent servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn them with the ornament of patience and ordain for them that which shall profit them in this world and the next. He verily is the All-Patient, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Concerning what thou didst write about Ali-Akbar Bey, it was presented before the Most Holy Court, and the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of merciful grace and sent forth. Deliver it unto him, that his heart may rejoice thereby, his eyes be consoled, his breast be dilated, his soul be attracted, and his face be illumined through hearkening unto the verses of his Ancient Lord.

Likewise, thou didst make mention of my brother, upon him be the Glory of God. This was presented before the Most Great Horizon, and a Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the Divine Will and sent forth. God willing, may he attain unto it. Mention was made of two Akbars in thy letter, and this was presented before His countenance, and the Sun of loving-kindness rose and shone forth from the horizon of grace. In this connection was seen the phrase “and strengthen them with a third,” therefore it is mentioned that no word hath been received for some time from Mulla Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God. Convey the greetings of this evanescent one to him and to all other friends. Moreover, the captives of God - those souls who have become wanderers in God’s path, namely the people of Sad, upon them be the Glory of God and His mercy - are ever before these evanescent eyes and are mentioned before the Throne. Glory be upon them, and greetings be upon them, and blessed are they and those who have attained in the path of the Beloved that which hearts abhor.

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Praised be the exalted, the most high! The essence of glorification and the source of sanctification befitteth the sovereign of wondrous and lofty might who, through the outpourings of the oceans of His grace and bounty, caused the realities of beings and essences of all things to ascend from the abasement of nothingness to the throne of glory and existence. Through the trump of power and sovereignty He breathed the breath of life into the bodies of abstract essences and manifest realities, illumined the mirrors of subtle knowledge with the wondrous effulgence of His all-encompassing mercy, and made manifest the precious ornaments of the abstract realms from the dawning-place of beauty. Thus do all created things, from the heights of the loftiest heavens to the earth below, testify that He is the Sovereign of existence upon the thrones of all contingent beings, and He is the King, the Desired One, in the realities of all things known. Sanctified is His holy Being from every pure description, and hallowed is His sanctified Essence from every abstract attribute. Through His sovereignty of oneness He is seated upon the throne of uniqueness, and through His majesty He dwelleth upon the seat of His bounty.

Then did the ocean of supreme loving-kindness surge, and the sea of greatest grace was stirred into motion. The seas of favor were set in motion and the rivers of generosity overflowed, until He removed the garment of glory from the countenance of beauty. At once did the holy mirror and the eternal crystal raise the banner of being and manifest existence, and He lifted the luminous veil from His divine countenance, that it might herald the essence of light and the face of manifestation and the point of unity in the heights of Sinai, so that all in the kingdom would await the command of God and the countenance of God, until the eternal lamp would shine forth in the glass of the hearts of the servants and the divine light would illumine the niche of the breasts of men, that they might be drawn unto the Sovereign of the unseen realm and be attracted to the King of radiant glory.

He exalted this divine subtlety and heavenly grace through a third manifestation, as indicated by His - exalted be His station - words that the unitarians were powerless to comprehend and the sanctified ones failed to recognize: “This is the first that We have sent down in the Book - a glorious remembrance - and the last that We have manifested - a wondrous command. They rejected both, so We strengthened them with a third figure, a remembrance from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.”

Thus were the eternal heavens raised up, the divine stars made manifest, and the moons of unity rose. The rapture of joy was adorned with melodies of delight, and the doves of months warbled upon the branches of the camphor tree. The nightingale of glory sang upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of Sinai, and the white dove chanted upon the boughs of the tree of richness. The sphere of joy revolved in the heavens of loftiness, and the orb of eternity coursed upon the mighty sea. The Sovereign of the Cause was seated and established upon the throne of command, even as the Dove of Glory warbled in the Sermon of Light, and the Nightingale of Faithfulness sang upon the branches of the Tree of the Unseen Realm: “Verily His sitting is better than the worship of both worlds. For this let the strivers strive! For this let the sincere doves take flight!”

I swear by the essence of glory and the point of decree upon the throne of destiny that the sitting of that Most Great Light is greater than whatsoever is in the heavens and earth. This is a fire that was kindled by His blessed self within His own self, without any fire having touched it. Rather, this manifestation […]

The Sun of Mystery has never occurred to the mind of any among those near ones and the sincere ones, as the Primal Point and the Most Glorious Beauty - may the spirit of all who dwell in the realms of revelation be sacrificed for Him - have said concerning them: “No tidings can describe Him, no thoughts can comprehend Him, the most precious hearts of the unitarians cannot attain to His exalted threshold, nor can the mere intellects of the sanctified ones reach His most holy court.” They are the glory of revelation and the manifestation of divine attributes, unique without peer or likeness, sanctified above association and glorification. Glory be to God from these non-existent imaginings and these rejected evil utterances! O people of the Bayan! Hear My call and turn from your transient selves to the Eternal Beauty, and ascend from your thoughts of nothingness to the ancient heavens, that perchance the breeze of mercy and grace may waft and divine lights envelop you. Then may you be seated in the pavilions of exaltation and the domes of grandeur, and rest upon the throne of honor and the seats of mercy, that you may hear with the ear of spirit the call of the Mystic Herald, awaken from the stupor of heedlessness, and witness the Ancient King seated at the right hand of power and might. This is the greatest outcome, the most glorious wisdom, and the most perfect truth. If you act upon what has been mentioned in this luminous white page, you will hear the melodious songs of birds upon the camphor tree branches, which call you from all directions with the essence of attraction and the substance of rapture, and you will observe the manifestations of joy upon the thrones of delight, how they circle around you. Therefore ascend by the cords of enlightened hearts, that while divine mercy’s breezes blow from the orient of the soul and fragrant musk wafts from the north of the Beloved’s hair, you may take your portion of life and obtain the endless everlasting blessing. This is eternal life and perpetual grace. Know the value of these days - the Beauty of the Cause will not always be manifest. “The Beauty shall be concealed in the veils of glory, and you shall then supplicate and cry out.” Therefore while the springs of mercy flow and the clouds of grace are raised and the seas of love are surging, strive not to be heedless of His good-pleasure nor to fall short in His commandments and prohibitions. This evanescent, lowly servant swears by God that I am fearful and trembling as to how I might fulfill the conditions of servitude and raise the banner of service. At every moment I prostrate myself upon all the earth before His blessed Beauty and with every tongue I beg and hope for His mercy. Bear witness that I have left no spot on earth but that I have fallen prostrate upon it before God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised, and I have left no tongue but that I have called upon God with it - and God is aware of what I say. I am naught but an abject servant in His holy court. The eyes of the heedless are asleep while this servant’s eyes constantly await His mercy in fear. All souls are at rest while this body awaits grace in the dust of lowliness. Thus it has been submitted in petitions to Him: “Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou seest that all eyes are sleeping in their beds while the eyes of Baha await the wonders of Thy mercy, and all servants are resting upon their couch of glory while the countenance of hope lies upon the dust, yearning for the ornaments of Thy compassion.”

Glory be to God! How can there be existence for aught else before the manifestation of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth? What station hath nothingness in the presence of the revelation of the standards of pre-existence? What mention can be made of the ephemeral before the Eternal Throne? Where is the non-existent servant in the court of the Sovereign Lord? What position hath the slave before the Master, or the abject before the Mighty, or the lowly before the Exalted? Nay, I seek God’s forgiveness for all that hath been and shall be mentioned. We are utter nothingness and complete non-existence. We possess neither benefit nor harm, neither life nor resurrection for ourselves. We are all captives in the grasp of power and utterly poor before absolute wealth, for all who dwell in the kingdom exist in the realm of being, and the earth is held within His mighty grasp. “The whole earth shall be but His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens shall be rolled together in His right hand. Glory be to Him! High is He above the partners they attribute to Him!”

How subtle is this melody of the Mount from the Dove of joy! How wondrous is this pure wine from the countenance of delight! How sweet is this most glorious song from the throat of the Spirit! How delicate is this crimson rapture from the white Face! Until the extinguished fire blazes forth, and the frozen earth melts, and the lifeless essence becomes animated, and the withered body stirs to life.

Thereafter, observe the ordinances of God for the love of God, for this is greater than all good and more exalted than all knowledge. For whatever degrees of knowledge have been ordained by God are themselves the known, and there is no knowledge superior to God’s good-pleasure and His commandments. Deal with one another with the utmost love and kindness. Should anyone commit a wrong, forgive him; remind him with perfect love. Be not harsh, neither show pride and arrogance toward one another, for I swear by God these are among the requirements of the heedless soul, and utter heedlessness leads to destruction. I take refuge in God from its evil and its cunning. You too should seek refuge, that perchance Alexander of the age might raise a barrier of illumined brass between, bringing relief from the Gog of passion and the Magog of blindness.

This is a leaf that speaketh of the mystery of attraction. Were ye to know, ye would surely read it and bear witness that He is indeed the Truth, there is no God but Him, and we are all His worshippers. And ye would be certain that I am a servant who hath believed in God and His signs, if ye would but understand. This humiliation sufficeth for all the people of the Bayan, that the Sovereign of the Cause is concealed in the pavilion of being and hidden in the treasuries of mystery. None knoweth in what land He dwelleth or in which realm He moveth.

Then did the Dove cry out from the pole of the heaven of mystery, and the pillars of the mighty Throne were shaken, and the Most Glorious Countenances donned black garments upon seats of exalted glory, and the Dove of Sorrow warbled in the mystery of words with a hidden and mysterious call, and the secluded maidens in the chambers of the Throne shall surely weep with novel and sorrowful verses, and tears shall flow from the pure eyes of the crimson ones upon cheeks of resplendent glory. At that moment, when I heard the cry of weeping from the Kingdom of all things, I ceased speaking and returned to the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, unto Whom belongeth the Kingdom of the hereafter and […]

The first and all unto Him return, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds. I have but one expectation from the people of the Bayan, and make this entreaty: then I do adjure them by God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting, that they make no mention of Me, neither with love and affection, nor with hatred and aversion. It seemeth that the good-pleasure of God lieth in this, and God sufficeth as a witness and a guardian between Me and them.

I bear witness that your letter was received, and certain scattered reports had also been heard prior to the letter, which greatly increased my astonishment that one such as yourself would mention such matters. Moreover, where did I ever express anything to you that would cause you to demand proof from me? If Haji Hassan made some mention, you should, out of respect for God’s Cause and love for His friends, remain silent and inquire about what you have cited from Haji’s words. What you now possess contains nothing that would cause denial. Indeed, you yourself were of this rank, for it is in your own handwriting that Haji referred to me in terms of attributes, and to Mirza Reza-Quli - may God’s blessings be upon him and his loved ones - as one of the manifestations of Names, and all those under their shadow, meaning through the Bayan and its Author and their guides, are all in the meanings and outward expressions of Names and attributes, and will continue to be so. This was not a matter requiring such elaboration. Setting all this aside, you could have written two words and we would have changed the pronoun. I swear by God that I had such trust in you that it cannot be described. You also wrote that from my expressions you observed that the Eternal Sun had become immersed in the Glass of the Eternal. This is a truth about which there is no doubt. First, the Essence of Eternity and the Primal Point have been and are the Lord Most High, and it is known that the Mirror of Eternity has been and will be the Living, Self-Subsisting One. The Eternal Sun, which is the mention of the Divine Identity, has appeared manifest in the Glass, which is Him. Beyond this, the glass is a thousand times lower and more insignificant than the mirror, and attributing it to anyone carries no deficiency. His Holiness has established seven ranks for the degrees of mirrors. God willing, you will observe that those who circle round and the sincere in love stand at the fourth rank of mirrors, meaning they seek light and radiance from one Unity after another until it reaches the first Mirror. Moreover, the term ‘glass’ has no rank compared to ‘mirror’ that would make it worth mentioning. Above all, I swear by God that whatever this servant says or writes, all of it refers to Him alone, and God suffices as witness. If you yourself observe that same writing, it will become clear, and all those writings were written by His command, especially in the Book of Light where He explicitly commanded that I should impart to all from the gems of wisdom and the essences of knowledge and power. The Point of Existence is witness that I have never had nor do I have any desire to manifest any station of my own. Since it has now become necessary and obligatory, I declare that what He Himself has revealed clearly and correctly in the Book of Light exceeds what you have attributed to Haji Hassan, and no one is mentioned in the Book of Light, and in multiple instances it was written that He Himself collected copies of these and sent them to Mirza Reza-Quli, they reach the blessed vision, and observe the Husayniyyih prayer which is in His prayers, and it was and is known that whatever is mentioned in the aforementioned book […]

That which is revealed and sent down is greater than all letters and other things. And that Book which was sent bears His blessed handwriting - you have not yet observed it but later, God willing, it will come to your attention. Yet by the truth of Truth, I do not consider myself worthy of even one letter of it and I am greatly ashamed to mention these matters. Would that I did not exist to make such mentions. In any case, it has been known to you that this servant has nothing but nothingness and pure servitude. However, I am the crusher of the might of the transgressors. That person from that direction was the father of evils - why did he not execute the Cause of God? For six months, all the people of Baghdad surrounded this servant. By God’s grace, I scattered them all and brought God’s Cause to completion. Let my deeds be witness to my faith. And I had thought that after this great victory and countless trials, the friends would show love and friendship. But this was the final result. In all things, praise be to God - whoever is for God, God is for him. Some of the corrupt ones in these lands have mentioned certain grounds and conversations, hoping they might breach the Cause. Since they could not, they have fled and fallen into the stupor of heedlessness, speaking according to their desires. They say whatever they wish and do whatever they want. But soon it will be observed that all will become non-existent and lost. Furthermore, it is submitted that the Beauty of Azal is in seclusion and hidden from the eyes of creation. The companions and loved ones come and go - some have great expectations which are not fulfilled, so they inevitably return disappointed. Some must return happy and others sorrowful. It is known that each one relates matters according to their own condition and makes attributions. This has always been so and will continue to be. In any case, now after receiving this writing, gather all the companions and impart to them the verses of Nur, showing complete love so that all those companions may observe perfect love in you, that they may no longer be able to breach. The world has no worth or validity. What remains and endures is submission to God’s Cause. This servant has always been, is, and will be engaged in establishing God’s Cause. After the Book of Nur, this servant wrote what is recorded in the text to all the people of the Bayan, lest they exaggerate regarding this servant. This is what I have sent to you. You and all the companions must observe it and not neglect to consider it. Then all matters will become clear, and this writing itself is evidence of this servant’s truthfulness, if you would but look at its words. Among the verses of Nur is this: “We have indeed commanded those who believe in God’s verses to follow your word in your Lord’s Cause, and We have made you a warner from Our presence to cast knowledge and wisdom into the hearts of these…” If there are ears to hear, this one verse suffices for all. God willing, all will become known. And these causes were brought about by two lying, accursed claimants - one being that man who in Hamadan […]

Say: O Javad! Ask forgiveness for what thou hast transgressed in the Cause of God, exceeded in His right, and committed evil through thine own selfish desires in what thou hast falsely attributed to His servant - if thou desirest to be of the assured ones. Otherwise, verily God is independent of thee, thy deeds, and those who are not guided by the verses of God. Javad is not entirely at fault since he was unaware. There are many matters that cannot be mentioned. God willing, if we meet, these will become known. Last year a group of the friends from that province came and mentioned your intended visit, but afterwards nothing materialized. We waited for some time, and those same friends met with this servant and became aware of his words and deeds. It is surprising that they did not report this, or if they did report it, it was not heard. Now this servant’s request is that you rectify all these matters so that the people there or elsewhere do not think there is any discord, but rather know there is complete unity, harmony and agreement. Furthermore, protect the Cause of God with the utmost power and strength, for God will be the Helper and Supporter. The tablets and writings of the companions were all sent. I remember all the friends - praise was spoken of them. And “the Most Remote Mosque is the place of her feet, and the Throne of Glory the earth whereon she walketh” which was mentioned in the ode on their behalf, and what I mentioned from my own tongue - understand it well. The essence of humility’s stations and the wonders of submissiveness’s ranks from this servant unto that noble one become evident, though this writing itself suffices.

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=== START BH00233 ===

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

This is a Book sent down in truth, and verily it is a guidance and mercy unto all the worlds. Indeed it is God’s testimony amongst His servants, His proof amidst His creation, His most great evidence among His creatures, and His balance which hath been established in truth - yet the people comprehend not its utterance. Verily it is the Most Great Sign, the Most Exalted Countenance, and the Mystery of the First and the Last, made manifest in the Most Glorious Garment - glorified be He above the comprehension of every wayward polytheist. He hath appeared with divine adornment between the heavens and the earth, and hath come from the Kingdom of Glory with manifest sovereignty.

Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth, and be not veiled from Him through Whose will the fountains of wisdom have gushed forth from the hearts of them that are God-fearing. Were it not for Him, the veils would not have been rent asunder, and the Lord of Lords would not have come in the shadows of a transcendent Name. Verily He is the Creator of all names, if ye be of them that know. At His right hand is the dominion of authority, and within His grasp is the Kingdom of the heavens and earth. He is, in truth, the Exalted Beauty - open, therefore, your eyes that ye may behold Him once again through this Name which hath dawned from the horizon of this Dayspring with wondrous radiance.

Verily, this is He Who was suspended in the air in the path of God, His Lord, and upon Whom befell that which caused the pillars of the mighty throne to tremble. O people of the Bayan! Be ye ashamed before the Beauty of Him Who sacrificed His soul, then take ye the path unto the Beloved in this Revelation. Beware lest ye be veiled from Him for Whose meeting ye were created and Who calleth you at all times to a sublime horizon. He desireth naught but to draw you nigh unto God’s Kingdom, to purify you from earthly defilement, and to raise you up to the pavilion which hath been upraised in God’s Name. He desireth nothing for Himself, but rather for you that which hath been ordained by the One Who is omnipotent and ancient.

We have not sent down the verses except as a reminder to him who feareth God, and God is indeed aware of this. Verily it is a revelation from your Lord, the Most Merciful, and He hath indeed ascended the throne, and at His right hand is the Sovereign of the Messengers, who in the Book was exalted. O people! Fear God, then follow the path of truth, for it is indeed a straight path. We have, verily, honored you, O My loved ones, above all who dwell on earth, and have preferred you above many of Our servants. We have sent down unto you the Book wherein We have detailed every matter, and have ordained for you the laws of the Cause that ye may know your course and remain steadfast in the Cause.

Arise to serve the Cause, then assist this Youth Who in these days hath been afflicted with tribulations which no reckoner, however learned, can compute. Beware lest ye be neglectful in the Cause of God and cast His laws behind your backs, for whoso doeth so is recorded among the wrongdoers in the Tablet. Beware lest ye abandon this Book. Unite, O people, in the Cause of God - this is what ye have been commanded in the Tablets, and We are witness to this. Through unity shall God’s Cause be made manifest among His creatures, and faces shall turn toward the dawning-place of a glorious Name. Show forth among the servants My nature and My traces, and be not deprived of the breezes of these days.

And thou, O Leaf of Paradise, hearken unto My call from the direction of My throne, that it may attract thee to the heaven of My grace and the atmosphere of My bounty, and may cause thee to speak My praise among the worlds. Leave thou […]

Turn thy face from what lieth behind thee towards this Sanctuary which God hath built with the hands of His power, and round which circle the Concourse on High, then the angels brought nigh. Be thou not grieved at aught, for soon shall the world pass away and all matters shall return to their Source. This is truth, certain truth. Rejoice thou at the glad-tidings of the Spirit, for He hath assisted thee in truth and will assist thee as He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed art thou for having heard the melodies of thy Lord and attained the lights of His countenance in days when all were wrapped in thick veils. Blessed art thou for having entered a paradise in whose shade all other paradises seek shelter. This is the supreme triumph, the manifest bounty.

Were We to recount to thee what hath befallen Us, thou wouldst weep and lament. Therefore do We conceal it from thee as a token of Our grace, for We are the Forgiving, the Merciful. I have been touched by tribulations that have caused the hearts of the chosen ones to burn, and then the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers. To this testifieth all things and everyone possessed of knowledge. Yet We thank God in all this, for He, verily, is the Beloved in whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Desired One in whatsoever He desireth.

By God! His purpose is My purpose, and what He willeth for Me is My wish. I fear not anything, even were I to be slain at every moment by all the swords of the idolators. Would that I were among those whose blood was shed in My path in that year of tribulation whereof We informed you beforehand in tablets of mighty glory. Those who have ascended unto God and sacrificed their spirits for love of My Beauty, by God, they now dwell in the Most Glorious Paradise, while the dark-eyed maidens and angels glorifying God circle round them. Their blood hath reddened the faces of the denizens of the highest Paradise, then those who dwell nigh the Sidrat-el-Muntaha, then the angels who were not commanded to prostrate, if ye be of them that know. Such is the station of those who were slain yet slew not. These are among the most exalted of creation in God’s sight, and the company of holy angels seek blessing from their presence.

O My loved ones! The shedding of your blood upon the earth is dearer to Me than that ye should shed the blood of any soul. This was revealed at the beginning of this Manifestation, were ye of those who know. We have abolished the decree of killing in the Tablets on the day when the Ancient Beauty was established upon the throne of mighty glory. This hath been revealed in all the Tablets, were ye of those who understand. Give life to souls through the breaths of your Lord, the All-Merciful - this is the way of them that are brought nigh. We have repeatedly emphasized this command in the Book, and God is witness to what I say.

Beware lest ye commit that which would cause harm to the Tree of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful. Upon thee, O Leaf of Eternity, be the fragrant breezes of Baha, then His praise and remembrance, and the remembrance of all worlds. Blessed art thou for having held fast to the Tree of the Cause, not falling away through the winds of trial which caused leaves to fall from the Tree of sublime glory. God counseleth thee, out of love for thyself, to hold fast to it through My Name, the All-Conquering, the Powerful, that thou mayest remain steadfast therein as thou wert for it and through it. This is a deed unequaled by the works of both worlds. Be thankful to thy Lord at all times, for He hath distinguished thee among His handmaidens and associated thee with His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious.

Then convey God’s greetings to thy sister, whose companion was martyred in the path of his Lord, attaining the lights of God and soaring in the atmosphere of near and gracious presence. His spirit then appeared before the Throne, speaking in praise of his Lord. Thus doth God reward His servants who strive.

O Pen of Command! Make mention in the Book of Abu’l-Hasan, who hath believed in God, the Lord of the First and the Last, and hath heard His melodies in the days when the Ancient Being was made manifest through His Most Great and Most Glorious Name. O youth! Soar on the wings of detachment unto the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Spot wherein shineth the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Purify thyself from the veils of them that have disbelieved in God when Ali was once again made manifest in truth. Arise through My Name and My sovereignty and say: These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth, and verily they are a reminder unto them that fear; a revelation from Him Who created the heavens, and verily He it is Who is established upon the throne. Before Him bow down in adoration all who are in the Concourse on High, and whatsoever hath been created in the cities of eternity, and all that lieth beneath the earth. Fear ye God, O people, and withhold not yourselves from Him around Whom circle the realities of the pure ones and Who knoweth the secret and that which is yet more hidden. Say: By the Lord of the Throne! He speaketh not of His own desire, but rather through that which the Spirit casteth into His pure and radiant heart. Blessed art thou for having shattered the idol of him who disbelieved and turned away, and for having turned unto thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Say: Verily He is now at the most exalted horizon, uttering the mighty verses of His Lord, which God hath made a testimony from Him unto all who are in earth and heaven. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and He witnesseth both those who have gone astray and those who are rightly guided. Say: O people! Do ye dispute concerning Him Who hath come from the Dayspring of Glory with supreme sovereignty and Who calleth you unto God every morn and eve? Be ye guided, O people, by this Revelation through Whose beauty the eyes of the denizens of the highest Paradise have been solaced. Beware lest ye be veiled by names from Him around Whom circle the most excellent names.

Then make mention in the Book of him who was named Nabil-i-Qabl-i-Husayn in the Tablets of Decree, that he may rejoice in what hath been revealed from the Pen of Command in the pavilion of Names, and that he may aid his Lord to the extent of his power and be of them who have been guided and who seek guidance. O youth! Take delight in My remembrance, then proclaim My Cause. This is My counsel unto thee and unto them who have been illumined by the lights of the Countenance in these momentous days. Say: The Mighty One of the Cause hath come unto you from the heaven of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. None can protect you this day, O concourse of the idolaters, save God, the Lord of the lofty heavens. Fear ye God, and dispute not His verses after their revelation, and follow not every idolatrous infidel. Follow Him in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of all things, Who hath sacrificed His spirit in the path of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and Who hath suffered at the hands of the idolaters what cannot be numbered. This, verily, is God’s Most Great Ship, His most mighty Cause, and His most exalted Word, and it is the Most Firm Handle. Fear ye God and deprive not yourselves of Him Whose appearance was promised you in the Tablets of ’Ali and the Book of Muhammad, then in the Scrolls of Abraham and Moses. Say: The vision of the Youth hath not deviated when He beheld the signs of His Lord. Do ye dispute with Him, O people? By God! He is mighty in strength and hath known what the possessors of wisdom knew not. O people! Do ye worship Al-’Uzza while ye deny God Who hath revealed unto the Youth what He revealed? Say: Did He not proclaim “Verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon”? Fear ye God and do not that whereby the Cause of God would be frustrated among men. Verily, He doth now, from this Horizon, witness and behold and summon you unto Himself that He may bestow upon you the most complete reward. Say: Fear ye God Who brought you into being by His command, and unto Him is your ultimate end. Know ye the value of these days wherein ye were promised in the ancient Scrolls and later Books. The Spirit and joy and gladness be upon you, O My loved ones, though the Beloved doth now lament and weep. Then doth He magnify God before the face of Baha’u’llah and make mention of Him in truth, that it may be a reminder to those who shall come after. His magnification equalleth not the creation of the heavens and earth, and through His magnification are the tongues of all created things opened in praise, if ye be of them who know.

Then turn your face of holiness unto the handmaiden who hath opened her tongue in remembrance of the Lord of all worlds. O My handmaiden! Soar in the atmosphere of My nearness, then hearken unto My most sweet melodies from this most holy and most glorious throat, and unto that which proceedeth therefrom to quicken all beings. Grieve thou not over anything, but rejoice with the joy of the spirit. He hath not forgotten thee and hath caused thy tongue to speak His beauteous remembrance. Remember thy Lord in whatsoever manner thou pleaseth, that perchance thy remembrance may influence the hearts of them that slumber and awaken them from the sleep of heedlessness and make them of them who remember. Blessed art thou for having been touched by the breezes of the Beloved and been turned toward the precincts of Paradise, the Vale on the right wherein everything proclaimeth: “I, verily, am God! There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Knowing!” That wherewith thou hast described God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation, hath been presented before Us, and it is better than all that is on earth. Thus hath the command been sent down at this moment from the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. By God! The very breath that proceedeth from one’s love for this Youth shall be present before the throne of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, and God shall manifest it in such form that were the veil to be removed from its face, the heavens and earth would be stunned thereby. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and in His love in such wise that the whisperings of them who have disbelieved in God and believed in the idol may not cause thee to slip. Woe unto them and unto those who have followed them without clear proof or an enlightening Book! Remember thy Lord at all times, for by His remembrance His slumbering servants shall arise. Blessed be the mother who bore thee and the breast from which thou didst drink, for from thy tongue appeared praises in description of this imprisoned and lonely Youth. Were the veil to be lifted, thou wouldst witness how the denizens of the Supreme Concourse turn toward thee to hear that which floweth from thy lips in remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Grieve not over anything. Verily God is with thee, and He is the Protector of devoted women and the Helper of devoted men.

O Pen of Command! Return to the mention of the Leaf of Paradise, in whose name this impregnable and exalted Tablet hath been revealed. Say: O Leaf! Hold fast unto this sublime, exalted, mighty and all-knowing Tree. Verily it is the Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Ultimate Tree, and the Beauty of the All-Glorious in this Temple which is mentioned as the All-Glorious among the Concourse on High, lest thou be shaken by the winds of trials which blow from the direction of Satan. Thus doth thy Lord, the All-Merciful, counsel thee, both aforetime and now from before His great throne. Then gather My loved ones at the fountain of My love, sever them from all else besides Me, and magnify their faces before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Say: O loved ones of God! Be steadfast in His Cause and follow not every sinful idolater. Be united in the love of God and the Manifestation of His Cause. Beware lest ye differ in aught. Thus have ye been commanded by One Who is the Mighty, the All-Wise. Remember God at all times, be not heedless of Him, and be not of the negligent. Verily, this Youth of God is among you, Who hath come to you with clear authority, Who forbiddeth you from tyranny and wickedness and commandeth you to righteousness and godliness. Thus hath the Command been sent down in the Tablets of the Prophets and Messengers. Turn your faces toward the House and be not of them that are veiled. Be steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the whisperings of the devils may not cause you to slip - they who, when asked “Who is your Lord?” say “God Who created us by His command,” yet when He appeared with the truth and came upon the clouds of destiny, they denied Him. The curse of God be upon the infidels! Among them are those who sought to shed His blood, those who calumniated Him, and those who turned away from the path of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. At every moment there befalleth the Youth that which causeth the eyes of the near ones to weep, and by reason of what hath befallen Him, the faces of the denizens of Paradise have turned pale and the hearts of the Messengers have been consumed. Were anyone to turn with penetrating vision toward Paradise, the place wherein hath been raised the pavilion of holiness, then the canopy of grandeur, then the tents of wondrous glory, he would witness that the Temple of Grandeur is now seated upon ashes through the tyranny of these oppressors. They slay God with their swords, then recite His verses. Why do they not understand? They shed the blood of the Beloved, then make mention of the Friend. Such hath been the state of the Youth. We have recounted it to you in truth that ye may be of them that know. And the Spirit be upon you, O My loved ones, and Glory be upon you, O My chosen ones, and Splendor be upon you, O hosts of God in all lands.

O Leaf of Paradise! Make mention on Our behalf of the handmaidens of God who circle round about thee and who worship their Lord at eventide and at dawn. O handmaidens of God! Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have believed in God, the One, the All-Forgiving, and have detached yourselves from all else but Him, and have held fast unto the Most Great Handle in these days wherein the hearts of Our righteous servants have been set ablaze with love for this Youth Who hath appeared with truth and hath come from the dawning-place of the Spirit with sovereignty and power. Blessed is the ear that hath heard the melodies of God, and the eye that hath beheld His beauty, and the hand that hath been raised toward the quarter of His good-pleasure, and the foot that hath walked in His path. Thus have We sent down the command in this Tablet from which the lights have shone forth. We have altered the pronoun in these verses which were revealed in truth, for verily We have power over whatsoever We desire. None comprehendeth this save them that are endued with insight. With Him is the knowledge of all things, and nothing that hath been created between the heavens and the earth escapeth His knowledge. None understandeth this save them that are endued with understanding. Whatsoever knowledge ye possess hath appeared from Him, and We possess other knowledge, were We to utter but one word of which, the heavens would be rent asunder and the skin of the evil ones would quake with fear. Whatsoever ye behold in Our words that differeth from that of the people, know ye that it hath been revealed with wisdom which none knoweth save God, the One, the Mighty, the All-Compelling. Know ye, moreover, that the use of the plural pronoun for women was not seemly; therefore We have abandoned it and replaced it by Our command, for verily I am the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Choosing.

O Leaf of Paradise! Send Our greetings to her who was with you through the days and nights, who observed the rights of God concerning you and circled round about you for the sake of your Lord, the Mighty, the Compelling. Then convey My greetings to her who hath been named Mardiyyih in the Kingdom of Names, that she may rejoice in the gladness of the Cause and be numbered among the thankful in this Tablet wherein mention of the righteous hath not been omitted. And likewise to her who hath been named Shahr, that she may glory in the remembrance of God, the Most Great, and may detach herself wholly from the wicked. Blessed is she in having attained unto the recognition of God in days wherein the heavens were cleft asunder, the earth was rent, the mountains were crushed, and the fruits did fall.

O Leaf of Paradise! Be thou ignited with this Fire which hath been kindled at the midmost heart of creation, that through thy heat the people of the lands may be set ablaze. Make mention and be thou devoted to God Who hath aided thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, through Whom the oceans of grandeur and might have been set in motion. Beware lest thou forget the remembrance of thy Lord, for He hath not forgotten thee. Remember Him in the morning hours and at dawn. He is with thee under all conditions, He doth witness and see, though eyes perceive Him not. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Seeing.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that through thee the handmaidens of God and His devoted servants may stand firm. Arise to make mention of the Youth and to praise Him in private and in public. Thus have We commanded thee before, and now as a token of Our grace upon thee and upon those who, when God’s verses are recited unto them, shed copious tears from their eyes. These are My loved ones whom God hath sanctified from the defilement of those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and whom He hath preserved from every wicked deceiver. Upon them rest My blessings, My mercy, My praise, My remembrance, and My glory, from this day until the Day which none can reckon save them that are endued with insight.

Know thou that he whom We named the Most Great Nabil hath come into Our presence and made mention of your love for God and remembrance of Him. Blessed are he and you in that God hath singled you out for His mention and made you to be among the pure ones. He is even now with Us and hath entered the ocean of nearness and reunion by leave of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One. May the Spirit, glory, holiness and splendor rest upon him and upon thee and upon them, for as long as God, the Lord of the free, shall endure.

At the beginning of another copy of the above Tablet under number […]

=== END BH00233 ===

=== START BH00234 ===

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

Praise be to God Who hath aided His Cause through the enemies who have seated themselves upon the thrones of tyranny in the realm of creation and have perpetrated that which hath caused the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise to lament. Praise be to God Who hath made all that appeareth on earth a cause for the exaltation of His Word, the advancement of His Cause, and the manifestation of His grandeur amongst His servants. He is the One Whom neither tribulation hath deterred from that which He hath purposed, nor calamity and affliction from that which He hath willed. He hath uttered a Word whereby the heavens of religions were rent asunder, the earths of knowledge were cleft, and the traces of those who denied the All-Merciful were obliterated. Exalted is He Who hath exposed the falsehood of every turban-wearing soul who hath clung to vain imaginings. He is the One Whom neither the hosts of the world nor the multitudes of nations can frustrate. Soon shall they behold their stations in the fire and what hath escaped them in the days of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

May salutations and peace, shining forth and dawning from the horizon of the Abode of Peace, rest upon those whom the veils of the heedless have not prevented from turning unto God, the Lord of all worlds, and whom the swords of the oppressors have not deterred from the Great Announcement. They arose and said: “O concourse of divines! For what sin have ye risen against us, and for what crime have ye pronounced judgment against the companions of the Crimson Ark, whose praise hath been sung by the Tongue of Grandeur in the Most Exalted Horizon, and whose recognition hath been testified to by the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, which speaketh betwixt earth and heaven that there is none other God but He, the Lord of all men, the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth below?”

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the ocean of knowledge hath surged and its pearls have appeared among the servants, and the breezes of Thy Revelation have wafted throughout all lands. I beseech Thee to aid Thy chosen ones who have quaffed from the hand of Thy bounty that which transcendeth all description and mention, to serve Thy Cause in such wise as to cause the backs of the idols to tremble. Verily, Thou art the Protector of all people and the Sovereign of all days. O Lord! Thou seest Thy chosen ones scattered throughout Thy lands and dispersed throughout Thy realms. O Lord! Scatter the gatherings of those who have scattered their gatherings and seized what was in their possession, and who have committed that from which the denizens of Thy most exalted Paradise and the inmates of Thy sacred precincts have disassociated themselves, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names! O Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the manifestations of Thy grandeur to pour forth upon them patience from Thy presence and to make firm their feet in such wise that the doings of Thy creation and the tyranny of Thy servants shall not cause them to slip. O Lord! Thou seest how the clouds of oppression have darkened the horizon of justice and equity, and how the dust of tyranny hath prevented the lights of Thy justice and the manifestations of Thy bounty from shining forth. I beseech Thee to aid the oppressed among Thy chosen ones whose sighs Thou hearest from the prison of ?a and other lands. Verily, Thou art He to Whose power and might every possessor of knowledge hath testified, and to Whose strength, grandeur and ascendancy every possessor of insight hath borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Most Powerful, the All-Subduing.

And further, the servant has attained thy letter which called out and cried aloud and testified to thy love, thy affection, thy acceptance, thy humility, thy reverence, thy teaching work, thy steadfastness, thy remembrance and thy praise of the Cause of God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal. When the fragrance of thy words enveloped me and the wine of thy exposition intoxicated me, and thy inner secret and confidences in God and His Cause became apparent to me, I turned to Him from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden. And after I attained His presence and made my submission, the Tongue of the Desired One spoke verses which none knoweth save Him and none can mention save Him, and from them wafted the fragrance of His loving-kindness in such wise that all regions were perfumed thereby. I confess and acknowledge my powerlessness to mention and reveal them, but I shall mention for thee what was impressed upon the mirror of my heart according to my capacity.

He said, exalted be His utterance: “O Haydar! The Wronged One hath heard thy call in the Cause of God, thy joy in His love, and thy sorrow at what hath befallen His loved ones. By the life of the All-Merciful! Sorrows have encompassed all possibility and the people are in doubt and hypocrisy. The enemies have surrounded the party of God, the Lord of Names, in such wise that the Most Exalted Paradise hath lamented, and the dwellers of the highest Heaven and those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. O Ali! Sorrows have not prevented thy Lord, the All-Merciful. He hath arisen to promote the Cause in such wise that neither the might of the world nor the oppression of the nations hath frightened Him. He calleth out with the most exalted call between earth and heaven saying: ‘The Day of the Promise hath come, and the Lord of Creation proclaimeth: There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Munificent.’

“O Ali! The children have desired to extinguish the light of God with their mouths and to quench the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree by their deeds. Say: Shame upon you, O manifestations of vain imaginings! Fear God and deny not this bounty whereby the horizons have been illumined. Say: The Dawning-Place of the Hidden Name hath appeared, did ye but know it. He Who was promised in the Books of God hath come, did ye but recognize it. The horizon of the world hath been illumined by this Most Great Revelation - turn unto it with radiant hearts and be not of the heedless ones. The Hour hath come, and We see the people struck down - to this do honored servants testify.

“O Haydar, before Ali! By God! The trumpet of the Bayan hath been sounded by the command of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and all in earth and heaven were thunderstruck save those who have detached themselves from the world, clinging to the cord of God, the Lord of mankind. This is the Day wherein the earth shineth with the light of thy Lord, yet the people are in heedlessness and behind a veil. We desired the life of the people of the world, yet they desired My death - thus did their souls delude them on this Day which hath been illumined by the lights of the countenance of its Lord, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Self-Subsisting. The Mother Book speaketh, yet the people hear not; and the Preserved Tablet hath appeared in truth, yet most people read it not. They have denied God’s favor after its descent and turned away from the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. They have clung to the hem of idle fancies, turning aside from God’s Hidden Name. Say: O concourse of divines! Be fair, by God, then bring forth what proof and evidence ye possess, if ye be of those who have attained this praiseworthy station. Say: Turn ye to the Dawning-Place of God’s revelation, that We may show you the equivalent of what ye and all the peoples possess of God’s verses and […]”

Fear God and be not of them upon whom the chastisement from God, the Lord of existence, hath been decreed. This is the Day wherein the ocean of knowledge calleth aloud and revealeth its pearls, if ye but knew it, and the heaven of utterance is upraised in truth from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. By God! The Essence of knowledge proclaimeth and saith: The Promised One hath come, He by Whom the Books of God, the Mighty, the Loving, have been adorned. Through Him every grace and bounty hath appeared and unto Him shall all return. Fear God, O concourse of the ignorant, and wrong not them who desire naught save that which God hath desired, and follow not your selfish desires, if ye be of them that hearken. Soon shall all that ye behold today perish and ye shall weep for that wherein ye failed in the Cause of God. To this testifieth this inscribed Tablet. Be thou joyful for how We have remembered thee before and at this time with that whose fragrance shall never be cut off nor shall it change throughout the eternity of God’s names, the Lord of all worlds. We have accepted thy remembrance and praise and promotion and service in this Great Announcement and We have heard what thy tongue hath uttered in the gatherings and assemblies. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have adorned thee with the ornament of My good-pleasure in My kingdom and have called thee from the right side of the vale in the luminous spot behind the crimson sea from the divine Lote-Tree: Verily there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have created thee for My service and the exaltation of My Word and the manifestation of My Cause. Hold fast unto that for which thou wast created by the command of the Ancient Ordainer. And We make mention of My loved ones at this time and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favors and what hath been ordained for them in My perspicuous Book. Ye have heard the derision of the enemies in My love and have witnessed the oppression of the wicked in My path, and I am the All-Knowing Witness. How many lands have been adorned with your blood in the path of God, and how many cities wherein your cries and lamentations were raised, and how many prisons whereunto the hosts of the oppressors led you. Know ye with certainty that He will aid you and exalt you in the world and make manifest your stations among the nations. Verily He doth not suffer the reward of them that are nigh unto Him to be lost. Beware lest the deeds of the daysprings of idle fancies and what every remote oppressor hath wrought cause you to grieve. Take ye the cup of steadfastness in the name of God, then drink ye thereof through His strong and mighty sovereignty. Thus hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Tablet the sun of My compassion and loving-kindness that ye may give thanks unto your Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. The splendor that hath shone forth from the horizon of the kingdom of My utterance be upon thee and upon them who have turned unto thee and have heard what thy tongue hath spoken in this mighty and great Cause.

Praise be to God! The rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree hath been raised in such wise that were the hearts of the people of the world to incline even slightly they would be attracted and set ablaze, nay all things, but the conditions of self and passion have veiled all the people of the world from the Lord of mankind. Fie upon them whom their selves and desires have debarred from God, the Lord of all worlds. This evanescent servant must render thanks and praise to the true Beloved by the number of all created things, for from the Supreme Pen the decree of His good-pleasure hath been revealed specifically for that spiritual beloved. All good is unto him who hath attained unto this most exalted station and supreme rank. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. In these days mention of that beloved hath repeatedly proceeded and appeared from the tongue of grandeur. God willing, ye shall attain unto the presence of each one.

Regarding those gentlemen, friends, and chosen ones of the land of Sh whom you mentioned, praise be to God they are adorned with the ornament of the love of God and are remembered and known by His Name in the Supreme Concourse. When this matter was specifically presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, each one was blessed with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds, and these exalted words were revealed from the Dayspring of the Cause, the Revealer of verses and the Manifestor of clear proofs - His blessed and exalted Word: He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Haydar-’Ali! The friends in that land have attained the remembrance of the Wronged One of the world and are mentioned in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. We have made mention of Ha and Sin in numerous Tablets and in the Crimson Book which none has comprehended save God, the Lord of lords, and We have revealed for him that before which verses bow down - the Mother Book bears witness to this. And We have made mention of ’Ali with such remembrance as has enraptured all things, and beyond them all who possess hearing have inhaled the fragrances of these days. O ’Ali! Be thou of such constancy that neither the cawing of those who have denied God nor the croaking of those who have rejected this Cause - whereby feet have slipped - shall sadden thee. We have made mention time and again of him who was named Ghulam-Husayn - He Who speaks at this hour bears witness that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Blessed art thou and blessed is thy name from which the sincere perceive the fragrance of thy sincerity towards God, the Lord of all beings. We counsel thee to perform pure deeds for God alone and that whereby His Cause may be exalted amongst His servants. We have made mention of him who was named Muhammad-Baqir and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and of what hath been sent down for him from this station. Rejoice, O My loved ones, in My days. We have previously sent you that which shall testify for you in private and in public. Hold fast unto God’s cord and His strong rope, then assist His Cause in your days through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. We send Our greetings to Our loved ones there and counsel them regarding deeds and character, and that which hath been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen in the nights and days. We have made God’s utterance, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling, the weapon of those near unto Him. Take hold of it in the name of your Lord. By the life of God! Through it shall they who are in all regions be subdued. Thus have We lit the lamp of knowledge within the niche of utterance, and I am verily the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. O My loved ones! Upon you be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness. Ye have seen what no eye hath seen and have heard in My path what the ears of the world have not heard - to this testify the Dayspring of Revelation and the Dawningplace of evidence. Ye have heard the roaring of the enemies in their hatred for Me; hearken now unto My most sweet call. Nothing in all creation can compare with it - He Who summons the world to the most exalted station bears witness to this.

In truth, they have attained that of which others are deprived, save whom God willeth. God willing, may they all arise to serve the Cause and speak that which is the magnet for attracting the world - and that is the utterances of God, exalted be His glory. I swear by the Beloved of the world that if people would hearken to the divine utterances for but a few brief moments, they would surely become sanctified from the world and all who dwell therein and would arise to serve His Cause in such wise that no tribulations would hinder them or deprive them. In this Most Great Revelation He says that the weapons of the divine hosts have been and shall ever be praiseworthy character, goodly deeds and pure words. This weapon never grows dull nor needs polishing. This is what the servant heard from the tongue of his Lord, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. This evanescent servant offers greetings and glorification to his honored, esteemed and beloved, His Holiness Anis, whom the idolaters made a captive and paraded through the lands. God the One is witness that he has ever been and shall remain before mine eyes, and in all conditions this evanescent servant beseeches confirmations for him […]

In like manner, the aforementioned gentlemen - may God’s peace be upon them - this evanescent servant offers greetings and salutations to each one, and is utterly abashed, for his eminence Shaykh S-L - upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah] - was departing and this servant was not successful in offering any mention, praise, expression of devotion, love or affection. God is witness that this evanescent one was so occupied with writing that sleep nearly lost its way to my eyes. But since this service pertains to God, exalted be His glory, and its fruits are for all, surely the excuse of this evanescent one is acceptable and valid. I beseech God, exalted be His station, for confirmation that He may enable this evanescent one to make up for what was missed, for verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

As to the mention of His Holiness the Afnan, Aqa Mirza Ibrahim - upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God - made at a special time in the presence of Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes, thereupon the Tongue of Utterance smiled and spoke that which creation is powerless to recount. The servant mentions according to a known measure. His word, magnified be His utterance and mighty His proof:

In My Name, the Dawning Place from the Horizon of Grace

This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One from the prison to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily it calleth all unto God and guideth them to His extended path. The Promise hath come to pass, the mountains have been scattered, the heaven hath been cleft asunder, the earth hath been split, and the Speaker of Sinai proclaimeth upon the branch of utterance: O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory! We make mention of thee and of those who have held fast to the Sure Handle, and We counsel them with that which beseemeth this Cause which was hidden in God’s knowledge and inscribed in His Preserved Tablet. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath drunk the choice wine of understanding from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Forgiving. Say: O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not the desires of those who understand not. Take what ye are commanded by God and follow not every ignorant rejected one. Say: God commandeth you to righteousness and godliness. Act according to what ye are commanded and be not of those who are heedless. Be steadfast in the Cause in such wise that neither the veils of earth nor the clamor of every heedless one shut out from God shall prevent thee. We have adorned thee with My kinship - this is a bounty that equals not what hath been created on earth, whereunto testify sincere servants. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon My loved ones there who have turned to the Face when Its lights shone forth from the horizon of the world, and who responded when the Call was raised from Its praiseworthy station. O party of God in that place! Hearken unto the waves of this ocean: Verily there is no God but I, the Mighty, the Loving. Aid your Lord through the sword of utterance, with the wisdom wherewith ye were commanded in My inscribed Tablet. Grieve not for those who have wronged, nor feel secure from those who claim to believe. How many a heedless one hath made his confession a means to his desires, and how many a wretched one confesseth to discover your station. Thus hath God counseled you aforetime. Verily He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon My friends there, and upon those who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and upon My handmaidens who have believed in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

End. Praise be to God! That honored one hath attained, through God’s favor - exalted be His glory - to His grace. This evanescent one expresseth utter evanescence and nothingness before him, and beseecheth God to increase at every moment his stations as an Afnan. Verily He hath power over whatsoever He willeth.

As to what was written about attention being directed to the Land of Verdure and its environs, this matter was submitted, and it was commanded that at this time attention to those regions is not permissible. At one time, this most exalted Word was heard from the Tongue of Grandeur, saying: “O servant present! Those souls who have been favored by God’s grace and who take precedence over all others have been and are counted as few in number. These souls must conceal those persons of note and keep hidden their acceptance and belief. Whatever becomes manifest from them in the Cause of God must, out of wisdom, be kept veiled from eyes and withheld from ears.” Indeed, this is a most important matter requiring careful thought, for it can become the cause of great tribulations and universal harm. For example, if an honored and well-known person observes that mention of him has spread abroad, and this would cause the degradation and lowering of his station, he might arise with utmost oppression to prevent any diminution of his rank, station and honor. In truth, observance of this matter is essential. May God, exalted be His glory, inspire that which is beneficial for all.

Mention was made of his honor Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’l-Karim, upon him be the Glory of God. His petition was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Threshold, and a Tablet was revealed for him specifically from the heaven of divine will. God willing, he will attain unto it and through its fragrance perfume the people of that land. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered on a dark night. His word, exalted be His utterance and glorified be His majesty: He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon.

By God! The Mother Book hath appeared, calling all unto God, the Lord of the worlds. The seas cry out: “The Most Great Ocean hath appeared, from whose waves is heard: ‘There is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed!’” The trees exclaim: “O peoples of the earth! The rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath been raised, and the shrill voice of the Supreme Pen. Hearken ye, and be not of the heedless!” The sun proclaimeth: “O concourse of divines! The heaven of religions is cleft asunder, the moon is split, and all are gathered unto a wondrous resurrection. Fear ye God, and follow not your idle fancies. Follow Him Whom the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, bear witness unto.” The story of the Mount hath returned in this Revelation, and He Who conversed upon it proclaimeth: “The Desired One hath come, seated upon the throne of certitude, if ye be of them that understand.” He hath counseled all concerning that which will exalt the Cause of God and guide all to His Straight Path. How many a bondsman hath been entranced by the Call of God, and how many a ruler hath risen in tyranny such that the dwellers of the highest Paradise and the people of this glorious station have lamented! How many a poor one hath quaffed the wine of divine revelation, and how many a rich one hath turned away and denied, even to the point of disbelieving in God, the Lord of this blessed and wondrous Day! Say: Fear ye God, then judge fairly concerning this News, before which, when it appeared, every momentous news hath bowed down. Say: O company of the ignorant! By what proof would ye justify your belief in God’s previous Messengers and in that which hath been sent down from His mighty and impregnable kingdom, were ye to deny Him? Will that which ye possess profit you? Will your riches protect you? Nay, by the Self of God, the Sovereign over all who are in the heavens and on earth! Cast away what ye have composed with the hands of fancy and idle imagination, and take fast hold of the Book of God which hath been sent down by His binding and mighty command. Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee this Tablet, from which the fragrance of thy Lord’s loving kindness, the Compassionate, the Bountiful, is diffused. We beseech God to make thee a standard in the city of His remembrance, and to exalt thy station in this Cause, beneath whose shadow the sincere ones behold all the tribes of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We beseech Him to grant thee the best of what is in His Book. He, verily, is the Hearer, the Answerer. Be thou steadfast in helping His Cause through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed from before God, the Mighty, the Praised. Blessed is he who hath turned towards Him this Day, and steadfast is he whom the hosts of the oppressors have not frightened. The Glory shining resplendent from the horizon of the kingdom of utterance be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed His sealed wine in His Name, the Self-Subsisting, and have drunk thereof despite those who have disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed, and denied this News whereunto God Himself hath testified in His mighty and ancient Book. We make mention of those among thy kindred who have believed, and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor and mercy, which have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Praise be to the Goal of all worlds, for the waves of the ocean of His bounty follow one upon another and the winds of His grace succeed each other. O beloved of my heart! Although sorrows have encompassed from all directions, the Supreme Pen moves and is occupied in both night and day. May the spirit of all in the world be a sacrifice for the traces of His Pen. This evanescent servant also conveys greetings to that mentioned one. It is hoped that they may attain the fragrance of divine verses which have descended from the heaven of will especially for them, attaining that which neither diminishes nor changes. The Command is in God’s hands - He doeth what He willeth and decreeth what He desireth, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

A Tablet was also revealed and sent in the name of Sheikh S-L. They had mentioned Jinab-i-Yusuf Kh-A, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, they have attained to the bounty of the True One, exalted be His glory. This evanescent one conveys greetings to them. Multiple Tablets have been revealed and sent especially for them. God willing, may they attain to the traces of the Supreme Pen and act according to what befits His days. Their mention has been and is in the Most Holy Court. This is glad tidings from the servant to him.

Regarding the mention they made of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Husayn (Ba), upon him be the Glory of God, after it was presented in the Most Holy Court, pearls of mention appeared from the ever-flowing sea of utterance in the form of these words. His blessed and exalted Word:

In His Name, the Remembering, the All-Knowing

O Muhammad-Husayn! Be prepared for the descent of God’s bounty, the Lord of all worlds. Verily the All-Merciful desires to cast upon thee the pearls of divine knowledge from the ocean of His mighty, exalted grace. Is there any possessed of sight who will witness and see? Is there any possessed of hearing who will hear My sweetest call from the highest horizon? Is there any possessed of heart who will turn to the Ultimate Tree in such wise that neither the might of kings nor the clamor of subjects will weaken him? He speaks with wisdom and utterance throughout all possibility and testifies to that which God hath testified: that there is no God but Him, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Husayn! Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison, and there hath been revealed for thee that which all the books of the world cannot equal. To this beareth witness the Lord of Eternity, but most of the people are heedless. We have called out from the horizon of proof to all who are in the realm of possibility. Among them are those who have been so attracted by the fragrance of their Lord’s utterance that they have cast away all that people possess out of longing to attain the presence of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. Among them are those who were perplexed and hesitated, those who hastened and soared and answered their Ancient Lord, those who turned away and denied until they disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, and those who pronounced judgment against Him with such tyranny as caused every discerning one to lament. We called them to the living waters while they ruled to shed My blood with manifest injustice. Thus hath the sun of explanation dawned from the horizon of thy Lord’s utterance, the All-Merciful. When thou attainest unto its lights, glorify thy Lord’s praise and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all worlds! Blessed art thou and those whom neither the world nor its ornaments have prevented from this luminous horizon. Convey My greetings to My loved ones. We counsel them with the wisdom whose decree We have sent down in My wondrous Book.

And likewise mention was made of Jinab-i-Aqa Darab and Mashhadi Baqir, upon them both be the Glory of God. This is what was revealed for them from the kingdom of the grace of our Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. His mighty word, exalted be His grandeur:

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger […]

O Most Exalted Pen! Let not the oppression of the divines, nor the tyranny of the rulers, nor the clamor of every vain and worthless soul grieve thee. The more intense the tribulations, the more We have commanded thee to raise a greater call than that which thou didst raise before. Verily thy Lord is the All-Commanding, the All-Choosing. Leave the children to play with dust - thus doth the All-Bestowing command thee at this moment wherein He maketh mention of His servant Darab. Run once to the right and say: O people of the right hand! Your eyes are solaced by the rising of the Sun of Manifestation! And again to the left and say: O people of the left hand! Die in your wrath! The Hidden One hath come, and the Treasured One hath appeared, and before Him speaketh the Mother Book. O people of Baha! Let not the doings of the enemies prevent you from the Lord of Names. Soon shall all that ye behold today perish, and there shall remain unto you that which God hath sent down in the final end. This is a day wherein the Dove of Utterance warbleth upon the branch of divine knowledge, the Path hath appeared, and eyes are dazzled. Thus have the heavens of utterance revolved through the movement of the finger of thy Lord’s will, the All-Merciful, and the Crimson Ark hath sailed upon the sea of grandeur by the command of God, the Lord of Lords.

We make mention of him who is named Baqir and those with him, that they may rejoice in God’s loving-kindness and mercy. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

O My loved ones! We counsel you regarding what befitteth your stations and this Cause which God hath made sanctified above all mention. Take hold of God’s Tablet with the strength that proceedeth from Him, then remember Him in the night season and in the days, at eventide and at dawn. Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the greatest veil and heard the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree from the direction of the Most Great Scene. He is assuredly among the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise in the Books and Tablets. Glory be upon you and upon those who have cast behind them the vain imaginings of men, clinging to the hem of the robe of their Lord, the Possessor of all creation.

O My beloved! The world’s desires have prevented it from recognizing its ultimate end, and wealth hath veiled it from its highest purpose. They cling to a drop while heedless of the ocean; they hold fast to the book while deprived of the Mother Book. What intoxication is this that hath encompassed the world, such that they truly cannot distinguish between the sun and its shadow? Greatness belongeth unto God, power belongeth unto God! In truth, this evanescent servant beholdeth himself in the utmost wonderment, for he observeth that a Cause whose truth is more evident and manifest than the sun, the sea, the heaven and the earth - from this are all veiled and deprived. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, to bestow by His blessed hand from the ocean of His bounty upon the dead that which shall cause all to live, that all may taste the sweetness of life, the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance, and the sweetness of His bounty, and may move throughout the world like unto the spirit. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering, the Forgiving, the Generous.

And concerning what you wrote about the friends in those parts having set aside a certain sum for the prisoners in the land of Ta, the servant thanketh his Lord that He hath assisted them in that which beseemeth them in such days and circumstances.

And as to what you wrote regarding their having kept back some funds so that no hardship would befall that honored personage (AF), upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, this matter, after being presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, was accepted, to such a degree that He said: “Blessed is he and joy be unto him, for he hath regard in all matters for the glory of God’s Cause, His sovereignty, the exaltation of His Word and the promotion of His wisdom.” O thou who art present! Beseech God that the teachers may in all conditions have regard for that which causeth the fragrance of sanctity to be diffused among His servants. Blessed is Haydar-’Ali! We have truly testified to Our good-pleasure with him, and to this My Most Exalted Pen hath borne witness in this station and other stations. The teachers should accept from the Huquq only what is necessary, and that too if it be offered in a spirit of joy and radiance. Although sufficient conditions for teachers have been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen, in these days, while this servant was writing a petition to one of the Afnan of the Sacred Tree, this supreme utterance was heard from the Tongue of Grandeur - exalted be His glory and sublime be His station: “We beseech God to aid them to serve His Cause and to teach what the All-Bountiful hath revealed in the Book, in such wise that neither what is witnessed nor what is seen may become a veil or obstacle. God willing, may they be adorned with the robe of piety, the mantle of detachment and the crown of severance. What hath been mentioned is like unto weapons for the teachers, nay rather, more penetrating, more decisive and more effective.” The beloved of the heart, Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, had also written last year concerning this matter, and his purpose was that any teacher who is divinely assisted and commissioned for this mighty task should have with him only what suffices for his needs, and in whatever land he entereth, perfect detachment should be manifest from him. In truth, this matter is the greatest ladder for the ascent, rise, acceptance and attention of the peoples. Detachment and severance are two wings for the flight of those who are captives of self and passion to the atmosphere of nearness and the presence of God. Praise be to God that His Honor hath acted in accordance with what is acceptable before God. This is a great station and a mighty rank. His Honor the Afnan (A?), upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, and some others have labored greatly. In truth, they have acted upon whatever lay within their power and have not fallen short in exalting the Word, promoting the Cause and spending. Since His Honor was not content with their hardship, he should inform the loved ones of God with utmost joy and delight, that perchance hereafter the honored Afnan, upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory, might find rest. Although God, exalted be His glory, bestoweth whatever is befitting, yet since in these days their business affairs have suffered some loss, therefore it is more conducive to piety that they be relieved for a while. O beloved of my heart! Great favor hath been shown to them. Although at present this matter is hidden as it should be from them and others, yet God our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, will make it manifest.

That you wrote mentioning your presence at the home of Haji Mirza Fadlu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, together with the friends of God, upon them be the Glory of God - this was presented at the Most Holy Court. These are the words uttered by the Beloved of the worlds and the One mentioned in the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers, exalted be His glory: “O Fadlu’llah! The grace of God, exalted be His majesty, is manifest and evident in thy behalf, for thou hast been blessed with His mention and thy name hath been revealed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Most Great Prison. All the Prophets, saints and chosen ones have testified and do testify to the greatness of this bounty. Rejoice thou in this manifest grace. We have mentioned each of the beloved of God who were present in that gathering, and the name of each hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book. Blessed are they. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon them and upon My chosen ones and loved ones there and in other lands, and We counsel all to patience and forbearance in what hath befallen the righteous and in that which will exalt the Cause of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

And regarding what you wrote about the handmaiden of God [name], sister of Muhammad, who hath ascended to the Most Exalted Horizon - this was presented before the Throne, as was her petition, and these are the words uttered by the Tongue of Grandeur in response, exalted be His utterance and His mention:

“He is the Hearer, the Answerer. O My handmaiden and My leaf! Rejoice that thy cry hath ascended to the Divine Lote-Tree and it hath answered thee from the Most Exalted Horizon. Verily, there is no God but I, the Wronged One, the Stranger. We have appeared and made manifest the Cause, and guided all to the Straight Path of God. We have ordained the laws and commanded all to that which will profit them in the Hereafter and in this world. Yet they have pronounced death upon Me. By this the Maiden of Heaven hath lamented, the Mount of Sinai hath cried out, and the Faithful Spirit hath wept. They have deprived themselves of the outpourings of these days by following every ignorant remote one. They have cast the ocean of knowledge behind their backs, turning to the ignorant ones who claim knowledge without any proof from God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed art thou for having cast aside idle fancies and held fast to the cord of God, the Strong.

“Consider the grace of God, exalted be His glory. How many kings and queens of the world, after seeking and yearning and waiting, remained deprived of the Goal of the world’s inhabitants, while thou hast attained unto it. God willing, thou shalt succeed in performing such deeds whose fragrance shall endure throughout the eternity of God’s names, exalted be His glory. By God’s life! All that is visible on earth cannot equal the words ‘O My handmaiden.’ Soon shall the eyes of the world be illumined by what hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed art thou and blessed is the mother who nursed thee.

“Know thou the value of this station and arise to serve the Cause in such wise that the doubts and intimations of the suspicious ones may not hold thee back from standing firm. The sun of certitude is shining while people cling to vain imaginings; the ocean of knowledge is surging while the people hold fast to the hem of the ignorant. These chronic diseases can be cured only through the grace of God, exalted be His glory. Convey My greetings to the handmaidens in that land and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace and mercy. We have desired for thee a station - therefore praise and thank thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. Praise be to God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.”

Praise be to God for His bounties and favors! The showers of the divine springtime have been and continue to be the portion of those who seek, those who yearn, and the faithful handmaidens. The rays of the Sun of generosity are so manifest that should all created things together turn towards Him, they would attain to the ocean of His grace. We beseech His seas of generosity and bounty to adorn all with the lights of guidance and deprive none from this peerless favor. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Your other letter dated the 15th of Dhi’l-Qa’dah brought boundless joy to the world and bestowed gladness. May you ever be gladdened through the grace of God, exalted be His glory.

Regarding what you wrote about J.M.Sh., upon him be the Glory of God, some time ago a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was sent specifically for him in the company of Sheikh S.L., upon him be the Glory of God. God willing, may he be assisted to serve the Cause. Although grievous errors were manifested from him, yet God has pardoned him through His grace. Now the gaze of favor is turned toward him, and it is hoped that through God’s infinite bounty, exalted be His glory, whatever is beneficial for him will descend from the heaven of grace and be ordained by the Pen of Destiny. Man knoweth not what harmeth him or profiteth him. He knoweth and doeth what befitteth His loving-kindness toward His loved ones. However, what this evanescent servant has beseeched for him is that in these days he may act for God and in the path of God in such wise that the fragrance of immortality may forever waft from it throughout all kingdoms. In any case, I beseech from God that which is for the good of His servants.

Regarding what you wrote about his having departed out of respect for God’s Cause without informing others - this matter was highly acceptable before the Throne. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak, exalted be His glory: “It behooveth one like him to do as he hath done, and it beseemeth one like him to teach his Lord’s Cause.”

At one time this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of all being and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, exalted be His glory: “Detachment and severance are as the two greatest luminaries for the heaven of teaching. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this most great station and this most pure and most mighty habitation.”

As for the Tablets that were requested, they have been sent both with and without names. Likewise, wondrous and exalted Tablets have been revealed and sent from the heaven of divine Will specifically for the friends in Abadih, upon them be the Glory of God, the Lord of Oneness. Blessed are they, blessed are they! Theirs is a goodly beginning and end.

Regarding what you wrote about Haji Mirza Sh.K. (T.R.), upon him be the Glory of God, praise be to God that he has attained to the grace of God, exalted be His glory. He has been mentioned repeatedly in the Most Holy Court, and a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was sent specifically for him as well. The servant beseecheth his Lord to make him steadfast in this Most Great Cause in such wise that he may be pointed to with fingers of recognition. His movement and attention at present would be unwise. Should God will, He will write for him from His Most Exalted Pen the reward of attaining His presence. These are words the servant heard from the tongue of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory be upon him.

As to what was written concerning the passages specifically sent for his honor Khan, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory - to explain in detail, those passages did not belong to Khan himself but were requested by another, thus they were sent. And now it is not permissible to give them to him; according to the command they must reach that honored one - let him request them. When mention was made of the beloved of the heart, his honor Shaykh ’Ali, who attained in the earliest days before most others, and likewise mention of the honored Afnans, upon them be all His most glorious glory, at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Threshold according to that beloved one’s letter, these exalted words shone forth from the Dayspring of the Cause - exalted be His grandeur: “O Haydar-‘Ali! The fire of the Divine Lote-Tree is ablaze and the Interlocutor of the Mount is manifest and speaking. By the life of God! If the friends of God were to turn even slightly, the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance would so attract them that its effects would encompass the earth. And likewise they would become so enkindled by the fire of the Lote-Tree that the effect of its heat would become evident in all things. This enkindlement and attraction, in relation to its means, is sometimes manifest and sometimes hidden - that is, at times manifest under the shadow of the Name ’the Manifest’ and at times concealed under the shadow of the Name ‘the Hidden.’ Upon ’Ali be My glory, and likewise upon the Afnans, upon them be My glory - from their acceptance and orientation and enkindlement, hearts and souls are set ablaze and the effects of that enkindlement exist in the world, though now hidden. Soon will the world witness their attraction and their enkindlement and the effects of what they have wrought in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. They must give thanks to God for this bounty, the like of which exists not in the world and which no people have ever attained.” A hundred thousand regrets and losses for those souls who remained veiled and who, through false and slanderous words, were deprived of the supreme horizon and the most exalted summit. Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our bounty with the sun of Our utterance for My friends, upon whom there has befallen in My path that whose reward is treasured in the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Praise be to God! The beloved of the heart, his honor Shaykh ’Ali, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, attained in days when the horizon of the Sun of Truth was not free from clouds, and the river of divine mercy was flowing in the innermost mystery, and the face of the Cause was hidden from eyes and sight. A hundred thousand blessings upon them, for in such days they reached the Most Great Ocean and received their portion from the lights of the Sun of Truth. And likewise the honored ones, their honors the Afnans, upon them be all His most glorious glory, have attained to a station which this servant is powerless to mention, for God, exalted be His glory, has adorned them with the honor of relation to Himself. The entire world cannot equal one utterance of “O My Afnan!” Let alone the verses that have been specifically revealed for them which testify in most eloquent terms to their station before the faces of the world. Blessed are they and joy be unto them!

And likewise the honored ones and friends of God, exalted be His glory, whom you had mentioned - each has repeatedly been blessed with divine bounties. The reward of all is not and will not be lost with God. I swear by the Sun of Revelation, every breath they have drawn in divine love is remembered with God and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Were I to mention each one and reveal their station, I would need to occupy myself with numerous volumes and the composition of many books. The Truth Himself makes manifest. This servant beseeches God to assist them in all conditions to achieve steadfastness and service and such sincerity as all things would testify to, and whose effects would become manifest and evident in the world.

In the Name of the Wronged One! The All-Merciful hath revealed this Book from the Kingdom of Utterance unto all who dwell within the realm of possibility. Blessed is he who hath heard and responded, and woe betide every heedless doubter. This is the Day illumined by the lights of the Countenance, wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimeth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Final Return!” Thy mention hath been made in this station, and We have revealed for thee that which the tongues of creation are powerless to recount. Rejoice thou in that thou hast been remembered in the Most Great Prison, and the Face of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards thee from the Most Exalted Station. We have revealed the verses and manifested the clear proofs, and We have called all to the Straight Path. Among the people are those who have turned away and denied, and among them are those who have pronounced judgment against Us without clear proof or evidence. The first to turn away from Us were the divines of the earth in this age, who call upon My name by night and day while reclining upon their lofty cushions, yet when I manifested Myself, they rose against Me in such wise as caused the very pebbles to cry out. Blessed art thou for having heard the Call and turned unto it, and for having answered thy Lord when He came with power and sovereignty.

And this is what was revealed for the other one. He, exalted be His glory, saith:

In My Name, the One manifest from the horizon of utterance! Glorified be He Who hath appeared and manifested His Cause in such wise that all things have spoken. The Promise hath come, and the Promised One hath appeared, to Whom all atoms testify that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The eyes of those near unto God have been gladdened by this Revelation, whereby the Tree of Sinai hath spoken, the darkness hath been illumined, and the Dove of the Cause hath cooed upon the branches of the Tree of Utterance that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Loving. How many a servant hath turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon, and how many a king hath turned away from God, the Lord of all kings. Blessed is the heart that hath turned, and the face that hath been directed, and the ear that hath heard this Call which hath been raised from this praiseworthy station. Grieve thou not over anything, but place thy trust in God in all matters. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in the Prison and for having taught me that which lay hidden in Thy knowledge and inscribed in Thy Books. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and to cling to the hem of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

[…]

O My handmaiden and My leaf! Praise thou the Best-Beloved of the worlds, that thou hast been made to attain this most great bounty in days when most of the divines and notables of the earth are deprived thereof. We have made mention of thee by the name of “Leaf,” that thou mayest, even as the leaves, be stirred by the winds of the Will of God, exalted be His glory, even as the leaves of the trees of the earth are stirred by the blowing of the winds. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this clear remembrance. Shouldst thou discover the sweetness of the words “O My handmaiden,” thou wouldst find thyself detached from all the worlds, occupied day and night with the remembrance of the one intended Lord. We have mentioned each of the leaves and handmaidens who have drunk from the waters of the Most Merciful’s mercy and who are turned toward the Court of God, in most wondrous utterance. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. God shall soon reveal their station in a place that cannot be described by mention nor characterized by attributes. We counsel thee to that which will cause the exaltation of God’s Cause amongst His servants and handmaidens. He heareth the call of His loved ones and beholdeth their deeds. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The glory be upon thee and upon them from God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And as for the mention made of the Greater Lady (upon her be 96 [Baha’u’llah]) who is known as Hajiyyih, it was submitted and one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed especially for her:

O beloved of My heart! The waves of the divine ocean of bounty are such that no one can comprehend them or adequately render thanks. The very essence of praise, glorification and thanksgiving finds itself evanescent and wanting in this arena. In days when the arrows of tribulation rain down more abundantly than showers from the heaven of hatred, and when the darkness of malice encompasses all directions, the Supreme Pen speaks in such wise that a hundred thousand essences of spirit are found thunderstruck. With a hundred thousand expressions of humility and supplication do I beseech Him to awaken the heedless and give them to drink from the ocean of knowledge. He is the Bestower, He is the Giver, He is the Munificent, He is the Generous, He is the Mighty, the All-Seeing. I have strayed from the subject. This is what was revealed for her, His words, exalted be His glory:

He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon

O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Names, Who hath turned toward thee from the prison and maketh mention of thee. He hath aided every seeker, answered every call, and guided every wayfarer. Today the straight path is manifest, the balance of justice is set up, and the lights of the sun of bounty are shining. However, the darkness of oppressive souls hath become as clouds between the sun of bounty and the people of the world, becoming a veil and barrier. Blessed is the one who hath rent asunder the veil and become illumined by the lights of the Sun of Revelation. How many souls who counted themselves among the wise and learned were, on the Day of God, deprived and forbidden from all bounties. O My leaf! O My handmaiden! Know thou the value of this bounty, and likewise the mercy that hath preceded thee and guided thee to the highest horizon. Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to the steadfast handmaidens and gladden them with His favors.

And this is what was revealed for the spouse of His Honor Anis, upon them both be the glory of God:

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Knowing […]

O My Leaf! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the True One, the Knower of things unseen. We have sent down from the heaven of Revelation that whereby faces are illumined and eyes are gladdened. The Promise hath come, yet the people perceive not. The Promised One hath appeared, yet they understand not. He hath come unto Whom the world hath submitted and the pillars of the nations have been shaken - they who have violated the Covenant and the Testament. He Whom they remember by night and by day hath come unto them, yet they have turned away from Him and pronounced judgment against Him with such tyranny as hath caused the Spirit of the Cause to lament and the Throne to cry out from its exalted station. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for having chosen thee for His servant who was for numbered years a captive in the hands of the idolaters, and delivered him by a command from His presence - and He is the Ordainer of what was and what will be.

O My Leaf! Praise be to the Goal of the world Who hath illumined thine eyes with the light of His knowledge and caused thine ears to hearken unto His most sweet call - a call that is raised in the nights and days, at eve and at morn. The Hand of Grace took thy hand and brought thee from the darkness of idle fancies to the dawning-place of certitude. We beseech God to aid thee in that which befitteth this lofty station. He, verily, hath forgiven thee and thy mother. Thy Lord is indeed the All-Bountiful, the Generous. We give thee and her the glad-tidings of My mercy and My favor, and We make mention of thy brother’s wife and give her the glad-tidings of My grace that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The effulgences of the Sun of Truth have so seized upon the chosen ones, the loved ones, the steadfast women and the leaves that, by the life of our Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and earth, were they to hear the divine verses with the ear of truth, they would all become so enkindled as to set the world aflame - meaning that every soul in whom remaineth a trace of spirit would attain unto true life. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

At this moment, having turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon, until entering the Station, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke, and His most sweet utterance is this: “O servant! What wert thou occupied with?” It was submitted: “With writing replies to the letters of his honor Mirza and making mention of the chosen ones.” At that moment this supreme word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of creation - exalted be His glory and mighty His power: “We desire to make mention once again of the stars of the heaven of knowledge and to counsel them with that whereby the Cause of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, may be exalted. Blessed are they in that they have turned, hearkened, responded, and attained unto that which the learned and wise ones of the earth have been heedless of, save whom God hath willed, the Lord of the worlds. They must hold fast unto unity and concord in such wise that the differences of the world may not cause division and separation. They must arise with utmost dedication to reform the world, and must at all times guide heedless souls to the ocean of wisdom through wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may become aware and be freed and detached from all else but God. And We command Our loved ones to preserve their stations. By My life! For each one a station is ordained that the pens of the world are powerless to describe. Blessed are they! Blessed are they!”

In truth, this is the Day of deeds, actions, wisdom and utterance. In one of the Tablets this exalted Word hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen - exalted be His utterance: “In all matters be ye guided by wisdom. Wisdom is the greatest remedy. How often it transformeth the denier into a believer, and the enemy into a friend. Adherence unto it is binding, for in most of the Tablets this theme hath been revealed from the heaven of the Will of Him Who is the Dawning-Place of the Light of Unity. Well is it with them that act accordingly.” At all times hold fast unto that which will lead to the exaltation of the Word of God. Goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character are the hosts of God in this Most Great Revelation, and likewise are blessed and sanctified words. These hosts attract hearts and unlock doors. This weapon is mightier than any weapon in the world. I beseech God to assist all to act in accordance with what hath been revealed by His Most Exalted Pen in the Books and Tablets.

In all conditions I implore the Truth, exalted be His glory, for assistance. Without His bounties, no thing among all things hath borne or beareth fruit. His is the grace, the bounty and the generosity, and His is that which the nations are powerless to describe.

That beloved one’s other letter dated the 23rd of the revered month of Sha’ban was indeed as water of the bow for the thirsty heart of the Lion. Praise be to God, it brought complete joy. Whenever a sweet fragrance wafteth from the direction of that beloved one’s love, it is truly like a musk-laden breeze for this evanescent servant. It perfumeth the nostrils of the soul and manifesteth the heart with renewed strength, for it is entirely adorned with mention, praise, service and love of the Beloved of the world. Therein was recorded what befell the people of God in the land of M and A. Exalted, exalted is the deed of ’Ali, the mention of ’Ali, the utterance of ’Ali, the steadfastness of ’Ali, the martyrdom of ’Ali, the effacement of ’Ali, the sobriety of ’Ali, the ascension of ’Ali, and the loftiness of ’Ali! By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, there hath been manifested from him such steadfastness as hath adorned the heaven of power, and such oppression as hath caused the Maids of Paradise in their chambers and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise in their lofty stations to lament.

In truth, it would be a pity for such blood to be shed in vain and freeze upon the ground. The excellence of his deed was that none of them saw any opposition, and nothing contrary to wisdom occurred. Purely for the sake of God did he sacrifice the most precious and noble things of the world. Blessed is he, a whole world of blessedness is his! The words, utterance and mention of this servant are not worthy of this station, but there hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen that which is befitting. His is the praise in all conditions.

In these days it is not advisable for that honored one to turn towards those regions, and especially regarding the captives of that land who have arrived at the prison of Ta, magnificent and glorious verses have been revealed and sent. The mention of that land, its captives and its martyrs hath been and is present before the Most Holy Court. Journey to the land of Ta is also not permissible this year, as complete trust cannot be placed even in those within. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Concealer, the Generous.

With regard to the mention of Jinab-i-Mashhadi Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God, what they had intended was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence and was accepted. However, they stated that mention of him is not permitted at this time, as the corruptors of the earth are in motion and seeking pretexts. They also stated that his services in this path have been and are remembered, and for some time a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet has been specifically revealed for him but not yet sent. It will be sent in these days, and another Tablet was also revealed in these two days. God willing, he will attain to both of them.

Regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Haji Ali and his wife, upon them both be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. This is what the Speaker of Sinai uttered, exalted be His grandeur and glorified be His majesty: “This matter was accepted before the Divine Presence. Yes, what the aforementioned Haji has done, meaning in the marriage of the daughter of Dhabih, upon him and her be the Glory of God. We have mentioned him before and on this day with that which brings joy to the eyes and causes spirits to soar. Give him My glad-tidings and remind him from the Wronged One of what hath been sent down from God, the Lord of all beings. God willing, may they spend their days with joy and fragrance and unity and harmony, and be occupied with the mention and praise of the Goal of all the worlds in the evening and at dawn.” End quote.

In truth, remaining in the Land of Ta at this time yields no fruit. God willing, the son of His Holiness Dhabih, upon them both be the Glory of God, will hold fast to what is right and will not cause division. Even if only for a change of air, their turning toward the land of Jinab-i-Haji is beloved. The servant beseeches his Lord to assist all to that which He loves and with which He is pleased. And peace be upon those who follow guidance.

Another submission: Jinab-i-Mahbubi-Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, has repeatedly mentioned your honor. In truth, they are focused on truth and speak the truth. They have not let go of what is right and God willing will not do so. In any case, good mention of your honor has been repeatedly heard from them. May God grant success so that all may be enabled to do what befits this blessed Day.

The souls mentioned in your letter have truly drunk from the ocean of love and are gazing toward the horizon of grace. This evanescent non-entity bears witness to this regarding them and begs God, glorified be His majesty, for their success. Some time ago, Holy and Exalted Tablets were specifically revealed for all from the heaven of Divine Will and God willing they will be sent. I beseech and hope from the Exalted Truth that all may attain to the fragrances of the verses of our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the world.

Regarding what you wrote about the Huquq, that the aforementioned Haji intends to pay it, this is from God’s grace which He bestows on whomever He wishes. Praise be to God, they were assisted to act according to what was revealed in the Book. The amount they agreed to give this year was divided according to command. The details will be presented. I beseech God to assist them to mighty deeds and bestow blessings from the heaven of grace. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

Concerning what you wrote about the Sacred Resting Places of the Most Exalted Leaf and the Greatest Holy Leaf and His Holiness the Afnan, the Most Great Uncle - upon them both be all the Most Glorious Glory - and the petition of him who attained and other souls, upon them be the Glory of God, it was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Threshold of the Lord of all beings and was granted acceptance. In truth, this is a most exalted bounty, for no obliteration can reach it and no removal can affect it. That such a bounty should be manifested from the Supreme Pen in the days of the Revelation indicates its station and rank. In truth, they have attained unto an everlasting robe and an eternal adornment. Blessed are they, happy are they, and joy be unto them. This mention shall be immortalized in the Book of God and its fragrance shall be diffused amongst the servants. This beginning is sanctified from ending and conclusion. In this regard, utterances were heard from the Tongue of Grandeur, including these exalted words - His glory be exalted: “The Sun of divine utterance shall never set, and no sunset shall follow it.” Thus is the station of immortality, to which our Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, bears witness. And specifically, the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed in this regard, namely concerning the conferral of custodianship of the specific Sacred Resting Places therein to his eminence Fadl, who attained the presence of God in prison, and other souls whose names were revealed in the Tablet, as a command from the All-Knowing Commander. This is what was revealed from the Kingdom of Command - exalted be His utterance:

He is the Commander, the All-Wise

O Fadlu’llah! We have appointed thee and the four known ones mentioned before the Face as custodians of the Resting Place of the Most Exalted Leaf and the Shrines associated with Us there, and We have placed the custodianship in your hands as a glory for you and your descendants, for as long as the earthly and heavenly kingdoms endure. Be thankful to God for this everlasting dominion and perpetual bounty. Verily, He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth, and He is the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Arise with firm and steadfast determination to serve that which has been entrusted to you by God, the Possessor of all that was and shall be.

Likewise, a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of bounty regarding the acceptance of the house and garden of his eminence ? and S, upon him be the Glory of God. His majesty be exalted and His grandeur be magnified:

He is the Truth, there is no God but Him

O Husayn! We have accepted thy house and thy garden and have adorned them with the ornament of acceptance, and We have designated them as a dwelling place for the friends who travel and journey through the lands for the promotion of the Cause and the exaltation of God’s binding Word. We have appointed thee as their custodian and servant, and We have ordained them as an enduring, eternal remembrance for thee, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Hearing, the Responding.

Praise be to God! Two suns have appeared from the horizon of the grace of the Ancient Lord - meaning two Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Desired One of the worlds. Each speaks with the most eloquent utterance through the bounty of God, exalted be His glory. God willing, may they attain unto them and act upon that which they are commanded. Likewise, the Huququ’llah which Haji ’Ali, upon him be the glory of God, was enabled to pay has all been accepted, and this blessed word was revealed from the Kingdom of the utterance of the All-Merciful. He says, blessed and exalted be He: “We have accepted what he offered in the path of God. Blessed is he who hath succeeded in discharging the rights of his Lord.” After acceptance, as commanded, it was divided: fifty designated for the prisoners of Ra and Shin, forty designated for the prisoners of the land of ?a, and fifty from Shaykh S.L. was taken for certain travelers - this amount should reach them. And fifty should be sent to the Most Holy Court, and one year’s worth was bestowed upon Haji ’Ali himself - meaning it was gifted to him. This is truly a great bounty and mighty favor for one who is assisted today in serving the Cause and paying the rights of God, for its effects and fruits endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. We beseech God to enable us to remember and praise Him, to perform good deeds, to speak goodly words, to manifest pleasing and acceptable character, and to arise to serve His firm and mighty Cause. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes from God, exalted be His station, that He may inspire all to recognize the greatness of this time and station, that all may know the value of this day and arise as befits it. Verily He is the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful. May the glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of bounty be upon you and upon the companion and upon God’s loved ones and chosen ones there who have not broken God’s Covenant and His Testament and whom the ranks and hosts have not frightened. Praise be to God, the Lord of this Promised Day.

Praise be to God once again! I have attained unto your handwriting. Regarding what you wrote about the beloved companion and the honored ones Aqa Mirza Siyyid ’Ali, Aqa Ghulam-Husayn, and Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, upon them be the glory of God and His favors - on the seventh night of the month of ?afar, one hour and twenty-five minutes after sunset, intending the supreme heights and the seat of the Throne, what you wrote was presented before the countenance of the Ancient Lord. He recited the blessed verse revealed in the Most Holy Book, His mighty utterance and exalted remembrance: “Marry, O people, that from you may appear one who will make mention of Me amid My servants. This is My command unto you; hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves.” Then this supreme word appeared from the Most Exalted Kingdom, exalted be His majesty: “O servant in attendance! All matters have been and are in the grasp of divine power, and whatever He commands is beloved. We have mentioned each of the souls mentioned in such wise that all things are attracted by the wine of remembrance and speak in praise of the One remembered. This is of God’s grace which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. Write to them that poverty itself seeks glory. By the life of God! True poverty is like an ocean and the glory of the world like a drop, but the glory of the Friend ever gazeth with humility and submissiveness upon the friends, is turned toward them and is seated with them.” Thus ended His words.

After mention of poetry and the Covenant by his honor Aqa Mirza Siyyid ’Ali and likewise the requests of other gentlemen, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these blessed words, exalted be His glory: They must act according to what hath been revealed in the Most Holy Book from the Kingdom of God’s Will. The Supreme Pen inscribeth the reward of attainment unto His presence for each one in the Crimson Book. He raiseth up the banner of “He doeth what He willeth” and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth. None can say “why” or “wherefore.” This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, that after bestowing the supreme bounty - namely, the reward of attainment unto His presence - circumstances may arise whereby they may outwardly attain His presence and drink from the Kawthar of reunion. When this bounty will be made manifest and the Sun of permission will shine forth dependeth on His will. Yet praise be to the Goal of all existence Who, through His infinite grace, hath bestowed that which no thing among all things can equal. The reward of attaining His presence is a mighty blessing and it is the everlasting heavenly feast. Praise be to God that they have attained it. A hundred thousand regrets for those souls who remain heedless of today’s bounty and are veiled and unaware of the lights of the Sun of Truth.

As for what you wrote regarding spending the night at the holy and sanctified resting place of His Holiness the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs - may my spirit be a sacrifice for them both - in the land of ?ad: By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, His Holiness performed what is among the most excellent of deeds. How can this poor nothing adequately render thanks for this, or the other friends who dwell in that land? This servant, on behalf of himself and them, confesseth to powerlessness and shortcoming. When utmost bewilderment had overtaken me and I was immersed in the sea of contemplation, it occurred to me to visit, on their behalf, the Spot that “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him.” This is a deed for which a hundred thousand million worlds would constitute profit upon profit. Immediately I engaged in praise and thanksgiving to the Peerless Beloved and sought permission. After the Sun of permission rose from the horizon of His Will, I presented myself and attained the visitation, which was adorned with the ornament of acceptance. This is a deed for which no likeness or peer hath been or can be imagined. His is the praise and the bounty, His the grace and generosity and mercy.

As for the mention of the family - upon them be His most glorious splendor - and the bounties and love they showed to you: In truth, they are worthy of this station. They have ever been engaged in service to the Truth and have shown the utmost love toward His loved ones. Whatever befell them through the oppression of the oppressors - namely the Wolf and the She-Serpent - did not prevent them from the love of God. They are steadfast, and this is a most exalted station. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to keep them assisted and confirmed. Verily, He hath power over all things.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad-?adiq, upon him be the Glory of God - a most holy and exalted Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of bounty specifically for him and hath been sent. God willing, he shall attain unto it and drink from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful - a draught whose ultimate bounds are sanctified and exalted. Let him drink thereof and give others to drink. Such souls, if they conduct themselves with wisdom and remain firm and steadfast in the love of God, shall receive the confirmations of God, exalted be His glory. They must engage in teaching with the utmost wisdom, that perchance the people of those regions may catch the fragrance of the Revelation and hearken unto the call of the Friend, and act in accordance with that which shall profit them. This is what hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of our Lord, the All-Merciful, for His honor, upon him be the Glory of God. These are His blessed and exalted words:

In My Name, the Manifest One, Who speaketh from the Supreme Horizon […]

The Wronged One makes mention of him who has turned to the All-Knowing, the One, and has recognized His unity even as the Supreme Pen hath recognized it when it moved within the arena of utterance. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the recognition of its Lord, and woe betide every heedless doubter. Man is like unto a tree. If he be adorned with fruit, he hath been and will ever be worthy of praise and commendation. Otherwise, a fruitless tree is but fit for fire. The fruits of the tree of man are exquisite and highly desired and beloved - praiseworthy character, goodly deeds, and pleasing words are accounted as the fruits of this tree. The spring season of trees is witnessed each year, but the springtime of human trees is the Days of the Manifestation of God, exalted be His glory. If in this divine springtime the trees of human existence become adorned with the aforementioned fruits, then verily the light of the Sun of Justice shall encompass all who dwell on earth, and all shall find themselves at rest and content beneath the shade of Him Who is the Desired One.

The water for these trees is the Kawthar of utterance of the Beloved of all possibility. In one moment they are planted, and in another, through the showers of the mercy of the All-Merciful, their branches are seen reaching toward heaven. A withered tree is not and hath never been worthy of mention. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with the ornament of endeavor and hath arisen to serve the Cause. He hath attained unto his purpose and hath recognized that for which he was created.

Alas, a hundred thousand times alas, for the heedless souls who are in truth like unto dried leaves scattered upon the ground. Ere long shall the wind of death return each one to their appointed place. Heedless did they come, heedless did they live, and heedless did they return to their abode. At all times doth the world cry out with its loudest voice, saying: “I am evanescent, and my appearances and colors are evanescent. Take warning from the differences and changes that occur within me and be ye admonished.” Nevertheless, there is no eye to see and no ear to hear.

The true ear proclaimeth this day and saith: “Happy am I, for this is my Day, inasmuch as the Voice of God is raised.” And the essence of sight declareth: “Blessed am I, happy am I, for this is my Day, since the Ancient Beauty is shining resplendent from the Most Exalted Horizon.” The people of Baha must at all times beseech and supplicate the Lord of Names that perchance the people of creation may not be deprived of the effusions of these days.

All the divines were wont to utter these words, and I repeatedly heard them say in the days of My childhood: “O what is that Word at which even the holy ones take flight?” Say: That Word is now made manifest, and ye fled before hearing it, and ye perceive it not. And that blessed, hidden, treasured and concealed Word is this: “He” hath appeared in the garment of “I,” and the “Self-Subsisting” speaketh forth with “I am the One Who is manifest.” This is that Word at which the limbs of the disbelievers have quaked. Glory be to God! In all the Books of old mention hath been made of the greatness of this Day, the greatness of this Revelation, the greatness of its signs, the greatness of its Word, the greatness of its steadfastness, the greatness of its station and rank. Yet despite this, the people remain heedless and veiled therefrom. The Prophets yearned to attain unto this Day. David saith: “Who will bring me into the strong city?” The strong city is Akka, and its fortress is […]

The Wronged One is imprisoned therein. And likewise in the Qur’an He saith: “Lead forth the people from darkness into light and announce to them the days of God.” In most of the divine scriptures and books, mention of this Day hath been recorded and inscribed with utmost clarity. The divines of the age have forbidden the people from this most exalted station, this sublime summit and ultimate goal. Blessed art thou, who hast not allowed the darkness of vain imaginings to prevent thee from the light of certitude, and whom the might of days hath not withheld from the Lord of all names. Know thou the value of this station and beseech its protection from God, exalted be His glory. In all conditions, the eternal dominion hath been and shall ever be His and His loved ones. The glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to God’s mighty cord.

Praise be to God that the effulgent rays of the Sun of favor have encompassed all, and such bounty hath appeared that every novel mention hath confessed its powerlessness to describe it. This evanescent one beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to protect all - namely the friends and the masters - from the evil of the deceitful ones, the treacherous ones and the crafty ones. He is the Protector of all, the Powerful over all, and the Encompasser of all.

And concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Mirza ’Abbas, upon him be the glory of God, that in his early days he is aflame with the fire of love and engaged in service - this matter too was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke, exalted and mighty be His Word:

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. God willing, may the new saplings, through the rains of divine mercy, be adorned with wondrous and delightful leaves and fruits. Today the rays of the sun of grace have encompassed the world. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto it, and woe unto every doubting heedless one. Joy unto the trees that move by the winds of God’s will, exalted be His glory. In thy early days thou didst attain unto the recognition of God and service to His loved ones. God willing, throughout all conditions and days of life, mayest thou remain focused on the supreme horizon, enkindled with the fire of His love and illumined by the lights of His countenance. The Command is in the hands of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The glory be upon thee.

This evanescent servant also conveyeth his pure greetings to all, again and again. I am now ashamed to write further, for I have caused much trouble. Would that each minute of these days were a thousand minutes, and each hour a thousand hours, and this servant were enabled to occupy himself with the mention and praise of God’s loved ones. Though even then he could not properly fulfill this task, yet there is hope that this wish may find expression and become established in deeds. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Powerful, the Mighty. The glory shining forth from the heaven of our Lord’s favor be upon your honor and upon those who are with you, who love you, who hearken to your words, who aid you and who support you for the sake of God, the Lord of the throne and earth, and the Sovereign of the hereafter and of the former days.

Another submission is that for each and every one of the friends of God - both men and women - who were mentioned in your letters, a most sublime, most mighty and most holy Tablet was sent down from the heaven of bounty and dispatched. This servant recorded these both in the original letter and separately wrote and sent each Tablet. Praise be to God, they were mentioned repeatedly. As for that which is not in the form of a Tablet, meaning certain revealed passages, that beloved one should send copies thereof to their intended recipients. Likewise, one most mighty, most holy, most glorious and most luminous Tablet was revealed specifically for that beloved one and was sent, as a bounty beyond what was revealed in the letter. God willing, they will attain unto it. And according to that honored one’s request, Tablets numbering the Greatest Name were sent without names. As for the Tablets revealed specifically for the friends in the land of Sh, these were sent to the spiritual beloved, his honor Anis, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, that he may deliver them. And those specifically for the friends in Abadih were sent to his honor Afnan, Aqa Mirza Aqa, upon him be all the most glorious Glory, that he may forward them. God willing, may the fragrance of the divine verses and holy words that have emerged from the treasuries of knowledge embrace them all and confirm them in that which He loves and is pleased with. Verily, He has power over all things. Praise be to God, the One, the Mighty, the Peerless.

The Servant

19th of Muharram al-Haram 1301

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

Praise be to God Who created the Supreme Pen and breathed into it, whereupon all who are in earth and heaven were thunderstruck, save those whom His pervading Will and all-encompassing Purpose did choose - they are honored servants whom neither the swords of creation nor the hosts of invention could frighten. They are they whom God hath described in the Books of the past and of the future. The Qur’an hath borne witness to them, as did before it the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms, and whatsoever was sent down from God, the Mighty, the Loving.

Praise be to God Who hath raised up from every drop of the blood of His loved ones creations whose number none can reckon save His own Self, and hath made them dawning-places of His love and daysprings of His affection. They are the Hands of His Cause amidst creation, they who have aided God throughout all ages and have arisen to accomplish that which God did desire, in such wise that neither the power of kings nor the clashing of their swords nor the neighing of their steeds did deter them from the Truth. They have raised their call with utmost power between earth and heaven, summoning all unto the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of the hereafter and of the former world, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to inscribe me among their company and among those who have sought shelter beneath their shade and have quaffed the choice wine of grace from their hands. Verily He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth and judgeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Ruler, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Thereafter, O beloved of my heart, this servant hath heard what the nightingale of thy praise warbled upon the branches of the tree of faithfulness when thy letter arrived, which testified to thy love for the Desired One of the world and the Ancient Lord Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name. God knoweth that after perusing its contents, such joy and gladness seized me that every tongue and pen is powerless to describe it. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist you and reward you with the most excellent reward from the wonders of His grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

When the breezes of your love stirred me and the fragrances of your traces wafted over me, I ascended to the station of nearness, sanctity and beauty, and presented its contents before the countenance of our Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. When it was concluded, the Divine Lote-Tree spoke in such wise as transcended all reckoning. I stood before the Throne, bewildered and contemplative, until He spoke - and His utterance is the sweetest:

“O thou servant who art present! Make mention of him on My behalf and say: Verily We have remembered thee throughout most years and have sent unto thee that which hath brought delight to the eyes of the Concourse on High. Thy Lord is verily the All-Giving, the Most Generous. This is a Day wherein the Kingdom hath proclaimed: ‘The dominion belongeth unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Informed.’ Arise to make mention of God and His praise, then remember Him with such remembrance as will cause its fragrance to be diffused throughout the world, that every heart that hath turned unto God, the Lord of all worlds, may be drawn thereby. How many a remembrance through which God guideth His wandering servants, and how many a praise whereby God’s mention is raised amongst creation and the standard of His Cause is hoisted upon every lofty hill. Say: O people! Reflect upon the generations that have gone before and the ornamented palaces. No trace remaineth of the former people, nor can any vestige be seen of the latter. Every lofty edifice hath crumbled and every adorned temple hath perished. Where are the Caesars who built palaces for themselves, and where are the Pharaohs who made themselves partners with their Creator? They have forcibly abandoned their palaces and have necessarily taken to their graves, by the command of God, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

O Husayn! Hearken to the call of the Wronged One, Whose Most Exalted Pen speaks at all times and summons all who dwell in the realm of possibility to a station that neither the changes of the world nor earthly conditions in the kingdom of creation can alter. Thus have We made mention of thee, that thou mayest rejoice and remember thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Husayn! Leave all created things behind thee and all contingent beings beneath thy feet. Take thou the chalice of utterance in My Name, then drink therefrom through My wondrous remembrance. Let not the conditions of creation sadden thee. Rejoice in that which the True One maketh mention of thee from this exalted Station. By the life of God! This is what shall profit thee in all the worlds of God. To this testify the concourse of My celestial Kingdom, the dwellers of My pavilion, and they that circle round My mighty Throne. We make mention in this station of him whom God hath manifested through thee, as a bounty from Him–and He is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Beautiful. The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have heard the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai and have answered the Lord of all worlds. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones who have voiced My remembrance and praise and have arisen to assist My mighty and well-established Cause. Say: Blessed be your faces for having turned unto the Countenance, and blessed be your eyes for having attained, and blessed be your hearts for having advanced. Thus doth the Pen of the Most Merciful make mention of you and give you glad tidings that ye may rejoice in these days wherein the Tree crieth out amidst all creation: “There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.” Say: Beware lest anything withhold you from God. Take ye what ye have been commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Turn not your attention to the servants and their might, nor to the princes and their power, nor to the divines and their factions, nor to the mystics and their companions. Leave those who call you to vain imaginings and say: “By God! The horizon of creation hath been illumined by the Sun of knowledge from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Say: This is the Day of remembrance and utterance, this is the Day wherein God hath informed you of His Revelation. Read ye the former Books that ye may know what hath been revealed therein from One Who is the Numberer, the All-Knowing. Thus have We adorned the heaven of the Tablet with the suns of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds and the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!”

As to what you had written, that this servant had made no expression and had not troubled you with empty words that neither nourish nor satisfy–the truth is with you. However, God, exalted and sanctified be He, is witness and testifier that this negligence or delay was due to the press of work, and also in the hope that Mulla Muhammad-’Ali, who was carrying your esteemed letter, would soon return, and what was concealed in the heart regarding expressions of love would be conveyed. As it happened, his return was delayed, and this delay too was due to certain reasons–God, the Lord of all worlds, knoweth. The press of work for this ephemeral one has reached such a degree that there has not been and is not a moment’s respite, whether from these regions or from those directions. I beseech God, glorified and exalted be He, that through your prayers this ephemeral one may be assisted in this mighty service. The word that shone forth from the horizon of your pen, saying in Arabic “I am your suppliant,” became the cause of the joy of the Beloved of the world. He smiled greatly and showed great kindness from the dawning-place of grace. In truth, it behooveth every being to sacrifice his spirit for His bounty and gifts and favors. And as to what you had written that “the older a servant becomes, the less his worth,” He said: “We bear witness that you are in the prime of youth. He that hath attained unto My love shall ever remain in the springtime of days and the springtime of life.”

As to what you mentioned concerning that certain person, it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He said: “May they, through divine grace, be successful in drinking at all times from the Kawthar of the Merciful’s grace and in offering it to others, in shattering the idols of men’s vain imaginings through the name of the Friend of these days, in bestowing the choice wine of certitude upon the people of idle fancies, and in offering the Salsabil of knowledge to those possessed of ignorance. May they guide those who are lost in the wilderness of unknowing to the ocean of divine knowledge, and make fresh and verdant those who have withered in these times through the waters of utterance. This is not difficult for God to accomplish.

“In truth, if a soul in this day be enabled to turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon, his word will be effective and will assuredly influence hearts, and its traces will become manifest in the world. Thus doth inform thee He with Whom is the knowledge of all things, and I am the All-Informed. Thus doth teach thee He to Whose knowledge God’s books have testified aforetime, and I am the All-Knowing.

“As to your having kept these matters concealed, this is in accordance with divine wisdom. Some souls abide beneath the canopies of glory, and they drink at every moment from the ocean of joy without any trace appearing upon their lips. None is aware of them save God alone, with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a Mighty Book. The purpose of this concealment has been and will continue to be the promotion of the Cause of God, for if a soul be deprived of this most exalted station, he has indeed been deprived of the fruit of existence itself. Blessed are they who arise to serve this most mighty Cause, and who, even if they themselves be deprived, cause others to attain unto it. He mentioneth that which profiteth His servants. He, verily, is the All-Wise Teacher.

“A special Tablet was sent for them without name; deliver it. God willing, they will comprehend from its letters the hidden meanings and drink from its words the water of life. By God’s life! It is the Breath of God in the lands and the Spirit of the Cause for His servants. Blessed is he who hath attained unto it and unto the pearls concealed in the ocean of its utterance. He is among the most exalted of creation in the sight of the True One, the Inaccessible. Thus did the ocean surge and the fragrance waft. Blessed is he who hath found, and woe unto the heedless.”

And concerning what you wrote about the hidden operation, after the details two of its components are and will be dispensed with, as was alluded to in the blessed Persian Tablets of the Supreme Pen. I swear by the life of that Beloved One that this is among the mysteries of the Cause that has never before been mentioned, and until now everyone who has entered into this matter - that is, who has detailed this special substance - has desired that those separated components become one thing, which has been and is impossible. Beyond this no one’s intellect has comprehended, and the thoughts of the servants have not advanced a step further, even though it has flowed from the Supreme Pen that like and similar substances should be taken. Nevertheless, they have taken pure water with viscous black oil and that earth which tells of the people of hell, desiring to unite them together. Alas, alas! For between water and oil complete opposition is evident - they have never been and never will be capable of mixing and uniting. And the earth too, when its essence is taken and reaches the state of ash, certainly has not been and will not be capable of life. Some philosophers have mentioned ash, but what is meant by ash is the body (jasad) not the form (jism), for when the spirit of the form is taken, its life afterward is impossible. In the body there remains a vestige of spirit, though hidden; after treatment it is observed living and animate. What is meant by water is volatile water, that is, similar to volatile; you must obtain it, and likewise some oil before its solidification, and nurture that water in it until it solidifies. These two components and two elements possess four natures, for in water there is cold and moisture, and in oil there is dryness and heat. This same water solidifies in the oil and is called the noble stone. This is why the philosophers have said “that which is not seen and that which is not found in what is not seen and is not found.” Now observe that some people suppose that the stone exists and countless differences appear concerning it - each group considers some thing to be the stone and busies itself with treating it, wasting their lives. This is why they have said “Work comes after knowledge.” In any case, the stone has been and will be hidden, stored, and concealed. After nurturing it in the eye of the sun which is oil - that is, the heat of the oil draws out its excess moisture - in this case it solidifies and appears like marble. It must be freed from the oil, and after being freed and washed, some of that same water from which this stone was produced must be made to prevail over it, and gradually with a fire like the heat of the sun it must be nurtured until whatever it has taken from the essence of oil is dissolved by this water which is the key, and this operation must be repeated until that which is the essence within this Stone is entirely extracted - and this essence is known as the Red Sulfur, the Philosophers’ Gold, and the Two-Winged Gold. Often this essence appears white upon the surface of the water, and sometimes it appears as a most beautiful red. That which is white can, with some cultivation, be observed to turn red. Verily, this is the Red Sulfur, of which none is aware save God, the Possessor of Destiny, Who speaks from the Most Great Scene. Verily, there is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As to what you have written regarding similarity, the purpose is the oiliness of water - that is, water must be cultivated until its inner oiliness becomes manifest. In this state, its mixture with other oils becomes easy, but as long as its watery form remains, it is not and will not be capable of mixture. This water is that which has been called the volatile, the water of air, the fire of air, and by other names. It is the Divine Water. In any case, as mentioned, the acquisition of two elements which possess the four elements is necessary. In this state they are called the Mercury of the East and West.

If you wish to dissolve all of that Stone, some of which has been dissolved and united with the Divine Water, it is possible - you must extract that water from it and gradually return a portion to it until all is dissolved. This matter must be completed with very gentle fire or gentle vapor. Then, when all - meaning the Stone and what has appeared from it - manifests in the form of water, gradually through heat its moisture is completely removed. After completion it congeals, and this dissolution and congealment may be completed in one operation, or in three or more times. Often, that very essence which was obtained from the noble Stone produces the work and hope, and is completed - this is Mercury alone. Some have also ground and pulverized the earth of the Stone with that water until they completed the work, then added the tincture, which is that same essence that appeared on the surface of the water, and completed the work.

From these explanations, knowledge of the Salt is also obtained. What has reached this servant from the sprinkling of the ocean of divine knowledge regarding this work is what has been stated. However, repeatedly it was heard from the Most Holy Tongue that due to the questions of some friends, the Supreme Pen became occupied and spoke concerning this science, though He did not wish the friends to become occupied with it, and He has mentioned the reason for this in some Tablets. Furthermore, whatever this servant has submitted should either be erased after viewing or completely concealed. This servant himself has not yet engaged in this work - what has been submitted was derived from the divine revealed verses. Whenever one contemplates and observes what has been revealed from the divine realm of utterance regarding this science, another door is seen to open, leaving one bewildered. Glory be to Him Who has appeared and made manifest what He willed! Glory be to Him Who has spoken and made to speak what He wished! Glory be to Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes! Glory be to Him Whom nothing frustrates! Verily, He is the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Regarding your mention of the dream, it was laid before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, and He said: “We give them glad tidings in their waking hours of an enduring sovereignty. By the life of God! There has been ordained for him who is steadfast that which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth.” And there flowed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them that which minds are incapable of comprehending. We beseech God to assist him to preserve what We have bestowed upon him and what We have sent down to him from My impregnable Kingdom. No good deed has ever been, nor ever shall be, left unrewarded. Verily, He does not suffer the reward of the doers to be lost, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ’A-B, upon him be Baha’u’llah, having appointed this evanescent servant to make the pilgrimage on his behalf to the Beloved of the worlds - praise be to God, the purpose was fulfilled and this servant succeeded in circumambulating the Ka’bih of the Divine Purpose as his deputy. Blessed be he and blessed be I! God willing, may he ever speak in remembrance of the Beloved Who does not pass away, gaze toward His horizon, be assisted in His Cause, and arise in His service. Mention of him was made in the Most Holy Court, and the Sun of loving-kindness shone forth from the horizon of grace, and a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for him. God willing, may he attain to its perusal. Likewise, wondrous and glorious Tablets were revealed and sent specifically for Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Asadu’llah and his son and another person.

This evanescent servant offers his utter nothingness and evanescence in service to each one, and beseeches God that He may assist them to do that which is adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure. I convey greetings and glorification to your honored offspring and those who are with you. The glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon those who have laid hold of God’s firm and mighty cord. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

A further submission: Jinab-i-Aqa [’Azim], upon him be the Glory of God, has ascended to the Supreme Companion. His legacy amounts to about ten or twelve tumans. According to instructions, Jinab-i-Ism’ullah Mahdi, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, has collected it and is sending it to you to be delivered to the heirs. Concerning him, passages were revealed from the Most Exalted Pen such that, in truth, every steadfast, content and well-pleasing soul would yearn for such a station. He had been completely transformed and manifested such love that most were filled with wonder. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful. Glory be to Him Who created him, assisted him, caused him to recognize Him, and made him attain to this noble station which was recorded by His Most Exalted Pen in a mighty Book.

That which was with Jinab-i-Aqa Mulla Muhammad-’Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, has been received.

O ye friends of mine! The flame of affection hath been ignited, and the fire of yearning hath been kindled. This love and affection, this friendship and fellowship, hath set ablaze all regions. In every clime and country, the companions have arisen with the utmost power and might, and have dedicated themselves to service, for thereby the divine confirmations have encircled them on all sides, and the doors of bounty have been flung wide. How many a soul hath attained unto eternal life, and how many a spirit hath been freed from the fetters of this mortal world. […]

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=== START BH00236 ===

In the Name of Him Who is called Haji Siyyid Muhammad - upon him be 669 [Baha’u’llah]

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

Verily doth praise praise its Lord and say: O concourse of the righteous! O assembly of the chosen ones! This Day is My Day, for He hath appeared Who was promised, He for Whose sake the essence of praise and thanksgiving and glorification was created and brought forth from nothingness into being. Glory be to God! Spiritual contentions have arisen - from one direction praise and thanksgiving are heard, from another sight and hearing. Yet this servant hath confirmed and doth confirm them all, for in the first rank and primal station, this Day is indeed the Day of the aforementioned four. That which stands as a barrier and veil is naught but the vain imaginings of the former people and their suppositions. This veil hath been rent asunder by the blessed word “I have turned my face toward Him Who hath created the heavens and the earth” - but this is evident only to those possessed of true power and divine might, not to the foolish rabble.

Glory be to Thee, O Helper of the chosen ones and Revealer of mysteries! I beseech Thee by the fire of the Tree beyond which there is no passing, whereby Thou didst cause Thy sweetest call to be heard and didst cast Thy most exalted Word upon those who have witnessed and seen. I testify, O my God, that that which was hidden in Thy knowledge and treasured within the stronghold of Thy protection and infallibility hath been revealed. O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by Thy greatest bounty and by the mysteries hidden and treasured with Thee, O Lord of all beings, to open the doors of ease and hope to the faces of the people of Baha. O Lord! This is Thy Day which Thou hast exalted through Thy grace above the heavens of Thy power, wherein Thou hast caused to flow from Thy Most Exalted Pen the Kawthar of immortality, making each drop thereof the water of life for all contingent beings, reviving thereby worlds which none but Thyself hath discovered and which none but Thy knowledge hath encompassed.

O Lord! After my confession of that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Books, manifested through Thy Pen, and uttered by the tongue of Thy grandeur, I beseech Thee by the Lord of all names, Who hath chosen for Himself a prison in ’Akka, that Thou mayest raise up, through Thy Will which Thou hast placed above the knowledge of Thy servants, souls possessed of great might and powerful sovereignty to exalt Thy Cause amidst all religions through wisdom and utterance - souls who have cast away the world and all that is therein and have taken hold of that which Thou hast commanded them through Thy bounty and generosity, that the signs of Thy sovereignty may be manifested in Thy lands and the evidences of Thy Will may encompass Thy servants.

O Lord! These are they who have cast aside what they possessed in hope of what lieth with Thee, and who desire naught on earth save to establish Thy Cause, to exalt Thy Word, and to manifest Thy power and might. Strengthen them, O my God, at every moment with the hosts of Thy majesty and power, that there may appear that which they have purposed in Thy days. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, unto Whose power all the atoms of creation have testified, and before Whose wrathful glance the mountains have melted away.

I beseech Thee at the end of my remembrance, O my Lord and my Support, to assist Thy loved ones and then enable those who have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament to seek forgiveness in the court of Thy holiness and to return to the horizon of Thy mercy and might. O Thou Who art the Beloved of the Messengers and the Desire of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee! The servant desireth naught in all creation save what Thou hast desired for him through Thy bounty and ordained for him through Thy grace. Yet he beseecheth Thee and imploreth from the heaven of Thy generosity the deliverance of Thy servants and their purification from all that beseemeth them not in the presence of the revelations of the lights of the Orb of Thy manifestation. O Lord! Aid them through Thy bestowal, strengthen them through Thy sovereignty, and inspire in them, through Thy grace which hath encompassed all existence both seen and unseen, that which hath escaped them. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving.

May my spirit be a sacrifice for your service, your steadfastness, and your devotedness. Your letter was like the morning rain, watering the soil of the heart. Immediately the saplings of joy and delight sprouted and grew tall. I beseech the Most High to raise them ever higher, for verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

After being enkindled by the fire ignited in your words and learning their contents, I approached the Most High Kingdom and, after gaining full permission, presented your letter. These firm verses were revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance. His mighty word and exalted proof states:

In My Name, the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing

O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. The servant present came before Us and read thy letter, and We hearkened unto it with the ear of grace. Thereupon the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance surged, revealing unto thee the pearls of wisdom and utterance as a token of His grace, for He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. This is a Day wherein every one who hath turned unto Him hath prospered, and every deceitful opposer hath lost. Say: O people! By the life of God, ye were created for this Day. The Most Great Book, its letters and words, and its Mother Book bear witness to this, as ordained by God, the Lord of all men. We testify that thou hast spoken the truth in what thou hast mentioned regarding these matters. We beseech God to assist His Afnan in pure justice and to adorn them with the raiment of the Most Great Trustworthiness. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Chosen One.

O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of My love! We have revealed in the Tablets that which will elevate the stations of those who have turned to the Countenance and witnessed what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in the final abode. By the life of God! Should anyone hold fast to what hath been ordained, he would find himself in the highest station. No thing would harm him, nor the objections of any treacherous denier. Say: He hath come for the salvation of the world and the elevation of your stations. Fear God and follow not every heedless doubter.

In Persian We say: That which that Afnan hath mentioned is the truth, without doubt. Ask from the Truth that He may assist all to attain unto that which leadeth to the glory of the Cause and its acceptance. Whoso is for God, God is for him. Today all must gaze toward the horizon and be engaged in service. This is the station of the Afnan of the Blessed Tree. In previous years bounty and blessings were sent down from the heaven of generosity, but due to certain deeds they were suspended. Say: Aforetime all proclaimed: “My God, my God! Thou seest and knowest what hath appeared from Thy loved ones in Thy days. I beseech Thee to assist them to arise to compensate for what hath passed them by in exalting Thy Word. Then inspire them with that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and elevate them through Thy name among Thy servants. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.”

The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who love thee and hearken to thy word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

O honored Afnan Mu?sin, upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! Whatsoever he hath heard from the tongue of the Wronged One he will surely mention, for he hath attained unto Our presence and meeting for extended periods and hath heard that which hath been and is the cause of the descent of heavenly sustenance and eternal blessing. We send from this spot Our glorification unto him and give him the glad-tidings of God’s mercy and bounty. We beseech God to grant him success and assist him in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for him what He hath ordained for His trusted ones. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

We convey Our greetings to the loved ones in that land. We beseech God to protect them from the evil of His enemies and to send down upon them from the heaven of bounty that which shall endure as long as His most beautiful names endure. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The End

The blessed, exalted and decisive words each testify to the mercy, grace and favor of the Truth, exalted be His glory, in relation to the Afnan, upon them be the glory of the All-Merciful. From the earliest days until now, His Holiness has been gazing toward the horizon of God’s Cause and has arisen to serve to the extent possible. This word has repeatedly been heard from the Divine tongue: no deed among deeds can equal this testimony. The grace of the Divine Tree has encompassed all, appearing at every moment with manifest splendor and evident radiance. Blessed are ye and those with you.

The details of matters that must be presented by command are as follows: After the arrival of the honored Afnan, Mr. A and H, and the esteemed Amin, upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God, some days passed. One day Amin was present before Him and He said: “O Amin, praise be to God, the Afnan has arrived and attained the presence. Now they should occupy themselves with their commercial affairs.” In response he submitted: “According to what is known, the honored Aqa Siyyid Mirza has deemed it advisable that they proceed to Bombay, however they have had and have no inclination whatsoever toward that direction.” He said: “If this is so, let them proceed to the Great City, that perchance the calumnies of the objectors and slanderers may be dispelled and the people of that city may become aware of the truth of the Cause, for the honored Afnan - the honored Aqa Siyyid Ahmad and the honored Aqa Siyyid Muhsin and the honored Amin and the honored Nazir and other companions - all suddenly departed from the Great City toward the Prison. The deniers and objectors found occasion and wrote to various places that ‘these people have taken large sums of our money and fled.’ And Abbas-Ali Kazerouni sent letters to Egypt; those very letters were forwarded to the Most Holy Court. We seek refuge in God from the calumnies contained in those inflammatory papers. In any case, that heedless liar united with two others and spread that which became the cause and reason for preventing the servants from turning to and drawing near. Therefore, by command the honored Afnan and the honored Amin proceeded to the Great City, and some time after their departure, a letter arrived either from the Holy Land or from the honored Afnan Haji Siyyid Mirza, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, stating that the honored Afnan Aqa Siyyid Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God and His favor, should proceed to the land of Ha. After this matter was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, He said:”Write to Ahmad, upon him be My Glory and favor, that since Mirza has so intended, thou must proceed with utmost speed.” However, this servant knew and knows with absolute certainty that if any benefit would have appeared from his presence in the land of Ha, surely the command to proceed to the Sublime Gate would not have been issued, although it was necessary, in view of the honor of the Cause and the exaltation of the Word and the manifestation of trustworthiness and religiosity and truthfulness and sincerity in that city. The honored Afnan Aqa Siyyid Muhsin, upon him be the Glory of God and His favor, is aware of the details and will mention them before His Holiness. At one time this supreme blessed word emerged from the Dayspring of Will, exalted be His glory: “The honored Afnan, that is Mirza, upon him be My Glory, must consider the outcome of every matter and then execute it.” However, they, due to the multiplicity of occupation, most of which neither nourishes nor […]

They have been heedless, having failed to observe the affairs from all sides and to reflect upon their outcome. Now we beseech God, exalted be His glory, to open a door of bounty and to set all matters aright. We informed Our servant who was present, the Afnan, that is, Aqa Siyyid Ahmad, to proceed to that direction, but it was and is without fruit. Now hope of fruit lies in the return of the Afnan himself, Aqa Siyyid Mirza, to that land.

After news arrived of the summons of the honored Afnan of the Land, or the esteemed Afnan, that is His Honor A. and H., upon them both be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, no further command or prohibition issued forth from the Source of the Cause. The initial intention was altered. In any case, this evanescent servant now beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist the honored Afnans in that which befits them and is worthy of these days. All that His Honor wrote has been confirmed by the Desired One. Now, trusting in God, His Honor and those with him must occupy themselves with setting matters aright. We beseech the Most High to open before your faces the gates of grace, blessing and bounty. Verily He is the Generous, the Bestower, and He is the Merciful, the All-Bountiful.

At this moment this blessed word, from which in truth flows an ocean of joy, was revealed from the Tongue of Grandeur. His word, exalted, mighty and great be His utterance: “O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Your supplications and your mentions, in your stations of humility and submissiveness, of powerlessness and entreaty, of trust and attachment and detachment, have been heard and adorned with acceptance. Blessed art thou for having spoken that which was honored by being heard and for having uttered that which attained the right of acceptance and good-pleasure. Thou hast grasped the truth of the matter. Most are heedless of this point. In numerous Tablets, in accordance with your request, it was previously revealed from the Supreme Pen that it behooveth the Afnan to turn to the service of the Cause. This is for them true commerce and spiritual profit. By the life of God! This profit can never be seized by loss nor altered. Blessed be thy pen in having moved in accordance with that which hath appeared from the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

“O My Afnan! The Divine Cause has been and is in exaltation. In no century or age has any cause spread with such rapidity. Now all things are engaged in supporting this Cause. Soon will the deniers behold that from which they were heedless. In no wise is hesitation in any matter permissible. That which is necessary today, and which the Tongue of God pronounceth, is this which He speaks before the faces of the world: O My Afnan! Thou hast spoken the truth. We bear witness that ye were created for the triumph of God’s Cause, the exaltation of His Word, and the spreading of His signs, in such wise that nothing whatsoever shall frighten you, nor shall the veils of the peoples and the manifestations of idle fancies in the world cause you grief. By My life! The fire hath been kindled in the Blessed Tree, and it speaketh at this moment, saying: ‘O My Afnan! Forsake the world and what the peoples possess. Arise for the triumph of the Cause. And the triumph that hath no equal is your detachment from all that ye possess, that the atoms may bear witness to your elevation, your exaltation, your advancement and your ascent.’ Penetrating eyes from the Supreme Concourse are fixed upon you and your deeds.”

O Afnan, O Mirza, upon thee rest the Glory of God, the Lord of all names. Hear thou the Voice of this Wronged One and cleave thou, as befitteth thy kinship to the Sacred Tree, unto that which is meet and seemly. Thou art foremost in rank and station to serve the Cause. With utmost endeavor thou must prevent the dark and defiling winds and dust of this world from sullying the most holy and sacred Hem. That which will today elevate your stations and exalt the Cause is this: that ye should enter, detached from the world, into the realm of detachment, and assign to its rightful owners whatsoever ye possess for the exaltation of God’s Word. That is, whatever ye possess, whether little or much, place it at the disposal of trade and commerce, and with the utmost joy and fragrance discharge the debts ye owe to others. This is your station and that which hath been ordained for you by the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O Mirza, upon thee be My Glory! Should you act upon what hath been mentioned, it will serve as the supreme means for the manifestation of detachment and of the fear of God, the Mighty, the Praised. Take what thou hast been commanded by the Truth and cast aside all that the people possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings. We have revealed unto thee that which will draw thee nigh unto God and make thee powerful through His might. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O Afnan! I desire not for you that which I desire not for Myself. Hear thou the call of this Wronged One and arise with complete resolve to discharge the debts owed to others. This is commanded by God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. This deed is the master of deeds and the lord thereof in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Your dominion lies in the divine Kingdom, not in the clay of earth. Hear My call and be of the thankful ones. Do what thou hast been commanded and be of the contented ones. Hold fast unto what the Lord of the worlds hath desired for thee and be of the detached ones. Grasp the hem of thy Lord’s bounty and say: O my God, my Lord, and my Support! Thou seest me clinging to the hem of Thy bounty and holding fast to the cord of Thy grace. I desire to discharge what is incumbent upon me through that which Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy generosity and bounty, that it may be proven to all that Thy Being is sanctified, Thy Essence holy, and that Thy loved ones are detached from the dust and ornaments of the world, that there might shine forth from the horizon of my deeds the light of trustworthiness and religiosity, through Thy grace and bounty, O Thou Who art the Lord of the Kingdom of Names and the Ruler over all who dwell in the realm of creation. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the fire of Thy Sacred Tree and the light of Thy countenance to aid Thy Afnan in accomplishing what they desire in Thy days, that all may witness that the ornaments of earthly dominion hold no station with Thy loved ones and chosen ones. Thereupon the words of God were concluded with this most exalted Word: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Omnipotent, the Single, the Mighty, the Bestower.

The outward and inward well-being of the Afnan lies in ceasing their scattered and diverse trading ventures and being content with one or two enterprises. Verily blessing lieth in His grasp and the kingdom of bounty in His right hand. He enricheth whomsoever He willeth, as bidden by Him. Verily the All-Sufficient hath acknowledged the poverty of His servants in His saying: “O ye people! Ye are but paupers in need of God, and God is the Self-Sufficient, the Praised.” If thou shouldst attain unto that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, assuredly the doors of blessing, bounty, generosity and grace of the Lord of ancient days shall be opened before your faces in such wise as to astonish all. Do what thou hast been commanded and be of the assured ones.

In the earliest days of arrival in the prison, that which would enlighten those possessed of insight became manifest, namely that the manufacture of opium is not acceptable in the sight of God. Nevertheless, your honor engaged in that which was not permissible. Now must ye cleave unto that which is worthy of acceptance. Verily God commandeth you to justice and kindness and to that which will exalt you in every world of His worlds. He is, in truth, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

O my God! Grant confirmation. O my God! Bestow success. The servants are weak, even though they may be Afnan. I beseech from Thee Thy ancient and fresh favors, that Thou mayest confirm Thy Afnan in that which is befitting, and ordain for them that which is conducive to their progress, ascendancy, exaltation and elevation. Thou art the Bestower, the Kind. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

His Holiness the Afnan, the Most Luminous Star, upon him be the Most Effulgent Glory of God, has arrived and will undoubtedly relate that which he has heard from the precincts of the Throne. It has been repeatedly conveyed that whatsoever his honor has written is in accordance with the Will. One must hold fast and cling to it, that there may descend from the heaven of grace and bounty what We desire of the wonders of His generosity and munificence. In the nights and days, mention of them and their presence has been and is, both outwardly and inwardly. The Servant beseeches his Lord to confirm his honor and grant him success in that which will set affairs aright. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

To the other Afnan and the loved ones of that land, upon them be the Glory of God, His mercy and His favor, I convey greetings and salutations. I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory and abundant be His favors, to send down uninterruptedly from the heaven of grace and bounty for each one that which will rectify affairs and be the cause of joy and gladness. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. The Command is in His grasp, and He is the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who are with you and who love you and who hearken to your words and your mention and your call in the Cause of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne and the Exalted Seat.

The Servant

15 Rajab 1307

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=== START BH00237 ===

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

All praise, sanctified from letters and words, befitteth the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court of that Desired One Who hath gathered together the whole world through one Word, and through another Word hath distinguished between truth and falsehood. He is that Word which hath been called by all names, appearing at every moment in a wondrous form, and in a certain station. He it is Who, between heaven and earth, proclaimed the blessed word “The Beloved of the Worlds hath appeared!”, and He was that Cry whose mention was recorded aforetime in the Books. He is that Word which called out with supreme power and dominion, declaring: “I am the Distinguisher of the world and the Separator of the world. I am that Balance whereby the deeds of all the world’s peoples are weighed.” Glory be unto Him, glory be unto Him! How great is His sovereignty! How mighty His glory and His power!

This blessed and most exalted Word, with all its loftiness, sublimity, power and grandeur, hath shone forth and appeared from the horizon of the Mouth of Will. Glorified be its Originator, its Creator, its Quickener and its Sovereign! This is a station wherein, after one hath immersed himself and journeyed therein, the radiance of the Sun of Grandeur so grippeth him that man is left bewildered. And this bewilderment is itself most praiseworthy and shall ever be so, even as the Seal of the Prophets - may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him - hath said: “Lord, increase my bewilderment in Thee!” Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto this most exalted station and comprehended that which hath been manifested in the days of its Lord, the Possessor of Names.

The Ocean of Life hath appeared in the contingent world, yet the people remain heedless and veiled therefrom, nay rather, they are seen to turn away. He calleth with the utmost loving-kindness and bounty, guiding and directing the thirsty ones unto Himself, yet none turneth towards Him save whom his Lord willeth. In all divine Books, Tablets and Scriptures the glory of this Day hath been mentioned and recorded, yet they remain heedless thereof and deprived. The eyes of the Concourse on High have been gladdened by the appearance of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, yet the people are in strange heedlessness and drunkenness.

The divine Call is raised upon the Mount of Knowledge, and He is the same Speaker that spoke from the Blessed Tree, and He is that Promised Countenance by Whose mention all divine Books have been adorned, being known in each Book by a different name. This is the Day which God - exalted be His glory and His sovereignty - hath attributed unto Himself, mentioned in the Books as the Day of God. Despite conclusive proofs, manifest evidences, revealed verses, and clear and resplendent signs, all are occupied with vain imaginings, idle fancies and fleeting things. Heedlessness hath so seized the people that they have not awakened at the Cry, nor raised their heads from the slumber of negligence at God’s Call.

Strange it is that they witness at every moment the changes, transformations, variations and passing away of the world, yet they cling unto it, remaining bereft of any portion from the immortal Kingdom. After a few numbered hours or brief days, they shall pass from their lofty palaces to empty tombs wherein they shall dwell. Then shall they cry: “Woe unto us for having been heedless of the Sun that shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the Cause!” They shall weep and lament, finding neither helper nor succourer.

This lowly servant beseeches his Eternal and Everlasting Lord to rend asunder, with the finger of His Will, the veils of all created things, to show them the light of His Cause from the horizon of His purpose, to make them hear His most sweet call which hath been raised between earth and heaven, to give them to drink of the choice sealed wine through His Self-Subsisting Name, and to aid them in such wise that neither the opposition of the heedless nor the clamor of the deniers shall dismay them. Verily, He is the One Who dominates all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Thereafter, O my beloved, I received your letter which testifies to your sincerity, your acceptance, and your turning unto God, Who is our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all worlds. When I perceived the fragrance of your love from the trace of your ink and became aware of its contents, I approached the Praiseworthy Station until I attained the presence of His countenance, and, after receiving permission, presented what was written therein. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which caused the ocean of utterance to surge throughout all possibility, and all atoms bore witness to the Lord of all religions. He spoke, and His most exalted Word is this:

O servant who standeth before the Throne! Write for him who hath turned unto My countenance that which the Tongue of My grandeur uttereth in My prison, that he may give thanks to the Lord of the world and arise to make mention of Him in such wise that the fragrance of detachment may be wafted therefrom throughout the realms of creation. O Ahmad! We have mentioned thee aforetime with verses before which the Concourse on High and a company of angels bow down at eventide and at dawn. We have indeed sent down verses for every occasion, yet most of the people are wrapped in heedlessness and veils. They have cast aside that which is approved and have clung to that which is forbidden, inasmuch as they have followed the divines of the earth who have cast the truth behind their backs and have held fast to fancy and vain imaginings. By God! The Wronged One hath called them at all times unto the All-Merciful, yet they have pronounced judgment against Him without any clear proof or Book. That which never appeared in the world hath now been made manifest, as attesteth the Mother Book which is with Him. This is a day wherein the earth and heaven have spoken, and all things have cried out: “The kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of Lords!” Blessed art thou and thy children who have acknowledged that which God Himself hath acknowledged on the day when all men stood before God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling. There hath been ordained for thee and for them that which none knoweth save God, the Lord of the Final End. Rejoice thou in the glad-tidings of thy Lord and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art wronged, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art imprisoned, and all glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast borne in the path of God that which none of His servants hath borne.”

And thereafter, the names mentioned in your letter were presented before the Throne. The Sun of loving-kindness shone forth upon each one, and with His blessed tongue He spoke words concerning these accepted and mentioned souls, and then from the heaven of His Will, verses of grandeur were revealed for each one. May the spirit of the world be a sacrifice for His bounty! In truth, whatever may be mentioned and whatever praise and glorification one may cling to and hold fast unto, has not been and is not worthy of this grace and loving-kindness.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great […]

The verses have been revealed and the signs have appeared and the Hidden Mystery hath been made manifest in truth and proclaimeth amongst all creation that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. He is indeed the One at Whose appearance the Qaim circled round with the Concourse on High. Thus was the matter decreed in the Books of God aforetime, but the people know not. Every letter, every word, and every line in the Books of God hath testified to this Tablet which hath appeared in the temple of man, and verily this is the Tablet which hath been preserved from all eternity within the pavilions of immaculacy, through a command from the presence of the Beloved, the All-Glorious.

O ’Ali-i-Akbar! By the life of God! If thou couldst taste the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, thou wouldst soar on the wings of yearning in this atmosphere which God hath sanctified from all who know and all that is known. Be thou thankful unto God for this supreme bounty which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

He is the One Who speaketh from the Farthest Lote-Tree

O Isma’il! He Who sent forth the Friend maketh mention of thee. Rejoice thou and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds! Verily He heareth the call of every soul that turneth toward Him and beholdeth the deeds of those who have turned unto Him with radiant faces. He, verily, is the Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have sent down for everyone who hath turned unto God that which hath caused the breezes of revelation to waft over all, whether young or old. Among them are those who were stirred by the call of God and hastened unto the seat of nearness and holiness and glory, and among them are those who were seized by the intoxication of pride in such wise that they awoke not even when the Trump was blown from the presence of a wise Ordainer. Blessed art thou for having turned unto God on a Day whereon every learned one turned away and every mystic objected and every religious leader pronounced his remote judgment. We counsel thee to remain steadfast in the Greatest Steadfastness and to preserve that which thou hast been given from the presence of the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of utterance

A remembrance from Our presence unto him who hath turned toward the Most Great Sea and desireth to drink therefrom in My Most Generous Name. O ’Ali! We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace that thou mayest thank thy Lord Who created thee and guided thee unto His straight path. Verily those who are heedless this day are in manifest loss. The breezes of chastisement shall soon seize them from every direction. The Revealer of verses beareth witness unto this in this Great Tablet. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe the greatest steadfastness and that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in His mighty Book. Hold ye fast unto the Book of God, then speak ye that whereby the standards of guidance may be raised amongst all creatures. Thus doth He command you from Whose presence is a Preserving Tablet.

He is the One Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name from the horizon of the world

O Hassan! The Lord of eternity maketh mention of thee and of those who have believed on a Day when the Luminary of the Cause was visible from the horizon of grace. We created all things for this Day, yet when it came the people turned away therefrom and followed every idolater who was far removed from the ocean of nearness. They cast the Book of God behind their backs and took that which they were bidden by every ignorant one who was deprived of the Kawthar of knowledge. Blessed are they who have turned away from vain imaginings and have turned with their hearts toward the horizon which is known by the name of God. Thus have We made mention of thee that thy Lord may remember thee. Verily He remembereth whomsoever He willeth in a Tablet which hath been inscribed by the Pen of Command with glory. The splendor of God be upon thee and upon thy brothers. Verily We give them the glad-tidings of Our mention. He, verily, hath power over all things.

He is the Witness over creation […]

O Abraham! Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me though I see Thee not, Thou hearest me though I hear Thee not, and Thou knowest what is with me though I know not what is with Thee. I beseech Thee by the Name through which the trees have yielded their fruits, through which the righteous have turned unto Thee, through which the trumpet hath been sounded and all who are in earth and heaven have swooned away, to confirm me in Thy love and Thy good-pleasure, and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. O Lord! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, who hath turned toward Thee and sought the outpourings from the clouds of Thy mercy and the manifestations of Thy grace and favors. O Lord! I am he that is far, yet I seek Thy nearness. I beseech Thee not to deny me that which is with Thee and to ordain for me that which will profit me. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

A remembrance from Our presence unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, that they may hear the call of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and turn with their hearts toward the horizon which hath been illumined by this Most Great Name. O Ahmad! The hosts of tyranny have encompassed the kindred of the Apostle, whereat the Concourse on High have lamented, as have those who have held fast to My Strong Cord. By God! The Ark of the Pure One hath been tossed between the waves of dissension. Thus doth God make mention as a bounty from His presence, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Strange indeed that one who claimed to be of the kindred of the Apostle and offspring of the Pure One should arise to slay the apple of the eye of both the Apostle and the Pure One. Such is the nature of this world and its people. The hand of divine power seized that wicked one, and ere long he shall return to his abode. Beseech ye God that He may protect you in these fleeting days from the promptings of idle fancies and grant you a secure station in the precincts of His mercy. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous. Verily He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth.

O Abdul-Hamid! This Wronged One, alone in His prison, summoneth the entire world to the recognition of the Ancient King. Some among the servants have been blessed by the sweet savors of divine days, while others remain deprived. Ye must, God willing, remain steadfast, firm and immovable in the Cause of God. Many are the clamorous ones, and the evil ones lie in wait. Ask thou God to protect thee and those who have believed from the evil of every deceitful impostor. Verily He is the Mighty, the Incomparable.

He is sanctified above the mention of what hath been and what shall be

O seeker! The Beloved of the world and the Ancient King hath manifested Himself for the salvation of all peoples. Yet they have inflicted upon Him that which hath caused the Messengers of God to lament, the rocks of the earth to cry out, its sands to wail, and all things to raise their voices in grief. The bounty of God shineth even as the sun, and every fair-minded one testifieth that God, exalted and mighty be He, hath come with pure grace, bounty and generosity. Nevertheless, all have risen in dissension and hatred, save those souls who have truly attained the waters of divine knowledge. Blessed are they and good cheer be unto them. God willing, may ye attain such a station in divine love that human conditions shall not hold you back, and may ye remain steadfast and immovable in your love for the Beloved of all possibility, in complete joy and fragrance.

O Kazim! After recognition of God, exalted be His glory, steadfastness has been and will ever be the greatest of all things. God willing, may all attain to this most exalted and glorious station. I counsel you and the friends of God to follow that which hath been sent down in the Book from the heaven of God’s Will. He is the Guide, He is the Protector, and He is the Helper. A pure deed is, in itself, a summoner to truth and a guide to mankind. Likewise do We counsel all to observe wisdom - a commandment that hath time and again been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. All must hold fast unto it and fix their gaze upon it. Hold thou fast unto it and be of the thankful ones.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

The Ancient King hath seated Himself upon the Most Great Throne in this wilderness wherein hath been raised the call of every Prophet and every trusted Messenger. This is the Day of which Muhammad, the Messenger of God, gave tidings aforetime, and unto which the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, have borne witness. There is no Book but the All-Merciful hath mentioned it therein, and no Tablet but hath been adorned with His beauteous remembrance. Yet when He appeared, most of the people turned away, save those who came unto God with a pure heart. Ponder the grace and mercy of God - He remembereth thee in such wise as to transport the hearts of them that know. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of Mine utterance and hear My call, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of all worlds! O Mahdi! We have, of Our grace, guided thee and revealed unto thee My straight path.

In the Name of the Goal of the World

O Hasan! The Beauty of God sacrificed Himself amongst the people for the sake of the Peerless Beloved. He freely removed the crown of life and cast it at the feet of the Beloved of all possibility. He attained unto twin martyrdoms - before his outward martyrdom, he had already sacrificed himself over the course of years, for he had no desires, will or purpose of his own; he had caused them all to perish in the will of the Beloved. Though outwardly alive, walking and speaking, in reality he had already sacrificed himself - this is the station of the Most Great Martyrdom. That inner, spiritual martyrdom was adorned with the ornament of outward martyrdom. Blessed are they who attain unto his remembrance. Beseech ye God that He may cause all to attain unto this most exalted and glorious station. Whosoever attaineth unto the first martyrdom hath attained unto all good. Verily, He hath expounded for you what He desireth. He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.

He is the One Who Doeth What He Willeth Through His Word “Be,” and it is!

Glorified be He Who sendeth down verses unto people who comprehend, and manifesteth in the kingdom whatsoever He willeth. No thing can frustrate Him and no matter can hinder Him. Blessed are they who have cast away what they possess and have turned unto Him in His days. They, verily, are of the people of this praiseworthy station. This is the Day whereof We gave tidings aforetime unto the chosen ones, yet most of the people perceive not. We say in truth: Lead forth the people from darkness into light and give them glad tidings of the days of God. This is a word which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an, and wherewith the Gospel and the Psalms have been adorned. Yet when the Day appeared and the Promised One came, the people turned away from Him and pronounced against Him a tyranny the like of which the eyes have never witnessed. Blessed are ye, My loved ones in that place, for having fulfilled My covenant and My pledge. We counsel you to preserve that which ye have been given by God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Thus have We adorned the Book with My remembrance and the Tablet with My beloved name.

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! Give thanks to the Lord of Destiny for having made mention of thee from the Most Great Horizon. Verily He hath heard thy praise and witnessed thy devotion. He hath mentioned thee in these verses which all the books of the world circle round, by the command of the All-Merciful, the Most Kind. He turneth unto him who turneth unto Him, and draweth nigh unto those who have drawn nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

He Who is established upon the Throne of Utterance declareth:

O Ali-Qabli-Asghar! Wert thou to know what hath befallen the Wronged One, thou wouldst weep and lament. Yet God hath concealed it, having regard to the wisdom ordained for all glory. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The letter of him who hath turned towards the Countenance hath been received, wherein mention was made of thee. We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace, for We are, in truth, the Forgiving, the Merciful. By the life of God! My tongue speaketh at all times, and the Supreme Pen moveth in such wise that no rest can overtake it, yet most of the people are heedless. The more God’s loving-kindness increaseth, the more do they increase in their heedlessness. Thus doth inform thee He Who is encompassed by every truthful and well-informed one.

O My loved ones! Adorn your temples with the ornament of trustworthiness and your hearts with the recognition of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Take on My attributes, then act in accordance with that which I have enjoined upon you in My Perspicuous Book. Beware lest the clamor of the people prevent you from attaining this exalted station. Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to His resplendent hem. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, though surrounded by sorrows from all sides, seeing the people behind a thick veil. We have borne all hardships and accepted adversity and tribulation in the path of God, the Lord of all names. By the life of God! My grief is not for what hath befallen My own Self - to this testifieth every fair-minded and discerning soul. Were We to mention some of what hath been concealed from you, sorrows would overtake you from every direction. Thus do We recount unto you, for He is the All-Remembering, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Great.

Furthermore, God’s bounty towards your honor is evident and clear. More names than those mentioned in your letter could have been cited - from the heaven of divine favor, out of love and felicity, unique and wondrous Tablets would have been revealed for each one. This evanescent servant beseecheth God to aid your honor in all conditions. Unique and wondrous Tablets have also been revealed and sent for the children. Verily His bounty hath encompassed thee; He is truly the All-Bountiful, the Generous. This evanescent servant requesteth that you convey greetings to each of the children and other friends of God. God willing, may they all remain steadfast in the Cause and fix their gaze upon the horizon of grace. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Praise be to God, the Single One, the All-Informed.

=== END BH00237 ===

=== START BH00238 ===

In My Name, calling aloud in the Kingdom of Utterance

Praise and thanksgiving beseem the Lord of manifest dominion Who hath adorned the mighty prison with the presence of their honours ’Ali Akbar and Amin, and hath illumined it with the light of certitude, constancy and assurance. The glory of God and the glory of all that are in the heavens and on the earth be upon them.

Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth and the truth hath been established that the authority to choose rests with God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, through whom the ocean of bounty hath surged and the fragrance of the gracious favours of God, the Lord of mankind, hath been diffused.

We beseech Him - Exalted is He - to shield them through the power of His hosts, to protect them through the potency of His dominion and to aid them through His indomitable strength which prevaileth over all created things. Sovereignty is God’s, the Creator of the heavens and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.

The Great Announcement proclaimeth: O people of Persia! In former times ye have been the symbols of mercy and the embodiments of affection and kindliness. The regions of the world were illumined and embellished by the brightness of the light of your knowledge and by the blaze of your erudition. How is it that you have arisen to destroy yourselves and your friends with your own hands?

O Afnan, O thou that has branched from Mine ancient Stock! My glory and My loving-kindness rest upon thee. How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, ere long, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter. Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the testimony of the bounties vouchsafed unto thee. Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and, through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men. Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and the well-being of the miserable and the downtrodden. Gird up the loins of thine endeavour, that perchance thou mayest release the captive from his chains, and enable him to attain unto true liberty.

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the Pen of this Wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.

Strife and conflict befit the beasts of the wild. It was through the grace of God and with the aid of seemly words and praiseworthy deeds that the unsheathed swords of the Bábí community were returned to their scabbards. Indeed through the power of good words, the righteous have always succeeded in winning command over the meads of the hearts of men. Say, O ye loved ones! Do not forsake prudence. Incline your hearts to the counsels given by the Most Exalted Pen and beware lest your hands or tongues cause harm unto anyone among mankind.

Referring to the land of Ta (Tihran) We have revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that which will admonish mankind. They that perpetrate tyranny in the world have usurped the rights of the peoples and kindreds of the earth and are sedulously pursuing their selfish inclinations. The tyrant of the land of Ya (Yazd), committed that which hath caused the Concourse on High to shed tears of blood.

O thou who hast quaffed from the wine of Mine utterance and hast fixed thy gaze upon the horizon of My Revelation! How strange that the people of Persia, who were unrivalled in sciences and arts, should have sunk to the lowest level of degradation among the kindreds of the earth. O people! In this blessed, this glorious Day, deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of bounty which the Lord of abounding grace hath vouchsafed unto you. In this Day showers of wisdom and utterance are pouring down from the clouds of divine mercy. Well is it with them who judge His Cause with fairness, and woe betide the unjust.

Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels which the Pen of this Wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God’s might, resolve to gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle fancies - gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for the misery of their wretched worshippers. These idols form the obstacle that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We cherish the hope that the Hand of divine power may lend its assistance to mankind and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.

In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behaviour. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is the commandment which this Wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.

O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favours which in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime are being showered upon you. The Day-Star of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise and obstructeth the spiritual progress of the children of men.

It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared - and Our Word is the truth -: ‘Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.’ Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God’s Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: ‘Love of one’s country is an element of the Faith of God.’ The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: ‘It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world.’ Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse and set a new direction to the birds of men’s hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God’s holy Book. This Wronged One hath forbidden the people of God to engage in contention or conflict and hath exhorted them to righteous deeds and praiseworthy character. In this day the hosts that can ensure the victory of the Cause are those of goodly conduct and saintly character. Blessed are they who firmly adhere unto them and woe betide such as turn away therefrom. O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all else it is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is illumined with the light of courtesy and is attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is endued with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is hoped that this Wronged One and everyone else may be enabled to acquire it, hold fast unto it, observe it, and fix our gaze upon it. This is a binding command which hath streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name.

This day when the gems of constancy that lie hid in the mine of men’s inner selves should be made manifest. O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things.

All praise be to the one true God - exalted be His glory - inasmuch as He hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men’s hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty.

The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God’s Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded the light of Divine Guidance - may all creation be a sacrifice unto Him - arose to announce a fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of this promised glory, this wondrous favour. Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God’s most exalted Word - the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men.

Whilst in the Prison of ’Akka, We revealed in the Crimson Book that which is conducive to the advancement of mankind and to the reconstruction of the world. The utterances set forth therein by the Pen of the Lord of creation include the following which constitute the fundamental principles for the administration of the affairs of men:

First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to promote the Lesser Peace so that the people of the earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root of affliction and calamity.

Second: Languages must be reduced to one common language to be taught in all the schools of the world.

Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity.

Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of Justice.

Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although it hath been mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it precedeth the others. Agriculture is highly developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it hath so far been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the Shah – may God assist him by His grace – will turn his attention to this vital and important matter.

Were men to strictly observe that which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed in the Crimson Book, they could then well afford to dispense with the regulations which prevail in the world. Certain exhortations have repeatedly streamed forth from the Pen of the Most High that perchance the manifestations of power and the dawning-places of might may, sometime, be enabled to enforce them. Indeed, were sincere seekers to be found, every emanation of God’s pervasive and irresistible Will would, for the sake of His love, be revealed. But where are to be found earnest seekers and inquiring minds? Whither are gone the equitable and the fair-minded? At present no day passeth without the fire of a fresh tyranny blazing fiercely, or the sword of a new aggression being unsheathed. Gracious God! The great and the noble in Persia glory in acts of such savagery that one is lost in amazement at the tales thereof.

Day and night this Wronged One yieldeth thanks and praise unto the Lord of men, for it is witnessed that the words of counsel and exhortation We uttered have proved effective and that this people hath evinced such character and conduct as are acceptable in Our sight. This is affirmed by virtue of the event which hath truly cheered the eye of the world, and is none other than the intercession of the friends with the high authorities in favour of their enemies. Indeed one’s righteous deeds testify to the truth of one’s words. We cherish the hope that men of piety may illumine the world through the radiant light of their conduct, and We entreat the Almighty – glorified and exalted is He – to grant that everyone may in this Day remain steadfast in His love and stand firm in His Cause. He is, in truth, the Protector of those who are wholly devoted to Him and observe His precepts.

O people of God! Countless are the realms which Our Pen of Glory hath revealed and manifold the eyes to which it hath imparted true enlightenment. Yet most of the people in Persia continue to be deprived of the benefits of profitable counsels and remain sorely lacking in useful sciences and arts. Formerly these sublime words were especially revealed by the Pen of Glory in honour of one of the faithful, that perchance those that have gone astray may embrace the Truth and become acquainted with the subtleties of the Law of God.

The unbelievers and the faithless have set their minds on four things: first, the shedding of blood; second, the burning of books; third, the shunning of the followers of other religions; fourth, the extermination of other communities and groups. Now however, through the strengthening grace and potency of the Word of God these four barriers have been demolished, these clear injunctions have been obliterated from the Tablet and brutal dispositions have been transmuted into spiritual attributes. Exalted is His purpose; glorified is His power; magnified is His dominion!

Now let us beseech God - praised be His glory - to graciously guide aright the followers of the Shi’ih sect and to purge them of unseemly conduct. From the lips of the members of this sect foul imprecations fall unceasingly, while they invoke the word ‘Mal’un’ (accursed) - uttered with a guttural sound of the letter ’ayn - as their daily relish.

O God my God! Thou hearest the sighing of Him Who is Thy Light (Baha), hearkenest unto His lamentations in the daytime and in the night season and knowest that He desireth naught for Himself but rather seeketh to sanctify the souls of Thy servants and to deliver them from the fire with which they are beset at all times. O Lord! The hands of Thy well-favoured servants are raised towards the heaven of Thy bounty and those of Thy sincere lovers are lifted up to the sublime heights of Thy generosity. Disappoint them not, I entreat Thee, in that which they seek from the ocean of Thy favour and from the heaven of Thy grace and the day-star of Thy bounty. Aid them, O Lord, to acquire such virtues as will exalt their stations among the peoples of the world. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

O people of God! Give ear unto that which, if heeded, will ensure the freedom, well-being, tranquillity, exaltation and advancement of all men. Certain laws and principles are necessary and indispensable for Persia. However, it is fitting that these measures should be adopted in conformity with the considered views of His Majesty - may God aid him through His grace - and of the learned divines and of the high-ranking rulers. Subject to their approval a place should be fixed where they would meet. There they should hold fast to the cord of consultation and adopt and enforce that which is conducive to the security, prosperity, wealth and tranquillity of the people. For were any measure other than this to be adopted, it could not but result in chaos and commotion.

According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and presidents and of the Trustees of the House of Justice. Having pondered on that which We have enunciated, every man of equity and discernment will readily perceive, with his inner and outer eyes, the splendours of the day-star of justice which radiate therefrom. The system of government which the British people have adopted in London appeareth to be good, for it is adorned with the light of both kingship and of the consultation of the people.

In formulating the principles and laws a part hath been devoted to penalties which form an effective instrument for the security and protection of men. However, dread of the penalties maketh people desist only outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that which guardeth and restraineth man both outwardly and inwardly hath been and still is the fear of God. It is man’s true protector and his spiritual guardian. It behoveth him to cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead to the appearance of this supreme bounty. Well is it with him who giveth ear unto whatsoever My Pen of Glory hath proclaimed and observeth that whereunto he is bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.

O God, my God! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy forgiveness and benevolence, turning my gaze toward the horizon of Thy bountiful favors and manifold blessings. I beg of Thee by Thy sweet accents and by the shrill voice of Thy Pen, O Lord of all mankind, to graciously aid Thy servants as it befitteth Thy days and beseemeth the glory of Thy manifestation and Thy majesty. Verily potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. All they that dwell in the heavens and on the earth bear witness to Thy power and Thy might, to Thy glory and Thy bounty. Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Well-Beloved of the hearts of all such as have recognized Thee.

Thou seest, O my God, the essence of poverty seeking the ocean of Thy wealth and the substance of transgression looking toward the heaven of Thy forgiveness and tender mercy. Grant Thou, O my God, that which beseemeth Thy great glory and befitteth the loftiness of Thy boundless grace. Thou art in truth the All-Bountiful, the Lord of grace abounding, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty.

O God my God! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy forgiveness and benevolence, turning my gaze toward the horizon of Thy bountiful favours and manifold blessings. I beg of Thee by Thy sweet accents and by the shrill voice of Thy Pen, O Lord of all mankind, to graciously aid Thy servants as it befitteth Thy days and beseemeth the glory of Thy manifestation and Thy majesty. Verily potent art Thou to do whatsoever Thou willest. All they that dwell in the heavens and on the earth bear witness to Thy power and Thy might, to Thy glory and Thy bounteousness. Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Well-Beloved of the heart of every man of understanding!

Thou beholdest, O my God, the essence of poverty seeking the ocean of Thy wealth and the substance of iniquity yearning for the waters of Thy forgiveness and Thy tender mercy. Grant Thou, O my God, that which beseemeth Thy great glory and befitteth the loftiness of Thy boundless grace. Thou art in truth the All-Bountiful, the Lord of grace abounding, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent.

O people of God! In this day everyone should fix his eyes upon the horizon of these blessed words: ‘Alone and unaided He doeth whatsoever He pleaseth.’ Whoso attaineth this station hath verily attained the light of the essential unity of God and is enlightened thereby, while all others are reckoned in the Book of God among the followers of idle fancy and vain imagination. Incline your ears to the Voice of this Wronged One and safeguard the integrity of your stations. It is highly necessary and imperative that everyone should observe this matter.

Unveiled and unconcealed, this Wronged One hath, at all times, proclaimed before the face of all the peoples of the world that which will serve as the key for unlocking the doors of sciences, of arts, of knowledge, of well-being, of prosperity and wealth. Neither have the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors succeeded in silencing the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen, nor have the doubts of the perverse or of the seditious been able to hinder Him from revealing the Most Sublime Word. I earnestly beseech God that He may protect and purge the people of Baha from the idle fancies and corrupt imaginings of the followers of the former Faith.

O people of God! Righteous men of learning who dedicate themselves to the guidance of others and are freed and well guarded from the promptings of a base and covetous nature are, in the sight of Him Who is the Desire of the world, stars of the heaven of true knowledge. It is essential to treat them with deference. They are indeed fountains of soft-flowing water, stars that shine resplendent, fruits of the blessed Tree, exponents of celestial power, and oceans of heavenly wisdom. Happy is he that followeth them. Verily such a soul is numbered in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, among those with whom it shall be well. The glory which proceedeth from God, the Lord of the Throne on High and of the earth below, rest upon you, O people of Baha, O ye the companions of the Crimson Ark, and upon such as have inclined their ears to your sweet voices and have observed that whereunto they are bidden in this mighty and wondrous Tablet.

=== END BH00238 ===

=== START BH00239 ===

The honored Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin has attained unto the blessed writing and its contents were presented. The answer has shone forth from the horizon of utterance:

They who have journeyed and migrated unto God, for these is a great reward. Blessed are the people of Nun who have remained steadfast in the love of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have sent down unto them clear verses and dispatched them by the hand of Sin. Verily thy Lord is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing.

As to what thou hast mentioned regarding those who have attained thy presence, turning unto God, thy Lord - We have accepted their turning and their facing toward the court of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Verily bounty is in God’s hands - He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth of His creation. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He strengtheneth whom He willeth through what He willeth, and ordaineth for whomsoever He desireth whatsoever He pleaseth.

O Darvish! Blessed art thou for having turned unto God. We counsel thee with a counsel that surpasseth all that is in the heavens and earths. Set it before thine eyes and be not of those who, when judgment runneth counter to their desires, cast themselves into evident sorrow. Rejoice in God’s commandments whatsoever they may be. Circle round the shrine of detachment - this is a command from One mighty and beautiful. Be content with God’s good-pleasure and His decree, and with what hath been sent down in the Tablets from His firm and mighty judgment, that thou mayest leave creation behind thee in following thy Lord’s command. Thus behooveth one who hath soared in this wondrous, mighty, subtle and refined atmosphere. Thy name hath been mentioned before the Throne and We have sent down unto thee clear verses which We have made a treasure for thee. Be thou thankful and among those who praise. And likewise in this Tablet - verily thy Lord’s love for thee hath preceded all else - none can outstrip it in aught. He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Blessed be Abu’l-Qasim and he who was named Muhammad-Husayn. O Zayn! Give them the glad-tidings of God’s mention of them. We have written for them the reward of those who hastened, attained, turned and responded. Verily He is the Ruler over what He willeth.

O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! By the Lord of the worlds, God’s love precedeth and is greater and mightier than His servants’ love for Him. When the verse of prohibition was revealed, the inner eye wept for His loved ones, but the decree was fulfilled from His presence - none can repel His judgment. Verily He hath power over all things. It is very clear that God loveth His loved ones, and this prohibition was due to the veiling of the people, for the heedless servants at all times seek pretexts to accomplish their desires. By My life! Those who have returned by His command after drawing nigh unto Him - this is better for them than a thousand years of worship. Thy Lord is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The turning of a soul is never lost and shall never be lost, even if by a single step. For every soul is written the recompense of its deeds. Blessed are they who know.

They should gaze toward the All-Merciful with utmost joy and fragrance, such that even if they observe apparent harm to themselves from His commands and prohibitions, they should not be saddened but rather act with perfect eagerness and joy. In these days several souls have gathered from various regions and others have turned without permission. Blessed is Rafi’ and those with him, and those who, when they heard God’s call, acted as commanded. Verily the glory from Our presence be upon them and their like.

As to what thou didst mention concerning the name of God, Al-Ha, verily We have adorned his temple with the ornament of Our relationship. This is a bounty that nothing in the heavens and earth can equal. He hath arisen to serve God with his whole being, as attested by that which hath proceeded from him. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Upon him be My glory and My splendor, and upon those who love him. By My life! A noble station hath been ordained for him. Convey unto him that which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen and give him the glad tidings of this remembrance by which the horizon of remembrance hath been illumined and the heaven of utterance hath been raised up. Thus doth the All-Merciful command thee. Act accordingly and be of them that are thankful.

We found the servant present before the Countenance at the time when the verses were being written. He desired in his heart to send greetings unto him and unto My loved ones there. Convey these greetings and deliver the salutations from him to those who greeted him. Verily thy Lord is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing. We send greetings unto him from before My Branches and My Twigs and those who circle round the Throne of their Lord, the Mighty, the Generous.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Kazim who attained unto the presence, We have sent him two Tablets wherein We revealed that which attracteth the hearts of all mankind. Blessed is he and blessed are his brothers who have believed in God, turned unto Him and borne hardships in His path. Convey unto them the greetings from the Prisoner, then gladden them with My mention of them in this wondrous Tablet. We beseech God to assist them in all conditions and to ordain for them that which shall profit them in this world and the next. Verily He is the Bestower, the Ordainer, the Mighty, the Invincible.

Then make mention of Baqir and Rahim from Us and adorn them with the crown of thy Lord’s remembrance, the All-Knowing. We have sent down verses for them and dispatched them unto them. Verily We make mention of those who have desired the countenance of their Lord and have turned unto Him with radiant faces. He is the Mighty, the Generous.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Muhammad-i-Sadiq, We have heard his call. We have exalted him through this remembrance whereby every matter hath been exalted and every mighty station established. God hath forgiven him and his family. Verily He is the Generous, the Merciful. If they were to comprehend the fruits of God’s remembrance as they are in truth, and likewise the reward of their mention in the Most Holy Court, by My life! the intoxication of the most pure wine would so overcome them that they would become detached from all the worlds and would occupy themselves day and night with the remembrance of the Beloved of all possibility.

The name of the Noble One hath been mentioned before the Countenance, and there hath been revealed from the Pen of the Generous One that whereby the mention of the All-Wise hath shone forth. Make mention of him from Me through this manifest bounty.

Likewise, We have clothed Husayn with the robe of utterance from before the All-Merciful that he may be of the thankful ones. Make mention of him from Me that the breezes of the Beloved’s remembrance may waft over him from this Prison which God hath made the dawning-place of His Name, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Mighty, the Exalted.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Baqir after Muhammad, there hath been mentioned before the Countenance that which he composed and recited. Blessed be the tongue that hath spoken in praise of God and His Branches. We beseech God to make him among those who soar in the atmosphere of His love in every world of His worlds. He is among those who have attained the presence, gained victory, heard and responded, and there hath been ordained for him that which shall gladden his heart. Verily thy Lord is the Most Merciful of the merciful. The praise of God precedeth the praise of His servants, and His remembrance precedeth the remembrance of them that remember.

We have found in thy letter mention of Muhammad-Qabli-’Ali, and have adorned it with the mantle of his Lord’s remembrance, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Were it not for the hindrance of the hinderers and the clamor of the heedless, We would have sent down for each one of them that which would cause the oceans of attraction to surge amongst the worlds. Convey unto him the greetings of Him Who hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of His Lord’s utterance, the Most Merciful, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of Him through Whom the mountains were moved and the breeze of God wafted over all, whether small or great. Verily, He remembereth from the prison him who hath turned toward Him. Blessed is he who hath turned with his heart and heard what was raised from the Dayspring of his Lord’s remembrance, the Mighty, the Wise. We beseech God to assist him in that which he desireth, to make him content with His good-pleasure, to cause him to circle round His Will, and to speak His praise amongst His creatures. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Encompassing. As for what was sent, let half of it be used by him, and let the other half be delivered to the guest and Khadijih-Sul?an. Whenever any sum becometh available in this place, We shall command Our servant who is present before Our face to send its equivalent, in this noble station, to be spent as desired. This is of thy Lord’s bounty unto him. Give him the glad-tidings of this great bounty. Then make mention of the handmaiden who was mentioned in thy letter. Blessed is she in that her remembrance hath been sent down from the Pen of her Ancient Lord. We beseech God to aid her in His love and His good-pleasure, and to ordain for her what He hath ordained for His handmaidens who have shone forth from the horizon of detachment through this wise Remembrance.

O servant! This is not a day of trial and testing, nor the day which thou hast imagined. This is a day whereon it behooveth every soul, upon hearing the call from the Kingdom of his Lord, the Most Glorious, to detach himself wholly from all things created between earth and heaven, to turn with radiant countenance toward the Supreme Horizon, and to say with his inner and outer tongue - nay, with every member which God hath created within him - “Here am I, here am I, O Lord of Names! Here am I, here am I, O Thou Who art the Promised One in all the Tablets! Yea, yea, O Thou Who hast borne all hardships for the salvation of the worlds!”

Write, O servant: Ponder for a moment, purely for the sake of the All-Merciful, detached from all else, and consider: if thou remainest heedless of this Most Great Revelation, whose effulgence hath encompassed all the worlds and peoples, to what wilt thou cling, and by what proof and evidence wilt thou establish the truth for thyself? The Bayan itself hath been adorned with My Name and was revealed in remembrance of Me. Behold, that thou mayest know. Let nothing prevent thee from this bounty which hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. The essence of the Tree crieth out that He is the Beloved, and the Sadrih pronounceth that the Beauty of the Worshipped One, the Promised One, hath come - sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Peerless, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Art thou content with the idols thou possessest, or with names whereof thou knowest naught save what thou hast heard from thy likes? Cast them aside through thy Lord’s power and say: “I have turned unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds!” O servant! By the Most Great Luminary, God’s gaze is sanctified from being fixed upon the acceptance or rejection of men. Whatever is mentioned proceedeth from pure bounty, for His mercy and bounty have preceded all things. In this Most Great Prison He calleth out and summoneth the servants unto truth, that all may gather around the divine and all-embracing Word. If thou be fair-minded, consider: were it not for Baha, who would raise up the Cause of thy Lord, the Lord of Names? By God! Among those whom thou deemest necessary to follow, none hath appeared - all are occupied with preserving their lives and means of comfort, while the Truth itself speaketh forth amongst the people of rebellion, mentioning the All-Merciful. One word from Him is more precious than all revealed books and dispatched scriptures, yet ye remain deprived and veiled from the spring showers of the All-Merciful’s mercy through one of whom ye have no knowledge, and are barred from Him by Whose finger’s beckoning all that was revealed in the Bayan dependeth.

The ocean of nearness surgeth while men are seen to be remote; the Ancient Tongue speaketh forth while the people of creation appear deaf. Say: Break the chains of blind imitation and the idols of vain imaginings. Thus doth this imprisoned stranger command thee. The Bayan lamenteth while they rejoice, and the Point crieth out while they sport. Say: How long will ye occupy yourselves with your vain fancies? Do ye not see that ye depart and return not? O servants! The divine wine is prepared and the eternal Beauty is the cupbearer - whereby have ye remained veiled, and for what reason have ye been deprived? If the expression of truth were confined to but one word, that word would shine forth like the sun amidst all the words of the world. With penetrating vision, observe what hath been revealed in the Bayan and this Revelation […]

Look well that perchance thou mayest not remain deprived of the vernal breezes of the All-Merciful and be freed from the whisperings of the idolatrous souls. Hearken unto the divine counsel and transgress not beyond it. Know thou this much, that thou hadst and hast no knowledge of these matters, and those souls who have led thee astray were and are entirely unaware. Setting aside all these things, fix thy gaze upon that which hath been manifested, that haply thou mayest leave the pond behind thee, turning toward the Most Great Ocean which surgeth by virtue of itself and for itself, and proclaimeth: “There is none other God besides Him, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Wise.” We beseech God to grant thee success and bestow upon thee that which He hath desired in His days. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. Furthermore, write whatever thou deemest advisable in thine own words - there is no harm in this.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning Ibn-i-Barat, it behooveth him to render thanks unto his Lord for having mentioned his name in this noble station. Blessed art thou, O Barat, inasmuch as thou hast detached thyself from those who turned away and hast turned toward Him Who giveth life to the worlds. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then turn with thy heart unto the Beloved. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Revealer of the wise Remembrance! We make mention of Our loved ones at all times in such wise that the trials have not prevented Us from remembering them in the path of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Great. Remember ye Him even as He remembereth you - this is better for you, if ye be of them that know.

We have heard the call of Abdul-Karim who is there. Make mention of him on My behalf and give him the glad-tidings of My love for him. We are with him in his journey and his dwelling-place. O Abdul-Karim! Thou art remembered in the Most Holy Court. Be thou occupied with service to the Cause, that is, strive with utmost endeavor and exalted effort for the unity of the friends in that land, that the sweet-scented breezes of unity may waft from the direction of the friends of the Lord of all beings upon the whole world. The people of that land have borne in the path of Truth that which they have borne, and for the love of God they have tasted hardships. Therefore are they adorned with the robe of distinction. Now must all be reminded at all times lest they become heedless and something should proceed from anyone that would cause the abasement of the Cause and the extinction of the divine kindled fire. Arise thou with all thy being to serve the All-Merciful. From those souls must appear such qualities as would shine like suns among the qualities of people, that all the friends in every region might be reminded by the character, deeds and actions of those souls. We beseech God to aid thee in His service and to make thee among those who have served the Manifestation of His Cause and the Dawning-Place of His Revelation. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth.

Then make mention of Ali whom We showed in a dream and who acted according to what his Lord desired. Say: By My life, thy return is better than the acceptance of one who was not adorned with the ornament of permission. Thy Lord is the best Helper, the best Informed, the best Knower.

Then make mention of him who was named with the two Most Great Names. Say: We have accepted your turning and your acceptance - all this is dependent upon His Word, if ye be of them that know. When He decreeth for anyone to attain His presence, by God, it is inscribed in all the Tablets and in all the worlds of God, but people do not understand. Blessed is he who hath found the sweetness of the remembrance of his Lord and hath been seized by the intoxication of the utterance of his Lord, the All-Merciful, in such wise that he hath become detached from all creation, circling round the will of his Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Be not grieved, rather be glad with what hath proceeded from the Source of Command and hath shone forth from the horizon of the decree of your Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

Then make mention of Qurban-’Ali who hath grieved his Lord by what befell him. Yet when it came to pass for the love of God it proved sweeter than honey refined in the estimation of them that are nigh unto Him. O Qurban! We have ordained for thee the recompense of one who hath offered up his life in the path of God. Ponder upon this exalted station, be steadfast, make mention, render thanks and glorify thy Lord for this manifest grace. We were with thee in the days when thou didst migrate and turn towards God, the Lord of the mighty throne. We heard the sighing of thy heart and the lamentations of thy inner being in thy love for the Beloved of the worlds. Thy burning in separation from thy Lord is better than seventy years of worship, nay more, by His Self that dominateth the worlds. Blessed be thy yearning, thy longing, and thy seeking after the Goal of the sincere ones. If thou wouldst inhale the tablet of thy Lord, thou wouldst find therefrom the fragrance of reunion from the direction of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficing, the Most High. Through it, the heart of him who turned was stirred and the hearts of the seekers were attracted. By My life! After thee We beheld the very essence of nearness and thy return was the embodiment of drawing nigh. Rejoice in the sun of thy Lord’s remembrance which hath dawned from the horizon of the loving-kindness of the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and the earth. It behooveth thee not to grieve. Read thou the Tablet that thou mayest be assured of thy Lord’s grace unto thee and know that He loveth him who loveth Him and draweth nigh unto him who draweth nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious. We have sent down for thee in this Tablet that which will gladden thy heart, cheer thine eyes and tranquilize thy soul. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Merciful.

As to what thou didst mention concerning Hassan whose hand was severed in the path of God, the Lord of all men, by My life! We shall surely give him wings wherewith to soar in the atmosphere of the Kingdom. Thy Lord, verily, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. Remember thou him on behalf of thy Lord and convey unto him what hath been revealed for him from the Pen of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficing, the Most High. Say: Be not grieved, rather rejoice in what hath befallen thee in the love of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. The contingent world shall perish and sovereignty shall remain with God, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed art thou for having stood firm in the Cause of God and sacrificed thy hand in His path. Through it We shall raise up conquering hands and through them shall We subdue the lands. When thou hearest from anyone that which thy Master abhorreth, be patient, then leave him to the Mighty, the Compelling. He will seize him as He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Avenger, the All-Compelling. Those people are intoxicated with vain desires. Were they to know, they would lament over their deeds, but today they are veiled and covered. Blessed art thou, and thy mother, and thy brothers and sisters. Convey My greetings unto them all and clothe them with the robe of glorification from Our presence. Thus hast thou been commanded by thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. O Hassan! Upon thee be My glory and upon those who are with thee among those who have believed in the Day of Reckoning.

O Zayn! Give thanks to thy Lord for having revealed for each one mentioned in thy letter clear verses. This is of His grace unto thee and unto them. Thy Lord, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him and to cheer thine eyes by beholding the face of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings. Grieve not over anything. Serve thy Lord in the evening and the morning, at dawn and at eventide. If thou makest mention of them who are on earth, We make mention of them as a grace from Us unto thee. Give thanks and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of earth and heaven, and O Thou Whose grace hath encompassed all created things.

Special Tablets have been revealed for the land of Nun and sent in a special package addressed to ’Abdu’llah, carried by Sin and Mim. Convey the glorification of the True One unto His loved ones there, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

[This appears to be a fragment of Persian text that appears to be a notation or reference rather than actual content to be translated. Without more context or complete text, a meaningful translation cannot be provided.]

=== END BH00239 ===

=== START BH00240 ===

The true Lord and spiritual Beloved, His Honor Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, may the Most Glorious Splendor of God rest upon him, may observe with his radiant gaze.

He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and the Power!

The Point hath testified that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Verily it hath appeared and spoken of the Point which was honored with the Most Great Name, and through it God detailed the knowledge of what hath been and what will be and that which none among the worlds hath discovered. Through it the heaven of Will was raised up and the spheres of Purpose revolved and every wise command was made manifest. I testify that every eloquent tongue is mute in its mention, and every keen eye is prevented from beholding it, and every accomplished scholar is powerless to know it, and every brilliant mind is veiled from comprehending it. Glorified be He Who created it and made it the beginning of Books and their end, and the source of sciences and their mysteries. I testify that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been One, Single, Alone, Self-Subsisting, and will ever continue to be as He hath been. There is none other God but Him, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Then verily this servant at this time doth testify to his shortcoming and heedlessness, and doth confess his sins and errors, for he delayed in responding to the trace of your honored ink which was the dawning-place of love and unity and the source of kindness and affection. But since the servant doth acknowledge what hath passed from him, pardon from your honor is befitting. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, He is the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Generous. My soul be a sacrifice for your love! In truth this servant is ashamed of what hath occurred, for some time hath passed since he was honored with your letter, and there was delay in responding. Although confession of shortcoming and heedlessness hath been made, yet the multitude of successive occupations and continuous affairs hath been the cause and reason. Many travelers of every kind have attained the Most Holy Court, and this servant hath been occupied for some time with writing responses to the petitions of souls who had submitted them to the Most Holy Court. In any case, if there hath been any failing, pardon is hoped for, and in the words of the poet: The rest of life I stand ready to make amends.

When you mentioned the words of the illustrious Sajjad, upon him be the Glory of God, they were presented before the Throne. He spoke: “O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! By My life, your goodness ascends unto Us and Our grace descends unto you. Thus has the Beloved testified in His praiseworthy station.” Then, exalted be His grandeur, He said: “O Zayn! We complain to thee of those whom vain imaginings have deluded to the point where they speak without God’s leave. We testify that they are the children of delusion. They write what beseemeth them not, they blow upon ashes, yet they perceive it not. They are like unto a water-skin filled with air. They hasten through the wilderness of error, abject.”

The True One, exalted and glorified be He, with perfect bounty and favor hath invited the people to the horizon of guidance, and with the fingers of power and bestowal hath lit the brilliant torches, radiant lights, and illuminating lamps, that all might recognize and find the path of God. Yet some commanding souls, unwittingly following their own desires, are engaged in undermining the Cause of God, counting themselves among the mature and perfect ones. The cawing of the crows, which was revealed in numerous Tablets and about which We gave warning, is in these days raised from certain quarters. Although these are days wherein fellowship, unity, love and accord are beloved, those heedless souls have again become the cause of differences. Say: We seek refuge with the All-Merciful from the evil of those who claim relationship with Him yet do that from which even Satan would disassociate himself. They are indeed among the most lost in the perspicuous Book.

Your honor should remain vigilant in all conditions and exert utmost effort in educating souls and remaining steadfast in the Cause of God. Today, from whomsoever the fragrance of self is detected, that one is the cause and source of discord. Ask thou God to assist them in that which He loveth and pleaseth, and to make them know themselves lest they transgress their stations and ranks. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

By the True One Himself! This servant, who is as nothing, is bewildered at God’s grace and favor, for it is observed that despite knowledge of certain ones’ realities, behaviors and utterances, nevertheless from the Most Holy Court wondrous and sublime Tablets are sent to those souls that perchance they might become aware. Yet they understand not, neither do they become mindful.

Regarding that person from N and J about whom you wrote that he had arrived there and you had counseled him - when this matter was presented before the Most Holy Court, He said: “O Zayn! The effulgences of the Sun of divine bounty have shone upon and encompassed all, and the True One, glorified and exalted be He, hath not deprived anyone of the outpourings of the ocean of bounty. Yet some are heedless, and their carnal desires have become a barrier, thus they remain deprived of the lights of the Sun of Truth. Write to that person that his not being granted a meeting was not due to lack of favor, but rather out of mercy and ultimate kindness, that thou might become aware and speak according to what God hath willed. Say: Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s favor and say:

‘O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name which no one hath truly known, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise and enable me to do what Thou lovest and pleasest. Then I ask Thee to forgive my sins, for I have clung to the hem of Thy Name, the Forgiving, the Generous.’

Would that people might become aware of God’s bounty, mercy, kindness and favor! Whatever appears is pure bounty, yet most are heedless of it.”

Concerning what was written about Aqa Muhammad-Taqi, this was submitted. He, exalted and mighty be His glory, says: “Blessed is he in that he followed God’s command and attained this lofty deed. Would that other people had acted as he acted. Although in these days the excellence of good deeds is not apparent as it should be, yet verily it shall be made manifest. Verily He is the protector of whosoever acts in His path and follows what was commanded in the perspicuous Book. The greetings of the Wronged One be upon him and upon those who are there among thy Lord’s loved ones, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

As commanded, they have forgiven the rights to whatever claims they have. Blessed is he, for his is a goodly station. Whosoever serves the friends in that land today is and shall be beloved in the presence of the Divine Countenance. God has ever directed His favors toward those souls. The details of this land are concealed. For a long time nothing has been presented before the Throne. In these days they wrote from the direction of Ha that some funds had become available. From the Most Holy Court it was commanded that these be sent to that land. God willing, they will arrive soon.

Regarding what you wrote about the books, it is known that no neglect has occurred or will occur from your direction.

Concerning what you wrote about the souls present in that land from among the travelers who, after hearing the verses of God, returned with the utmost joy and delight - this was submitted to the Most Holy Court. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak: “Praise be to Him Who enabled them to hear His verses and assisted them to act according to His good-pleasure.”

Regarding the books of Aqa Mirza ’Abdu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, you wrote that they have begun. God willing they will be completed, and if possible they should be bound there, but the binding must be of good quality.

Concerning what you wrote about ?afi, upon him be the glory of God, that his letter had arrived and this servant had not submitted a response - this matter seems very unlikely to this servant, for whenever his missive was received, a response was submitted. Perhaps it did not arrive. In any case, I hope to be forgiven. He himself is aware of this servant’s many occupations, thus it is possible the oversight was from this servant. Praise be to God that mention of him and his relatives has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court.

Regarding what you wrote about Hasan-’Ali Khan-i-’Amu, this was submitted to the Most Holy Court. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak in the Kingdom of Utterance: “O thou who hast turned! Mention was made of thee before the Throne, and He mentioneth thee from this place which hath at times been named the Most Great Prison, at others the Most Sublime Vision, at times the Most Exalted Paradise, and at times the Luminous Spot wherein speaketh the Furthermost Tree. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. And it hath other names which none can reckon save God, the Counter, the All-Knowing. Give thanks unto God for having attained unto hearing the scratching of His Most Exalted Pen and for having turned unto Him when every ungrateful infidel turned away. We made mention of thee when We heard thy call and answered thee when thou didst call upon thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This is a bounty that shall endure as long as the kingdom and the realm endure, after all who are in the world have perished. Thus doth the Tongue of Revelation inform thee that thou mayest be of the thankful. Trust in Him, then stand firm in the Cause lest the whisperings of every sneaking whisperer and the bellowing of every remote calf cause thee to slip. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the blessing of recognition in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful. We bear witness that they are among those who have attained in a mighty tablet.”

The one true God is witness that this servant at all times beholds himself in manifest burning, inasmuch as today all devoted souls must arise to serve the Cause of God, even as hath been recorded and set down in the divine Tablets. Nevertheless, some have remained heedless of the divine Day and are occupied with spreading their own vain imaginings. Their purpose and aim remaineth unknown. What a pity that in such days as these one should be preoccupied with self and be debarred from that which God hath willed - let alone the state of those who turn away and join partners with God. Among other things, last year at one time this evanescent servant turned towards the Divine Throne, and after attaining the Most Great Presence, the station of the Lord of Power, “I beheld a book cast upon the ground. Then did the Face of the Intended One turn toward me and say: ‘Take it and read it, and respond to it as commanded.’” This servant picked up that sealed letter and returned to his quarters. After opening it and reading it repeatedly, “then I recalled what the All-Merciful had revealed in the Qur’an when He said, and His word is the truth: ‘Every man’s fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.’” This verse was read repeatedly, for it was observed that the book of that vile soul’s deeds flowed from his own pen and hand and was made manifest on the Day of Judgment, while he himself remained utterly unaware. In any case, that letter was from Siyyid-i-Yusif-i-Sidihi, who had written in what he imagined to be the style of verses. This servant wrote a detailed reply to him, as was previously mentioned to your honor that it would be sent. Since no further command was issued from the Most Holy Court, its dispatch was delayed. It was observed that that heedless and veiled one had not attained unto a drop from the ocean of the All-Merciful’s knowledge, nor had he inhaled the fragrance of the garment of utterance. He spoke from base desire, turning away from God, the Lord of Names. Among other things, these sublime and resplendent words, which were revealed from the dawning-place of the All-Merciful’s will and the dayspring of the All-Glorious’s purpose in the Most Great Prison, were written in reply to him. He says, exalted be His might and His grandeur, and glorified be His verses and His evidences:

“I know not what to mention unto the people of the world in these days wherein justice hath been cast away and tyranny hath been raised up, wherein every group hath clung to the hem of idle fancies and every people hath taken hold of the ropes of the learned’s vain imaginings like unto cattle. They have forsaken the most exalted horizon and have taken that which their base desires have commanded them. They turn a deaf ear to hearkening unto the Most Exalted Word and dispute with God, the Lord of Names. They have turned away from the Most Great Ocean in that they have followed every deaf and dumb one, and among them is he who hath sent the croaking of the raven unto the Mighty, the Bestower, and hath offered the buzzing of the fly unto God, the Lord of lords, and among them is he who hath sent a putrid stench unto the Paradise wherefrom wafteth what hath perfumed the earth and heaven, and among them is he who hath sent tar unto the ocean of wisdom and utterance, and brackish water unto the fountain of truth and explanation. They know not their return and their abode, nor do they recognize their destination and their dwelling-place. Are they aware of what they write? Do they comprehend what they say? Nay, by the Lord of what was and what shall be! […]”

They have stretched forth their necks in hypocrisy and violated the Covenant and Testament. Among them are those who imagine that verses must end with “All-Knowing” or “All-Wise” or with an alif at their end, or with the addition of waw and nun to similar words, supposing these to be words which the All-Merciful has revealed in their hearts. Nay, by God! Rather has Satan inspired their hearts. They who have denied the proof and openly shown their rejection and enmity shall soon join their friends in the fire - and what an evil dwelling place it is! - except they repent and return unto God, the One, the Chosen. Shame upon the one who casts aside certain truth and follows obvious delusion. Say: Sully not the pure chalice of recognition, and say not that which the All-Merciful has not permitted you. By God’s life! This is the Day in which the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, has come, more manifest than the sun at high noon. O people of error! Abandon what you possess and turn to God, the Lord of the beginning and the end. Purify your vision and turn to the Most Great Prospect; then shall you see the Light shining amidst the world’s darkness and prevailing over all peoples. Hearken to what should be heard, and listen not to the braying of every ignorant rabble. Know that God commands you to submit and counsels you to be humble. Beware lest you cast upon the ocean of utterance the allusions of contingent beings or what the followers of religions have spoken. Sanctify your hearts from the veils of allusions and your souls from the shrouds of references. Strive that from you may appear that which will spread the sweet fragrance of amity and diffuse the musk of unity. By God! The knowledge of the world profits you not today, nor will the treasures of earth and heaven enrich you. Reflect upon the world and what has occurred therein. It shows you its evanescence and tells you its tales, not through mention and narrative but through witnessing and revelation. Where are the Caesars and their adorned palaces? Where are the Pharaohs and their lofty pyramids? Where are the Chosroes and their golden raiments? Where are their upraised standards and their spread banners? Take heed, O ye that slumber! Awaken, O ye that sleep!

Consider how heedless the people are. Like Siyyid Yusuf and his like, they make claims to truth while remaining heedless and turning away from the exalted Truth. Shame upon them, and degradation, punishment and grief be upon them! By His mighty and exalted word: People are weak and immature, having drunk the milk of heedlessness from the breast of desire, afflicted with the chronic diseases of ignorance and foolishness. They are utterly remote from the station of humanity and its virtues. Blessed is the physician who heals the sick through My blessed and beloved Name.

This servant is bewildered and contemplative as to whether to present responses to your honor’s statements or mention the events of this transient world. This servant is like a leaf moved in every direction by the winds of His will, carried to every quarter. At times some have objected to the mention of divinity, though all are promised it, and at times they are occupied with what their desires teach them. By Thy life! They are in manifest error. A petition specifically for all the beloved ones was submitted some time ago and is with Mulla Muhammad-’Ali Dahji, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]. God willing it will reach the luminous gaze. From the references in that petition, the deeds and objections of certain ignorant ones will become evident. We beseech God to remove them from all that He abhors and draw them near to what He loves.

Concerning what was written about the wife, when presented at the Most Holy Court, He spoke - and His word is the truth: “O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! Commit thy affair unto God, the Evident Truth. He will cause to flow for thee whatsoever He willeth of matters and will ordain for thee that which is best for thee. Rejoice thou in this and be of the thankful ones.”

Regarding the mother of the wife of Jinab-i-Ismu’llah and the mother of Jinab-i-Nasir, should anyone bring them, there is no objection to it. God hath given permission for this.

As to what was written concerning Khalil having written to Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Hasan that he should turn towards this direction - permission from the Most Holy Court has not yet been granted. It is not known with what thought Jinab-i-Khalil wrote this. Well is it with Jinab-i-Muhammad-Qabl-Hasan, for he hath committed his affair unto God, the Mighty, the Wise, and hath not been moved by what was written to him. Thus should every sincere and steadfast seeker behave. This servant conveyeth limitless greetings to him.

Regarding what was again asked about the Most Great Festival, and what was written that your honor had taken Friday as the second day and the following Friday as the ninth day - your action is correct and all should follow you in what you have done. For according to this reckoning the first day of the Festival begins on Thursday afternoon when the Throne was established in Ridvan. And what was written that the afternoon of the first day and the second day are counted as one day - this is because work is not permitted therein, and this pertains to the outward aspect of the matter. In any case, the first day of the Festival is the afternoon of the day when the Ancient Beauty entered Ridvan, and that day is included in the count.

The letter inquiring about the meanings of verses will also be sent next week, God willing, with [the Tablets…]

Furthermore, this servant presenteth pure devotion and utter nothingness and the Most Glorious, Most Holy, Most Exalted Greeting to all the gentlemen and friends of that land, whether they be the captives of God or [travelers unto] God who have arrived in that land. I beseech your honor’s favors to convey these. And likewise this servant concludeth his words with mention of Jinab-i-Ismu’llah-i-Asdaq - upon him be all the most glorious glory and most resplendent light. And I testify that he is indeed the one mentioned before the Throne. Upon him be the mercy of God, the Forgiving, the Generous. And glory be upon you.

The Servant

3 Ramadan 1293

Your honor’s mention and praise were presented in the pure presence of the Branches of the Divine Lote-Tree - may my spirit be a sacrifice unto the dust of their feet - and they remember and greet your honor with the gems of salutations shining forth from the horizon of the Cause.

=== END BH00240 ===

=== START BH00241 ===

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

The servant hath been bidden to be brief in making mention of the chosen ones, by God, the All-Powerful, the All-Choosing, for time hath become as rare as red sulphur and correspondence is beyond count or containment. The matter is in God’s hands, the Lord of destiny. O my beloved! I have received what thou didst send in these days wherein the deeds of men have taken form and assumed diverse shapes - at times appearing as swords and spears, at others in the guise of cannons and daggers. Calamities and afflictions have encompassed all regions, yet the people remain in strange slumber. Successive years have passed, yet the tempests of wrath and the hurricanes of divine decree have not subsided, by reason of what the hands of men have wrought. Blessed is he who, being endowed with insight, hath recognized the cause and hath arisen to inform the people and bid them arise to that which they have neglected in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. On one day thou seest the fire of conflict ablaze amongst the servants, and on another thou hearest the sound of guns and rifles from diverse lands. How many cities have been swallowed up, how many lands laid waste by earthquakes, how many regions encompassed by other calamities through God’s decree, the Lord of all men, and how many lands submerged and lofty buildings fallen! All this was foretold by the Prophets of old from God, the Lord of Justice and Sovereign of Grace. Blessed is the soul that perceiveth these matters, pondereth them, and is awakened thereby. Woe unto him who is so seized by vain desire as to be kept back from the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, until he returneth to his abode in the fires. Praise be to God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Bestower!

In such days as these which the servant hath mentioned to your honor, he was gladdened by what you sent him, for from each of your words he detected the fragrance of the love of God - my Beloved and your Beloved, my Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth. When I read and discovered what was therein, the warmth of your love so enkindled me that I arose and turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon until I attained His presence and presented it. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that whereby every inanimate thing was stirred, every bone thrilled, and every seated one arose. The servant is powerless to recount to your honor what he witnessed and beheld from the waves of his Lord’s ocean of utterance, the Lord of Names, nor can he cause thee to hear His sweetest call or show thee His most exalted horizon. Yet he mentioneth according to his measure and station that which was impressed upon the smallest of mirrors - the mirror of his heart. He - exalted be His majesty, magnified His sovereignty, and glorified His grandeur - said:

In My Name, the Hearing, the Answering, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful […]

ABD, the Call hath been raised from the Most Exalted Right-hand Side from the direction of My Most Great Word: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Hearer, the Answerer!” The ears have been prevented from hearkening unto this Call save those whom God, the Lord of all worlds, hath willed. By this Call the Kingdom was attracted and proclaimed: “He Who is the King of Kings hath come with a sovereignty before which all who are in the heavens and earth cannot stand!” Through it the Fire of God was kindled and appeared from the Tree, and it spoke: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers!”

O Abdullah! By the life of God, the ear of Moses was blessed by this Call. Exalted is He Who made him successful, hearing, speaking, and bearing His firm and mighty Command. Say: O concourse of earth! Come, that I may cause you to hear what your ears have never heard before, and come, that I may show you what no eyes have seen except those whom God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, hath willed. Blessed is he who hastened with his heart to the Most Great Ocean and attained unto it in the days of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous.

The servant present hath presented thy letter, and what the dove of thy love uttered was read before the Wronged One. We heard it and answered thee with that which caused the Kingdom of Utterance to quiver, the birds of knowledge to soar, and all things to speak. O concourse of names! Draw nigh that ye may hear. By God! The ears were created to hearken unto that which hath been raised from the Most Exalted Horizon, as a command from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Be grateful to God for this supreme bounty. Verily, He hath mentioned thee in various Tablets as a grace from Him, and He is the Ancient Bestower. A single letter of what We have sent thee surpasseth all that thou hearest and seest - thy Lord, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, beareth witness to this. The Glory shining from the horizon of thy Lord’s favor be upon thee, thy family, those who are with thee, and those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Every soul should, with a hundred thousand tongues and utterances, beseech God, exalted be His glory, not to withhold His servants from this Most Pure Fountain and Greatest Bounty. Verily, He hath power over all things. Strange it is that the people of the world - to what do they believe and from what do they turn away? This great Cause hath encompassed the world and its signs are manifest from all directions, yet they cling to the spider’s web, remaining heedless of the glorious station and deprived of the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful. They are unaware of what hath appeared in the earth. They seek naught but self-desire and show no sign save the flame of ego. They do what they are bidden by the imaginings of the ignorant ones, namely the divines.

Glory be to God! Such tyranny hath appeared from this group that the pens of the world are powerless to recount it. These souls are the concealing veils and the preventing barriers who, despite their countless iniquities, would recognize the truth of what hath appeared if they were to attain unto fairness for but a moment. Verily, He confirmeth whom He willeth as a grace from Him, and guideth whom He desireth unto His straight and manifest path.

Concerning what thou didst write about thy honored master, His Grace Mirza Ishaq, upon him be the Glory of God - in these days the Most Great Branch - may my spirit, my being, and my essence be a sacrifice for the dust of His footsteps - hath gone to the region of the Jordan River and is not present. However, the mention of him that was in thy letter was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. These sublime words were sent down from the heaven of the Will of the Revealer of verses. He saith, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed […]

The servant who was present brought a letter from one who loved Me, and therein was thy mention. We make mention of thee with this mention which, when it appeared from the Dawning-Place of thy Lord’s utterance, the Ancient of Days, all the mentions of the world bowed down before it. Thus hath the Pen spoken from this most exalted Station and supreme Height. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Generous. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle. By the life of God! It hath appeared in truth. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto, and woe unto the heedless. Remember when thou didst attain unto the presence in days wherein the Light shone forth from the horizon of Zawra. Thus doth the Most Great Announcement make mention of thee, whereby every firm foundation hath been shaken. We counsel thee to remain steadfast in the Greater Steadfastness and in that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all men, is exalted. Cast away what the people possess and take what thou art commanded by One Who is Compassionate, Generous. Preserve thy station and thy kinship with the name of thy Lord. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient. We, from this spot, send Our blessings upon thee and upon those who have turned to the Supreme Horizon when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and who answered their Lord, the Speaker, the All-Seeing. Rejoice thou in My mention of thee. All the treasures of earth cannot equal it, as every steadfast and upright one doth testify.

They have attained to greater than what they intended. Would that the stations of divine favors were somewhat manifested among the people. By the life of the Desired One! All on earth would cry “Here am I! Here am I!” However, none save the Absolutely Wise One is aware of the requirements of the consummate wisdom. God willing, they shall receive the answer to their petition. This lowly one also offers greetings to them.

Regarding what you wrote about the mentioned sum that was of unknown ownership for a time - when this matter was presented before Him, He smiled and said: “Blessed is he, for he hath spoken the truth. God willing, He shall grant the right unto them. He is verily the Wealthy, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

All your passages were presented. In truth, they brought joy to the Ancient Beauty. This is another bounty bestowed upon you. It is quite clear and evident that you have mentioned what you found in the correspondence. O beloved of my heart! All matters are clear and evident. This lowly one and others testify to what you have written. However, a hundred thousand thanks and praise be to the Desired One of the worlds that this matter caused the Ancient Beauty to smile. His is the praise and favor in all conditions.

And regarding what you wrote that the beloved of the heart, Varqa, upon him be the Glory of God, had promised the sacred, hidden, and treasured circle - his promise will, God willing, be fulfilled, and this evanescent servant will, by God’s grace, send it. I beseech God to grant generous hours and bestow an opportunity so that what was mentioned may quickly be accomplished. O my beloved! Two things are rare, nay impossible to find in the world: one is time for this servant, and the other is faith among the divines of the age. The Phoenix might be found, or the greatest elixir might come into being, or a true lover might find peace and tranquility, but for that other one, truly no solution has been or will be found, for it is a sign of God’s - exalted be His glory - wrath. And what is meant by the divines who are mentioned are the ignorant ones who are honored, respected and known among the heedless masses by the name of knowledge. Otherwise, He says the learned one is like the eye for the body of the world, and in another place He says like light in the darkness of days.

As to what you wrote concerning turning towards the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, this was presented, and this is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke in the Kingdom of Utterance - exalted be His grandeur:

In His Name, the Mighty, the Bestower!

O thou who hast turned towards My horizon! Thou hast attained unto the hearing of My call in My days and hast partaken of the choice wine of My love through My Name, the Manifest, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have called all mankind unto God. Among the people are those who have heard and responded, and those who have turned away and denied God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: O concourse of the earth! The Promise hath come, and He Who was promised hath appeared, and the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Most High, the Most Great, have been sent down. He hath verily revealed what He desired and commanded His servants with that which draweth them nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Knowing. The world hath been adorned with the lights of My Most Great Manifestation, yet most of the people are heedless.

Praise be to the Desired One of the worlds, for He hath aided thee to recognize this most great station. The people are heedless and veiled from that which hath appeared. The veils of idle fancies have prevented their eyes from beholding the waves of the ocean of utterance and have deprived them from witnessing the lights of the Sun of Manifestation. Today the door of the most great bounty is opened wide, and the Hidden Mystery hath, in His own person, become manifest and evident. The heedless servants are veiled from that which profiteth them and are occupied with that which distracteth them. Blessed are they who have rent asunder the veils of idle fancies with the fingers of certitude and have broken the chains of vain imaginings through His Most Great Name. Soon will those who have suffered loss cry out “Oh, woe unto us!”

As to what thou didst mention regarding the meeting, the servant present submitted: The first to seek this station for thee is he who desired Me and loved Me and attained My presence and entered the Most Great Prison by My leave and heard My call and arose before My gate - he who was named Varqa in My court. And after him, he who attained by turning unto My Self and directing himself toward My manifest and obvious path - he who was named Abu’l-Qasim and at times Nazir. Verily thy Lord is He Who detaileth, the Expositor, the All-Informed. Thou hast attained the light of permission from thy Lord, the Ever-Giving, the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Merciful. However, one must act in accordance with the requirements of wisdom, and without this it is not acceptable in the sight of the Wronged One. Ye are among those souls concerning whose devotion and turning unto Him the Ancient Beauty Himself beareth witness, and whosoever attaineth unto this station hath attained unto all good. God willing, thou shalt remain firm and steadfast in this most exalted and sublime station. Today, any enkindled soul who, in consideration of divine wisdom, is deprived of visitation, shall assuredly have its reward recorded by the Most Exalted Pen. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s favor and be of the thankful ones. In all circumstances, keep thine eye upon wisdom. This is among the binding counsels of God which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in most of the Tablets. The glory be upon thee and upon thy family, both female and male, both young and old. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The bounty of God - exalted be His glory - hath reached such a degree that it is more evident than the sun. In this case, the mention of this evanescent one would serve no purpose. I beseech God - exalted be His glory - to adorn thee with the ornament of His good-pleasure and to embellish thee with the robe of His acceptance. This is the ultimate station, and our Lord is the Master of all mankind.

We hear the call of every leaf that hath spoken and every maidservant who hath called upon her Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We hear and We answer, for verily I am the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Me, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Most Generous. Give praise unto Him Who is thy Purpose and the Purpose of all who are in earth and heaven. He, verily, hath aided thee until thou didst bear witness and desire that which beseemeth the Days of God, the Lord of Creation. Say unto her in Persian: Praise be to God that thy call hath reached the ears of the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and We have addressed thee with words for which all the handmaidens of the earth, whether queens or others, have yearned in vain and failed to attain. Know thou the value of this bounty and occupy thyself with thanksgiving to God, exalted be His glory.

The waves of the ocean of bounty are manifest and visible. Praise be to God, they wash upon His loved ones, and their drops shall, God willing, reach others that all may be made ready to recognize the Cause for which they were created and for which they were brought into being.

As for what thou didst mention concerning those souls who have quaffed the wine of utterance and stand firm in their love for the Best-Beloved of the worlds, mention was made of each one in His presence, and all convey their greetings and salutations to that spiritual friend. However, His Holiness Ismu’llah (66), may the Most Glorious of all Glory rest upon him, hath turned towards those parts. God willing, ye shall meet in a place of safety and security. Likewise, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God, departed two months ago towards the regions of Iran. God willing, wherever he may be, may he be adorned with the blessing of health, which is considered the foremost ornament, and be engaged in that which exalteth the Cause of God. His Holiness Ismu’llah J.M., may the Most Glorious of all Glory rest upon him, by divine command proceeded from the Land of Ta to Hadba, where he now resideth, until what may shine forth and become manifest from the horizon of God’s Will. The Command is in His hands; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Likewise, His Holiness Ismu’llah Zayn, may the Most Glorious of all Glory rest upon him, dwelleth in Hadba in the utmost joy and fragrance, occupied with the remembrance of God.

As for thy special mention of Jinab-i-Darvish Sidq-’Ali, may the Most Glorious of all Glory rest upon him, he hath ascended to the Supreme Companion and the Ultimate Goal. Praise be to God that at the time of his ascension, the Concourse on High inhaled from him the fragrance of sanctity, detachment and divine love. This evanescent servant can testify that the worlds beyond were perfumed with the fragrance of his steadfastness. He was among those souls concerning whose visitation the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken these words: “The earth hath been adorned by thy presence.” That which was revealed concerning him is such that ages and centuries shall not alter it, nor shall extinction draw nigh unto it. Would that this servant had been with him!

Convey on behalf of this lowly one greetings and salutations to the friends in that land. God willing, may all be illumined by the lights of the Sun of inner meanings and adorned with the ornament of steadfastness. The days are passing, and ere long time and opportunity shall have elapsed. I swear by the ocean of utterance that each moment of these days is more noble and excellent in the sight of God, exalted be His glory, than successive years. That which is today necessary and obligatory, and most mighty and holy before God, is the unity of the friends of God, and thereafter goodly deeds and spiritual qualities, for these are accounted as the hosts of God, and by these hosts must the friends of the Ancient King conquer the hearts of all the peoples of the world. This servant hopeth that transient concerns may not deprive and debar them from their eternal station. In any case, I have and do beseech prayers from all, that perchance I may fulfill that with which I am charged.

At the end of your letter mention was made of the departure of the beloved of hearts, namely his honor Varqa, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Names, and likewise mention was made of their proceeding in that direction. God willing, may they arrive in the utmost joy and fragrance and occupy themselves with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. We beseech the Lord to unite us through His grace beneath the shadow of His providence and the pavilions of His grandeur. Verily He is the Omnipotent over what He willeth, and within His grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Likewise they had addressed a letter to this servant mentioning their proceeding to that land. God willing, may they proceed in perfect health and well-being. For each of the names mentioned that were sent in the hand of his honor Aqa Khalil, upon him be the glory of God, a wondrous and exalted Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of will. God willing, may they attain unto it and act according to what God hath desired, and may all be adorned with the robe of forgiveness. This is a glad-tiding from the servant unto them. Verily my Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. May the Glory that shineth manifest from the horizon of the providence of our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who have attained unto the lights of the Self-Subsisting in the days of God, our Beloved and the Beloved of every knowledgeable and steadfast soul.

The Servant

19 Dhi’l-?ijjih 1299

The names mentioned in the letter of his honor Ibn-i-Dakhil, upon him be the glory of God, were presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and for each one a wondrous and exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of bounty, and likewise for the names that were in the letter of the honored gentleman, his honor Nabil, upon him be the glory of God, sacred, impregnable and exalted Tablets were revealed from the heaven of grace and sent. God willing, may all attain and act according to what is contained therein.

=== END BH00241 ===

=== START BH00242 ===

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

Praise, sanctified beyond the mention of pen and tongue, befitteth the Dawning-Place of Light, the King of Oneness, Who hath raised aloft the standard of His Cause and adorned the earth with its shade. The tyrants did not dismay Him, nor did the pharaohs prevent Him. He appeared and manifested what He desired, despite those servants who denied the Day of Mutual Summoning. Blessings, peace, glory and splendor be upon His loved ones who broke not the Covenant nor violated the Testament, who arose and declared: “God is our Lord! Verily He hath appeared with truth and illumined the horizons.”

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Support, and my Heart’s Desire! Thou seest and knowest that Thy servant desireth naught on earth save Thy remembrance and praise, and the mention of him who was effaced before the manifestations of Thy will and the revelations of Thy purpose. I beseech Thee in all conditions to assist him and those who have believed to attain a steadfastness surpassing the steadfastness of all who dwell on earth. I implore Thee, O Thou the Desire of the hearts of the Messengers and the Beloved of the sincere and faithful ones, to open before the faces of Thy loved ones, by the finger of Thy might, the doors of Thy grace. Then raise them up through Thy power, Thy sovereignty, Thy greatness and Thy dominion. Make them lamps of guidance among Thy creation and brilliant stars in Thy lands. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Moreover, I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, to ordain for him who hath turned unto Thee, attained Thy presence, and stood before Thy face, the victory of Thy Cause and the exaltation of Thy Word through wisdom and utterance throughout all possibility. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful. O Lord! Thou knowest that he hath turned unto Thee and held fast to the service of Thy Cause. Adorn him, O Thou the Desire of the world, with the Most Great Ornament, which is the acceptance of what hath proceeded from him and what he desireth to accomplish in Thy days. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Lord of great bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

Thereafter, an esteemed letter from that spiritual friend reached this evanescent servant. Praise be to God, it brought true joy and spiritual delight, for it was perfumed with the fragrances of love for the Beloved of all worlds. After its reading, acceptance and comprehension, it ascended to the most exalted pavilion and the ultimate goal, was presented before the face of the Lord of all beings, and was honored to be heard. When it was completed, the Tongue of Grandeur began, saying - exalted be His glory and universal be His bounty:

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed […]

O Muhammad! We have made mention of thee in such wise that the rivers of grace have flowed therefrom throughout the world and the breezes of the Spirit have wafted over all peoples. Thy Lord is verily the Compassionate, the Bountiful. We have mentioned thee time and again during the days when thou didst stand before the Countenance and hearken unto the Call of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, and when thou didst stand before the Most Great Gate which was opened unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful, the Munificent. He strengthened thee to turn towards the Supreme Horizon, enabled thee to draw nigh, honored thee with His presence, gave thee to drink of the pure Water of Life, caused thee to hear His most sweet call and the creaking of His Most Exalted Pen, and showed thee His hallowed, mighty and resplendent horizon.

O Muhammad! Hearken once again unto the Call of thy Lord, the Sovereign of the throne and of the dust. He summoneth thee to that which will draw thee nigh unto the Most Great Sea which surgeth before the faces of all peoples. Verily thy Lord doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. We bear witness that thou hast attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, and that thou hast drunk, time and again, from the chalices of the verses of thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, the Kawthar of utterance and knowledge, and that thou hast made mention of Him amongst the servants and hast voiced His praise before all faces. He verily heareth and seeth; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We were seated upon the carpet when the servant in attendance entered with wondrous joy, holding in his hand a book which he showed forth and read before the face of thy Lord, the Master of the Day of Judgment. We perceived therefrom the fragrance of thy submissiveness and thy turning unto God, the True Sovereign, the Just, the Manifest. When thy mention was completed, the ocean of utterance surged and the fragrance of thy Lord’s loving-kindness was diffused, and We sent down from the heaven of Will that which moveth every mouldering bone. By the life of God! At the time of its revelation, the denizens of the all-highest Paradise and the exalted Garden were present to hearken unto the Call which was raised between earth and heaven at this time when sorrows have encompassed Me from every direction through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought.

When thou drinkest the choice wine of utterance from the cup of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou before Whose manifestation the realities of all created things prostrated themselves and the essences of all beings rejoiced that Thou didst turn toward this servant from the direction of Thy prison, O Lord of all men! Thou art He Who caused him to hear Thy call and strengthened him to say “yea,” and enabled him to recognize the Dayspring of Thy verses, the Ocean of Thy knowledge, the Heaven of Thy bounty and the Sun of Thy wisdom. I beseech Thee by the lands which Thou hast adorned through the footsteps of Thy sincere ones amongst Thy servants and wherein the call of them that are nigh unto Thee amongst Thy creation was raised, and by Thy Command whereby the mysteries of Thy knowledge were revealed, and by the Name through which Thou didst subdue all who are in Thy earth and Thy heaven, and by the Lamp of Thy utterance which Thou hast preserved from the tempests of the utterances of the oppressors and the hurricanes of the doubts of the transgressors, and by the Point through which the hearts of the lovers were set ablaze throughout all regions, that Thou ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of this world and of the world to come, and that which will exalt me amongst Thy servants and will aid me to manifest Thy Word with the wisdom wherewith Thou didst command Thy servants in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. O Lord! Thou seest him who is as nothingness seeking the ocean of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee to number him among those for whom Thou hast ordained a station beneath the canopies of Thy grandeur and the pavilion of Thy glory and Thy loving-kindness. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He pleaseth, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. Thou art, verily, the Most Kind, the All-Forgiving.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My Glory! Time and again hath mention of thee been sent down and revealed from the Supreme Pen. Ask thou God, thy Lord, to honor thee with the rains of mercy that have been caused to descend upon thee from the heaven of loving kindness. The gaze of Our favor hath been and is directed towards thee. The oppositions of the aggressive ones and the denials of the oppressors have not kept the world from the Ocean of divine utterance and the Sun of divine mercy. Glory be to God! Until now they have not become aware. Despite the proclamation of the Word with the most exalted call in the nights and days, the people remain heedless and veiled. All are occupied with the remembrance of the Truth, yearning for His presence and seeking His manifestation; yet they are seen to be remote and turned away. They have turned away from a Cause that hath no peer or likeness in the world, and have clung to their own idle fancies. Say: O ye ignorant ones! If this Cause be denied, what cause would be worthy of acceptance, and if this Word be erased, what word would be worthy of affirmation? Be fair and be not among the oppressors. A hundred thousand regrets that the heedless servants are forbidden after their seeking, and are deprived after their supplication and pleading. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land, namely those souls who have, of their own accord, quaffed the sealed wine and have turned towards the ocean of divine bounty. Perchance they may be enkindled by the fire of the Word and illumined by the light of the utterance of the All-Merciful. We beseech God that He withhold not any from the Kawthar of steadfastness, that all may soar with one wing in the atmosphere of the love of the Goal of all existence, and may speak with one word. Unity and concord have ever been and are the cause of the exaltation of the Word of God. We beseech God to adorn His loved ones with the ornament of spiritual virtues and goodly, pure deeds, that the people of the earth may, by reason of their conduct and deeds, be led to seek that station and attain unto that which God hath willed. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon My loved ones who have cast away idle fancies and have taken God as their Guardian, their Trustee and their Lord. They are, verily, of the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Lord of all beings and the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names.

Praise be to God! The Words of God speak for themselves, the Cause of God is manifest in itself, and the lights of the Revelation are shining and evident from the horizon of the Mount. If the servants would reflect even briefly on that which hath been manifested and would read that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will, all would find their way to the straight path and would recognize the Great Announcement. O beloved of my heart! The deeds of the heedless souls and their following of ignorant divines have debarred the servants from the ocean of the All-Merciful’s mercy and from the outpourings of the True Bestower. Vain imaginings have become a mighty barrier and suppositions a thick veil, thicker than mountains, preventing and depriving the power of sight and understanding from beholding. The denizens of the Kingdom are astonished, for they observe that throughout the ages and centuries not a single person among the turbaned ones of the Shi’ih party hath recognized the purpose and nature of the Revelation. Wonder upon wonder hath come from these tales. The word spoken aforetime hath been fulfilled: “Most of His enemies shall be the divines.” The pride of that party was that they believed in the immediate successor, yet they openly reviled and issued death warrants against Him through Whose word a thousand successors and guardians were created. They have committed that which neither Jews, nor Christians, nor Zoroastrians committed. Strange it is that until now they have not awakened, and each day they increase in their perversity. Yet stranger still is that the deniers of the Bayan have again twisted their faces and busy themselves with talk of successorship, mirrors, deputies and nobles. God curse them! God curse them! Glory be to God! They have not been awakened by what they have seen and continue to witness with their own eyes. Until now they mount the pulpits to curse and revile the Truth without cease. In any case, we hold fast to His Most Holy and Luminous Hem, and we seek from the ocean of His generosity His ancient bounty, and with utmost humility and supplication we beseech Him not to deprive His servants of this supreme favor and greatest gift. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

The matters mentioned were presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings and were granted acceptance. His is the praise, His the thanks, His the glory, and His the splendor. The first matter was adorned with the crown of deeds specifically, therefore after permission and leave, this evanescent servant, on behalf of that spiritual beloved, was blessed for an hour and a half on the fifth night of the month of Jumada’th-Thani with the presence of the Goal of all the worlds, and was adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Happy art thou! As for the second matter regarding forgiveness and pardon, at the time of its presentation the ocean of forgiveness surged and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke: “Verily We have purified him from all things repugnant and adorned him with the ornament of forgiveness, and We have ordained for him that whereby the sincere ones shall find the fragrance of their Lord’s bounty, the Mighty, the Bountiful.” The third matter concerning divine confirmation and assistance was likewise blessed with special favor and adorned with acceptance. What needs to be mentioned is the reply to those letters of that spiritual beloved which were sent before. One day the Beauty of Divine Unity intended to visit the farm, and after arrival thy mention flowed from the Supreme Pen. All that thou hadst mentioned was presented one by one, and the response was graciously given and sent, but strange that it hath not arrived. Similarly, on other occasions thy mention was sent down from the heaven of will and purpose, and mention was made of the receipt of what had been sent […]

We beseech God that this may reach you wherever you may have stopped. Verily our Lord and your Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering. This servant giveth thee the glad tidings of the sending of the blessed ring which thou hadst requested, that thou mayest rejoice and be amongst the thankful ones. After this matter was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Threshold, the promise of favor shone forth from the heaven of bounty of the Lord of all beings. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate, the Bestower, the Bountiful, the Kind, the Generous.

Mention was made of the kinsmen, and after being presented before His presence, there was revealed for each one that from which the fragrance of grace wafteth and diffuseth. This is what was revealed for his honor, my brother Ali, upon him be the Glory of God. His blessed and exalted Word:

He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful

O Ali! He who loved Me made mention of thee, whereupon We remembered thee as a favor from Us, that this remembrance may attract thee to a station wherein thou shalt find thyself detached from all that is on earth and clinging to the cord of God’s grace, the Lord of all worlds. The Wronged One hath turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison and hath remembered thee with that which all the remembrances of the world cannot equal. He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thou hast been mentioned by thy brother who hath preceded most of creation in turning to the Supreme Horizon, the station whereat the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.” When thou hearest the Call, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, for having aided me and made known unto me that which was recorded by Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the lights of Thy countenance and the lamp of Thy Cause, to make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause, such that the pharaohs of the land may not prevent me from turning to the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Dayspring of Thy evidences. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Wise.”

And this is what was revealed for Javad’s nephew, upon him be the Glory of God:

He is the One Who gazeth from His Most Exalted Horizon

O Javad! Hear the Call from the precincts of the Prison. There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hath appeared and manifested what He desired, and guided His servants to His straight path. When thou art illumined by the lights of the Day-Star of thy Lord’s utterance, say: “O Lord of all possibility and Revealer of clear proof! I beseech Thee by Thy name, the All-Merciful, to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. O my Lord! Thou seest the weary turning to the kingdom of Thy utterance, the weak to the heaven of Thy strength and power, and the ignorant to the ocean of Thy knowledge and favors. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him through Thy generosity which hath encompassed the world, and through Thy bounty which hath preceded existence itself. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Loving.”

And this is what was revealed for the handmaidens of God, upon them be the Glory of God:

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering

O Kawkab! Praise be to the Desired One of the world Who hath aided thee to recognize the Most Great Name in days wherein the men of earth, the princes and the learned ones are veiled and deprived. Blessed art thou and blessed is the one who taught thee and caused thee to attain this supreme mercy and mighty gift. Know thou his worth and station, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O Khadijih! Today the Sun of Truth hath appeared from the horizon of the heaven of divine favor with such a radiance that the rays of the physical sun are as nothing in comparison. O My handmaiden! Praise the Desired One of the world Who did not prevent thy sight from beholding His days, nor thine ears from hearkening to His call. Say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Desire of those who are in the heavens and on earth.”

O Rubabih! The Dayspring of the Light of Divine Unity hath turned toward thee from the Most Great Prison and maketh mention of thee. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that which most of the peoples of the world are deprived. The first ornament and the foremost adornment for the handmaidens of God, after recognition, is chastity. Blessed is the handmaiden who holdeth fast unto it. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me while I was in the prison amidst the heedless ones.

O my handmaiden, O Zahra! The people of the world raised their lamentations throughout the nights and days, and with a hundred thousand supplications yearned and hoped for the presence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Yet when the horizon of the world was illumined with the lights of the Most Great Luminary, all denied and turned away, save whom God willeth. And thou, through His grace and favor, didst attain unto His recognition and didst partake of the choice wine of utterance. Blessed art thou and blessed is every handmaiden who hath turned unto Him and attained unto the recognition of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Jewel! The true jewel is the divine utterance which lay hidden in the shells of the ocean of inner meanings. Today it appeareth and is visible before all faces. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath witnessed and attained, and woe unto the heedless ones, both men and women. Say: Praise be unto Thee for having guided me unto Thy path and shown me the pearl of Thy knowledge.

This servant conveyeth to each one greetings and salutations, and beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to adorn all with the ornament of supreme steadfastness, that all servants and handmaidens may, through the blessing of their steadfastness, be seen as firm and steadfast in the Cause of God. The servant beseecheth his Lord not to deprive His servants and handmaidens of His name, the Self-Subsisting, and His sealed wine.

And this is what was revealed for Abu’l-Hasan and Husayn, upon them be the glory of God:

He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon

O Abu’l-Hasan! The Lord of the seen and unseen hath revealed for thee that whereby thy mention shall endure amongst the servants. Verily thy Lord is the Master of creation and the Ruler in the beginning and in the return. Preserve this most exalted station through His Most Exalted Name, the All-Glorious. He is verily the Commander, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge, nor can the might of the world and the power of the nations render Him powerless. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Almighty, the All-Choosing. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, for having made me recognize the ocean of Thy knowledge and the heaven of Thy wisdom. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love. Thou art He through Whose Name the Mother Book hath spoken and that which was hidden from eyes hath appeared.

O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee as the breezes of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all men, wafted over thee. When thou perceivest the fragrance of My verses say: My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and glory, and unto Thee be bounty and generosity. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Glorious Name, through which the limbs of all names trembled, to strengthen me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants with wisdom and utterance, and to serve Thy Cause whereby the earth was shaken and eyes were dazzled.

Praise and gratitude belong unto Him, and unto Him are grace, generosity and loving-kindness. He hath granted His loved ones a full portion from the ocean of His utterance. He is the All-Bountiful Who assisted the wayward to return and adorned them with the ornament of forgiveness. All the people of Baha, both men and women, must be set ablaze with the heat of His love and be perfumed by the fragrances of His utterance. I swear by the Sun of Truth that all the worlds of wisdom, utterance, knowledge and proof have been gladdened and perfumed by the fragrances of His days. O friends! While there is yet time, strive ye, perchance ye may guide the blind with the collyrium of divine knowledge, or lead a wanderer to the straight path. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist each one to perform such deeds as will endure and persist in remembrance. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon you and upon the loved ones of God, His handmaidens, and upon those who have heard the call and answered their Lord, the Speaking, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. And praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The Servant

5th of Jumada II, 1305

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=== START BH00243 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Generous, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious

Praise be unto the Luminary through Whom the horizon of the world and the hearts of the nations were illumined, through Whom the Most Great Ocean appeared and the Nightingale of Immortality warbled upon the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. He hath come Who was named Jehovah in the Torah, the Spirit of Truth in the Gospel, and the Great Announcement in the Qur’an. Through Him was revealed that which lay hidden in the knowledge of God, and that which was recorded in the scriptures of old was made manifest, and the Countenance of the All-Merciful spoke forth from the Throne of Utterance: “Verily, He shall not be known through My attributes nor through that which was mentioned in the Bayan.” Through Him appeared that which was promised in the Tablets of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and revealed the clear proofs, and made known unto all His straight Path and His Most Great, Most Mighty Name. Blessed is he who hath fulfilled the Covenant and hastened unto Him with radiant countenance, and woe betide him who hath denied God’s grace and His proof, and followed every remote clamourer.

Prayers, praise, glory and splendor be upon those who have girded up the loins of endeavor and striving to serve the Cause of God amongst His servants and to make mention of Him among His creatures. These are servants whose praise is voiced by the dwellers of the celestial kingdom and the kingdom of names, who are remembered by the denizens of Paradise in an exalted station, and upon whom pray the Concourse on High and those who circle round God’s exalted and mighty Throne.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou at Whose separation the near ones lamented and the sincere ones cried out in their remoteness from the presence of Thy holy city! I beseech Thee by the fragrances of Thy raiment and the lights of Thy countenance to aid Thy loved ones in serving Thy Cause and assist them, O my God, in that whereby Thy remembrance may be exalted amongst Thy creatures. Then protect them, through Thy bounty and loving-kindness, from those who turned away from Thy most exalted horizon when it was illumined with Thy name, O Lord of all names! Thou art, verily, powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and by Thy command Thou didst raise the banner of “He doeth what He willeth.” There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Thereafter, the bird of your love soared in the form of a letter, bearing that which brought joy to the faithful in the kingdom of creation, for it was adorned and embellished with the mention and praise of God. Likewise did the other letter gladden this servant, and yet another time again. This servant beseecheth God, his Lord, to grant you success and to strengthen you in that whereunto you have attained in His days. All these were presented before the Throne, and there was sent down from the heaven of divine will for your honor once in a letter of Zaynu’llah–upon him be the most glorious of all glory–and again in this epistle, and beyond these in letters of some of the loved ones, and beyond these was revealed the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to honor you with it and to vouchsafe unto you the bounty of attaining His presence. Verily, He is the Protector of the sincere ones, the unified ones, and those drawn nigh unto Him. And after presentation in the Most Holy Court, the Sun of inner meanings shone forth in the mirrors of Tablets in these sacred and transcendent forms:

He is the One Who Warbleth upon the Branches […]

O Muhammad! The One and Only remembers thee from His Praiseworthy Station, and calls out between earth and heaven: “Verily I am the All-Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting!” Thy letter hath arrived and was presented by the servant in attendance as the Lord of Destiny was walking in the Most Great Scene - this Palace which was built aforetime for the establishment of God’s throne, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Loving. Blessed art thou and blessed is every one who hath turned to the Truth, the Knower of all things unseen. We have heard thy call time and again, and have answered thee again and again as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Beloved. Convey My greetings unto the faces of My servants who have held fast to the cord of My loving-kindness and have arisen to make mention of Me and to praise Me in My lands. They are indeed of the people of My Kingdom and My Dominion, to which My Pen beareth witness that testifieth there is none other God but He. He giveth as He pleaseth and withholdeth by His command. He is indeed the Truth, the Sovereign of existence.

Say: O chosen ones of God! Rejoice in this Day wherein the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Glorious Pavilion have been gladdened by its mention - they whom the veils of the world have not prevented from turning towards this exalted Station. Blessed are your hearts for having turned unto God, and blessed are your eyes for having been directed towards the horizon of the manifestation of your Lord, the Possessor of the seen and the unseen.

We make mention of thee again, O Baqir, as a token of grace from God, the Lord of creation, that thou mayest give thanks and testify to that whereunto God hath testified before the creation of earth and heaven: that there is none other God but I, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. We have sent the Messengers and revealed the Books, and through their tongues We gave the glad-tidings of this Day which hath no peer in creation and no likeness in invention. Thy Lord is indeed the Witness to what He saith. The glance of loving-kindness hath been directed towards thee in such wise that God hath forgiven those mentioned in thy letter. He forgiveth whom He willeth through His grace, and He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who have heard and responded on this Promised Day.

Divine grace and loving-kindness towards you and the friends are evident from the holy, sublime and resplendent verses dawning from the horizon of will. A hundred thousand souls like this servant have not been and will never be capable of offering befitting praise unto it. Likewise, in another instance, mention of the wise ones of that land was revealed from the Ancient Tongue. His word, exalted be His glory:

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

O My loved ones mentioned in the Torah! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. That which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, hath been fulfilled. The Torah hath testified to the Sovereign of verses, the Gospel to the King of Glory, and the Quran to this Great Announcement at whose appearance all who are in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save those whom the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great, wished otherwise.

O sons of the Friend and heirs of Him Who conversed with God! Give thanks to the Ancient Lord Who hath guided you to the straight path and preserved you from the great terror on this momentous Day. Glorify the Lord in these days and celebrate His Name. Blessed is the Lord Who hath come with the truth. He is the One through Whom was manifested that which was inscribed by the Pen in previous Books. Blessed is the soul that hath recognized and turned unto Him, and woe unto the heedless! He Who maketh the dawn as darkness and walketh upon the dayspring places of the earth hath come with the truth. He was named with the most beautiful names in God’s Books, the Creator of heaven, and the Great Announcement in a clear Book. He is indeed the One Who darkeneth the day as the night and committeth both land and sea unto God, the One, the All-Informed.

O children of the Friend in the regions! Hearken unto the call of your Lord, the Most Glorious, from the Supreme Horizon, from the Ultimate Lote-Tree. Then inform the world of this News whereby the veil was rent asunder and that which the Messengers foretold appeared, through a command from the All-Wise Ordainer. By God! He possesseth not what ye possess, nor walketh He in your ways. He hath come with justice accompanied by the hosts of the unseen, and hath manifested unto His servants His straight Path. Behold the Word that hath issued from the mouth of My Will, and what hath appeared therefrom in the earth, if ye be of them that know. Through it the treasures and fruits have appeared, and whatsoever was hidden in the treasury of knowledge of God’s mysteries, the Master of this wondrous Day.

This is the Day wherein through the blessed Word that hath issued from the mouth of the Divine Will, the ocean of joy hath appeared and become manifest in the world. Through the blessing of that Word, the treasures of the earth have been revealed and the divine bounties have become resplendent. This is the Day whereon the thirsty ones turn to the ocean of life, and the rain of mercy maketh fresh and verdant the withered and dried vegetation - that is, He bestoweth reward and granteth bounty without gold or silver. Observe ye the Book of Isaiah and ponder, that ye may find what hath been mentioned and receive your portion from the ocean of knowledge. The Friend of God hath appeared manifest in the land of Syria, and His call is raised from Zion. How excellent is the state of the one who is not deprived of this most great bounty! Isaiah saith: “And I will place salvation in Zion for Israel.” Today the Throne of the Lord is established in the New Jerusalem upon the water, and that blessed Tabernacle whereof Isaiah gave tidings hath been raised in that most exalted, most holy, most sublime station. This is a Tabernacle that hath not been, nor will be, moved from place to place; its pegs have not been, nor will be, pulled out; and its cords have not been, nor will be, severed. And now the Lord, the Mighty One, is seated upon the throne of majesty in that Tabernacle. This is a Day wherein the land of Syria is in joy and gladness, the mountains and hills are singing and exulting, and the earth is in utmost delight, adorned with the flowers of inner meanings and realities. O children of the Friend! The mysteries of the Books are many, but ears are few. This is the Day wherein the hidden treasures in divine knowledge and the stored mysteries in the heavenly Books have become manifest and evident. Blessed is the eye that seeth, blessed the ear that heareth, and blessed the soul that turneth with clear certitude to the Most Supreme Horizon. This is a Day wherein He measured the heavens with a span, weighed the dust of the earth with a measure, and balanced the mountains and hills with scales. Verily, We mention unto you the allusions of the Books, that perchance the people may be assured of what We have sent down aforetime. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O My beloved! All the Books, Scriptures and Tablets have proclaimed and given glad tidings of this Most Great Day. Nevertheless, all are observed to be heedless, save whom God willeth. His Holiness Isaiah saith: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.” Carmel is a place situated opposite the Prison-land, and it is named the Vineyard of God, and was the seat of the Throne upon first arrival. It is the first land in this realm to attain the ocean of attainment and be adorned with divine fragrances. The land of Lebanon is also situated near the Prison-land. And likewise in another place He saith: “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you.”

Observe and ponder how in clear and lucid words He hath detailed the fear of the servants, the appearance of God, the oppression of the oppressor, and divine retribution. Now this evanescent servant, with utmost sincerity, submits to the gentlemen and friends that today we must strengthen our hearts, establish justice, and make firm the foundation of love. Let them not be saddened by the darkness of oppressive souls, for light followeth after; let them not be disturbed by the might of the heedless, for divine retribution cometh in its wake. With the light of faith and certitude, and in perfect assurance, we must gaze toward the horizon of the Beloved of the worlds, and deal with all the peoples of the earth with kindliness and forbearance, for He hath created us for edification, not destruction. God willing, they must transform fear into assurance, and weakness into strength. We beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to guide all into the ocean of His grace, in such wise that love of this transient life may not withhold them from everlasting life.

In the Book of Zechariah it is stated: “And it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night.” Likewise Isaiah saith: “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light.” He hath mentioned the station of the Day of God, as hath been revealed in the Tablets, that this divine Day is illumined by the light of His resplendent countenance. Blessed is he who hath recognized and is among the successful ones. And likewise He saith: “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one.”

Observe how, despite these explicit statements previously revealed and recorded in the Book, the people of the Bayan in this Revelation have remained remote and deprived from the Dayspring of divine Revelation and the Dawning-Place of celestial light, through His name of Divinity and Lordship. Today the banner of unity is raised aloft and the ocean of oneness is manifest. He hath been and will be called the One. Whoso turneth to any other without His leave cannot be counted. He hath indeed been heedless of His sovereignty and turned away from His proof. Great is this Day! He is the Lord of all days and the Sovereign of all ages and centuries, and their Dawning-Place and Dayspring. All people must gaze toward the one true God and bear witness to His oneness. He is one and His name is one. Blessed is he who seeth and witnesseth, who knoweth and recognizeth, who is learned and understandeth, and who, seeking, hath attained unto the Intended One on this promised Day.

In the days when the fragrances of the robe of Revelation were wafting in Zawra, the Ancient Tongue addressed one of His friends with these blessed words: “Make thy submission and humility to God alone.” All submission and humility must be exclusively for God - exalted be His majesty, supreme be His sovereignty, and mighty be His proof. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid all to act in accordance with that which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen in the mighty Book. How lofty is the station of those souls who are seen to be steadfast and firm in the Cause of God! These are they on whom no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. These are of the people of Baha who are established upon the crimson ark by God’s leave, the Lord of all names. The Concourse on high pray for them at all times. We must needs reflect upon the references in the Books of old, that perchance we may cling to mighty proofs and conclusive evidences, and guide the diverse religions of the earth by the light of justice.

Blessed are the children of Khalil, for they are reckoned among the people of Baha and are known by this blessed name. Whosoever hath today taken and quaffed the sealed wine from the hand of the bounty of the Self-Subsisting Lord is accounted among the people of Baha and is mentioned in the Book. Consider this blessed, firm, and established word which is recorded in the Book of Zechariah. He saith: “And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.” This word implicitly giveth tidings that the Sun of Truth will rise from the horizon of another heaven, and likewise indicateth that whosoever turneth unto the Most Great Name hath been and shall be among the most exalted peoples of the world, for he is associated with Him and characterized by His name. Thus, every Canaanite who is today illumined by the lights of the Manifestation is mentioned before God as being among the people of Baha.

O ye noble ones! Great indeed is this day, even as this blessed verse hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s Will, exalted be His glory: “Great is this Day. Hearken ye unto the voice of the Messenger and the One Who hath been sent. By the True One, the Speaker on Sinai uttereth the truth, yet most of the people are heedless.” The Truth doth today promote the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an, and likewise promoteth all divine scriptures, psalms, and books. This is spoken in one station, and in another station: “He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He hath come with a new Cause that hath no likeness in the past nor equal in the future. To this beareth witness His preserved Tablet.”

This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth the True One, exalted be His glory, to intoxicate these noble ones and friends with the wine of utterance and to make them appear in the expanse of the world. This is the Day whereof He hath said: “The earth shineth with the light of her Lord.” The intoxication of the wine of divine recognition increaseth understanding, leadeth the ignorant to the ocean of knowledge, and guideth the heedless to the horizon of wisdom. We hope from the favor of the Peerless Friend that all may arise to that which beseemeth the Day of God, and that He may not deprive any of the peoples of the earth. He is the Giver, He is the Generous. His is the creation and the command, and His is the grandeur and the majesty. He ordaineth the sealed wine for whomsoever He willeth. Verily, He is the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

The grace of God and His bounty are evident and resplendent like the sun at its zenith. This station requires neither speech nor interpreter, for “the Light hath appeared.” He is the Concealed One. Praise be to God that you have attained to that which most are deprived of. For each of the names mentioned in your letter, a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of grace and sent forth. Likewise, a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet was revealed specifically for the brother of Jenab-i-Javad, upon him be the glory of God. God willing, may they attain to that which God loves and with which He is well-pleased.

Praise be to God that in Zawra they drank from the Most Exalted Chalice and partook cup after cup from the ocean of reunion. What they wrote was the cause of joy and gladness, and this servant was content with this letter and did not trouble them separately. Their supplications were presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court and were accepted. Let them praise God for this throughout the duration of the Kingdom and the Realm of Names.

God willing, they should be so enkindled with the fire of divine love that its effects may endure and persist in the world. In all conditions they should be mindful of wisdom and act with consummate wisdom, for the Cause is mighty and the people are weak, ears are contaminated and eyes afflicted with ophthalmia. To the blind, the image of angel and demon appear the same, and to the deaf, croaking and cooing are indistinguishable. The divine sages must treat with gentleness and consideration.

In response to the petition of Jenab-i-Manakji Sahib, this exalted word was revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of all beings - exalted be His grandeur: “Milk must be given in proper measure, that the children of the world may enter into the realm of maturity and find their place in the court of unity.”

Remind all the friends of wisdom, that all may be mindful of it. It is the lamp of salvation. God willing, may all attain unto it.

Furthermore, several Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were revealed specifically for Jenab-i-Haji Kamalu’d-Din, upon him be the glory of God, and those with him. Likewise, wondrous and exalted Tablets were revealed and sent for the names mentioned in their letter. God willing, you will deliver them that eyes may be consoled thereby. This servant has also submitted a letter to their presence.

Furthermore, convey my greetings to those who drink the choice wine of inner meanings in that city and its surroundings. God the One is witness that in most times this evanescent one beseeches God on behalf of the divine friends for that which will cause their mention to endure. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Generous. The Glory be upon you and upon those with you who have attained to the recognition of God, the Lord of all worlds.

=== END BH00243 ===

=== START BH00244 ===

Let the esteemed master and honored lord, Ali-Qabel-Akbar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, observe with radiant gaze.

In the Name of the Single, the Unique, the Stranger, the Wronged, the Imprisoned

Exalted, exalted is Thy patience, O my God! Exalted, exalted is the manifestation of Thy forbearance, O my Beloved! To such extent that, despite Thy power which hath encompassed all created things and Thy might which hath subdued all existence, Thou hast borne with Thy most exalted Self that which the Supreme Pen is powerless to recount, and which the tablets of creation and the pages of invention can never bear to record. By Thy glory, O my God! Were the veil to be lifted from what hath befallen and continueth to befall Thee, both secretly and openly, the heavens of power would be cleft asunder, the thrones of grandeur would crumble, all realities would be scattered, and all essences would cease to exist. Nothing would remain in the kingdom of the beginningless or the endless - all would return to that non-existence which hath no mention.

Yet Thou, through the sovereignty of Thy forbearance and the dominion of Thy patience, hast borne all this within Thy most tender, most subtle and luminous heart, and hast concealed it in the innermost sanctuary of Thy most mighty, most holy and impenetrable mystery. Thou hast accepted all tribulations for the deliverance of all who dwell in the realm of creation, for their gathering unto the Law of eternity, and their attainment unto those most inaccessible, exalted and impregnable stations which cannot be mentioned by any name, nor described by any attribute, nor indicated by any sign, nor comprehended by any evidence.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having manifested from behind the veil of power such servants by whom the human realm boasteth over the divine realm, and the kingdom of earth over the kingdom of heaven. For they have attained unto Thy days, for the loss of which the realities of the holy ones and the near ones have perished in their yearning, and which the Prophets and Messengers have longed to witness. Some of them, O my God, have attained unto what Thou didst ordain for them in the Book from the effulgences of the Sun of Thy Most Bountiful Name. Some have tasted the choice wine from the mention of Thy Most Great, Most Mighty Name. Some have drawn near the shore of the Most Great Sea which surgeth by Thy Name, the Dominant over the world. And some have embarked upon the Crimson Ark by Thy Most Glorious Name and have sailed upon the ocean of grandeur, yet they reached not the axis of that Sea of Seas, by whose agitation the mighty deep was troubled, and from which the Sea of Seas surged forth - that Sea a single drop of which gave rise to the seas of names and attributes in the highest realms. Thou hast ordained, O my God, for each one of these a portion from the ocean of Thy bounty and a share from the vastness of Thy generosity and grace.

I testify, O my God, that this Name who was named Ali in the Kingdom of Names and was adorned with the crown of lights - the sun of the Most Great Name - hath attained unto all good from Thy presence, hath ascended unto a station wherein he became detached from all else but Thee, hath turned with his whole being to the countenance of Thy singleness, hath arisen with all his strength to serve Thee and to aid Thy Cause, and hath migrated to various lands time and again to manifest Thy Cause, to convey Thy decree, to spread Thy verses, to exalt Thy remembrance and to uplift Thy Word with the wisdom which Thou hast commanded all to observe in Thy perspicuous verses and clear evidences. He hath stood firm as a mountain in servitude and obedience unto Thee. Nay, I have found him, O my God, even greater than this, for while earthly vapors may cause the mountain to crumble and parts of it to fall away, this one whom Thou hast created from the letters of Thy power and the Word of Thy command - even if the vapors of all contingent beings should arise and the tempestuous winds should blow from the north of vain desires throughout creation - would, through Thy might and power, remain steadfast in Thy Cause. Upon him be all the splendor of Thy splendors, all the light of Thy lights, and all the beauty of Thy beauty. Therefore, O my God, Thou hast mentioned him in the tablets of Thy glory and hast caused his remembrance to flow from the Pen of Thy command and […]

I bear witness to Thy praise from the throne of Thy mercy, and Thou hast ordained for him a station at the throne of Thy grandeur and a distinction among the distinctions of Thy glory. How can this non-existent one, who is unworthy to be mentioned by the name of nothingness in Thy kingdom or by the name of evanescence among Thy creation, praise Thee? I have no way, O my God, except utter powerlessness to mention Thee and mention Thy loved ones. Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee, that I should be among those who remember. And I say that all praise be unto Thee, for verily Thou art God, the Rememberer, the Praiser, the Describer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. There is no God but Thee, the Sanctified, the Inaccessible, the Mighty, the Exalted.

The blessed letter of your honor, which dawned and shone forth from the horizon of that Sun of the Most Great Name, and which was adorned with the ornament of brilliant words, resplendent letters, wondrous utterances and sublime meanings - this evanescent servant attained the honor of perusing that spiritual book and inhaling its sweet fragrances. O what breezes these are that no hostile circumstances can affect! It is as though they wafted from the paradise of detachment and reached the summit of inaccessibility before my Lord, the Mighty, the Withholding. At a special time I presented it before the Throne. The oceans of the favors of my Lord, the Most Glorious, have surged for you in such wise that the Pen of Composition is powerless to describe. Thus did the tongue of the All-Merciful speak, addressing thee, O Ali: “Give thanks unto God for having adorned thy head with the crown of praise in the days of thy Lord, the King of Names, and thy temple with the ornament of His service in the contingent world. We have recognized thy turning to certain regions and thy migration in the path of God, the Revealer of verses. This beseemeth thee and every devoted one who hath detached himself in His love from all else.”

O Ali! At all times exert mighty efforts to unite hearts and gather them together upon the divine holy law. Although thou art, by God’s grace, adorned with goodly character, yet the more thou addest thereto the more beloved will it be in the sight of God, that all may turn to the Bestower through thine excellent character. Watch over the Cause at all times, as hath been revealed from the Pen of Command in previous Tablets. Observe the grace, favor and bounties of God. For years one of the servants, whom thou knowest, and his followers have been secretly engaged in unworthy words, offensive odors and selfish conditions - and God was aware and encompassing all - yet We concealed it, and since outwardly they spoke in the name of God and mentioned Him, We did not interfere. In certain years, from the Dawning-Place of verses, sublime Tablets were specifically revealed and sent to him. In all those Tablets We called him, explicitly and implicitly, to the pure station that is sanctified from the taint of self and existence, that perchance he might attain unto transcendent and inaccessible stations. All this was from the grace of thy Lord, His mercy and His favor, for We have not wished, nor do We wish, that any soul should be deprived of that for which it was created or be bereft of that which was ordained for it. Despite these successive favors and continuous bounties, it is as though he considered God heedless, and that God’s concealment was due to this. Say: My spirit and my being be a sacrifice for Thee, O Concealer of the worlds!

O Ali! Observe in the Cause of the Apostle of God how at first it advanced and ascended to great heights, but later became stationary. One of the causes that hindered it was that certain souls arose who, claiming to possess inner knowledge, debarred the helpless people from the Divine Law and the sacred strongholds of the Lord’s glory. Say: By God! All that is outward is superior to your inner knowledge, and every shell is more luminous than your kernel. The sincere ones have cast aside your inner meanings as bones are cast to dogs. In these days the Divine Laws are dawning from the Dayspring of the Lord’s utterance, and God willing, they shall be sent forth hereafter. These two blessed verses were revealed in that most holy, most exalted Tablet: “Among the people is he who seateth himself amid the sandals by the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honor. Say: What manner of man art thou, O vain and heedless one!” “And among them is he who layeth claim to inner knowledge, and still deeper inner knowledge. Say: Thou falsifier! By God! What thou dost possess is naught but husks which We have left to thee as bones are left to dogs.” Consider how every deluded soul who appeared drew forth a stream from the Most Great Ocean and, armed with utter deceit and guile, arose with his vain imaginings and selfish desires, and rent asunder the Islamic peoples. Say: O thou deluded one! Verily the inner meaning, and the inner meaning of the inner meaning, and that inner meaning which God hath sanctified beyond all inner and outer meanings unto infinity, circle around this outward meaning that speaketh with truth at the midmost heart of the world. The Most Great Name hath appeared, and the Lord of all nations, and the Ancient King. None shall find place or habitation save he who hath clung to this luminous Handle whereby earth and heaven were illumined, throne and dust made manifest, the Kingdom of Names lit up, and the Supreme Horizon made to shine. Fear ye God, O people, and follow not the desires of such as follow their lusts, nor the vain imaginings of such as have arisen to practice deception in the kingdom of creation. Turn with shining faces and radiant brows unto the Dawning-Place of the verses of your Lord, the Possessor of the Beginning and the End. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Tablet which God hath made the Mother of Tablets and the Lamp of Success between the heavens and the earths.

O Ali! The division of the community has become the cause and reason for the weakness of all, yet most people do not understand. Would that some of those who have made and continue to make claims of longing, attraction, ardor, and rapture, had gone to the Abode of Peace and observed the Qadiriyyih lodge and become awakened. O Ali! A group was present and gathered in that place and, by the One True God, it was witnessed that one of those souls repeatedly struck himself against stone, clod, and wall for more than four hours until there was fear of his demise, and afterward fell unconscious upon the ground and for about two hours had absolutely no awareness. And they count such actions among the miracles. God is quit of them and we are quit of them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He knoweth the treachery of eyes and what is hidden in the breasts of all beings.

Likewise, there is a group known as the Rifa’i, and these souls, by their own account, walk through fire and in moments of ecstasy strike one another with swords in such manner that the observer would think they had severed their own limbs. All of this is but tricks, deceit, and deception from their own selves. Behold, they are among the most lost. All these things have been witnessed with our own eyes and many people have seen them. How beloved it would be if one of those deluded souls would turn towards that land and witness the aforementioned lodges and what transpires therein, that perchance they might not be debarred by personal fancies and the delusions of deceitful souls from the direction of Divine Unity and the Lord of creation.

O Ali! There have been and are certain people on islands who have denied themselves food and drink, have become familiar with wild beasts, and spend their nights and days in severe ascetic practices and in uttering invocations. Nevertheless, not one of these souls is mentioned in the presence of God, even though they count themselves among the poles, the pillars, and the unique ones of the earth. Today the robe of deeds and the crown of actions is the mention of the Most Great Name, both outwardly and inwardly. Verily it is the Word whereby every party hath been separated, every mountain laid low, every star made to fall, every sun eclipsed, every moon darkened, every heaven cleft asunder, every earth split open, every sea made to sink away, every peak made to tremble, every trunk uprooted, every hill shaken, and every plain made to quake, save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, hath willed. Whoso acknowledgeth what God hath acknowledged and confesseth what God hath confessed, he is of the people of Baha in the kingdom of creation. Thus hath the command of thy Lord, the Decisive, the Mighty, the Wise, been sent down from the horizon of revelation.

Although it is not befitting that the Most Exalted Pen should be occupied with such utterances, yet in view of grace and the precedence of mercy, the Pen of the All-Merciful speaketh with such words. Where are the mighty ones? And where are the manifestations of steadfastness in the kingdom of creation? And where are the dawning-places of power in the heaven of detachment?

O Ali! Until now the Finger of Power hath not rent asunder the veils. Verily thy Lord is the Concealer. Implore God that He may cause those souls, with complete steadfastness and detachment from all else save Him, to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of all days. By My life! Through this their remembrance shall be exalted, their names established, their stations realized, and the doors of My knowledge - which is the foundation of the Cause and its beginning, the essence of all stations and their sovereign - shall be opened before their faces. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and whatsoever is mentioned therein, and hath turned with an illumined heart toward the sanctuary of his Lord, the Most High, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Great.

Your burden is great. Bear it as this most tender, most delicate, most compassionate, gracious, wondrous and luminous Heart hath borne above it. For you must, with wisdom, as hath been enjoined in all the Tablets, purify the people from their personal imaginings and their unseemly behavior through penetrating counsels and divine wisdom, and draw them to the most holy court. The first and most mighty requirement hath ever been steadfastness in the Cause. God willing, you must be occupied with service at all times, as indeed you are. Verily, the glory be upon you and upon those who love you purely for the sake of God, your Lord and the Lord of the worlds.

Praise be to God that His favors toward you have been beyond count. We hope that manifest fruits in the Divine Cause will appear from you. You must strive greatly to unite hearts. Should some act contrary to your good-pleasure, you must calm those souls through spiritual qualities, for whatsoever occurs in the path of God is beloved. And those souls who have been forbidden and who through the whisperings of the followers of Satan have remained deprived of the All-Merciful - counsel those souls with wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may awaken from the sleep of heedlessness and not be deprived of the supreme bounty.

The matters you had mentioned were presented before His presence. Regarding what was asked about the House of Justice, He said: “The intention of Aqa Jamal, upon him be the Glory of God, was to assist the Cause, but these days do not warrant it, for in every city, if specific individuals were to be appointed, the enemies would surely arise to eliminate those souls. Its time hath not yet come.” Most of the divine ordinances We have not implemented due to wisdom and the protection of the friends and the weakness of the people, and the sending of these ordinances is so that the form of the law may be present in all regions. Many of the divine verses in this Revelation were lost during the days of trials and tests, such that neither the original nor any copy thereof remains.

And further regarding two of the beloved ones of the Land of Gold, two Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were specifically revealed and sent for them - deliver these. And concerning what was written about some of the friends requesting that your honor add diacritical marks to the verses and divine prayers, explicit permission has been granted for this. As for the books, this servant will send whatever possible, God willing. And regarding what you wrote about the hardship and famine in Iran, this was from God’s promise in the Tablets, for in that same year when the glorious Tablet was sent by the hand of Badi’, explicit mention was made in the Tablets of the hardships, tribulations and famine of that land, and God’s warning encompassed all, such that a verse was revealed whose purport is this: “Were it not for consideration of the friends, all would have perished.” However, after receiving your letter, I attained the presence before the Throne and presented your petition. He said: “Their intercession has been accepted. Soon shall they find themselves in manifest prosperity.” And then He said: “O ’Ali! The traces of Badi’s blood have not yet been effaced from the earth, and thou knowest that the Wronged One sent forth a Book wherein no excuse whatsoever remained for anyone, and the essence of the Cause was declared with utmost explicitness. Yet there befell Him what befell Him.”

O My beloved! Call the people to steadfastness, that they may stand so firm as to regard all else save God as non-existent, lest perchance through momentary heedlessness they be deprived and kept back from the Truth, even as what transpired in Gilan. Although they later became aware, such matters will not endure. However, the friends of the Truth must be so firm that none can cause them to deviate from the straight path. They must continually read what hath been revealed by the Most Exalted, Most Holy Pen concerning these matters, that they may remain preserved and attain unto what God hath willed. Convey to all the loved ones of God, one and all, greetings from this evanescent servant, and especially endless greetings to his honor Dhabih, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. God willing, I hope they will at all times be occupied with the remembrance of the All-Merciful. Praise be to God, they are mentioned in His presence and honored by His favors. As for the Tablets that were previously revealed from the heaven of His Will specifically for them, the command is that they should read these Tablets that what was revealed therein may remain before their eyes. God willing, an august Tablet specifically for them shall be sent hereafter, as this time what was revealed was in response to the petitions of the people. In any case, convey boundless expressions of devotion on behalf of this servant. At this hour, the members of the household, after offering greetings and salutations, make mention of the daughter of the late Ismu’llah Al-Munir, upon him be the most glorious of all glory, whose holy being had willed that she should return to the Most Holy Place, and each one hath sent messages with utmost insistence and made this request. According to what hath been heard, she hath obtained a divorce from that person. If it be possible for her to reside somewhere in comfort until word arrives, it would be most appreciated, that perchance arrangements may be made to fulfill the will of that pure soul. Furthermore, it is mentioned that there was a piece of the Most Exalted, Most Holy handwriting, calligraphed in the Jali style and illuminated, which was in the possession of Ismu’llah Al-Munir, and now according to what hath been reported, it is with his mother. By whatever means possible, your honor should obtain it and send it with a trusted one. You must certainly exert mighty efforts in this regard. May glory and holiness and splendor be upon you. Moreover, whatever hath been recorded in this letter should be shown to his honor Aqay-i-Ismu’llah M.H., upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and if he is not present in that land, a copy of these divine utterances should be sent to him. All the Branches and Twigs of the Divine Lote-Tree, may our souls be sacrificed for them, remember your honor with wondrous divine praise and exalted greetings.

=== END BH00244 ===

=== START BH00245 ===

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

That which hath been revealed in the divine verses concerning the meaning of this couplet, and which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of truth, is complete and conclusive. None but the ignorant would deny it. Yet, as a token of grace unto thee–for verily He loveth His remembering servants–another explanation shall be set forth in the Persian tongue.

If thou wouldst behold this station as it truly is, immerse thyself in the ocean of creative verses. All things, according to their ranks, have been and shall ever be divine verses. In the station of the manifestation of the Sovereign Revealer in the kingdom of names and attributes, the quality of being a sign is established for all things. In such wise, naught is visible save His signs, that nearness or remoteness might be conceived. After the Sun of inner meanings hath dawned from the horizon of this utterance, all are accounted as divine verses. Naught remaineth to be observed save the revelation of the Sovereign Revealer, that it might be mentioned or clothed in the garment of expression. Were the divine hand of power to withdraw the quality of being a sign from all things, thou wouldst see nothing whatsoever in all existence.

How sanctified and holy is thy Lord, and how mighty is His dominion and power! The creative and universal signs, which are the manifestations of His names and attributes–exalted be His glory–are, in one station, sanctified above nearness and remoteness, how much more His own Essence, transcendent is He! If thou shouldst drink of this wine of inner meanings, which hath been nurtured by the fingers of divine holiness in the wine-cellar of eternal glory, thou wouldst pass beyond the world and all therein, and would turn thy face toward the Friend without any allusion.

I swear by the Day-Star of the horizons! Were all people to comprehend the sweetness of but one word from the divine utterances which have shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the All-Merciful Will, all would detach themselves from the fleeting pleasures of this world and turn unto the Countenance of the Everlasting One. Then would the servants be observed in such a state that He for Whose appearance the world and its development were intended hath been made to dwell in the most desolate of lands. In such circumstances, by what merit should divine grace descend from the heaven of glorious mercy?

Think not that any soul hath power over truth. I swear by the Dawning-Place of the Most Great Name that were He to will it, He would annihilate all things with but a single word. The acceptance of this Most Great Prison hath been for the deliverance of the necks of men from the chains of self and passion, and the acceptance of this abasement hath been for the sake of the glory of all who dwell on earth. For this divine breath hath come for the life of creation, and soon shall they witness the shining of the Sun of the Word from every direction. Thy Lord is, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

However, the poet’s intent in this couplet–“The Friend is closer to me than I am to myself, and stranger still that I should be far from Him”–[…]

This is a translation of the blessed verse which states “We are nearer to him than his life-vein.” Indeed, it hath been well expressed in the Persian tongue. At this moment one is partaking of the wine of the mercy of the Lord of all worlds, for mention of it hath flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur. Since God hath declared “I am nearer to man than his jugular vein,” therefore one sayeth that although the effulgence of the Beloved is nearer to me than my jugular vein, yet despite my certitude of this station and my acknowledgment of this rank, I am far from Him. That is to say, the heart - which is the seat of the All-Merciful and the throne of divine revelation - is heedless of His remembrance and occupied with the mention of others, veiled from Him and turned toward the world and its vanities.

Truth, in its essence, hath no nearness or remoteness. It is sanctified above such stations, and its relationship to all things is on the same level. This nearness and remoteness are made manifest through Its Manifestations. It is established that the heart is the throne for the revelation of the All-Merciful, even as We have explained this station in previous holy traditions: “Neither My earth nor My heaven can contain Me, but the heart of My faithful servant containeth Me.”

The heart, which is the place of divine manifestation and the seat of the All-Merciful’s revelation, is oftentimes heedless of Him Who reveals. In its state of heedlessness it is far from Truth and merits the title ‘remote’, while in its state of remembrance it is near to Truth and deserves the title ‘near’. Furthermore, consider how man is oftentimes unaware of himself, yet God’s all-encompassing knowledge eternally surrounds him and the radiance of the Sun of Revelation remains manifest and evident. Therefore, He is and will ever be nearest, for He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, the All-Encompassing, while man remains heedless and veiled from the mysteries of his own creation.

Every person of insight can clearly observe that nearness and remoteness are mentioned and understood in relation to the Manifestations, while that Sovereign of eternity was and ever will be sanctified above nearness, remoteness, mentions, names and attributes. In brief, nearness to Truth in this station means turning toward Him, while remoteness means heedlessness of Him. For instance, whosoever today has quaffed from the most pure and glorious Wine has ascended to the highest summit of nearness and attainment, while all others abide in the lowest depths of remoteness and separation, even though they may constantly speak of the All-Merciful and act according to His commandments. Even as today, the various peoples of the earth, being deprived of the wine of divine unity, all wander in the wilderness of remoteness.

Nearness and remoteness become known and evident in the Manifestation of the divine Essence. Whosoever has turned toward the Sanctuary of certitude is reckoned among those who are near, and whosoever has turned away has been and will remain remote. The nearness of Truth knows no remoteness. If people would not remain remote, the root of the Tree of nearness, which has been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful in these words, would remain firm and its branches would encompass the worlds. When the Sun of the Name ‘the Near One’ shone forth from the Dayspring of meeting, it encompassed all horizons, and spiritual nearness precedes and is more ancient than physical nearness […]

Nearness is as thou seest - many have been those who were close to the Truth and morning and evening were outwardly privileged to be in His presence, yet the Truth did not confirm their nearness, for they were deprived of spiritual proximity. God is the All-Knowing, the Concealer. Should a soul dwelling in the furthermost lands fix his gaze upon God, the word of nearness shall be revealed concerning him. But blessed and excellent is the one who attaineth unto both! By Him Who hath made Me abased for the glory of the worlds and imprisoned for the liberation of all peoples - if with pure intent one beholdeth the Countenance of the All-Merciful but once, it equalleth all the good deeds of the first and the last. Nay, I seek God’s forgiveness for such a statement, for this station cannot be limited by word or utterance. None knoweth the excellence of this station save God, exalted be His glory. Should one enter the region where the Throne of the Divine Manifestation resideth, the benefits and rewards of this deed shall assist him in all the infinite worlds - how much more for one who attaineth His presence! Indeed, the purpose of all that hath been sent down from the heaven of divine bounty and recorded in the Holy Books hath been the meeting with God. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and entered the precincts from whose horizon hath shone the Sun of the Beauty of his Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, and who hath touched its soil and breathed its air. He hath attained unto that which no greater good or bounty can surpass. By God! The dwellers of Paradise shall visit him and shall find from him the fragrance of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Powerful.

O questioner! God willing, through the grace of the Eternal Sovereign, thou shalt in these spiritual days drink from the chalice of divine mercy from the most pure and holy utterances of the Lord. When thou turnest toward God, all the infinite worlds of names, words and utterances have been detailed from the Primal Point, and all return unto that Point, which hath appeared through the Ancient Will. Whosoever today attaineth unto Him and His love becometh the possessor of all the most beautiful names and sublime attributes, and hath been and shall ever be the possessor of knowledge and utterance. Yet none shall drink of these crystal-clear utterances flowing from the right hand of the Throne of the All-Merciful save the people of Baha.

O questioner! Behold the mercy and bounty of God - though confined in prison with enemies lying in wait from every direction, yet hath He not deprived thee, and amidst these sorrows He remaineth occupied with the mention of His divine friends. Hast thou seen any bounty greater than this? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Merciful! This is a Day wherein the Beloved saith “We have known thee”, and Moses declareth “We have seen thee”, and Abraham uttereth “My heart hath found peace”. Strive, that ye may not be deprived of the bounty of the All-Merciful, for whatsoever is lost in these days can never be regained. Become pure and light like the breezes of the spiritual springtime, and pass by the precincts of the All-Merciful. This is the counsel of the All-Merciful to the peoples of all worlds. And let it not be imagined from the statement that all things are signs of God that, God forbid, the righteous and the wicked, the monotheist and the polytheist, are all equal in station […]

O ye who attribute partnership and relationship between the Truth, exalted and glorified be He, and His creation! Some ignorant ones, having ascended to the heights of their own vain imaginings, have conceived of unity as meaning that all signs are of God without distinction, and some have even gone beyond this station and made the signs equal and similar to God. Glory be to God! He is one in His essence and one in His attributes. All else is as nothingness before the revelation of one of His names and the mention of one of His remembrances. How, by the Most Merciful One, the Supreme Pen trembles and quakes at the mention of these words! What station can be seen for an evanescent drop before the surging of the Most Great Ocean? What mention can there be of that which is contingent and non-existent before the Ancient One? I seek forgiveness from God, the Almighty, for such beliefs and utterances.

Say: O people! What relationship can there be between the Imagined and the Self-Subsisting, and what similarity between creation and the Creator, when they were created by the stroke of His Pen, and this effect itself is sanctified, holy and exempt from all else? And passing beyond this station, consider in the station of signs that the sun is one of the divine signs. Can one consider it in the same station as darkness? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth! None would speak thus save he whose heart is straitened and whose vision is dimmed.

Say: Consider within yourselves - both fingernails and eyes are of you. Are these two of the same rank and station in your estimation? Should anyone say yes, say: Ye have lied, by my Lord, the Most Glorious! For ye cut the former yet cherish the latter like life itself. It is not permitted to transgress one’s station and rank. The preservation of ranks is essential - that is, each thing must be observed in its own station.

Yea, when the Sun of My name “the Influencer” has shone upon all things, in each thing an effect and fruit appears according to its capacity, even as ye observe that poison, though lethal, yet in its own station manifests an effect and benefit. This effect in things is from the influence of this blessed Name. Glorified be the Creator of names and attributes! The dry tree is burned while the fresh and verdant tree provides shelter in its shade and yields its fruits for enjoyment.

In the days of the Divine Manifestations, most people have uttered such unseemly words, as is detailed in the divine Books and revealed Scriptures. Unity is to behold the revelation of Truth in all signs, not to consider creation as Truth. For instance, behold in all things the revelation of the Sun of the name “Lord”, for in all things the effects of this name are visible and the education of all depends upon it. And education is of two kinds: one kind encompasses all and educates and provides sustenance to all, as He has called Himself the Lord of all worlds; and the other kind is specific to those souls who have entered beneath the shadow of this Name in this Most Great Revelation. However, souls outside this station are deprived and forbidden from the heavenly table that is sent down from the heaven of grace of this Most Great Name.

What relation have such souls to these souls! Were the veil to be lifted, all who dwell in the heavens and earth would be thunderstruck by the stations of those who have turned to God and detached themselves from all else save Him. The one who has attained to divine unity beholds the manifestation of these two names in these two groups in the manner described. For were the effulgence to be seized directly, all would perish. Likewise, observe how the Sun of the Name “the One” has shed its radiance upon all things, meaning that in all things appears the sign of divine unity, as all things point to His truth, His sovereignty, His oneness and His power. This is His mercy that has embraced all things. Yet the souls of the idolaters remain heedless of this effulgence and deprived of the fountain of nearness and reunion. As thou canst observe, all the different peoples acknowledge His unity and confess His singleness. Were the sign of divine unity not present in those souls, they would never confess to the blessed words “There is none other God but Him.” Yet they remain heedless and remote, and are not counted among the truly unified in God’s sight, for they have not recognized the sovereign Manifester. In one sense, this unity manifest in the idolaters is the effect of the radiance of the truly unified ones. None knows this save those endowed with insight. However, the truly unified ones are the embodiments of this Name in the primary degree, and they are the ones who have drunk the wine of oneness from the cup of divinity and have turned toward God’s direction. What relation can there be between these sanctified souls and those remote ones? Likewise, observe the manifestation of the Name “the Near One” and similar names - in the primary degree the people of Baha are the embodiments of these names, and all others are as non-existent and null. God willing, thou shalt witness with penetrating vision in all things the sign of the effulgence of the sovereign Pre-existent One, and shalt behold that Most Pure and Holy Being sanctified above all things. This is the essence of unity and the reality of oneness. “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him, and He is now what He hath ever been. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great.”

O questioner! Look to the condition of the servants. This same question was asked in former years by one who associated partners with God, and an answer was written in his own hand which is now with the Letter Sin. By Him Who caused me to speak forth betwixt earth and heaven! He did not comprehend the outward meaning of this individual verse. Siyyid Muhammad Isfahani was present before Us and stated that this writing should be obtained from Salman - it was not permissible for him to take it abroad. Haji Mirza Ahmad and he proved in the house of Kalim that the one who associated partners with God had misinterpreted the meaning. Nevertheless, the people, like unto cattle, have accepted him as true. By the One upon Whose Word all matters depend! Through the deception of that rejected polytheist, they have committed and continue to commit injustice and tyranny. Now it is incumbent upon thee to obtain that writing from the Letter Sin and, trusting in God and purely for His sake, to show it to his followers, that perchance they may find a way unto God. It hath been heard that some, out of love for God, have burned certain inflammatory tablets of that one who associated partners with God. Although this was done without permission, since it was out of love for God, God hath forgiven what is past. However, it is never pleasing before God that anyone’s words be effaced. Indeed, some of the letters of that polytheist must now be preserved, for his true worth is evident from his words. Say: O people! Setting aside all other considerations, where is your fairness? Granted that His Cause was concealed by God, have ye not seen his words? Alas for you, for what ye have neglected in the path of God! How could ye accept as a guide one who could not even explain the meaning of a single verse? It is not known by what excuse they will justify themselves after seeing his writing which is with the Letter Sin. Thus hath God seized their hearing and their sight. Yea, such souls deserve such a master. Leave them to their vain imaginings and turn to thy Ancient Lord. Strive that perchance thou mayest guide a soul to the divine law. This is recorded as the most meritorious of deeds before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Be thou so steadfast in the Cause of God that no matter should prevent thee from the service thou art bidden to render, even should all who dwell on earth rise to oppose and dispute with thee. Be like unto the winds in the Cause of the Lord of the Daybreak. Thou observest how the winds, faithful to their task, pass over both the ruined and the flourishing places, neither gladdened by the flourishing nor saddened by the ruined, keeping their attention fixed on their mission. The loved ones of God must likewise keep their gaze upon the essence of the Cause and occupy themselves with its promotion. They must speak and hear for the sake of God. Whoso accepteth, that good shall return unto him, and whoso turneth away, the consequence thereof shall reach him. When the Day-Star of the horizon departed from Iraq, warning was given concerning the birds of darkness, and assuredly cawing will arise from certain lands, as it did in former years. In all conditions take refuge in God, lest ye follow lying souls. The Manifestations have culminated in this Most Great Manifestation. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, counsel you. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

=== END BH00245 ===

=== START BH00246 ===

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing

That which hath been sent down from the heaven of the dominion of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, unto Nabil before Hasan:

That which was brought before Us beareth witness to thy turning unto God, the Most High, the Most Great, and thy recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, by Whom the faces of the idolators were darkened, while the countenances of the denizens of the highest Paradise were illumined - they who are such servants as have believed in this Most Great, this Most Mighty Revelation. We have made them angels by virtue of their having detached themselves from that which hath veiled all created things.

Know thou that We have witnessed that which thou didst ask of God, thy Lord, and have answered some thereof ere thou didst ask, as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto Our assured servants. Shouldst thou reflect upon it, thou wouldst find therein all that thou hast asked, for with Him is the knowledge of all things preserved in tablets of mighty glory.

As to what thou didst ask concerning the propagation of thine own self, even as We had revealed aforetime in luminous tablets: We bear witness that thou hast conveyed unto thyself that which caused all who are in the heavens and earth to tremble, whereupon they who are of Sinai fell prostrate upon the dust of self and passion, and every exalted name was transformed. Say: Whoso beareth this day the trust of the love of God and restraineth his soul from that which would violate the sanctity of His Cause is among those who have conveyed unto themselves the messages of their Lord, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Wise. He is known to the inmates of the highest Paradise in the heaven of destiny, then to the people of Baha in the kingdom of names, and by all the most beautiful names before the Throne, though the people are unaware.

Blessed is he who in these days hath borne that trust whereby the Hour was shaken to its depths, the pillars of the Resurrection were made to quake in their essence, and the foundations of all things were convulsed, save those whom God preserved through His wondrous, most exalted, and glorious protection. Say: O people! By God, ye are slumbering, though ye walk upon the earth; nay, ye are dead in the estimation of your Lord, and ye perceive it not. Say: The Beloved of all worlds hath appeared, He Whom the Point of the Bayan doth now truthfully extol, saying: “Upon Thee, O Baha’u’llah, be the praise of God and His glorification, then the praise of all things, then the praise of the people of the realms of eternity, then the praise of the inmates of Paradise at every moment, before every moment, and after every moment.” Say: Think ye that he who hesitates in this irrefutable, this wise Cause can be truly accounted among the living? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! He hath ever been deprived of the breaths of God, even though he may claim belief in the previous Revelation. This is but a phantom wherein We have seized him through My sovereignty that transcendeth all possibilities and through My command that encompasseth all who are in the realms of earth.

Know that concerning what thou didst ask regarding that which was revealed unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God, aforetime - where it is written that it is a tree that springeth out of the bottom of Hell, whose fruit is as it were the heads of devils - know thou that Hell signifieth the essence of him who was the first to turn away from God, his Lord and the Lord of all things and the Lord of all worlds. The Tree is his own self which was enkindled with hatred of God and rancor, and through it were created the abyss, then destruction, and the scorching fire, and the burning flame. He it is who hath stood before the Face at all times, and We cast unto him from the verses of God, the King, the Resurrector, the Peerless One. When We exalted his mention, he then denied Him Who created him, through his own utterance, whereunto every just and informed one doth testify.

As to the fruit, it referreth to the leaders of fire who have associated themselves with the essence of Hell, and thou beholdest their heads in most lands. By God! These are indeed the heads of devils; nay, Satan himself seeketh refuge from their deeds and from what they plot in the Cause of God, the King, the Single, the One, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

In one sense, the fruit is that which hath grown from that Tree, as thou witnesseth. We have made it and its essence a trial for the wrongdoers. But the trial is for those who have not tasted the sweetness of the fruits that have grown from the Divine Lote-Tree, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Those who have tasted thereof, nothing shall prevent them, nor shall anything that hath been created between the heavens and the earth alter them. These have entered the Most Glorious Paradise, and whoso entereth it shall never leave it. Thus hath it been inscribed by the fingers of hallowed and resplendent glory. And whoso leaveth it, know that he had never entered it in the first place. Thus do We inform thee that thou mayest be of the knowing ones.

Then know thou that every name save goodness returneth to that Tree, its fruits, its leaves, and its branches, even as We revealed it aforetime through the tongue of ’Ali-before-Nabil. And in one sense, behold Hell as its ink, the Tree as its pen, the leaf as its tablet, and the fruit as that which is inscribed therein of its words, whereby the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have been consumed. The fruits of that Tree have appeared in such wise as to proclaim naught save “Nay, nay! The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers!” Yet the fruits of the Ultimate Lote-Tree have appeared in the Most Glorious Paradise proclaiming “There is none other God but I, the Most High, the Most Great!”

Say: O people! By the True God! This is indeed a Youth Who in every day layeth His face in the dust before God, His Lord and the Lord of His forebears of old, saying: “O my Lord! How long shall it be delayed, the shedding of this blood which Thou desirest to flow upon the earth in Thy path, that the faces of them who are near unto Thee may be reddened thereby? O my Lord! Thou art He Who created the Bayan for My sake, and planted the Tree of Knowledge for My mention and the praise of My Being, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. I arose not save by Thy Name, nor sat I save by Thy other Name, nor spoke I save in remembrance of Thee amongst all worlds. Thou didst command the people of the Bayan to detach themselves at the time of the Manifestation from all that they possess, and all allusions have been severed from this sanctified and luminous hem. Yet now Thou beholdest Thy Beloved One in the hands of these oppressors, and they have assailed Him such that He findeth not a moment to weep for Himself. When He turneth to the right, He is met by the spear of the polytheists, and when He turneth to the left, He is wounded by the arrows of the hypocrites. Then witness Me in tribulations the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld, after Thou didst sanctify Me from all mention and novel praise. Thou didst command the people of the Bayan not to commit that which would sadden My heart at the time of My manifestation. Yet by Thy might, O my Beloved! I witness from them naught save that which causeth My liver to burn, My heart to be fettered, and My eyes to shed tears. And sufficient art Thou Thyself as a witness to what I say.”

O servant! Arise, by the might and power of God, then help thy Lord to the extent of thy capacity, and be not of them that hesitate. Verily His help is to promote His Cause amongst all who are on earth, and this is the first commandment that hath been sent down from the heaven of eternity upon the Most Exalted Pen, and it hath been inscribed upon tablets of imperishable glory. But this must be done with wisdom and utterance, with humility and submission manifest, in such wise that all men may perceive from every teacher the sweet savors of detachment and behold in their faces the radiance of the All-Merciful. Thus must it be with them who have quaffed the living waters of inner meaning from this most wondrous, this most sublime chalice. They who spread corruption in the land after it hath been set in order, such are heedless of the remembrance of God, and whatsoever they do shall redound as harm unto the Divine Lote-Tree exalted and glorious. Say: O people! Shed not blood, for We have forbidden it unto you in all the Tablets, and contend not with anyone. If ye find one who is receptive, impart unto him that which God hath imparted unto you, and shun those who have turned away, whose unbelief is attested by every atom even as this Ancient Being hath testified.

As to what thou hast asked concerning that which was revealed aforetime - “If We willed, We would make of you angels to be Our successors in the earth” - know thou that thy Lord is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is potent over all things. Should He wish, He could make all who are on earth among the angels drawn nigh unto Him. Nothing escapeth His knowledge, and naught in the heavens or on earth can frustrate His power. Should He desire to clothe all things with the garment of names, He is able to do so, and this would be easy for Him. And were He to strip them thereof, none may say ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’, and whoso sayeth so hath disbelieved in God, his Lord, and is numbered with the infidels.

Know thou that We have made thee an angel to convey unto men this Most Great, this Mighty Announcement. Beware lest thou transgress the bounds of wisdom. Thus do We command thee now, even as We commanded Our trusted servants aforetime. Verily, wert thou to render thanks unto God from this moment until the day that hath no end, it would be as nothing compared with this great bounty. Be thou at peace within thyself, then stand firm in the Cause, and in all things place thy trust in God. With Him is thy final abode, and the final abode of the sincere ones.

Know thou furthermore that this verse was revealed at the time when the concourse of the Gospel disputed with Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and were among the opposers. And there were some among them who said that the Spirit was the Son of God and therefore nearer to God, the Supreme, the Great, than thou art, for he was born without a father, and this is a nobility sufficient for all the worlds. Therefore it behooveth not anyone to come after him and abrogate his law, for through him God’s favor to His servants was perfected, and none before had preceded him in this bounty, nor would any after him excel him therein.

When God heard how they disputed with His Beloved, that verse was revealed that they might know that He is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is potent over all things. “If We willed, We would make of you angels” - that is, We would create you without father or mother by Our Word, and make you successors in the earth. Verily, We have power over all things.

And verily he is a sign of the Hour - that is, the Spirit was indeed aware of this Hour which appeared in human form, and by his arising the Resurrection arose amongst all created things. The intention of what was revealed was that they should not deny Him Who came to them with the truth, nor cling to what they possessed. Thus was the matter, if thou be of them that comprehend.

The people have not understood the mysteries of the Cause, nor can they know what is intended in the words of God save by His leave. With Him is the knowledge of all things, yet the people remain unaware. In one station He made him a sign of the Hour, for he was promised to descend at the time of the subsequent Manifestation; thus was he a sign thereof, as was revealed in truth. Blessed are they that attain!

Were We to mention what is treasured within the repositories of thy Lord’s words, the tablets of the world would not suffice. Therefore have We condensed it to what hath been mentioned in truth. Be thou content with what We have been content with, and be thou of the thankful ones.

Know that what was asked concerning “the shadow with three branches” refers to the first one who turned away from God in every Dispensation, and likewise in this most impregnable and exalted Revelation. He is called a “shadow” because outwardly he claims to be among the faithful while the fire of negation lies hidden within his soul and heart, which none perceive save those endowed with insight. It has manifested in three branches: Through one branch, in rebellion against God, he says “I am the Tree”; through another branch, in arrogance against his Lord, he says “I am the Sun”; and through another branch he says “The Sun is in the shadow of the mirror.” Thus does the desire of self move him to the right and left and upward, while he remains unaware.

Say: O ye idolaters! Even if we were to accept that he is a mirror, We have already revealed in clear Persian in the Book named the Bayan that should a mirror claim the station of the Sun, verily the Sun knows it to be but its reflection - how then could it be above it? Thus has he grown proud before God Who created him from a worthless fluid. Great indeed is the word that issues from his mouth! He speaks unaware, just as Pharaoh spoke before Me saying “I am your Lord, the Most High.” We seized him for his sin and caused him to be among the drowned, just as We drowned those who turned away from God in the sea of self and passion - and they were more deeply drowned than Pharaoh, being among the most lost of peoples.

Say: He was but one of My servants who stood before the Countenance. We taught him a single letter from Our presence and elevated his mention, though none were aware of this save certain of God’s informed servants. The three branches in one station are his tablet, his pen and his tongue, from which is kindled the fire of jealousy and rejection, even as it first consumed his own self, then the souls of those who opposed God, denied His sovereignty, disbelieved in His signs and associated partners with His Most Impregnable and Exalted Self.

In another station he is called “shadow” because when anyone enters his presence, he sits cross-legged with bowed head, extending his fingertips from his cloak, making his outward appearance as though he were at all times submissive before God his Lord and the Lord of all worlds, remembering His remembrance, turning toward His direction and approaching His sacred and mighty sanctuary. Yet when one whose vision God has made penetrating observes him, he witnesses that the fire of negation blazes in his heart, as do the fires of polytheism and unbelief. This is what was revealed in mighty, glorious tablets […]

Consider how a man takes the Cause of God as a mockery in his own soul, and becomes of those who scoff, after he was created by His Word, though he perceives it not. His every utterance belies him, were men to be possessed of insight. At one moment he says: “If the Promised One appears, I will surely follow Him and be the first of His worshippers” - this is his state of shadow, whereat people testify that he speaks the truth and is of those who are certain. At another moment he says: “If the Promised One appears, it behooveth Him to follow me” - and this is his station wherein, should anyone draw nigh unto it, he would find its fire and flames, to such extent that he would pronounce judgment against a thousand prophets to preserve his leadership. Thus do We inform thee that thou mayest attain unto certain truth. By God! Through one word that proceeds from his mouth, he slayeth the realities of all things, and the realities of the Prophets and Messengers, yet people perceive it not and take him as their lord instead of God. What aileth these people that they understand not a single word from God, the Most High, the Most Great? At one point God desired to demonstrate to His servants how a shadow can become identical with heat itself - and this is from that knowledge which none hath comprehended save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. We have veiled mention of it until its time shall come, and thy Lord encompasseth all things. Say: O concourse of polytheists! That which ye have taken as a shadow to cool your hearts is a shadow from a smoking fire, could ye but perceive it. Even as thy Lord God destroyed thereby the peoples of old who denied God’s Messengers and His Emissaries, among them the people of Midian, were ye of those who know. They denied God after He came to them in the manifestation of His Self with clear signs, and they were among the polytheists, until there descended upon them the punishment of a grievous day and the heat seized them from every direction, such that the rule of shadow and sun became as one with no distinction between them. Thus was thy Lord powerful over all things, and He is verily the Mighty, the Wise. Whenever they fled from the sun’s heat to the shadow, they found the shadow to be like unto it, until they all perished together, save the sincere servants of God. Even as ye witness today those who have denied God - they have perished and been consumed, and were not of those who understand. He punisheth whom He willeth, and exalteth whom He willeth, and abaseth whom He willeth, and He is verily the Most Wise of Judges.

O servant who gazeth upon the Countenance! Detach thyself from all else but God, then turn with thy whole being to the Sovereign of names and attributes. By God! In whatever land thou mayest be, thou wilt find thyself in the presence of His Face. This, verily, is a certain truth. Grieve not at separation, but place thy trust in Him in all matters. Arise to aid this wronged and lonely One, and whosoever spreadeth abroad the verses of God and His signs, and His stories and what hath befallen Him at the hands of the oppressors. Such a one is, in the sight of God, among the most exalted of men and among those who circle round Him at morn and eventide. Strive within thyself to remain steadfast in this Cause - the Cause concerning which My Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics hath announced that every light groweth dim before its splendor, every exalted name descendeth from its station, and every verdant leaf falleth from its tree. Ponder, then, that thou mayest find this Cause greater than all that is great and mighty. Should thou find the loved ones of God in any land, find solace in their company and remind them of thy Lord’s remembrance. And shouldst thou find it empty, grieve not within thyself, but be thou joyful and filled with mighty gladness. Let My Self, My remembrance, and My praise suffice thee as companion and helper. Be patient in thy journey toward the direction of the Beloved, for that land is agitated within itself and stirreth in its inmost being, though none hath perceived this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Soon shall be made manifest that which is concealed therein, and the people shall become aware of it. Say: Blessed be He Who hath informed me of this and with Whom lieth the knowledge of the heavens and the earth. When God willeth, He shall grant thee what thou desirest, for He, verily, is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having preserved me from the fire of exile and its flames, for having guided me to Thy shade and the proximity of Thy mercy, and for having given me to drink from the cup from which none can drink save Thy sincere servants. Thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for Thy wondrous gifts and favors. I am he who lay sleeping in his own self until the breezes of Thy mercy and the winds of Thy grace awakened me to the truth and cast upon me Thy Word whereby Thou hast distinguished between Thy creatures and made it the sword of Thy Cause between the heavens and the earth. By Thy might, O my Beloved! Were I to thank Thee throughout the duration of the might of Thy glorious sovereignty and the permanence of the kingdom of Thy holy Command and Power, it would still be little compared to what Thou hast honored me with through Thy grace and bestowed upon me through Thy beneficence. I beseech Thee, O my God, to accept what hath appeared from me, to forgive what I have left undone, and to render me sanctified from all except Thee and purified from the mention of aught else but Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving, the Generous.

=== END BH00246 ===

=== START BH00247 ===

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

O God, my Adored One, my Object of worship, the Gracious, the Merciful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Forgiving, the Concealer of faults, the All-Bountiful! Thou beholdest Thy loved ones amidst heedless souls, and Thy sheep among wolves who have denied the Day of Judgment. O Lord! Thou seest the righteous among the wicked, and the virtuous among those who have denied Thy Chosen Name. I beseech Thee by Thy gifts and favors, by the lovers of Thy Beauty and the lights of Thy horizons, to protect Thy chosen ones, then aid them with the hosts of Thy unseen realm, and make them the ensigns of Thy guidance and the manifestations of Thy power. O Lord! Thou hearest the cry of them that are nigh unto Thee and the lamentation of the sincere ones. I beseech Thee by Thy radiant Light and Thy resplendent Cause to open before our faces the doors of Thy grace and bounty. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. O Lord! Bless Thy loved ones and magnify those faces that have traversed lands to exalt Thy Cause, Thy remembrance and Thy praise, and who have been afflicted in Thy love with that which caused the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy sanctity and grandeur to lament. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

The letter from that beloved of the heart arrived repeatedly, praise be to God. The glad tidings of your well-being and health brought renewed joy. All the letters bore witness to the devotion, acceptance, steadfastness and service of that beloved of the heart. After reading and observing, they were taken to the Most Exalted Paradise and presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings, attaining the honor of His attention. Then the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these exalted words, blessed and exalted be His utterance:

O Amin! Upon thee be the glory of God, His care and His mercy. The servant present submitted thy letters before His presence. Blessed art thou for having confined thy affairs to the love of God, His praise and the service of His Cause. We testify that thou didst hear and respond, and didst succeed time and again in attaining that which God revealed in the books of the past and future. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful. He it is Who aided thee and through thee set right the affairs of His loved ones. Thou hast ever been and art still beneath the glances of His care, and hast been a helper and supporter of His servants. God willing, henceforth too thou shalt hold fast to that which causeth the exaltation of His Word and the elevation of His station. We testify that thou didst turn to Him when people turned away, and believed in Him when most of the servants denied Him. Say:

My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I beseech Thee to assist me in uniting the hearts of Thy loved ones and setting right their affairs in Thy days. I testify, O my God, to my poverty and Thy wealth, my powerlessness and Thy might, my weakness and Thy strength. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy wisdom to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Then I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Most Great Prison and Thy tribulations among the nations, and by Thy utterance through which Thou didst subdue the world, to make me a banner of Thy Name and an ensign of Thy love. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs. There is no God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Convey My salutations and glorification to the faces of My loved ones who have spoken in My praise and have arisen to serve My Cause, and whom the names have not prevented from turning to My countenance and clinging to the hem of My mercy. We beseech God to keep all steadfast in service to the Cause in such wise that all that is possessed by men shall not prevent them from drawing nigh unto God and turning to Him. These are the companions of the Ark of God that were mentioned before. They must engage in guiding humanity with utmost joy and fragrance, wisdom and utterance. O Amin! I say in truth that wisdom consists in deeds that guide the servants to the court of the Friend. In some lands they have done that which hath caused the servants to become remote and to flee. We counsel all to love, mercy and fellowship. Verily He is the Lord of creation, the Merciful to His servants, the Protector of lands. There is none other God but He, the Commander in the beginning and in the end.

Praise be to the one God Who granted success and made that noble person the center of service for His loved ones, upon whom be His glory and praise. This servant has ever beseeched and continues to beseech that He may cause that beloved one to attain all the bounties of His days and make him the cause of agreement and unity. He is the Powerful, the Helper.

Mention was made of the honored beloved, His Name Jamal, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and likewise their degrees of devotion, arising and steadfastness were recorded. After being submitted to His presence, these verses were revealed - exalted be His glory:

O Amin! Upon thee be My glory! Convey My glorification to My Name Jamal and give him the glad tidings of the effulgences of the light of God’s grace, exalted be His glory. As thou didst mention, Jamal, upon him be the glory of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, hath given his wealth, family and children in the path of God and wishes to surrender them to thee. In truth this is a beautiful mention, for the purpose is spending in the path of God, exalted be His glory. Blessed is he. This deed of his was accepted before the Throne. Praise be to God, he hath ever been and continues to be engaged in remembrance, praise and service to the Cause.

This servant conveys glorification and glory to them, offers salutations and praise, and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, for that which will cause the exaltation and elevation of His Word. Praise be to God, his honor has been and continues to be engaged in remembrance, praise and service. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect his honor with the hosts of the invisible and visible realms. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Kind, the Forgiving. The payment for the feast which he and Qurratu’l-’Ayn Hubbu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, gave has been received and God willing the means for a feast before the Throne of the Lord will be prepared. Verily He is the Gracious, the Generous.

Mention was made of Aqa Mirza ’Ali Khayyat, upon him be the glory of God. After being submitted to the Most Holy Court, these verses were revealed from the heaven of the grace of the Manifestation of clear proofs - exalted be His glory:

He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing […]

O Ali, after Mirza! The call hath been raised from the prison of Akka in such wise that the hearts of kings and rulers have been stirred thereby. The breezes of revelation have seized them. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid them and strengthen them to champion His mighty and glorious Cause. Yet the lamp is amidst tempests, as testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of the former and latter generations. O Ali! The Trusted One hath made mention of thee and of thy ardor and thy service in My path. We make mention of thee in this perspicuous Book. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the world and Lord of the nations, for having remembered me in the prison and guided me to Thy straight path. Blessed art thou for having sought the ultimate goal and attained that which God hath sent down in His mighty Book. Thus hath the tongue of grandeur spoken and called all to the Mighty, the All-Praised.

This servant likewise conveyeth greetings and glory unto him, and I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to adorn him and all the loved ones with the ornament of wisdom, that all may hold fast unto it and with heart and soul seek the supreme horizon.

And as for the mention made of the spiritual friend, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Ali-Asghar (Isku’i), upon him be the glory of God, verily he speaketh in remembrance of the Truth and is ablaze with the fire of love. After presentation at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, these manifest verses were sent down from the heaven of bounty of the Manifestation of clear signs. His word, exalted be His majesty, universal be His favors, and glorified be His remembrance:

He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!

O Amin! Upon thee be the manifest light! The fire of divine love hath warmed the world of being, and the effulgences of the Sun of Revelation have shone forth from every direction. Say: Come, O ye who are endowed with insight! Say: Come, O ye who are possessed of vision! Be fair, O dawning-places of equity and manifestations of justice, in that which hath appeared in truth. Justice is a great gift of God, exalted be His glory. Blessed are they who have attained thereunto, and woe unto the heedless! O Mir Ali-Asghar! Upon thee be the most resplendent light of God! Hearken unto the melodies of the Dove of My utterance and the warbling of the Nightingale of My praise. Verily it will draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold naught save the effulgences of the Light of My Cause, the firm, the impregnable. Thou hast attained unto My mention aforetime, which when it flowed from the tongue of My grandeur, all things proclaimed: By God, there hath appeared that the like of which hath never appeared in creation! To this beareth witness the Lord of invention in this wondrous, this glorious moment. Say: O concourse of the opposers in the Bayan! Be fair in God’s sight concerning that which hath appeared in truth, and follow not the imaginings of those who have disbelieved in the Day of Judgment. The Day is come, yet the people are in grievous blindness. Blessed art thou for having turned toward the supreme horizon when every heedless doubter turned away therefrom. We bear witness that thou didst hear what was raised from the prison of Akka and didst turn unto it when the servants turned away, save whom God willed, the Mighty, the Powerful.

O Mir-Qabil-’Ali! Hearken unto the everlasting Call of God. Verily it attracteth thee even as it attracted the hearts of them that are brought nigh. Say: The Glory of God speaketh not of His own desire, but rather by that which is commanded by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I was still, and the hand of Will moved me; I was asleep, and the breathings of the Lord of creation awakened me; I was silent, and the Will of God, Lord of all worlds, caused me to speak. Say: Fear ye God, O people, and deny not Him through Whom the Trump was sounded, and the Speaker of Sinai spoke, and the hidden mysteries in God’s Books, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, were revealed. O Amin! Send unto him the breathings of revelation that they may attract him and draw him nigh unto the Peerless, the All-Informed. Verily thou hast mentioned him, and We have mentioned My loved ones in the Land of Ta in such wise as cannot be equaled by all the books of the world. To this beareth witness this wondrous Book. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon them and upon those who have taken the chalices of mystic knowledge and drunk therefrom in My Name which God hath made the Point of Adoration for all names and the Dawning-Place of His Cause for all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Make mention of the loved ones in the Land of Ta on behalf of the Wronged One. They have attained unto My mention before and after, and among them is he who was named Mahdi, whom thou didst mention in thy pages. We beseech God to preserve him and assist him to serve His Cause. Verily He is the Protector of the sincere ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Divine verses have been revealed in such measure as transcendeth computation and is sanctified from limitation. It is hoped that the men of this age will arise with perfect determination to educate mankind - an arising that is sanctified from sitting down and from alteration. Verily God, our Lord, is powerful over all things.

As to what was written concerning the spiritual friend, his honor Aqa Siyyid ’Ali (Khalaj-Abadi), upon him be the Glory of God, after being submitted before the Ancient Beauty, this conclusive command was revealed, these are His - exalted be His glory - words:

Whatsoever the consultation of them that are brought nigh and the sincere ones approveth, and that which your honor deemeth advisable, may be carried out. Likewise these sublime words were revealed from the Dawning-Place of bounty, the Source of verses - exalted be His utterance: His honor Siyyid ’Ali, upon him be My Glory and My favor, hath turned and hath attained unto that which is the foremost station in the book of the world and the highest rank in the scroll of nations. We testify that he hath turned and attained and won that which the honored servants have won, and hath heard the Call of the Wronged One, and hath witnessed that which God hath witnessed, that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Convey My greetings unto him and illumine him with the lights of My wondrous utterance. The resplendent and gleaming Light be upon My loved ones who have not broken My Covenant and My Testament and have acted according to that which was enjoined upon them in My perspicuous Book.

Time and again, repeatedly, that loved one attained to the remembrance of God, His eternal grace and everlasting bounty. Well is it with thee and blessed art thou! The beloved of the heart, His honor Haji Mirza Haydar-’Ali, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, God willing, will succeed in guiding the people. They were instructed to move about those lands with wisdom for a time and then return to the land of Ta. His presence in the land of Ta is, in wisdom, more conducive to acceptance before God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. From the earliest days until now, he has been and remains steadfast in service and holding fast to the cord of God’s Cause. We beseech God to manifest through him that which will draw the servants nigh unto the Dawning-Place of His signs and acquaint them with His straight path. In truth, the service of that loved one is most great, for he must needs occupy himself with setting aright the affairs of the friends according to the Most Exalted Command, as indeed he does. The purpose of the journey of the beloved of the heart, His honor Haydar-’Ali, upon him be God’s eternal glory, to the region of Kha is that certain souls who have previously intended to turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon might attain to the station of supreme steadfastness.

The spiritual loved ones, their honors Nayyir and Sina, upon them be God’s most luminous light and most resplendent glory, they too have turned toward those regions. Mention of them has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court. Certain holy Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of the Will of God, exalted be His glory, specifically for those souls who have made request. God willing, these will be sent hereafter. Their deeds and mention have all been recorded before the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He. On one occasion these blessed supreme words flowed from the tongue of the Lord of all beings, exalted be His utterance: “Verily they have drunk the wine of love from the cup of My bounty and have attained unto My remembrance and praise. Upon them be My glory and My loving-kindness and My mercy which has preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.”

And mention was made of the spiritual loved one, his honor Aqa Mirza Mu’min, upon him be the Glory of God. After it was presented before His countenance, He said: “We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect him and those with him and to make mention of them in such wise as will cause their deeds to endure on this straight path and mighty announcement.” […]

O thou who art mentioned! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. Verily it draweth thee nigh unto God, the Lord of Lords, and attracteth thee to a station wherein naught is heard save the mention of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful. O Haji Aqa! He who arose to serve Me and turned towards Me when My servants turned away from Me hath made mention of thee. We have remembered thee with that which causeth those who are nigh to God to perceive the fragrance of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of all mankind. We counsel thee and those who have believed to act with righteousness and with that whereby your mention shall endure in the Book of God, the Dayspring of Light. When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My utterance, say:

My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me, and enabled me, and strengthened me, and taught me, and made me to know Thee. I beseech Thee by the sanctity of Thy Being and the detachment of Thine Essence from all else besides Thee to ordain for me that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and the ocean of Thy bounty. Thou art verily the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

This servant beseecheth God - exalted be His glory - on behalf of each of the sincere ones and those who have turned towards Him, for that which hath no likeness or equal.

My God, my God! Aid Thy loved ones to turn their faces toward the light of Thy countenance and to cling to the hem of Thy mercy. Thou art verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The funds sent by them for the transcription of the divine Books, as well as the ornamented, embellished and gilded papers have arrived, and his honor, the Pride of Scribes, His Holiness the Name of God Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, is engaged in transcribing them. God willing, they will arrive. In truth, this matter too is reckoned as service to the Cause of God, and if they are able to send repeated supplies of paper, it would be acceptable in the sight of God and adorned with the glory of His good-pleasure.

In these days mention was made in the Most Holy Court of the spiritual friend who stands ready to serve, regarding His Holiness the Afnan, Haji Siyyid Ali, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, who, in accordance with the command, hath proceeded to the City of Love for the sale of properties and the payment of debts. Firm and mighty decrees have been issued to all the friends that they should strive to the extent possible in his affairs - that is, he who stands ready to serve - and should endeavor to rectify whatever hath transpired. Although at one time they said: “O servant in attendance! The recompense and reward for the deeds of him who stands ready to serve rest with God, exalted be His glory.” In truth, that which hath been manifested from him hath few equals. His deed shall never be erased from the Book of God. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers to be lost. And they said that all the Afnans should arise to do that which befitteth his deed. Although God, exalted be His glory, hath been and is the Helper, yet every soul must manifest his own service. Thus hath My tongue spoken in the kingdom of My utterance, as a mercy from My presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Thanks be to God, mention of them hath repeatedly issued from the Tongue of Grandeur. The servant beseecheth his Lord to aid him and ordain for him every good thing which He hath sent down in His perspicuous Book.

O spiritual friend, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Hasan, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]. As commanded, convey greetings. Several rings adorned with the Greatest Name should be sent. This is from the bounty of our Lord upon him. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Likewise, as commanded, convey greetings to His Honor, the revered beloved, Ismu’llah Jamal, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God; and His Honor, the revered beloved, Jinab-i-’Ali-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God; and the beloved of the heart, His Honor Ibn-i-Abhar, upon them both be the Most Glorious Glory of God. God willing, wondrous, exalted and sacred Tablets will descend from the heaven of bounty and be sent in the future. This servant conveys greetings, praise, glory and splendor to each of these gentlemen, and begs for their steadfast and unwavering confirmation. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

27 Jamadi’ul-Avval 1308

=== END BH00247 ===

=== START BH00248 ===

O Aqa Siyyid Mahdi!

This is the Surih of the Servants which hath been sent down in truth from God, the Exalted, the Great, and verily it is a revelation from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Wondrous!

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all His worshippers.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all prostrate before Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all devoutly obedient unto Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all submissive unto Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all humble before Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all His praise-givers.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all bowing down before Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all His servants.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all supplicants before Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all speak through Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all beholders of Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all exalt Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we shall all return unto Him.

O Mahdi! Bear thou witness even as God hath testified to His own Self before the creation of the heavens and earths, that there is none other God but Him, and that this Youth is His servant and His Glory, and He is verily the Great Announcement which hath been inscribed from all eternity upon the Tablets of Glory. None hath known Him save His own Self, the All-Subduing, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, and none shall know Him except whom thy Lord willeth. This is of the matters whereof We informed thee aforetime, if thou be of them that comprehend.

Hearken thou unto My counsel, and unto that which the Tongue of God doth utter in this wondrous Age. Beware lest anything deter thee or any matter hinder thee. Strive within thyself, then endeavor in thine essence, that thou mayest be numbered among the righteous in this Cause, whereby the people of the realms of mystical insight are terrified, and the dwellers of the pavilions of certitude are dismayed, and the spirits of them that are nigh unto God are thunderstruck, and the mountain of the arrogant is crushed.

Purify thine eyes from all else save Him, then abandon all that is in thy hands, then sanctify thyself from all who are in the earth and the heavens, that thou mayest be enabled to stand firm in the Cause whereat the feet of the sincere ones slip. Then detach thyself from thine own self and from all else besides, and from the souls of the polytheists.

Look thou with the gaze of the beginning at what thou beholdest concerning Adam, the First One, then those who came after him until the Cause reached unto ’Ali-Qabli-Nabil. Say: By God! All of them came from the Dayspring of the Cause with a Book, a Scroll, and a mighty Tablet, and each was given according to what was ordained for them, and this is of Our grace upon them, if ye be of them that know. And all of them delivered the messages of their Lord and gave glad-tidings unto the people concerning the good-pleasure of God, the All-Subduing, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, and brought forth the people from darkness unto light, and gave them glad-tidings of the meeting with God, even as ye have read in the scriptures of old.

Until when the Cause reached unto His hallowed, sacred, exalted and luminous Countenance, He then concealed Himself behind a thousand veils, lest anyone should recognize Him thereafter, while verses were being sent down upon Him from every direction in such measure as none can reckon save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. When the time of concealment was fulfilled, We then revealed from behind a thousand thousand veils of light a light from the lights of the Youth’s countenance, less than the eye of a needle, whereupon the people of the Supreme Concourse were thunderstruck, then the faces of them that are nigh fell prostrate.

And He appeared in such wise as none had appeared before in all creation, whereby He stood by His own Self between the heavens and the earth, and compromised not with anyone in the Cause of His Lord, and called out to the servants with His most exalted call, and feared no one, even as ye were witnesses. And He was tried amongst the servants in such wise that the tyrants of the earth gathered against Him, and ye were among the witnesses. And He sought no help from anyone save God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. And verily He did help Him with the truth and sent down upon Him tranquility from His presence and strengthened Him with the hosts of the unseen at the time when He was expelled from the City of the Cause with manifest sovereignty.

And His Cause became manifest and His proof transcendent and His evidence complete and His word perfected, until the Cause of God became renowned among all creatures. Then did We sever all connections and enter the fields, even as ye have heard from the emigrants. And in all those places and days We concealed not the Cause nor did We veil it, but rather We made it manifest like the dawning of the morn from the horizon of a brilliant dawn, until […]

We reached the sea which is mentioned in the Tablets, if ye be of them that know. We embarked upon the ship in Our Name, then caused it to traverse the sea in My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beautiful. We preserved it through a power from Us, and protected those who embarked upon it until they reached its shore in the city whose name is renowned among you, if ye be of the knowing ones. And We remained therein for four successive months, as inscribed in preserved and mighty Tablets. Throughout those months none of those who dwelt therein, whether high or low, sought Our company. God Himself is witness to this and is All-Knowing. We went not unto anyone, nor turned toward any soul, thus manifesting God’s sovereignty and His command, and proclaiming God’s power and His dominion, until the appointed time of tarrying was fulfilled. Then We departed therefrom and traversed the way until We entered this remote prison. We give thanks to God in all this, for He hath confirmed Us in His Cause and made Us to be of His near servants who fear no one and look not except with the gaze of God, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Powerful. Thus have We sent down the command unto thee that thou mayest be of the knowing ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds. We have thus completed Our utterance, though We have not completed all that pertaineth thereunto, that thou mayest make mention of God’s sincere servants who dwell in thy land and who were gladdened by the sweet savors of holiness wafting from the direction of God, their Creator. This is of His grace upon them and upon all worlds. Say: He knoweth your secrets and your whispered words, and that which the dove of love warbleth in your hearts, and thus were We among the knowing ones. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Our knowledge, and nothing eludeth Our grasp. All things are within the grasp of His command, if ye be of them that understand. In Our hands lies the kingdom of all things. We exalt whom We will from Our presence, and make mention of Our servants who turn unto Us, who have drunk from the cup of God’s bounty and have been granted that which none among all creation hath been granted. Say: By God! Ye have attained unto a cup that none before you hath attained. Soon shall ye know this, if ye be of the patient ones. Say: By God! Ye have borne that which none among all created things hath borne, and none among all beings hath preceded you in this. Were it to be laid upon the heavens they would be rent asunder, and were it laid upon the earth it would instantly be cleft. Thus do We remind you of the truth that ye may know the station of them who have believed in God and recognized that which none before them hath recognized, that they may rejoice within themselves and be of them that are filled with gladness. Say: By God! Whosoever drinketh from this cup shall never thirst, and God shall make him to prevail over all who are in the heavens and on earth, if he remaineth steadfast in his love for his Lord and is not shaken by the suggestions of Satan and them who have recognized Our Self. This is of My grace upon them and upon My sincere servants, for We have brought them forth from behind the veils and caused them to witness that which the eyes of the sanctified ones have not witnessed. All this is of My grace upon them and My mercy upon My near servants. And thou, make mention of the loved ones of God who were in thy land, and be not of the patient ones. Make mention of the name of the First One therein, whom God hath made to be the ornament of them who are nigh unto Him. We had indeed sent him a Tablet aforetime wherein was that which would suffice him above all worlds. By God! Were he to know but one letter thereof, he would detach himself from all things, even from his own self. This We testify at this moment with My All-Knowing, All-Wise tongue.

Then remember after him the Majid through Our mention and give him glad tidings through the Holy Spirit of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We have indeed sent to him that which will purify him from association with the polytheists. Say: O servant, be steadfast in the love of God, for thou hast been informed of that which none else hath been informed, if thou be of them that ponder. Reflect upon My absence, that thou mayest discover what God hath intended for thee and be among those who are discerning. Thus have We completed Our favor upon thee and sent the Spirit from Our presence with a tongue from Us upon thee and upon the believers.

Then remember Our Name the Merciful and give him glad tidings of that wherewith God remembereth him on the night wherein the Dove warbleth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity and the Cock of Paradise singeth upon the branches of a mighty tree. Say: O servant, We desired thee aforetime and mentioned thee in holy and glorious Tablets. Be steadfast on the Day when eyes shall be blinded and every tongue shall falter and the hearts of the heedless shall be troubled. Say: By God, on that Day the sun shall be darkened in its light, and the moon shall lose its brightness, and the stars shall fall upon barren ground wherein thou shalt find neither fruit nor grass nor flowing water. The tribes of the earth shall wail therein and every lofty mountain shall be brought low, save him who shutteth his eyes to mankind and beholdeth with the greatest vision this Beauty, the Radiant, the Mighty, the Luminous. O servant, fear no one, then cast off with the casting off of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Be thou one who crieth out between the heavens and earth and who giveth glad tidings in the name of God, the Mighty, the Generous. And should every possessor of existence, spirit, consciousness, allusion and mighty limitations object to thee, fear not any of them but trust in God, thy Lord, then hold fast to this holy, luminous and firm cord. Thus have We sent down unto thee verses from this heaven which hath appeared in the temple of the Youth, and when thou gazest upon it in thy inmost heart thou shalt find it in the form of a mighty throne.

Then remember Rida after him and those in his household who have sought refuge in the protection of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. These are they who have found shelter in the shadow of His providence and God hath caused them to dwell in the midst of His nearness that they might recognize the worth of that which God hath bestowed upon them through His grace and be of the thankful ones. Let them strive within themselves lest their deeds be rendered vain. Thus doth the Tongue of God remember them that His mercy may be confirmed upon the worlds and that they may not deny the favor which hath descended upon them from a holy and glorious heaven, and that they may find themselves steadfast in the Cause and sanctified from all who are in the heavens and the earth. And thou, O Mahdi, be kind to him and lower thy wing unto those who have believed in God and His signs, for We have exalted thy creation in the Concourse of Paradise and created thee in the best of forms.

Then remember those two who journeyed unto God their Creator and emigrated unto Him and were among the emigrants, and who attained the presence of God and heard the holy melodies from this sacred, mighty and sweet throat. Then give them glad tidings of a favor from Us and a mercy from Our presence, and verily Our mercy hath preceded all the worlds.

Then remind the servant who preceded the Messenger of that wherewith God at this hour remembereth him from the heights of His sanctity, and make mention of him in this mighty Tablet. Say: O Messenger! We have sent unto thee the fragrance of this Garment, that thine eyes may be solaced thereby, and the eyes of those who dwell in the regions of the East and the West and who are among Our believing servants, that the breezes of God may move them and sever them from all things except this resplendent and most luminous Garment. Say: By God! All detachment is beloved except from My beauty, dawning, holy and luminous; and all supplication is forbidden except for My holy, all-knowing and wise Self; and all silence is beloved except mention of My exalted, glorious, mighty and inaccessible Self.

Then make mention of My servant who believed in God and then inquired of God, his Lord, concerning the Great News. Say: By God! This is the News that was great in the heights of the heavens and mighty in the Concourse on high, at which the skin of the idolators doth creep. O servant! We have now unveiled for thee the matter concerning which thou didst inquire aforetime, that thou mayest know what was intended. This is the essence of what God intended for thee, that thou mayest be among those who seek Him. Beware lest ye differ concerning this News or be troubled by those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were among the opposers. Say: O people! By God, this is God’s News unto you, His manifestation among you, and His sovereignty between the heavens and earth. Beware lest ye differ concerning it after He Who was imprisoned for you in this Prison whereunto no feet of seekers can arrive save whom God, thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, willeth.

And thou, O servant of God, give thanks unto God for having brought thee forth from thy land and made thee among the pure ones. Soon shalt thou hear the call of the Samaritan amongst them and find them in grievous error. Soon shall they adduce proofs such as were adduced by the people of the Furqan and before them the people of the Psalms, the Torah and the Gospel. Sufficient was their abasement in that they believed in ’Ali aforetime through what was sent down unto him of the verses of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Yet when its counterpart appeared and His beauty was manifested in truth, they turned away from Him and were among the opposers. Say: Therefore curse not others, but curse your own selves; oppose not anyone, but oppose your own selves - this behooveth you, O concourse of idolators, if ye have believed in God’s verses. By God! These are His verses, and a single letter thereof sufficeth all the worlds. And if ye desire His beauty, lo, this is His beauty, manifest in such wise as the like thereof hath never appeared in creation, could ye but see with fair-minded eyes. And if ye desire to traverse His path, this is His path in the heavens and earth - traverse it, O concourse of them that know. But those among them who remained steadfast in the Cause of their Lord and recognized their Creator - through them are the clouds lifted up and the rain made to fall, and through them do the people of the holy realm become illumined, and all things tell of this most august, mighty, transcendent, exalted and inaccessible station.

Then remember after him the Lion and say: O Lion! Be the Lion of God in His earth. This is a mantle We have bestowed upon thee through a grace from Our presence, and I am verily the Bountiful Bestower, despite those who have denied the signs of God and disputed them, then turned away from them and were among the abased ones. O thou who bearest this name! We have conferred upon thee this name that thou mayest pass beyond the kingdom of names and detach thyself from all who are in earth and heaven, and come unto God with a pure heart. Beware lest thou waste what God hath intended for thee, and let not the fire of thy love be quenched. Then kindle thyself against those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God. Be a mercy unto the lovers and be the sword of God against His enemies and His blessing unto His loved ones. Then preserve thyself from association with the deniers and avoid them, and fear no one, and abide in an impregnable fortress.

O Mahdi! We have mentioned these ones just as their names were mentioned in thy tablet, that God’s mercy might encompass them and these missives might pass over them - the Subtle, the Beloved, the Luminous. Say: By God! Were there to waft upon all created things that which emanates from this Paradise, it would surely render them eternally alive in the kingdom of the exalted ones. Thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee and upon them - a mercy from Our presence upon them and upon the sincere ones.

Then know that there hath appeared before Us a tablet wherein one of the loved ones called upon his Lord, the Bestower, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: We have heard thy call and have answered thee with these holy and beloved words, that thou mayest thank God in thy soul and with thy tongue, and be of those who mock not the signs of God. Be thou steadfast, O servant, in thy love for thy Lord, and be not disturbed when the decreed matter cometh unto thee, and fear no one. Turn thy face toward thy Lord and place thy trust in Our Self, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And say:

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Purify mine eyes, then mine ears, then my tongue, then my spirit, then my heart, then my soul, then my body, then my being from turning unto aught else but Thee. Then give me to drink from the sealed cup of Thy glory.

Say: By God! The fountain of camphor hath appeared in this Revelation and the stream of Tasnim hath gushed forth in this Salsabil which was beheld in the form of a Youth. O servant! Place thy hand therein and withdraw it not empty, even shouldst thou be cut with the swords of those who have turned away from the signs of God. Seek help in every matter through My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. Then drink thereof in thy privacy and offer it unto those in whose hearts thou findest the sweet fragrances of the spirit and who are among those who are guided by the signs of God. Thus have We mentioned thee in the Tablet and expounded the verses for thee that thou mayest be convinced within thyself that We give unto everything that which maketh it independent of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and who associate partners with their Lord.

Then remind the loved ones in thy land whose names were not mentioned in the Tablet, that they may all rejoice in the glad-tidings of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, and be gladdened within themselves, and be drawn by the holy melodies, and be brought near to a praiseworthy sacred station. And counsel those who have believed in God and His signs not to overstep that which they have been commanded, and not to be of those who transgress. O people! Follow the religion of God and His ways, and leave behind what is in your hands, and take what We have commanded you, and be not of those who, when commanded with a command, fail to act. Shun the grievous sins, which are to turn away from the wondrous words of My utterance. Say: The words of God are indeed the most exalted, if ye but perceived it. Then make peace among yourselves, such that naught shall emanate from you save the fragrances of God, and naught shall be witnessed in your faces save the radiance of Paradise, and be ye of those who rejoice in every matter. And when affliction and adversity and hardship touch them, in whatever tribulations that have been or will be, they remain patient in the path of their Creator, and place their trust in God, then turn their faces toward His good-pleasure. Neither the pride of the proud, nor the turning away of those who have turned away, nor the disputation of those who dispute after the proof hath reached its ultimate end and God’s favor hath been perfected unto them and unto those who are assured of what is sent down unto them of the verses of God, shall turn them aside. Nor shall the rancor of those who have disbelieved therein, after their souls have been convinced thereof, grieve them, for thus have they been wont to act. Thus have We commanded them before, and We now command them through Our grace, that they may be of those who act according to God’s command.

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=== START BH00249 ===

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High

These are the wondrous counsels divine which He uttereth with the tongue of power from His sanctuary of grandeur and His holy seat of glory. Hearken, then, with the ears of the spirit, and deprive not yourselves from hearkening unto the counsels of the Beloved. O emigrant believer! Quench the thirst and yearning of heedlessness with the holy Salsabil of grace, and illumine the darksome eve of remoteness with the resplendent morn of nearness. Destroy not the eternal mansion of love through the tyranny of fleeting desire, and veil not the beauty of the celestial Youth with the dark veils of self. Practice pure righteousness and harbor no thoughts save of God, and block not the flowing spring of the illumined heart with the thorns of greed and passion, and hold not back the flowing fountain of the heart from its course. Hold fast unto truth and cling to the cord of His grace, for none but He can raise anyone from poverty to wealth or deliver them from the bondage of self. O servants! Were ye to discover the hidden oceans of divine riches, ye would become independent of both worlds. Kindle the fire of longing in your souls that ye may attain to that lofty and glorious station which is the station of the nearness and meeting with the Beloved.

O Ahmad! Deny not thyself the surging, tempestuous, and hidden oceans, and deprive not thyself of the clear and straight path. Illumine thine eye and brighten it with manifest light, that thou mayest enter the blessed and goodly Sinai which is the place of radiance and the dawning-place of divine splendor, and be illumined by the endless manifestations of light, and hear without interruption the soul-entrancing call of “Look and thou shalt see Me” from the dayspring of divine utterance. The Beauty of the Unseen speaketh in the Temple of Manifestation:

O Ahmad! A fragrance from the holy rose-garden of My spiritual presence hath wafted over the world of being, adorning all created things with the holy ornaments of the Self-Subsisting; and a drop from the ocean of My grace hath been bestowed upon the worlds, rendering all intoxicated with this holy wine of “Am I not?” From mere nothingness I have brought them to the arena of everlasting existence.

O Ahmad! Purify and sanctify thine eye that thou mayest behold the endless manifestations of light from all directions, and cleanse thine ear from the defilement of blind imitation that thou mayest hear the melodies of the Nightingale of oneness and divine unity from the eternal boughs of the human realm.

O Ahmad! The eye is My trust; sully it not with the dust of desire and passion. The ear is a manifestation of My bounty; debar it not from hearkening to My sweet and divine melodies. The heart is My treasury; surrender not its treasured pearls to the thief of self and passion. The hand is a symbol of My loving-kindness; withhold it not from taking hold of My preserved and hidden Tablets. Say: O servants! The outpouring of My limitless grace descendeth from the heaven of My timeless generosity like torrential rain. Hasten ye thereunto with sanctified eyes, purified ears and unwavering constancy. Say: O My servants! Fetter not yourselves with the bonds of self-limitation and blind imitation, for imitation is as a mirage in the deadly desert that hath never quenched nor ever will quench the thirst of its seekers. Turn away from the vanishing mirage and partake of the imperishable, matchless and crystalline waters of Mine own stream. Distinguish ye between the divinely-fashioned pearl and the artificial one, for the artificial pearl vanisheth upon contact with water, while the divine pearl groweth more lustrous and radiant. Strive then with all your might to obtain, without intimation, the pearl of divine sanctity - which is none other than the recognition of the Manifestation of My Self - which hath ever lived and shall forever live through the waters of My grace.

O My servants! The Ancient Beauty declareth: Hasten from the shadow of desire, remoteness and heedlessness unto the shadow of eternity, nearness and mercy. Be ye like unto earth in submission, that the sweet-scented, varied and holy flowers of My knowledge may spring forth from the soil of your being. Be ye aflame as fire, that ye may burn away the thick veils and quicken the frozen bodies through the heat of divine love. Be ye gentle as air, that ye may enter the sacred precincts of My divine friendship.

O My servants! Come forth from the imaginary city of idle fancy through the power of trust in God, and enter the impregnable and well-fortified city of certitude. Be not despairing of His all-encompassing mercy and His all-embracing grace in any circumstances, for I brought all the forms of existence from sheer nothingness into the realm of being solely through bounty and generosity. Without request did I bestow favor, without question did I grant response, and without capacity did I lavish the utmost grace and bounty. You are all trees of My holy paradise, which I planted with the hand of mercy in the blessed earth, nurtured with the eternal spring rains of My mercy, and protected through guardian angels from worldly events and earthly dangers. Now, be not heedless of your Planter, Guardian and Nurturer, and prefer not others before Him, lest the scorching and devastating winds pass over you and deprive you all of wondrous leaves, ripened fruits, lofty branches and tender boughs. Hear the words of My wisdom from the tongue of My previous Manifestation, who said unto the Son of Mary that no keeper of an orchard would leave a withered tree in his garden, but would surely cut it down and cast it into the fire, for dry wood is fit and deserving only of fire. Therefore, O trees of My holy paradise, protect yourselves from the poison of corrupt souls and devastating winds, which are association with the polytheists and the heedless, lest the trees of existence be deprived of the holy fragrances and gentle breezes through the bounty of the Worshipped One, and may they ever remain fresh and verdant in the holy paradise of oneness.

O servants! Demolish not the foundation of the Egypt of certitude of the All-Glorious Lord through the pickaxe of fancy and conjecture, for conjecture has never sufficed and will never guide any soul to the straight path. O servants! Ye have imagined My outstretched, extended and exalted hand of sovereignty to be fettered, and have deemed My descending, precedent and uninterrupted mercy to be interrupted, and have supposed the elevated and exalted cloud of My bounty and generosity to be prevented and withheld from raining down. Have the wonders of the power of the Sovereign of Oneness vanished, or has the influence of My Will and the encompassing nature of My Purpose been prevented from reaching the worlds? If ye believe not so, why then do ye prevent the Beauty of Divine Unity from being made manifest, and forbid the Manifestation of the Essence of Glory Most Glorious from appearing in the heaven of eternal holiness? Were ye to open the eye of fairness, ye would behold all the realities of created things intoxicated with this new and wondrous wine, and would find all the atoms of existence radiant and illumined by the splendor of its light. Evil is that which ye have imagined and evil is that which ye imagine.

O servants! Return ye unto your Source, and rising above the heedlessness of self and desire, set your faces toward the Sinai of the Spirit in this holy Mount beyond concealment and revelation. Alter not the blessed, all-embracing First Word, and turn not aside from the seat of glory of sanctification and pure detachment. Say: O heedless servants! Though the wonders of My mercy have encompassed all the kingdoms of the seen and the unseen, and the manifestations of My grace and bounty have outstripped all atoms of creation, yet most severe is My chastisement, and most terrible is the revelation of My wrath. Hearken with ears sanctified from pride and desire unto My loving counsels, and with the eyes of both body and spirit observe the wonders of My Cause. Deprive not yourselves of the waves of My ocean of mercy, before which all infinite seas are but a drop, and withhold not yourselves from My sweet, flowing, holy and palatable fountainhead. I swear by My hidden Essence that were ye to attain unto awareness less than an atom’s weight, ye would hasten breast to breast unto the Sinai of the Spirit, and with your own eyes would enter the illumined, manifest and holy fountainhead, and would hear the call of the Holy Spirit from the Speaking Tree in the illumined breast, and would not be heedless.

O Ahmad! From the fetters of blind imitation, step thou into the holy garden of detachment and the paradise of glorious unity. Say: O servants! Close not with hands of tyranny and rejection the gate of My mercy which I have opened unto the peoples of the heavens and the earth, and cut not down through oppression and transgression the elevated Tree of My loving-kindness. In truth I say: The heart is the treasury of My priceless and incomparable jewels; make it not the receptacle for the worthless potsherds of this base world. The breast is the place where grow the hyacinths of My love; soil it not with the dark dust of hatred. Adorn yourselves with My attributes, that ye may be worthy to enter My holy dominion and be admitted into My sanctified realm. All things are My perspicuous Book and My firm and mighty tablets. With pure and sanctified eyes and illumined and holy hearts, behold ye the wonders of My divine wisdom.

O My servants! Whatsoever I have ordained in My sacred and holy Tablets through My Most Perfect Word and My All-Embracing Speech is intended solely for the elevation of receptive souls to the heaven of divine unity. Otherwise, My Beauty is sanctified above the vision of the mystics, and My Glory is exalted beyond the comprehension of those who have attained. Consider the bright, luminous, radiant Sun: should all beings, whether possessed of sight or sightless, exert themselves to the utmost in its praise or, contrariwise, strive to disparage it, these two stations of affirmation and negation, of acceptance and rejection, of praise and blame, all pertain to the limited realm of those who accept or reject. The Sun itself remains established in its station, shining with perfect radiance and bestowing its light and effulgence without any change or alteration. Likewise, observe the luminous lamp that brightens your dark night: whether it be extolled with the most sublime praise or condemned with the basest description - would this increase or diminish its light? Nay, by Him Who holds my soul in His hand! Rather, in both these conditions it diffuses its light equally, while such praise and blame return only to those who utter them, as is evident to behold. Therefore, O servants, deprive not yourselves of the holy and exalted Lamp that burneth within the niche of divine glory, but rather kindle the lamp of divine love with the oil of guidance within the niche of steadfastness in your illumined hearts, and protect it with the glass of trust in God and detachment from all else from the gusts of the breath of the idolaters.

O servants! The example of My holy and unified Manifestation is as an ocean in whose deepest depths lie concealed countless precious and brilliant pearls. Every seeker must needs gird up the loins of endeavor and make their way to its shore, that they may obtain, in the measure of their search and striving, their portion preordained in the hidden and preserved Tablets. Now if any soul should fail to set foot upon its holy shore or arise not in its quest, would this diminish aught from that ocean or its pearls, or cause any loss to befall it? Evil is that which ye have imagined within yourselves, and evil is that which ye continue to imagine.

O servants! By God the Truth, that Most Great, Fathomless, and Surging Ocean is very close and near, nay, nearer than your life-vein. In an instant you can attain and achieve that divine bounty, celestial grace, merciful generosity, and glorious All-Baha benevolence. O servants! Were you to become aware of the wondrous tokens of My generosity and grace which I have deposited within your own selves, you would surely become detached from all things, attaining unto the knowledge of your own self, which is the same as knowledge of Me, and would see yourselves independent of all save Me, beholding with your outer and inner eyes the ocean of My loving-kindness and the sea of My favor shining within you like the resplendent sun from My Most Glorious Name. Squander not this most exalted and holy station through the desires of idle fancy and passion, or the imaginings of doubt and blindness. Your likeness is as that of a bird which, with mighty wings, soareth with the utmost joy and contentment in the pleasant atmospheres of the All-Glorious, in perfect confidence, but then, imagining some grains, inclineth toward the water and clay of earth, and with utter greed defileth itself with water and dirt. Then, when it desireth to ascend again, it findeth itself powerless and defeated, for wings soiled with water and clay were never meant for flight, nor ever shall be. At such time, that bird of the exalted heaven findeth itself a dweller in the mortal earth. Now, O servants, soil not your feathers with the clay of heedlessness and idle fancy, or the dust of malice and hatred, lest ye be deprived and forbidden from soaring in the holy heavens of mystic knowledge.

O servants! I have, through divine might and spiritual power, brought forth the pearls of the shell of the ocean of the All-Merciful from the treasury of divine knowledge and wisdom, and have caused the maidens of the chambers of concealment and protection to appear in the manifestations of these firm verses, and have unsealed the musk-vessel of divine oneness with the hand of power, bestowing its hidden holy fragrances upon all created things. Now, despite all these encompassing sublime bounties and these radiant manifest favors, if ye deprive yourselves, the blame shall rest upon your own souls, now and forever.

O people of the Bayan! Today ye have come to know the purpose of your own creation, for ye are the gems of God’s lofty mountains and the pearls of the seas of divine unity’s grace, and all else that is visible in the heavens and earth are gathered beneath your shadow and receive sustenance and bounty by association. Consider, for example, the good and fertile earth - the farmer’s purpose in watering is to water his own crop, though often hard and solid rocks in that field are watered incidentally. Thus the purpose of the outpouring of the All-Bountiful’s grace is the fields of His loved ones, which are the places where the plants of knowledge and wisdom grow, while those besides them - the enemies and the heedless who are like abandoned stones of the earth - receive but incidental benefit from the sprinkling grace and raindrops from the clouds. O people of the Bayan! Despite all these lofty stations and transcendent ranks, seek not to be heedless of yourselves, nor withdraw from the Truth, nor become negligent in observing God’s Cause in all conditions, and strive that ye compare not divine words with aught else.

O servants! If ye possess sight, enter ye the city of the seeing; if ye be people of hearing, step ye into the realm of them that hear; and if ye be possessed of hearts, choose ye residence in the stronghold of the assured ones, that ye may not remain deprived of beholding the lights of the Most Glorious Beauty in these darksome days. For this year is the year of the great sifting and mighty trial.

O servants! Inscribe ye upon the tablet of your hearts, with the pen of submission and the ink of acknowledgment and certitude, the counsels of the Spirit, and at every moment turn ye unto them, lest ye become heedless of a single letter thereof. With utmost earnestness, turn ye unto the Truth and turn away from aught else, for this is the essence of the Divine Command that hath sprouted from the Divine Tree.

O servants! Naught dwelleth in this heart save the effulgences of the morn of the Divine Presence, and it speaketh naught but the pure truth from your Lord. Therefore, follow not your desires, break not God’s covenant, and violate not His testament. Turn ye unto Him with complete steadfastness in heart, soul and tongue, and be not of the foolish ones. The world is but an illusion without reality, and a nothingness adorned in the guise of existence. Set not your hearts upon it, sever not yourselves from your Lord, and be not of the heedless ones. Verily I say, the world is like unto a mirage which appeareth as water; they who thirst pursue it with intense effort, yet when they reach it, find themselves bereft and portionless. Or it is like the image of a loved one, devoid of life and spirit; when the lover attaineth unto it, he findeth it neither nourishing nor satisfying, gaining naught but great toil and evident regret.

O servants! If in these visible days and this present world, there should occur somewhat contrary to your wish from the realm of divine decree, be not disheartened, for the joyous days of the All-Merciful will come and the holy realms of the spirit will be made manifest. In all those days and worlds, a portion is ordained for you, a pleasure appointed, and a sustenance decreed. Assuredly shall ye attain unto them all if ye exchange the garment of the transient for the garment of the eternal, and enter the Most Glorious Paradise, the dwelling-place of sanctified and glorious spirits. All things testify to your existence, if ye emerge from the dark dust of nothingness. Be not distressed by the troubles of these numbered days, nor be ye saddened by the destruction of the outer body in the path of the Beloved, for after every destruction a building is intended, and within every hardship the comfort of ease lieth concealed.

O servants! Seek ye the sweet Salsabil from the holy, pure fountain, and take ye the lofty fruits of the Paradise of Oneness from the Divine Tree, for in the barren, dry valley neither the pleasant Tasnim of submission nor the holy Kawthar of glorification can be found, and from the withered tree no sublime and noble fruit can be observed.

O seekers of the spiritual wine! The holy, luminous Beauty, from the spiritual tree in the divine Sinai of the All-Merciful, without the veil of “Thou shalt never see Me,” declareth: Deprive not the eyes of your hearts and souls, and hasten ye to the dawning-place of the effulgence of His Beauty. Thus doth the Tongue of God counsel you, that perchance ye may direct yourselves toward the realm of the Spirit.

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In the name of God, exalted be His Glory and Grandeur!

At this hour when the heaven of grace is raised high and the sun of loving-kindness and favors is dawning and rising from the horizon of bounty and beneficence, I am present at the threshold of mighty glory with the pen of love and the tablet of unity and concord, commemorating with wondrous praise that beloved leaf and the other leaves of that land, particularly the honored and respected matron, mother of the Haram of God and mother of that leaf and her namesake - upon them be the Glory of God - who were resident in the Land of ?a. I bear glad tidings of the wondrous divine favors, for praise be to God, His loving-kindness is manifest and evident toward each one.

This is evident from the verses revealed from the heaven of oneness addressing this lowly one, which are inscribed verbatim in this leaf, the details being that from the Land of ?a a petition was submitted to the blessed presence of the Servant of the Divine Unity - may my spirit be sacrificed for the dust of his most glorious and luminous feet. Therein were mentioned the spiritual manifestations of each of those leaves and the beloved leaf, wife of the late Aqa Muhammad Ja’far, and the sister of that leaf, and the sister of His Holiness’s beloved Aqa Mirza Mahmud - upon him be the Glory of God - and Bibi Jan and all the leaves of that land. Also as promised to you, supplication was made for forgiveness of that leaf’s late father. A response was graciously given, and among the verses that descended from the heaven of the favors of the Eternal Beloved - may the spirit of all loved ones be sacrificed for Him - they recorded blessed words of glad tidings. However, this one submits these that it may become clear and evident that deeds done purely for God’s sake shall not be lost.

Blessed are ye for that which His Most Exalted Pen hath recorded in your mention. O ye pure leaves! This is a copy of what our Glorious Lord wrote to this ephemeral, lowly one:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

Praise be to God Who hath raised up the heaven of utterance and adorned it with brilliant stars and illumined its horizon with the Sun of the mention of the Most Great Name, whereby the world was illumined. When the air stirred and heaven moved, the ocean of knowledge surged and the Ark of God sailed thereon through His Most Glorious Name. Blessed is he who held fast to it and embarked upon it through the Name whereby the veils were rent and the coverings were torn asunder. Glorified be He Who manifested what He willed through the Most Exalted Word and spoke and caused all things to speak. What He hath spoken is indeed the straight path and the balance of justice. Through it the lovers were attracted and soared in the atmosphere of longing, and through it the sincere arose to promote the Cause of God between earth and heaven, bearing in His love tribulations which none can reckon save God, the Lord of all names. Through it the gates of the treasuries of heaven were opened and the Kingdom of Names appeared. Through it the trumpet was blown and the call was raised amidst the concourse of creation. Through it the mountains of idle fancies were crushed and the heavens of vain imaginings were cleft asunder and the earths of learning were split among the people. At times thou beholdest it flowing like water in the valleys, and at other times blazing like fire upon the heights. Through it the hearts of the wretched were consumed while the Concourse on High rejoiced. Can the pen ever finish mentioning it? Nay, by the Lord of Names! Can paper bear to carry it? Nay, by the Creator of heaven! It is that through which the names and all things appeared. There is nothing but that hath been consumed through its manifestation and appearance. Through it the fragrance of God was diffused throughout all else, the dwellers of the graves were stirred, and the Day of Resurrection came to pass. Exalted, exalted is He Who manifested it and created it and made it the servant and educator of all things. Exalted, exalted is He Who […]

O Ali! We were established upon the throne in the Most Great Prison when the servant who was present before Our face entered with thy letter and presented what was therein - and verily We are the All-Hearing, the All-Answering. We have heard thy call and recognized the state thou art in regarding thy love for these souls. Remember when thou didst turn toward the Prison and stood before the door and heard the call of the Wronged One Who spoke from the most exalted station that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Ali! Hearken unto what the polytheists say in this Most Great Revelation whereby the limbs of the nations have quaked. Thy Lord is indeed the Manifest with truth and He is the All-Knowing. They say He hath claimed divinity and this befitteth not any among the servants to acknowledge. Thus have their hearts hardened and their souls enticed them. Thus do We recount unto thee what the heedless have uttered - and We are the Informed, the All-Knowing.

Say: By God, this is the Day of God wherein none is mentioned save Him. He is verily the One Who speaketh in the Most Great Prison and calleth between earth and heaven. No Prophet but hath given the glad-tidings of this Day to the servants, and no Book but hath been adorned with this Most Great Name. Say: None is mentioned in this Day save God and His names and what hath appeared from Him. Thus hath the command been sent down in all the Tablets, but most of the people are heedless.

Say: This is the Wondrous One through Whom the horizon of creation hath been illumined and through Whose Word hath appeared what was hidden in the treasuries of God’s protection, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: Were He to speak other than what He hath spoken, then ye should object to Him. Say: Ponder and be not of those who turn away. Say: This is He Who hath come from the heaven of grandeur with manifest sovereignty and hath called all unto God in such wise that neither ranks nor hosts nor the utterances of the polytheists could hinder Him.

And the people of the Bayan who disbelieved in the All-Merciful have forgotten all that they were promised when they speak as spoke the people of the Furqan. Say: Woe unto them and unto you, O company of educators! They have followed vain imaginings as did their fathers before them. Thus doth the Tongue of Grandeur speak the truth.

Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds! Blessed is he who hath cast behind him vain imaginings and stood firm in this Cause whereby the feet of the mystics have slipped. Say: Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come unto you with a proof whereunto the heavens and earth can bear no likeness.

Grieve thou not over anything. Verily He heareth and seeth, and We are the All-Seeing. We have mentioned thee time and again, and this is yet another time. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of thy Lord’s verses, arise and say: Unto Thee be praise, O Creator of the heavens, and unto Thee be glory, O Thou in Whose grasp is the reins of the worlds! I praise Thee and thank Thee for having caused me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon and for having made me recognize Thy beauty after every remote polytheist turned away from it, and for having shown me Thy countenance after the passing of all things, and for having made me hear Thy most sweet call, and for having caused me to attain unto the ocean of Thy Most Great Name, and for having given me to drink, through the hands of bounty […]

The traces of eternity bear witness through my every limb to Thy bounty, Thy bestowals, Thy generosity and Thy gifts. Verily Thou art the Gracious Giver. O my God! Thou seest that mine eyes are fixed upon the horizon of Thy favor and mine ears are attentive to hear Thy call. O Lord! The longing one’s yearning and attraction never cease, nor does his love and passion diminish. I beseech Thee by Thine own Self to make me in all conditions attracted to Thy verses, delighting in the fragrance of Thy raiment, clinging to Thy robe, and speaking Thy praise amongst Thy creatures. Thou art the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Akbar! The Lord of Destiny calls thee from the direction of His Most Sublime Vision as a favor from Him upon thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. From this Most Holy Station We send greetings to the faces that have turned toward the Face of God and responded when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and followed what the All-Merciful revealed in a preserved Tablet. We remember them and give them glad tidings of what is ordained for them in the Kingdom of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: Beware lest the world prevent you from the Creator of heaven. Leave the people to their vain imaginings and take what has come to you from God, the Mighty, the Great. He loves who loves Him and remembers who remembers Him and sees who stands firm in His remembrance and service to His Cause. He is the Hearing, the Wise.

At the end of the Tablet We remember him who is named Rida, who turned to the Face and believed in God, the Single, the One, the Powerful. Convey My greetings to his face and gladden him with what has been revealed for him from God, the Ancient Revealer. Then We remember the handmaidens who have turned, drawn near, recognized and drunk of My luminous wine. Blessed are they for having fulfilled God’s Covenant and His Testament and remained steadfast in this wondrous Cause. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those who have believed in God and held fast to His wise Book.

The verses revealed from the heaven of divine will testify and bear witness to the special favors that have been and continue to be directed toward you. Regarding what you wrote about this servant being negligent in sending letters - yes, indeed there was delay, but this was not from laziness or indolence, nor, God forbid, from any lack of sincerity. God is aware and bears witness that your mention and love have been and will remain in heart and tongue. Regarding your request that I circumambulate the Temple of Oneness on your behalf, praise be to God, this evanescent servant attained this bounty at the time of the revelation of verses, visiting and circumambulating on your behalf. Concerning what you wrote about the loved ones of Qamsar who have arisen to serve the Cause, it was presented at the Most Sublime Vision. This is what was revealed for them from God, the Lord of the worlds:

O My loved ones in that place! Hearken unto My sweetest call which hath been raised from this luminous spot. Verily there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. The glance of the Wronged One hath been directed toward you from this known station. He is the Hearing, the Responding One. Blessed are ye for having believed and turned toward the Supreme Horizon after the servants turned away, save those whom God, the Single, the All-Informed, wished. Hold fast to the cord of unity, then remember your Lord, the All-Merciful, with joy and fragrance. Thus doth command you the All-Knowing Ordainer. We have seen you and heard your call and have answered you with these verses through which the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted throughout all possibility. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. By the life of God! There hath been ordained for you in My Most Glorious Kingdom that which the pen cannot describe, but most of the people know not.

O rejoice in My Name and drink from the Kawthar of life through My wondrous remembrance! We counsel you to show forth supreme steadfastness and to follow that which God hath revealed through the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet. He, verily, commandeth you to do that which profiteth you in the hereafter and in this world. To this beareth witness the Lord of all beings in His mighty prison. Be illumined by My remembrance of you, for it is greater than all the treasures of the heavens and earth. Hearken unto Him Who is among you and remembereth you with the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn towards the Land of Kaf and make mention of them who have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and have attained unto the recognition of Him Who caused thee to speak with truth. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Blessed are ye for having attained and recognized the Wronged One when every heedless one turned away from Him. The world and all that is therein shall perish, but there shall endure for you that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. God hath witnessed your acceptance and faith. Rejoice then in this Most Great Remembrance and drink of My luminous wine. Preserve your dignity through supreme steadfastness lest the allusions of them that have disbelieved in the Lord of the worlds cause you to slip.

The glory rest upon you and upon them who have laid firm hold on the Book of God with the strength that proceedeth from Him and have acted according to that which they were bidden by their Lord, the All-Wise. The names mentioned in your letter were brought before the Most Great View. Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds that they were adorned with the ornament of His love and attained unto His recognition. They have taken the choice wine from the hand of bounty and have drunk thereof. Blessed are they and those who have attained unto this noble station.

Wheresoever ye receive a divine Tablet, ye should convey that which is inscribed therein to its people or send it to them, and especially convey to each one wondrous and sublime greetings from God. Concerning what thou didst write about the steadfast women, the humble women, the believing women, and the chaste women of that land - this was presented before the Throne. Wondrous and sublime verses have been specifically revealed for each one from the heaven of the divine Will, and the glance of mercy hath been directed towards each. Blessed are they for having attained unto the recognition of God and the service of His firm and wise Cause.

It is clear and evident to every person of understanding that whatsoever existeth in the world is transient and will pass away. Soon all that is visible shall vanish, and that which shall endure forever is the mention that floweth from the Most Exalted Pen specifically for each of the servants and handmaidens. Blessed are the souls who have attained unto this most exalted station. By the life of God! Were We to fully describe this station, all the peoples of the world would turn to the most exalted horizon and would engage in serving the Cause with the utmost joy and fragrance. Thus doth the Truth speak the truth and mention that which rejoiceth the hearts of the sincere ones and the minds of them that are firm.

Ask ye of God - and let them ask - that they may remain firm and steadfast in the Cause of God. Say: O handmaidens of God! Give thanks that your mention hath been made before the Throne and that your deeds have been for God and have been accepted in His holy court. God willing, may ye be blessed in all times with the fragrances of divine verses and be gladdened by His remembrance.

Regarding what thou didst write about the word of forgiveness concerning the late Haji Mulla ’Ali-Akbar, this was presented before the Throne. This is what was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance from God, the Mighty, the Bestower: O My handmaiden! We give thee glad tidings of thy Lord’s favor and make mention of that which rejoiceth thy heart and the hearts of those women who have believed in God, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Know thou that God hath forgiven him through His grace, purified him, and caused him to ascend unto the sublime Companion. Verily, thy Lord’s favor hath encompassed all created things. Thus doth God change whatsoever He willeth […]

He ordains what He wishes for whomsoever He desires. Nothing can prevent Him, nor can any matter render Him powerless. He does through His power whatever He pleases and decrees through His authority whatever He wills. Therefore praise and mention these verses which have descended from the heaven of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have inhaled the fragrance of the garment in the days of God, who have turned to the horizon of revelation and who have heard the call of God, the Lord of Religions.

Furthermore, regarding the matters which His Holiness Ismu’llah Ha - upon him be all the most glorious glory and all the most excellent praise - has arisen to accomplish, this servant has, in accordance with the Most Holy and Exalted Command, submitted a brief account. They will surely inform that honored one and it should be carried out accordingly.

Additionally, concerning the mother of the sacred family who resides in the Land of Kaf - upon her be the glory of God - emphasize strongly that the souls dwelling in that land should show her respect, for truly she has endured numerous afflictions in the path of God. Blessed is she for what she has patiently endured in the path of our Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Now she remains in a foreign land and with utmost distress remains patient and thankful. We beseech God to assist her and grant her what befits His all-encompassing grace, and to aid those who support and honor her out of love for God, the Mighty, the Wise.

If possible, convey glad tidings to her on behalf of this evanescent one, for she is mentioned before the Divine Throne and the glance of favor is directed towards her. Blessed is she for her patience, her gratitude, her charitable giving, and her turning to God, the One, the Peerless.

This evanescent one requests that you convey to the friends and notable ones of every land the Most Glorious, Most Exalted greetings from this servant. And the other friends in the Prison Land and those circumambulating all remember that honored one with most excellent remembrances and glorifications.

The glory of God be upon your honor and your family and upon all the loved ones of God, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Servant

17 Sha’ban 1290

O my beloved! This is the letter of His Honor the Servant of the Divine Unity - may my spirit be sacrificed for his most mighty and luminous sacred dust - which contains blessed utterances - may my spirit and the spirits of all the world be sacrificed for each of its letters - descended from the heaven of divine favor, showing kindness to all the people of that land, both men and women, especially regarding that noble lady, explicitly and without allusion expressing grace and favor […]

By God, Who is the only God! If a soul should gird up the loins of endeavor and, for the sake of God, take steps in the path of assisting the Cause of Truth, even dead bones would be stirred to motion by the effect of their pure breaths, let alone heedless souls. God willing, may you all conduct yourselves with one another in perfect love and unity, with joy and fragrance. Observe how great is divine grace and favor concerning that honored lady, and offer thanks with all your being that your names are mentioned before the Divine Throne. We beseech God, and you too should beseech, that He may remove all major obstacles and open wide the gate of attainment unto His presence before the faces of all His servants, both men and women. In brief, if the honored Aliya, namesake of that distinguished lady, is not present in that land, make a copy of the petition and send either the original or a copy thereof to her presence, and convey infinite greetings. And on behalf of this lowly one, ask pardon for the troubles caused during the time of her presence. Convey infinite greetings to the beloved Aqa Mirza Mahmud and his relatives, both female and male, especially to his honored sister. And on behalf of this lowly one, mention each and every one of the handmaidens of God in that land with wondrous and sublime remembrances, particularly the honored mother and Miss Sahib and Bibi Jan, upon whom be the Glory of God. Remember Shirin with the sweetness of the Beloved’s utterance. The honored uncle - may my spirit be a sacrifice to the dust of his footsteps - that distinguished lady, and the other handmaidens of God in that land are remembered with spiritual remembrances. What more can this evanescent lowly one say? Document 333 dated 27th of Shawwal 90 was presented in the Holy Land. The honored Shatir sends infinite greetings.

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

Beautiful patience! And God is He Whose help is to be sought against what they allege. O Haydar-’Ali! Upon thee be My glory and the glory of them who dwell in My Kingdom! I complain not of My anguish and grief unto thee after what hath befallen Me, whereby every atom of creation and all contingent beings have lamented. Lo! The oppressor hath hamstrung My she-camel, the transgressor hath sunk My ship, the wolf hath devoured My flock, and the serpent hath opened wide its mouth and swallowed its Lord. We have mentioned unto thee what We mentioned before in various Tablets, to express My sorrow and to manifest the oppression of Mine enemies, and to proclaim My patience, My forbearance, and My submission in what hath befallen Me in the path of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers and the Lord of the Mighty Throne, and My suffering, My tribulation, and My trials. What hath been mentioned is as naught compared to what hath come to pass in the Great City, for its blow and harm have befallen the Glory of God. Glory be to God! A door was opened, and its purpose was that it might become the dawning-place of justice and fairness, of goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. Yet it became the source of oppression and transgression, the mine of heedlessness and injustice. It was thought that it would become the circling-point of them who are nigh and trusted, yet it was observed to be the circling-point of the treacherous and the heedless. One of those who claimed to love united with the enemy and set about plundering the Friend. He showed no mercy either to himself or to the Cause. By the life of God! The tears of justice flow, and the sigh of fairness is manifest and ascendant. For the sake of wealth, he forsook the Lord on the Day of Reckoning. One point of his oppression darkened the world of justice, and one word of his falsehood demolished the world of truth. In the place of light appeared fire, and in the place of justice, injustice.

O Haydar-’Ali! A grievous blow hath fallen upon poor justice. Trust crieth “Woe is me!” Truth uttereth “O my calamity!” The fire of greed and impurity hath consumed contentment and godliness. Thou and the world bear witness that this Wronged One hath, in the nights and days, called the servants of God to the fear of God, and made all aware of that which leadeth to the exaltation of station and the elevation of rank. Yet for some, the fruit of mention became forgetfulness, and the result of counsel became heedlessness. The unjust one rent the veil of justice, and the irreligious one struck a mighty blow to the breast of trustworthiness. Alas, alas, for what hath befallen the Cause of God! Today in the cities, lamentations over deeds and character are raised high and wailings are heard. Should this Wronged One mention His own tribulations, surely the rock would cry out and the cloud would exclaim “O grief!” Outwardly, We had a brother who lived for several years under the wing of mercy in perfect comfort and ease. Then, at the instigation of a certain soul, he rose up against the Wronged One of the horizons. When the hidden secrets of the breast and the treachery of the eye became manifest, this Wronged One departed from their midst, leaving him with his children, infants, and wives in perfect health and safety in a secure and protected place. Nevertheless, they have said what they have said.

O Haydar-’Ali! Eyes are deprived of what is manifest and visible, and are clinging to doubts and idle fancies. I swear by the waves of the ocean of utterance in the manifestation of the Most Great Theophany and the effulgences of the Ancient Luminary, not even the tip of a finger of affliction […]

Enter ye not upon these matters. God is cognizant of all and all bear witness. Nevertheless, they have uttered that which they have heard. Another cruelty inflicted by the manifestations of hatred upon the divine Lote-Tree is this: While heavenly verses are being revealed night and day from the heaven of God’s Will like unto torrential rain, the unjust speaker hath spoken that which hath caused the liver of proof to melt and the face of evidence to be scratched. Now, that which equalleth all the books of the past and future is present and available, but where are the eyes to see and where is the fairness to judge? The Book of Certitude, which was specifically revealed for the Bab - upon Him be My Glory and Favour - they have attributed to one who, by the life of God, is incapable of comprehending it. However, to the divine assessors and those endowed with heavenly vision, the matter is clear and evident, shining and manifest like the sun. After beholding the pearls of wisdom and utterance, people of insight and vision will recognize from which treasury they came and from which mine they appeared. Can the product of conjecture have any station before the Self-Subsisting Lord, or can the essence of fancy have any worth or rank before the manifestations of the Sun of Certitude? Nay, by God’s command, which holdeth sway over all in the heavens and on earth. Reflect upon each of these: Ashraf, Hadi, trust, resignation, deception and doubt. Likewise upon the second life which for successive years was and is being lived among the people in perfect ease, health and comfort. What is the cause of this life? By the life of God, denial and failure to acknowledge in these days have perpetrated that which causeth the back of the Bayan to tremble. We beseech God to bestow justice upon His servants. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the manifestations of idle fancies his station hath not diminished, and whatsoever he sayeth they accept and submit to without question. O Haydar! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of destiny. The time draweth nigh when the people of insight will protest Our patience. When Sa’d, who is mentioned in the Dispensation of the Qur’an, was asked in the days when he had lost his sight why he, whose prayers were always answered, did not pray for himself, he said: “God’s decree is dearer to me than my sight.” The people of God have assuredly been and are superior, more exalted and more glorious than him. They would not exchange all the blessings of the world for a single radiance from the Sun of His good-pleasure, for they have drunk from the cup of resignation and quaffed from the chalice of contentment. Their station is different and their aspiration different. They are mounted upon the steed of high endeavor and gallop in the arena of submission. They look to God’s Will and are free and detached from aught else. Their resolution and determination move above the realm of possibility.

My God, my God! Thou seest how the faithful are in the clutches of the faithless, and the near ones in the grasp of the transgressors. That which hath befallen them in Thy path hath not befallen any among Thy servants. Their hearts have melted in their separation from Thee, their tears have flowed in their remoteness from Thee, and their breasts are constricted by what hath come upon Thee in Thy days. I beseech Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, by Thy patience which hath preceded existence itself, both unseen and seen, and by the mysteries of Thy Manifestation and the depths of Thy knowledge, to assist Thy party amidst all parties in such wise as to make manifest their station among Thy servants and their influence in Thy lands. O Lord! Thou hearest their sighing and their cry. I implore Thee by Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things, and by Thy grace which hath encompassed all possibilities, to draw them nigh unto the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy holiness. O Lord! Illumine their eyes with the sight of the signs of Thy greatness and their hearts with the light of Thy knowledge. Alas, alas, for the fire of remoteness in Thy days and for the harm of oppression before Thy throne! By Thy might and Thy majesty, by Thy nearness and meeting with Thee, the heaven of justice hath been cleft asunder by what hath befallen Thy loved ones, and the earth of equity hath been rent by what the hands of Thy creatures have wrought - they who cast behind them Thy Book and violated Thy Covenant and Testament. By Thy Most Glorious Beauty and Thy manifestation among creatures, the sighs of Thy loved ones and the tears of them that are enamored of Thee have not ceased since they heard of Thy grief and tribulation from those who claimed to be of Thy Self and professed belief in Thy manifestation, Thy dawning, and Thy seat upon the throne of Thy utterance and the seat of Thy grace. Alas, alas! Hope lamenteth, Justice hath bared its head, and Equity crieth out saying: “O people of the earth! Fear God and say not that whereby the Divine Lote-Tree in the Most Exalted Paradise doth lament and whereby Piety hath cried out among the Concourse on high: ‘O people! By God, ye were not created to serve your passions and desires, but to serve God and His Cause, and to serve His loved ones and His party. Cast away that which preventeth you from drawing nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon, and take up that which ye have been commanded by your Creator, your Fashioner, your Maker, and your Provider.’” I testify, O my God, my Beloved, my Adored One, and my Heart’s Desire, that the oppressors have committed that which hath prevented their ears from hearing Thy call and the call of Thy chosen ones, and have done that which hath prevented their eyes from beholding the lights of Thy countenance and what Thou hast sent down in Thy days. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses and by that wherewith Thou hast illumined the faces of Thy loved ones on the day of Thy manifestation, to ordain for them the good of every world of Thy worlds and every bounty which Thou hast recorded in the Crimson Book by Thy Most Exalted Pen. Thou art He Whom the power of princes cannot weaken, nor the veils of the learned hinder. Thou doest what Thou willest through the power of Thy sovereignty and rulest through Thine authority. Verily Thou art the Ruler, the Commander, the Bountiful, the All-Generous, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Each one of you in this hour We have mentioned with such mention as hath gladdened the mentioned one in this most great sorrow. The names were not mentioned, a wisdom from Our presence - verily thy Lord is the Wise Commander. On behalf of the Wronged One make mention of all and give them the glad tidings of the favors of God, exalted be His glory. Soon shall appear that which was hidden from sight. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Seeing.

And concerning thy mention of turning toward the land of K, praise be to God, ye are confirmed in service, steadfast in constancy, adorned with the ornament of wisdom and bedecked with the pearls of love and affection. Yet observe ye wisdom, though ye have done so and continue to do so. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mention was made of the friends in Bahramabad and Hasanabad and those regions. Dehaji, upon him be Baha, in these days was present before Us, and the friends of those regions, one and all, attained the grace of Our favor, and wondrous and sublime Tablets were sent down from the heaven of God’s will, specifically for certain ones, in each word whereof lies concealed an ocean of meanings. We beseech God to aid those souls who are mentioned before the Wronged One to deliver His servants from the superstitions and idle fancies of the past and future, and to manifest from each one that which is the cause of deliverance and the means of guidance. O My loved ones in those parts! Take ye the chalices of grace and favor from the hands of My bounty, then drink therefrom that which is commanded by God, the Kind, the Gracious. Ere long, through the enkindlement of those souls, the hearts and minds of those regions shall be set ablaze, and its effects shall become manifest from all directions. The shepherd of sheep, through His grace, became the bearer of the Most Great Name, and the fisher of fish became the guardian of the divine Word. The deeds of all are remembered before God and are recorded by the Pen of grace in the Book of Justice. Well is it with My friends there, and joy be unto them! Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this exalted station. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth the way. There is none other God but Him, the Single One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

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

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

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

God knoweth that sighs are well nigh ascending and tears are falling in separation from you. The servant beareth witness that separation hath weakened him and parting hath enfeebled him. At times he reflecteth upon your presence and nearness, and at others upon your utterances and your steadfastness, which hath no equal, likeness, or parallel in all the world. The servant beseecheth the Lord of Eternity and the Sovereign of nations to unite us through His grace, to draw us near unto Him in all conditions, to shelter us in the precincts of His mercy, to bestow His favors upon us as He did at first, and to vouchsafe unto us the chalices of reunion and the cups of meeting. Verily, He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but He, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Praise be to God Who hath revealed the Mystery and the Mystery of the Mystery, and the Mystery enshrouded in Mystery, and the Mystery veiled in Mystery, whereby the Great Terror appeared among mankind and that which He desired was made manifest in less than the twinkling of an eye. He is indeed the Sovereign Whom neither the doings of the heedless nor the doubts of the mystics can frustrate. He speaketh as He spoke before creation: verily there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Blessings, peace, glory and splendor be upon the Daysprings of His Cause, the Manifestations of His Self, the Dawning-places of His wisdom, the Repositories of His knowledge, and the Recipients of His Revelation, whom neither the tempests of the divines prevented from turning unto Him, nor the storms of princes from facing toward His direction. They cast aside all else but Him and hastened in His Name to the Most Sublime Horizon, drank the choice wine of understanding from the hands of the favors of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and aided the Cause of God with their wealth and their souls, and upon those who arose to serve them, attained their presence, drank the Kawthar of their utterance, soared in the atmosphere of their love, and testified to that which their tongues had testified. I bear witness that they are honored servants who speak not until He hath spoken, and who do His bidding.

And now, O beloved of my heart, desire of my being, one who is mentioned in my heart and present before mine eyes - may my soul be a sacrifice for thy steadfastness and thy uprising! I know not whether the people recognize thee, whether they hear what thou speakest concerning the Cause of God, whether they perceive from thee the fragrance of love and affection, or whether they treat thee as they treated the Lord of the worlds. By the life of the Desired One! Were the veil to be lifted, they would circle round thee, would humble themselves in thy presence, would arise to serve thee and would carry out whatsoever they were commanded by thee. The servant beseecheth God, his Lord and the Lord of all things visible and invisible, to make known unto mankind that from which they are veiled and to guide them to that which they have neglected. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Generous. There is none other God but He, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The springtime of divine knowledge and fragrant flowers and colorful blossoms are present, yet the power of smell and perception is absent. It seemeth as though the means of knowledge, perception, reason and thought have wholly disappeared and become non-existent. Yet again, perchance the grace of God, exalted be His glory, may encompass all and, through His bounty, bring to life the dead of the earth. God willing, your efforts and influence shall cause wondrous and novel fruits to appear from the trees of being. In all circumstances and whatever may transpire, hope hath ever prevailed and still prevaileth over despair. There is hope that the glance of His loving-kindness may be directed toward the heedless. Verily, He hath power over all things and is unto His servants All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

The blessed letter of that Exalted One, written on the twelfth day of the honored month of Shawwal, bestowed infinite joy. God knoweth that rivers of delight flowed from it and the fragrance of the spirit wafted therefrom. It was read repeatedly, and after transcending the realm of ecstasy, rapture and joy, it was presented at the Most Exalted Threshold. These are the words spoken by the Beloved, mighty is His glory:

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy which hath preceded all created things, and My grace that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. We have made mention of thee in such wise that the fragrance of My loving-kindness hath been diffused throughout My lands amongst My servants. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. He loveth to make mention of thee in that which will solace thine eyes and gladden thy heart. Thy Lord is, verily, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. Associate with the people in such wise that the cawing of those who have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, may not be raised. They make mention of God by night and by day even as their forebears did before them, yet when He appeared they turned away from Him and committed that which caused the eyes of those near unto God to weep. O My Name! Do they treat thee according to their idle fancies or according to what beseemeth thy relationship to God, the One, the All-Informed? We have enjoined upon men goodly conduct and that which hath been sent down in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great. Ask thou God to aid them in this and to ordain for them through His Most Exalted Pen that which shall protect them from the hosts of the oppressors. Say: O concourse of the heedless! Come ye, that I may cause you to hear the Call that hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven, and show you the Dayspring of your Lord’s Cause, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Say: Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the Most Great Ocean. Cast away your vain imaginings and take hold of that which hath been sent down from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

O My Name! Consider how the people cling to a letter while remaining deprived of the Mother Book. In some Tablets this passage was revealed: “He hath come with what is with God, His testimony and His proof. Fear God and be not of the heedless.” Nevertheless, they have forsaken the ocean and occupy themselves with a drop. Would that even this drop were pure! One is greatly astonished at the heedlessness of the people and at what hath appeared. God willing, may the servants who are adorned with the ornament of divine love manifest perfect unity and harmony, for if they attain unto this station, its effects will swiftly appear throughout all regions. By the life of God! Should a soul conduct himself with utmost humility in His path, he will assuredly attain, both outwardly and inwardly, the highest station. O My Name! With the utmost lowliness and supplication, beseech the Self-Sufficient Lord that He may not deprive His loved ones of the light of unity, nor withhold from them that which lieth with Him. All have been created for unity and harmony. Glory be to God! Despite the divine counsels in the Holy Books and Tablets, some remain heedless and veiled. This heedlessness hath prevented the flow of bounties and blessings. Convey greetings to all the friends on behalf of the Wronged One, and with perfect kindliness impart unto them the utterance of the All-Merciful, that perchance the tree of “yea” may grow from their hearts and that which is intended may be made manifest. Verily, He speaketh the truth. Blessed are they that hear! Blessed are they that act! May the splendor that shineth from the horizon of My loving-kindness, the mercy that descendeth from the heaven of My tenderness, and the clouds of My generosity be upon thee, upon them, and upon every steadfast soul that hath turned unto Me.

Through divine grace, it is hoped that the heedless souls may attain, through your attention, that which beseemeth this blessed Day. And regarding what you wrote about arriving in Tiflis, it caused boundless joy, for praise be to God, it brought glad tidings of good health. And you mentioned Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-’Ali and his brother Jinab-i-Aqa ’Ali-Akbar, upon them be the glory of God. Praise be to God, they have attained the grace of the True One, exalted be His glory, and are confirmed in a matter from which all on earth are heedless and veiled, save whom God willeth. The grace of the True One, exalted be His glory, is evident and manifest toward Jinab-i-Haji AH, upon him be the glory of God and His grace, and his sons and those with him. God willing, may they ever be engaged in remembrance and arise to serve, and may God make what hath proceeded from them a treasure for them in heaven.

And you mentioned two believers from Sisan (’Ali and Muhammad). God willing, may they be confirmed in what God hath revealed in the Book. Coming to this land would be unwise, especially at this time when various winds are blowing. Mention of them was made in the Most Holy Court. His word, exalted be His majesty: The glance of favor hath been directed toward the people of Sisan. They must at all times be occupied with the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds. If they themselves cannot undertake teaching, they should appoint helpers. Thus hath God ordained aforetime and at this hour. We give glad tidings to him who was named ’Ali and him who was named Muhammad of God’s grace and mercy. Blessed is he who hath turned to the Countenance, and woe unto the heedless.

Today, whosoever has attained recognition and stands firm in the Cause - even if wisdom requires their physical absence - verily the reward of attaining His presence shall flow from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them. Whatever hardships they have borne in the path of Truth have not been, and shall never be, in vain. The reward of all is recorded in God’s Book. I swear by the Ocean of Utterance that for every deed there is an effect and likewise a fruit, which shall surely become manifest in the world at its appointed time. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon them and upon My loved ones in that place who have forsaken the world, clinging fast to the Most Great Name - at Whose appearance all things proclaimed: “Verily, there is no God but Him, the One, the Single, the All-Informed.”

This servant offers greetings to each one and seeks divine confirmation for all. Regarding your mention of Haji Muhammad Husayn, God willing, may he drink from the wine of steadfastness and attain that which most of mankind is deprived of. Mention of him was also made in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. Thus spoke the Tongue of Grandeur: “O My Name! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. The whole world was brought into being for this Day, yet they remain heedless of it; they were created for this cup, yet they remain deprived of it. Those who truly attain on this day are counted among the gems of existence. We, from this station, send Our greetings to Muhammad-Husayn, that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones.” Ask thou of God, exalted be His glory, to reveal the fruits of His remembrance, that all may turn with their whole being to the horizon of the All-Merciful. If thou seest him, give him My glad-tidings and remind him of that which hath been revealed in My perspicuous Book. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

You mentioned the Afnan and his companions - upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Outwardly, no news has reached us except the initial report that they had departed from the Land of Kha, though news continues to arrive from the Land of Ha. Praise be to God, they are safe. In truth, Haji Siyyid Muhammad, one of the Afnan - upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God - stands firm and is occupied in service. Though all are, praise be to God, confirmed and assisted, he shows no delay in completing his services. What you had requested by command was sent some time ago and has arrived. God, exalted be He, has confirmed him; his deed was accepted in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. How excellent and pleasing it is for him! News of the Afnan has also arrived from Hong Kong. Praise be to God, he is safe and occupied with the mention of God.

Regarding what you wrote about the trust of Aqa ’Ali Milani - upon him be the glory of God - it was a silk handkerchief specifically bestowed upon him. Praise be to God, some in those regions are enkindled. If someone knowledgeable in certain matters and familiar with the Turkish language were to proceed to those parts, it would be most beloved. However, such a person must be calm and wise, and must know with certainty that God’s Cause in this Most Great Manifestation has been characterized by kindness toward the servants, and the decree of wisdom has been revealed and sent down from the Most Exalted Pen in most Tablets. The purpose is that if a worthy person is found and proceeds to those regions, it would be acceptable in the sight of God.

Concerning what was written about Haji Mirza Jabbar, it was presented before Him, and this is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke: “Should God will, He shall guide him to His straight path and acquaint him with that from which most of the servants are veiled, and direct him to what He desires. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bestower. At all times He calls all who dwell in the realm of possibility unto Him. Blessed is he who hears and responds, and woe unto every heedless doubter.” God willing, the lights of that honored one’s sincerity will shine upon him and cause him to attain unto that which God loves.

As for what was mentioned in the petition sent to the Most Great Branch concerning Mirza Muhammad-’Ali Khan - would that you had associated with him repeatedly, for certain doubts had been instilled in him by Mirza Husayn-i-Qumi in ’Iraq. The details of the Khan’s situation are as follows: After the passing of his late father, a group desired to attain the presence [of Baha’u’llah], including the brother of the late Sipahsalar. The Ancient Beauty, solely to meet with those souls and to show kindness to Mirza Muhammad-’Ali Khan, went very early in the morning and attended the memorial gathering. The aforementioned Khan showed the utmost humility, submissiveness and gratitude. Some time later, when the Ancient Beauty had gone [to Salman], Mulla Shaykh-’Ali, who lived in Kazimayn and who had been very close friends with the father of the aforementioned Khan, made mention of Mirza Muhammad-’Ali Khan, who had apparently had a dream in those days. The mentioned Shaykh presented this before Him, and the Ancient Beauty showed favor and commanded the Shaykh to go specifically to the Khan and convey His greetings, giving him the glad tidings that, God willing, his affairs would unfold according to his desire. Similar instructions were also given to Mirza Husayn-i-Qumi, but that ignorant one apparently spoke in the name of Mirza Yahya, for in those days whenever the Ancient Beauty would speak, some would suppose He was speaking on Mirza Yahya’s behalf - whereas His Holiness knows that the words and deeds of that person were non-existent and null in the Most Holy Court. The aforementioned Khan had merely heard a name without substance, while remaining unaware and veiled from the essence of the divine Cause and wisdom. In any case, from the Khan’s statements made to the honored physician (upon him be the Glory of God) in ’Iraq, it became apparent that the Qumi individual had attributed those glad tidings to Mirza Yahya. Had there been association and had he become aware of the true matter, it would have been most praiseworthy, for in those days it was observed that he was a youth of good nature who had attained unto love, and his late father was not without love either. Should the opportunity for a meeting arise, it would be most welcome, that perchance he might remember and fear God, and become acquainted with what was recorded in the ancient scrolls.

The petition from the person from Shirvan arrived, was presented, and a response will be sent.

Thanks be to God, other conditions in this land are peaceful. All the friends, as before, are blessed with good health. The latest news is the ascension of the honored and deceased Darvish ?idq-’Ali, upon him be the glory and mercy of God. Praise be to God that he ascended in utmost sanctity, detachment and love, and he is among those souls of whom the Supreme Pen has spoken with the utmost grace and favor in his mention. Would that I had been with him to attain a mighty triumph, a great bounty, and an exalted station. The pearls of that Beloved’s shell are, as commanded, being presented and are blessed with favor, compassion, mercy and grace. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great. The glory shining from the horizon of our Lord’s favor, the Creator of the heavens, be upon you and those with you and those who love you and hear your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Praise be to God, after sealing the envelope another door opened and the blessed letter dated the 23rd of Dhi’l-Qa’dih, numbered 6, illumined the heart and bestowed true light upon the eyes. This bounty descended at a time when there was no opportunity to give thanks, as sending a petition would be delayed. Therefore it was read in great haste and afterwards the main points concerning true trustworthiness were presented before His presence. This is what the tongue of grace uttered:

“O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! Time and again mention of thee hath flowed from the Supreme Pen. All that thou didst send in the name of the servant present before the Throne–this Wronged One testifies that he sent replies to all. God willing, mayest thou ever be blessed with His grace and mention and arise to serve Him. Time is most precious and honored, while the people of the earth are in utter heedlessness. God willing, those who have drunk from the Kawthar of certitude must, united and in harmony, hold fast to that which promotes the Cause of God. Should they attain this station, the Command will be effective, the decree all-encompassing, and the Word triumphant. O My Name! Today all effort must be expended on uniting the loved ones, that perchance this mighty matter may proceed from potentiality to actuality and become the cause of the manifestation of God’s favor. Say: O friends! Fix your gaze upon the horizon of the All-Merciful and hold fast to His will. Today victory lies in unity and accord. By the life of God! The world of manifestation is veiled by lack of unity and the Cause is held back. O My Name! The Supreme Pen hath repeatedly conveyed this station and commanded His loved ones to it, but thus far no fruit thereof hath appeared. Perchance God will open their eyes and acquaint them with that which will draw them nigh unto Him. He is the Mighty, the Bestower. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon those who love thee and hear thy words purely for the sake of God, the Lord of lords.” Thus ended His words.

Thus far four letters from that Beloved One have arrived and detailed responses to each have been submitted and sent. How could there be any negligence in this matter? And this letter which has just arrived is the fifth letter sent from the land of Qaf with a number written on it. It appears number five has not yet arrived. God willing it will arrive. At present there is no more time for petitions. It is being entrusted to the true Trustee and I seek His aid in its expression. The glory shining from the horizon of grace be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who seek you and hold fast to what you possess. Praise be to God, my Beloved and your Beloved.

First of Mu?arram 1300

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=== START BH00253 ===

The City of Love. His honor Ustad ’Ali-Akbar-i-Banna, may the Glory of God be upon him. 3 Muharram 1306.

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

This is a day of separation and likewise a time of reunion, sometimes union is manifest and at times separation. Imaginary realities and frozen entities are, in themselves, clinging to ancient tales and holding fast to suspicions and vain imaginings. No trace of the Water of Life appeared in those souls, and it yielded no fruit. “And for the wrongdoers We desire nothing but loss.” A single meaningless word deprives a party from the ocean of inner meanings, for the nature of earthworms lies hidden therein. Every person of insight is bewildered as to why people cannot distinguish between the sun and its shadow. Greatness belongeth unto God! Power belongeth unto God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne!

O beloved of my heart! Thy letter was received and the fragrance of musk was diffused therefrom, for it was adorned with the mention of the Goal of the world’s peoples and embellished with remembrances of His loved ones. After reading and reviewing it, it was taken to the Most Exalted Horizon and presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings, attaining the honor of His listening ear. At that moment the Tongue of Grandeur spoke verses whose fragrance perfumed the world and whose light of utterance illumined all possibility. Allah is Most Great! How lofty is the Cause and at what level are the claimants! In any case, after the appearance of the effulgences of the Orb of favors and grace, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these verses, blessed and exalted be His words:

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

O thou who art mentioned in My presence! Great is the Cause and great is the Day. We beseech God to aid all to do that which beseemeth His Day. At every moment there hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance that which no ear hath ever heard the like of, and there hath appeared that which no eye hath ever seen the like of. O ’Ali-Qabli-Akbar! At every moment precious pearls appear from the treasury of the Pen of the Lord of the Day of Judgment, but those who can distinguish are missing and unseen. Croaking and hypocrisy have deprived the horizons of the light of unity. The manifestations of negation have, in the name of affirmation, prevented the world from the lights of the Sun of true oneness. The condition of the servants is evident - for years they have drunk from the cup of vain imaginings and have reached maturity at the breast of idle fancies. Assuredly they were not and are not worthy to draw near to the Most Great Ocean. They are familiar with buzzing and flee from the cooing of the doves of the supreme Paradise.

My God, my God! I testify that Thy Most Great Name hath illumined all created things with the lights of its utterance. I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy clear signs, and by Thy power that hath encompassed existence both seen and unseen, to aid Thy servants to justice and fairness and to hearkening unto what Thou hast sent down from the kingdom of Thy grace and the dominion of Thy utterance. O Lord! This is a day that hath preceded all centuries and ages, wherein the ocean of Thy bounty hath surged and the fragrances of Thy mercy have wafted. Disappoint not Thy servants through Thy generosity and munificence. Verily Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Praise be to God! The bounty of the True One, exalted be His glory, toward that spiritual friend is evident and manifest. At this time, being Sunday the third of Muharram al-Haram, the letter of that spiritual friend was honored to be heard in the Most Holy Court, and this response was immediately revealed from the Most Exalted Horizon. All atoms testify to His grace and all created things bear witness to His favor. The opposers and hypocrites have clung to calumnies at which the world of justice stands bewildered. That which was revealed from the Supreme Pen they have falsely attributed to others. The Kitab-i-Iqan, which was specifically revealed for His Holiness the Afnan, the honored Uncle, upon him be all the most glorious Glory, and wherein the journey and migration of the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His glory, is mentioned, they have denied - while equivalent to all the heavenly books from the Bayan and before it, nay rather more, exists. Nevertheless, they have said that which no deceiver has uttered. The verses themselves testify to their distinction, and according to the words of the Primal Point Himself, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake, Who declares that all the Bayan cannot equal one of His verses. However, O My loved one, it requires a true champion and a spiritual lion to grasp this blessed verse and to behold all else but God as non-existent. The misleader Dowlat-Abadi, who is known by the name of Hadi, has raised the standard of hypocrisy and has newly intended to build a second Jabulqa and Jabulsa. May the True One, exalted be His glory, protect the helpless servants. Verily, He has power over all things. This evanescent servant and that spiritual friend must supplicate the True One day and night not to allow these poor ones to be afflicted anew with the well of vain imaginings. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. The names mentioned in the letter of that spiritual friend were presented before the face of the Lord of Eternity, and specifically for each one was revealed that which speaks of God’s grace, bounty and mercy […]

O Ali! The clamorous ones are repeating words of old, clinging anew to names while remaining deprived and forbidden from their Creator and Originator. Glory be to God! The Cause is more manifest than the sun, and its call more exalted than ocean waves and the whistling of winds. Yet eyes are seen to be deprived and ears forbidden. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and taken up the cup before the faces of all peoples, drinking in the name of the Lord of all beings, to the dismay of those who have denied the Source and the Return. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath held fast to My strong cord and My mighty announcement.

This was revealed for Asadu’llah-i-Mamaqani, upon him be the glory of God.

He is the Manifest and He is the Hidden.

O Asadu’llah! The opposers of the Cause are seen to be more lost than the previous faction. Say: O opposers! He was sleeping when the hands of grace and favor awakened Him, He was seated when the Will of God, the Lord of Lords, caused Him to arise, and He was silent when He was made to speak that which drew to Him the people of the cities of wisdom and utterance. What hath appeared is not from Him but from God, the Lord of all worlds. Fear God, O people, and oppose Him not, neither deny Him Whom they mention day and night. Return unto your Lord, verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.

This was revealed for Hasan-i-Mamaqani, upon him be the glory of God.

He is the One warbling upon the branches.

O Hasan! Blessed is the soul that hath today attained unto the Word of God. The idolaters have slipped from the path and have failed to perceive the fragrance of revelation wafting in the divine days. They are deprived of true knowledge and forbidden from the effulgences of the Sun of divine oneness. All the souls mentioned should read what hath been revealed in these Tablets from the Supreme Pen and partake of the Kawthar of the most great bounty that lieth hidden within the words of the Ancient of Days. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the traces of My Pen, and blessed is he who hath heard My call and acted according to that which hath been revealed in My mighty Book.

This was revealed for Mulla Abdu’l-Majid-i-Nayshaburi, upon him be the glory of God.

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger

O Abdu’l-Majid! What oppression could be greater than this: that He sheltered a soul for years beneath the canopies of grandeur, such that not a single blow touched him in this Cause, and then, through the enticement of a vile one, he heedlessly arose against the Wronged One. And when his inner thoughts were revealed, this Wronged One chose another house and departed, while he and his children and dependents remained safe and sound, and still live. Yet heedless souls have uttered that which no ear hath heard, attributing injustice to the Dayspring of Justice and the Dawning-place of fairness. Without His presence they slew the Dayyan and called Him the source of all evil, and committed that which caused the Most Exalted Paradise to wail and lament. It seems as though modesty and shame were never created in such heedless souls. O Pen! Leave mention of this and say: O Abdu’l-Majid! Hear the call from the Most Exalted Horizon and arise to serve the Cause of thy Lord. He will verily assist thee through His command, and He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Purify the people with the water flowing from the Most Exalted Pen, and remind them of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My will and the atmosphere of My desire. Verily thy Lord is He Who dominates what was and what will be. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and oppose not Him through Whom ye were promised in the Books of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Be fair in God’s Cause and His manifestation, and be not of those who witness the clear proofs yet turn away from them, who hear the verses yet deny them. If ye oppose Him Who hath appeared with the truth, by what proof can ye establish that which ye possess? Fear God and be not of those who pronounce judgment against God, the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken from His praiseworthy station. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed the wine of revelation from this preserved chalice and this sealed vessel.

This was revealed for His Honour Mirza Muhammad of Shahrud, upon him be the Glory of God:

He Who gazeth from the Most Exalted Horizon

O Muhammad! This Wronged One, in the nights and days and in all conditions, summoned the people to the Self-Subsisting Lord. And when the Cause became manifest and We chose not concealment and flight, We were repeatedly cast into prison, sometimes with chains and fetters and sometimes without. And in the land of Mim befell what tongue and utterance are powerless to describe. The point is that no abasement or tribulation prevented this Wronged One from proclaiming the Cause. And when the sun of the Cause had somewhat risen, the idolaters emerged from their hiding places and made for this station. The knowledge is with God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Ask of God to grant fairness and bestow steadfastness, that they may not be deprived of the Known through the unknown, nor be barred from that which is with God through that which is with them. But this matter is very difficult, for the hearts of the servants are inclined and attached to vain imaginings. For thirteen hundred years they waited, and when their Goal appeared they pronounced death sentence upon Him. From pulpits in mosques they prided themselves in mentioning the Successor, while they slew His Creator and know it not. Take heed and be of the discerning. O Muhammad! Praise be to God, thou hast heard the Call. Now steadfastness is needed. The Cause is in the hands of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

This was revealed for His Honour Haji Muhammad of Khidr, upon him be the Glory of God:

He Who is established upon the throne of utterance […]

O Muhammad! Ahmad was a Guide to the Path and Bearer of Proof, yet they denied him and chose rejection over acceptance, complaint over thanksgiving. At last the command of emigration was revealed, and after that the command of the sword appeared. The water of the sword cleansed the dust of the world and adorned the face of the earth. This caused rejection to be transformed into acceptance, and denial into acknowledgment. In this Most Great Revelation these matters have been lifted - victory hath been ordained through deeds and character, and through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. This is from God’s way in this Revelation, and thou shalt find no change or alteration in His way. That soul must, with complete steadfastness, assist the Cause through the hosts of divine character on this Day of Separation. We beseech God to confirm thee and enable thee to achieve that which will exalt His Word.

This was revealed for Muhammad Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the Manifest, the Speaking One

O Husayn! This Wronged One is afflicted in the hands of enemies. All the peoples of the world are seen to be in opposition, and the people of the Bayan have joined them, although We have spoken naught save that which God hath willed, and through the scratching of the Most Exalted Pen have summoned all to the Most Glorious Horizon. The fault of this Wronged One hath been the revelation of verses, the manifestation of proofs, and the vindication of the Cause. We beseech God that He withhold not eyes from beholding and deliver them from the ophthalmia of vain imaginings. He is the Almighty, He is the Powerful. Glory be to God! They seek to prove the Cause through a drop while remaining heedless of the ocean, clinging to a leaf while deprived of the Tree. Blessed art thou for having turned towards Him when most people turned away, and for having acknowledged Him when those who disbelieved in God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, denied Him.

This was revealed for Muhammad Karim, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the Sanctified from all Names

O Karim! Say: My God, my God! Disappoint me not of the wonders of Thy mercy, the manifestations of Thy grace and the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou seest the poor one turning wholly unto Thee, seeking from Thee steadfastness in Thy Most Great Announcement whereby the hearts of the nations were struck with consternation. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, circling round Thy Will, and desiring that which Thy Will hath desired in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest the servants mired in the clay of doubts and idle fancies. Take their hands with the hands of Thy power and deliver them from that which beseemeth not Thee and Thy days. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth, Whom no earthly might nor the ascendancy of the nations can frustrate. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Thou art the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

This was revealed for Abdul-Rahim, upon him be the Glory of God:

He is the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful

O Abdul-Rahim! Praise be to God, thou hast heard and attained unto that for which thou wast created, and thy tongue hath been enabled to confess that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken. The sealed wine is the utterance of the Self-Subsisting Lord, and the proof of His Revelation and His arising before the faces of the peoples. Beseech God that He deprive not His servants. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink of Thy Sealed Wine from the hand of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy Revelation, Thy arising, Thy sitting, Thy remembrance, Thy speech and Thy silence, to make me steadfast in the service of Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

A hundred thousand thanks unto the Desired One of all worlds Who hath revealed for each of the aforementioned names that which its fragrance hath encompassed the worlds of the seen and unseen. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One, exalted be His glory, to graciously aid them to hearken unto that which hath been revealed, and likewise to strengthen them that they may quaff from the Kawthar of utterance that lieth concealed and treasured within the words. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

At this moment the Tongue of Grandeur hath turned toward the ultimate goal, speaking these sublime words, glorified be His utterance: O ’Ali-Akbar! The purpose of this Wronged One in bearing tribulations and trials, and revealing verses and manifesting evidences throughout the days and nights, was that the fire of malice and hatred which blazeth in the hearts of the various factions due to their differences might be quenched by the Kawthar of divine counsel. However, souls who were thought to be helpers of the Cause arose in opposition, among them Yahya. God is My witness, and earth and heaven bear testimony, that I reared and protected him through the nights and days. At last, through the temptation of a certain soul, he appeared as a serpent. When he found no opportunity and what lay in his heart was exposed, he resorted to deception and guile. He is like unto a viper that both biteth and gloweth. Deluded souls who are in truth unworthy of mention have clung to him. Would that they had turned to one like unto themselves. The deluded ones have taken him as their lord besides God, and they perceive it not this day. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon the names whose mention was sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s will, the True One, the Faithful.

Glory be to God! The affairs of the deceivers and transgressors flow in improper channels. All the people of the Bayan know and bear witness that this servant was present in Iraq from the earliest days and is aware and informed of all that transpired. None of the transgressors hath questioned this servant that what hath come to pass might be conveyed to him, though assuredly the fragrance of the word of truth is distinguishable from aught else. They have forsaken this servant and hearken to and accept whatever may be said by those who were not with the Truth and are unaware of this Cause. In this state I grasp the hem of the All-Possessing with hands of lowliness and supplication, saying: My God, my Beloved, my Adored One, my Master! I beseech Thee by Thy generosity, whereby Thou hast favored all created things and revealed unto them that which draweth them nigh unto Thee, to aid Thy servants to act with justice and fairness. O my Lord! Withhold them not from acknowledging Thee and Thy signs. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayers.

Mention thou all the loved ones in that land as bidden, quaff from the choice wine of the utterance of the Desired One of the worlds, and be free and detached from aught else. All have been and are within sight, and likewise this servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid each one to mention Him, praise Him, and serve His Cause. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you, upon those with you, upon those whose names thou didst mention, and upon every upright servant. And praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

=== END BH00253 ===

=== START BH00254 ===

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

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

O Mim! Hear the call of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He mentioned thee before with verses that enraptured the Concourse on High, and He mentions thee with clear signs which, when revealed, caused all things to proclaim: “The kingdom belongs to God, Creator of earth and heaven, Lord of the Throne and of the dust!” Thy letter reached the Wronged One and attained the honor of His presence and hearing. We have answered thee with a Tablet that called all beings to God, the Dayspring of Lights. There hath come upon thee what came upon Us. Thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before thy face the door of grace and bounty and draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. The verses have encompassed all regions while the people remain heedless and in error.

[…]

The All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting

We counsel thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto Him and will elevate the station of the Word amongst His servants. Verily thy Lord is the Knower of the unseen and the visible.

O Muhammad-Rida! Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning towards Thee and voicing Thy praise amidst Thy servants. I beseech Thee by the cry of Thy lovers in their separation from Thee, and by the yearning of those who long for Thee in Thy days, to make me wholly detached from all else save Thee and to hold fast to the cord of Thy grace. I testify that by the movement of Thy Pen all created things have turned towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and all contingent beings unto the precincts of Thy nearness. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

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

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

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

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

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

O Ja’far! The Lord of Power is in grievous peril. He hath ever been in peril, inasmuch as He hath appeared and been manifest before all faces without any veil or concealment. Say: My God, my God! Adorn Thy servants with the ornament of justice that they may behold […]

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

O servant! The Day of Judgment hath appeared and the effulgences of the Sun of Bounty are manifest, yet the people are in grievous error. They have cast aside that which they were commanded and have taken that which was forbidden them. Verily they are among the lost ones in the Perspicuous Book. When thou findest the fragrance of the garment in My words, say: “My God, my God! I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and hast sent down upon Thy loved ones who were not prevented by life from drawing nigh unto Thee, nor by the oppression of the servants from turning to the light of Thy countenance. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Giving, the Powerful.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O Abu’l-Qasim! The Wronged One calls thee and counsels thee and those who have believed in His Cause which God has made the Dawning Place of tranquility for all the world and the Dayspring of loving-kindness unto humankind. Through it God has revealed the station of every faithful servant and every sinful betrayer. When thou findest the fragrance of My utterance, say: “Praise be to Thee, O my Lord and my Sovereign, for having remembered me while I was in the hands of those who were heedless of Thy Cause and turned away from that for which they were created in Thy days. Verily Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, the Concealer, the Mighty, the Great.”

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

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

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

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

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

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Muhammad-’Ali. We have mentioned Our loved ones before and after, and commanded them to do what is right and forbidden them what is wrong, and We are the Counselor, the All-Knowing. O Muhammad-’Ali! When thou attainest unto My traces and hearest My call, say: “My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me while I was among the heedless ones. I beseech Thee to make me successful in all conditions to hold fast unto Thy Strong Cord. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

We desire to make mention of him who is named Mirza Khan that the utterance may attract him and draw him nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: “Praise be to Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and adorned my temple with the ornament of humility at the dawning of the Day-Star of Thy Manifestation. I beseech Thee to give me to drink, from the cup of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy utterance. Verily Thou hast power over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.”

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

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

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

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

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

[…]

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

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

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance that hath turned toward the lights of the Throne and who art occupied with remembrance and praise during the days of God, the Lord of all mankind! Thy letter hath attained unto Our presence, and We have made mention, time and again, of those servants who have hearkened and responded to their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to each one and illumine them with the effulgent lights of the Sun of divine utterance. His honour Salman, upon him be My glory, arrived and dwelt for some time beneath the shade. When the allotted time of his sojourn came to an end, the command to return was issued from the Dayspring of divine Will, and We sent with him that which shall assist My friends, My trusted ones and My chosen ones who have remained faithful to the Covenant and Testament. The friends must conduct themselves with wisdom. Wisdom consisteth in that which causeth the people to draw nigh unto God, not that which giveth rise to opposition and flight. Verily thy Lord is the All-Wise, the One Who chooseth as He pleaseth. The glory shining from the heaven of My tender mercies be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, and We hear thy words concerning this Most Great Announcement.

=== END BH00254 ===