Title: The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh
Author: Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
Language: English
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The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh


by Bahá’u’lláh



Edition 1, (November 2, 2005)



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                                 CONTENTS


Baha’i Terms of Use
Introduction
SUMMONS TO THE KINGS AND RULERS OF THE WORLD COLLECTIVELY
   O KINGS of the earth! He Who is the sovereign...
   O KINGS of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice of God,...
   O KINGS of the earth! We see you increasing every year...
   THE one true God, exalted be His glory, hath ever regarded,...
   NAPOLEON III
   CZAR ALEXANDER II
   QUEEN VICTORIA
   KAISER WILHELM I
   EMPEROR FRANCIS JOSEPH
   SULTÁN ‘ABDU’L-‘AZÍZ
   NÁSIRI’D-DÍN SHÁH
   THE RULERS OF AMERICA
   THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLES IN EVERY LAND
SUMMONS TO THE WORLD’S RELIGIOUS LEADERS COLLECTIVELY
   O LEADERS of religion! Weigh not the Book of...
   O CONCOURSE of divines! When My verses were sent...
   HOW long will ye, O concourse of divines, level the...
   O CONCOURSE of divines! Can any one of you race with...
   WHEN We observed carefully, We discovered that Our...
   O YE the dawning-places of knowledge! Beware that ye...
   THOSE divines ... who are truly adorned with the ornament...
   THE divine whose conduct is upright, and the sage who...
   THE divine who hath seized and quaffed the most holy...
   GREAT is the blessedness of that divine that hath not...
   O CONCOURSE of divines! Ye shall not henceforth behold...
   POPE PIUS IX
THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF VARIOUS FAITHS
   At one time We address the people of the Torah and summon...
   CALL out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the...
   THE Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty...
   THE Breath hath been wafted, and the Breeze hath...
   LEND an ear unto the song of David. He saith: ‘Who will...
   O CONCOURSE of Christians! We have, on a previous...
   WE, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne...
   O CONCOURSE of patriarchs! He Whom ye were promised...
   O CONCOURSE of archbishops! He Who is the Lord of...
   O CONCOURSE of bishops! Trembling hath seized all the...
   O CONCOURSE of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven...
   O CONCOURSE of priests! Leave the bells, and come...
   O CONCOURSE of priests! The Day of Reckoning hath...
   O CONCOURSE of monks! Seclude not yourselves in...
   O CONCOURSE of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I...
   CONSIDER, likewise, how numerous at this time are the...
   READ ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the...
   PERUSED ye not the Qur’án? Read it, that haply ye may...
   BY Him Who is the Great Announcement! The All-Merciful...
   O CONCOURSE of Persian divines! In My name ye have...
   O YE divines of the City! We came to you with the...
   BECAUSE of you the Apostle (Muḥammad) lamented,...
   OF all the peoples of the world, they that have suffered...
   IN this day the world is redolent with the fragrances of the...
   O CONCOURSE of divines!... Lay aside that which ye...
   O HIGH priests! Ears have been given you that they may...
   WHATSOEVER hath been announced in the Books hath...
   THIS is not the day whereon the high priests can command...
   O HIGH priests! The Hand of Omnipotence is stretched...
THE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MANKIND
   THE time fore-ordained unto the peoples and...
   VERILY I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold...
   O YE children of men! The fundamental purpose animating...
   O CONTENDING peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set...
   THE Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of...
   THE All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the...
   O PEOPLES of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My...
   THE world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the...
   O YE peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My...
   THIS is the Day in which God’s most excellent favours...



INTRODUCTION


_We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet
they deem Us a stirrer up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and
banishment.... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as
brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men
should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and
differences of race be annulled—what harm is there in this?... Yet so it
shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and
the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come.... Yet do We see your kings and rulers
lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the
human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of
mankind.... These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and
all men be as one kindred and one family.... Let not a man glory in this,
that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his
kind...._

One hundred years ago, Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith,
proclaimed in clear and unmistakable language, to the kings and rulers of
the world, to its religious leaders, and to mankind in general that the
long-promised age of world peace and brotherhood had at last dawned and
that He Himself was the Bearer of the new message and power from God which
would transform the prevailing system of antagonism and enmity between men
and create the spirit and form of the destined world order.

At that time the splendour and panoply of the monarchs reflected the vast
power which they exercised, autocratically for the most part, over the
greater portion of the earth. Bahá’u’lláh, an exile from His native Persia
for His religious teaching, was the prisoner of the tyrannical,
all-powerful Sulṭán of the Ottoman Empire. In such circumstances He
addressed the rulers of the world. His Tablets to particular kings and to
the Pope, although delivered, were either ignored or rejected, their wise
counsels and dire warnings went unheeded, and in one instance the bearer
was cruelly tortured and killed.

Bahá’u’lláh, viewing that old world and seeing it ‘at the mercy of rulers
so drunk with pride that they cannot discern clearly their own best
advantage’ declared that ‘...the strife that divides and afflicts the
human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and
chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be
lamentably defective.’ Although painting in sombre tones the ‘divine
chastisement’ which would assail most of those rulers and engulf in ruin
the peoples of the world, He nevertheless left no doubt about the outcome.
‘Soon’, He declared, ‘will the present day order be rolled up and a new
one spread out in its stead.’ Since the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892,
in the Holy Land, the rolling up of the old order has become the daily
experience of mankind and no abatement of this process is discernible. The
essence of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order is the unity of the human race. ‘O ye
children of men’, He writes, ‘the fundamental purpose animating the Faith
of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the
unity of the human race...’ And He warns, ‘The well-being of mankind, its
peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly
established.’ The achievement of this unity is Bahá’u’lláh’s declared
mission and the aim of all Bahá’í activity. Its outline and structure are
indicated in the following passage from the writings of Shoghi Effendi,
great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh and Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith:


    The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies
    the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations,
    races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and
    in which the autonomy of its state members and personal freedom
    and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely
    and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we
    can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members
    will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control
    the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact
    such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the
    needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A
    world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out
    the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this
    world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the
    whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver
    its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may
    arise between the various elements constituting this universal
    system. A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised,
    embracing the whole planet, freed from national hinderances and
    restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and
    perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve
    centre of a world civilization, the focus towards which the
    unifying forces of life will converge and from which its
    energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either
    be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will
    be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an
    auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world
    literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights
    and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and
    understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a
    world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in
    human life, will be reconciled, will co-operate, and will
    harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while
    giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and
    convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by
    vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated
    from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The
    economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of
    raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will
    be co-ordinated and developed, and the distribution of its
    products will be equitably regulated.

    National rivalries, hatreds and intrigues will cease, and racial
    animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity,
    understanding and co-operation. The causes of religious strife
    will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions
    will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction
    between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand,
    and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear.
    The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic
    or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the
    range of human inventions and technical development, to the
    increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of
    disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising
    of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and
    refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused
    and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of
    human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can
    stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the
    entire human race.

    A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising
    unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources,
    blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West,
    liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the
    exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface
    of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of
    Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of
    one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation—such is the
    goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of
    life, is moving.


Bahá’u’lláh’s message is one of hope, of love, of practical
reconstruction. Today we reap the appalling results of our forebears’
rejection of His divine call; but today there are new rulers, new people,
who perchance may hear and avoid or mitigate the severity of impending
catastrophe. It is with this hope and believing it to be its sacred duty,
that the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of
the Bahá’í Faith, proclaims again, through publication of these selected
passages, the essence of that mighty call of a century ago. In the same
hope and belief the Bahá’ís throughout the world will do their utmost
during this centenary period to bring to the attention of their fellow-men
the redeeming fact of this new outpouring of divine guidance and love. We
believe they will not labour in vain.

Haifa, 1967



SUMMONS TO THE KINGS AND RULERS OF THE WORLD COLLECTIVELY



“O KINGS of the earth! He Who is the sovereign...”


O KINGS of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The
Kingdom is God’s, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship
none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord,
the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess
can never be compared, could ye but know it. We see you rejoicing in that
which ye have amassed for others, and shutting out yourselves from the
worlds which naught except My Guarded Tablet can reckon. The treasures ye
have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective. This
ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it. Wash your hearts from all
earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the
Creator of earth and heaven, Who caused the world to tremble, and all its
peoples to wail, except them that have renounced all things and clung to
that which the Hidden Tablet hath ordained....

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

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

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

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

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



“O KINGS of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice of God,...”


O KINGS of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice of God, calling from this
sublime, this fruit-laden Tree, that hath sprung out of the Crimson Hill,
upon the holy Plain, intoning the words: ‘There is none other God but He,
the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.’... Fear God, O concourse of
kings, and suffer not yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime
grace. Fling away, then, the things ye possess, and take fast hold on the
Handle of God, the Exalted, the Great. Set your hearts towards the Face of
God, and abandon that which your desires have bidden you to follow, and be
not of those who perish. Relate unto them, O Servant, the story of ‘Alí
(the Báb), when He came unto them with truth, bearing His glorious and
weighty Book, and holding in His hands a testimony and proof from God, and
holy and blessed tokens from Him. Ye, however, O Kings, have failed to
heed the Remembrance of God in His days and to be guided by the lights
which arose and shone forth above the horizon of a resplendent Heaven. Ye
examined not His Cause when so to do would have been better for you than
all that the sun shineth upon, could ye but perceive it. Ye remained
careless until the divines of Persia—those cruel ones—pronounced judgment
against Him, and unjustly slew Him. His spirit ascended unto God, and the
eyes of the inmates of Paradise and the angels that are nigh unto Him wept
sore by reason of this cruelty. Beware that ye be not careless henceforth
as ye have been careless aforetime. Return, then, unto God, your Maker,
and be not of the heedless.... My face hath come forth from the veils, and
shed its radiance upon all that is in heaven and on earth; and yet, ye
turned not towards Him, notwithstanding that ye were created for Him, O
concourse of kings! Follow, therefore, that which I speak unto you, and
hearken unto it with your hearts, and be not of such as have turned aside.
For your glory consisteth not in your sovereignty, but rather in your
nearness unto God and your observance of His command as sent down in His
holy and preserved Tablets. Should any one of you rule over the whole
earth, and over all that lieth within it and upon it, its seas, its lands,
its mountains, and its plains, and yet be not remembered by God, all these
would profit him not, could ye but know it.... Arise, then, and make
steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you,
and set then yourselves towards His holy Court, on the shore of His mighty
Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom, which God hath stored
up within the shell of His radiant heart, may be revealed unto you....
Beware lest ye hinder the breeze of God from blowing over your hearts, the
breeze through which the hearts of such as have turned unto Him can be
quickened....

Beware not to deal unjustly with any one that appealeth to you, and
entereth beneath your shadow. Walk ye in the fear of God, and be ye of
them that lead a godly life. Rest not on your power, your armies, and
treasures. Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created
you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succour cometh from Him
alone. He succoureth whom He willeth with the hosts of the heavens and of
the earth.

Know ye that the poor are the trust of God in your midst. Watch that ye
betray not His trust, that ye deal not unjustly with them and that ye walk
not in the ways of the treacherous. Ye will most certainly be called upon
to answer for His trust on the day when the Balance of Justice shall be
set, the day when unto every one shall be rendered his due, when the
doings of all men, be they rich or poor, shall be weighed.

If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal
language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall
assail you from every direction, and the sentence of His justice shall be
pronounced against you. On that day ye shall have no power to resist Him,
and shall recognize your own impotence. Have mercy on yourselves and on
those beneath you, and judge ye between them according to the precepts
prescribed by God in His most holy and exalted Tablet, a Tablet wherein He
hath assigned to each and every thing its settled measure, in which He
hath given, with distinctness, an explanation of all things, and which is
in itself a monition unto them that believe in Him.

Examine Our Cause, inquire into the things that have befallen Us, and
decide justly between Us and Our enemies, and be ye of them that act
equitably towards their neighbours. If ye stay not the hand of the
oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of the down-trodden, what
right have ye then to vaunt yourselves among men? What is it of which ye
can rightly boast? Is it on your food and your drink that ye pride
yourselves, on the riches ye lay up in your treasuries, on the diversity
and the cost of the ornaments with which ye deck yourselves? If true glory
were to consist in the possession of such perishable things, then the
earth on which ye walk must needs vaunt itself over you, because it
supplieth you, and bestoweth upon you, these very things, by the decree of
the Almighty. In its bowels are contained, according to what God hath
ordained, all that ye possess. From it, as a sign of His mercy, ye derive
your riches. Behold then your state, the thing in which ye glory! Would
that ye could perceive it! Nay, By Him Who holdeth in His grasp the
kingdom of the entire creation! Nowhere doth your true and abiding glory
reside except in your firm adherence unto the precepts of God, your
wholehearted observance of His laws, your resolution to see that they do
not remain unenforced, and to pursue steadfastly the right course....

Twenty years have passed, O Kings, during which We have, each day, tasted
the agony of a fresh tribulation. No one of them that were before Us hath
endured the things We have endured. Would that ye could perceive it! They
that rose up against Us, have put Us to death, have shed Our blood, have
plundered Our property, and violated Our honour. Though aware of most of
Our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the
aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the
oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense
of justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind?

God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of the
people, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights of
the down-trodden, and punish the wrong-doers. If ye neglect the duty
prescribed unto you by God in His Book, your names shall be numbered with
those of the unjust in His sight. Grievous, indeed, will be your error.
Cleave ye to that which your imaginations have devised, and cast behind
your backs the commandments of God, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible,
the All-Compelling, the Almighty? Cast away the things ye possess, and
cling to that which God hath bidden you observe. Seek ye His grace, for he
that seeketh it treadeth His straight Path....

The day is approaching when God will have exalted His Cause and magnified
His testimony in the eyes of all who are in the heavens and all who are on
the earth. Place, in all circumstances, Thy whole trust in Thy Lord, and
fix Thy gaze upon Him, and turn away from all them that repudiate His
truth. Let God, Thy Lord, be Thy sufficing Succourer and Helper. We have
pledged Ourself to secure Thy triumph upon earth and to exalt Our Cause
above all men, though no king be found who would turn his face towards
Thee.



“O KINGS of the earth! We see you increasing every year...”


O KINGS of the earth! We see you increasing every year your expenditures,
and laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is wholly
and grossly unjust. Fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged One, and lay
not excessive burdens on your peoples. Do not rob them to rear palaces for
yourselves; nay rather choose for them that which ye choose for
yourselves. Thus We unfold to your eyes that which profiteth you, if ye
but perceive. Your people are your treasures. Beware lest your rule
violate the commandments of God, and ye deliver your wards to the hands of
the robber. By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their aid ye
conquer. Yet, how disdainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how very
strange!

Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this, the
Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own condition
and that of your dependents.

O Rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no
more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and
dominions. Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the
Faithful.

Be united, O Kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of discord
be stilled amongst you, and your people find rest, if ye be of them that
comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against another, rise ye
all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice.



“THE one true God, exalted be His glory, hath ever regarded,...”


THE one true God, exalted be His glory, hath ever regarded, and will
continue to regard, the hearts of men as His own, His exclusive
possession. All else, whether pertaining to land or sea, whether riches or
glory, He hath bequeathed unto the kings and rulers of the earth. From the
beginning that hath no beginning the ensign proclaiming the words ‘He
doeth whatsoever He willeth’ hath been unfurled in all its splendour
before His Manifestation. What mankind needeth in this day is obedience
unto them that are in authority, and a faithful adherence to the cord of
wisdom. The instruments which are essential to the immediate protection,
the security and assurance of the human race have been entrusted to the
hands, and lie in the grasp, of the governors of human society. This is
the wish of God and His decree.... We cherish the hope that one of the
kings of the earth will, for the sake of God, arise for the triumph of
this wronged, this oppressed people. Such a king will be eternally
extolled and glorified. God hath prescribed unto this people the duty of
aiding whosoever will aid them, of serving his best interests, and of
demonstrating to him their abiding loyalty. They who follow Me must
strive, under all circumstances, to promote the welfare of whosoever will
arise for the triumph of My Cause, and must at all times prove their
devotion and fidelity unto him. Happy is the man that hearkeneth and
observeth My counsel. Woe unto him that faileth to fulfil My wish.



NAPOLEON III


O KING of Paris! Tell the priest to ring the bells no longer. By God, the
True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the
Most Great Name, and the fingers of the will of Thy Lord, the Most
Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality, in His
name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been again
sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator
of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have
mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of
irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as God, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise, was pleased to spare. Say: He Who is the Unconditioned is
come, in the clouds of light, that He may quicken all created things with
the breeze of His Name, the Most Merciful, and unify the world, and gather
all men around this Table which hath been sent down from heaven. Beware
that ye deny not the favour of God after it hath been sent down unto you.
Better is this for you than that which ye possess; for that which is yours
perisheth, whilst that which is with God endureth. He, in truth, ordaineth
what He pleaseth. Verily, the breezes of forgiveness have been wafted from
the direction of your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso turneth thereunto,
shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and sickness. Happy the man
that hath turned towards them, and woe betide him that hath turned aside.

Wert thou to incline thine inner ear unto all created things, thou wouldst
hear: ‘The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory!’ Everything
celebrateth the praise of its Lord. Some have known God and remember Him;
others remember Him, yet know Him not. Thus have We set down Our decree in
a perspicuous Tablet.

Give ear, O King, unto the Voice that calleth from the Fire which burneth
in this verdant Tree, on this Sinai which hath been raised above the
hallowed and snow-white Spot, beyond the Everlasting City: ‘Verily, there
is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful!’ We, in
truth, have sent Him Whom We aided with the Holy Spirit (Jesus Christ)
that He may announce unto you this Light that hath shone forth from the
horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and
Whose signs have been revealed in the West. Set your faces towards Him
(Bahá’u’lláh) on this Day which God hath exalted above all other days, and
whereon the All-Merciful hath shed the splendour of His effulgent glory
upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Arise thou to serve
God and help His Cause. He, verily, will assist thee with the hosts of the
seen and unseen, and will set thee king over all that whereon the sun
riseth. Thy Lord, in truth, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed over all created things;
happy the man that hath discovered their fragrance, and set himself
towards them with a sound heart. Attire thy temple with the ornament of My
Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for
Me, the Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee naught except
that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the
treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all.
Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say: ‘O ye peoples of the
earth! Turn yourselves towards Him Who hath turned towards you. He,
verily, is the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide
unto you. He hath come to you with signs which none can produce.’ The
voice of the Burning Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world, and
the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations: ‘Lo, the Desired One is
come with manifest dominion!’

O King! The stars of the heaven of knowledge have fallen, they who seek to
establish the truth of My Cause through the things they possess, and who
make mention of God in My Name. And yet, when I came unto them in My
glory, they turned aside. They, indeed, are of the fallen. This is, truly,
that which the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ) hath announced, when He came
with truth unto you, He with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at
last they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to lament, and the
tears of them that have near access to God to flow....

O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of
Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war (Crimean War). Thy
Lord, verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say: ‘I lay asleep
upon my couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the
Black Sea, wakened me.’ This is what we heard thee say, and, verily, thy
Lord is witness unto what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee
was not their cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for We tested
thee, and found thee wanting. Comprehend the meaning of My words, and be
thou of the discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words of
condemnation, out of regard for the dignity We conferred upon thee in this
mortal life. We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark
of such as are nigh unto Him. Courtesy, is, in truth, a raiment which
fitteth all men, whether young or old. Well is it with him that adorneth
his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great
bounty. Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast
behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is
the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee
other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that
which escaped thee. Ere long the world and all that thou possessest will
perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy
fathers of old. It behoveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to
the dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and
shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.

For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and
thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which
thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred.
Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to
help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ)
in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It
shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast
by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art
of the heedless. It behoveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from
the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out:
‘Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!’

O King! We were in ‘Iráq, when the hour of parting arrived. At the bidding
of the King of Islám (Sulṭán of Turkey) We set Our steps in his direction.
Upon Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the malicious that which
the books of the world can never adequately recount. Thereupon the inmates
of Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats of holiness,
lamented; and yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil!...

More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour,
until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring
injustice, enter the Most Great Prison....

Know of a truth that your subjects are God’s trust amongst you. Watch ye,
therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye
allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit
to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate. Arise thou, in
My name, above the horizon of renunciation, and set, then, thy face
towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy Lord, the Lord of strength and
of might.

Adorn the body of Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and arise,
then, to teach My Cause. Better is this for thee than that which thou
possessest. God will, thereby, exalt thy name among all the kings. Potent
is He over all things. Walk thou amongst men in the name of God, and by
the power of His might, that thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the
peoples of the earth....

Regard ye the world as a man’s body, which is afflicted with divers
ailments, and the recovery of which dependeth upon the harmonizing of all
of its component elements. Gather ye around that which We have prescribed
unto you, and walk not in the ways of such as create dissension. Meditate
on the world and the state of its people. He, for Whose sake the world was
called into being, hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities
(Akká), by reason of that which the hands of the wayward have wrought.
From the horizon of His prison-city He summoneth mankind unto the
Dayspring of God, the Exalted, the Great. Exultest thou over the treasures
thou dost possess, knowing they shall perish? Rejoicest thou in that thou
rulest a span of earth, when the whole world, in the estimation of the
people of Bahá, is worth as much as the black in the eye of a dead ant?
Abandon it unto such as have set their affections upon it, and turn thou
unto Him Who is the Desire of the world. Whither are gone the proud and
their palaces? Gaze thou into their tombs, that thou mayest profit by this
example, inasmuch as We made it a lesson unto every beholder. Were the
breezes of Revelation to seize thee, thou wouldst flee the world, and turn
unto the Kingdom, and wouldst expend all thou possessest, that thou mayest
draw nigh unto this sublime Vision.



CZAR ALEXANDER II


O CZAR of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King, the
Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who, among
the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles, and Who, in the
kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the Effulgent, the
All-Glorious. Beware lest thy desire deter thee from turning towards the
face of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We, verily, have
heard the thing for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst secretly
communing with Him. Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted
forth, and the sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in truth. Thy
Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whilst I lay chained and
fettered in the prison, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid.
Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station which the knowledge of none
can comprehend except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away this
sublime station... Beware lest thy sovereignty withhold thee from Him Who
is the Supreme Sovereign. He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all
the atoms cry aloud: ‘Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!’ He Who
is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus), in the holy vale, crieth out:
‘Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!’ whilst Sinai circleth round the
House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: ‘The All-Bounteous is come
mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe
betide them that are far away.’

Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, and
summon, then, the nations unto God, the Exalted, the Great. Be thou not of
them who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who is the
Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him, and,
in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice.
Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus)
appeared, and Herod gave judgment against Him. God, however, aided Him
with the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Him
down unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordaineth
what He pleaseth. Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, be he in the
midst of the seas, or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of
the oppressor....

Again I say: Hearken unto My Voice that calleth from My prison that it may
acquaint thee with the things that have befallen My Beauty, at the hands
of them that are the manifestations of My glory, and that thou mayest
perceive how great hath been My patience, notwithstanding My might, and
how immense My forbearance, notwithstanding My power. By My Life! Couldst
thou but know the things sent down by My Pen, and discover the treasures
of My Cause, and the pearls of My mysteries which lie hid in the seas of
My names and in the goblets of My words, thou wouldst, in thy love for My
name, and in thy longing for My glorious and sublime Kingdom, lay down thy
life in My path. Know thou that though My body be beneath the swords of My
foes, and My limbs be beset with incalculable afflictions, yet My spirit
is filled with a gladness with which all the joys of the earth can never
compare.

Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Point of adoration for the world,
and say: O peoples of the earth! Have ye denied the One in Whose path He
Who came with the truth, bearing the announcement of your Lord, the
Exalted, the Great, suffered martyrdom? Say: This is an Announcement
whereat the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have rejoiced. This is
the One Whom the heart of the world remembereth and is promised in the
Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. The hands of the Messengers were,
in their desire to meet Me, upraised towards God, the Mighty, the
Glorified.... Some lamented in their separation from Me, others endured
hardships in My path, and still others laid down their lives for the sake
of My Beauty, could ye but know it. Say: I, verily, have not sought to
extol Mine Own Self, but rather God Himself were ye to judge fairly.
Naught can be seen in Me except God and His Cause, could ye but perceive
it. I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled, the One with
Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel were adorned.... Blessed be the
king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his Sovereign, and who
hath turned unto God with his heart. He, verily, is accounted of those
that have attained unto that which God, the Mighty, the All-Wise hath
willed. Ere long will such a one find himself numbered with the monarchs
of the realms of the Kingdom. Thy Lord is, in truth, potent over all
things. He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and
withholdeth what He pleaseth from whomsoever He willeth. He, verily, is
the All-Powerful, the Almighty.



QUEEN VICTORIA


O QUEEN in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the Lord
of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is there
but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on earth, and
attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of thy
Lord, the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His most
great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been
fulfilled. The land of Syria hath been honoured by the footsteps of its
Lord, the Lord of all men, and North and South are both inebriated with
the wine of His presence. Blessed is the man that inhaled the fragrance of
the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place of His Beauty, in
this resplendent Dawn. The Mosque of Aqsá vibrateth through the breezes of
its Lord, the All-Glorious whilst Bathá (Mecca) trembleth at the voice of
God, the Exalted, the Most High. Whereupon every single stone of them
celebrateth the praise of the Lord, through this Great Name.

Lay aside thy desire, and set then thine heart towards thy Lord, the
Ancient of Days. We make mention of thee for the sake of God, and desire
that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator
of earth and heaven. He, verily, is witness unto that which I say. We have
been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and
women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous
Revelation. God hath, truly, destined a reward for thee, because of this.
He, verily, will pay the doer of good his due recompense, wert thou to
follow what hath been sent unto thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed. As to him who turneth aside, and swelleth with pride, after
that the clear tokens have come unto him, from the Revealer of signs, his
work shall God bring to naught. He, in truth, hath power over all things.
Man’s actions are acceptable after his having recognized (the
Manifestation). He that turneth aside from the True One is indeed the most
veiled amongst His creatures. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.

We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the
hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well,
for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be
strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether
high or low, will be tranquillized. It behoveth them, however, to be
trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves as the
representatives of all that dwell on earth. This is what counselleth them,
in this Tablet, He Who is the Ruler, the All-Wise... Blessed is he that
entereth the assembly for the sake of God, and judgeth between men with
pure justice. He, indeed, is of the blissful....

Turn thou unto God and say: O my Sovereign Lord! I am but a vassal of
Thine, and Thou art, in truth, the King of Kings. I have lifted my
suppliant hands unto the heaven of Thy grace and Thy bounties. Send down,
then, upon me from the clouds of Thy generosity that which will rid me of
all save Thee, and draw me nigh unto Thyself. I beseech Thee, O my Lord,
by Thy name, which Thou hast made the king of names, and the manifestation
of Thyself to all who are in heaven and on earth, to rend asunder the
veils that have intervened between me and my recognition of the
Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Day Spring of Thy Revelation. Thou art,
verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Bounteous. Deprive me not,
O my Lord, of the fragrances of the Robe of Thy mercy in Thy days, and
write down for me that which Thou hast written down for thy handmaidens
who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and have recognized Thee, and
set their hearts towards the horizon of Thy Cause. Thou art truly the Lord
of the worlds and of those who show mercy the Most Merciful. Assist me,
then, O my God, to remember Thee amongst Thy handmaidens, and to aid Thy
Cause in Thy lands. Accept, then, that which hath escaped me when the
light of Thy countenance shone forth. Thou, indeed, hast power over all
things. Glory be to Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of the
heavens and of the earth.



KAISER WILHELM I


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



EMPEROR FRANCIS JOSEPH


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



SULṬÁN ‘ABDU’L-‘AZÍZ


HEARKEN, O King, to the speech of Him that speaketh the truth, Him that
doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the things God hath chosen to
bestow upon thee, Him Who unerringly treadeth the straight Path. He it is
Who summoneth thee unto God, thy Lord, Who showeth thee the right course,
the way that leadeth to true felicity, that haply thou mayest be of them
with whom it shall be well.

Beware, O King, that thou gather not around thee such ministers as follow
the desires of a corrupt inclination, as have cast behind their backs that
which hath been committed into their hands and manifestly betrayed their
trust. Be bounteous to others as God hath been bounteous to thee, and
abandon not the interests of thy people to the mercy of such ministers as
these. Lay not aside the fear of God, and be thou of them that act
uprightly. Gather around thee those ministers from whom thou canst
perceive the fragrance of faith and of justice, and take thou counsel with
them, and choose whatever is best in thy sight, and be of them that act
generously.

Know thou for a certainty that whoso disbelieveth in God is neither
trustworthy nor truthful. This, indeed, is the truth, the undoubted truth.
He that acteth treacherously towards God will, also, act treacherously
towards his king. Nothing whatever can deter such a man from evil, nothing
can hinder him from betraying his neighbour, nothing can induce him to
walk uprightly.

Take heed that thou resign not the reins of the affairs of thy state into
the hands of others, and repose not thy confidence in ministers unworthy
of thy trust, and be not of them that live in heedlessness. Shun them
whose hearts are turned away from thee, and place not thy confidence in
them, and entrust them not with thy affairs and the affairs of such as
profess thy faith. Beware that thou allow not the wolf to become the
shepherd of God’s flock, and surrender not the fate of His loved ones to
the mercy of the malicious. Expect not that they who violate the
ordinances of God will be trustworthy or sincere in the faith they
profess. Avoid them, and preserve strict guard over thyself, lest their
devices and mischief hurt thee. Turn away from them, and fix thy gaze upon
God, thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. He that giveth up
himself wholly to God, God shall, assuredly, be with him; and he that
placeth his complete trust in God, God shall, verily, protect him from
whatsoever may harm him, and shield him from the wickedness of every evil
plotter.

Wert thou to incline thine ear unto My speech and observe My counsel, God
would exalt thee to so eminent a position that the designs of no man on
the whole earth could ever touch or hurt thee. Observe, O King, with thine
inmost heart and with thy whole being, the precepts of God, and walk not
in the paths of the oppressor. Seize thou, and hold firmly within the
grasp of thy might, the reins of the affairs of thy people, and examine in
person whatever pertaineth unto them. Let nothing escape thee, for therein
lieth the highest good.

Render thanks unto God for having chosen thee out of the whole world, and
made thee king over them that profess thy faith. It well beseemeth thee to
appreciate the wondrous favours with which God hath favoured thee, and to
magnify continually His name. Thou canst best praise Him if thou lovest
His loved ones, and dost safeguard and protect His servants from the
mischief of the treacherous, that none may any longer oppress them. Thou
shouldst, moreover, arise to enforce the law of God amongst them, that
thou mayest be of those who are firmly established in His law.

Shouldst thou cause rivers of justice to spread their waters amongst thy
subjects, God would surely aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and of
the seen and would strengthen thee in thine affairs. No God is there but
Him. All creation and its empire are His. Unto Him return the works of the
faithful.

Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole confidence in the
grace of God, thy Lord. Let Him be thy trust in whatever thou doest, and
be of them that have submitted themselves to His Will. Let Him be thy
helper and enrich thyself with His treasures, for with Him are the
treasuries of the heavens and of the earth. He bestoweth them upon whom He
will, and from whom He will He withholdeth them. There is none other God
but Him, the All-Possessing, the All-Praised. All are but paupers at the
door of His mercy; all are helpless before the revelation of His
sovereignty, and beseech His favours.

Overstep not the bounds of moderation, and deal justly with them that
serve thee. Bestow upon them according to their needs and not to the
extent that will enable them to lay up riches for themselves, to deck
their persons, to embellish their homes, to acquire the things that are of
no benefit unto them, and to be numbered with the extravagant. Deal with
them with undeviating justice, so that none among them may either suffer
want, or be pampered with luxuries. This is but manifest justice.

Allow not the abject to rule over and dominate them who are noble and
worthy of honour, and suffer not the high-minded to be at the mercy of the
contemptible and worthless, for this is what We observed upon Our arrival
in the City (Constantinople), and to it We bear witness. We found among
its inhabitants some who were possessed of an affluent fortune and lived
in the midst of excessive riches, whilst others were in dire want and
abject poverty. This ill beseemeth thy sovereignty, and is unworthy of thy
rank.

Let My counsel be acceptable to thee, and strive thou to rule with equity
among men, that God may exalt thy name and spread abroad the fame of thy
justice in all the world. Beware lest thou aggrandize thy ministers at the
expense of thy subjects. Fear the sighs of the poor and of the upright in
heart who, at every break of day, bewail their plight, and be unto them a
benignant sovereign. They, verily, are thy treasures on earth. It behoveth
thee, therefore, to safeguard thy treasures from the assaults of them who
wish to rob thee. Inquire into their affairs, and ascertain, every year,
nay every month, their condition, and be not of them that are careless of
their duty.

Set before thine eyes God’s unerring Balance and, as one standing in His
Presence, weigh in that Balance thine actions every day, every moment of
thy life. Bring thyself to account ere thou art summoned to a reckoning,
on the Day when no man shall have strength to stand for fear of God, the
Day when the hearts of the heedless ones shall be made to tremble.

It behoveth every king to be as bountiful as the sun, which fostereth the
growth of all beings, and giveth to each its due, whose benefits are not
inherent in itself, but are ordained by Him Who is the Most Powerful, the
Almighty. The king should be as generous, as liberal in his mercy as the
clouds, the outpourings of whose bounty are showered upon every land, by
the behest of Him Who is the Supreme Ordainer, the All-Knowing.

Have a care not to entrust thine affairs of state entirely into another’s
hands. None can discharge thy functions better than thine own self. Thus
do We make clear unto thee Our words of wisdom, and send down upon thee
that which can enable thee to pass over from the left hand of oppression
to the right hand of justice, and approach the resplendent ocean of His
favours. Such is the path which the kings that were before thee have
trodden, they that acted equitably towards their subjects, and walked in
the ways of undeviating justice.

Thou art God’s shadow on earth. Strive, therefore, to act in such a manner
as befitteth so eminent, so august a station. If thou dost depart from
following the things We have caused to descend upon thee and taught thee,
thou wilt, assuredly, be derogating from that great and priceless honour.
Return, then, and cleave wholly unto God, and cleanse thine heart from the
world and all its vanities, and suffer not the love of any stranger to
enter and dwell therein. Not until thou dost purify thine heart from every
trace of such love can the brightness of the light of God shed its
radiance upon it, for to none hath God given more than one heart. This,
verily, hath been decreed and written down in His ancient Book. And as the
human heart, as fashioned by God, is one and undivided, it behoveth thee
to take heed that its affections be, also, one and undivided. Cleave thou,
therefore, with the whole affection of thine heart, unto His love, and
withdraw it from the love of any one besides Him, that He may aid thee to
immerse thyself in the ocean of His unity, and enable thee to become a
true upholder of His oneness. God is My witness. My sole purpose in
revealing to thee these words is to sanctify thee from the transitory
things of the earth, and aid thee to enter the realm of everlasting glory,
that thou mayest, by the leave of God, be of them that abide and rule
therein....

Let thine ear be attentive, O King, to the words We have addressed to
thee. Let the oppressor desist from his tyranny, and cut off the
perpetrators of injustice from among them that profess thy faith. By the
righteousness of God! The tribulations We have sustained are such that any
pen that recounteth them cannot but be overwhelmed with anguish. No one of
them that truly believe and uphold the unity of God can bear the burden of
their recital. So great have been Our sufferings that even the eyes of Our
enemies have wept over Us, and beyond them those of every discerning
person. And to all these trials have We been subjected, in spite of Our
action in approaching thee, and in bidding the people to enter beneath thy
shadow, that thou mightest be a stronghold unto them that believe in and
uphold the unity of God.

Have I, O King, ever disobeyed thee? Have I, at any time, transgressed any
of thy laws? Can any of thy ministers that represented thee in ‘Iráq
produce any proof that can establish my disloyalty to thee? No, by Him Who
is the Lord of all worlds! Not for one short moment did We rebel against
thee, or against any of thy ministers. Never, God willing, shall We revolt
against thee, though We be exposed to trials more severe than any We
suffered in the past.

In the day-time and in the night season, at even and at morn, We pray to
God on thy behalf, that He may graciously aid thee to be obedient unto Him
and to observe His commandment, that He may shield thee from the hosts of
the evil ones. Do, therefore, as it pleaseth thee, and treat Us as
befitteth thy station and beseemeth thy sovereignty. Be not forgetful of
the law of God in whatever thou desirest to achieve, now or in the days to
come. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds!



NÁṢIRI’D-DÍN SHÁH


O KING! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the
breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the
knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One
Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between
earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears
of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I
studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt,
that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely.
This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty,
the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds
are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They
move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the
Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to
speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His
behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate,
the Merciful, transformed Me. Can any one speak forth of his own accord
that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay,
by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace
of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened. The Pen of the Most
High addresseth Me saying: Fear not. Relate unto His Majesty the Sháh that
which befell thee. His heart, verily, is between the fingers of thy Lord,
the God of Mercy, that haply the sun of justice and bounty may shine forth
above the horizon of his heart. Thus hath the decree been irrevocably
fixed by Him Who is the All-Wise.

Look upon this Youth, O King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou, then,
with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God hath made
thee His shadow amongst men, and the sign of His power unto all that dwell
on earth. Judge thou between Us and them that have wronged Us without
proof and without an enlightening Book. They that surround thee love thee
for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own sake,
and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat of grace,
and to turn thee toward the right-hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth
witness unto that which I declare.

O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear unto the shrill of the Pen of Glory
and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity which, on the branches of the
Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, uttereth praises to God, the
Maker of all names and Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain
unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught
save the effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty
as the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever
might desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the
light of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the
burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the Exalted,
the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how
excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend thereunto
through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from the Name of
God!...

O King of the age! The eyes of these refugees are turned towards and fixed
upon the mercy of the Most Merciful. No doubt is there whatever that these
tribulations will be followed by the outpourings of a supreme mercy, and
these dire adversities be succeeded by an overflowing prosperity. We fain
would hope, however, that His Majesty the Sháh will himself examine these
matters, and bring hope to the hearts. That which We have submitted to thy
Majesty is indeed for thine highest good. And God, verily, is a sufficient
witness unto Me....

O would that thou wouldst permit Me, O Sháh, to send unto thee that which
would cheer the eyes, and tranquillize the souls, and persuade every
fair-minded person that with Him is the knowledge of the Book... But for
the repudiation of the foolish and the connivance of the divines, I would
have uttered a discourse that would have thrilled and carried away the
hearts unto a realm from the murmur of whose winds can be heard: ‘No God
is there but He!’...

I have seen, O Sháh, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear
heard... How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will soon
rain, upon Me! I advance with My face set towards Him Who is the Almighty,
the All-Bounteous, whilst behind Me glideth the serpent. Mine eyes have
rained down tears until My bed is drenched. I sorrow not for Myself,
however. By God! Mine head yearneth for the spear out of love for its
Lord. I never passed a tree, but Mine heart addressed it saying: ‘O would
that thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon thee, in
the path of My Lord!’... By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger
consume Me, and the bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the
field, I will not complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with
constancy and firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God,
the Eternal King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto
God under all conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty—exalted be He—He
may release, through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and
fetters, and cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His Face, Who
is the Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon
Him, and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him.



THE RULERS OF AMERICA


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



THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLES IN EVERY LAND


O YE the elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye
counsel together, and let your concern be only for that which profiteth
mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof, if ye be of them that scan
heedfully. Regard the world as the human body which, though at its
creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes,
with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay
its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant
physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred
grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a
member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before.
Thus informeth you the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We behold it, in this day, at the mercy of rulers so drunk with pride that
they cannot discern clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize
a Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this. And whenever any one
of them hath striven to improve its condition, his motive hath been his
own gain, whether confessedly so or not; and the unworthiness of this
motive hath limited his power to heal or cure.

That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest
instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its
peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be
achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and
inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but
error....



SUMMONS TO THE WORLD’S RELIGIOUS LEADERS COLLECTIVELY



“O LEADERS of religion! Weigh not the Book of...”


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

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

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

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

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

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



“O CONCOURSE of divines! When My verses were sent...”


O CONCOURSE of divines! When My verses were sent down, and My clear tokens
were revealed, We found you behind the veils. This, verily, is a strange
thing.... We have rent the veils asunder. Beware lest ye shut out the
people by yet another veil. Pluck asunder the chains of vain imaginings,
in the name of the Lord of all men, and be not of the deceitful. Should ye
turn unto God, and embrace His Cause, spread not disorder within it, and
measure not the Book of God with your selfish desires. This, verily, is
the counsel of God aforetime and hereafter.... Had ye believed in God,
when He revealed Himself, the people would not have turned aside from Him,
nor would the things ye witness today have befallen Us. Fear God, and be
not of the heedless.... This is the Cause that hath caused all your
superstitions and idols to tremble.... O concourse of divines! Beware lest
ye be the cause of strife in the land, even as ye were the cause of the
repudiation of the Faith in its early days. Gather the people around this
Word that hath made the pebbles to cry out: ‘The Kingdom is God’s, the
Dawning-Place of all signs!’... Tear the veils asunder in such wise that
the inmates of the Kingdom will hear them being rent. This is the command
of God, in days gone by, and for those to come. Blessed the man that
observeth that whereunto he was bidden, and woe betide the negligent.



“HOW long will ye, O concourse of divines, level the...”


HOW long will ye, O concourse of divines, level the spears of hatred at
the face of Bahá? Rein in your pens. Lo, the Most Sublime Pen speaketh
betwixt earth and heaven. Fear God, and follow not your desires which have
altered the face of creation. Purify your ears that they may hearken unto
the Voice of God. By God! It is even as fire that consumeth the veils, and
as water that washeth the souls of all who are in the universe.



“O CONCOURSE of divines! Can any one of you race with...”


O CONCOURSE of divines! Can any one of you race with the Divine Youth in
the arena of wisdom and utterance, or soar with Him into the heaven of
inner meaning and explanation? Nay, by My Lord, the God of mercy! All have
swooned away in this Day from the Word of thy Lord. They are even as dead
and lifeless, except him whom thy Lord, the Almighty, the Unconstrained,
hath willed to exempt. Such a one is indeed of those endued with knowledge
in the sight of Him Who is the All-Knowing. The inmates of Paradise, and
the dwellers of the sacred Folds, bless him at eventide and at dawn. Can
the one possessed of wooden legs resist him whose feet God hath made of
steel? Nay, by Him Who illumineth the whole of creation!



“WHEN We observed carefully, We discovered that Our...”


WHEN We observed carefully, We discovered that Our enemies are, for the
most part, the divines... Among the people are those who said: He hath
repudiated the divines. Say: Yea, by My Lord! I, in very truth, was the
One Who abolished the idols! We, verily, have sounded the Trumpet, which
is Our Most Sublime Pen, and lo, the divines and the learned, and the
doctors and the rulers, swooned away except such as God preserved, as a
token of His grace, and He, verily, is the All-Bounteous, the Ancient of
Days...

O concourse of divines! Fling away idle fancies and imaginings, and turn,
then, towards the Horizon of Certitude. I swear by God! All that ye
possess will profit you not, neither all the treasures of the earth, nor
the leadership ye have usurped. Fear God, and be not of the lost ones...
Say: O concourse of divines! Lay aside all your veils and coverings. Give
ear unto that whereunto calleth you the Most Sublime Pen, in this wondrous
Day.... The world is laden with dust, by reason of your vain imaginings,
and the hearts of such as enjoy near access to God are troubled because of
your cruelty. Fear God, and be of them that judge equitably.



“O YE the dawning-places of knowledge! Beware that ye...”


O YE the dawning-places of knowledge! Beware that ye suffer not yourselves
to become changed, for as ye change, most men will, likewise, change.
This, verily, is an injustice unto yourselves and unto others.... Ye are
even as a spring. If it be changed, so will the streams that branch out
from it be changed. Fear God, and be numbered with the godly. In like
manner, if the heart of man be corrupted, his limbs will also be
corrupted. And similarly, if the root of a tree be corrupted, its
branches, and its offshoots, and its leaves, and its fruits, will be
corrupted....

O concourse of divines! Be fair, I adjure you by God, and nullify not the
Truth with the things ye possess. Peruse that which We have sent down with
truth. It will, verily, aid you, and will draw you nigh unto God, the
Mighty, the Great. Consider and call to mind how when Muḥammad, the
Apostle of God, appeared, the people denied Him. They ascribed unto Him
what caused the Spirit (Jesus) to lament in His Most Sublime Station, and
the Faithful Spirit to cry out. Consider, moreover, the things which
befell the Apostles and Messengers of God before Him, by reason of what
the hands of the unjust have wrought. We make mention of you for the sake
of God, and remind you of His signs, and announce unto you the things
ordained for such as are nigh unto Him in the most sublime Paradise and
the all-highest Heaven, and I, verily, am the Announcer, the Omniscient.
He hath come for your salvation, and hath borne tribulations that ye may
ascend, by the ladder of utterance, unto the summit of understanding....
Peruse, with fairness and justice, that which hath been sent down. It
will, verily, exalt you through the truth, and will cause you to behold
the things from which ye have been withheld, and will enable you to quaff
His sparkling Wine.



“THOSE divines ... who are truly adorned with the ornament...”


THOSE divines ... who are truly adorned with the ornament of knowledge and
of a goodly character are, verily, as a head to the body of the world, and
as eyes to the nations. The guidance of men hath, at all times, been and
is dependent upon these blessed souls.



“THE divine whose conduct is upright, and the sage who...”


THE divine whose conduct is upright, and the sage who is just, are as the
spirit unto the body of the world. Well is it with that divine whose head
is attired with the crown of justice, and whose temple is adorned with the
ornament of equity.



“THE divine who hath seized and quaffed the most holy...”


THE divine who hath seized and quaffed the most holy Wine, in the name of
the sovereign Ordainer, is as an eye unto the world. Well is it with them
who obey him, and call him to remembrance.



“GREAT is the blessedness of that divine that hath not...”


GREAT is the blessedness of that divine that hath not allowed knowledge to
become a veil between him and the One Who is the Object of all knowledge,
and who, when the Self-Subsisting appeared, hath turned with a beaming
face towards Him. He, in truth, is numbered with the learned. The inmates
of Paradise seek the blessing of his breath, and his lamp sheddeth its
radiance over all who are in heaven and on earth. He, verily, is numbered
with the inheritors of the Prophets. He that beholdeth him hath, verily,
beheld the True One, and he that turneth towards him hath, verily, turned
towards God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.



“O CONCOURSE of divines! Ye shall not henceforth behold...”


O CONCOURSE of divines! Ye shall not henceforth behold yourselves
possessed of any power, inasmuch as We have seized it from you, and
destined it for such as have believed in God, the One, the All-Powerful,
the Almighty, the Unconstrained.



POPE PIUS IX


O POPE! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come
overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the
Almighty, the Unrestrained... He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven
even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not
with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him (Jesus) without a clear
token or proof. On His right hand flow the living waters of grace, and on
His left the choice Wine of justice, whilst before Him march the angels of
Paradise, bearing the banners of His signs. Beware lest any name debar
thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world
behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath
been illumined... Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He Who is the King of
Revelation liveth in the most desolate of abodes? Leave them unto such as
desire them, and set thy face with joy and delight towards the Kingdom...
Arise in the name of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, amidst the peoples of the
earth, and seize thou the Cup of Life with the hands of confidence, and
first drink thou therefrom, and proffer it then to such as turn towards it
amongst the peoples of all faiths...

Call thou to remembrance Him Who was the Spirit (Jesus), Who when He came,
the most learned of His age pronounced judgment against Him in His own
country, whilst he who was only a fisherman believed in Him. Take heed,
then, ye men of understanding heart! Thou, in truth, art one of the suns
of the heaven of His names. Guard thyself, lest darkness spread its veils
over thee, and fold thee away from His light... Consider those who opposed
the Son (Jesus), when He came unto them with sovereignty and power. How
many the Pharisees who were waiting to behold Him, and were lamenting over
their separation from Him! And yet, when the fragrance of His coming was
wafted over them, and His beauty was unveiled, they turned aside from Him
and disputed with Him... None save a very few, who were destitute of any
power amongst men, turned towards His face. And yet, today, every man
endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth himself on His
Name! In like manner, consider how numerous, in these days, are the monks
who, in My Name, have secluded themselves in their churches, and who, when
the appointed time was fulfilled, and We unveiled Our beauty, knew Us not,
though they call upon Me at eventide and at dawn....

The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest. It hath been sent down
in the form of the human temple in this day. Blessed be the Lord Who is
the Father! He, verily, is come unto the nations in His most great
majesty. Turn your faces towards Him, O concourse of the righteous... This
is the day whereon the Rock (Peter) crieth out and shouteth, and
celebrateth the praise of its Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High,
saying: ‘Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the
Kingdom is fulfilled!...’ My body longeth for the cross, and Mine head
waiteth the thrust of the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful, that the
world may be purged from its transgressions....

O Supreme Pontiff! Incline thine ear unto that which the Fashioner of
mouldering bones counselleth thee, as voiced by Him Who is His Most Great
Name. Sell all the embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend
them in the path of God, Who causeth the night to return upon the day, and
the day to return upon the night. Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and
emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom, and,
detached from the world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt
earth and heaven. Thus hath bidden thee He Who is the Possessor of Names,
on the part of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Exhort thou the
kings and say: ‘Deal equitably with men. Beware lest ye transgress the
bounds fixed in the Book.’ This indeed becometh thee. Beware lest thou
appropriate unto thyself the things of the world and the riches thereof.
Leave them unto such as desire them, and cleave unto that which hath been
enjoined upon thee by Him Who is the Lord of creation. Should any one
offer thee all the treasures of the earth, refuse to even glance upon
them. Be as thy Lord hath been. Thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken
that which God hath made the ornament of the book of creation... Should
the inebriation of the wine of My verses seize thee, and thou determinest
to present thyself before the throne of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and
heaven, make My love thy vesture and thy shield remembrance of Me, and thy
provision reliance upon God, the Revealer of all power... Verily, the day
of ingathering is come, and all things have been separated from each
other. He hath stored away that which He chose in the vessels of justice,
and cast into fire that which befitteth it. Thus hath it been decreed by
your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, in this promised Day. He, verily,
ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is none other God save He, the Almighty,
the All-Compelling.



THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF VARIOUS FAITHS



“At one time We address the people of the Torah and summon...”


At one time We address the people of the Torah and summon them unto Him
Who is the Revealer of verses, Who hath come from Him Who layeth low the
necks of men.... At another, We address the people of the Evangel and say:
‘The All-Glorious is come in this Name whereby the Breeze of God hath
wafted over all regions.’... At still another, We address the people of
the Qur’án saying: ‘Fear the All-Merciful, and cavil not at Him through
Whom all religions were founded.’... Know thou, moreover, that We have
addressed to the Magians Our Tablets, and adorned them with Our Law.... We
have revealed in them the essence of all the hints and allusions contained
in their Books. The Lord, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Knowing.



“CALL out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the...”


CALL out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was
hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is
manifest; His all-encompassing splendour is revealed. Beware lest thou
hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that
hath descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba round which have circled
in adoration the favoured of God, the pure in heart, and the company of
the most exalted angels. O how I long to announce unto every spot on the
surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the
glad-tidings of this Revelation—a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai
hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: ‘Unto
God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven.’ Verily
this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement,
the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a
bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for
revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and will manifest
the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.



“THE Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty...”


THE Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty ruleth upon the throne
of David. Thus hath My Pen spoken that which the histories of bygone ages
have related. At this time, however, David crieth aloud and saith: ‘O my
loving Lord! Do Thou number me with such as have stood steadfast in Thy
Cause, O Thou through Whom the faces have been illumined, and the
footsteps have slipped!’



“THE Breath hath been wafted, and the Breeze hath...”


THE Breath hath been wafted, and the Breeze hath blown, and from Zion hath
appeared that which was hidden, and from Jerusalem is heard the Voice of
God, the One, the Incomparable, the Omniscient.



“LEND an ear unto the song of David. He saith: ‘Who will...”


LEND an ear unto the song of David. He saith: ‘Who will bring me into the
Strong City?’ The Strong City is Akká, which hath been named the Most
Great Prison, and which possesseth a fortress and mighty ramparts...
Peruse that which Isaiah hath spoken in His Book. He saith: ‘Get thee up
into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up thy
voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings. Lift it up,
be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah: “Behold your God! Behold the
Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him.”’
This Day all the signs have appeared. A great City hath descended from
heaven, and Zion trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation of God,
for it hath heard the Voice of God on every side.



“O CONCOURSE of Christians! We have, on a previous...”


O CONCOURSE of Christians! We have, on a previous occasion, revealed
Ourself unto you, and ye recognized Me not. This is yet another occasion
vouchsafed unto you. This is the Day of God; turn ye unto Him... The
Beloved One loveth not that ye be consumed with the fire of your desires.
Were ye to be shut out as by a veil from Him, this would be for no other
reason than your own waywardness and ignorance. Ye make mention of Me, and
know Me not. Ye call upon Me, and are heedless of My Revelation.... O
people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom have now entered
it, whilst We behold you, in this day, tarrying at the gate. Rend the
veils asunder by the power of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous,
and enter, then, in My name My Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who desireth
for you everlasting life... We behold you, O children of the Kingdom, in
darkness. This, verily, beseemeth you not. Are ye, in the face of the
Light, fearful because of your deeds? Direct yourselves towards Him...
Verily, He (Jesus) said: ‘Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become
fishers of men.’ In this day, however, We say: ‘Come ye after Me, that We
may make you to become quickeners of mankind.’



“WE, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne...”


WE, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the misfortunes of
the world for your salvation. Flee ye the One Who hath sacrificed His life
that ye may be quickened? Fear God, O followers of the Spirit (Jesus), and
walk not in the footsteps of every divine that hath gone far astray...
Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) verily,
standeth before them. Wherefore keep ye afar from Him Who hath purposed to
draw you nigh unto a Resplendent Spot? Say: We, in truth, have opened unto
you the gates of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My
face? This indeed is naught but a grievous error.



“O CONCOURSE of patriarchs! He Whom ye were promised...”


O CONCOURSE of patriarchs! He Whom ye were promised in the Tablets is
come. Fear God, and follow not the vain imaginings of the superstitious.
Lay aside the things ye possess, and take fast hold of the Tablet of God
by His sovereign power. Better is this for you than all your possessions.
Unto this testifieth every understanding heart, and every man of insight.
Pride ye yourselves on My Name and yet shut yourselves out as by a veil
from Me? This indeed is a strange thing!



“O CONCOURSE of archbishops! He Who is the Lord of...”


O CONCOURSE of archbishops! He Who is the Lord of all men hath appeared.
In the plain of guidance He calleth mankind, whilst ye are numbered with
the dead! Great is the blessedness of him who is stirred by the Breeze of
God, and hath arisen from amongst the dead in this perspicuous Name.



“O CONCOURSE of bishops! Trembling hath seized all the...”


O CONCOURSE of bishops! Trembling hath seized all the kindreds of the
earth, and He Who is the Everlasting Father calleth aloud between earth
and heaven. Blessed the ear that hath heard, and the eye that hath seen,
and the heart that hath turned unto Him Who is the Point of Adoration of
all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth....



“O CONCOURSE of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven...”


O CONCOURSE of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My knowledge. My
mercy desireth not that ye should fall upon the earth. My justice,
however, declareth: ‘This is that which the Son (Jesus) hath decreed.’ And
whatsoever hath proceeded out of His blameless, His truth-speaking,
trustworthy mouth, can never be altered. The bells, verily, peal out My
Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit rejoiceth with evident gladness.
The body of the Loved One yearneth for the cross, and His head is eager
for the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful. The ascendancy of the
oppressor can in no wise deter Him from His purpose... The stars of the
heaven of knowledge have fallen, they that adduce the proofs they possess
in order to demonstrate the truth of My Cause, and who make mention of God
in My name. When I came unto them, in My majesty, however, they turned
aside from Me. They, verily, are of the fallen. This is what the Spirit
(Jesus) prophesied when He came with the truth, and the Jewish doctors
cavilled at Him, until they committed what made the Holy Spirit to lament,
and the eyes of such as enjoy near access to God to weep.



“O CONCOURSE of priests! Leave the bells, and come...”


O CONCOURSE of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth, then, from your
churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud the Most Great
Name among the nations. Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and
every tree shouteth aloud: ‘The Lord is come in His great glory!’ ...He
that summoneth men in My name is, verily, of Me, and he will show forth
that which is beyond the power of all that are on earth... Let the Breeze
of God awaken you. Verily, it hath wafted over the world. Well is it with
him that hath discovered the fragrance thereof and been accounted among
the well-assured....



“O CONCOURSE of priests! The Day of Reckoning hath...”


O CONCOURSE of priests! The Day of Reckoning hath appeared, the Day
whereon He Who was in heaven hath come. He, verily, is the One Whom ye
were promised in the Books of God, the Holy, the Almighty, the
All-Praised. How long will ye wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and
superstition? Turn with your hearts in the direction of your Lord, the
Forgiving, the Generous.



“O CONCOURSE of monks! Seclude not yourselves in...”


O CONCOURSE of monks! Seclude not yourselves in churches and cloisters.
Come forth by My leave, and occupy yourselves with that which will profit
your souls and the souls of men. Thus biddeth you the King of the Day of
Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My love. This, verily,
is a befitting seclusion, were ye of them that perceive it. He that
shutteth himself up in a house is indeed as one dead. It behoveth man to
show forth that which will profit all created things, and he that bringeth
forth no fruit is fit for fire. Thus counselleth you your Lord, and He,
verily, is the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. Enter ye into wedlock, that
after you someone may fill your place. We have forbidden you perfidious
acts, and not that which will demonstrate fidelity. Have ye clung to the
standards fixed by your own selves, and cast the standards of God behind
your backs? Fear God, and be not of the foolish. But for man, who would
make mention of Me on My earth, and how could My attributes and My name
have been revealed? Ponder ye, and be not of them that are veiled and fast
asleep. He that wedded not (Jesus) found no place wherein to dwell or lay
His head, by reason of that which the hands of the treacherous had
wrought. His sanctity consisteth not in that which ye believe or fancy,
but rather in the things We possess. Ask, that ye may apprehend His
station which hath been exalted above the imaginings of all that dwell on
earth. Blessed are they who perceive it.



“O CONCOURSE of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I...”


O CONCOURSE of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of
My Kingdom; and if ye transgress against Me, I will, in My long-suffering,
endure it patiently, and I, verily, am the Ever-Forgiving, the
All-Merciful... Bethlehem is astir with the Breeze of God. We hear her
voice saying: ‘O most generous Lord! Where is Thy great glory established?
The sweet savours of Thy presence have quickened me, after I had melted in
my separation from Thee. Praised be Thou in that Thou hast raised the
veils, and come with power in evident glory.’ We called unto her from
behind the Tabernacle of Majesty and Grandeur: ‘O Bethlehem! This Light
hath risen in the orient, and travelled towards the occident, until it
reached thee in the evening of its life. Tell Me then: Do the sons
recognize the Father, and acknowledge Him, or do they deny Him, even as
the people aforetime denied Him (Jesus)?’ Whereupon she cried out saying:
‘Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the Best-Informed.’



“CONSIDER, likewise, how numerous at this time are the...”


CONSIDER, likewise, how numerous at this time are the monks who have
secluded themselves in their churches, in My name, and who, when the
appointed time came, and We unveiled to them Our beauty, failed to
recognize Me, notwithstanding that they call upon Me at dawn and at
eventide.



“READ ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the...”


READ ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious Lord?
This indeed beseemeth you not, O concourse of learned men!... The
fragrances of the All-Merciful have wafted over all creation. Happy the
man that hath forsaken his desires, and taken fast hold of guidance.



“PERUSED ye not the Qur’án? Read it, that haply ye may...”


PERUSED ye not the Qur’án? Read it, that haply ye may find the Truth, for
this Book is verily the Straight Path. This is the Way of God unto all who
are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. If ye have been careless
of the Qur’án, the Bayán cannot be regarded to be remote from you. Behold
it open before your eyes. Read ye its verses, lest perchance ye desist
from committing that which will cause the Messengers of God to mourn and
lament.

Speed out of your sepulchres. How long will ye sleep? The second blast
hath been blown on the trumpet. On whom are ye gazing? This is your Lord,
the God of Mercy. Witness how ye gainsay His signs! The earth hath quaked
with a great quaking, and cast forth her burdens. Will ye not admit it?
Say: Will ye not recognize how the mountains have become like flocks of
wool, how the people are sore vexed at the awful majesty of the Cause of
God? Witness how their houses are empty ruins, and they themselves a
drowned host.

This is the Day whereon the All-Merciful hath come down in the clouds of
knowledge, clothed with manifest sovereignty. He well knoweth the actions
of men. He it is Whose glory none can mistake, could ye but comprehend it.
The heaven of every religion hath been rent, and the earth of human
understanding been cleft asunder, and the angels of God are seen
descending. Say: This is the Day of mutual deceit; whither do ye flee? The
mountains have passed away, and the heavens have been folded together, and
the whole earth is held within His grasp, could ye but understand it. Who
is it that can protect you? None, by Him Who is the All-Merciful! None,
except God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent. Every woman
that hath had a burden in her womb hath cast her burden. We see men
drunken in this Day, the Day in which men and angels have been gathered
together.

Is there any doubt concerning God? Behold how He hath come down from the
heaven of His grace, girded with power and invested with sovereignty. Is
there any doubt concerning His signs? Open ye your eyes, and consider His
clear evidence. Paradise is on your right hand, and hath been brought nigh
unto you, while Hell hath been made to blaze. Witness its devouring flame.
Haste ye to enter into Paradise, as a token of Our mercy unto you, and
drink ye from the hands of the All-Merciful the Wine that is life indeed.



“BY Him Who is the Great Announcement! The All-Merciful...”


BY Him Who is the Great Announcement! The All-Merciful is come invested
with undoubted sovereignty. The Balance hath been appointed, and all them
that dwell on earth have been gathered together. The Trumpet hath been
blown, and lo, all eyes have stared up with terror, and the hearts of all
who are in the heavens and on the earth have trembled, except them whom
the breath of the verses of God hath quickened, and who have detached
themselves from all things.

This is the Day whereon the earth shall tell out her tidings. The workers
of iniquity are her burdens, could ye but perceive it. The moon of idle
fancy hath been cleft, and the heaven hath given out a palpable smoke. We
see the people laid low, awed with the dread of thy Lord, the Almighty,
the Most Powerful. The Crier hath cried out, and men have been torn away,
so great hath been the fury of His wrath. The people of the left hand sigh
and bemoan. The people of the right abide in noble habitations: they quaff
the Wine that is life indeed, from the hands of the All-Merciful, and are,
verily, the blissful.

The earth hath been shaken, and the mountains have passed away, and the
angels have appeared, rank on rank, before Us. Most of the people are
bewildered in their drunkenness and wear on their faces the evidences of
anger. Thus have We gathered together the workers of iniquity. We see them
rushing on towards their idol. Say: None shall be secure this Day from the
decree of God. This indeed is a grievous Day. We point out to them those
that led them astray. They see them, and yet recognize them not. Their
eyes are drunken; they are indeed a blind people. Their proofs are the
calumnies they uttered; condemned are their calumnies by God, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. The Evil One hath stirred up mischief in their
hearts, and they are afflicted with a torment that none can avert. They
hasten to the wicked, bearing the register of the workers of iniquity.
Such are their doings.

Say: The heavens have been folded together, and the earth is held within
His grasp, and the corrupt doers have been held by their forelock, and
still they understand not. They drink of the tainted water, and know it
not. Say: The shout hath been raised, and the people have come forth from
their graves, and arising are gazing around them. Some have made haste to
attain the court of the God of Mercy, others have fallen down on their
faces in the fire of Hell, while still others are lost in bewilderment.
The verses of God have been revealed, and yet they have turned away from
them. His proof hath been manifested and yet they are unaware of it. And
when they behold the face of the All-Merciful, their own faces are
saddened, while they are disporting themselves. They hasten forward to
Hell Fire, and mistake it for light. Far from God be what they fondly
imagine! Say: Whether ye rejoice or whether ye burst for fury, the heavens
are cleft asunder, and God hath come down, invested with radiant
sovereignty. All created things are heard exclaiming: ‘The Kingdom is
God’s, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.’



“O CONCOURSE of Persian divines! In My name ye have...”


O CONCOURSE of Persian divines! In My name ye have seized the reins of
men, and occupy the seats of honour by reason of your relation to Me. When
I revealed Myself, however, ye turned aside, and committed what hath
caused the tears of such as have recognized Me to flow. Erelong will all
that ye possess perish, and your glory be turned into the most wretched
abasement, and ye shall behold the punishment for what ye have wrought, as
decreed by God, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.



“O YE divines of the City! We came to you with the...”


O YE divines of the City! We came to you with the truth, whilst ye were
heedless of it. Methinks ye are as dead, wrapt in the coverings of your
own selves. Ye sought not Our presence, when so to do would have been
better for you than all your doings.... Know ye, that had your leaders, to
whom ye owe allegiance, and on whom ye pride yourselves, and whom ye
mention by day and by night, and from whose traces ye seek guidance—had
they lived in these days, they would have circled around Me, and would not
have separated themselves from Me, whether at eventide or at morn. Ye,
however, did not turn your faces towards My face, for even less than a
moment, and waxed proud, and were careless of this Wronged One, Who hath
been so afflicted by men that they dealt with Him as they pleased. Ye
failed to inquire about My condition, nor did ye inform yourselves of the
things which befell Me. Thereby have ye withheld from yourselves the winds
of holiness, and the breezes of bounty, that blow from this luminous and
perspicuous Spot. Methinks ye have clung to outward things, and forgotten
the inner things, and say that which ye do not. Ye are lovers of names,
and appear to have given yourselves up to them. For this reason make ye
mention of the names of your leaders. And should any one like them, or
superior unto them, come unto you, ye would flee him. Through their names
ye have exalted yourselves, and have secured your positions, and live and
prosper. And were your leaders to reappear, ye would not renounce your
leadership, nor would ye turn in their direction, nor set your faces
towards them. We found you, as We found most men, worshipping names which
they mention during the days of their life, and with which they occupy
themselves. No sooner do the Bearers of these names appear, however, than
they repudiate them, and turn upon their heels.... Know ye that God will
not, in this day, accept your thoughts, nor your remembrance of Him, nor
your turning towards Him, nor your devotions, nor your vigilance, unless
ye be made new in the estimation of this Servant, could ye but perceive
it.



“BECAUSE of you the Apostle (Muḥammad) lamented,...”


BECAUSE of you the Apostle (Muḥammad) lamented, and the Chaste One
(Fátimihs) cried out, and the countries were laid waste, and darkness fell
upon all regions. O concourse of divines! Because of you the people were
abased, and the banner of Islám was hauled down, and its mighty throne
subverted. Every time a man of discernment hath sought to hold fast unto
that which would exalt Islám, you raised a clamour, and thereby was He
deterred from achieving His purpose, while the land remained fallen in
clear ruin.



“OF all the peoples of the world, they that have suffered...”


OF all the peoples of the world, they that have suffered the greatest loss
have been, and are still, the people of Persia. I swear by the Day Star of
Utterance which shineth upon the world in its meridian glory! The
lamentations of the pulpits, in that country, are being raised
continually. In the early days such lamentations were heard in the Land of
Tá (Ṭihrán), for pulpits, erected for the purpose of remembering the True
One—exalted be His glory—have now, in Persia, become places wherefrom
blasphemies are uttered against Him Who is the Desire of the worlds.



“IN this day the world is redolent with the fragrances of the...”


IN this day the world is redolent with the fragrances of the robe of the
Revelation of the Ancient King ... and yet, they (divines) have gathered
together, and established themselves upon their seats, and have spoken
that which would put an animal to shame, how much more man himself! Were
they to become aware of one of their acts, and perceive the mischief it
hath wrought, they would, with their own hands, dispatch themselves to
their final abode.



“O CONCOURSE of divines!... Lay aside that which ye...”


O CONCOURSE of divines!... Lay aside that which ye possess, and hold your
peace, and give ear, then, unto that which the Tongue of Grandeur and
Majesty speaketh. How many the veiled handmaidens who turned unto Me, and
believed, and how numerous the wearers of the turban who were debarred
from Me, and followed in the footsteps of bygone generations!



“O HIGH priests! Ears have been given you that they may...”


O HIGH priests! Ears have been given you that they may hearken unto the
mystery of Him Who is the Self-Dependent, and eyes that they may behold
Him. Wherefore flee ye? The Incomparable Friend is manifest. He speaketh
that wherein lieth salvation. Were ye, O high priests, to discover the
perfume of the rose-garden of understanding, ye would seek none other but
Him, and would recognize, in His new vesture, the All-Wise and Peerless
One, and would turn your eyes from the world and all who seek it, and
would arise to help Him.



“WHATSOEVER hath been announced in the Books hath...”


WHATSOEVER hath been announced in the Books hath been revealed and made
clear. From every direction the signs have been manifested. The Omnipotent
One is calling, in this Day, and announcing the appearance of the Supreme
Heaven.



“THIS is not the day whereon the high priests can command...”


THIS is not the day whereon the high priests can command and exercise
their authority. In your Book it is stated that the high priests will, on
that Day, lead men far astray, and will prevent them from drawing nigh
unto Him. He indeed is a high priest who hath seen the light and hastened
unto the way leading to the Beloved.



“O HIGH priests! The Hand of Omnipotence is stretched...”


O HIGH priests! The Hand of Omnipotence is stretched forth from behind the
clouds; behold ye it with new eyes. The tokens of His majesty and
greatness are unveiled; gaze ye on them with pure eyes.... Say, O high
priests! Ye are held in reverence because of My Name, and yet ye flee Me!
Ye are the high priests of the Temple. Had ye been the high priests of the
Omnipotent One, ye would have been united with Him, and would have
recognized Him.... Say, O high priests! No man’s acts shall be acceptable,
in this Day, unless he forsaketh mankind and all that men possess, and
setteth his face towards the Omnipotent One.



THE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MANKIND



“THE time fore-ordained unto the peoples and...”


THE time fore-ordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now
come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all
been fulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and Jerusalem,
and the hills and land thereof, are filled with the glory of His
Revelation. Happy is the man that pondereth in his heart that which hath
been revealed in the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Meditate upon this, O ye beloved of God, and let your ears be attentive
unto His Word, so that ye may, by His grace and mercy, drink your fill
from the crystal waters of constancy, and become as steadfast and
immovable as the mountain in His Cause.



“VERILY I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold...”


VERILY I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and
hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and
the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth
every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his
heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His
Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred
Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every
Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous
Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to
attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation
manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom
the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the
peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to
His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth,
and that the seal, ‘the Kingdom is God’s’, may be stamped upon the brow of
all its peoples.



“O YE children of men! The fundamental purpose animating...”


O YE children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God
and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of
the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst
men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate
and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation.
Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the
world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless
centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious
leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of
this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after
meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and
full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the
remedy it requires.... It is incumbent upon them who are in authority to
exercise moderation in all things. Whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of
moderation will cease to exert a beneficial influence. Consider for
instance such things as liberty, civilization and the like. However much
men of understanding may favourably regard them, they will, if carried to
excess, exercise a pernicious influence upon men.... Please God, the
peoples of the world may be led, as the result of the high endeavours
exerted by their rulers and the wise and learned amongst men, to recognize
their best interests. How long will humanity persist in its waywardness?
How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign
amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds
of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that
divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of
impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the
prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God,
exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the
earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto
them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station.



“O CONTENDING peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set...”


O CONTENDING peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards
unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye
together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the
source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world’s
great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the
citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. This
wronged One hath, ever since the early days of His life, cherished none
other desire but this, and will continue to entertain no wish except this
wish. There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of
whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly
Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the
ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying
requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of
them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were
ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and,
armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain
imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which
draweth you together and uniteth you. This, verily, is the most exalted
Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this
beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory.



“THE Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of...”


THE Great Being, wishing to reveal the prerequisites of the peace and
tranquillity of the world and the advancement of its peoples, hath
written: The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding
of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally
realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and,
participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as
will lay the foundations of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a
peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the
tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among
themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should
unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world
will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving
the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within
their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every
people, government and nation. We fain would hope that the kings and
rulers of the earth, the mirrors of the gracious and almighty name of God,
may attain unto this station, and shield mankind from the onslaught of
tyranny.... The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will
have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is
achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were
entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely
essential. It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to
strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and
action.... That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the
service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy
is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and
kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not
for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him
who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its
citizens.



“THE All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the...”


THE All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He
perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the
remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular
aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions
can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be
anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your
deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.

We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great,
with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of
sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by
self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and
infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves
included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the
cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have
conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an
enemy.

Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up
your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O
ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the
Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been re-born in this
Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.



“O PEOPLES of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My...”


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

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

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

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



“THE world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the...”


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

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

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



“O YE peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My...”


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

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

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

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



“THIS is the Day in which God’s most excellent favours...”


THIS is the Day in which God’s most excellent favours have been poured out
upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into
all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to
reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide
beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It
behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to
the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best
interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to
remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our
inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously
assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the
present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.
Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.





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