Title: The Summons of the Lord of Hosts
Author: Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.


*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Summons of the Lord of Hosts" ***


The Summons of the Lord of Hosts


by Bahá’u’lláh



Edition 1, (October 28, 2005)



BAHA’I TERMS OF USE


You have permission to freely make and use copies of the text and any
other information ("Content") available on this Site including printing,
emailing, posting, distributing, copying, downloading, uploading,
transmitting, displaying the Content in whole or in part subject to the
following:

1. Our copyright notice and the source reference must be attached to the
Content;

2. The Content may not be modified or altered in any way except to change
the font or appearance;

3. The Content must be used solely for a non-commercial purpose.

Although this blanket permission to reproduce the Content is given freely
such that no special permission is required, the Bahá’í International
Community retains full copyright protection for all Content included at
this Site under all applicable national and international laws.

For permission to publish, transmit, display or otherwise use the Content
for any commercial purpose, please contact us
(http://reference.bahai.org/en/contact.html).



CONTENTS


Baha’i Terms of Use
Introduction
Súriy-i-Haykal
   Pope Pius IX
   Napoleon III
   Czar Alexander II
   Queen Victoria
   Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh
Súriy-i-Ra’ís
Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís
Lawḥ-i-Fu’ád
Súriy-i-Mulúk
NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION
KEY TO PASSAGES TRANSLATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI



INTRODUCTION


The years following Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in Adrianople witnessed His
Revelation’s attainment, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, of “its meridian
glory” through the proclamation of its Founder’s message to the kings and
rulers of the world. During this relatively brief but turbulent period of
the Faith’s history, and in the early years of His subsequent exile in
1868 to the fortress town of ‘Akká, He summoned the monarchs of East and
West collectively, and some among them individually, to recognize the Day
of God and to acknowledge the One promised in the scriptures of the
religions professed by the recipients of His summons. “Never since the
beginning of the world”, Bahá’u’lláh declares, “hath the Message been so
openly proclaimed.”

The present volume brings together the first full, authorized English
translation of these major writings. Among them is the complete
Súriy-i-Haykal, the Súrih of the Temple, one of Bahá’u’lláh’s most
challenging works. It was originally revealed during His banishment to
Adrianople and later recast after His arrival in ‘Akká. In this version He
incorporated His messages addressed to individual potentates—Pope Pius IX,
Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria, and Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh.

It was this composite work which, shortly after its completion,
Bahá’u’lláh instructed be written in the form of a pentacle, symbolizing
the human temple. To it He added, as a conclusion, what Shoghi Effendi has
described as “words which reveal the importance He attached to those
Messages, and indicate their direct association with the prophecies of the
Old Testament”:


    Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and might,
    could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you in the
    Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth you,
    could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth! Which
    is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set your
    faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Help in
    Peril, the Self-Subsisting.


During the last years of His ministry Bahá’u’lláh Himself arranged for the
publication for the first time of definitive versions of some of His
principal works, and the Súriy-i-Haykal was awarded a prominent position
among them.

Of the various writings that make up the Súriy-i-Haykal, one requires
particular mention. The Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán, the Tablet to Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh,
Bahá’u’lláh’s lengthiest epistle to any single sovereign, was revealed in
the weeks immediately preceding His final banishment to ‘Akká. It was
eventually delivered to the monarch by Badí‘, a youth of seventeen, who
had entreated Bahá’u’lláh for the honour of rendering some service. His
efforts won him the crown of martyrdom and immortalized his name. The
Tablet contains the celebrated passage describing the circumstances in
which the divine call was communicated to Bahá’u’lláh and the effect it
produced. Here, too, we find His unequivocal offer to meet with the Muslim
clergy, in the presence of the Sháh, and to provide whatever proofs of the
new Revelation they might consider to be definitive, a test of spiritual
integrity significantly failed by those who claimed to be the
authoritative trustees of the message of the Qur’án.

Included in this collection, as well, is the first full translation of the
Súriy-i-Mulúk or Súrih of the Kings, which Shoghi Effendi described as
“the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in which He, for the
first time, directs His words collectively to the entire company of the
monarchs of East and West”. It sets forth both the character of His
mission and the standard of justice that must govern the exercise of their
rule in this Day of God:


    Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware
    that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed.
    Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good
    heed not to overstep their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do
    injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard
    seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the
    straight path.


The Tablet introduces some of the great themes that were to figure
prominently in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh over the next two and a half
decades: the obligation of those into whose hands God has entrusted civil
authority to institute the reign of justice, the necessity for the
reduction of armaments and the resolution of conflicts among nations, and
an end to the excessive expenditures that were impoverishing these rulers’
subjects.

Surveying the principal contents of Bahá’u’lláh’s majestic call to the
kings and rulers of the world, Shoghi Effendi has written:


    The magnitude and diversity of the theme, the cogency of the
    argument, the sublimity and audacity of the language, arrest our
    attention and astound our minds. Emperors, kings and princes,
    chancellors and ministers, the Pope himself, priests, monks and
    philosophers, the exponents of learning, parliamentarians and
    deputies, the rich ones of the earth, the followers of all
    religions, and the people of Bahá—all are brought within the
    purview of the Author of these Messages, and receive, each
    according to their merits, the counsels and admonitions they
    deserve. No less amazing is the diversity of the subjects touched
    upon in these Tablets. The transcendent majesty and unity of an
    unknowable and unapproachable God is extolled, and the oneness of
    His Messengers proclaimed and emphasized. The uniqueness, the
    universality and potentialities of the Bahá’í Faith are stressed,
    and the purpose and character of the Bábí Revelation unfolded.


The summary draws attention to Bahá’u’lláh’s uncompromising indictment of
the conditions of human society for which its leadership is held primarily
responsible:


    Episodes, at once moving and marvellous, at various stages of His
    ministry, are recounted, and the transitoriness of worldly pomp,
    fame, riches, and sovereignty, repeatedly and categorically
    asserted. Appeals for the application of the highest principles in
    human and international relations are forcibly and insistently
    made, and the abandonment of discreditable practices and
    conventions, detrimental to the happiness, the growth, the
    prosperity and the unity of the human race, enjoined. Kings are
    censured, ecclesiastical dignitaries arraigned, ministers and
    plenipotentiaries condemned, and the identification of His advent
    with the coming of the Father Himself unequivocally admitted and
    repeatedly announced. The violent downfall of a few of these kings
    and emperors is prophesied, two of them are definitely challenged,
    most are warned, all are appealed to and exhorted.


In a Tablet, the original of which has been lost, Bahá’u’lláh had already
condemned, in the severest terms, the misrule of the Ottoman Sulṭán
‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz. The present volume includes, however, three other Tablets
which address two ministers of the Sulṭán, whose selfish and unprincipled
influence played an important role in Bahá’u’lláh’s successive
banishments. The Súriy-i-Ra’ís, which addresses ‘Álí Páshá, the Ottoman
Prime Minister, was revealed in August 1868 as the exiles were being moved
from Adrianople to Gallipoli, and exposes unsparingly the abuse of civil
power the minister had perpetrated. The Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís, which also contains
passages directed to ‘Álí Páshá, was revealed shortly after Bahá’u’lláh’s
incarceration in the citadel of ‘Akká and includes a chilling denunciation
of the character of the Minister. The third Tablet, the Lawḥ-i-Fu’ád,
revealed in 1869 shortly after the death of Fu’ád Páshá, the Ottoman
Minister to whose machinations it refers, describes the spiritual
consequences of the abuse of power, and foretells the imminent downfall of
his colleague, ‘Álí Páshá, and the overthrow of the Sulṭán
himself—prophecies that were widely circulated and whose dramatic
fulfilment added greatly to the prestige of their Author.

It seems especially appropriate, as Bahá’u’lláh’s influence penetrates
ever more deeply the life of the larger society throughout the world, that
the full texts of these great Tablets should now be available for a broad
readership. We express to the committees who were commissioned to
undertake and review these translations the deep gratitude we feel for the
care and sensitivity they have brought to the task. Bahá’ís will recognize
key passages from several of the Tablets that were introduced to the West
by Shoghi Effendi. His translations into English of the Bahá’í Holy Texts
provide an enduring standard for the efforts of those who rise to the
challenge of preparing appropriate renderings into English of these
treasures of the Faith.

                                            The Universal House of Justice



SÚRIY-I-HAYKAL


_This is the Súrih of the Temple which God hath ordained to be the Mirror
   of His Names between the heavens and the earth, and the Sign of His
              Remembrance amidst the peoples of the world._

                He is the Most Wondrous, the All-Glorious!

1 Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand.
Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive.
Glorified is He Who guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His path. Say: I,
verily, am the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and all who are
on the earth; well is it with them that hasten thereunto!

2 Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who comprehend.
Glorified is He Who speaketh forth from the Kingdom of His Revelation, and
Who remaineth unknown to all save His honoured servants. Glorified is He
Who quickeneth whomsoever He willeth by virtue of His word “Be”, and it
is! Glorified is He Who causeth whomsoever He willeth to ascend unto the
heaven of grace, and sendeth down therefrom whatsoever He desireth
according to a prescribed measure.

3 Blessed is He Who doeth as He willeth by a word of His command. He,
verily, is the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Blessed is He Who
inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth, through His
irresistible and inscrutable command. Blessed is He Who aideth whomsoever
He desireth with the hosts of the unseen. His might is, in truth, equal to
His purpose, and He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.
Blessed is He Who exalteth whomsoever He willeth by the power of His
sovereign might, and confirmeth whomsoever He chooseth in accordance with
His good pleasure; well is it with them that understand!

4 Blessed is He Who, in a well-guarded Tablet, hath prescribed a fixed
measure unto all things. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His Servant
that which shall illumine the hearts and minds of men. Blessed is He Who
hath sent down upon His Servant such tribulations as have melted the
hearts of them that dwell within the Tabernacle of eternity and the souls
of those who have drawn nigh unto their Lord. Blessed is He Who hath
showered upon His Servant, from the clouds of His decree, the darts of
affliction, and Who beholdeth Me enduring them with patience and
fortitude. Blessed is He Who hath ordained for His Servant that which He
hath destined for no other soul. He, verily, is the One, the Incomparable,
the Self-Subsisting.

5 Blessed is He Who hath caused to rain down upon His Servant from the
clouds of enmity, and at the hands of the people of denial, the shafts of
tribulation and trial; and yet seeth Our heart filled with gratitude.
Blessed is He Who hath laid upon the shoulders of His Servant the burden
of the heavens and of the earth—a burden for which We yield Him every
praise, though none may grasp this save them that are endued with
understanding. Glorified is He Who hath surrendered the embodiment of His
Beauty to the clutches of the envious and the wicked—a fate unto which We
are fully resigned, though none may perceive this save those who are
endued with insight. Glorified is He Who hath left Ḥusayn to make His
dwelling amidst the hosts of His enemies, and exposed His body with every
breath to the spears of hatred and anger; yet do We yield Him thanks for
all that He hath destined to befall His Servant Who repaireth unto Him in
His affliction and grief.

6 While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet
voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden—the
embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord—suspended in the air
before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone
with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with
the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was
raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was
imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My
soul, and the souls of God’s honoured servants.

7 Pointing with her finger unto My head, she addressed all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth, saying: By God! This is the Best-Beloved
of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God
amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but
understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God
and His glory unto all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and of
creation, if ye be of them that perceive. This is He Whose Presence is the
ardent desire of the denizens of the Realm of eternity, and of them that
dwell within the Tabernacle of glory, and yet from His Beauty do ye turn
aside.

8 O people of the Bayán! If ye aid Him not, God will assuredly assist Him
with the powers of earth and heaven, and sustain Him with the hosts of the
unseen through His command “Be”, and it is! The day is approaching when
God will have, by an act of His Will, raised up a race of men the nature
of which is inscrutable to all save God, the All-Powerful, the
Self-Subsisting. He shall purify them from the defilement of idle fancies
and corrupt desires, shall lift them up to the heights of holiness, and
shall cause them to manifest the signs of His sovereignty and might upon
earth. Thus hath it been ordained by God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Loving.

9 O people of the Bayán! Would ye deny Him Whose presence is the very
object of your creation, while ye rejoice idly upon your couches? Would ye
laugh to scorn and contend with Him, a single hair of Whose head
excelleth, in the sight of God, all that are in the heavens and all that
are on the earth? O people of the Bayán! Produce, then, that which ye
possess, that I may know by what proof ye believed aforetime in the
Manifestations of His Cause, and by what reason ye now wax so disdainful!

10 I swear by Him Who hath fashioned Me from the light of His own Beauty!
None have I ever seen that surpasseth you in heedlessness or exceedeth you
in ignorance. Ye seek to prove your faith in God through such holy Tablets
as ye possess, yet when the verses of God were revealed and His Lamp was
lighted, ye disbelieved in Him Whose very Pen hath fixed the destinies of
all things in the Preserved Tablet. Ye recite the sacred verses and yet
repudiate Him Who is their Source and Revealer. Thus hath God blinded your
eyes in requital for your deeds, would ye but understand. Day and night ye
transcribe the verses of God, and yet ye remain shut out, as by a veil,
from Him Who hath revealed them.

11 In this Day the Concourse on high beholdeth you in your evil doings and
shunneth your company, and yet ye perceive it not. They ask of one
another: “What words do these fools utter, and in what valley are they
wont to graze? Do they deny that whereunto their very souls testify, and
shut their eyes to that which they plainly behold?” I swear by God, O
people! They that inhabit the Cities of the Names of God are bewildered at
your actions, while ye roam, aimless and unconscious, in a parched and
barren land.

12 O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from
the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet accents
of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and fervour, and
that the breezes that waft from My name, the Ever-Forgiving, may dispel
Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from this Temple, the temples of
the Oneness of God, that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation,
the tidings of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of
them that are illumined by His light.

13 We, verily, have ordained this Temple to be the source of all existence
in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to
accomplish that which I have purposed through My word “Be”, and it is!
Beneath the shadow of every letter of this Temple We shall raise up a
people whose number none can reckon save God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from His Temple such souls
as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of the rebellious, and who
will quaff at all times of the cup that is life indeed. These, truly, are
of the blissful.

14 These are servants who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of
their Lord, and who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their
path. Upon their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the
All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of Mine
all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their tongues to
extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would join in their
anthems of praise—yet how few are they who hear! And were they to glorify
their Lord, all created things would join in their hymns of glory. Thus
hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people
remain unaware!

15 These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow
doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the Bayán,
that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement that all
things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all things are
brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof! Through them the
believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is the Object of
the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the hearts of the
righteous have found rest and composure, could ye but know it! Through
them the earth hath been established, the clouds have rained down their
bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath descended from the heaven of
grace, could ye but perceive it!

16 These souls are the protectors of the Cause of God on earth, who shall
preserve its beauty from the obscuring dust of idle fancies and vain
imaginings. In the path of their Lord they shall not fear for their lives;
rather will they sacrifice their all in their eagerness to behold the face
of their Well-Beloved when once He hath appeared in this Name, the
Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Holy.

17 O Living Temple! Arise by the power of Thy Self in such wise that all
created things will be moved to arise with Thee. Aid, then, Thy Lord
through such ascendancy and might as We have bestowed upon Thee. Take heed
lest Thou falter on that Day when all created things are filled with
dismay; rather be Thou the revealer of My name, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. Assist Thy Lord to the utmost of Thine ability, and pay
no heed to the peoples of the world, for that which their mouths utter is
like unto the droning of a gnat in an endless valley. Quaff the water of
life in My name, the All-Merciful, and proffer unto the near ones amongst
the inmates of this lofty station that which shall cause them to become
detached from all names and enter beneath this blessed and
all-encompassing shadow.

18 O Living Temple! Through Thee have We gathered together all created
things, whether in the heavens or on the earth, and called them to account
for that which We had covenanted with them before the foundation of the
world. And lo, but for a few radiant faces and eloquent tongues, We found
most of the people dumbfounded, their eyes staring up in fear. From the
former We brought forth the creation of all that hath been and all that
shall be. These are they whose countenances God hath graciously turned
away from the face of the unbelievers, and whom He hath sheltered beneath
the shadow of the Tree of His own Being; they upon whose hearts He hath
bestowed the gift of peace and tranquillity, and whom He hath strengthened
and assisted through the hosts of the seen and the unseen.

19 O Eyes of this Temple! Look not upon the heavens and that which they
contain, nor upon the earth and them that dwell thereon, for We have
created you to behold Our own Beauty: See it now before you! Withhold not
your gaze therefrom, and deprive not yourselves of the Beauty of your
Lord, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Erelong shall We bring into
being through you keen and penetrating eyes that will contemplate the
manifold signs of their Creator and turn away from all that is perceived
by the people of the world. Through you shall We bestow the power of
vision upon whomsoever We desire, and lay hold upon those who have
deprived themselves of this gracious bounty. These, verily, have drunk
from the cup of delusion, though they perceive it not.

20 O Ears of this Temple! Purge yourselves from all idle clamour and
hearken unto the voice of your Lord. He, verily, revealeth unto you, from
the Throne of glory, that there is none other God save Me, the
All-Glorious, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Erelong shall We bring into being through you pure and undefiled ears
which will heed the Word of God and that which hath appeared from the
Dayspring of the Utterance of your Lord, the All-Merciful. They shall
assuredly perceive the sweet accents of Divine Revelation that proceed
from these most blessed and hallowed precincts.

21 O Tongue of this Temple! We, verily, have created thee through Our
name, the All-Merciful, have taught thee whatsoever had remained concealed
in the Bayán, and have bestowed upon thee the power of utterance, that
thou mayest make mention of Mine exalted Self amidst My creatures.
Proclaim, then, this wondrous and mighty Remembrance, and fear not the
manifestations of the Evil One. Thou wert called into being for this very
purpose by virtue of My transcendent and all-compelling command. Through
thee have We unloosed the Tongue of Utterance to expound all that hath
been, and We shall again, by My sovereign power, unloose it to speak of
that which is yet to come. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee
eloquent tongues that will praise and extol Me amongst the Concourse on
high and amidst the peoples of the world. Thus have the verses of God been
revealed, and thus hath it been decreed by the Lord of all names and
attributes. Thy Lord, verily, is the True One, the Knower of things
unseen. Nothing whatsoever shall prevent these tongues from magnifying
their Creator. Through them, all created things shall arise to glorify the
Lord of names and to bear witness that there is none other God save Me,
the All-Powerful, the Most-Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Nor shall those who
make mention of Me speak aught unless they be inspired by this Tongue from
its lofty station. Few, however, are they who understand! No tongue is
there that speaketh not the praises of its Lord and maketh not mention of
His Name. Amongst the people, however, are those who understand and utter
praises, and those who utter praises, yet understand not.

22 O Maid of inner meanings! Step out of the chamber of utterance by the
leave of God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Reveal, then, thyself
adorned with the raiment of the celestial Realm, and proffer with thy ruby
fingers the wine of the heavenly Dominion, that haply the denizens of this
world may perceive the light that shone forth from the Kingdom of God when
the Daystar of eternity appeared above the horizon of glory. Perchance
they may arise before the dwellers of earth and heaven to extol and
magnify this Youth Who hath established Himself in the midmost heart of
Paradise upon the throne of His name, the All-Sufficing Helper—He upon
Whose countenance shineth the brightness of the All-Merciful, from Whose
gaze appear the glances of the All-Glorious, and in Whose ways are
revealed the tokens and evidences of God, the omnipotent Protector, the
Almighty, the All-Loving.

23 Grieve not if none be found to accept the crimson wine proffered by Thy
snow-white hand and to seize it in the name of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted,
the Most High—He Who hath appeared again in His name, the Most Glorious.
Leave this people unto themselves, and repair unto the Tabernacle of
majesty and glory, wherein Thou shalt encounter a people whose faces shine
as brightly as the sun in its noontide splendour, and who praise and extol
their Lord in this Name that hath arisen, in the plenitude of might and
power, to assume the throne of independent sovereignty. From their lips
Thou shalt hear naught but the strains of My glorification and praise;
unto this Thy Lord beareth Me witness. The existence of these people,
however, hath remained concealed from the eyes of all who, from
everlasting, have been created through the Word of God. Thus have We made
plain Our meaning and set forth Our verses, that perchance men may reflect
upon the signs and tokens of their Lord.

24 These are they who, in truth, were not enjoined to prostrate themselves
before Adam.(1) They have never turned away from the countenance of Thy
Lord, and partake at every moment of the gifts and delights of holiness.
Thus hath the Pen of the All-Merciful set forth the secrets of all things,
be they of the past or of the future. Would that the world might
understand! Erelong shall God make manifest this people upon the earth,
and through them shall exalt His name, diffuse His signs, uphold His
words, and proclaim His verses, in spite of those that have repudiated His
truth, gainsaid His sovereignty, and cavilled at His signs.

25 O Beauty of the All-Glorious! Shouldst Thou chance upon this people and
enter their presence, recount unto them that which this Youth hath related
unto Thee concerning Himself and the things that have befallen Him, that
they may come to know what hath been inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet.
Acquaint them with the tidings of this Youth, and with the trials and
tribulations He hath suffered, that they may become mindful of Mine
afflictions, and be of them that understand. Recount, then, unto them how
We singled out for Our favour one of Our brothers,(2) how We imparted unto
him a dewdrop from the fathomless ocean of knowledge, clothed him with the
garment of one of Our Names, and exalted him to such a station that all
were moved to extol him, and how We so protected him from the harm of the
malevolent as to disarm even the mightiest amongst them.

26 We arose before the peoples of earth and heaven at a time when all had
determined to slay us. While dwelling in their midst, We continually made
mention of the Lord, celebrated His praise, and stood firm in His Cause,
until at last the Word of God was vindicated amongst His creatures, His
signs were spread abroad, His power exalted, and His sovereignty revealed
in its full splendour. To this bear witness all His honoured servants. Yet
when My brother beheld the rising fame of the Cause, he became filled with
arrogance and pride. Thereupon he emerged from behind the veil of
concealment, rose up against Me, disputed My verses, denied My testimony,
and repudiated My signs. Nor would his hunger be appeased unless he were
to devour My flesh and drink My blood. To this testify such of God’s
servants as have accompanied Him in His exile, and they that enjoy near
access unto Him.

27 To this end he conferred with one of My servants(3) and sought to win
him over to his own designs; whereupon the Lord despatched unto Mine
assistance the hosts of the seen and the unseen, protected Me by the power
of truth, and sent down upon Me that which thwarted his purpose. Thus were
foiled the plots of those who disbelieve in the verses of the
All-Merciful. They, truly, are a rejected people. When news spread of that
which the promptings of self had impelled My brother to attempt, and Our
companions in exile learned of his nefarious design, the voice of their
indignation and grief was lifted up and threatened to spread throughout
the city. We forbade, however, such recriminations, and enjoined upon them
patience, that they might be of those that endure steadfastly.

28 By God, besides Whom is none other God! We withstood all these trials
with forbearance, and enjoined upon God’s servants to show forth patience
and fortitude. Removing Ourself from their midst, We took up residence in
another house, that perchance the flame of envy might be quenched in Our
brother’s breast, and that he might be guided aright. We neither opposed
him, nor saw him again thereafter, but remained in Our home, placing Our
hopes in the bounty of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When,
however, he realized that his deed had been exposed, he seized the pen of
calumny and wrote unto the servants of God, attributing what he had
himself committed unto Mine own peerless and wronged Beauty. His purpose
was none other than to inspire mischief amongst God’s servants, and to
instil hatred into the hearts of those who had believed in God, the
All-Glorious, the All-Loving.

29 By the One in Whose hand is My soul! We were dismayed by his
deceitfulness—nay, bewildered were all things visible and invisible. Nor
did he find respite from what he harboured in his bosom until he had
committed that which no pen dare describe, and by which he disgraced the
dignity of My station and profaned the sanctity of God, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Were God to turn all the oceans of the
earth into ink and all created things into pens, they would not suffice Me
to exhaust the record of his wrongdoings. Thus do We recount that which
befell Us, that haply ye may be of them that understand.

30 O Pen of Eternity! Grieve not at the things that have befallen Thee,
for erelong shall God raise up a people who will see with their own eyes
and will recall Thy tribulations. Withhold Thy pen from the mention of
Thine enemies, and bestir it in the praise of the Eternal King. Renounce
all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance. Beware
lest Thou become occupied with the mention of those from whom naught save
the noisome savours of enmity can be perceived, those who are so enslaved
by their lust for leadership that they would not hesitate to destroy
themselves in their desire to emblazon their fame and perpetuate their
names. God hath recorded such souls in the Preserved Tablet as mere
worshippers of names. Recount then that which Thou hast purposed for this
Temple, that its signs and tokens may be made manifest upon earth, and
that the brightness of this Light may illumine the horizons of the world
and cleanse the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in
God. Thus have We set down the verses of God and made plain the matter
unto those who understand.

31 O Living Temple! Stretch forth Thy hand over all who are in heaven and
on earth, and seize within the grasp of Thy Will the reins of command. We
have, verily, placed in Thy right hand the empire of all things. Do as
Thou willest, and fear not the ignorant. Reach out to the Tablet that hath
dawned above the horizon of the pen of Thy Lord, and take hold of it with
such strength that, through Thee, the hands of all who inhabit the earth
may be enabled to lay fast hold upon it. This, in truth, is that which
becometh Thee, if Thou be of those who understand. Through the upraising
of Thy hand to the heaven of My grace, the hands of all created things
shall be lifted up to their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Gracious.
Erelong shall We raise up, through the aid of Thy hand, other hands endued
with power, with strength and might, and shall establish through them Our
dominion over all that dwell in the realms of revelation and creation.
Thus will the servants of God recognize the truth that there is none other
God beside Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. With these hands,
moreover, We shall both bestow and withhold, though none can understand
this save those who see with the eye of the spirit.

32 Say: O people! Can ye ever hope to escape the sovereign power of your
Lord? By the righteousness of God! No refuge will ye find in this day, and
no one to protect you, save those upon whom God hath bestowed the favour
of His mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Say: O people! Forsake all that ye possess, and enter beneath the shadow
of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Better is this for you than all your works
of the past and of the future. Fear ye God, and deprive not yourselves of
the sweet savours of the days of the Lord of all names and attributes.
Take heed lest ye alter or pervert the text of the Word of God. Walk ye in
the fear of God, and be numbered with the righteous.

33 Say: O people! This is the Hand of God, which hath ever been above your
own hands, could ye but understand. Within its grasp We have ordained all
the good of the heavens and the earth, such that no good shall be made
manifest but that it proceedeth therefrom. Thus have We made it the source
and treasury of all good both aforetime and hereafter. Say: The rivers of
divine wisdom and utterance which flowed through the Tablets of God are
joined to this Most Great Ocean, could ye but perceive it, and whatever
hath been set forth in His Books hath attained its final consummation in
this most exalted Word—a Word shining above the horizon of the Will of the
All-Glorious in this Revelation which hath filled with delight all things
seen and unseen.

34 Erelong shall God draw forth, out of the bosom of power, the hands of
ascendancy and might, and shall raise up a people who will arise to win
victory for this Youth and who will purge mankind from the defilement of
the outcast and the ungodly. These hands will gird up their loins to
champion the Faith of God, and will, in My name the Self-Subsistent, the
Mighty, subdue the peoples and kindreds of the earth. They will enter the
cities and will inspire with fear the hearts of all their inhabitants.
Such are the evidences of the might of God; how fearful, how vehement is
His might, and how justly doth He wield it! He, verily, ruleth and
transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth, and revealeth
what He desireth according to a prescribed measure.

35 Should any one of them be called upon to confront all the hosts of
creation, he would assuredly prevail through the ascendancy of My Will.
This, verily, is a proof of My power, though My creatures comprehend it
not. This, verily, is a sign of My sovereignty, though My subjects
understand it not. This, verily, is a token of My command, though My
servants perceive it not. This, verily, is an evidence of Mine ascendancy,
though none amongst the people is truly thankful for it, save those whose
eyes God hath illumined with the light of His knowledge, whose hearts He
hath made the repository of His Revelation, and upon whose shoulders He
hath placed the weight of His Cause. These shall inhale the fragrances of
the All-Merciful from the garment of His Name, and shall rejoice at all
times in the signs and verses of their Lord. As for those who disbelieve
in God, and join partners with Him, they shall indeed incur His wrath,
shall be cast into the Fire, and shall be made to dwell, fearful and
dismayed, in its depths. Thus do We expound Our verses, and make plain the
truth with clear proofs, that perchance the people may reflect upon the
signs of their Lord.

36 O Living Temple! We have, in very truth, appointed Thee to be the sign
of My majesty amidst all that hath been and all that shall be, and have
ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the
earth, through My word “Be”, and it is!

37 O First Letter of this Temple, betokening the Essence of Divinity!(4)
We have made thee the treasury of My Will and the repository of My Purpose
unto all who are in the kingdoms of revelation and creation. This is but a
token of the grace of Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

38 O Second Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the Almighty! We
have made thee the manifestation of Our sovereignty and the dayspring of
Our Names. Potent am I to fulfil that which My tongue speaketh.

39 O Third Letter of this Temple, betokening My name, the All-Bountiful!
We have made thee the dawning-place of Our bounty amidst Our creatures and
the fountainhead of Our generosity amidst Our people. Powerful am I in My
dominion. Nothing whatsoever of all that hath been created in the heavens
or on the earth can escape My knowledge, and I am the True One, the Knower
of things unseen.

40 O Pen! Send down out of the clouds of Thy generosity that which shall
enrich all created things, and withhold not Thy favours from the world of
being. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful in the heaven of Thine
eternity, and the Lord of infinite grace unto all who inhabit the kingdom
of names. Look not upon the people and the things they possess; look
rather upon the wonders of Thy gifts and favours. Gather then Thy servants
beneath Thy shade that shadoweth all mankind. Stretch forth the hand of
bounty over all creation, and the fingers of bestowal over all existence.
This, verily, is that which beseemeth Thee, though the people understand
it not. Whosoever turneth his face towards Thee doeth so by Thy grace, and
as to him who turneth away, Thy Lord, in truth, is independent of all
created things. Unto this bear witness His true and devoted servants.

41 Erelong shall God raise up, through Thee, those with hands of
indomitable strength and arms of invincible might, who will come forth
from behind the veils, will render the All-Merciful victorious amongst the
peoples of the world, and will raise so mighty a cry as to cause all
hearts to tremble with fear. Thus hath it been decreed in a Written
Tablet. Such shall be the ascendancy which these souls will evince that
consternation and dismay will seize all the dwellers of the earth.

42 Beware lest ye shed the blood of anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your
tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the
citadels of men’s hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war
against each other. God’s mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all created
things, if ye do but understand. Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with
the sword of understanding. Keener indeed is it, and more finely tempered,
than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon the words of your
Lord. Thus have the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent down by God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and thus have the armies of divine
inspiration been made manifest from the Source of command, as bidden by
God, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.

43 Say: The measure of all created things hath been appointed in this
concealed and manifest Temple, wherein lie enshrined the knowledge of the
heavens and the earth, and of all things past and future. The finger of
God’s handiwork hath inscribed upon this Tablet that which the wisest and
most learned of men are powerless to fathom, and hath created therein
temples inscrutable to all save His own Self, could ye but apprehend this
truth. Blessed be the one who readeth it, who pondereth its contents, and
who is numbered with them that comprehend!

44 Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My
beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but
His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but
His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could
be seen but God.

45 Beware lest ye speak of duality in regard to My Self, for all the atoms
of the earth proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the
Single, the Mighty, the Loving. From the beginning that hath no beginning
I have proclaimed, from the realm of eternity, that I am God, none other
God is there save Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; and unto the
end that hath no end I shall proclaim, amidst the kingdom of names, that I
am God, none other God is there beside Me, the All-Glorious, the
Best-Beloved. Say: Lordship is My Name, whereof I have created
manifestations in the world of being, while We Ourself remain sanctified
above them, would ye but ponder this truth. And Godhead is My Name,
whereof We have created exponents whose power shall encompass the people
of the earth and make them true worshippers of God, could ye but recognize
it. Thus should ye regard all Our Names, if ye be endued with insight.

46 O Fourth Letter of this Temple, betokening the attribute of Grace! We
have made thee the manifestation of grace betwixt earth and heaven. From
thee have We generated all grace in the contingent world, and unto thee
shall We cause it to return. And from thee shall We manifest it again,
through a word of Our command. Potent am I to accomplish whatsoever I
desire through My word “Be”, and it is! Every grace that appeareth in the
world of being hath originated from thee, and unto thee shall it return.
This, verily, is what hath been ordained in a Tablet which We have
preserved behind the veil of glory and concealed from mortal eyes. Well is
it with them that deprive themselves not of this manifest and unfailing
grace.

47 Say: In this day, the fertilizing winds of the grace of God have passed
over all things. Every creature hath been endowed with all the
potentialities it can carry. And yet the peoples of the world have denied
this grace! Every tree hath been endowed with the choicest fruits, every
ocean enriched with the most luminous gems. Man, himself, hath been
invested with the gifts of understanding and knowledge. The whole creation
hath been made the recipient of the revelation of the All-Merciful, and
the earth the repository of things inscrutable to all except God, the
Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The time is approaching when every
created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath
vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or
unseen! Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of
the people have failed to perceive it. Say: The grace of God can never be
adequately understood; how much less can His own Self, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting, be comprehended!

48 O Temple of the Cause! Grieve not if Thou findest none ready to receive
Thy gifts. Thou wast created for My sake; occupy Thyself therefore with My
praise amidst My servants. This is that which hath been ordained for Thee
in the Preserved Tablet. Having found upon the earth many a soiled hand,
We sanctified the hem of Thy garment from the profanity of their touch and
placed it beyond the reach of the ungodly. Be patient in the Cause of Thy
Lord, for erelong shall He raise up souls endowed with sanctified hearts
and illumined eyes who shall flee from every quarter unto Thine
all-encompassing and boundless grace.

49 O Temple of God! No sooner had the hosts of Divine Revelation been sent
down by the Lord of all names and attributes bearing the banners of His
signs, than the exponents of doubt and fancy were put to flight. They
disbelieved in the clear tokens of God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting, and rose up against Him in enmity and opposition. Amongst
them were those who claimed: “These are not clear verses from God, nor do
they proceed from an innate and untaught nature.” Thus do the unbelievers
seek to remedy the sickness of their hearts, utterly heedless that they
thus render themselves accursed of all who dwell in heaven and on earth.

50 Say: The Holy Spirit Itself hath been generated through the agency of a
single letter revealed by this Most Great Spirit, if ye be of them that
comprehend. And that innate and untaught nature in its essence is called
into being by the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the
Best-Beloved. Say: This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our
transcendent Truth, whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in
aught else, for all beside Myself hath been created through the potency of
My word, could ye but understand.

51 Say: We have revealed Our verses in nine different modes. Each one of
them bespeaketh the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. A single one of them sufficeth for a proof unto all who
are in the heavens and on the earth; yet the people, for the most part,
persist in their heedlessness. Should it be Our wish, We would reveal them
in countless other modes.

52 Say: O people! Fear ye God, and allow not your tongues to utter, in
their deceitfulness, that which displeaseth Him. Stand abashed before the
One Who, as ye well know, hath created you out of a drop of water.(5) Say:
We have created all that are in heaven and on earth in the nature made by
God. Whosoever turneth unto this blessed Countenance shall manifest the
potentialities of that inborn nature, and whosoever remaineth veiled
therefrom shall be deprived of this invisible and all-encompassing grace.
Verily, there is naught from which Our favour hath been withheld, inasmuch
as We have dealt equitably in the fashioning of each and all, and by a
word of Our mouth presented unto them the trust of Our love. They that
have accepted it are indeed safe and secure, and are numbered among those
who are immune from the terrors of this Day. Those, however, who have
rejected it have, in truth, disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. Thus do We distinguish between the people and pronounce
judgement upon them. We, of a certainty, have the power to discern.

53 Say: The Word of God can never be confounded with the words of His
creatures. It is, in truth, the King of words, even as He is Himself the
sovereign Lord of all, and His Cause transcendeth all that was and all
that shall be. Enter, O people, the City of Certitude wherein the throne
of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been established. Thus biddeth you
the Pen of the All-Glorious, as a token of His unfailing grace. Haply ye
may not make His Revelation a cause of dissension amongst you.

54 Among the infidels are those who have repudiated His Self and risen up
against His Cause, and who claim that these divine verses are contrived.
Such also were the objections of the deniers of old, who now implore
deliverance from the Fire. Say: Woe betide you for the idle words that
proceed from your mouths! If these verses be indeed contrived, then by
what proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, if ye be men of
understanding! Whensoever We revealed Our clear verses unto such men, they
rejected them, and whensoever they beheld that which the combined forces
of the earth are powerless to produce, they pronounced it sorcery.

55 What aileth this people that they speak of that which they understand
not? They raise the same objections as did the followers of the Qur’án
when their Lord came unto them with His Cause. They, verily, are a
rejected people. They hindered others from appearing before Him Who is the
Ancient Beauty, and from sharing the bread of His loved ones. “Approach
them not,” one was even heard to say, “for they cast a spell upon the
people and lead them astray from the path of God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.” By the righteousness of the one true God! He who is
incapable of speaking in Our presence hath uttered such words as none
among the former generations hath ever spoken, and hath committed such
acts as none of the unbelievers of bygone ages hath ever committed.

56 The very words and deeds of these men bear eloquent testimony to the
truth of My words, if ye be of them that judge with fairness. Whosoever
attributeth the verses of God to sorcery hath not believed in any of His
Messengers, hath lived and laboured in vain, and is accounted of those who
speak that of which they have no knowledge. Say: O servant! Fear God, thy
Creator and thy Fashioner, and transgress not against Him, but judge with
fairness and act with justice. Those whom the Lord hath endued with
knowledge shall find, in the very objections raised by the unbelievers,
conclusive proofs to invalidate their claims and vindicate the truth of
this manifest Light. Say: Would ye repeat that which the unbelievers
uttered when a Message came unto them from their Lord? Woe betide you, O
assemblage of foolish ones, and blighted be your works!

57 O Ancient Beauty! Turn aside from the unbelievers and that which they
possess, and waft over all created things the sweet savours of the
remembrance of Thy Beloved, the Exalted, the Great. This remembrance
quickeneth the world of being and reneweth the temples of all created
things. Say: He, verily, hath established Himself upon the Throne of might
and glory. Whosoever desireth to gaze upon His countenance, lo, behold Him
standing before thee! Blessed be the Lord Who hath revealed Himself in
this shining and luminous Beauty. Whosoever desireth to hearken unto His
melodies, lo, hear them rising from His resplendent and wondrous lips! And
unto whosoever desireth to be illumined by the splendours of His light,
say: Seek the court of His presence, for God hath verily granted you leave
to approach it, as a token of His grace unto all mankind.

58 Say: O people! We shall put to you a question in all truthfulness,
taking God for a witness between you and Us. He, verily, is the Defender
of the righteous. Appear, then, before His Throne of glory and make reply
with justice and fair-mindedness. Is it God Who is potent to achieve His
purpose, or is it ye who enjoy such authority? Is it He Who is truly
unconstrained, as ye imply when ye say that He doeth what He pleaseth and
shall not be asked of His doings, or is it ye who wield such power, and
who merely make such assertions out of blind imitation, as did your
forebears at the appearance of every other Messenger of God?

59 If He be truly unconstrained, behold then how He hath sent down the
Manifestation of His Cause with verses which naught in the heavens or on
the earth can withstand! Such hath been the manner of their revelation
that they have neither peer nor likeness in the world of being, as ye
yourselves beheld and heard when once the Daystar of the world shone forth
above the horizon of ‘Iráq with manifest dominion. All things attain their
consummation in the divine verses, and these indeed are the verses of God,
the Sovereign Lord, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.
Beyond this, He hath been made manifest as the Bearer of a Cause whose
sovereign might is acknowledged by all created things, and this none can
deny save the sinners and the ungodly.

60 Say: O people! Is it your wish to conceal the beauty of the Sun behind
the veils of your own selfish desires, or to prevent the Spirit from
raising its melodies within this sanctified and luminous breast? Fear ye
God, and contend not with Him Who representeth the Godhead. Dispute not
with the One at Whose bidding the letter “B” was created and joined with
its mighty foundation.(6) Believe in the Messengers of God and His
sovereign might, and in the Self of God and His majesty. Follow not those
who have repudiated what they had once believed, and who have sought for
themselves a station after their own fancy; these, truly, are of the
ungodly. Bear ye witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath borne
witness, that the company of His favoured ones may be illumined by the
words that issue from your lips. Say: We, verily, believe in that which
was revealed unto the Apostles of old, in that which hath been revealed,
by the power of truth, unto ‘Alí,(7) and in that which is now being
revealed from His Throne of glory. Thus doth your Lord instruct you, as a
sign of His favour and as a token of His grace that encompasseth all the
worlds.

61 O Feet of this Temple! We, verily, have wrought you of iron. Stand firm
with such constancy in the Cause of your Lord as to cause the feet of
every severed soul to be strengthened in the path of God, the Almighty,
the All-Wise. Beware lest the storms of enmity and hatred, or the blasts
of the workers of iniquity, cause you to stumble. Be immovable in the
Faith of God, and waver not. We, verily, have called you forth by virtue
of that Name which is the source of all steadfastness, and by the grace of
each one of Our most excellent Names as revealed unto all who are in
heaven and on earth. Erelong shall We bring into being through you other
feet, firm and steadfast, which shall walk unwaveringly in Our path, even
should they be assailed by hosts as formidable as the combined forces of
the former and latter generations. In truth, We hold all grace in the
hollow of Our hand, and bestow it as We please upon Our favoured servants.
Time and again have We vouchsafed unto you Our favours, that ye may offer
such thanks unto your Lord as to cause the tongues of all created things
to speak forth in praise of Me, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

62 O Living Temple! Arise to serve this Cause through a might and a power
born of Us. Disclose, then, unto the servants of God all that the Spirit
of God, the sovereign Lord, the Incomparable, the All-Glorious, the
All-Wise, hath imparted unto Thee. Say: O people! Will ye turn away from
Him Who is the Eternal Truth, and choose instead him whom We have created
out of a mere handful of clay? To do so is to inflict a grievous injustice
upon yourselves, if ye be of them that reflect upon the verses of your
Lord. Say: O people! Cleanse your hearts and your eyes, that ye may
recognize your Maker in this holy and luminous attire. Say: The celestial
Youth hath ascended the Throne of glory, made manifest His independent
sovereignty, and now voiceth, in the most sweet and wondrous accents, this
call betwixt earth and heaven: “O peoples of the earth! Wherefore have ye
disbelieved in your Lord, the All-Merciful, and turned aside from Him Who
is the Beauty of the All-Glorious? By the righteousness of God! This is
His Hidden Secret, Who hath risen from the dayspring of creation; and this
is His cherished Beauty, Who hath shone forth above the horizon of this
exalted Station, invested with the sovereignty of God, the Help in Peril,
the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the Almighty.”

63 O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have cleansed Thy breast from the
whisperings of the people and sanctified it from earthly allusions, that
the light of My beauty may appear therein and be reflected in the mirrors
of all the worlds. Thus have We singled Thee out above all that hath been
created in the heavens and the earth, and above all that hath been decreed
in the realms of revelation and creation, and chosen Thee for Our own
Self. This is but an evidence of the bounty which God hath vouchsafed unto
Thee, a bounty which shall last until the Day that hath no end in this
contingent world. It shall endure so long as God, the Supreme King, the
Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Wise, shall endure. For the Day of God is
none other but His own Self, Who hath appeared with the power of truth.
This is the Day that shall not be followed by night, nor shall it be
bounded by any praise, would that ye might understand!

64 O Breast of this Temple! We, verily, have caused all things to mirror
forth thy reality, and made thee as a mirror of Our own Self. Shed, then,
upon the breasts of all created beings the splendours of the light of thy
Lord, that they may be freed from all allusions and limitations. Thus hath
the Daystar of wisdom shone forth above the horizon of the Pen of the
Eternal King. Blessed are those who perceive it! Through thee have We
created other sanctified breasts, and unto thee shall We cause them to
return, as a token of Our grace unto thee and unto Our favoured servants.
Erelong shall We bring into being through thee men with sanctified and
illumined breasts, who will testify to naught save My beauty and show
forth naught but the resplendent light of My countenance. These shall in
truth be the mirrors of My Names amidst all created things.

65 O Temple of Holiness! We, verily, have made Thine inmost heart the
treasury of all the knowledge of past and future ages, and the
dawning-place of Our own knowledge which We have ordained for the dwellers
of earth and heaven, that all creation may partake of the outpourings of
Thy grace and may attain, through the wonders of Thy knowledge, unto the
recognition of God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Great. In truth, that
knowledge which belongeth unto Mine own Essence is such as none hath ever
attained or will ever grasp, nor shall any heart be capable of bearing its
weight. Were We to disclose but a single word of this knowledge, the
hearts of all men would be filled with consternation, the foundations of
all things would crumble into ruin, and the feet of even the wisest among
men would be made to slip.

66 Within the treasury of Our Wisdom there lieth unrevealed a knowledge,
one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every
human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His
omniscience, would enable every one to discover the secrets of all the
sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly
independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do as
well possess, not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find
humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning. Thus
have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. Were We to find worthy vessels, We would deposit within them the
treasures of hidden meanings and impart unto them a knowledge, one letter
of which would encompass all created things.

67 O Inmost Heart of this Temple! We have made thee the dawning-place of
Our knowledge and the dayspring of Our wisdom unto all who are in heaven
and on earth. From thee have We caused all sciences to appear, and unto
thee shall We cause them to return. And from thee shall We bring them
forth a second time. Such, indeed, is Our promise, and potent are We to
effect Our purpose. Erelong shall We bring into being through thee
exponents of new and wondrous sciences, of potent and effective crafts,
and shall make manifest through them that which the heart of none of Our
servants hath yet conceived. Thus do We bestow upon whom We will
whatsoever We desire, and thus do We withdraw from whom We will what We
had once bestowed. Even so do We ordain whatsoever We please through Our
behest.

68 Say: Should We choose, at one time, to shed the radiance of Our loving
providence upon the mirrors of all things, and, at another, to withhold
from them the splendours of Our light, this verily lieth within Our power,
and none hath the right to ask “why” or “wherefore”. For We are potent
indeed to achieve Our purpose, and render no account for that which We
bring to pass; and none can dispute this save those who join partners with
God and doubt His Truth. Say: Nothing can withstand the power of Our might
or interrupt the course of Our command. We exalt whomsoever We please unto
the Realm of supernal might and glory, and, should We so desire, cause the
same to sink into the lowest abyss of degradation.

69 O dwellers of the earth! Would ye contend that if We raise up a soul
unto the Sadratu’l-Muntahá,(8) it shall then cease to be subject to the
power of Our sovereignty and dominion? Nay, by Mine own Self! Should it be
Our wish, We would return it to the dust in less than the twinkling of an
eye. Consider a tree: Behold how We plant it in a garden, and nourish it
with the waters of Our loving care; and how, when it hath grown tall and
mature, and brought forth verdant leaves and goodly fruits, We send forth
the tempestuous gales of Our decree, tear it up by its roots, and lay it
prostrate upon the face of the earth. So hath it been Our way with all
things, and so shall it be in this day. Such, in truth, are the matchless
wonders of Our immutable method—a method which hath ever governed, and
shall continue to govern, all things, if ye be of them that perceive.
None, however, knoweth the wisdom thereof save God, the All-Powerful, the
Almighty, the All-Wise.

70 Would ye gainsay, O people, the very thing that your eyes behold? Woe
unto you, O assemblage of deniers! That which alone is exempt from change
is His own Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, were ye to gaze
with the eye of insight, while all else beside Him can be altered by an
act of His Will. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the
All-Wise.

71 O people! Dispute not concerning My Cause, for ye shall never fathom
the manifold wisdom of your Lord, nor shall ye ever gauge the knowledge of
Him Who is the All-Glorious, the All-Pervading. Whosoever layeth claim to
have known His Essence is without doubt among the most ignorant of all
people. Every atom in the universe would charge such a man with imposture,
and to this beareth witness My tongue which speaketh naught but the truth.
Magnify My Cause and promulgate My teachings and commandments, for none
other course beside this shall beseem you, and no other path shall ever
lead unto Him. Would that ye might heed Our counsel!

72 O Living Temple! We have made Thee the Dayspring of each one of Our
most excellent titles, the Dawning-Place of each one of Our most august
attributes, and the Fountainhead of each one of Our manifold virtues unto
the denizens of earth and heaven. Thereafter have We raised Thee up in Our
own image betwixt the heavens and the earth, and ordained Thee to be the
sign of Our glory unto all who are in the realms of revelation and
creation, that My servants may follow in Thy footsteps, and be of them who
are guided aright. We have appointed Thee the Tree of grace and bounty
unto the dwellers of both the heavens and the earth. Well is it with them
who seek the shelter of Thy shade and who draw nigh unto Thy Self, the
omnipotent Protector of the worlds.

73 Say: We have made each one of Our Names a wellspring from which We have
caused the streams of divine wisdom and understanding to gush forth and
flow in the garden of Our Cause—streams whose number none can reckon save
Thy Lord, the Most Holy, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.
Say: We have generated all Letters from the Point and have caused them to
return unto It, and We have sent It down again in the form of a human
temple. All glory be unto the Author of this incomparable and wondrous
handiwork! Erelong shall We unfold and expound It again, in Our name, the
All-Glorious. This is indeed a token of Our grace, and I, truly, am the
Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

74 We have brought forth all Lights from the Orb of Our name, the True
One, have caused them to return unto It, and have again made them manifest
in the form of a human temple. All glory be unto the Lord of strength,
might, and power! None can withstand the operation of My will or the
exercise of My might. I am He Who hath raised up all creatures through a
word of My mouth, and My power is, in truth, equal to My purpose.

75 Say: It is in Our power, should We wish it, to cause all created things
to expire in an instant, and, with the next, to endue them again with
life. The knowledge thereof, however, is with God alone, the All-Knowing,
the All-Informed. It is in Our power, should We wish it, to enable a speck
of floating dust to generate, in less than the twinkling of an eye, suns
of infinite, of unimaginable splendour, to cause a dewdrop to develop into
vast and numberless oceans, to infuse into every letter such a force as to
empower it to unfold all the knowledge of past and future ages. This, in
truth, is a matter simple of accomplishment. Such have been the evidences
of My power from the beginning that hath no beginning until the end that
hath no end. My creatures, however, have been oblivious of My power, have
repudiated My sovereignty, and contended with Mine own Self, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

76 Say: Of all that lieth between heaven and earth, naught can stir except
by My leave, and unto My Kingdom none can ascend save at My behest. My
creatures, however, have remained veiled from My might and My sovereignty,
and are numbered with the heedless. Say: Naught is seen in My revelation
but the Revelation of God, and in My might but His Might, could ye but
know it. Say: My creatures are even as the leaves of a tree. They proceed
from the tree, and depend upon it for their existence, yet remain
oblivious of their root and origin. We draw such similitudes for the sake
of Our discerning servants that perchance they may transcend a mere
plant-like level of existence and attain unto true maturity in this
resistless and immovable Cause. Say: My creatures are even as the fish of
the deep. Their life dependeth upon the water, and yet they remain unaware
of that which, by the grace of an omniscient and omnipotent Lord,
sustaineth their very existence. Indeed, their heedlessness is such that
were they asked concerning the water and its properties, they would prove
entirely ignorant. Thus do We set forth comparisons and similitudes, that
perchance the people may turn unto Him Who is the Object of the adoration
of the entire creation.

77 O people! Fear God, and disbelieve not in Him Whose grace hath
surrounded all things, Whose mercy hath pervaded the contingent world, and
the sovereign potency of Whose Cause hath encompassed both your inner and
your outer beings, both your beginning and your end. Stand ye in awe of
the Lord, and be of them that act uprightly. Beware lest ye be accounted
among those who allow the verses of their Lord to pass them by unheard and
unrecognized; these, truly, are of the wayward.

78 Say: Would ye worship him who neither heareth nor seeth, and who is of
a truth the most abject and wretched of all God’s servants? Wherefore have
ye failed to follow the One Who hath come unto you from the Source of
Divine Command bearing the tidings of God, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great? O people! Be not like unto those who presented themselves before
Our throne, and yet failed to perceive or comprehend; these are indeed a
contemptible people. We recited unto them verses that would enrapture the
dwellers of the heavenly Dominion and the inmates of the Kingdom on high,
and yet they departed veiled therefrom, and hearkened rather unto the
voice of him who is but a servant of God and a mere creation of His Will.
Thus do We impart unto you that which shall guide you towards the path of
God’s favoured ones.

79 How many those who entered within the Abode of Paradise, the Seat
wherein the throne of God had been established, and stood before their
Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, only to inquire about the four
Gates or of some Imám of the Islamic Faith!(9) Such was the state of these
souls, if ye be of them that comprehend. It is even as ye witness in the
present day: those who have disbelieved in God and joined partners with
Him cling to a single one of Our Names, and are debarred from recognizing
Him Who is the Creator of all Names. We testify that such men are of a
truth amongst the people of the Fire. They ask the sun to expound the
words of the shadow, and the True One to explain the utterances of His
creatures, could ye but perceive it! Say: O people! The sun offereth
naught save the effulgence of its own light and that which appeareth
therefrom, whilst all else seek illumination from its rays. Fear God, and
be not of the ignorant! Among them also were those who inquired of the
darkness about the light. Say: Open thine eyes, that thou mayest behold
the brightness which hath visibly enveloped the earth! This, verily, is a
light which hath risen and shone forth above the horizon of the Dayspring
of divine knowledge with manifest radiance. Would ye ask the Jews whether
Jesus was the True One from God, or the idols if Muḥammad was an Apostle
of His Lord, or inquire from the people of the Qur’án as to Him Who was
the Remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great?

80 Say: O people! Cast away, before the splendours of this Revelation, the
things that ye possess, and cleave to that which God hath bidden you
observe. Such is His command unto you, and He, verily, is best able to
command. By My Beauty! My purpose in revealing these words is to cause all
men to draw nigh unto God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Beware lest
ye deal with Me as ye dealt with My Herald. Do not object, when the verses
of God are sent down unto you from the Court of My favour, saying, “these
do not proceed from an innate and untaught nature”, for that nature itself
hath been created by My word and circleth round Me, if ye be of them that
apprehend this truth. Inhale from the utterances of your Lord, the
All-Merciful, the sweet smell of the garment of inner meanings, which hath
been diffused throughout the entire creation and hath shed its fragrance
over all created things. Happy are those who perceive it and hasten unto
God with radiant hearts.

81 O Living Temple! We, verily, have made Thee a mirror unto the kingdom
of names, that Thou mayest be, amidst all mankind, a sign of My
sovereignty, a herald unto My presence, a summoner unto My beauty, and a
guide unto My straight and perspicuous Path. We have exalted Thy Name
among Our servants as a bounty from Our presence. I, verily, am the
All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. We have, moreover, adorned Thee with
the ornament of Our own Self, and have imparted unto Thee Our Word, that
Thou mayest ordain in this contingent world whatsoever Thou willest and
accomplish whatsoever Thou pleasest. We have destined for Thee all the
good of the heavens and of the earth, and decreed that none may attain
unto a portion thereof unless he entereth beneath Thy shadow, as bidden by
Thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have conferred upon Thee
the Staff of authority and the Writ of judgement, that Thou mayest test
the wisdom of every command. We have caused the oceans of inner meaning
and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the
God of mercy, that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of
those who are truly thankful. We have singled Thee out from amongst all
Our creatures, and have appointed Thee as the Manifestation of Our own
Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

82 Bring then into being, by Our leave, resplendent mirrors and exalted
letters that shall testify to Thy sovereignty and dominion, bear witness
to Thy might and glory, and be the manifestations of Thy Names amidst
mankind. We have caused Thee again to be the Origin and the Creator of all
mirrors, even as We brought them forth from Thee aforetime. And We shall
cause Thee to return unto Mine own Self, even as We called Thee forth in
the beginning. Thy Lord, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Powerful,
the All-Compelling. Warn, then, these mirrors, once they have been made
manifest, lest they swell with pride before their Creator and Fashioner
when He appeareth amongst them, or let the trappings of leadership delude
and debar them from bowing in submission before God, the Almighty, the
All-Beauteous.

83 Say: O concourse of mirrors! Ye are but a creation of My will and have
come to exist by virtue of My command. Beware lest ye deny the verses of
My Lord, and be of them who have wrought injustice and are numbered with
the lost. Beware lest ye cling unto that which ye possess, or take pride
in your fame and renown. That which behoveth you is to wholly detach
yourselves from all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Thus hath it
been ordained by Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

84 O Temple of My Cause! Say: Should I wish to transform, in a single
moment, all things into mirrors of My Names, this undoubtedly is in My
power, how much more in the power of My Lord, Who hath called Me into
being through His all-compelling and inscrutable command. And should I
choose to revolutionize the entire creation in the twinkling of an eye,
this assuredly is possible unto Me, how much more unto that sovereign
Purpose enshrined in the Will of God, My Lord and the Lord of all the
worlds.

85 Say: O ye manifestations of My Names! Should ye offer up all that ye
possess, nay your very lives, in the path of God, and invoke Him to the
number of the grains of sand, the drops of rain, and the waves of the sea,
and yet oppose the Manifestation of His Cause at the time of His
appearance, your works shall in no wise be mentioned before God. Should
ye, however, neglect all righteous works and yet choose to believe in Him
in these days, God perchance will put away your sins. He, verily, is the
All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Thus doth the Lord inform you of His
purpose, that haply ye may not wax proud before the One through Whom
whatsoever hath been revealed from all eternity hath been confirmed. Happy
is he who approacheth this Most Sublime Vision, and woe to them that turn
aside!

86 How numerous those who expend all their wealth in the path of God, and
whom We find, at the hour of His Revelation, to be of the rebellious and
the froward! How many those who keep the fast in the daytime, only to
protest against the One by Whose very command the ordinance of the fast
was first established! Such men are, in truth, of the ignorant. And how
many those who subsist on the coarsest bread, who take for their only seat
the grass of the field, and who undergo every manner of hardship, merely
to maintain their superiority in the eyes of men! Thus do We expose their
deeds, that this may serve as a warning unto others. These are the ones
who subject themselves to all manner of austerities before the gaze of
others in the hope of perpetuating their names, whilst in reality no
mention shall remain of them save in the curses and imprecations of the
dwellers of earth and heaven.

87 Say: Would it profit you in the least if, as ye fondly imagine, your
names were to endure? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Was the idol
‘Uzzá(10) made any greater by this, that its name lived on amidst the
worshippers of names? Nay, by Him Who is the Self of God, the
All-Glorious, the All-Compelling! Should your names fade from every mortal
mind, and yet God be well pleased with you, ye will indeed be numbered
among the treasures of His name, the Most Hidden. Thus have We sent down
Our verses that they may attract you unto the Source of all Lights, and
acquaint you with the purpose of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Abstain, then, from all that hath been forbidden unto you in the Book, and
eat of the lawful things which God hath provided for your sustenance.
Deprive not yourselves of His goodly bestowals, for He, verily, is the
Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. Subject not yourselves to
excessive hardships, but follow the way We have made plain unto you
through Our luminous verses and perspicuous proofs, and be not of the
negligent.

88 O concourse of divines! It is not yours to boast if ye abstain from
drinking wine and from similar transgressions which have been forbidden
you in the Book, for should ye commit such deeds, the dignity of your
station would then be tainted in the eyes of the people, your affairs
would be disrupted, and your name disgraced and dishonoured. Nay, your
true and abiding glory resideth in submission to the Word of Him Who is
the Eternal Truth, and in your inward and outward detachment from aught
else besides God, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. Great is the
blessedness of that divine that hath not allowed knowledge to become a
veil between him and the One Who is the Object of all knowledge, and who,
when the Self-Subsisting appeared, hath turned with a beaming face towards
Him. He, in truth, is numbered with the learned. The inmates of Paradise
seek the blessing of his breath, and his lamp sheddeth its radiance over
all who are in heaven and on earth. He, verily, is numbered with the
inheritors of the Prophets. He that beholdeth him hath, verily, beheld the
True One, and he that turneth towards him hath, verily, turned towards
God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

89 O ye the dawning-places of knowledge! Beware that ye suffer not
yourselves to become changed, for as ye change, most men will, likewise,
change. This, verily, is an injustice unto yourselves and unto others.
Unto this beareth witness every man of discernment and insight. Ye are
even as a spring. If it be changed, so will the streams that branch out
from it be changed. Fear God, and be numbered with the godly. In like
manner, if the heart of man be corrupted, his limbs will also be
corrupted. And similarly, if the root of a tree be corrupted, its
branches, and its offshoots, and its leaves, and its fruits, will be
corrupted. Thus have We set forth similitudes for your instruction, that
perchance ye may not be debarred by the things ye possess from attaining
unto that which hath been destined for you by Him Who is the All-Glorious,
the Most Bountiful.

90 It is indeed in Our power to take up a handful of dust and to adorn it
with the vesture of Our Names. This, however, would be but a sign of our
favour, and not an indication of any merit it may have inherently
possessed. Thus hath it been revealed in truth by Him Who is the Sovereign
Revealer, the All-Knowing. Consider the Black Stone,(11) which God hath
made a point whereunto all men turn in adoration. Hath this bounty been
conferred upon it by virtue of its innate excellence? Nay, by Mine own
Self! Or doth such distinction stem from its intrinsic worth? Nay, by Mine
own Being, Whose Essence even the wisest and most discerning of men have
failed to grasp!

91 Again, consider the Mosque of Aqṣá and the other places which We have
made sanctuaries unto the people in every land and region. The honour and
distinction they enjoy is in no wise due to their own merit, but stemmeth
from their relation to Our Manifestations, Whom We have appointed as the
Daysprings of Our Revelation amidst mankind, if ye be of them that
understand. In this there lieth a wisdom inscrutable to all save God.
Inquire, that He may graciously make plain unto you His purpose. His
knowledge, verily, embraceth all things. Detach yourselves, O people, from
the world and all its vanities, and heed not the call of such as have
disbelieved in God and joined partners with Him. Arise above the horizon
of utterance to extol and praise your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is that
which God hath purposed for you; well is it with them who perceive it.

92 Say: O people! We have commanded you in Our Tablets to strive, at the
time of the promised Revelation, to sanctify your souls from all names,
and to purify them from all that hath been created in the heavens or on
the earth, that therein may appear the splendours of the Sun of Truth
which shineth forth above the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the
Almighty, the Most Great. We have, moreover, commanded you to cleanse your
hearts from every trace of the love or hate of the peoples of the world,
lest aught should divert you from one course or impel you towards another.
This, verily, is among the weightiest counsels I have vouchsafed unto you
in the perspicuous Book, for whoso attacheth himself to either of these
shall be prevented from attaining a proper understanding of Our Cause. To
this beareth witness every just and discerning soul.

93 Ye, however, have broken the Covenant of God, forgotten His Testament,
and at last turned away from Him Whose appearance hath solaced the eyes of
every true believer in the Divine Unity. Lift up the veils and coverings
that obscure your vision, and consider the testimonies of the Prophets and
Messengers, that haply ye may recognize the Cause of God in these days
when the Promised One hath come invested with a mighty sovereignty. Fear
God, and debar yourselves not from Him Who is the Dayspring of His signs.
This shall, in truth, but profit your own selves; as to your Lord, He,
verily, can afford to dispense with all creatures. From everlasting was He
alone; there was none else besides Him. He it is in Whose name the
standard of Divine Unity hath been planted upon the Sinai of the visible
and invisible worlds, proclaiming that there is none other God but Me, the
Peerless, the Glorious, the Incomparable.

94 Behold, however, how those who are but a creation of His Will and
Command have turned aside from Him and have taken unto themselves a lord
and master beside God; these, truly, are of the wayward. The mention of
the All-Merciful hath at all times been upon their lips, and yet when He
was manifested unto them through the power of truth they warred against
Him. Wretched indeed shall be the plight of such as have broken the
Covenant of their Lord when the Luminary of the world shone forth above
the horizon of the Will of God, the Most Holy, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise! It was against God that they unsheathed the swords of malice and
hatred, and yet they perceive it not. Methinks they remain dead and buried
in the tombs of their selfish desires, though the breeze of God hath blown
over all regions. They, truly, are wrapt in a dense and grievous veil. And
oft as the verses of God are rehearsed unto them, they persist in proud
disdain; it is as though they were devoid of all understanding, or had
never heard the Call of God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing.

95 Say: Alas for you! How can ye profess yourselves believers, when ye
deny the verses of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise? Say: O people! Turn
your faces unto your Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest ye be veiled by
aught that hath been revealed in the Bayán: It was, in truth, revealed for
no other purpose than to make mention of Me, the All-Powerful, the Most
High, and had no other object than My Beauty. The whole world hath been
filled with My testimony, if ye be of them that judge with fairness.

96 Had the Primal Point been someone else beside Me as ye claim, and had
attained My presence, verily He would have never allowed Himself to be
separated from Me, but rather We would have had mutual delights with each
other in My Days. He, in truth, wept sore in His remoteness from Me. He
preceded Me that He might summon the people unto My Kingdom, as it hath
been set forth in the Tablets, could ye but perceive it! O would that men
of hearing might be found who could hear the voice of His lamentation in
the Bayán bewailing that which hath befallen Me at the hands of these
heedless souls, bemoaning His separation from Me and giving utterance to
His longing to be united with Me, the Mighty, the Peerless. He, verily,
beholdeth at this very moment His Best-Beloved amidst those who were
created to attain His Day and to prostrate themselves before Him, and yet
who have inflicted in their tyranny such abasement upon Him as the pen
confesseth its inability to describe.

97 Say: O people! We, verily, summoned you, in Our former Revelation, unto
this Scene of transcendent glory, this Seat of stainless sanctity, and
announced unto you the advent of the Days of God. Yet, when the most great
veil was rent asunder, and the Ancient Beauty came unto you in the clouds
of God’s decree, ye repudiated Him in Whom ye had believed aforetime. Woe
betide you, O company of infidels! Fear ye God, and nullify not the truth
with the things ye possess. When the luminary of divine verses dawneth
upon you from the horizon of the Pen of the King of all names and
attributes, fall ye prostrate upon your faces before God, the Lord of the
Worlds. For to bow down in adoration at the threshold of His door is
indeed better for you than the worship of both worlds, and to submit to
His Revelation is more profitable unto you than whatsoever hath been
created in the heavens and on the earth.

98 Say: O people! I admonish you wholly for the sake of God, and seek no
reward from you. For My recompense shall be with God, He Who hath brought
Me into being, raised Me up by the power of truth, and made Me the Source
of His remembrance amidst His creatures. Hasten to behold this divine and
glorious Vision, the Spot wherein God hath established His Seat. Follow
not that which the Evil One whispereth in your hearts, for he, verily,
doth prompt you to walk after your lusts and covetous desires, and
hindereth you from treading the straight Path which this all-embracing and
all-compelling Cause hath opened.

99 Say: The Evil One hath appeared in such wise as the eye of creation
hath never beheld. He Who is the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath likewise
been made manifest with an adorning the like of which hath never been
witnessed in the past. The Call of the All-Merciful hath been raised, and
behind it the call of Satan. Well is it with them who hearken unto the
Voice of God, and turn their faces towards His throne to behold a most
holy and blessed Vision. For whoso cherisheth in his heart the love of
anyone beside Me, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed, shall be
unable to gain admittance into My Kingdom. To this beareth witness that
which adorneth the preamble of the Book of Existence, could ye but
perceive it. Say: This is the Day whereon God’s most great favour hath
been made manifest. The voice of all who are in the heavens above and on
the earth below proclaimeth My Name, and singeth forth My praises, could
ye but hear it!

100 O Temple of Divine Revelation! Sound the trumpet in My Name! O Temple
of Divine mysteries! Raise the clarion call of Thy Lord, the
Unconditioned, the Unconstrained! O Maid of Heaven! Step forth from the
chambers of paradise and announce unto the people of the world: By the
righteousness of God! He Who is the Best-Beloved of the worlds—He Who hath
ever been the Desire of every perceiving heart, the Object of the
adoration of all that are in heaven and on earth, and the Cynosure of the
former and the latter generations—is now come!

101 Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when
once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and majesty.
He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as naught before
a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness when brought
face to face with the revelation of His splendours. Hasten, then, to
attain the living waters of His grace, and be not of the negligent. As to
him who hesitateth, though it be for less than a moment, God shall verily
bring his works to naught and return him to the seat of wrath; wretched
indeed is the abode of them that tarry!



Pope Pius IX


102 O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come
overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the
Almighty, the Unrestrained. Dispel the mists through the power of thy
Lord, and ascend unto the Kingdom of His names and attributes. Thus hath
the Pen of the Most High commanded thee at the behest of thy Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Compelling. He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven
even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not
with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him without a clear token or
proof. On His right hand flow the living waters of grace, and on His left
the choice Wine of justice, whilst before Him march the angels of
Paradise, bearing the banners of His signs. Beware lest any name debar
thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world
behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath
been illumined.

103 We have adorned the Kingdom with the ornament of Our name, the
All-Glorious. Thus hath it been decreed by God, the Fashioner of all
things. Take heed lest thy vain imaginings withhold thee, when once the
Sun of Certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of the Utterance of
thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beneficent. Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He
Who is the King of Revelation liveth in the most desolate of abodes? Leave
them unto such as desire them, and set thy face with joy and delight
towards the Kingdom.

104 Say: O peoples of the earth! Destroy the abodes of negligence with the
hands of power and assurance, and raise up the mansions of true knowledge
within your hearts, that the All-Merciful may shed the radiance of His
light upon them. Better is this for you than all whereon the sun shineth,
and unto this beareth witness He Who holdeth within His grasp the ultimate
decree. The Breeze of God hath been wafted over the world at the advent of
the Desired One in His great glory, whereupon every stone and clod of
earth hath cried out: “The Promised One is come! The Kingdom is God’s, the
Mighty, the Gracious, the Forgiving.”

105 Beware lest human learning debar thee from Him Who is the Supreme
Object of all knowledge, or lest the world deter thee from the One Who
created it and set it upon its course. Arise in the name of thy Lord, the
God of Mercy, amidst the peoples of the earth, and seize thou the Cup of
Life with the hands of confidence. First drink thou therefrom, and proffer
it then to such as turn towards it amongst the peoples of all faiths. Thus
hath the Moon of Utterance risen above the horizon of wisdom and
understanding.

106 Tear asunder the veils of human learning lest they hinder thee from
Him Who is My name, the Self-Subsisting. Call thou to remembrance Him Who
was the Spirit, Who, when He came, the most learned of His age pronounced
judgement against Him in His own country, whilst he who was only a
fisherman believed in Him. Take heed, then, ye men of understanding heart!
Thou, in truth, art one of the suns of the heaven of His names. Guard
thyself, lest darkness spread its veils over thee, and fold thee away from
His light. Ponder, then, that which hath been sent down in the Book by thy
Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

107 Say: Still your pens, O concourse of divines, for lo, the shrill voice
of the Pen of Glory hath been lifted up between earth and heaven. Cast
away all that ye possess and take fast hold of that which We have revealed
unto you with power and authority. The Hour that was concealed within the
knowledge of God hath struck, whereupon all the atoms of the earth have
proclaimed: “The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory! Hasten unto
Him, O peoples of the earth, with humble and contrite hearts.” Say: We, in
truth, have given Ourself as a ransom for your own lives. Alas, when We
came once again, We beheld you fleeing from Us, whereat the eye of My
loving-kindness wept sore over My people. Fear God, O ye that perceive.

108 Consider those who opposed the Son, when He came unto them with
sovereignty and power. How many the Pharisees who were waiting to behold
Him, and were lamenting over their separation from Him! And yet, when the
fragrance of His coming was wafted over them, and His beauty was unveiled,
they turned aside from Him and disputed with Him. Thus do We impart unto
thee that which hath been recorded in the Books and Scriptures. None save
a very few, who were destitute of any power amongst men, turned towards
His face. And yet today every man endowed with power and invested with
sovereignty prideth himself on His Name! In like manner, consider how
numerous, in these days, are the monks who, in My Name, have secluded
themselves in their churches, and who, when the appointed time was
fulfilled, and We unveiled Our beauty, knew Us not, though they call upon
Me at eventide and at dawn. We behold them clinging to My name, yet veiled
from My Self. This, verily, is a strange thing.

109 Say: Take heed lest your devotions withhold you from Him Who is the
object of all devotion, or your worship debar you from Him Who is the
object of all worship. Rend asunder the veils of your idle fancies! This
is your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, Who hath come to quicken the
world and unite all who dwell on earth. Turn unto the Dayspring of
Revelation, O people, and tarry not, be it for less than the twinkling of
an eye. Read ye the Evangel and yet refuse to acknowledge the All-Glorious
Lord? This indeed beseemeth you not, O concourse of learned men!

110 Say: If ye deny this Revelation, by what proof have ye believed in
God? Produce it then. Thus hath the summons of God been sent down by the
Pen of the Most High at the bidding of your Lord, the Most Glorious, in
this Tablet from whose horizon the splendour of His Light hath shone
forth. How many are My servants whose deeds have become veils between them
and their own selves, and who have been kept back thereby from drawing
nigh unto God, He Who causeth the winds to blow.

111 O concourse of monks! The fragrances of the All-Merciful have wafted
over all creation. Happy the man that hath forsaken his desires, and taken
fast hold of guidance. He, indeed, is of those who have attained unto the
presence of God in this Day, a Day whereon commotions have seized the
dwellers of the earth and filled with dismay all save those who have been
exempted by God, He Who layeth low the necks of men.

112 Adorn ye your bodies whilst the raiment of God is stained with the
blood of hatred at the hands of the people of denial? Issue forth from
your habitations and bid the people enter the Kingdom of God, the Lord of
the Day of Judgement. The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest.
It hath been sent down in the form of the human temple in this day.
Blessed be the Lord Who is the Father! He, verily, is come unto the
nations in His most great majesty. Turn your faces towards Him, O
concourse of the righteous!

113 O followers of all religions! We behold you wandering distraught in
the wilderness of error. Ye are the fish of this Ocean; wherefore do ye
withhold yourselves from that which sustaineth you? Lo, it surgeth before
your faces. Hasten unto it from every clime. This is the day whereon the
Rock(12) crieth out and shouteth, and celebrateth the praise of its Lord,
the All-Possessing, the Most High, saying: “Lo! The Father is come, and
that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled!” This is the Word
which was preserved behind the veils of grandeur, and which, when the
Promise came to pass, shed its radiance from the horizon of the Divine
Will with clear tokens.

114 My body hath borne imprisonment that your souls may be released from
bondage, and We have consented to be abased that ye may be exalted. Follow
the Lord of glory and dominion, and not every ungodly oppressor. My body
longeth for the cross, and Mine head awaiteth the thrust of the spear, in
the path of the All-Merciful, that the world may be purged from its
transgressions. Thus hath the Daystar of divine authority shone forth from
the horizon of the Revelation of Him Who is the Possessor of all names and
attributes.

115 The people of the Qur’án have risen against Us, and tormented Us with
such a torment that the Holy Spirit lamented, and the thunder roared out,
and the clouds wept over Us. Among the faithless is he who hath imagined
that calamities can deter Bahá from fulfilling that which God, the Creator
of all things, hath purposed. Say: Nay, by Him Who causeth the rain to
fall! Nothing whatsoever can withhold Him from the remembrance of His
Lord.

116 By the righteousness of God! Should they cast Him into a fire kindled
on the continent, He will assuredly rear His head in the midmost heart of
the ocean and proclaim: “He is the Lord of all that are in heaven and all
that are on earth!” And if they cast Him into a darksome pit, they will
find Him seated on earth’s loftiest heights calling aloud to all mankind:
“Lo, the Desire of the World is come in His majesty, His sovereignty, His
transcendent dominion!” And if He be buried beneath the depths of the
earth, His Spirit soaring to the apex of heaven shall peal the summons:
“Behold ye the coming of the Glory; witness ye the Kingdom of God, the
Most Holy, the Gracious, the All-Powerful!” And if they shed His blood,
every drop thereof shall cry out and invoke God in this Name through which
the fragrance of His raiment hath been diffused in all directions.

117 Though threatened by the swords of Our enemies, We summon all mankind
unto God, the Fashioner of earth and heaven, and We render Him such aid as
can be hindered by neither the hosts of tyranny nor the ascendancy of the
people of iniquity. Say: O peoples of the earth! Scatter the idols of your
vain imaginings in the name of your Lord, the All-Glorious, the
All-Knowing, and turn ye unto Him in this Day which God hath made the King
of days.

118 O Supreme Pontiff! Incline thine ear unto that which the Fashioner of
mouldering bones counselleth thee, as voiced by Him Who is His Most Great
Name. Sell all the embellished ornaments thou dost possess, and expend
them in the path of God, Who causeth the night to return upon the day, and
the day to return upon the night. Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and
emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set towards the Kingdom, and,
detached from the world, then speak forth the praises of thy Lord betwixt
earth and heaven. Thus hath bidden thee He Who is the Possessor of Names,
on the part of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Exhort thou the
kings and say: “Deal equitably with men. Beware lest ye transgress the
bounds fixed in the Book.” This indeed becometh thee. Beware lest thou
appropriate unto thyself the things of the world and the riches thereof.
Leave them unto such as desire them, and cleave unto that which hath been
enjoined upon thee by Him Who is the Lord of creation. Should anyone offer
thee all the treasures of the earth, refuse to even glance upon them. Be
as thy Lord hath been. Thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken that
which God hath made the ornament of the book of creation.

119 Consider a pearl which shineth by virtue of its inherent nature. If it
be covered with silk, its lustre and beauty will be concealed. Likewise,
man’s distinction lieth in the excellence of his conduct and in the
pursuit of that which beseemeth his station, not in childish play and
pastimes. Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and
in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the luxuries thou dost
possess. Abandon them unto those who seek after them and turn unto God, He
Who causeth the rivers to flow.

120 Whatever proceeded from the tongue of the Son was revealed in
parables, whilst He Who proclaimeth the Truth in this Day speaketh without
them. Take heed lest thou cling to the cord of idle fancy and withhold
thyself from that which hath been ordained in the Kingdom of God, the
Almighty, the All-Bountiful. Should the inebriation of the wine of My
verses seize thee, and thou determinest to present thyself before the
throne of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, make My love thy
vesture, and thy shield remembrance of Me, and thy provision reliance upon
God, the Revealer of all power.

121 O followers of the Son! We have once again sent John unto you, and He,
verily, hath cried out in the wilderness of the Bayán: O peoples of the
world! Cleanse your eyes! The Day whereon ye can behold the Promised One
and attain unto Him hath drawn nigh! O followers of the Gospel! Prepare
the way! The Day of the advent of the Glorious Lord is at hand! Make ready
to enter the Kingdom. Thus hath it been ordained by God, He Who causeth
the dawn to break.

122 Give ear unto that which the Dove of Eternity warbleth upon the twigs
of the Divine Lote-Tree: O peoples of the earth! We sent forth him who was
named John to baptize you with water, that your bodies might be cleansed
for the appearance of the Messiah. He, in turn, purified you with the fire
of love and the water of the spirit in anticipation of these Days whereon
the All-Merciful hath purposed to cleanse you with the water of life at
the hands of His loving providence. This is the Father foretold by Isaiah,
and the Comforter concerning Whom the Spirit had covenanted with you. Open
your eyes, O concourse of bishops, that ye may behold your Lord seated
upon the Throne of might and glory.

123 Say: O peoples of all faiths! Walk not in the ways of them that
followed the Pharisees and thus veiled themselves from the Spirit. They
truly have strayed and are in error. The Ancient Beauty is come in His
Most Great Name, and He wisheth to admit all mankind into His most holy
Kingdom. The pure in heart behold the Kingdom of God manifest before His
Face. Make haste thereunto and follow not the infidel and the ungodly.
Should your eye be opposed thereto, pluck it out.(13) Thus hath it been
decreed by the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden by Him Who is the
Lord of the entire creation. He, verily, hath come again that ye might be
redeemed, O peoples of the earth. Will ye slay Him Who desireth to grant
you eternal life? Fear God, O ye who are endued with insight.

124 O people! Hearken unto that which hath been revealed by your
All-Glorious Lord, and turn your faces unto God, the Lord of this world
and of the world to come. Thus doth He Who is the Dawning-Place of the
Daystar of divine inspiration command you as bidden by the Fashioner of
all mankind. We, verily, have created you for the light, and desire not to
abandon you unto the fire. Come forth, O people, from darkness by the
grace of this Sun which hath shone forth above the horizon of divine
providence, and turn thereunto with sanctified hearts and assured souls,
with seeing eyes and beaming faces. Thus counselleth you the Supreme
Ordainer from the scene of His transcendent glory, that perchance His
summons may draw you nigh unto the Kingdom of His names.

125 Blessed the one who hath remained faithful to the Covenant of God, and
woe betide him who hath broken it and disbelieved in Him, the Knower of
secrets. Say: This is the Day of Bounty! Bestir yourselves that I may make
you monarchs in the realms of My Kingdom. If ye follow Me, ye shall behold
that which ye were promised, and I will make you My companions in the
dominion of My majesty and the intimates of My beauty in the heaven of My
power forevermore. If ye rebel against Me, I will in My clemency endure it
patiently, that haply ye may awaken and rise up from the couch of
heedlessness. Thus hath My mercy encompassed you. Fear ye God and follow
not in the ways of those who have turned away from His face, though they
invoke His name in the daytime and in the night season.

126 Verily, the day of ingathering is come, and all things have been
separated from each other. He hath stored away that which He chose in the
vessels of justice, and cast into fire that which befitteth it. Thus hath
it been decreed by your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, in this promised
Day. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is none other God save
He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. The desire of the Divine Sifter hath
been to store up every good thing for Mine own Self. Naught hath He spoken
save to acquaint you with My Cause and to guide you to the path of Him
whose mention hath adorned all the sacred Books.

127 Say: O concourse of Christians! We have, on a previous occasion,
revealed Ourself unto you, and ye recognized Me not. This is yet another
occasion vouchsafed unto you. This is the Day of God; turn ye unto Him.
He, verily, hath come down from heaven even as He came down the first
time, and He desireth to shelter you beneath the shade of His mercy. He,
verily, is the Exalted, the Mighty, the Supreme Helper. The Beloved One
loveth not that ye be consumed with the fire of your desires. Were ye to
be shut out as by a veil from Him, this would be for no other reason than
your own waywardness and ignorance. Ye make mention of Me, and know Me
not. Ye call upon Me, and are heedless of My Revelation, notwithstanding
that I came unto you from the heaven of pre-existence with surpassing
glory. Rend the veils asunder in My name and through the power of My
sovereignty that ye may discover a path unto your Lord.

128 The King of Glory proclaimeth from the tabernacle of majesty and
grandeur His call, saying: O people of the Gospel! They who were not in
the Kingdom have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day,
tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by the power of your Lord,
the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, and enter, then, in My name My Kingdom.
Thus biddeth you He Who desireth for you everlasting life. He, verily, is
potent over all things. Blessed are those who have recognized the Light
and hastened unto it. They, verily, dwell in the Kingdom, and partake of
the food and drink of God’s chosen ones.

129 We behold you, O children of the Kingdom, in darkness. This, verily,
beseemeth you not. Are ye, in the face of the Light, fearful because of
your deeds? Direct yourselves towards Him. Your All-Glorious Lord hath
blessed His lands with His footsteps. Thus do We make plain unto you the
path of Him Whom the Spirit prophesied. I, verily, bear witness unto Him,
even as He hath borne witness unto Me. Verily, He said: “Come ye after Me,
and I will make you to become fishers of men.” In this day, however, We
say: “Come ye after Me, that We may make you to become quickeners of
mankind.” Thus hath the decree been inscribed in this Tablet by the Pen of
Revelation.

130 O Pen of the Most High! Bestir Thyself in remembrance of other kings
in this blessed and luminous Book, that perchance they may rise from the
couch of heedlessness and give ear unto that which the Nightingale singeth
upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, and hasten towards God in this
most wondrous and sublime Revelation.



Napoleon III


131 O King of Paris!(14) Tell the priests to ring the bells no longer. By
God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him
Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the Will of Thy Lord, the
Most Exalted, the Most High, toll it out in the heaven of Immortality in
His name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been
again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the
Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the
earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and
the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as God, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise, was pleased to spare. Say: He Who is the
Unconstrained is come, in the clouds of light, that He may quicken the
world with the breezes of His name, the Most Merciful, and unify its
peoples, and gather all men around this Table which hath been sent down
from heaven. Beware that ye deny not the favour of God after it hath been
sent down unto you. Better is this for you than that which ye possess; for
that which is yours perisheth, whilst that which is with God endureth. He,
in truth, ordaineth what He pleaseth. Verily, the breezes of forgiveness
have been wafted from the direction of your Lord, the God of Mercy; whoso
turneth thereunto shall be cleansed of his sins, and of all pain and
sickness. Happy the man that hath turned towards them, and woe betide him
that hath turned aside.

132 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.

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

134 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!”

135 O King! The stars of the heaven of knowledge have fallen, they who
seek to establish the truth of My Cause through the things they possess,
and who make mention of God in My Name. And yet, when I came unto them in
My glory, they turned aside. They, indeed, are of the fallen. This is,
truly, that which the Spirit of God hath announced, when He came with
truth unto you, He with Whom the Jewish doctors disputed, till at last
they perpetrated what hath made the Holy Spirit to lament, and the tears
of them that have near access to God to flow. Consider how a Pharisee who
had worshipped God for seventy years repudiated the Son when He appeared,
whereas one who had committed adultery gained admittance into the Kingdom.
Thus doth the Pen admonish thee as bidden by the Eternal King, that thou
mayest be apprised of what came to pass aforetime and be reckoned in this
day among them that truly believe.

136 Say: O concourse of monks! Seclude not yourselves in your churches and
cloisters. Come ye out of them by My leave, and busy, then, yourselves
with what will profit you and others. Thus commandeth you He Who is the
Lord of the Day of Reckoning. Seclude yourselves in the stronghold of My
love. This, truly, is the seclusion that befitteth you, could ye but know
it. He that secludeth himself in his house is indeed as one dead. It
behoveth man to show forth that which will benefit mankind. He that
bringeth forth no fruit is fit for the fire. Thus admonisheth you your
Lord; He, verily, is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Enter ye into wedlock,
that after you another may arise in your stead. We, verily, have forbidden
you lechery, and not that which is conducive to fidelity. Have ye clung
unto the promptings of your nature, and cast behind your backs the
statutes of God? Fear ye God, and be not of the foolish. But for man, who,
on My earth, would remember Me, and how could My attributes and My names
be revealed? Reflect, and be not of them that have shut themselves out as
by a veil from Him, and were of those that are fast asleep. He that
married not could find no place wherein to abide, nor where to lay His
head, by reason of what the hands of the treacherous had wrought. His
holiness consisted not in the things ye have believed and imagined, but
rather in the things which belong unto Us. Ask, that ye may be made aware
of His station which hath been exalted above the vain imaginings of all
the peoples of the earth. Blessed are they that understand.

137 O King! We heard the words thou didst utter in answer to the Czar of
Russia, concerning the decision made regarding the war.(15) Thy Lord,
verily, knoweth, is informed of all. Thou didst say: “I lay asleep upon my
couch, when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea,
wakened me.” This is what We heard thee say, and, verily, thy Lord is
witness unto what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not
their cry but the promptings of thine own passions, for We tested thee,
and found thee wanting. Comprehend the meaning of My words, and be thou of
the discerning. It is not Our wish to address thee words of condemnation,
out of regard for the dignity We conferred upon thee in this mortal life.
We, verily, have chosen courtesy, and made it the true mark of such as are
nigh unto Him. Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men,
whether young or old. Well is it with him that adorneth his temple
therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty. Hadst
thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back
the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty,
the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than
that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which
escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish,
and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers
of old. It behoveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the
dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield
Him from the darts of such as act unjustly.

138 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.(16) Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly
erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou
arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God in
this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It
shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast
to 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!”

139 O King! We were in ‘Iráq, when the hour of parting arrived. At the
bidding of the King of Islám(17) We set Our steps in his direction. Upon
Our arrival, there befell Us at the hands of the malicious that which the
books of the world can never adequately recount. Thereupon the inmates of
Paradise, and they that dwell within the retreats of holiness, lamented;
and yet the people are wrapped in a thick veil! Say: Do ye cavil at Him
Who hath come unto you bearing the clear evidence of God and His proof,
the testimony of God and His signs? These things are not from Himself;
nay, rather they proceed from the One Who hath raised Him up, sent Him
forth through the power of truth, and made Him to be a lamp unto all
mankind.

140 More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to
hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring
injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: “For what
crime were they imprisoned?”, they would answer and say: “They, verily,
sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!” If that which is
ancient be what ye prefer, wherefore, then, have ye discarded that which
hath been set down in the Torah and the Evangel? Clear it up, O men! By My
life! There is no place for you to flee to in this day. If this be My
crime, then Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and
before Him He Who was the Spirit of God, and yet earlier He Who conversed
with God. And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and
revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I
will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.

141 Upon Our arrival at this Prison, We purposed to transmit to the kings
the messages of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Though We have
transmitted to them, in several Tablets, that which We were commanded, yet
We do it once again as a token of God’s grace. Perchance they may
recognize the Lord, Who hath come down in the clouds with manifest
sovereignty.

142 As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and for His
Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the
wayward was powerless to deter Me from My purpose. Should they hide Me
away in the depths of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on
the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of strength and of might. I
have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations
in My love for Him, and for the sake of His good pleasure. Unto this bear
witness the woes which now afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath
suffered. Every single hair of Mine head calleth out that which the
Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of My body invoketh God and
saith: “O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the world might be
quickened, and all its peoples be united!” Thus hath it been decreed by
Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

143 Know of a truth that your subjects are God’s trust amongst you. Watch
ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye
allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit
to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate. Wert thou to
quaff the mystic Wine of everlasting life from the chalice of the words of
thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst be enabled to forsake all that
thou dost possess and to proclaim My Name before all mankind. Cleanse then
thy soul with the waters of detachment. Verily, this is the Remembrance
that hath shone forth above the horizon of creation, which shall purge thy
soul from the dross of the world. Abandon thy palaces to the people of the
graves, and thine empire to whosoever desireth it, and turn, then, unto
the Kingdom. This, verily, is what God hath chosen for thee, wert thou of
them that turn unto Him. They that have failed to turn unto the
Countenance of God in this Revelation are indeed bereft of life. They move
as bidden by their own selfish desires, and are in truth accounted among
the dead. Shouldst thou desire to bear the weight of thy dominion, bear it
then to aid the Cause of thy Lord. Glorified be this station which whoever
attaineth thereunto hath attained unto all good that proceedeth from Him
Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

144 Arise thou, in My name, above the horizon of renunciation, and set,
then, thy face towards the Kingdom, at the bidding of thy Lord, the Lord
of strength and of might. Through the power of My sovereignty stand before
the inhabitants of the world and say: “O people! The Day is come, and the
fragrances of God have been wafted over the whole of creation. They that
have turned away from His Face are the helpless victims of their corrupt
inclinations. They are indeed of them that have gone astray.”

145 Adorn the body of Thy kingdom with the raiment of My name, and arise,
then, to teach My Cause. Better is this for thee than that which thou
possessest. God will, thereby, exalt thy name among all the kings. Potent
is He over all things. Walk thou amongst men in the name of God, and by
the power of His might, that thou mayest show forth His signs amidst the
peoples of the earth. Burn thou brightly with the flame of this undying
Fire which the All-Merciful hath ignited in the midmost heart of creation,
that through thee the heat of His love may be kindled within the hearts of
His favoured ones. Follow in My way and enrapture the hearts of men
through remembrance of Me, the Almighty, the Most Exalted.

146 Say: He from whom, in this day, the sweet savours of the remembrance
of His Lord, the All-Merciful, have not been diffused, is indeed unworthy
of the station of man. He, verily, is of them that have followed their own
desires, and shall erelong find himself in grievous loss. Doth it behove
you to relate yourselves to Him Who is the God of mercy, and yet commit
the things which the Evil One hath committed? Nay, by the Beauty of Him
Who is the All-Glorified! could ye but know it. Purge your hearts from
love of the world, and your tongues from calumny, and your limbs from
whatsoever may withhold you from drawing nigh unto God, the Mighty, the
All-Praised. Say: By the world is meant that which turneth you aside from
Him Who is the Dawning-Place of Revelation, and inclineth you unto that
which is unprofitable unto you. Verily, the thing that deterreth you, in
this day, from God is worldliness in its essence. Eschew it, and approach
the Most Sublime Vision, this shining and resplendent Seat. Blessed is he
who alloweth nothing whatsoever to intervene between him and his Lord. No
harm, assuredly, can befall him if he partaketh with justice of the
benefits of this world, inasmuch as We have created all things for such of
Our servants as truly believe in God.

147 Should your words, O people, be at variance with your deeds, what then
shall distinguish you from those who profess their faith in the Lord,
their God, and yet, when He came down to them overshadowed with clouds,
rejected Him and waxed proud before God, the Incomparable, the Omniscient?
Shed not the blood of anyone, O people, neither judge ye anyone unjustly.
Thus have ye been commanded by Him Who knoweth, Who is informed of all.
They that commit disorders in the land after it hath been well ordered,
these indeed have outstepped the bounds that have been set in the Book.
Wretched shall be the abode of the transgressors!

148 God hath prescribed unto everyone the duty of teaching His Cause.
Whoever ariseth to discharge this duty, must needs, ere he proclaimeth His
Message, adorn himself with the ornament of an upright and praiseworthy
character, so that his words may attract the hearts of such as are
receptive to his call. Without it, he can never hope to influence his
hearers. Thus doth God instruct you. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Compassionate.

149 They who exhort others unto justice, while themselves committing
iniquity, stand accused of falsehood by the inmates of the Kingdom and by
those who circle round the throne of their Lord, the Almighty, the
Beneficent, for that which their tongues have uttered. Commit not, O
people, that which dishonoureth your name and the fair name of the Cause
of God amongst men. Beware lest ye approach that which your minds abhor.
Fear God and follow not in the footsteps of them that are gone astray.
Deal not treacherously with the substance of your neighbour. Be ye
trustworthy on earth, and withhold not from the poor the things given unto
you by God through His grace. He, verily, will bestow upon you the double
of what ye possess. He, in truth, is the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous.

150 Say: We have ordained that our Cause be taught through the power of
utterance. Beware lest ye dispute idly with anyone. Whoso ariseth wholly
for the sake of his Lord to teach His Cause, the Holy Spirit shall
strengthen him and inspire him with that which will illumine the heart of
the world, how much more the hearts of those who seek Him. O people of
Bahá! Subdue the citadels of men’s hearts with the swords of wisdom and of
utterance. They that dispute, as prompted by their desires, are indeed
wrapped in a palpable veil. Say: The sword of wisdom is hotter than summer
heat, and sharper than blades of steel, if ye do but understand. Draw it
forth in My name and through the power of My might, and conquer then with
it the cities of the hearts of them that have secluded themselves in the
stronghold of their corrupt desires. Thus biddeth you the Pen of the
All-Glorious, whilst seated beneath the swords of the wayward.

151 If ye become aware of a sin committed by another, conceal it, that God
may conceal your own sin. He, verily, is the Concealer, the Lord of grace
abounding. O ye rich ones on earth! If ye encounter one who is poor, treat
him not disdainfully. Reflect upon that whereof ye were created. Every one
of you was created of a sorry germ.(18) It behoveth you to observe
truthfulness, whereby your temples shall be adorned, your names uplifted,
your stations exalted amidst men, and a mighty recompense assured for you
before God.

152 Give ear, O peoples of the earth, unto that which the Pen of the Lord
of all nations commandeth you. Know ye of a certainty that the
Dispensations of the past have attained their highest, their final
consummation in the Law that hath branched out from this Most Great Ocean.
Haste ye thereunto at Our behest. We, verily, ordain as We please. Regard
ye the world as a man’s body, which is afflicted with divers ailments, and
the recovery of which dependeth upon the harmonizing of all of its
component elements. Gather ye around that which We have prescribed unto
you, and walk not in the ways of such as create dissension.

153 All feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great
Festivals, and in two other Festivals that fall on the twin days—the first
of the Most Great Festivals being those days whereon God shed the
effulgent glory of His most excellent Names upon all who are in heaven and
on earth, and the second being that day on which We raised up the One Who
announced unto the people the glad tidings of this Great Announcement.(19)
Thus hath it been set down in the Book by Him Who is the Mighty, the
Powerful. On other than these four consummate days, engage ye in your
daily occupations, and withhold yourselves not from the pursuit of your
trades and crafts. Thus hath the command been issued and the law gone
forth from Him Who is your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

154 Say: O concourse of priests and monks! Eat ye of that which God hath
made lawful unto you and do not shun meat. God hath, as a token of His
grace, granted you leave to partake thereof save during a brief period.
He, verily, is the Mighty, the Beneficent. Forsake all that ye possess and
hold fast unto that which God hath purposed. This is that which profiteth
you, if ye be of them that comprehend. We have ordained a fast of nineteen
days in the most temperate of the seasons, and have in this resplendent
and luminous Dispensation relieved you from more than this. Thus have We
set forth and made clear unto you that which ye are bidden to observe,
that ye may follow the commandments of God and be united in that which the
Almighty, the All-Wise, hath appointed unto you. He Who is your Lord, the
All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire
human race as one soul and one body. Haste ye to win your share of God’s
good grace and mercy in this Day that eclipseth all other created Days.
How great the felicity that awaiteth the man that forsaketh all he hath in
a desire to obtain the things of God! Such a man, We testify, is among
God’s blessed ones.

155 O King! Bear thou witness unto that which God hath Himself and for
Himself borne witness ere the creation of earth and heaven, that there is
none other God but Me, the One, the Single, the Most Exalted, the
Incomparable, the Inaccessible. Arise with the utmost steadfastness in the
Cause of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. Thus hast thou been instructed in
this wondrous Tablet. We, verily, have desired naught for thee save that
which is better for thee than all that is on earth. Unto this testify all
created things and beyond them this perspicuous Book.

156 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,(20) 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.

157 We behold the generality of mankind worshipping names and exposing
themselves, as thou dost witness, to dire perils in the mere hope of
perpetuating their names, whilst every perceiving soul testifieth that
after death one’s name shall avail him nothing except insofar as it
beareth a relationship unto God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Thus have
their vain imaginings taken hold of them in requital for that which their
hands have wrought. Consider the pettiness of men’s minds. They seek with
utmost exertion that which profiteth them not, and yet wert thou to ask of
them: “Is there any advantage in that which ye desire?”, thou wouldst find
them sorely perplexed. Were a fair-minded soul to be found, he would
reply: “Nay, by the Lord of the worlds!” Such is the condition of the
people and of that which they possess. Leave them in their folly and turn
thy sight unto God. This is in truth that which beseemeth thee. Hearken
then unto the counsel of thy Lord, and say: Lauded art Thou, O God of all
who are in heaven and on earth!



Czar Alexander II


158 O Czar of Russia! Incline thine ear unto the voice of God, the King,
the Holy, and turn thou unto Paradise, the Spot wherein abideth He Who,
among the Concourse on high, beareth the most excellent titles, and Who,
in the kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the Effulgent,
the All-Glorious. Beware lest thy desire deter thee from turning towards
the face of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We, verily,
have heard the thing for which thou didst supplicate thy Lord, whilst
secretly communing with Him. Wherefore, the breeze of My loving-kindness
wafted forth, and the sea of My mercy surged, and We answered thee in
truth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whilst I lay
chained and fettered in the prison, one of thy ministers extended Me his
aid. Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station which the knowledge of
none can comprehend except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away
this sublime station. Thy Lord, verily, doeth what He willeth. What He
pleaseth will God abrogate or confirm, and with Him is the knowledge of
all things in a Guarded Tablet.

159 Beware lest thy sovereignty withhold thee from Him Who is the Supreme
Sovereign. He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms cry
aloud: “Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!” He Who is the Father
is come, and the Son, in the holy vale, crieth out: “Here am I, here am I,
O Lord, My God!”, whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning
Bush calleth aloud: “The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds!
Blessed is he that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far
away.”

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

161 Blessed be the king whom the veils of glory have not deterred from
turning unto the Dayspring of beauty and who hath forsaken his all in his
desire to obtain the things of God. He, indeed, is accounted in the sight
of God as the most excellent of men, and is extolled by the inmates of
paradise and them that circle morn and eve round the Throne on high.

162 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.

163 Set thine heart towards Him Who is the Point of adoration for the
world, and say: “O peoples of the earth! Have ye denied the One in Whose
path He Who came with the truth, bearing the announcement of your Lord,
the Exalted, the Great, suffered martyrdom?” Say: This is an Announcement
whereat the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have rejoiced. This is
the One Whom the heart of the world remembereth, and is promised in the
Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. The hands of the Messengers were,
in their desire to meet Me, upraised towards God, the Mighty, the
Glorified. Unto this testifieth that which hath been sent down in the
sacred Scriptures by Him Who is the Lord of might and power.

164 Some lamented in their separation from Me, others endured hardships in
My path, and still others laid down their lives for the sake of My Beauty,
could ye but know it. Say: I, verily, have not sought to extol Mine own
Self, but rather God Himself, were ye to judge fairly. Naught can be seen
in Me except God and His Cause, could ye but perceive it. I am the One
Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled, the One with Whose name both the
Torah and the Evangel were adorned. Thus hath it been decreed in the
Scriptures of thy Lord, the Most Merciful. He, verily, hath borne witness
unto Me, as I bear witness unto Him. And God testifieth to the truth of My
words.

165 Say: The Books have been sent down for naught but My remembrance.
Whosoever is receptive to their call shall perceive therefrom the sweet
fragrances of My name and My praise; and he who hath unstopped the ear of
his inmost heart shall hear from every word thereof: “The True One is
come! He indeed is the beloved of the worlds!”

166 It is for the sake of God alone that My tongue counselleth you and
that My pen moveth to make mention of you, for neither can the malice and
denial of all who dwell on earth harm Me, nor the allegiance of the entire
creation profit Me. We, verily, exhort you unto that which We were
commanded, and desire naught from you except that ye draw nigh unto what
shall profit you in both this world and the world to come. Say: Will ye
slay Him Who summoneth you unto life everlasting? Fear ye God, and follow
not every contumacious oppressor.

167 O proud ones of the earth! Do ye believe yourselves to be abiding in
palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation resideth in the most
desolate of abodes? Nay, by My life! In tombs do ye dwell, could ye but
perceive it. Verily, he who faileth, in these days, to be stirred by the
breeze of God is accounted among the dead in the sight of Him Who is the
Lord of all names and attributes. Arise, then, from the tombs of self and
desire and turn unto the Kingdom of God, the Possessor of the Throne on
high and of earth below, that ye may behold that which ye were promised
aforetime by your Lord, the All-Knowing.

168 Think ye that the things ye possess shall profit you? Soon others will
possess them and ye will return unto the dust with none to help or succour
you. What advantage is there in a life that can be overtaken by death, or
in an existence that is doomed to extinction, or in a prosperity that is
subject to change? Cast away the things that ye possess and set your faces
toward the favours of God which have been sent down in this wondrous Name.

169 Thus doth the Pen of the Most High warble unto thee its melodies by
the leave of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. When thou hast heard and recited
them, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all the worlds, inasmuch as
Thou hast made mention of me through the tongue of Him Who is the
Manifestation of Thy Self at a time when He was confined in the Most Great
Prison, that the whole world might attain unto true liberty.”

170 Blessed be the king whose sovereignty hath withheld him not from his
Sovereign, and who hath turned unto God with his heart. He, verily, is
accounted of those that have attained unto that which God, the Mighty, the
All-Wise, hath willed. Erelong will such a one find himself numbered with
the monarchs of the realms of the Kingdom. Thy Lord is, in truth, potent
over all things. He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and
withholdeth what He pleaseth from whomsoever He willeth. He, verily, is
the All-Powerful, the Almighty.



Queen Victoria


171 O Queen in London! Incline thine ear unto the voice of thy Lord, the
Lord of all mankind, calling from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, no God is
there but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise! Cast away all that is on earth,
and attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of
thy Lord, the All-Glorious. He, in truth, hath come unto the world in His
most great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been
fulfilled. The land of Syria hath been honoured by the footsteps of its
Lord, the Lord of all men, and north and south are both inebriated with
the wine of His presence. Blessed is the man that hath inhaled the
fragrance of the Most Merciful, and turned unto the Dawning-Place of His
Beauty, in this resplendent Dawn. The Mosque of Aqṣá vibrateth through the
breezes of its Lord, the All-Glorious, whilst Baṭḥá(21) 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.

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

173 We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into
the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done
well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be
strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether
high or low, will be tranquillized. It behoveth them, however, to be
trustworthy among His servants, and to regard themselves as the
representatives of all that dwell on earth. This is what counselleth them,
in this Tablet, He Who is the Ruler, the All-Wise. And if any one of them
directeth himself towards the Assembly, let him turn his eyes unto the
Supreme Horizon, and say: “O my God! I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious
Name, to aid me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants to
prosper, and Thy cities to flourish. Thou, indeed, hast power over all
things!” Blessed is he that entereth the Assembly for the sake of God, and
judgeth between men with pure justice. He, indeed, is of the blissful.

174 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.

175 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.

176 That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and
mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all
its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise
be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and
inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but
error. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light
shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant
physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the
world. It failed, therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted
until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a
cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was
withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the
ignorant physicians have wrought.

177 Consider these days in which He Who is the Ancient Beauty hath come in
the Most Great Name, that He may quicken the world and unite its peoples.
They, however, rose up against Him with sharpened swords, and committed
that which caused the Faithful Spirit to lament, until in the end they
imprisoned Him in the most desolate of cities, and broke the grasp of the
faithful upon the hem of His robe. Were anyone to tell them: “The World
Reformer is come”, they would answer and say: “Indeed it is proven that He
is a fomenter of discord!”, and this notwithstanding that they have never
associated with Him, and have perceived that He did not seek, for one
moment, to protect Himself. At all times He was at the mercy of the wicked
doers. At one time they cast Him into prison, at another they banished
Him, and at yet another hurried Him from land to land. Thus have they
pronounced judgement against Us, and God, truly, is aware of what I say.
Such men are reckoned by God among the most ignorant of His creatures.
They cut off their own limbs and perceive it not; they deprive themselves
of that which is best for them, and know it not. They are even as a young
child who can distinguish neither the mischief-maker from the reformer nor
the wicked from the righteous. We behold them in this Day wrapt in a
palpable veil.

178 O ye rulers of the earth! Wherefore have ye clouded the radiance of
the Sun, and caused it to cease from shining? Hearken unto the counsel
given you by the Pen of the Most High, that haply both ye and the poor may
attain unto tranquillity and peace. We beseech God to assist the kings of
the earth to establish peace on earth. He, verily, doth what He willeth.

179 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!

180 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.

181 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.

182 Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will the tempest of
discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples find rest, if ye be of
them that comprehend. Should any one among you take up arms against
another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest justice.
Thus did We exhort you in the Tablet sent down aforetime,(22) and We
admonish you once again to follow that which hath been revealed by Him Who
is the Almighty, the All-Wise. Should anyone seek refuge with you, extend
unto him your protection and betray him not. Thus doth the Pen of the Most
High counsel you, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed.

183 Beware lest ye act as did the King of Islám(23) when We came unto him
at his bidding. His ministers pronounced judgement against Us with such
injustice that all creation lamented and the hearts of those who are nigh
unto God were consumed. The winds of self and passion move them as they
will, and We found them all bereft of constancy. They are, indeed, of
those that are far astray.

184 Rein in Thy pen, O Pen of the Ancient of Days, and leave them to
themselves, for they are immersed in their idle fancies. Make Thou mention
of the Queen, that she may turn with a pure heart unto the scene of
transcendent glory, may withhold not her eyes from gazing toward her Lord,
the Supreme Ordainer, and may become acquainted with that which hath been
revealed in the Books and Tablets by the Creator of all mankind, He
through Whom the sun hath been darkened and the moon eclipsed, and through
Whom the Call hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven.

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



Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh


186 O King of the Earth! Hearken unto the call of this Vassal: Verily, I
am a Servant Who hath believed in God and in His signs, and have
sacrificed Myself in His path. Unto this bear witness the woes which now
beset Me, woes the like of which no man hath ever before sustained. My
Lord, the All-Knowing, testifieth to the truth of My words. I have
summoned the people unto none save God, thy Lord and the Lord of the
worlds, and have endured for love of Him such afflictions as the eye of
creation hath never beheld. To this testify those whom the veils of human
fancy have not deterred from turning unto the Most Sublime Vision, and,
beyond them, He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in the preserved
Tablet.

187 Whensoever the clouds of tribulation have rained down the darts of
affliction in the path of God, the Lord of all names, I have hastened to
meet them, as every fair-minded and discerning soul shall attest. How many
the nights which found the beasts of the field resting in their lairs, and
the birds of the air lying in their nests, while this Youth languished in
chains and fetters with none to aid or succour Him!

188 Call Thou to mind God’s mercy unto Thee; how, when Thou wert
imprisoned with a number of other souls, He delivered Thee and aided Thee
with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, until the King sent Thee to
‘Iráq after We had disclosed unto him that Thou wert not of the sowers of
sedition. Those who follow their corrupt desires and lay aside the fear of
God are indeed in grievous error. They that spread disorder in the land,
shed the blood of men, and wrongfully consume the substance of others—We,
verily, are clear of them, and We beseech God not to associate Us with
them, whether in this world or in the world to come, unless they should
repent unto Him. He, verily, is of those who show mercy the most merciful.

189 Whoso turneth towards God must distinguish himself from others by his
every deed, and follow that which hath been enjoined upon him in the Book.
Thus hath it been decreed in a lucid Tablet. Those, however, who cast
behind their backs the commandments of God, and follow the prompting of
their own desires, are, verily, in grievous error.

190 O King! I adjure thee by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, to look upon thy
servants with the glances of the eye of thy favour, and to treat them with
justice, that God may treat thee with mercy. Potent is thy Lord to do as
He pleaseth. The world, with all its abasement and glory, shall pass away,
and the kingdom will remain unto God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing.

191 Say: He hath kindled the lamp of utterance, and feedeth it with the
oil of wisdom and understanding. Too high is thy Lord, the All-Merciful,
for aught in the universe to resist His Faith. He revealeth what He
pleaseth through the power of His sovereign might, and protecteth it with
a host of His well-favoured angels. He is supreme over His servants and
exerciseth undisputed dominion over His creation. He, verily, is the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

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

193 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.

194 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.

195 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!

196 Amongst the people are those who allege that this Youth hath had no
purpose but to perpetuate His name, whilst others claim that He hath
sought for Himself the vanities of the world—this, notwithstanding that
never, throughout all My days, have I found a place of safety, be it to
the extent of a single foothold. At all times have I been immersed in an
ocean of tribulations, whose full measure none can fathom but God. He,
truly, is aware of what I say. How many the days in which My loved ones
have been sorely shaken by reason of My afflictions, and how many the
nights during which My kindred, fearing for My life, have bitterly wept
and lamented! And this none can deny save them that are bereft of
truthfulness. Is it conceivable that He Who expecteth to lose His life at
any moment should seek after worldly vanities? How very strange the
imaginings of those who speak as prompted by their own caprices, and who
wander distractedly in the wilderness of self and passion! Erelong shall
they be called upon to account for their words, and on that day they shall
find none to befriend or help them.

197 And amongst the people are those who claim that He hath disbelieved in
God—yet every member of My body testifieth that there is none other God
but Him; that those Whom He hath raised up in truth and sent forth with
His guidance are the Manifestations of His most excellent names, the
Revealers of His most exalted attributes, and the Repositories of His
Revelation in the kingdom of creation; that through them the Proof of God
hath been perfected unto all else but Him, the standard of Divine Unity
hath been raised, and the sign of sanctity hath been made manifest; and
that through them every soul hath found a path unto the Lord of the Throne
on high. We testify that there is none other God but Him, that from
everlasting He was alone with none else besides Him, and that He shall be
unto everlasting what He hath ever been. Too high is the All-Merciful for
the hearts of those who have recognized Him to apprehend His true nature,
or for the minds of men to hope to fathom His essence. He verily is
exalted above the understanding of anyone besides Himself, and sanctified
beyond the comprehension of all else save Him. From all eternity He hath
been independent of the entire creation.

198 Remember the days in which the Sun of Baṭḥá(24) shone forth above the
horizon of the Will of thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High, and recall
how the divines of that age turned away from Him, and the learned
contended with Him, that haply thou mayest apprehend that which, in this
day, remaineth concealed behind the veils of glory. So grievous became His
plight on every side that He instructed His companions to disperse. Thus
was the decree made manifest from the heaven of divine glory. Remember,
furthermore, how, when one of these same companions came before the King
of Ethiopia and recited unto him a Súrih of the Qur’án, he declared to his
attendants: “This, truly, hath been revealed by One Who is All-Knowing and
All-Wise. Whoso acknowledgeth the truth, and believeth in the teachings of
Jesus, can in no wise deny what hath been recited. We, verily, bear
witness to its truth, even as we bear witness to the truth of that which
we possess of the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

199 I swear by God, O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear to the melodies
of that Nightingale which warbleth in manifold accents upon the mystic
bough as bidden by thy Lord, the All-Merciful, thou wouldst cast away thy
sovereignty and set thy face towards this Scene of transcendent glory,
above whose horizon shineth the Book of the Dawntide,(25) and wouldst
expend all that thou possessest in thine eagerness to obtain the things of
God. Then wouldst thou find thyself raised up to the summit of exaltation
and glory, and elevated to the pinnacle of majesty and independence. Thus
hath the decree been recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of the
All-Merciful. Of what avail are the things which are yours today and which
tomorrow others shall possess? Choose for thyself that which God hath
chosen for His elect, and God shall grant thee a mighty sovereignty in His
Kingdom. We beseech God to aid thy Majesty to hearken unto that Word whose
radiance hath enveloped the whole world, and to protect thee from such as
have strayed far from the court of His presence.

200 Glory be to Thee, O Lord My God! How many the heads which were raised
aloft on spears in Thy path, and how many the breasts which were made the
target of arrows for the sake of Thy good pleasure! How many the hearts
that have been lacerated for the exaltation of Thy Word and the promotion
of Thy Cause, and how many the eyes that have wept sore for love of Thee!
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the King of kings and the Pitier of the
downtrodden, by Thy Most Great Name which Thou hast made the Dawning-Place
of Thy most excellent names and the Dayspring of Thy most exalted
attributes, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy
creatures and debarred them from turning unto the horizon of Thy
Revelation. Cause them, then, O My God, by Thy most exalted Word, to turn
from the left hand of oblivion and delusion unto the right hand of
knowledge and certitude, that they may know what Thou hast purposed for
them through Thy bounty and grace, and may set their faces towards Him Who
is the Manifestation of Thy Cause and the Revealer of Thy signs.

201 O My God! Thou art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite.
Withhold not Thy servants from the most mighty Ocean, which Thou hast made
the repository of the pearls of Thy knowledge and Thy wisdom, and turn
them not away from Thy gate, which Thou hast opened wide before all who
are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. O Lord! Leave them not to
themselves, for they understand not and flee from that which is better for
them than all that Thou hast created upon Thine earth. Cast upon them, O
My God, the glances of the eye of Thy favour and bounty, and deliver them
from self and passion, that they may draw nigh unto Thy most exalted
Horizon, taste the sweetness of Thy remembrance, and delight in that bread
which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the firmament of
Thy grace. From everlasting Thy bounty hath embraced the entire creation
and Thy mercy hath surpassed all things. No God is there but Thee, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

202 Glorified art Thou, O Lord My God! Thou well knowest that Mine heart
hath melted in Thy Cause, and that My blood so boileth in My veins with
the fire of Thy love that every drop of it proclaimeth with its inner
tongue: “Grant that I may be spilt upon the ground for Thy sake, O my
Lord, the Most High, that from it there may spring forth that which Thou
hast purposed in Thy Tablets and hast hidden from the eyes of all, except
such servants as have tasted of the crystal stream of knowledge from the
hands of Thy grace and quaffed the soft-flowing waters of understanding
from the cup of Thy bestowal.”

203 Thou knowest, O My God, that in all Mine affairs I have sought only to
obey Thy bidding, that in Mine every utterance I have wished only to extol
Thy praise, and that in whatsoever hath proceeded from My Pen I have
purposed only to win Thy good pleasure and to reveal that which Thou hast
enjoined upon Me through Thy sovereignty.

204 Thou beholdest Me, O My God, as one bewildered in Thy land. Whensoever
I make mention of that which Thou hast enjoined upon Me, Thy creatures
cavil at Me; yet were I to neglect that which Thou hast bidden Me observe,
I would deserve the scourge of Thine anger and would be far removed from
the meadows of Thy nearness. Nay, by Thy glory! I have set My face towards
Thy good pleasure, and turned away from the things whereon Thy servants
have set their affections. I have embraced all that is with Thee, and
forsaken all that might lead Me away from the retreats of Thy nearness and
the heights of Thy glory. I swear by Thy might! With Thy love in My heart
nothing can ever alarm Me, and in the path of Thy good pleasure all the
world’s afflictions can in no wise dismay Me. All this, however,
proceedeth from Thy power and Thy might, from Thy bounty and Thy grace,
and is not of Mine own deserving.

205 This is an Epistle, O My God, which I have purposed to send unto the
King. Thou knowest that I have wished of him naught but that he should
show forth justice to Thy servants and extend his favours unto the people
of Thy kingdom. For Myself I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and
through Thy succour I wish for naught save that which Thou wishest. Perish
the soul that seeketh from Thee aught save Thyself! I swear by Thy glory!
Thy good pleasure is my dearest wish, and Thy purpose My highest hope.
Have mercy, O My God, upon this poor creature Who hath clung unto the hem
of Thy riches, and this suppliant soul Who calleth upon Thee, saying,
“Thou art, verily, the Lord of might and glory!” Assist Thou, O My God,
His Majesty the Sháh to keep Thy statutes amidst Thy servants and to
manifest Thy justice amongst Thy creatures, that he may treat this people
as he treateth others. Thou art, in truth, the God of power, of glory and
wisdom.

206 By the leave and permission of the King of the Age, this Servant
journeyed from the Seat of Sovereignty(26) to ‘Iráq, and dwelt for twelve
years in that land. Throughout the entire course of this period no account
of Our condition was submitted to the court of thy presence, and no
representation ever made to foreign powers. Placing Our whole trust in
God, We resided in that land until there came to ‘Iráq a certain
official(27) who, upon his arrival, undertook to harass this poor company
of exiles. Day after day, at the instigation of some of the outwardly
learned and of other individuals, he would stir up trouble for these
servants, although they had at no time committed any act detrimental to
the state and its people or contrary to the rules and customs of the
citizens of the realm.

207 Fearing lest the actions of these transgressors should produce some
outcome at variance with thy world-adorning judgement, this Servant
despatched a brief account of the matter to Mírzá Sa‘íd Khán(28) at the
Foreign Ministry, so that he might submit it to the royal presence and
that whatever thou shouldst please to decree in this respect might be
obeyed. A long while elapsed, and no decree was issued. Finally matters
came to such a pass that there loomed the threat of imminent strife and
bloodshed. Of necessity, therefore, and for the protection of the servants
of God, a few of them appealed to the Governor of ‘Iráq.(29)

208 Wert thou to observe these events with the eye of fairness, it would
become clear and evident in the luminous mirror of thine heart that what
occurred was called for by the circumstances, and that no other
alternative could be seen. His Majesty himself is witness that in whatever
city a number of this people have resided, the hostility of certain
functionaries hath enkindled the flame of conflict and contention. This
evanescent Soul, however, hath, since His arrival in ‘Iráq, forbidden all
to engage in dissension and strife. The witness of this Servant is His
very deeds, for all are well aware and will testify that, although a
greater number of this people resided in ‘Iráq than in any other land, no
one overstepped his limits or transgressed against his neighbour. Fixing
their gaze upon God, and reposing their trust in Him, all have now been
abiding in peace for well-nigh fifteen years, and, in whatever hath
befallen them, they have shown forth patience and resigned themselves to
God.

209 After the arrival of this Servant in this, the city of Adrianople,
some of the people of ‘Iráq and elsewhere inquired about the meaning of
the term “rendering assistance unto God” which hath been mentioned in the
Holy Scriptures. Several answers were sent out in reply, one of which is
set forth in these pages, that it may be clearly demonstrated in the court
of thy presence that this Servant hath had no end in view but to promote
the betterment and well-being of the world. And if certain of the divine
favours which, undeserving as I may be, God hath pleased to bestow upon Me
be not plain and manifest, this much at least will be clear and apparent,
that He, in His surpassing mercy and infinite grace, hath not deprived
Mine heart of the ornament of reason. The passage that was referred to
concerning the meaning of “rendering assistance unto God” is as follows:


                    _He is God, exalted be His glory!_

    210 It is clear and evident that the one true God—glorified be His
    mention!—is sanctified above the world and all that is therein. By
    “rendering assistance unto God”, then, it is not meant that any
    soul should fight or contend with another. That Sovereign Lord Who
    doeth whatsoever He pleaseth hath entrusted the kingdom of
    creation, its lands and its seas, into the hands of the kings, for
    they are, each according to his degree, the manifestations of His
    divine power. Should they enter beneath the shadow of the True
    One, they will be accounted of God, and if not, thy Lord, verily,
    knoweth and observeth all things.

    211 That which God—glorified be His Name!—hath desired for Himself
    is the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of His
    love and remembrance and the repositories of His knowledge and
    wisdom. It hath ever been the wish of the Eternal King to cleanse
    the hearts of His servants from the things of the world and all
    that pertaineth thereunto, that they may be made worthy recipients
    of the effulgent splendours of Him Who is the King of all names
    and attributes. Wherefore must no stranger be allowed in the city
    of the heart, that the incomparable Friend may enter His abode. By
    this is meant the effulgence of His names and attributes, and not
    His exalted Essence, inasmuch as that peerless King hath ever
    been, and shall eternally remain, sanctified above ascent and
    descent.

    212 It followeth, therefore, that rendering assistance unto God,
    in this day, doth not and shall never consist in contending or
    disputing with any soul; nay rather, what is preferable in the
    sight of God is that the cities of men’s hearts, which are ruled
    by the hosts of self and passion, should be subdued by the sword
    of utterance, of wisdom and of understanding. Thus, whoso seeketh
    to assist God must, before all else, conquer, with the sword of
    inner meaning and explanation, the city of his own heart and guard
    it from the remembrance of all save God, and only then set out to
    subdue the cities of the hearts of others.

    213 Such is the true meaning of rendering assistance unto God.
    Sedition hath never been pleasing unto God, nor were the acts
    committed in the past by certain foolish ones acceptable in His
    sight. Know ye that to be killed in the path of His good pleasure
    is better for you than to kill. The beloved of the Lord must, in
    this day, behave in such wise amidst His servants that they may by
    their very deeds and actions guide all men unto the paradise of
    the All-Glorious.

    214 By Him Who shineth above the Dayspring of Sanctity! The
    friends of God have not, nor will they ever, set their hopes upon
    the world and its ephemeral possessions. The one true God hath
    ever regarded the hearts of men as His own, His exclusive
    possession—and this too but as an expression of His all-surpassing
    mercy, that haply mortal souls may be purged and sanctified from
    all that pertaineth to the world of dust and gain admittance into
    the realms of eternity. For otherwise that ideal King is, in
    Himself and by Himself, sufficient unto Himself and independent of
    all things. Neither doth the love of His creatures profit Him, nor
    can their malice harm Him. All have issued forth from abodes of
    dust, and unto dust shall they return, while the one true God,
    alone and single, is established upon His Throne, a Throne which
    is beyond the reaches of time and space, is sanctified above all
    utterance or expression, intimation, description and definition,
    and is exalted beyond all notion of abasement and glory. And none
    knoweth this save Him and those with whom is the knowledge of the
    Book. No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.


215 It behoveth the benevolence of the Sovereign, however, to examine all
matters with the eye of justice and mercy, and not to content himself with
the baseless claims of certain individuals. We beseech God to graciously
assist the King to fulfil that which He pleaseth, and, verily, that which
He desireth should be the desire of all the worlds.

216 Later this Servant was summoned to Constantinople, whither We arrived
accompanied by a poor band of exiles. At no time thereafter did We seek to
meet with anyone, as We had no request to make and no aim in view but to
demonstrate unto all that this Servant had no mischief in mind and had
never associated with the sowers of sedition. By Him Who hath caused the
tongues of all beings to speak forth His praise! While certain
considerations rendered it difficult to make application to any quarter,
such steps were perforce taken to protect certain souls. My Lord, verily,
knoweth what is in Me, and He beareth witness unto the truth of what I
say.

217 A just king is the shadow of God on earth. All should seek shelter
under the shadow of his justice, and rest in the shade of his favour. This
is not a matter which is either specific or limited in its scope, that it
might be restricted to one or another person, inasmuch as the shadow
telleth of the One Who casteth it. God, glorified be His remembrance, hath
called Himself the Lord of the worlds, for He hath nurtured and still
nurtureth everyone. Glorified be, then, His grace that hath preceded all
created things, and His mercy that hath surpassed the worlds.

218 It is clear and evident that, whether this Cause be seen as right or
wrong by the people, those who are associated with its name have accepted
and embraced it as true, and have forsaken their all in their eagerness to
partake of the things of God. That they should evince such renunciation in
the path of the love of the All-Merciful is in itself a faithful witness
and an eloquent testimony to the truth of their convictions. Hath it ever
been witnessed that a man of sound judgement should sacrifice his life
without cause or reason? And if it be suggested that this people have
taken leave of their senses, this too is highly improbable, inasmuch as
such behaviour hath not been confined to merely a soul or two—nay, a vast
multitude of every class have drunk their fill of the living waters of
divine knowledge, and, intoxicated, have hastened with heart and soul to
the field of sacrifice in the way of the Beloved.

219 If these souls, who have renounced all else but God for His sake and
offered up their life and substance in His path, are to be accounted as
false, then by what proof and testimony can the truth of what others
assert be established in thy presence? The late Ḥájí Siyyid
Muḥammad(30)—may God exalt his station and immerse him in the ocean of His
forgiveness and mercy!—was one of the most learned divines of his age, and
one of the most devout and pious men of his time. So highly was he
regarded that his praise was on every tongue, and his righteousness and
piety were universally acknowledged. Yet, when hostilities broke out with
Russia,(31) he who himself had pronounced the decree of holy war, and who
with blazoned standard had left his native land to rally to the support of
his faith, abandoned, after the inconvenience of a brief encounter, all
the good that he had purposed, and returned whence he had come. Would that
the veil might be lifted, and that which hath ere now remained hidden from
the eyes of men be made manifest!

220 For more than twenty years this people have, day and night, been
subjected to the fury of the Sovereign’s wrath, and have been scattered by
the tempestuous gales of his displeasure, each to a different land. How
many the children who have been left fatherless, and how many the fathers
who have lost their sons! How many the mothers who have dared not, out of
fear and dread, to mourn their slaughtered offspring! How numerous those
who, at eventide, were possessed of utmost wealth and affluence, and who,
when morning came, had fallen into utter abasement and destitution! No
land is there whose soil hath not been tinged with their blood, nor reach
of heaven unto which their sighs have not ascended. Throughout the years
the darts of affliction have unceasingly rained down from the clouds of
God’s decree, yet despite all these calamities and tribulations, the flame
of divine love hath so blazed in their hearts that even should their
bodies be torn asunder they would not forsake their love of Him Who is the
Best-Beloved of the worlds, but would welcome with heart and soul whatever
might befall them in the path of God.

221 O King! The breezes of the grace of the All-Merciful have transformed
these servants and attracted them unto His Holy Court. “The witness of a
true lover is upon his sleeve.” Nevertheless, some of the outwardly
learned have troubled the luminous heart of the King of the Age concerning
these souls who revolve round the Tabernacle of the All-Merciful and who
seek to attain the Sanctuary of true knowledge. Would that the
world-adorning wish of His Majesty might decree that this Servant be
brought face to face with the divines of the age, and produce proofs and
testimonies in the presence of His Majesty the Sháh! This Servant is
ready, and taketh hope in God, that such a gathering may be convened in
order that the truth of the matter may be made clear and manifest before
His Majesty the Sháh. It is then for thee to command, and I stand ready
before the throne of thy sovereignty. Decide, then, for Me or against Me.

222 The All-Merciful saith in the Qur’án, His abiding testimony unto all
the peoples of the world: “Wish ye then for death, if ye be men of
truth.”(32) Behold how He hath declared the yearning for death to be the
touchstone of sincerity! And, in the luminous mirror of thy judgement, it
is doubtless clear and evident which people have chosen, in this day, to
lay down their lives in the path of the Beloved of the worlds. Indeed,
were the books supporting the beliefs of this people to be written with
the blood spilled in the path of God—exalted be His glory!—then countless
volumes would have already appeared amongst men for all to see.

223 How, We fain would ask, is it possible to impugn this people whose
deeds are in conformity with their words, and to give credence instead to
those who have refused to relinquish one jot of their worldly authority in
the path of Him Who is the Unconstrained? Some of the divines who have
declared this Servant an infidel have at no time met with Me. Never having
seen Me, or become acquainted with My purpose, they have nevertheless
spoken as they pleased and acted as they desired. Yet every claim
requireth a proof, not mere words and displays of outward piety.

224 In this connection the text of several passages from the Hidden Book
of Fáṭimih—the blessings of God be upon her!—which are relevant to the
present theme will be cited in the Persian tongue, that certain matters
which have ere now been hidden may be revealed before thy presence. The
people addressed in the aforementioned Book, which is today known as the
Hidden Words, are those who, though outwardly known for learning and
piety, are inwardly the slaves of self and passion.

225 He saith: O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! Wherefore
do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when inwardly ye have become wolves,
intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn,
and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of
My city astray into the paths of perdition.

226 And likewise He saith: O ye seeming fair yet inwardly foul! Ye are
like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but
of which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea,
the sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in
reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the
difference!

227 And also He saith: O essence of desire! At many a dawn have I turned
from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the
bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash
of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory, and breathed
it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.

228 And again He saith: O bondslave of the world! Many a dawn hath the
breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed
of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence
it came.(33)

229 Therefore, in the exercise of the royal justice, it is not sufficient
to give ear to the claimant alone. God saith in the Qur’án, the unerring
Balance that distinguisheth truth from falsehood: “O ye who believe! If a
wicked man come to you with news, clear it up at once, lest through
ignorance ye harm others, and afterward repent of what ye have done.”(34)
The holy Traditions, moreover, contain the admonition: “Believe not the
tale-bearer.” Certain of the divines, who have never seen Us, have
misconceived the nature of Our Cause. Those, however, who have met Us will
testify that this Servant hath not spoken save in accordance with that
which God hath commanded in the Book, and that He hath called attention to
the following blessed verse—exalted be His Word: “Do ye not disavow us
merely because we believe in God, and in what He hath sent down unto us,
and in what He had sent down aforetime?”(35)

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

231 Glorified art Thou, O Lord My God! I bear witness that the heart of
the King is in truth between the fingers of Thy might. If it be Thy wish,
do Thou incline it, O My God, in the direction of charity and mercy. Thou,
verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Bountiful. No God is
there besides Thee, the All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all.

232 Concerning the prerequisites of the learned, He saith: “Whoso among
the learned guardeth his self, defendeth his faith, opposeth his desires,
and obeyeth his Lord’s command, it is incumbent upon the generality of the
people to pattern themselves after him....”(36) Should the King of the Age
reflect upon this utterance which hath streamed from the tongue of Him Who
is the Dayspring of the Revelation of the All-Merciful, he would perceive
that those who have been adorned with the attributes enumerated in this
holy Tradition are scarcer than the philosopher’s stone; wherefore not
every man that layeth claim to knowledge deserveth to be believed.

233 Again concerning the divines of the Latter Days, He saith: “The
religious doctors of that age shall be the most wicked of the divines
beneath the shadow of heaven. Out of them hath mischief proceeded, and
unto them it shall return.” And again He saith: “When the Standard of
Truth is made manifest, the people of both the East and the West curse
it.”(37) Should anyone dispute these Traditions, this Servant will
undertake to establish their validity, since the details of their
transmission have been omitted here for the sake of brevity.

234 Those doctors who have indeed drunk of the cup of renunciation have
never interfered with this Servant. Thus, for example, Shaykh
Murtaḍá(38)—may God exalt his station and cause him to repose beneath the
canopy of His grace!—showed forth kindness during Our sojourn in ‘Iráq,
and never spoke of this Cause otherwise than as God hath given leave. We
beseech God to graciously assist all to do His will and pleasure.

235 Now, however, all have lost sight of every other consideration, and
are bent upon the persecution of this people. Thus, if it be inquired of
certain persons who, by the grace of their Lord, repose beneath the shadow
of thy royal mercy and enjoy countless favours, “What service have ye
rendered in return for these royal favours? Have ye through wise policy
annexed a further territory to the realm? Have ye applied yourselves to
aught that would secure the welfare of the people, the prosperity of the
kingdom, and the lasting glory of the state?”, they will have no other
reply than to designate, justly or falsely, a group of people before thy
royal presence as Bábís, and forthwith to engage in massacre and pillage.
In Tabríz, for instance, and in the Egyptian town of Manṣúríyyih, a number
of this people were ransomed and large sums were seized, yet no account of
these matters was ever made in the court of thy presence.

236 The reason for which all these things have come to pass is that their
persecutors, finding these unfortunate ones without protection, have
forgone more weighty matters and occupied themselves instead with
harassing this afflicted people. Numerous confessions and divers creeds
abide peacefully beneath the shadow of thy sovereignty. Let this people be
also numbered with them. Nay, those who serve the King should be animated
by such lofty aims and sublime intentions as to continually strive to
bring all religions beneath the shelter of his shadow, and to rule over
them with perfect justice.

237 To enforce the laws of God is naught but justice, and is the source of
universal content. Nay more, the divine statutes have always been, and
will ever remain, the cause and instrument of the preservation of mankind,
as witnessed by His exalted words: “In punishment will ye find life, O men
of insight!”(39) It would, however, ill beseem the justice of thy Majesty
that for the trespass of a single soul a whole group of people should be
subjected to the scourge of thy wrath. The one true God—glorified be His
Name!—hath said: “None shall bear the burden of another.”(40) It is clear
and evident that in every community there have been, and will ever be, the
learned and the ignorant, the wise and the heedless, the profligate and
the pious. That a wise and reflecting soul should commit a heinous deed is
most improbable, inasmuch as such a person either seeketh after this world
or hath forsaken it: if he be of the latter, he would assuredly have no
regard for aught else besides God, and moreover the fear of God would
deter him from unlawful and reprehensible actions; and if he be of the
former, he would just as assuredly avoid such deeds as would alienate and
alarm the people, and act in such a manner as to earn their confidence and
trust. It is therefore evident that reprehensible actions have always
emanated, and will ever emanate, from ignorant and foolish souls. We
implore God to guard His servants from turning to anyone save Him, and to
draw them nigh unto His presence. His might, in truth, is equal to all
things.

238 Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My God! Thou hearest the voice of My
lamentation, and beholdest My condition, My distress and affliction! Thou
knowest all that is in Me. If the call I have raised be wholly for Thy
sake, then draw thereby the hearts of Thy creatures towards the heaven of
Thy knowledge, and the heart of the Sovereign towards the right hand of
the throne of Thy name, the All-Merciful. Supply him then, O My God, with
a portion of that goodly sustenance which hath descended from the heaven
of Thy generosity and the clouds of Thy mercy, that he may forsake his all
and turn unto the court of Thy favour. Aid him, O My God, to assist Thy
Cause and to exalt Thy Word amidst Thy creatures. Strengthen him, then,
with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, that he may subdue every city
in Thy Name, and hold sway, through Thy sovereignty and might, over all
that dwell on earth, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of creation!
Thou, verily, art the Supreme Ordainer in both the beginning and the end.
No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the
All-Wise.

239 So grossly hath Our Cause been misrepresented before thy royal
presence that, if some unseemly act be committed by but one of this
people, it is portrayed as being prompted by their beliefs. By Him besides
Whom there is none other God! This Servant hath refused even to sanction
the commission of reproved actions, how much less those which have been
explicitly prohibited in the Book of God.

240 God hath forbidden unto men the drinking of wine, and this prohibition
hath been revealed and recorded in His Book. In spite of this, and of the
fact that the learned doctors of the age—may God increase their
numbers!—have all prohibited the people from such a wretched act, there
still remain some who commit it. The punishment which this act entaileth,
however, applieth only to its heedless perpetrators, whilst those noble
manifestations of supreme sanctity remain exalted above and exempt from
all blame. Yea, the whole creation, both seen and unseen, beareth witness
unto their holiness.

241 Yea, these servants regard the one true God as He Who “doeth as He
willeth”(41) and “ordaineth as He pleaseth”.(42) Thus they view not as
impossible the continued appearance in the contingent world of the
Manifestations of His Unity. Should anyone hold otherwise, how would he be
different from those who believe the hand of God to be “chained up”?(43)
And if the one true God—glorified be His mention!—be indeed regarded as
unconstrained, then whatever Cause that Ancient King may please to
manifest from the wellspring of His Command must be embraced by all. No
refuge is there for anyone and no haven to hasten unto save God; no
protection is there for any soul and no shelter to seek except in Him.

242 The essential requirement for whoso advanceth a claim is to support
his assertions with clear proofs and testimonies. Beyond this, the
rejection of the people, whether learned or ignorant, hath never been, nor
shall it ever be, of any consequence. The Prophets of God, those Pearls of
the ocean of Divine Unity and the Repositories of Divine Revelation, have
ever been the object of men’s repudiation and denial. Even as He saith:
“Each nation hath plotted darkly against their Messenger to lay violent
hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to invalidate the truth.”(44)
And again: “No Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to
scorn.”(45)

243 Consider the dispensation of Him Who is the Seal of the Prophets and
the King of the Chosen Ones—may the souls of all mankind be offered up for
His sake! After the Daystar of Truth dawned above the horizon of Ḥijáz,
how great were the cruelties which the exponents of error inflicted upon
that incomparable Manifestation of the All-Glorious! Such was their
heedlessness that they regarded every injury inflicted upon that sacred
Being as ranking among the greatest of all acts, and constituting a means
of attainment unto God, the Most High. For in the early years of His
mission the divines of that age, both Christian and Jewish, turned away
from that Daystar of the heaven of glory, whereupon all people, high and
low alike, bestirred themselves to extinguish the light of that Luminary
of the horizon of inner meanings. The names of all these divines have been
mentioned in the books of old; among them are Wahb Ibn-i-Ráhib, Ka‘b
Ibn-i-Ashraf, ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Ubayy, and others of their like.

244 Finally, matters came to such a pass that these men took counsel
together and conspired to shed His pure blood, even as God—glorified be
His mention!—saith: “And remember when the disbelievers schemed against
Thee, that they might lay hold upon Thee, or slay Thee, or cast Thee out;
and so they schemed, and God schemed, and God, verily, is the best of
schemers.”(46) Again He saith: “But if their opposition be grievous to
Thee—if Thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into
heaven and bring to them a sign; yet if God wished, He could gather them
unto true guidance; be Thou not, then, of the ignorant.”(47) By God! The
hearts of His favoured ones are consumed at the purport of these two
blessed verses. Such established and undisputed facts have been forgotten,
and no one hath paused to reflect, in days past or in this day, upon the
things that have prompted men to turn away from the Revealers of the light
of God at the time of their manifestation.

245 Likewise, before the appearance of the Seal of the Prophets, consider
Jesus, the Son of Mary. When that Manifestation of the All-Merciful
revealed Himself, all the divines charged that Quintessence of faith with
impiety and rebellion. Eventually, with the sanction of Annas, the most
learned of the divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, His
blessed person was made to suffer that which the pen is ashamed to mention
and powerless to describe. The wide world in all its vastness could no
longer contain Him, until at last God raised Him up unto heaven.

246 Were a detailed account of all the Prophets to be given here, We fear
that it might lead to weariness. The doctors of the Torah in particular
assert that no independent Prophet will come after Moses with a new Law.
They maintain that a Scion of the House of David shall be made manifest
Who will promulgate the Law of the Torah, and help establish and enforce
its commandments throughout the East and the West.

247 The followers of the Gospel, likewise, hold as impossible that the
Bearer of a new Revelation should again shine forth from the dayspring of
the Will of God after Jesus, Son of Mary—peace be upon Him! In support of
this contention, they adduce the following verse from the Gospel: “Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but the words of the Son of Man shall never
pass away.”(48) They maintain that neither the teachings nor the
commandments of Jesus—peace be upon Him!—may ever be altered.

248 At one point in the Gospel, He saith: “I go away, and come again.”(49)
Again in the Gospel of John, He hath foretold the advent of a Comforter
who shall come after Him.(50) In the Gospel of Luke, moreover, a number of
signs and portents have been mentioned. Certain divines of that Faith,
however, have interpreted these utterances after their own fancy, and have
thus failed to grasp their true significance.

249 O would that thou wouldst permit Me, O Sháh, to send unto thee that
which would cheer the eyes, and tranquillize the souls, and persuade every
fair-minded person that with Him is the knowledge of the Book. Certain
persons, incapable of answering the objections raised by their opponents,
claim that the Torah and the Gospel have been corrupted, whereas in
reality the references to such corruption pertain only to specific
cases.(51) But for the repudiation of the foolish and the connivance of
the divines, I would have uttered a discourse that would have thrilled and
carried away the hearts unto a realm from the murmur of whose winds can be
heard: “No God is there but He!” For the present, however, since the
season is not ripe, the tongue of My utterance hath been stilled and the
wine of exposition sealed up until such time as God, through the power of
His might, shall please to unseal it. He, verily, is the Almighty, the
Most Powerful.

250 Praise be unto Thee, O Lord My God! I ask Thee by Thy Name, through
which Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and all who are on the
earth, to protect the lamp of Thy Cause within the globe of Thine
omnipotence and Thy bountiful favour, lest it be exposed to the blasts of
denial from those who remain heedless of the mysteries of Thy name, the
Unconstrained. Increase, then, by the oil of Thy wisdom, the radiance of
its light. Thou, verily, hast power over all the dwellers of Thine earth
and of Thy heaven.

251 I implore Thee, O My Lord, by that most exalted Word which hath struck
terror into the hearts of all who are in the heavens and on the earth,
save only those who have taken fast hold of Thy Sure Handle, not to
abandon Me amidst Thy creatures. Lift Me up, then, unto Thyself, cause Me
to enter beneath the shadow of Thy mercy, and give Me to drink of the pure
wine of Thy providence, that I may dwell within the tabernacle of Thy
majesty and beneath the canopy of Thy favour. Potent art Thou to do what
pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

252 O King! The lamps of equity have been extinguished, and the fire of
tyranny hath so blazed on every side that My people have been led as
captives from Zawrá’(52) to Mosul, known as Ḥadbá’. This is not the first
outrage that hath been suffered in the path of God. It behoveth every soul
to consider and call to mind that which befell the kindred of the Prophet
when the people took them captive and brought them unto Damascus, known as
Fayḥá’. Amongst them was the prince of them that worship God, the mainstay
of such as have drawn nigh unto Him, and the sanctuary of those who long
for His presence—may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto him!(53)

253 They were asked: “Are ye of the party of the Seceders?”(54) He
replied: “Nay, by the Lord Almighty. We are but servants who have believed
in God and in His verses. Through us the countenance of faith hath beamed
with joy. Through us the sign of the All-Merciful hath shone forth. At the
mention of our names the desert of Baṭḥá(55) hath overflowed with water
and the darkness separating earth and heaven hath been dispelled.”

254 “Have ye forbidden”, they were asked, “that which God hath made
lawful, or allowed that which He hath forbidden?” “We were the first to
follow the divine commandments”, he answered. “We are the root and origin
of His Cause, the beginning of all good and its end. We are the sign of
the Ancient of Days and the source of His remembrance amongst the
nations.”

255 They were asked: “Have ye forsaken the Qur’án?” “In our House”, he
replied, “did the All-Merciful reveal it. We are the breezes of the
All-Glorious amidst His creation. We are the streams that have branched
out from the Most Great Ocean, through which God hath revived the earth,
and through which He shall revive it again after it hath died. Through us
His signs have been diffused, His proofs revealed, and His tokens
disclosed. With us is the knowledge of His hidden meanings and His untold
mysteries.”

256 “For what crime have ye been punished?” they were asked. “For our love
of God”, he made reply, “and for our detachment from aught else save Him.”

257 We have not related his exact words—peace be upon him!—but rather have
We imparted a sprinkling from that ocean of life eternal that lieth
enshrined within them, that those who hearken thereunto may be quickened
and made aware of what hath befallen the trusted ones of God at the hands
of a lost and wayward generation. We see the people in this day censuring
the oppressors of bygone ages, whilst they themselves commit yet greater
wrongs and know it not!

258 God beareth Me witness that My purpose hath not been to foment
sedition, but to purify His servants from whatsoever hath prevented them
from drawing nigh unto Him, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. I was asleep
upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of My Lord, the All-Merciful, passed
over Me, awoke Me from My slumber, and bade Me lift up My voice betwixt
earth and heaven. This thing is not from Me, but from God. Unto this
testify the dwellers of His Dominion and of His Kingdom, and the
inhabitants of the cities of His unfading glory. By Him Who is the Truth!
I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him
and in the way of His good pleasure. Verily God hath made adversity as a
morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth
earth and heaven.

259 Shall a man’s wealth endure forever, or protect him from the One Who
shall, erelong, seize him by his forelock? Gazing upon those who sleep
beneath the gravestones, embosomed in the dust, could one ever distinguish
the sovereign’s crumbling skull from the subject’s mouldering bones? Nay,
by Him Who is the King of kings! Could one discern the lord from the
vassal, or those that enjoyed wealth and riches from those who possessed
neither shoes nor mat? By God! Every distinction hath been erased, save
only for those who upheld the right and who ruled with justice.

260 Whither are gone the learned men, the divines and potentates of old?
What hath become of their discriminating views, their shrewd perceptions,
their subtle insights and sage pronouncements? Where are their hidden
coffers, their flaunted ornaments, their gilded couches, their rugs and
cushions strewn about? Gone forever is their generation! All have
perished, and, by God’s decree, naught remaineth of them but scattered
dust. Exhausted is the wealth they gathered, dispersed the stores they
hoarded, dissipated the treasures they concealed. Naught can now be seen
but their deserted haunts, their roofless dwellings, their uprooted
tree-trunks, and their faded splendour. No man of insight will let wealth
distract his gaze from his ultimate objective, and no man of understanding
will allow riches to withhold him from turning unto Him Who is the
All-Possessing, the Most High.

261 Where is he who held dominion over all whereon the sun shineth, who
lived extravagantly on earth, seeking out the luxuries of the world and of
all that hath been created upon it? Where is the commander of the swarthy
legion and the upraiser of the golden standard? Where is the ruler of
Zawrá’, and where the tyrant of Fayḥá’?(56) Where are those before whose
munificence the treasure-houses of the earth shrank in shame, and at whose
largesse and swelling spirit the very ocean was abashed? Where is he who
stretched forth his arm in rebellion, and who turned his hand against the
All-Merciful?

262 Where are they who went in quest of earthly pleasures and the fruits
of carnal desires? Whither are fled their fair and comely women? Where are
their swaying branches, their spreading boughs, their lofty mansions,
their trellised gardens? And what of the delights of these gardens—their
exquisite grounds and gentle breezes, their purling streams, their
soughing winds, their cooing doves and rustling leaves? Where now are
their resplendent morns and their brightsome countenances wreathed in
smiles? Alas for them! All have perished and are gone to rest beneath a
canopy of dust. Of them one heareth neither name nor mention; none knoweth
of their affairs, and naught remaineth of their signs.

263 What! Will the people dispute then that whereof they themselves stand
witness? Will they deny that which they know to be true? I know not in
what wilderness they roam! Do they not see that they are embarked upon a
journey from which there is no return? How long will they wander from
mountain to valley, from hollow to hill? “Hath not the time come for those
who believe to humble their hearts at the mention of God?”(57) Blessed is
he who hath said, or now shall say, “Yea, by my Lord! The time is come and
the hour hath struck!”, and who, thereafter, shall detach himself from all
that hath been, and deliver himself up entirely unto Him Who is the
Possessor of the universe and the Lord of all creation.

264 And yet, what hope! For naught is reaped save that which hath been
sown, and naught is taken up save that which hath been laid down,(58)
unless it be through the grace and bestowal of the Lord. Hath the womb of
the world yet conceived one whom the veils of glory shall not hinder from
ascending unto the Kingdom of his Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most High?
Is it yet within us to perform such deeds as will dispel our afflictions
and draw us nigh unto Him Who is the Causer of causes? We beseech God to
deal with us according to His bounty, and not His justice, and to grant
that we may be of those who have turned their faces unto their Lord and
severed themselves from all else.

265 I have seen, O Sháh, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear
heard. Mine acquaintances have repudiated Me, and My pathways have been
straitened. The fount of well-being hath run dry, and the bower of ease
hath withered. How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will
soon rain, upon Me! I advance with My face set towards Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Bounteous, whilst behind Me glideth the serpent. Mine
eyes have rained down tears until My bed is drenched.

266 I sorrow not for Myself, however. By God! Mine head yearneth for the
spear out of love for its Lord. I never passed a tree, but Mine heart
addressed it saying: “O would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My
body crucified upon thee, in the path of My Lord!”, for I see the people
wandering distraught and unconscious in their drunken stupor. They have
raised on high their passions and set down their God. Methinks they have
taken His Cause for a mockery and regard it as a play and pastime,
believing all the while that they do well, and that they dwell securely in
the citadel of safety. Howbeit the matter is not as they fondly imagine:
tomorrow shall they behold that which today they are wont to deny!

267 Erelong shall the exponents of wealth and power banish Us from the
land of Adrianople to the city of ‘Akká. According to what they say, it is
the most desolate of the cities of the world, the most unsightly of them
in appearance, the most detestable in climate, and the foulest in water.
It is as though it were the metropolis of the owl, within whose precincts
naught can be heard save the echo of its cry. Therein have they resolved
to imprison this Youth, to shut against our faces the doors of ease and
comfort, and to deprive us of every worldly benefit throughout the
remainder of our days.

268 By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger consume Me, and the
bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the field, I will not
complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with constancy and
firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God, the Eternal
King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto God under all
conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty—exalted be He—He may release,
through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and
cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His face, Who is the
Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him,
and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him. We further beseech Him to
make of this darksome tribulation a shield for the Temple of His Cause,
and to protect it from the assault of sharpened swords and pointed
daggers. Adversity hath ever given rise to the exaltation of His Cause and
the glorification of His Name. Such hath been God’s method carried into
effect in centuries and ages past. That which the people now fail to
apprehend they shall erelong discover, on that day when their steeds shall
stumble and their finery be folded up, their blades blunted and their feet
made to falter.

269 I know not how long they shall spur on the charger of self and passion
and rove in the wilderness of error and negligence! Shall either the pomp
of the mighty or the wretchedness of the abased endure? Shall he who
reposeth upon the loftiest seat of honour, who hath attained the pinnacle
of might and glory, abide forever? Nay, by My Lord, the All-Merciful! All
on earth shall pass away, and there remaineth alone the face of My Lord,
the All-Glorious, the Most-Bountiful.(59)

270 What armour hath not been pierced by the arrow of destruction, and
what regal brow not divested by the hand of Fate? What fortress hath
withstood the approach of the Messenger of Death? What throne hath not
been shattered to pieces, what palace not reduced to rubble? Could the
people but taste that choice Wine of the mercy of their Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing, which lieth in store for them in the world
beyond, they would assuredly cease their censure, and seek only to win the
good pleasure of this Youth. For now, however, they have hidden Me behind
a veil of darkness, whose fabric they have woven with the hands of idle
fancy and vain imagination. Erelong shall the snow-white hand of God rend
an opening through the darkness of this night and unlock a mighty portal
unto His City. On that Day shall the people enter therein by troops,
uttering what the blamers aforetime exclaimed,(60) that there shall be
made manifest in the end that which appeared in the beginning.

271 Is it their wish to tarry here when already they have one foot in the
stirrup? Look they to return, once they are gone? Nay, by Him Who is the
Lord of Lords! save on the Day of Judgement, the Day whereon the people
shall arise from their graves and be asked of their legacy. Well is it
with him who shall not be weighted down with his burdens on that Day, the
Day whereon the mountains shall pass away and all shall gather to be
questioned in the presence of God, the Most Exalted. Stern, indeed, is He
in punishing!

272 We beseech God to purge the hearts of certain divines from rancour and
enmity, that they may look upon matters with an eye unbeclouded by
contempt. May He raise them up unto so lofty a station that neither the
attractions of the world, nor the allurements of authority, may deflect
them from gazing upon the Supreme Horizon, and that neither worldly
benefits nor carnal desires shall prevent them from attaining that Day
whereon the mountains shall be reduced to dust. Though they now rejoice in
the adversity that hath befallen Us, soon shall come a day whereon they
shall lament and weep. By My Lord! Were I given the choice between, on the
one hand, the wealth and opulence, the ease and comfort, the honour and
glory which they enjoy, and, on the other, the adversities and trials
which are Mine, I would unhesitatingly choose My present condition and
would refuse to barter a single atom of these hardships for all that hath
been created in the world of being.

273 But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the path of God, life
would have held no sweetness for Me, and Mine existence would have
profited Me nothing. For them who are endued with discernment, and whose
eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it is no secret that I have been,
most of the days of My life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword
hanging on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon or late upon
him. And yet, notwithstanding all this We render thanks unto God, the Lord
of the worlds, and yield Him praise at all times and under all conditions.
He, verily, standeth witness over all things.

274 We beseech God to extend wide His shadow, that the true believers may
hasten thereunto and that His sincere lovers may seek shelter therein. May
He bestow upon men blossoms from the bowers of His grace and stars from
the horizon of His providence. We pray God, moreover, to graciously aid
the King to do His will and pleasure, and to confirm him in that which
shall draw him nigh unto the Dayspring of God’s most excellent names, so
that he may not give countenance to the injustice he witnesseth, may look
upon his subjects with the eye of loving-kindness, and shield them from
oppression. We further beseech God, exalted be He, to gather all mankind
around the Gulf of the Most Great Ocean, an ocean every drop of which
proclaimeth that He is the Harbinger of joy unto the world and the
Quickener of all its peoples. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of
Reckoning!

275 And finally We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to enable thee to
aid His Faith and turn towards His justice, that thou mayest judge between
the people even as thou wouldst judge between thine own kindred, and
mayest choose for them that which thou choosest for thine own self. He,
verily, is the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.


    276 Thus have We built the Temple with the hands of power and
    might, could ye but know it. This is the Temple promised unto you
    in the Book. Draw ye nigh unto it. This is that which profiteth
    you, could ye but comprehend it. Be fair, O peoples of the earth!
    Which is preferable, this, or a temple which is built of clay? Set
    your faces towards it. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the
    Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Follow ye His bidding, and
    praise ye God, your Lord, for that which He hath bestowed upon
    you. He, verily, is the Truth. No God is there but He. He
    revealeth what He pleaseth, through His words “Be and it is”.



SÚRIY-I-RA’ÍS


                      In His name, the All-Glorious!

1 Hearken, O Chief,(61) to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth aloud between heaven and
earth, summoning all mankind unto the scene of transcendent glory. Neither
thy grunting, nor the barking of those around thee, nor the opposition of
the hosts of the world can withhold the Almighty from achieving His
purpose. The whole world hath been set ablaze by the Word of thy Lord, the
All-Glorious, a Word softer than the morning breeze. It hath been
manifested in the form of the human temple, and through it God hath
quickened the souls of the sincere among His servants. In its inner
essence, this Word is the living water by which God hath purified the
hearts of such as have turned unto Him and forgotten every other mention,
and through which He draweth them nigh unto the seat of His mighty Name.
We have sprinkled it upon the people of the graves, and lo, they have
risen up, with their gaze fixed upon the shining and resplendent Beauty of
their Lord.

2 Thou hast, O Chief, committed that which hath caused Muḥammad, the
Apostle of God, to lament in the most sublime Paradise. The world hath
made thee proud, so much so that thou hast turned away from the Face
through whose brightness the Concourse on high hath been illumined. Soon
thou shalt find thyself in manifest loss! Thou didst conspire with the
Persian Ambassador to harm Me, though I had come unto you from the source
of majesty and grandeur with a Revelation that hath solaced the eyes of
the favoured ones of God.

3 By God! This is the Day wherein the undying Fire crieth out from within
all created things: “The Best-Beloved of the worlds is come!” And before
all things there standeth a Moses, hearkening to the Word of thy Lord, the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. Were We to divest Ourself of the mortal raiment
which We have worn in consideration of your weakness, all that are in
heaven and on earth would offer up their souls for My sake. To this thy
Lord Himself doth testify. None, however, can perceive it save those who
have detached themselves from all things for love of their Lord, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful.

4 Hast thou imagined thyself capable of extinguishing the fire which God
hath kindled in the heart of creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal
Truth, couldst thou but know it. Rather, on account of what thy hands have
wrought, it blazed higher and burned more fiercely. Erelong will it
encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath it been decreed
by God, and the powers of earth and heaven are unable to thwart His
purpose.

5 The day is approaching when the Land of Mystery(62) and what is beside
it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the King, and
commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and
the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion
shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the
hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered,
and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the very sands on the desolate
hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will
flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore
distress.(63)

6 O Chief! We revealed Ourself unto thee at one time upon Mount Tíná, and
at another time upon Mount Zaytá,(64) and yet again in this hallowed Spot.
Following, however, thy corrupt inclinations, thou didst fail to respond
and wert accounted with the heedless. Consider, then, and call thou to
mind the time when Muḥammad came with clear tokens from Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Knowing. The people were wont to pelt Him with stones
from hidden places and in the markets, and they rejected the signs of God,
thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. The learned also denied Him, as
did their followers, and likewise the kings of the earth, as thou hast
heard from the tales of old. Among those kings was Chosroes,(65) to whom
Muḥammad sent a blessed epistle summoning him unto God and forbidding him
from misbelief. Verily, thy Lord knoweth all things. Following the
promptings of his evil and corrupt desires, however, Chosroes waxed
arrogant before God and tore up the Tablet. He, verily, is accounted among
the inmates of the nethermost fire.

7 Was it in Pharaoh’s power to stay the hand of God from exercising His
sovereignty when he acted wantonly in the land and was of the
transgressors? From within his own house and in spite of his will We
brought forth Him Who conversed with God. Well able are We to achieve Our
purpose. Recall, moreover, how Nimrod kindled the fire of impiety that its
flames might consume Abraham, the Friend of God; We delivered Him,
however, through the power of truth and seized Nimrod with the fury of Our
wrath. Say: The Oppressor(66) put to death the Beloved of the worlds to
quench the light of God amongst the people and to debar them from the
wellspring of life eternal in the days of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most
Bountiful.

8 We, too, have revealed the Cause of God in His cities and raised aloft
His remembrance amidst them that truly believe in Him. Say: This Youth
hath come to quicken the world and unite all its peoples. The day is
approaching when that which God hath purposed will have prevailed and thou
shalt behold the earth transformed into the all-glorious paradise. Thus
hath it been inscribed by the Pen of Revelation upon this weighty Tablet.

9 Forsake Thy mention of the Chief, O Pen, and call to remembrance Anís,
that intimate of the love of God who severed himself from the wayward and
the infidel. He tore the veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of
Paradise could hear them being rent. Glorified be God, the Sovereign, the
Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

10 O nightingale! Incline thine ear unto the voice of the All-Glorious on
this night when armed troops have surrounded Us while We remain in a state
of utmost joy. O would that our blood might be shed upon the earth and our
bodies cast upon the dust in the path of God! This, indeed, is My desire
and the desire of whosoever hath sought Me and attained unto My most
wondrous, Mine incomparable Kingdom.

11 Know thou, O servant, that one day, upon awakening, We found the
beloved of God at the mercy of Our adversaries. Sentinels were posted at
every gate and no one was permitted to enter or leave. Indeed, they
perpetrated a sore injustice, for the loved ones of God and His kindred
were left on the first night without food. Such was the fate of those for
whose sake the world and all that is therein have been created. Woe betide
the perpetrators and those who led them into such evil! Erelong will God
consume their souls in the fire. He, verily, is the fiercest of avengers.

12 The people surrounded the house, and Muslims and Christians wept over
Us, and the voice of lamentation was upraised between earth and heaven by
reason of what the hands of the oppressors had wrought. We perceived that
the weeping of the people of the Son exceeded the weeping of others—a sign
for such as ponder.

13 One of My companions offered up his life, cutting his throat with his
own hands for the love of God, an act unheard of in bygone centuries and
which God hath set apart for this Revelation as an evidence of the power
of His might.(67) He, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing. As
for the one who thus slew himself in ‘Iráq,(68) he truly is the King and
Beloved of Martyrs, and that which he evinced was a testimony from God
unto the peoples of the earth. Such souls have been influenced by the Word
of God, have tasted the sweetness of His remembrance, and are so
transported by the breezes of reunion that they have detached themselves
from all that dwell on earth and turned unto the Divine Countenance with
faces beaming with light. And though they have committed an act which God
hath forbidden, He hath nevertheless forgiven them as a token of His
mercy. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. So
enraptured were these souls by Him Who is the All-Compelling that the
reins of volition slipped from their grasp, until at last they ascended to
the dwelling of the Unseen and entered the presence of God, the Almighty,
the All-Knowing.

14 Say: This Youth hath departed out of this country and deposited beneath
every tree and every stone a trust, which God will erelong bring forth
through the power of truth. Thus hath the True One come and the command of
Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise, been fulfilled. The hosts of earth
and heaven are powerless to resist His Cause, nor can all the kings and
rulers of the world ever frustrate His purpose. Say: Adversity is the oil
which feedeth the flame of this Lamp and by which its light is increased,
did ye but know. Indeed, the repudiation of the froward serveth but to
proclaim this Faith and to spread the Cause of God and His Revelation
throughout the world.

15 Great is your blessedness, inasmuch as ye have forsaken your homes and
wandered the land for the love of your Lord, the Almighty, the Ancient of
Days, until ye entered the Land of Mystery at a time when the fire of
oppression was ablaze and the croaking of the raven of discord had been
raised. Ye are My partners in My tribulations, for ye were present with Us
during the darksome night in which the hearts of those who testify to the
unity of God were agitated. Ye entered this land for the sake of Our love,
and departed therefrom through Our command. By the righteousness of God!
Because of you the earth itself glorieth over heaven. How excellent is
this most sublime, this glorious and exalted bounty! Ye have been deprived
of your nest, O birds of eternity, for the sake of your Lord, the
Unconstrained, but your true abode is beneath the wings of the grace of
the All-Merciful. Blessed are they that understand.

16 O My Dhabíḥ! May the breaths of the spirit waft upon thee and upon such
as have sought communion with thee, inhaled from thee the sweet fragrance
of My presence, and hearkened unto that whereby the hearts of the true
seekers are sanctified. Render thanks unto God inasmuch as thou hast
attained unto the shores of this Most Great Ocean, and give ear to the
very atoms of the earth proclaiming: “This is the Best-Beloved of the
worlds!” The dwellers of the earth have wronged Him and failed to
recognize the One Whose name they ceaselessly invoke. Lost are such as
have remained heedless and have opposed Him for Whose loved ones it would
have behoved them to offer up their lives, how much more for His own
luminous and resplendent Beauty!

17 Be thou patient, though thy heart be consumed in its separation from
God, for He hath granted thee an exalted station in His presence. Nay,
thou art even now standing before His face, and We are imparting unto
thee, through the tongue of might and power, such words as even the ears
of the sincere ones have been deprived of hearing. Say: Were He to utter
but one word, that word alone would exceed in sweetness all the sayings of
men.

18 Had Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, attained this Day, He would have
exclaimed: “I have truly recognized Thee, O Thou the Desire of the Divine
Messengers!” Had Abraham attained it, He too, falling prostrate upon the
ground, and in the utmost lowliness before the Lord thy God, would have
cried: “Mine heart is filled with peace, O Thou Lord of all that is in
heaven and on earth! I testify that Thou hast unveiled before mine eyes
all the glory of Thy power and the full majesty of Thy law! I bear
witness, moreover, that through Thy Revelation the hearts of the faithful
are well assured and contented.” Had Moses Himself attained it, He,
likewise, would have raised His voice saying: “All praise be to Thee for
having lifted upon me the light of Thy countenance and enrolled me among
them that have been privileged to behold Thy face!”

19 Consider the people and their condition. Reflect upon the things that
their mouths have uttered and that their hands have wrought in this
blessed, this most holy and peerless Day. They that have tarnished the
good name of the Cause of God and turned unto the Evil One are accursed of
all created things and are numbered among the inmates of the fire. Verily,
whosoever hath hearkened to My call shall remain unperturbed by the
clamour of all that are on earth; and whosoever is influenced by the words
of anyone beside Me hath never heard My call. By God! Such a man is
deprived of entering My Kingdom, is debarred from My realms of majesty and
power, and is of them that are in utter loss.

20 Sorrow not for that which hath befallen thee. Thou hast borne for My
love that which most people have never endured. Thy Lord knoweth and is
informed of all. He was with thee in the assemblages and gatherings, and
heard that which flowed from the wellspring of thy heart in remembrance of
thy Lord, the All-Merciful. This, indeed, is a token of His bountiful
favour.

21 Erelong will God raise up from among the kings one who will aid His
loved ones. He, verily, encompasseth all things. He will instill in the
hearts the love of His loved ones. This, indeed, is irrevocably decreed by
One Who is the Almighty, the Beneficent.

22 We beseech God to gladden the hearts of His servants through thy call,
to make thee an ensign of guidance in His lands, and to assist through
thee those who have been brought low. Heed not the one who raised a loud
clamour and he who raiseth it even now. Let thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous, be all-sufficient unto thee. Relate unto My loved ones
that which thou hast seen and learned of the tale of this Youth, and
convey unto them that which We have imparted unto thee. Verily, thy Lord
assisteth and watcheth over thee at all times and under all conditions.
The blessings of the Concourse on high surround thee, and the kindred and
the leaves of the holy family who circle round the celestial Tree extol
thee with a wondrous praise.

23 O Pen of Revelation! Call Thou to remembrance him(69) whose letter
reached Us during this darksome night. He it is who wandered from region
to region until he entered the City,(70) seeking the shelter of the mercy
of his Lord, the Almighty, the Most High. Eagerly awaiting the favours of
his Lord, he dwelt therein for a night, but departed therefrom the
following morning as bidden by God, filling with sorrow the heart of this
Youth. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness.

24 Great is thy blessedness, for thou hast received the wine of utterance
from the hand of the All-Merciful, and became so enraptured by the sweet
fragrance of the Best-Beloved as to renounce thy comfort and to be
numbered with them that have hastened unto His Paradise, the Dawning-Place
of the signs of thy Lord, the Gracious, the Peerless. Happy the one who
hath quaffed the wine of inner mysteries from the countenance of his Lord
and been intoxicated by this pure and crystal draught. By God! It causeth
every true believer to soar in the heaven of majesty and grandeur, and
transmuteth every doubt into certainty.

25 Grieve not at what hath befallen thee, but put thy whole trust in God,
the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Raise thy house upon the solid
foundation of divine utterances, and give praise to thy Lord. He, verily,
shall suffice thee above all the peoples of the earth.

26 God hath, in truth, inscribed your names upon a Tablet wherein are
enshrined the hidden secrets of all that hath been. Erelong shall the
faithful call to remembrance your exile and all your journeys in His path.
He, verily, loveth those who love Him, and is the helper of the sincere.
By the righteousness of God! The eyes of the Concourse on high are fixed
upon you and their fingers point towards you. Thus doth the bounty of your
Lord encompass you. Would that the people might recognize that which hath
escaped them in the days of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.

27 Render thanks unto God for having aided thee to know Him and to enter
within the precincts of His court at a time when the ungodly surrounded
the family of thy Lord and His loved ones, and expelled them from their
homes with manifest cruelty, intending to separate us at the shore of the
sea. Verily, thy Lord is aware of that which lieth concealed within the
breasts of the unbelievers. Say: Even should ye tear our bodies asunder,
ye could not banish from our hearts the love of God. We were of a truth
created for sacrifice, and in this do we take pride before all creation.

28 O thou who art set aglow with the fire of the love of God! Know thou
that thy letter hath reached Us and that We have been apprised of its
contents. We beseech God to confirm thee in His love and in His good
pleasure, to assist thee in the promotion of His Cause, and to number thee
with such as have arisen for the triumph of His Faith.

29 As to thy question regarding the soul: Know thou that among the people
there are numerous treatises and manifold views as to its stations. Among
these are the soul of the kingdom, the soul of the dominion, the celestial
soul, the divine soul, the sanctified soul, as well as the benevolent
soul, the contented soul, the soul pleasing unto God, the inspired soul,
the irascible soul, and the concupiscent soul. Every group hath its own
pronouncements concerning the soul and We are disinclined to dwell upon
the sayings of the past. Verily, with thy Lord is the knowledge of the
former and latter generations.

30 Would that thou wert present before Our throne to hear from the Tongue
of Grandeur itself that which thou desirest and scale the loftiest heights
of knowledge by the grace of Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! The
ungodly, however, have intervened between us. Take heed lest thou be
grieved thereby. Be content with that which hath been ordained by an
irrevocable decree, and be of them that endure with patience.

31 Know that the soul which is common to all men cometh forth following
the commingling of things and after their maturation, as thou dost observe
in the germ: once it hath developed to its predestined stage, God
manifesteth the soul that was latent within it. Thy Lord, verily, doeth
what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.

32 As to the soul which is intended, in truth it hath been called forth by
the Word of God and is such that, if it be kindled with the fire of the
love of its Lord, neither the waters of opposition nor the oceans of the
world can quench its flame. That soul is indeed a fire ablaze in the tree
of man which proclaimeth: “No God is there but Him!” Whosoever hearkeneth
unto its call is verily of those who have attained unto Him. And when it
casteth off its earthly frame, God shall raise it up again in the most
excellent of forms and cause it to enter a sublime paradise. Thy Lord, of
a certainty, hath power over all things.

33 Know, furthermore, that the life of man proceedeth from the spirit, and
the spirit turneth to wheresoever the soul directeth it. Ponder upon that
which We have revealed unto thee that thou mayest recognize the Soul of
God which hath appeared above the Dayspring of bounty invested with
manifest sovereignty.

34 Know also that the soul is endowed with two wings: should it soar in
the atmosphere of love and contentment, then it will be related to the
All-Merciful. And should it fly in the atmosphere of self and desire, then
it will pertain to the Evil One; may God shield and protect us and protect
you therefrom, O ye who perceive! Should the soul become ignited with the
fire of the love of God, it is called benevolent and pleasing unto God,
but should it be consumed with the fire of passion, it is known as the
concupiscent soul. Thus have We expounded this subject for thee that thou
mayest obtain a clear understanding.

35 O Pen of the Most High! Recount unto him who hath turned unto Thy Lord,
the All-Glorious, that which shall enable him to dispense with the sayings
of men. Say: Spirit, mind, soul, and the powers of sight and hearing are
but one single reality which hath manifold expressions owing to the
diversity of its instruments. As thou dost observe, man’s power to
comprehend, move, speak, hear, and see all derive from this sign of his
Lord within him. It is single in its essence, yet manifold through the
diversity of its instruments. This, verily, is a certain truth. For
example, if it directeth its attention to the means of hearing, then
hearing and its attributes become manifest. Likewise, if it directeth
itself to the means of vision, a different effect and attribute appear.
Reflect upon this subject that thou mayest comprehend the true meaning of
what hath been intended, find thyself independent of the sayings of the
people, and be of them that are well assured. In like manner, when this
sign of God turneth towards the brain, the head, and such means, the
powers of the mind and the soul are manifested. Thy Lord, verily, is
potent to do whatsoever He pleaseth.

36 All that We have mentioned here hath been elucidated in the Tablets We
have revealed in response to questions regarding the disconnected letters
of the Qur’án. Ponder them that thou mayest comprehend that which hath
been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Almighty, the
All-Praised. Thus have We chosen to be concise in this Tablet. We beseech
God to acquaint thee through this brief exposition with that which words
can never hope to exhaust, and to give thee to drink of the limitless
oceans from this cup. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Bountiful and
unassailable in His power.

37 O Pen of the Ancient of Days! Call Thou to remembrance ‘Alí,(71) he who
sojourned with Thee in ‘Iráq until the Daystar of the world departed
therefrom. He forsook his home to attain the court of Thy presence at a
time when We were captive in the hands of such as have been deprived of
the sweet savours of the All-Merciful. Grieve not at what hath befallen Us
and thee in the path of God. Rest assured and persevere. He, verily,
rendereth victorious those who love Him, and His might is equal to all
things. Whoso turneth unto Him brighteneth thereby the faces of the
Concourse on high, and unto this God Himself is My witness.

38 Say: O people, do ye imagine that, after rejecting the One through Whom
the religions of the world have been made manifest, ye still bear
allegiance to the Faith of God? By the righteousness of God! Ye are
accounted among the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been
recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God. Say: Never will the barking of
dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies. Ponder awhile that
perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth.

39 Say: Magnified art Thou, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by the tears Thy
lovers have shed in their longing after Thee, and by the yearning of those
who cry out in their separation from Thee, and by Thy Best-Beloved Who
hath fallen into the hands of Thine adversaries, to graciously assist
those who have sought refuge beneath the sheltering wings of Thy favour
and loving-kindness, and who have yearned for no other Lord except Thee.

40 We have forsaken our homes, O Lord, in our eagerness to meet Thee and
in our longing to be united with Thee. We have traversed land and sea to
attain the court of Thy presence and to give ear to Thy verses. When we
arrived at the shores of the sea, however, we were held back from Thee, as
the ungodly intervened between us and the light of Thy countenance.

41 O Lord! Dire thirst hath seized us, and with Thee are the soft-flowing
waters of eternal life. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Deny us
not the object of our quest. Write down then for us the recompense decreed
for such of Thy servants as enjoy near access to Thee and are wholly
devoted to Thy will. Make us so steadfast in Thy love that naught shall
keep us back from Thee or deter us from Thine adoration. Powerful art Thou
to do Thy pleasure. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Generous.



LAWḤ-I-RA’ÍS


                He is in His own Right the Supreme Ruler!

1 The Pen of the Most High proclaimeth: O thou who hast imagined thyself
to be the most exalted of men(72) and who hast regarded as the lowliest of
all creatures this divine Youth, through Whom the eyes of the Concourse on
high have been illumined and made radiant! This Youth hath sought nothing
from thee or from such as are like unto thee, inasmuch as from time
immemorial, whenever the Manifestations of the All-Merciful and the
Exponents of His unfading glory have stepped out of the Realm of eternity
into this mortal world and revealed themselves to revive the dead, men
such as thee have considered these sanctified Souls and Temples of Divine
Oneness, upon Whom must needs depend the rehabilitation of the peoples of
the earth, to be stirrers of mischief and worthy of blame. These men,
verily, have all returned unto dust. Thou, too, shalt erelong take abode
therein and find thyself in grievous loss.

2 Even if this Lifegiver and World Reformer be in thine estimation guilty
of sedition and strife, what crime could have been committed by a group of
women, children, and suckling mothers that they should be thus afflicted
with the scourge of thine anger and wrath? No faith or religion hath ever
held children responsible. The Pen of divine Command hath exempted them,
yet the fire of thy tyranny and oppression encompasseth all. If thou
bearest allegiance to any faith or religion, then thou shouldst know that,
according to all the heavenly Books and all the divinely inspired and
weighty Scriptures, children are not to be held accountable. Aside from
this, not even those who disbelieve in God have perpetrated such unseemly
acts. Since from every thing an effect becometh manifest, a fact that none
can deny save those who are bereft of reason and understanding, it is
certain that the sighs of these children and the cries of these wronged
ones will have their due consequence.

3 Ye have plundered and unjustly despoiled a group of people who have
never rebelled in your domains, nor disobeyed your government, but rather
kept to themselves and engaged day and night in the remembrance of God.
Later, when the order was issued to banish this Youth, all were filled
with dismay. The officials in charge of My expulsion declared, however:
“These others have not been charged with any offence and have not been
expelled by the government. Should they desire to accompany you, no one
will oppose them.” These hapless souls therefore paid their own expenses,
forsook all their possessions, and, contenting themselves with Our
presence and placing their whole trust in God, journeyed once again with
Him until the fortress of ‘Akká became the prison of Bahá.

4 Upon our arrival, we were surrounded by guards and confined together,
men and women, young and old alike, in the army barracks. The first night
all were deprived of either food or drink, for the sentries were guarding
the gate of the barracks and permitted no one to leave. No one gave a
thought to the plight of these wronged ones. They even begged for water,
and were refused.

5 Time hath passed, and we all remain confined in these barracks,
notwithstanding that during the five years we dwelt in Adrianople, all its
inhabitants, whether learned or ignorant, rich or poor, bore witness to
the purity and sanctity of these servants. At the time this Youth was
departing from Adrianople, one of the loved ones of God attempted to take
his own life, so unbearable to him was the sight of this Wronged One in
the hands of His oppressors. During the journey we were thrice compelled
to change ships, and it is evident how much the children suffered as a
result. Upon disembarking, four of the believers were separated and
prevented from accompanying Us. As this Youth was leaving, one of the
four, named ‘Abdu’l-Ghaffár, cast himself into the sea, and no one knoweth
what befell him thereafter.(73)

6 All this is but a drop in the ocean of the wrongs that have been
inflicted upon Us, and still ye are not satisfied! The officials enforce
every day a new decree, and no end is in sight to their tyranny. Night and
day they conceive new schemes. They have assigned each prisoner, from the
government storehouse, a daily allowance of three loaves of bread that no
one can eat. From the foundation of the world until the present day a
cruelty such as this hath neither been seen nor heard of.

7 By the righteousness of Him Who hath caused Bahá to speak forth before
all that are in heaven and all that are on earth! Ye have neither rank nor
mention among them that have offered up their souls, their bodies and
their substance for the love of God, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling,
the Almighty. A handful of clay is greater in the sight of God than all
your dominion and your sovereignty, and all your might and your fortune.
Should it be His wish, He would scatter you in dust. Soon will He seize
you in His wrathful anger, sedition will be stirred up in your midst, and
your dominions will be disrupted. Then will ye wail and lament, and will
find none to help or succour you.

8 In making mention of these matters, it is not Our purpose to rouse you
from your slumber, since the fury of God’s wrath hath so encompassed you
that ye shall never take heed. Nor is it Our intention to recount the
iniquities visited upon these pure and blessed souls, for they have been
so intoxicated with the wine of the All-Merciful and are so carried away
with the inebriating effect of the living waters of His loving providence
that even were they to suffer all the cruelties of the world for His sake,
they would remain content and yield thanks unto Him. These souls have
never held, nor shall they ever hold any grievance. Nay, their blood
continually imploreth and beseecheth the Lord of the worlds that it might
be spilt upon the dust in His path, and their heads yearn to be borne
aloft on spears for the sake of the Beloved of hearts and souls.

9 Several times calamities have overtaken you, and yet ye failed utterly
to take heed. One of them was the conflagration which devoured most of the
City(74) with the flames of justice, and concerning which many poems were
written, stating that no such fire had ever been witnessed. And yet, ye
waxed more heedless. Plague, likewise, broke out, and ye still failed to
give heed! Be expectant, however, for the wrath of God is ready to
overtake you. Erelong will ye behold that which hath been sent down from
the Pen of My command.

10 Have ye fondly imagined your glory to be imperishable and your dominion
to be everlasting? Nay, by Him Who is the All-Merciful! Neither will your
glory last, nor will Mine abasement endure. Such abasement, in the
estimation of a true man, is the pride of every glory.

11 When I was still a child and had not yet attained the age of maturity,
My father made arrangements in Ṭihrán for the marriage of one of My older
brothers, and as is customary in that city, the festivities lasted for
seven days and seven nights. On the last day it was announced that the
play “Sháh Sulṭán Salím” would be presented. A large number of princes,
dignitaries, and notables of the capital gathered for the occasion. I was
sitting in one of the upper rooms of the building and observing the scene.
Presently a tent was pitched in the courtyard, and before long some small
human-like figures, each appearing to be no more than about a hand’s span
in height, were seen to emerge from it and raise the call: “His Majesty is
coming! Arrange the seats at once!” Other figures then came forth, some of
whom were seen to be engaged in sweeping, others in sprinkling water, and
thereafter another, who was announced as the chief town crier, raised his
call and bade the people assemble for an audience with the king. Next,
several groups of figures made their appearance and took their places, the
first attired in hats and sashes after the Persian fashion, the second
wielding battleaxes, and the third comprising a number of footmen and
executioners carrying bastinados. Finally there appeared, arrayed in regal
majesty and crowned with a royal diadem, a kingly figure, bearing himself
with the utmost haughtiness and grandeur, at turns advancing and pausing
in his progress, who proceeded with great solemnity, poise and dignity to
seat himself upon his throne.

12 At that moment a volley of shots was fired, a fanfare of trumpets was
sounded, and king and tent were enveloped in a pall of smoke. When it had
cleared, the king, ensconced upon his throne, was seen surrounded by a
suite of ministers, princes, and dignitaries of state who, having taken
their places, were standing at attention in his presence. A captured thief
was then brought before the king, who gave the order that the offender
should be beheaded. Without a moment’s delay the chief executioner cut off
the thief’s head, whence a blood-like liquid came forth. After this the
king held audience with his court, during which intelligence was received
that a rebellion had broken out on a certain frontier. Thereupon the king
reviewed his troops and despatched several regiments supported by
artillery to quell the uprising. A few moments later cannons were heard
booming from behind the tent, and it was announced that a battle had been
engaged.

13 This Youth regarded the scene with great amazement. When the royal
audience was ended, the curtain was drawn, and, after some twenty minutes,
a man emerged from behind the tent carrying a box under his arm.

14 “What is this box,” I asked him, “and what was the nature of this
display?”

15 “All this lavish display and these elaborate devices,” he replied, “the
king, the princes, and the ministers, their pomp and glory, their might
and power, everything you saw, are now contained within this box.”

16 I swear by My Lord Who, through a single word of His Mouth, hath
brought into being all created things! Ever since that day, all the
trappings of the world have seemed in the eyes of this Youth akin to that
same spectacle. They have never been, nor will they ever be, of any weight
and consequence, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. How
greatly I marvelled that men should pride themselves upon such vanities,
whilst those possessed of insight, ere they witness any evidence of human
glory, perceive with certainty the inevitability of its waning. “Never
have I looked upon any thing save that I have seen extinction before it;
and God, verily, is a sufficient witness!”

17 It behoveth everyone to traverse this brief span of life with sincerity
and fairness. Should one fail to attain unto the recognition of Him Who is
the Eternal Truth, let him at least conduct himself with reason and
justice. Erelong these outward trappings, these visible treasures, these
earthly vanities, these arrayed armies, these adorned vestures, these
proud and overweening souls, all shall pass into the confines of the
grave, as though into that box. In the eyes of those possessed of insight,
all this conflict, contention and vainglory hath ever been, and will ever
be, like unto the play and pastimes of children. Take heed, and be not of
them that see and yet deny.

18 Our call concerneth not this Youth and the loved ones of God, for they
are already sore-tried and imprisoned and expect nothing from men such as
thee. Our purpose is that thou mayest lift up thy head from the couch of
heedlessness, shake off the slumber of negligence, and cease to oppose
unjustly the servants of God. So long as thy power and ascendancy endure,
strive to alleviate the suffering of the oppressed. Shouldst thou judge
with fairness and observe with the eye of discernment the conflicts and
pursuits of this transient world, thou wouldst readily acknowledge that
they are even as the play which We have described.

19 Hearken unto the words of the one true God and pride thyself not in the
things of this world. What hath become of those like unto thee who falsely
claimed lordship on earth, who sought to quench the light of God in His
land and to destroy the foundation of His mighty edifice in His cities?
Where are they to be seen now? Be fair in thy judgement and return unto
God, that perchance He might cancel the trespasses of thy vain life. Alas,
We know that thou shalt never attain unto this, for such is thy cruelty
that it hath made hell to blaze and the Spirit to lament, and hath caused
the pillars of the Throne to shake and the hearts of the faithful to
tremble.

20 O peoples of the earth! Incline your inner ears to the call of this
Wronged One and pause to reflect upon the story that We have recounted.
Perchance ye may not be consumed by the fire of self and passion, nor
allow the vain and worthless objects of this nether world to withhold you
from Him Who is the Eternal Truth. Glory and abasement, riches and
poverty, tranquillity and tribulation, all will pass away, and all the
peoples of the earth will erelong be laid to rest in their tombs. It
behoveth therefore every man of insight to fix his gaze upon the goal of
eternity, that perchance by the grace of Him Who is the Ancient King he
may attain unto the immortal Kingdom and abide beneath the shade of the
Tree of His Revelation.

21 Though this world be fraught with deception and deceit, yet it
continually warneth all men of their impending extinction. The death of
the father proclaimeth to the son that he, too, shall pass away. Would
that the inhabitants of the world who have amassed riches for themselves
and have strayed far from the True One might know who will eventually lay
hand on their treasures; but, by the life of Bahá, no one knoweth this
save God, exalted be His glory.

22 The poet Saná’í, may God’s mercy rest upon him, hath said: “Take heed,
O ye whose unseemly conduct hath darkened your faces! Take heed, O ye
whose beards have been whitened by age!” Alas, most of the people are fast
asleep. They are even as the man who, in his drunkenness, became attracted
to a dog, took it in his embrace, and made it his plaything, and who, when
the morn of discernment dawned and the light of the sun enveloped the
horizon, realized that the object of his affection was but a dog. Then,
filled with shame and remorse, he repaired to his abode.

23 Think not that thou hast abased this Youth or prevailed over Him. The
least of creatures ruleth over thee, and yet thou perceivest not. The
lowliest and most abject of all things holdeth sway over thee, and that is
none other than self and passion, which have ever been reprehensible. Were
it not for God’s consummate wisdom, thou wouldst have been able to plainly
behold thine own helplessness and that of all who dwell on earth. Our
abasement is indeed the glory of His Cause, could ye but understand.

24 This Youth hath ever been disinclined to breathe a word contrary to
courtesy, for courtesy is Our raiment, wherewith We have adorned the
temples of Our well-favoured servants. Otherwise, some of the deeds that
ye believe to be concealed would have been divulged in this Tablet.

25 O exponent of might and power! These young children and these poor ones
in God did not need to be accompanied by officers and soldiers. Upon our
arrival in Gallipoli, a major by the name of ‘Umar came into Our presence.
God is well aware of what he said. After some exchanges in which his own
innocence and thy guilt were mentioned, We declared: “From the outset, a
gathering should have been convened at which the learned men of this age
could have met with this Youth in order to determine what offence these
servants have committed. But now the matter hath gone beyond such
considerations, and, according to thine own assertion, thou art charged
with incarcerating Us in the most desolate of cities. There is a matter,
which, if thou findest it possible, I request thee to submit to His
Majesty the Sulṭán, that for ten minutes this Youth be enabled to meet
him, so that he may demand whatsoever he deemeth as a sufficient testimony
and regardeth as proof of the veracity of Him Who is the Truth. Should God
enable Him to produce it, let him, then, release these wronged ones, and
leave them to themselves.”

26 He promised to transmit this message, and to give Us his reply. We
received, however, no news from him. Although it becometh not Him Who is
the Truth to present Himself before any person, inasmuch as all have been
created to obey Him, yet in view of the condition of these little children
and the large number of women so far removed from their friends and
countries, We have acquiesced in this matter. In spite of this nothing
hath resulted. ‘Umar himself is alive and accessible. Inquire from him,
that the truth may be made known unto you.

27 Most of Our companions now lie sick in this prison, and none knoweth
what befell Us, except God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. In the days
following Our arrival, two of these servants hastened to the realms above.
For an entire day the guards insisted that, until they were paid for the
shrouds and burial, those blessed bodies could not be removed, although no
one had requested any help from them. At that time we were devoid of
earthly means, and pleaded that they leave the matter unto us and allow
those present to carry the bodies, but they refused. Finally, a carpet was
taken to the bazaar to be sold, and the sum obtained was delivered to the
guards. Later, it was learned that they had merely dug a shallow grave
into which they had placed both blessed bodies, although they had taken
twice the amount required for shrouds and burial.

28 The pen is powerless to depict and the tongue faileth to describe the
trials which We have suffered. Yet sweeter than honey to Me is the
bitterness of such tribulations. Would that at every instant all the
afflictions of the world could, in the path of God and for the sake of His
love, be visited upon this evanescent Soul Who is immersed in the ocean of
divine knowledge!

29 We implore God for patience and forbearance, inasmuch as thou art but a
feeble creature and bereft of comprehension. Wert thou to awaken and
inhale the fragrance of the breezes that waft from the retreats of
eternity, thou wouldst readily abandon all that thou dost possess and in
which thou dost rejoice, and choose to abide in one of the dilapidated
rooms of this Most Great Prison. Beseech God to grant thee such mature
understanding as to enable thee to distinguish praiseworthy actions from
those which merit blame. Peace be upon him who followeth the way of
guidance!



LAWḤ-I-FU’ÁD


                 He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

1 Káf. Ẓá’.(75) We call unto thee from beyond the sea of grandeur, upon
the crimson land, above the horizon of tribulation. Verily, no God is
there save Him, the Almighty, the Most Generous. Walk thou steadfastly in
My Cause and follow not the ways of those who, upon attaining unto the
object of their desire, denied God, the Lord of Lords. Erelong shall He
lay hold upon them in His wrath, and He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the
All-Subduing.

2 Know thou that, through the power of His sovereign might, God hath
seized him who was the foremost amongst them that passed judgement against
Us. When he saw his torment approaching, he fled to Paris to seek recourse
to physicians.

3 “Is there none to help me?” he asked.

4 He was smitten upon the mouth and told: “There is no escape!”(76)

5 And when he turned towards the angel of wrath, he well-nigh expired from
fear. “I have a house full of riches,” he pleaded. “I have a palace on the
Bosphorus, beneath which the rivers flow.”

6 The angel replied: “No ransom shall be accepted from thee on this day,
even shouldst thou offer up all things visible and invisible. Hearest thou
not the sighs of the kindred of God, whom thou didst cast into prison
without proof or testimony? Thy deed hath provoked the lamentation of the
inmates of Paradise, and of those who circle morn and eve round the Throne
on high. The wrath of thy Lord hath descended upon thee, and stern is He
in His chastisement!”(77)

7 He made reply: “I held command over the people, and here is the mandate
of my authority.”

8 “Hold thy peace, O denier of the Day of Judgement!”(78)

9 He implored: “Is no respite possible so that I may send for my family?”

10 “Far from it, O disbeliever in the verses of God!”

11 Thereupon the keepers of the fathomless abyss called unto him: “The
gates of Hell have opened wide to receive thee, O thou who hast turned
away from thy Lord, the Unconstrained! Repair unto its fire, for it
yearneth after thee. Hast thou forgotten, O rejected one, when thou wert
the Nimrod of the age, how thy tyranny eclipsed the very cruelties of
Pharaoh, the Lord of the Stakes?(79) By God! Thine iniquity hath rent
asunder the veil of sanctity and caused the pillars of heaven to tremble.
Where canst thou find refuge now? Who shall protect thee from the dreadful
scourge of thy Lord, the All-Compelling? There is no haven for thee in
this Day, O ungodly doubter!” Whereupon the agony of death seized him and
he saw no more. Thus did We lay hold on him in Our wrathful anger, and
severe is thy Lord in His punishment.

12 Then an angel from the right hand of the Throne summoned him: “Behold
the angel of affliction. Is there any place to flee to save hell, wherein
the heart(80) boileth?” And the angel of chastisement received his spirit,
and a voice proclaimed: “Enter the bottomless pit which hath been promised
in the Book, and whose existence thou didst day and night deny!”

13 Soon will We dismiss the one who was like unto him,(81) and will lay
hold on their Chief who ruleth the land,(82) and I, verily, am the
Almighty, the All-Compelling. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and
extol thy Lord morn and eve. Suffer not the light of thy soul to be
quenched by the calumnies of the one who was so blinded by Our bestowals
as to turn away from God, the Lord of all names. He inspireth his devoted
followers even as the Evil One prompteth his own. Erelong shalt thou
behold him in evident loss both in this world and in the world to come.
He, indeed, is among those whom an afflictive torment doth await. He
dispatched an epistle to someone in that land, a writ of the workers of
iniquity, in which he mocked God and recorded that which filled all
created things with dismay. Say: Canst thou find anyone to protect thee
when the wrath of God, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained, is visited
upon thee?

14 Thus have We informed thee of that which lieth concealed within the
hearts of men. Verily, thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Knowing. Arise
for the triumph of this Cause, and gather together My loved ones. Help
them to see the truth in this Day when the feet of men have slipped. Say:
It behoveth every true believer to assist his Lord. He, verily, is your
helper, while the people have no one to turn to in this Day.

15 Then We seized Mihdí,(83) to whom We had promised divine chastisement
in Our Books and Scriptures. When Our awful majesty encompassed him, he
entreated: “May I not retrace my steps?”

16 A voice exclaimed: “Woe betide thee, O disbeliever in the Day of
Resurrection! This is the nethermost fire, and its flames have been made
to blaze for thee. Thou didst forsake all righteous deeds in thy vain and
futile life, and now thou hast none to shield thee from God. Thou art
indeed he who caused all hearts to be consumed and the Holy Spirit to
lament.”

17 He pleaded: “Is there yet no refuge for me?”

18 “Nay, by my Lord, even shouldst thou seek recourse to every possible
means!”

19 Thereupon he cried out in such distress as to cause the people of the
graves to tremble, and was seized by the Hand of invincible power. A voice
then proclaimed: “Return unto the seat of wrath in the fire of hell;
wretched and evil be thine abode!”

20 Thus did We lay hold on him as We laid hold on those who preceded him.
Behold their houses which We have left to the spiders, and take heed, O ye
who are endued with understanding! He it is who opposed God, and for whom
the verses of wrath were revealed in the Book. Blessed is he who readeth
it and pondereth its contents, for a goodly end doth in truth await him.

21 Thus have We recounted unto thee the tale of the evil-doers, that thine
eyes may be solaced. As for thee, there lieth in store naught but a
blissful end.



SÚRIY-I-MULÚK


                           He is the Almighty!

1 This is a Tablet from this Servant, who is called Ḥusayn in the kingdom
of names, to the concourse of the kings of the earth. Haply they may
approach it in a spirit of open-mindedness, discover from its message the
mysteries of divine providence, and be of those that comprehend its
meaning, and perchance they may forsake all they possess, turn towards the
retreats of holiness, and draw nigh unto God, the All-Glorious, the
Incomparable.

2 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.” This is a Spot which hath
been sanctified by God for those who approach it, a Spot wherein His Voice
may be heard from the celestial Tree of Holiness. 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.

3 Relate unto them, O Servant, the story of ‘Alí,(84) 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 judgement 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.

4 Say: The Sun of vicegerency hath dawned, the Point of knowledge and
wisdom hath been made plain, and the Testimony of God, the Almighty, the
All-Wise, hath been made manifest. Say: The Moon of eternity hath risen in
the midmost heaven, and its light hath illumined the dwellers of the
realms above. 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.

5 Know ye that a servant’s glory resideth in his nearness unto God, and
that, unless he draweth nigh unto Him, naught else can ever profit him,
even should he hold sway over the entire creation. Say: The breeze of God
hath wafted over you from the retreats of Paradise, but ye have neglected
it and chosen to persist in your waywardness. Guidance hath been given
unto you from God, but ye have failed to follow it and preferred to reject
its truth. The Lamp of God hath been lit within the niche of His Cause,
but ye have neglected to seek the radiance of its glory and to draw nigh
unto its light. And still ye slumber upon the couch of heedlessness!

6 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. Such is the counsel that shall profit you most; make of
it your provision, that ye may be of those who are guided aright. 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.
Hearken unto the clear admonitions that We have revealed for you in this
Tablet, that God, in turn, may hearken unto you, and may open before your
faces the portals of His mercy. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the
Merciful.

7 Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye
transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed. Observe the
injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good heed not to overstep
their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it
to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice,
for this, verily, is the straight path.

8 Compose your differences and reduce your armaments, that the burden of
your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be
tranquillized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer
be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and
territories demandeth. Fear ye God, and take heed not to outstrip the
bounds of moderation and be numbered among the extravagant.

9 We have learned that ye are increasing your outlay every year, and are
laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is more than
they can bear, and is a grievous injustice. Decide ye justly between men,
O kings, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them. This, if ye judge
fairly, is the thing that behoveth you, and beseemeth your station.

10 Beware not to deal unjustly with anyone 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.

11 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 everyone shall be rendered his due, when the doings
of all men, be they rich or poor, shall be weighed.

12 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.

13 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 neighbour. If ye stay not the hand of the
oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of the downtrodden, 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!

14 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.

15 O kings of Christendom! Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the Spirit of
God, “I go away, and come again unto you”?(85) Wherefore, then, did ye
fail, when He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven, to draw
nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them that attained
His Presence? In another passage He saith: “When He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come, He will guide you into all truth.”(86) And yet behold how, when
He did bring the truth, ye refused to turn your faces towards Him, and
persisted in disporting yourselves with your pastimes and fancies. Ye
welcomed Him not, neither did ye seek His Presence, that ye might hear the
verses of God from His own mouth, and partake of the manifold wisdom of
the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. Ye have, by reason of your
failure, hindered the breath of God from being wafted over you, and have
withheld from your souls the sweetness of its fragrance. Ye continue
roving with delight in the valley of your corrupt desires. By God! Ye, and
all ye possess, shall pass away. Ye shall, most certainly, return to God,
and shall be called to account for your doings in the presence of Him Who
shall gather together the entire creation.

16 Again, heard ye not that which hath been recorded in the Gospel
concerning those “which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”(87)—that is, those who have
been made manifest through the power of God? Wherefore it becometh evident
that one may well be manifested in the world of creation who is truly of
God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. How is it then that when
word reached you of Our Cause, ye failed to inquire from Our own lips,
that ye might distinguish truth from falsehood, discover Our aim and
purpose, and learn of the afflictions which We have suffered at the hands
of an evil and wayward generation?

17 O Minister of the King of Paris!(88) Hast thou forgotten the
pronouncement recorded in the Gospel according to John concerning the Word
and those who are its Manifestations? And hast thou ignored the counsels
of the Spirit(89) concerning the Manifestations of the Word, and been
numbered with the heedless? If not, wherefore then didst thou conspire
with the Minister of Persia(90) to inflict upon Us that which hath caused
the hearts of men of insight and understanding to melt, the tears of the
denizens of the Realm of eternity to flow, and the souls of them who are
nigh unto God to mourn? And all this thou didst commit without seeking to
examine Our Cause or to discern its truth. For is it not thy clear duty to
investigate this Cause, to inform thyself of the things that have befallen
Us, to judge with equity, and to cleave unto justice?

18 Thy days shall pass away, thy ministry shall come to an end, and thy
possessions shall vanish and be no more. Then, in the presence of the
almighty King, thou shalt be called to answer for that which thy hands
have wrought. How many the ministers who came before thee into this world,
men who exceeded thee in power, excelled thee in station, and surpassed
thee in wealth, and yet returned to dust, leaving upon the face of the
earth neither name nor trace, and are now plunged in grievous remorse.
Amongst them were those who failed in their duty towards God, followed
their own desires, and trod the path of lust and wickedness. And amongst
them were those who observed that which hath been prescribed in the verses
of God, judged with fairness by the divine guidance that overshadowed
them, and entered beneath the shelter of the mercy of their Lord.

19 I admonish thee, and those who are like thee, to deal not with anyone
as ye have dealt with Us. Beware lest ye follow in the footsteps of the
Evil One and walk in the ways of the unjust. Take from this world only to
the measure of your needs, and forgo that which exceedeth them. Observe
equity in all your judgements, and transgress not the bounds of justice,
nor be of them that stray from its path.

20 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?

21 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 downtrodden, and punish the wrongdoers. 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.

22 Consider the state in which We are, and behold ye the ills and troubles
that have tried Us. Neglect Us not, though it be for a moment, and judge
ye between Us and Our enemies with equity. This will, surely, be a
manifest advantage unto you. Thus do We relate to you Our tale, and
recount the things that have befallen Us, that ye might take off Our ills
and ease Our burden. Let him who will, relieve Us from Our trouble; and as
to him that willeth not, My Lord is assuredly the best of helpers.

23 Warn and acquaint the people, O Servant, with the things We have sent
down unto Thee, and let the fear of no one dismay Thee, and be Thou not of
them that waver. 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.

24 Call Thou to remembrance Thine arrival in the City, how the Ministers
of the Sulṭán thought Thee to be unacquainted with their laws and
regulations, and believed Thee to be one of the ignorant. Say: Yea, by My
Lord! I am ignorant of all things except what God hath, through His
bountiful favour, been pleased to teach Me. To this We assuredly testify,
and unhesitatingly confess it.

25 Say: If the laws and regulations to which ye cleave be of your own
making, We will, in no wise, follow them. Thus have I been instructed by
Him Who is the All-Wise, the All-Informed. Such hath been My way in the
past, and such will it remain in the future, through the power of God and
His might. This, indeed, is the true and right way. If they be ordained by
God, bring forth, then, your proofs, if ye be of them that speak the
truth. Say: We have written down in a Book which leaveth not unrecorded
the work of any man, however insignificant, all that they have imputed to
Thee, and all that they have done unto Thee.

26 Say: It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of
God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who
are guided aright. Better is this for you than all ye possess, did ye but
know it. If ye transgress the commandment of God, not one jot or one
tittle of all your works shall be acceptable in His sight. Ye shall,
erelong, discover the consequences of that which ye shall have done in
this vain life, and shall be repaid for them. This, verily, is the truth,
the undoubted truth.

27 How great the number of those who, in bygone ages, have committed the
things ye have committed, and who, though superior to you in rank, have,
in the end, returned unto dust, and been consigned to their inevitable
doom! Would that ye might ponder the Cause of God in your hearts! Ye shall
follow in their wake, and shall be made to enter a habitation wherein none
shall be found to befriend or help you. Ye shall, of a truth, be asked of
your doings, shall be called to account for your failure in duty with
regard to the Cause of God, and for having disdainfully rejected His loved
ones who, with manifest sincerity, have come unto you.

28 It is ye who have taken counsel together regarding them, ye that have
preferred to follow the promptings of your own desires, and forsaken the
commandment of God, the Help in Peril, the Almighty.

29 Say: What! Cleave ye to your own devices, and cast behind your backs
the precepts of God? Ye, indeed, have wronged your own selves and others.
Would that ye could perceive it! Say: If your rules and principles be
founded on justice, why is it, then, that ye follow those which accord
with your corrupt inclinations and reject such as conflict with your
desires? By what right claim ye, then, to judge fairly between men? Are
your rules and principles such as to justify your persecution of Him Who,
at your bidding, hath presented Himself before you, your rejection of Him,
and your infliction on Him every day of grievous injury? Hath He ever,
though it be for one short moment, disobeyed you? All the inhabitants of
‘Iráq, and beyond them every discerning observer, will bear witness to the
truth of My words.

30 Be fair in your judgement, O ye Ministers of State! What is it that We
have committed that could justify Our banishment? What is the offence that
hath warranted Our expulsion? It is We Who have sought you, and yet,
behold how ye refused to receive Us! By God! This is a sore injustice that
ye have perpetrated—an injustice with which no earthly injustice can
measure. To this the Almighty is Himself a witness.

31 Have I at any time transgressed your laws, or disobeyed any of your
ministers in ‘Iráq? Inquire of them, that ye may act with discernment
towards Us and be numbered with those who are well-informed. Hath anyone
ever brought before them a plaint against Us? Hath anyone amongst them
ever heard from Us a word contrary to that which God hath revealed in His
Book? Bring forth, then, your evidence, that We may approve your actions
and acknowledge your claims!

32 Had ye wished to deal with Us in accordance with your principles and
standards, it would have behoved you to respect and honour Us for
complying with your commands and following that which ye have pleased to
ordain. Likewise, it would have beseemed you to repay the debts which We
incurred in ‘Iráq in the execution of your wishes. Ye should have given
ear then unto Us, heard the account of Our woes, and judged with equity,
as ye would judge your own selves. Ye should not have wished for Us that
which ye have not wished for yourselves, but rather chosen to act with
generosity. By God! Ye dealt with Us neither in accordance with your own
principles and standards, nor with those of any man living, but in
accordance with the promptings of your evil and wayward passions, O ye
concourse of the froward and the arrogant!

33 O Bird of Holiness! Soar in the heaven of communion with Me, and
acquaint the people with that which We disclosed unto Thee in the
billowing oceans of immortality beyond the mount of glory. Let the fear of
no one dismay Thee, and put Thy trust in God, the Almighty, the
Beneficent. We, verily, shall protect Thee from those who, without a clear
token from God or an enlightening Book, have grievously wronged Thee.

34 Say: God is My witness, O concourse of the negligent! We came not unto
you to spread disorder in your lands or to sow dissension amongst your
peoples. Nay rather, We came in obedience to the command of the sovereign,
and in order to exalt your authority, to instruct you in the ways of Our
wisdom, and to remind you of that which ye had forgotten—even as He saith
in truth: “Warn them, for, in truth, Thy warning will profit the
believers.”(91) But ye hearkened not unto the sweet melodies of the
Spirit, and gave ear unwittingly unto Our enemies, they who follow the
promptings of their corrupt inclinations, whose deeds the Evil One hath
made fair-seeming in their own eyes, and whose tongues utter calumnies
against Us. Heard ye not that which hath been revealed in His all-glorious
and unerring Book: “If a wicked man come to you with news, clear it up at
once”?(92) Wherefore have ye then cast the command of God behind your
backs, and followed in the footsteps of them that are bent on mischief?

35 We have heard that one of these calumniators hath alleged that this
Servant practised usury whilst residing in ‘Iráq, and was engaged in
amassing riches for Himself. Say: How can ye judge a matter whereof ye
have no knowledge? How can ye hurl calumnies against the servants of God,
and entertain such evil suspicions? And how could this accusation be true,
when God hath forbidden this practice unto His servants in that most holy
and well-guarded Book revealed unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of God and the
Seal of the Prophets, a Book which He hath ordained to be His abiding
testimony, and His guidance and monition unto all mankind? This is but one
of the matters in which We have opposed the divines of Persia, inasmuch as
We have, according to the text of the Book, forbidden unto all men the
practice of usury. God Himself beareth witness to the truth of My words.
“Yet I hold not myself clear, for the soul is prone to evil.”(93) We
intend only to impart unto you the truth, that ye might be informed
thereof and be of them that lead a godly life. Beware lest ye give ear to
the words of those from whom the foul smell of malice and envy can be
discerned; pay no heed to them, and stand ye for righteousness.

36 Know ye that the world and its vanities and its embellishments shall
pass away. Nothing will endure except God’s Kingdom which pertaineth to
none but Him, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Help in Peril, the
All-Glorious, the Almighty. The days of your life shall roll away, and all
the things with which ye are occupied and of which ye boast yourselves
shall perish, and ye shall, most certainly, be summoned by a company of
His angels to appear at the spot where the limbs of the entire creation
shall be made to tremble, and the flesh of every oppressor to creep. Ye
shall be asked of the things your hands have wrought in this, your vain
life, and shall be repaid for your doings. This is the day that shall
inevitably come upon you, the hour that none can put back. To this the
Tongue of Him that speaketh the truth and is the Knower of all things hath
testified.

37 Fear God, ye inhabitants of the City, and sow not the seeds of
dissension amongst men. Walk not in the paths of the Evil One. Walk ye,
during the few remaining days of your life, in the ways of the one true
God. Your days shall pass away as have the days of them who were before
you. To dust shall ye return, even as your fathers of old did return.

38 Know ye that I am afraid of none except God. In none but Him have I
placed My trust; to none will I cleave but Him, and wish for naught except
the thing He hath wished for Me. This, indeed, is My heart’s desire, did
ye but know it. I have offered up My soul and My body as a sacrifice for
God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso hath known God shall know none but Him,
and he that feareth God shall be afraid of no one except Him, though the
powers of the whole earth rise up and be arrayed against him. I speak
naught except at His bidding, and follow naught, through the power of God
and His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the
truthful.

39 Narrate, O Servant, the things Thou didst behold at the time of Thine
arrival in the City, that Thy testimony may endure amongst men, and serve
as a warning unto them that believe. We found, upon Our arrival in the
City, its governors and elders as children gathered about and disporting
themselves with clay. We perceived no one sufficiently mature to acquire
from Us the truths which God hath taught Us, nor ripe for Our wondrous
words of wisdom. Our inner eye wept sore over them, and over their
transgressions and their total disregard of the thing for which they were
created. This is what We observed in that city, and which We have chosen
to note down in Our Book, that it may serve as a warning unto them, and
unto the rest of mankind.

40 Say: If ye be seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye
should have sought them while ye were still enclosed in your mothers’
wombs, for at that time ye were continually approaching them, could ye but
perceive it. Ye have, on the other hand, ever since ye were born and
attained maturity, been all the while receding from the world and drawing
closer to dust. Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of
the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost?
Will ye not, then, O heedless ones, shake off your slumber?

41 Incline your ears to the counsels which this Servant giveth you for the
sake of God. He, verily, asketh no recompense from you and is resigned to
what God hath ordained for Him, and is entirely submissive to God’s Will.

42 The days of your life are far spent, O people, and your end is fast
approaching. Put away, therefore, the things ye have devised and to which
ye cleave, and take firm hold on the precepts of God, that haply ye may
attain that which He hath purposed for you, and be of them that pursue a
right course. Delight not yourselves in the things of the world and its
vain ornaments, neither set your hopes on them. Let your reliance be on
the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. He will,
erelong, bring to naught all the things ye possess. Let Him be your fear,
and forget not His covenant with you, and be not of them that are shut out
as by a veil from Him.

43 Beware that ye swell not with pride before God, and disdainfully reject
His loved ones. Defer ye humbly to the faithful, they that have believed
in God and in His signs, whose hearts witness to His unity, whose tongues
proclaim His oneness, and who speak not except by His leave. Thus do We
exhort you with justice, and warn you with truth, that perchance ye may be
awakened.

44 Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you,
and desire not for anyone the things ye would not desire for yourselves.
This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it.

45 Respect ye the divines and learned amongst you, they whose conduct
accords with their professions, who transgress not the bounds which God
hath fixed, whose judgements are in conformity with His behests as
revealed in His Book. Know ye that they are the lamps of guidance unto
them that are in the heavens and on the earth. They who disregard and
neglect the divines and learned that live amongst them—these have truly
changed the favour with which God hath favoured them.

46 Say: Wait ye till God will have changed His favour unto you. Nothing
whatsoever escapeth Him. He knoweth the secrets both of the heavens and of
the earth. His knowledge embraceth all things. Rejoice not in what ye have
done, or will do in the future, nor delight in the tribulation with which
ye have afflicted Us, for ye are unable by such means as these to exalt
your stations, were ye to examine your works with acute discernment.
Neither will ye be capable of detracting from the loftiness of Our state.
Nay, God will add unto the recompense with which He shall reward Us, for
having sustained with persevering patience the tribulations We have
suffered. He, verily, shall increase the reward of them that endure with
patience.

47 Know ye that trials and tribulations have, from time immemorial, been
the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His beloved, and such of His
servants as are detached from all else but Him, they whom neither
merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the Almighty, they
that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment.
Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such will it remain
in the future. Blessed are the steadfastly enduring, they that are patient
under ills and hardships, who lament not over anything that befalleth
them, and who tread the path of resignation.

48 That which hath befallen Us hath been witnessed before. Ours is not the
first goblet dashed to the ground in the lands of Islám, nor is this the
first time that such schemers have intrigued against the beloved of the
Lord. The tribulations We have sustained are like unto the trials endured
aforetime by Imám Ḥusayn. For he was approached by messengers from
malicious and evil-hearted plotters, inviting him to come forth from the
city; yet when he came unto them, accompanied by his kindred, they rose up
against him with all their might, until at last they slew him, slaughtered
his sons and his brothers, and took captive the remainder of his family.
So did it come to pass in an earlier age, and God, verily, is a witness
unto My words. Of his lineage there survived none, whether young or old,
save his son ‘Alí al-Awsat, known as Zaynu’l-‘Ábidín.

49 Behold then, O heedless ones, how brightly the fire of the love of God
blazed aforetime in the heart of Ḥusayn, if ye be of them that ponder! So
intense grew its flame that fervour and longing at last seized the reins
of patience from his grasp, and the love of Him Who is the All-Compelling
so enraptured his heart that he surrendered his soul, his spirit, his
substance, and his all in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. By God!
Sweeter was this in his sight than the empire of earth and heaven. For the
true lover desireth naught save reunion with his beloved and the seeker
hath no goal but to attain unto the object of his quest. Their hearts long
for reunion even as the body yearneth for the spirit, nay greater indeed
is their longing, could ye but perceive it!

50 Say: That same fire now blazeth in Mine own breast, and My wish is that
this Ḥusayn may lay down His life in like manner, in the hope of attaining
unto so august and sublime a station, that station wherein the servant
dieth to himself and liveth in God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Great.
Were I to disclose unto you the mysteries which God hath enshrined
therein, ye would, of a truth, offer up your lives in His path, renounce
your riches, and forsake all that ye possess, that ye might attain this
transcendent and all-glorious station. God, however, hath veiled your
hearts and obscured your eyes, lest ye should apprehend His mysteries and
be made aware of their meaning.

51 Say: The sincere soul longeth for nearness to God even as the suckling
babe yearneth for its mother’s breast, nay more ardent is his longing,
could ye but know it! Again, his longing is even as the panting of one
sore athirst after the living waters of grace, or the yearning of the
sinner for forgiveness and mercy. Thus do We expound unto you the
mysteries of the Cause, and impart unto you what shall render you
independent of all that hath so far occupied you, that perchance ye may
enter the Court of Holiness within this exalted Paradise. I swear by God!
Whoso entereth therein shall never abandon its precincts, and whoso gazeth
thereon shall never turn away therefrom, even should the swords of
infidels and deniers rain blows upon him. Thus have We related unto you
that which befell Ḥusayn, and We beseech God that He may destine for Us
that which He had decreed for him. He, verily, is the Most Generous, the
All-Bountiful.

52 By the righteousness of God! Through his deed the fragrances of
holiness were wafted over all things, the proof of God was perfected, and
His testimony made manifest to all men. And after him God raised up a
people who avenged his death, who slew his enemies, and who wept over him
at dawn and at eventide. Say: God hath pledged in His Book to lay hold
upon every oppressor for his tyranny, and to uproot the stirrers of
mischief. Know ye that such holy deeds exert, in themselves, a great
influence upon the world of being—an influence which is, however,
inscrutable to all save those whose eyes have been opened by God, whose
hearts He hath freed from obscuring veils, and whose souls He hath guided
aright.

53 The day is approaching when God will have raised up a people who will
call to remembrance Our days, who will tell the tale of Our trials, who
will demand the restitution of Our rights from them that, without a tittle
of evidence, have treated Us with manifest injustice. God, assuredly,
dominateth the lives of them that wronged Us, and is well aware of their
doings. He will, most certainly, lay hold on them for their sins. He,
verily, is the fiercest of avengers.

54 Thus have We recounted unto you the tales of the one true God, and sent
down unto you the things He had preordained, that haply ye may ask
forgiveness of Him, may return unto Him, may truly repent, may realize
your misdeeds, may shake off your slumber, may be roused from your
heedlessness, may atone for the things that have escaped you, and be of
them that do good. Let him who will, acknowledge the truth of My words;
and as to him that willeth not, let him turn aside. My sole duty is to
remind you of your failure in duty towards the Cause of God, if perchance
ye may be of them that heed My warning. Wherefore, hearken ye unto My
speech, and return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may
have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses.
The greatness of His mercy surpasseth the fury of His wrath, and His grace
encompasseth all who have been called into being and been clothed with the
robe of life, be they of the past or of the future.

55 O concourse of Ministers of State! Do ye believe in your hearts that We
have come to divest you of your earthly possessions and vanities? Nay, by
the One in Whose hand is My soul! Our intention hath been to make clear
that We oppose not the commands of the sovereign, nor are We to be
numbered with the rebellious. Know ye of a certainty that all the
treasures of the earth, all the gold, the silver, and the rare and
precious gems they contain, are, in the sight of God, of His chosen ones
and His loved ones, as worthless as a handful of clay. For erelong all
that is on earth shall perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, the
All-Powerful, the Incomparable. That which perisheth can never profit Us,
nor can it profit you, were ye but to reflect.

56 By the righteousness of God! I speak not falsely, and utter naught save
that which God hath bidden Me. To this bear witness the very words of this
Tablet, if ye but reflect upon its contents. Follow not the promptings of
your own desires, nor the whisperings of the Evil One in your souls.
Follow rather the Cause of God, both in your outward and your inner lives,
and be not of the heedless. Better is this for you than all that ye have
laid up in your houses, and all that ye have sought by day and night.

57 The world will pass away, and so will all the things whereat your
hearts rejoice, or wherein ye pride yourselves before men. Cleanse the
mirrors of your hearts from the dross of the world and all that is
therein, that they may reflect the resplendent light of God. This, indeed,
shall enable you to dispense with all save God, and to attain unto the
good pleasure of your Lord, the Most Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. We, verily, have unfolded before your eyes that which shall
profit you both in this world and in the realm of faith, and which will
lead you to the path of salvation. Would that ye might turn thereunto!

58 Hearken, O King,(94) 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.

59 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.

60 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.

61 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 thine 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.

62 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 can 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.

63 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.

64 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.

65 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.

66 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.

67 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, 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, while others were in dire want and abject poverty. This
ill beseemeth thy sovereignty, and is unworthy of thy rank.

68 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.

69 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.

70 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.

71 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.

72 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 anyone 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.

73 Hast thou heard, O King, what We have suffered at the hands of thy
ministers and how We have been treated by them, or art thou of the
negligent? If indeed thou hast heard and known, wherefore didst thou not
forbid thy ministers to commit such deeds? How didst thou desire for Him
Who hath complied with thy command, and been obedient to thy behest, that
which no king would desire for any of his subjects? And if thou knowest
not, this indeed is a more grievous error, wert thou of the God-fearing.
Wherefore shall I recount to thee that which We have suffered at the hands
of these oppressors.

74 Know, then, that We came unto thy city at thine own behest, and entered
therein with conspicuous honour. They expelled Us, however, from thy city
with an abasement with which no abasement on earth can compare, if thou be
of them that are well-informed. They made Us journey until We reached the
place(95) which none entereth except such as have rebelled against the
authority of the sovereign, and as are numbered with the transgressors.
All this, notwithstanding that We had never disobeyed thee, though it be
for a single moment, for when We heard thy bidding We observed it and
submitted to thy will. In dealing with Us, however, thy ministers neither
honoured the standards of God and His commandments, nor heeded that which
hath been revealed to the Prophets and Messengers. They showed Us no mercy
and committed against Us that which no one among the faithful hath ever
wrought against his fellow, nor any believer inflicted upon an infidel.
God knoweth and is a witness unto the truth of Our words.

75 When they expelled Us from thy city, they placed Us in such conveyances
as the people use to carry baggage and the like. Such was the treatment We
received at their hands, shouldst thou wish to know the truth. Thus were
We sent away, and thus were We brought to the city which they regard as
the abode of rebels. Upon our arrival, We could find no house in which to
dwell, and perforce resided in a place where none would enter save the
most indigent stranger. There We lodged for a time, after which, suffering
increasingly from the confined space, We sought and rented houses which by
reason of the extreme cold had been vacated by their occupants. Thus in
the depth of winter we were constrained to make our abode in houses
wherein none dwell except in the heat of summer. Neither My family, nor
those who accompanied Me, had the necessary raiment to protect them from
the cold in that freezing weather.

76 Would that thy ministers had dealt with Us according to the principles
they uphold amongst themselves! For, by God, they dealt with Us neither in
accordance with the commandments of God, nor with the practices they
uphold, nor with the standards current amongst men, nor even with the
manner in which the destitute of the earth receive a wayfarer. Such is the
account of what We suffered at their hands, and which We have related unto
thee in a language of truthfulness and sincerity.

77 All this befell Me, though I had come unto them at their own behest and
did not oppose their authority, which deriveth from thine own. Thus did We
accept and observe their bidding. They, however, appear to have forgotten
that which God hath commanded. He saith, and His Word is the truth: “Act
with humility towards the believers.”(96) Methinks that their only concern
was their own comfort and repose, and that their ears were deaf to the
sighs of the poor and the cries of the oppressed. They seem to imagine
that they have been created from pure light, while others have been
fashioned out of dust. How wretched are their imaginings! We have all been
created from a sorry germ.(97)

78 I swear by God, O King! It is not My wish to make My plaint to thee
against them that persecute Me. I only plead My grief and My sorrow to
God, Who hath created Me and them, Who well knoweth our state and Who
watcheth over all things. My wish is to warn them of the consequences of
their actions, if perchance they might desist from treating others as they
have treated Me, and be of them that heed My warning.

79 The tribulations that have touched Us, the destitution from which We
suffer, the various troubles with which We are encompassed, shall all pass
away, as shall pass away the pleasures in which they delight and the
affluence they enjoy. This is the truth which no man on earth can reject.
The days in which We have been compelled to dwell in the dust will soon be
ended, as will the days in which they occupied the seats of honour. God
shall, assuredly, judge with truth between Us and them, and He, verily, is
the best of judges.

80 We render thanks unto God for whatsoever hath befallen Us, and We
patiently endure the things He hath ordained in the past or will ordain in
the future. In Him have I placed My trust; and into His hands have I
committed My Cause. He will, certainly, repay all them that endure with
patience and put their confidence in Him. His is the creation and its
empire. He exalteth whom He will, and whom He will He doth abase. He shall
not be asked of His doings. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

81 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.

82 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? Nay, 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.

83 In the daytime 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!

84 Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Sháh in the City, that I hold
within My grasp the ultimate destiny of the Cause of God? Thinkest thou
that My imprisonment, or the shame I have been made to suffer, or even My
death and utter annihilation, can deflect its course? Wretched is what
thou hast imagined in thine heart! Thou art indeed of them that walk after
the vain imaginings which their hearts devise. No God is there but Him.
Powerful is He to manifest His Cause, and to exalt His testimony, and to
establish whatsoever is His Will, and to elevate it to so eminent a
position that neither thine own hands, nor the hands of them that have
turned away from Him, can ever touch or harm it.

85 Dost thou believe thou hast the power to frustrate His Will, to hinder
Him from executing His judgement, or to deter Him from exercising His
sovereignty? Pretendest thou that aught in the heavens or in the earth can
resist His Faith? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth! Nothing whatsoever
in the whole of creation can thwart His Purpose. Cast away, therefore, the
mere conceit thou dost follow, for mere conceit can never take the place
of truth. Be thou of them that have truly repented and returned to God,
the God Who hath created thee, Who hath nourished thee, and made thee a
minister among them that profess thy faith.

86 Know thou, moreover, that He it is Who hath, by His own behest, created
all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. How can, then,
the thing that hath been created at His bidding prevail against Him? High
is God exalted above what ye imagine about Him, ye people of malice! If
this Cause be of God, no man can prevail against it; and if it be not of
God, the divines amongst you, and they that follow their corrupt desires
and such as have rebelled against Him will surely suffice to overpower it.

87 Hast thou not heard what a man of the family of Pharaoh, a believer,
hath said of old, and which God recounted unto His Apostle, Whom He hath
chosen above all human beings, and entrusted with His Message, and made
the source of His mercy unto all them that dwell on earth? He said, and
He, verily, speaketh the truth: “Will ye slay a man because he saith my
Lord is God, when he hath already come to you with proofs of his mission?
And if he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth,
part at least of what he threateneth will fall upon you.”(98) This is what
God hath revealed unto His Well-Beloved One, in His unerring Book.

88 And yet, ye have failed to incline your ears unto His bidding, have
disregarded His law, have rejected His counsel as recorded in His Book,
and have been of them that have strayed far from Him. How many those who,
every year, and every month, have because of you been put to death! How
manifold the injustices ye have perpetrated—injustices the like of which
the eye of creation hath not seen, which no chronicler hath ever recorded!
How numerous the babes and sucklings who were made orphans, and the
fathers who lost their sons, because of your cruelty, O ye unjust doers!
How oft hath a sister pined away and mourned over her brother, and how oft
hath a wife lamented after her husband and sole sustainer!

89 Your iniquity waxed greater and greater until ye slew Him Who had never
taken His eyes away from the face of God, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great.(99) Would that ye had put Him to death after the manner men are
wont to put one another to death! Ye slew Him, however, in such
circumstances as no man hath ever witnessed. The heavens wept sore over
Him, and the souls of them who are nigh unto God cried out for His
affliction. Was He not a Scion of your Prophet’s ancient House? Had not
His fame as a direct descendant of the Apostle been spread abroad amongst
you? Why, then, did ye inflict upon Him what no man, however far ye may
look back, hath inflicted upon another? By God! The eye of creation hath
never beheld your like. Ye slay Him Who is a Scion of your Prophet’s
House, and rejoice and make merry while seated on your seats of honour! Ye
utter your imprecations against them who were before you, and who have
perpetrated what ye have perpetrated, and remain yourselves all the time
unaware of your enormities!

90 Be fair in your judgement. Did they whom ye curse, upon whom ye invoke
evil, act differently from yourselves? Have they not slain the descendant
of their Prophet(100) as ye have slain the descendant of your own? Is not
your conduct similar to their conduct? Wherefore, then, claim ye to be
different from them, O ye sowers of dissension amongst men?

91 And when ye took away His life, one of His followers arose to avenge
His death. He was unknown of men, and the design he had conceived was
unnoticed by anyone. Eventually he committed what had been preordained. It
behoveth you, therefore, to attach blame to no one except to yourselves,
for the things ye have committed, if ye but judge fairly. Who is there on
the whole earth who hath done what ye have done? None, by Him Who is the
Lord of all worlds!

92 All the rulers and kings of the earth honour and revere the descendants
of their Prophets and holy men, could ye but perceive it. Ye, on the other
hand, are responsible for such acts as no man hath, at any time,
performed. Your misdeeds have caused every understanding heart to be
consumed with grief. And yet, ye have remained sunk in your heedlessness,
and failed to realize the wickedness of your actions.

93 Ye have persisted in your waywardness until ye rose up against Us,
though We had committed nothing to justify your enmity. Fear ye not God
Who hath created you, and fashioned you, and caused you to attain your
strength, and joined you with them that have resigned themselves to
Him?(101) How long will ye persist in your waywardness? How long will ye
refuse to reflect? How long ere ye shake off your slumber and are roused
from your heedlessness? How long will ye remain unaware of the truth?

94 Ponder in thine heart. Did ye, notwithstanding your behaviour and the
things your hands have wrought, succeed in quenching the fire of God or in
putting out the light of His Revelation—a light that hath enveloped with
its brightness them that are immersed in the billowing oceans of
immortality, and hath attracted the souls of such as truly believe in and
uphold His unity? Know ye not that the Hand of God is over your hands,
that His Decree transcendeth all your devices, that He is supreme over His
servants, that He is equal to His Purpose, that He doth what He wisheth,
that He shall not be asked of whatever He willeth, that He ordaineth what
He pleaseth, that He is the Most Powerful, the Almighty? If ye believe
this to be the truth, wherefore, then, will ye not cease from troubling
and be at peace with yourselves?

95 Ye perpetrate every day a fresh injustice, and treat Me as ye treated
Me in times past, though I never attempted to meddle with your affairs. At
no time have I opposed you, neither have I rebelled against your laws.
Behold how ye have, at the last, made Me a prisoner in this far-off land!
Know for a certainty, however, that whatever your hands or the hands of
the infidels have wrought will never, as they never did of old, change the
Cause of God or alter His ways.

96 Give heed to My warning, ye people of Persia! If I be slain at your
hands, God will assuredly raise up one who will fill the seat made vacant
through My death, for such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and
no change can ye find in God’s method of dealing. Seek ye to put out God’s
light that shineth upon His earth? Averse is God from what ye desire. He
shall perfect His light, albeit ye abhor it in the secret of your hearts.

97 Pause for but a little while and reflect, O Minister, and be fair in
thy judgement. What is it that We have committed that could justify thee
in having slandered Us unto the King’s Ministers, in following thy
desires, in perverting the truth, and in uttering thy calumnies against
Us? We have never met each other except when We met thee in thy father’s
house, in the days when the martyrdom of Imám Ḥusayn was being
commemorated. On those occasions no one could have had the chance of
making known to others his views and beliefs in conversation or in
discourse. Thou wilt bear witness to the truth of My words, if thou be of
the truthful. I have frequented no other gatherings in which thou couldst
have learned My mind or in which any other could have done so. How, then,
didst thou pronounce thy verdict against Me, when thou hadst not heard My
testimony from Mine own lips? Hast thou not heard what God, exalted be His
glory, hath said: “Say not to everyone who meeteth you with a greeting,
‘Thou art not a believer’.”(102) “Thrust not away those who cry to their
Lord at morn and even, craving to behold His face.”(103) Thou hast indeed
forsaken what the Book of God hath prescribed, and yet thou deemest
thyself to be a believer!

98 Despite what thou hast done I entertain—and to this God is My
witness—no ill will against thee, nor against anyone, though from thee and
others We receive such hurt as no believer in the unity of God can
sustain. My cause is in the hand of none except God, and My trust is in no
one else but Him. Erelong shall your days pass away, as shall pass away
the days of those who now, with flagrant pride, vaunt themselves over
their neighbour. Soon shall ye be gathered together in the presence of
God, and shall be asked of your doings, and shall be repaid for what your
hands have wrought, and wretched is the abode of the wicked doers!

99 By God! Wert thou to realize what thou hast done, thou wouldst surely
weep sore over thyself, and wouldst flee for refuge to God, and wouldst
pine away and mourn all the days of thy life, till God will have forgiven
thee, for He, verily, is the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful. Thou wilt,
however, persist, till the hour of thy death, in thy heedlessness,
inasmuch as thou hast, with all thine heart, thy soul and inmost being,
busied thyself with the vanities of the world. Thou shalt, after thy
departure, discover what We have revealed unto thee, and shalt find all
thy doings recorded in the Book wherein the works of all them that dwell
on earth, be they greater or less than the weight of an atom, are noted
down. Heed, therefore, My counsel, and hearken thou, with the hearing of
thine heart, unto My speech, and be not careless of My words, nor be of
them that reject My truth. Glory not in the things that have been given
thee. Set before thine eyes what hath been revealed in the Book of God,
the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious: “And when they had forgotten their
warnings, We set open to them the gates of all things,” even as We did set
open to thee and to thy like the gates of this earth and the ornaments
thereof. Wait thou, therefore, for what hath been promised in the latter
part of this holy verse,(104) for this is a promise from Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Wise—a promise that will not prove untrue.

100 I know not the path ye have chosen and which ye tread, O congregation
of My ill-wishers! We summon you to God, We remind you of His Day, We
announce unto you tidings of your reunion with Him, We draw you nigh unto
His court, and send down upon you tokens of His wondrous wisdom, and yet
lo, behold how ye reject Us, how ye condemn Us, through the things which
your lying mouths have uttered, as an infidel, how ye devise your devices
against Us! And when We manifest unto you what God hath, through His
bountiful favour, bestowed upon Us, ye say, “It is but plain magic.” The
same words were spoken by the generations that were before you and were
what ye are, did ye but perceive it. Ye have thereby deprived yourselves
of the bounty of God and of His grace, and shall never obtain them till
the day when God will have judged between Us and you, and He, verily, is
the best of judges.

101 Certain ones among you have said: “He it is Who hath laid claim to be
God.” By God! This is a gross calumny. I am but a servant of God Who hath
believed in Him and in His signs, and in His Prophets and in His angels.
My tongue, and My heart, and My inner and My outer being testify that
there is no God but Him, that all others have been created by His behest,
and been fashioned through the operation of His Will. There is none other
God but Him, the Creator, the Raiser from the dead, the Quickener, the
Slayer. I am He that telleth abroad the favours with which God hath,
through His bounty, favoured Me. If this be My transgression, then I am
truly the first of the transgressors. I and My kindred are at your mercy.
Do ye as ye please, and be not of them that hesitate, that I might return
to God My Lord, and reach the place where I can no longer behold your
faces. This, indeed, is My dearest wish, My most ardent desire. Of My
state God is, verily, sufficiently informed, observant.

102 Imagine thyself to be under the eye of God, O Minister! If thou seest
Him not, He, in truth, clearly seeth thee. Observe, and judge fairly Our
Cause. What is it that We have committed that could have induced thee to
rise up against Us, and to slander Us to the people, if thou be of them
who are just? We departed out of Ṭihrán, at the bidding of the King,(105)
and, by his leave, transferred Our residence to ‘Iráq. If I had
transgressed against him, why, then, did he release Me? And if I were
innocent of guilt, wherefore did ye afflict Us with such tribulation as
none among them that profess your faith hath suffered? Hath any of Mine
acts, after Mine arrival in ‘Iráq, been such as to subvert the authority
of the government? Who is it that can be said to have detected anything
reprehensible in Our behaviour? Enquire for thyself of its people, that
thou mayest be of them who have discerned the truth.

103 For eleven years We dwelt in that land, until the Minister
representing thy government arrived,(106) whose name Our pen is loth to
mention, who was given to wine, who followed his lusts, and committed
wickedness, and was corrupt and corrupted ‘Iráq. To this will bear witness
most of the inhabitants of Baghdád, wert thou to inquire of them, and be
of such as seek the truth. He it was who wrongfully seized the substance
of his fellow-men, who forsook all the commandments of God, and
perpetrated whatever God had forbidden. Eventually, he, following his
desires, rose up against Us, and walked in the ways of the unjust. He
accused Us, in his letter to thee, and thou didst believe him and followed
in his way, without seeking any proof or trustworthy evidence from him.
Thou didst ask for no explanation, nor didst thou attempt either to
investigate or ascertain the matter, that the truth might be distinguished
from falsehood in thy sight, and that thou mightest be clear in thy
discernment. Find out for thyself the sort of man he was by asking those
Ministers who were, at that time, in ‘Iráq, as well as the Governor of the
City(107) and its high Counsellor, that the truth may be revealed to thee,
and that thou mayest be of the well-informed.

104 God is Our witness! We have, under no circumstances, opposed either
him, or others. We observed, under all conditions, the precepts of God,
and were never one of those that wrought disorders. To this he himself
doth testify. His intention was to lay hold on Us, and send Us back to
Persia, that he might thereby exalt his fame and reputation. Thou hast
committed the same crime, and for the self-same purpose. Ye both are of
equal grade in the sight of God, the sovereign Lord of all, the
All-Knowing.

105 It is not Our purpose in addressing to thee these words to lighten the
burden of Our woe, or to induce thee to intercede for Us with anyone. Nay,
by Him Who is the Lord of all worlds! We have set forth the whole matter
before thee, that perchance thou might realize what thou hast done, might
desist from inflicting on others the hurt thou hast inflicted on Us, and
might be of them that have truly repented to God, Who created thee and
created all things, and might act with discernment in the future. Better
is this for thee than all thou dost possess, than thy ministry whose days
are numbered.

106 Beware lest thou be led to connive at injustice. Set thy heart firmly
upon justice, and alter not the Cause of God, and be of them whose eyes
are directed towards the things that have been revealed in His Book.
Follow not, under any condition, the promptings of thine evil desires.
Keep thou the law of God, thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Ancient of Days.
Thou shalt most certainly return to dust, and shalt perish like all the
things in which thou takest delight. This is what the Tongue of truth and
glory hath spoken.

107 Rememberest thou not God’s warning uttered in times past, that thou
mayest be of them that heed His warning? He said, and He, verily, speaketh
the truth: “From it (earth) have We created you, and unto it will We
return you, and out of it will We bring you forth a second time.”(108)
This is what God ordained unto all them that dwell on earth, be they high
or low. It behoveth not, therefore, him who was created from dust, who
will return unto it, and will again be brought forth out of it, to swell
with pride before God, and before His loved ones, to proudly scorn them,
and be filled with disdainful arrogance. Nay, rather it behoveth thee and
those like thee to submit yourselves to them Who are the Manifestations of
the unity of God, and to defer humbly to the faithful, who have forsaken
their all for the sake of God, and have detached themselves from the
things which engross men’s attention, and lead them astray from the path
of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Thus do We send down upon you
that which shall profit you and profit them that have placed their whole
trust and confidence in their Lord.

108 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 the Sun of vicegerency
hath dawned in all truth, and yet ye have turned away therefrom. The Moon
of guidance hath risen high in the midmost heaven, and yet ye remain
veiled therefrom. The Star of divine bounty hath shone forth above the
horizon of eternal holiness, and yet ye have strayed far therefrom.

109 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.

110 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 anyone 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.

111 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. Thus have We found you,
and thus have We reckoned up your actions and borne witness to all your
doings in this day. 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.

112 By God! The Tree of vicegerency hath been planted, the Point of
knowledge hath been made plain, and the sovereignty of God, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been established. Fear ye the Lord.
Follow not the promptings of your evil desires, but keep the law of God
all your days. Renew the rules of the ways ye follow, that ye may be led
by the light of guidance and may hasten in the path of the True One.

113 O ye wise men of the City and philosophers of the world! Beware lest
human learning and wisdom cause you to wax proud before God, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Know ye that true wisdom is to fear God, to
know Him, and to recognize His Manifestations. This wisdom, however, can
be attained only by those who detach themselves from the world, and who
walk in the ways of the good pleasure of their Lord. Are ye possessed of
greater wisdom than the one who contrived a moon which would rise from one
well and set in another, and whose light was visible at a distance of
three leagues?(109) God, verily, blotted out every trace of his works and
returned him unto dust, as ye have already heard or are now informed.

114 How many the sages and philosophers who equalled or surpassed him in
learning and wisdom! And how vast the number of those who equalled or
surpassed yourselves! Some of them believed in God, while others
disbelieved and joined partners with Him. The latter were at last cast
into the Fire, there to take up their abode, while the former returned
unto the mercy of their Lord, therein to abide. For God doth not ask you
of your sciences, but of your faith and of your conduct. Are ye greater in
wisdom than the One Who brought you into being, Who fashioned the heavens
and all that they contain, the earth and all that dwell upon it? Gracious
God! True wisdom is His. All creation and its empire are His. He bestoweth
His wisdom upon whomsoever He chooseth amongst men, and withholdeth it
from whomsoever He desireth. He, in truth, is the Bestower and the
Withholder, and He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the All-Wise.

115 O ye learned of the world! Ye failed to seek Our presence, that ye
might hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Spirit and perceive that
which God in His bounty hath pleased to bestow upon Me. Verily, this grace
hath now escaped you, did ye but know. Had ye sought Our presence, We
would have imparted unto you a knowledge that would have rendered you
independent of all else. But this ye failed to do, and thus hath the
decree of God been fulfilled. Now have I been forbidden to disclose it,
since We stand accused of sorcery, if ye perceive Our meaning. The same
words were uttered by the deniers of old, men whom death hath long since
overtaken and who now dwell in the fire bewailing their plight. The
deniers of this day shall likewise meet their doom. Such is the
irrevocable decree of Him Who is the All-Powerful, the Self-Sufficient.

116 I counsel you, in the end, not to overstep the bounds of God, nor to
heed the ways and habits of men, for these can neither “fatten nor appease
your hunger”. Fix, rather, your gaze upon the precepts of God. Whosoever
desireth, let him accept this counsel as a path leading unto his Lord, and
whosoever desireth, let him return to his own idle imaginings. My Lord,
verily, is independent above all who are in the heavens and on the earth,
and above all that they say and do.

117 I close with these words uttered by God, exalted be His glory: “Say
not to everyone who meeteth you with a greeting, ‘Thou art not a
believer’.”(110)

118 Peace be upon you, O concourse of the faithful, and praise be to God,
the Lord of the worlds.



NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION


Wherever possible, translations made by Shoghi Effendi have been
incorporated in the present volume. These passages account for
approximately one third of the text. The committees and individuals
appointed to prepare the translations faced the challenge of rendering the
balance of the Text in a manner at once faithful to the meaning of the
original and consistent with the exalted English style established by the
Guardian for the translation of Bahá’u’lláh’s matchless utterance.

In the translation of the Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán the translators benefited from
consulting the earlier, pioneering translation of the English orientalist
E. G. Browne as it appeared in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s _A Traveller’s Narrative_,
first published by Cambridge University Press in 1891.



KEY TO PASSAGES TRANSLATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI


       Abbreviation of Sources
ESW          Bahá’u’lláh. Epistle to
             the Son of the Wolf.
             Wilmette: Bahá’í
             Publishing Trust, 1988.
GPB          Shoghi Effendi. God
             Passes By. Wilmette:
             Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
             1974.
GWB          Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings
             from the Writings of
             Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette:
             Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
             1976.
KI           Bahá’u’lláh. The
             Kitáb-i-Íqán. Wilmette:
             Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
             1994.
HW           Bahá’u’lláh. The Hidden
             Words. Wilmette: Bahá’í
             Publishing Trust, 1994.
             (PHW are from the Persian
             Hidden Words.)
PDC          Shoghi Effendi. The
             Promised Day Is Come.
             Wilmette: Bahá’í
             Publishing Trust, rev.
             ed., 1996.
WOB          Shoghi Effendi. The World
             Order of Bahá’u’lláh:
             Selected Letters.
             Wilmette: Bahá’í
             Publishing Trust, 1991.

PARAGRAPH   PASSAGE   SOURCE

Súriy-i-Haykal

6–7   “While engulfed in   GPB 101–102
      tribulations ...
      of them that
      perceive.”
8     “The day is          WOB 109–110
      approaching when
      God ... the
      Self-Subsisting.”
34    “Erelong shall God   WOB 110
      draw forth ... how
      vehement is His
      might”
42    “Beware lest ye      ESW 25
      shed the blood ...
      if ye do but
      understand.”
44    “Naught is seen in   WOB 109
      My temple ...
      could be seen but
      God.”
47    “the fertilizing     WOB 169, PDC ¶112
      winds ... whether
      seen or unseen!”
50    “The Holy Spirit     WOB 109
      Itself ... of them
      that comprehend”
66    “Within the          WOB 109
      treasury of Our
      Wisdom ... the
      All-Wise.”
75    “It is in Our        WOB 107
      power, should We
      wish it, to enable
      ... futureages.”
88    “Great is the        PDC ¶271
      blessedness ...
      the Almighty, the
      All-Wise.”
89    “O ye the            PDC ¶208
      dawning-places ...
      and unto others.”
89    “Ye are even as a    PDC ¶208
      spring ... it
      fruits, will be
      corrupted.”
96    “Had the Primal      WOB 138
      Point ... with
      each other in My
      Days.”

Pope Pius IX (Lawḥ-i-Páp)

102   “O Pope!... the      PDC ¶71
      Almighty, the
      Unrestrained.”
102   “He, verily, hath    PDC ¶71
      again come ...
      hath been
      illumined.”
203   “Dwellest thou in    PDC ¶71
      palaces ...
      towards the
      Kingdom.”
105   “Arise in the name   PDC ¶71
      of thy Lord
      ...peoples of all
      faiths.”
106   “Call thou to        PDC ¶72
      remembrance ...
      away from His
      light.”
108   “Consider those      PDC ¶72
      who opposed ...
      disputed with
      Him.”
108   “None save a very    PDC ¶72
      few ... eventide
      and at dawn.”
109   “Read ye the         PDC ¶256
      Evangel ...
      concourse of
      learned men!”
111   “The fragrances of   PDC ¶256
      the ... fast hold
      of guidance.”
112   “The Word which      PDC ¶73
      the Son ... of the
      righteous!”
113   “This is the day     PDC ¶73
      ... Kingdom is
      fulfilled!”
114   “My body longeth     PDC ¶73
      ... from its
      transgressions.”
115   “The people of the   PDC ¶247
      Qur’án ... clouds
      wept over Us.”
116   “And if they cast    WOB 108
      ... the Gracious,
      the All-Powerful!”
118   “O Supreme Pontiff   PDC ¶74
      ... the book of
      creation.”
120   “Should the          PDC ¶74
      inebriation ...
      Revealer of all
      power.”
126   “Verily, the day     PDC ¶74
      of ingathering ...
      the
      All-Compelling.”
127   “Say: O concourse    PDC ¶261
      of Christians ...
      turn ye unto Him.”
127   “The Beloved One     PDC ¶261
      ... heedless of My
      Revelation”
128   “O people of the     PDC ¶261
      Gospel! ...
      everlasting life.”
129   “We behold you ...   PDC ¶261
      Direct yourselves
      towards Him.”
129   “Verily, He said     PDC ¶261
      ... quickeners of
      mankind.”

Napoleon III (Lawḥ-i-Napulyún II)

131–5    “O King of Paris!    ESW 46–49
         ... near access to
         God to flow.”
136–9    “Say: O concourse    ESW 49–52
         of monks ...
         wrapped in a thick
         veil!”
140      “More grievous ...   ESW 52
         kingdoms of earth
         and heaven.”
141      “Upon Our arrival    GPB 206
         ... token of God’s
         grace.”
142–43   “As My               ESW 52–53
         tribulations
         multiplied ...
         poor and the
         desolate.”
143      “Abandon thy         PDC ¶70
         palaces ... them
         that turn unto
         Him.”
143      “Shouldst thou       PDC ¶70
         desire ...
         All-Knowing, the
         All-Wise.”
144      “Arise thou ...      ESW 53
         Lord of strength
         and of might.”
145      “Adorn the body      ESW 53–54
         ... peoples of the
         earth.”
146      “Doth it behove      ESW 54
         you ... shining
         and resplendent
         Seat.”
147      “Shed not the        ESW 54
         blood ... abode of
         the
         transgressors!”
148      “God hath            GWB CLVIII
         prescribed ...
         influence his
         hearers.”
149      “Deal not            ESW 54–55
         treacherously ...
         the Most
         Generous.”
150–51   “O people of Bahá    ESW 55
         ... created of a
         sorry germ.”
152      “Regard ye the       ESW 55–56
         world ... such as
         create
         dissension.”
154      “He Who is your      GWB CVII
         Lord ... among
         God’s blessed
         ones.”
156      “Meditate on the     ESW 56
         world ... this
         sublime Vision.”

Czar Alexander II
(Lawḥ-i-Malik-i-Rús)

158      “O Czar of Russia    PDC ¶75
         ... barter away
         this sublime
         station.”
159-60   “Beware lest thy     PDC ¶75–76
         sovereignty ...
         sword of the
         oppressor.”
162–3    “Again I say ...     PDC ¶77–78
         the Mighty, the
         Glorified.”
164      “Some lamented ...   PDC ¶78
         Evangel were
         adorned.”
170      “Blessed be the      PDC ¶78
         king ... the
         All-Powerful, the
         Almighty.”

Queen Victoria (Lawh-i-Malikih)

171–3    “O Queen in London   PDC ¶79–81
         ... the Ruler, the
         All-Wise.”
173      “And if any one of   ESW 61–62
         them ... of the
         blissful.”
174–6    “O ye the elected    GWB CXX
         ... all else
         naught but error.”
176–7    “Each time that      ESW 63–64
         Most Mighty ...
         what I say.”
178–82   “O ye rulers ...     GWB CXIX
         naught but
         manifest justice.”
185      “Turn thou unto      PDC ¶82
         God ... heavens
         and of the earth.”

Násiri’d-Dín Sháh (Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán)

192–95   “O King! I was but   PDC ¶97–99
         a man ... derived
         from the Name of
         God!”
217      “A just king is      PDC ¶182
         the shadow ...
         that hath
         surpassed the
         worlds.”
221      “Would that the      PDC ¶110
         world-adorning
         wish ... for Me or
         against Me.”
225      “O ye that are       PHW #24
         foolish ... the
         paths of
         perdition.”
226      “O ye seeming fair   PHW #25
         ... immeasurable
         is the
         difference!”
227      “O essence of        PHW #28
         desire! ... unto
         the hosts of
         holiness.”
228      “O bondslave of      PHW #30
         the world! ...
         returned whence it
         came.”
230      “O King of the       PDC ¶100
         age! ... a
         sufficient witness
         unto Me.”
231      “The religious       KI 247–48
         doctors ... and
         unto them shall it
         return.”
231      “When the Standard   KI 238
         of Truth ... shall
         curse it.”
232      “Those doctors who   GPB 143
         have indeed drunk
         of the cup of
         renunciation”
242      “Each nation hath    KI 5
         plotted darkly ...
         invalidate the
         truth.”
242      “No Messenger        KI 5
         cometh unto them
         but they laugh Him
         to scorn.”
244      “But if their        KI 109–10
         opposition be
         grievous ... a
         ladder into
         heaven”
249      “O would that thou   PDC ¶101
         wouldst ...
         knowledge of the
         Book.”
249      “But for the         PDC ¶101
         repudiation ... no
         God is there but
         He!”
258      “By Him Who is the   ESW 17
         Truth! ...
         lighteth earth and
         heaven.”
265      “I have seen, O      PDC ¶102
         Sháh ... nor ear
         heard.”
265-6    “How numerous the    PDC ¶102
         tribulations ...
         in the path of My
         Lord!”
267      “According to what   GPB 186
         they say ...
         metropolis of the
         owl”
268      “By God! Though      PDC ¶102
         weariness ... such
         as commune with
         Him.”
273      “But for the         ESW 94
         tribulations ...
         the Lord of the
         worlds.”
276      “Thus have We        PDC ¶113
         built the Temple
         ... Be and it is.”

Súriy-i-Ra’ís

1    “Hearken, O chief    WOB 178
     ... the Help in
     Peril, the
     Self-Subsisting.”
2    “Thou hast, O        WOB 178
     Chief, committed
     that ... evident
     loss!”
5    “The day is          PDC ¶152
     approaching ... in
     sore distress.”
11   “the loved ones of   GPB 179
     God ... on the
     first night
     without food.”
12   “The people          GPB 179
     surrounded the
     house ... wept
     over Us”
12   “We perceived that   GPB 179–180
     the weeping ...
     such as ponder.”
13   “unheard of in       GPB 180
     bygone centuries
     ... the power of
     His might”
13   “King and Beloved    GPB 136–137
     of Martyrs”
14   “Say: This Youth     GPB 181
     hath departed ...
     the power of
     truth”
18   “Had Muḥammad ...    WOB 105–106
     privileged to
     behold Thy face!”
21   “Ere long will God   PDC ¶185
     ... the Almighty,
     the Beneficent”

Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís

6       “From the            GPB 187
        foundation of the
        world ... nor
        heard of.”
7       “Soon will He        PDC ¶153
        seize you ... none
        to help or succour
        you.”
9       “Several times       PDC ¶153
        calamities ... the
        Pen of My
        command.”
25–26   “There is a matter   PDC ¶111
        ... may be made
        known unto you.”

Lawḥ-i-Fu’ád

13   “Soon will We      PDC ¶156
     dismiss ... the
     All-Compelling.”

Súriy-i-Mulúk

2         “O kings of the      PDC ¶41
          earth! ... the
          All-Powerful, the
          All-Wise.”
2–3       “Fear God, O         PDC ¶41
          concourse ... and
          be not of the
          heedless.”
4         “My face hath come   PDC ¶41
          forth ... could ye
          but know it.”
6         “Arise, then, ...    PDC ¶41
          may be revealed
          unto you.”
6         “Beware lest ye      PDC ¶41
          hinder ... can be
          quickened.”
7–14      “Lay not aside the   PDC ¶42–46
          fear ... the right
          course.”
15        “O kings of          PDC ¶64
          Christendom! ...
          the entire
          creation.”
20–23     “Twenty years have   GWB CXVI
          passed ... turn
          his face towards
          Thee.”
24–30     “Call Thou to        GWB LXV
          remembrance ...
          Himself a
          witness.”
36        “Know ye that the    GWB LXV
          world ... all
          things hath
          testified.”
37–47     “Fear God, ye        GWB LXVI
          inhabitants ...
          the path of
          resignation.”
53–54     “The day is          GWB LXVI
          approaching ... of
          the past or of the
          future.”
58–72     “Hearken, O King     GWB CXIV
          ... abide and rule
          therein.”
74        “They expelled Us    GPB 161
          ... on earth can
          compare”
74        “the place which     GPB 161
          none entereth ...
          authority of the
          sovereign”
75        “Neither My family   GPB 161
          ... that freezing
          weather.”
78–83     “I swear by God, O   GWB CXIV
          King! ... the Lord
          of all worlds!”
84–107    “Dost thou imagine   GWB CXIII
          ... trust and
          confidence in
          their Lord.”
108       “O ye divines of     PDC ¶224
          the City! ... than
          all your doings.”
109–111   “Know ye, that had   PDC ¶224
          your leaders ...
          turn upon their
          heels.”
111       “Know ye that God    PDC ¶224
          will not ... could
          ye but perceive
          it.”



FOOTNOTES


    2 Mírzá Yaḥyá.

    3 Ustád Muḥammad-‘Alíy-i-Salmání. See God Passes By, pp. 166–168, for
      an account of the events referred to by Bahá’u’lláh in this and
      following paragraphs.

    7 The Báb.

   11 A small rock situated low in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.

   12 Peter.

   13 cf. Matthew 5:29; Mark 9:47.

   15 The Crimean War (1853–1856).

   17 The Sulṭán of Turkey.

   18 cf. Qur’án 77:20; 32:8.

   20 ‘Akká.

   21 Mecca.

   22 The Súriy-i-Mulúk.

   23 The Sulṭán of Turkey.

   24 Muḥammad.

   25 cf. Qur’án 17:78.

   26 Ṭihrán.

   52 Baghdád.

   55 Mecca.

   62 Adrianople.

   66 Muḥammad Sháh.

   69 Anís.

   70 Adrianople.

   71 Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Naráqí.

   81 ‘Álí Páshá.

   82 Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz.

   84 The Báb.

   89 Jesus.

   94 Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz.

   95 Adrianople.

   99 The Báb.

  100 Imám Ḥusayn.

  101 The Muslims.

  105 Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh.

  107 Baghdád.



ENDNOTES


    1 cf. Qur’án 2:30–34; 38:71–75.

    4 The word _Haykal_ (Temple) is composed in Arabic of the four letters
      _Há’_, _Yá’_, _Káf_ and _Lám_ (HYKL). Its first letter is taken to
      symbolize the word _Huvíyyah_ (Essence of Divinity); its second
      letter the word _Qadír_ (Almighty), of which _Yá’_ is the third
      letter; its third letter the word _Karím_ (All-Bountiful); and its
      fourth letter the word _Faḍl_ (Grace), of which _Lám_ is the third
      letter.

    5 cf. Qur’án 21:30; 24:45; 25:54.

    6 That is, the letter “E”. In all such instances in the Writings where
      the letters “B” and “E” are mentioned, the Arabic letters are _Káf_
      and _Nún_, the two consonants of the Arabic word _Kun_, which is the
      imperative meaning “Be”.

    8 “The tree beyond which there is no passing”, a reference to the
      station of the Manifestation of God.

    9 These are examples of the types of questions put to the Báb.
      According to the teachings of Shí‘ite Islám, leadership of the
      Islamic community belonged of right, after the passing of the
      Prophet Muḥammad, to a line of twelve successors, descendants of His
      daughter Fáṭimih, known as “Imáms”. This line being eventually
      severed through the “occultation” of the last Imám, communication
      with the latter was for a time maintained through a succession of
      four intermediaries known as “Gates”.

   10 One of a trio of Arabian goddesses whose worship was abolished by
      the Prophet Muḥammad.

   14 This is Bahá’u’lláh’s second Tablet addressed to the French Emperor.
      An earlier Tablet was revealed in Adrianople.

   16 Within the year Napoleon III was defeated at the Battle of Sedan
      (1870) and sent into exile.

   19 The two Most Great Festivals are the Festival of Riḍván, during
      which Bahá’u’lláh first proclaimed His Mission, and the Declaration
      of the Báb. The “twin days” refer to the Birthdays of the Báb and
      Bahá’u’lláh. cf. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶110.

   27 Mírzá Buzurg Khán, the Persian Consul-General in Baghdád.

   28 The Mu’taminu’l-Mulk, Mírzá Sa‘íd Khán-i-Anṣárí, Minister of Foreign
      Affairs.

   29 Bahá’u’lláh here refers to His and His companions’ application for
      Ottoman citizenship.

   30 Áqá Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Ṭabáṭabá’íy-i-Isfáhání, known as “Mujáhid”.

   31 The second Russo–Persian War of 1825-28.

   32 Qur’án 2:94; 62:6.

   33 cf. Persian Hidden Words, nos. 24, 25, 28 and 30.

   34 Qur’án 49:6.

   35 Qur’án 5:59.

   36 A Tradition ascribed to the eleventh Imám, Abú Muḥammad al-Ḥasan
      al-‘Askarí.

   37 Traditions ascribed to the sixth Imám, Abú ‘Abdu’lláh Ja‘far
      aṣ-Ṣádiq.

   38 Traditions ascribed to the sixth Imám, Abú ‘Abdu’lláh Ja‘far
      aṣ-Ṣádiq.

   39 Qur’án 2:179.

   40 Qur’án 6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7; 53:38.

   41 cf. Qur’án 3:40; 14:27; 22:18.

   42 cf. Qur’án 5:1.

   43 cf. Qur’án 5:64.

   44 Qur’án 40:5.

   45 Qur’án 36:30.

   46 Qur’án 8:30.

   47 Qur’án 6:35.

   48 cf. Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33.

   49 John 14:28.

   50 cf. John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7.

   51 See, for example, Qur’án 4:46; 5:13; 5:41; and 2:75, and the
      discussion in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 84 ff.

   53 ‘Alí Ibn Ḥusayn, known as “Zaynu’l-‘Ábidín”, the second of the Imám
      Ḥusayn’s sons, who became the fourth Imám.

   54 The Kharijites, a faction opposed to both the Imáms and the Umayyad
      state.

   56 Allusions to the ‘Abbásid and Umayyad dynasties, respectively.

   57 Qur’án 57:16.

   58 cf. Luke 19:21.

   59 cf. Qur’án 55:26.

   60 cf. Qur’án 12:31.

   61 This Tablet was revealed in Arabic in honour of Ḥájí Muḥammad
      Ismá‘íl-i-Káshání, entitled Dhabíḥ (Sacrifice) and Anís (Companion)
      by Bahá’u’lláh, and addresses ‘Álí Páshá, the Ottoman Prime
      Minister, referred to here as Ra’ís (Chief or Ruler).

   63 Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz lost both his throne and his life in 1876.
      During the subsequent war with Russia (1877–1878), Adrianople was
      occupied by the enemy and the Turks experienced a violent bloodbath.

   64 Literally, “the Mount of Figs” and “the Mount of Olives”, cf. Qur’án
      95:1.

   65 Chosroes II, the Sasanian monarch who reigned in Persia during the
      lifetime of Muḥammad.

   67 Ḥájí Ja‘far-i-Tabrízí; he was prevented in time from ending his
      life.

   68 Siyyid Ismá‘íl of Zavárih.

   72 This second Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh addressing ‘Álí Páshá was revealed
      in Persian shortly after Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival and confinement in
      ‘Akká.

   73 For an account of this incident see _God Passes By_, p. 182.

   74 A probable reference to the fire of Hocapaşa, which destroyed a
      large part of the city of Constantinople in 1865.

   75 The Lawḥ-i-Fu’ád was addressed to Shaykh Káẓim-i-Samandar of Qazvín,
      one of the apostles of Bahá’u’lláh. Its subject, the former Ottoman
      statesman Fu’ád Páshá, died in France in 1869. The letter
      names_Káf_and Ẓá refer to the K and Ẓ of Káẓim.

   76 cf. Qur’án 38:3.

   77 cf. Qur’án 13:13.

   78 cf. Qur’án 40:32.

   79 cf. Qur’án 38:12, 89:10.

   80 “heart” translates _fu’ád_, the given name of the Ottoman minister.

   83 Mírzá Mihdíy-i-Rashtí, a judge in Constantinople and supporter of
      Mírzá Yaḥyá.

   85 John 14:28.

   86 John 16:13.

   87 John 1:13.

   88 The French Ambassador in Constantinople.

   90 The Persian Ambassador in Constantinople.

   91 Qur’án 51:55.

   92 Qur’án 49:6.

   93 Qur’án 12:53.

   96 Qur’án 15:88.

   97 cf. Qur’án 77:20; 32:8.

   98 Qur’án 40:28.

  102 Qur’án 4:94.

  103 Qur’án 6:52.

  104 Qur’án 6:44.

  106 The Persian Consul-General in Baghdád.

  108 Qur’án 20:55.

  109 Al-Muqanna‘ of Khurásán (eighth century A.D.).

  110 Qur’án 4:94.





*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Summons of the Lord of Hosts" ***

Copyright 2023 LibraryBlog. All rights reserved.