Title: Selections From the Writings of the Báb
Author: Báb, 1819-1850
Language: English
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Selections From the Writings of the Báb


by the Báb



Edition 1, (June 2006)



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                                 CONTENTS


Baha’i Terms of Use
References to the Qur’án
1: Tablets And Addresses
   A Tablet Addressed To ‘Him Who Will Be Made Manifest’
   A Second Tablet Addressed To ‘Him Who Will Be Made Manifest’
   Tablet To The First Letter Of The Living
   Extracts From An Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh
   Extracts From Another Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh
   Extracts From A Further Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh
   Extracts From A Tablet Containing Words Addressed To The Sherif Of
   Mecca
   Address To A Muslim Divine
   Address To Sulaymán, One Of The Muslim Divines In The Land Of Masqat
2: Excerpts From The Qayyúmu’l-Asmá
   “All praise be to God Who hath, through the ...”
   “O King of Islám! Aid thou, with the truth, after having ...”
   “Be thou content with the commandment of God, the ...”
   “Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony ...”
   “As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of ...”
   “Unto every people We have sent down the Book in ...”
   “Fear ye God and breathe not a word concerning His ...”
   “Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people ...”
   “Do not say, ‘How can He speak of God while in truth ...”
   “Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. ...”
   “O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing ye ...”
   “O Peoples of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God ...”
   “O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! We have, verily, dilated Thine ...”
   “The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, ...”
   “Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish ...”
   “O ye peoples of the earth! During the time of My ...”
   “O ye kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance! This ...”
   “O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Stretch not Thy hands wide open ...”
   “O People of Persia! Are ye not satisfied with this glorious ...”
   “O People of the earth! By the righteousness of the One ...”
   “O Thou the Supreme Word of God! Fear not, nor be ...”
   “O Concourse of Shí’ihs! Fear ye God and Our Cause ...”
   “Recite ye as much as convenient from this Qur’án both ...”
   “Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and ...”
   “O ye peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing ...”
   “Be Thou patient, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for God hath indeed ...”
   “By My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the ...”
   “The Lord hath, in truth, inspired Me: Verily, verily, I am ...”
   “O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly ...”
   “O Peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, this ...”
   “Verily such as ridicule the wondrous, divine Verses ...”
   “O People of the Qur’án! Ye are as nothing unless ye ...”
   “O Peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of ...”
   “Whenever the faithful hear the verses of this Book ...”
   “O Spirit of God! Call Thou to mind the bounty which ...”
   “O People of the earth! To attain the ultimate retreat in ...”
   “God, besides Whom there is none other true God, saith: ...”
   “The people, during the absence of the Báb, re-enacted ...”
   “Doth it seem strange to the people that We should have ...”
   “O Peoples of the earth! Verily the true God calleth ...”
   “O ye concourse of the believers! Utter not words of ...”
   “O Thou cherished Fruit of the heart! Give ear to the ...”
   “Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, ...”
   “O ye peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, ...”
   “O Hour of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the ...”
   “O Concourse of the faithful! Verily the object of each ...”
   “God had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the ...”
   “Hearken unto the Voice of Thy Lord calling from ...”
   “This Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding ...”
   “This Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of ...”
   “This Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence ...”
   “O My servants! This is God’s appointed Day which the ...”
   “Indeed We conversed with Moses by the leave of God ...”
   “O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! I recognize in Thee none other ...”
   “God, of a truth, revealed unto Me in the sacred house of ...”
   “O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the One Who is ...”
   “I Am the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence ...”
   “As a token of pure justice, We have indeed sent tidings ...”
3: Excerpts From The Persian Bayán
   “It is better to guide one soul than to possess all ...”
   “Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead ...”
   “The Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth ...”
   “There is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in ...”
   “God loveth those who are pure. Naught in the Bayán and ...”
   “Likewise consider the manifestation of the Point of the ...”
   “There is no doubt that the Almighty hath sent down ...”
   “Since that Day is a great Day it would be sorely trying ...”
   “In the manifestation of the Apostle of God all were eagerly ...”
   “At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God ...”
   “Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of ...”
   “God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been ...”
   “How veiled are ye, O My creatures, ... who, without ...”
   “How vast the number of people who are well versed in ...”
   “No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it ...”
   “Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since ...”
   “Better is it for a person to write down but one of His ...”
   “O People of the Bayán! Be on your guard; for on the ...”
   “Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the ...”
   “O People of the Bayán! If ye believe in Him Whom God ...”
   “The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments ...”
   “It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, ...”
   “As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, ...”
   “At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall ...”
   “Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since ...”
   “The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like ...”
   “Know thou that in the Bayán purification is regarded as ...”
   “If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will ...”
   “It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom ...”
   “The Bayán shall constitute God’s unerring balance till the ...”
   “The One true God may be compared unto the sun and ...”
   “I swear by the most holy Essence of God—exalted and ...”
   “In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned ...”
   “Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who ...”
   “The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended ...”
   “The evidence set forth by God can never be compared ...”
   “Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become ...”
   “In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. ...”
   “The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly ...”
4: Excerpts From Dalá’il-i-sab‘ih (The Seven Proofs)
   “Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals ...”
   “Gracious God! Within the domains of Islám there are ...”
   “Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God ...”
   “Consider the manifold favours vouchsafed by the ...”
   “Let Me set forth some rational arguments for thee. If ...”
   “The recognition of Him Who is the Bearer of divine ...”
   “The evidences which the people demanded from the ...”
   “Rid thou thyself of all attachments to aught except God, ...”
   “It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of ...”
   “Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this ...”
5: Excerpts From The Kitáb-i-asmá (The Book of Names)
   “God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ...”
   “Should a person lay claim to a cause and produce his ...”
   “O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Be ye watchful ...”
   “Consider how at the time of the appearance of every ...”
   “Take heed to carefully consider the words of every soul, ...”
   “On the Day of Resurrection when He Whom God will ...”
   “O Ye unto whom the Bayán is given! Be ye vigilant lest ...”
   “Verily God hath caused the people of the Bayán to be ...”
   “Since thou hast faithfully obeyed the true religion of God ...”
   “As to those who have debarred themselves from the ...”
   “O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Ye shall be put ...”
   “Say, He Whom God shall make manifest will surely ...”
   “Ponder upon the people unto whom the Gospel was ...”
   “Say, ye will be unable to recognize the One True God or ...”
   “Verily, on the First Day We flung open the gates of ...”
   “Say, by reason of your remembering Him Whom God ...”
   “The divine Revelation associated with the advent of Him ...”
   “Say, verily God hath caused all created things to enter ...”
   “Say, God shall of a truth cause your hearts to be given to ...”
   “How great the number of people who deck themselves ...”
6: Excerpts From Various Writings
   “Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto ...”
   “God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His ...”
   “From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have ...”
   “Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree ...”
   “He—glorified be His mention—resembleth the sun. ...”
   “The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is ...”
   “All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall ...”
   “Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught ...”
   “Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever ...”
   “Glorified is He to Whom pertaineth the dominion of ...”
   “O Thou who art the chosen one among women! ...”
   “God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the ...”
   “When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above ...”
   “Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in ...”
   “It behooveth you to await the Day of the appearance of ...”
7: Prayers And Meditations
   “Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the ...”
   “Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of ...”
   “Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How ...”
   “Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor ...”
   “Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the ...”
   “Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our ...”
   “Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention ...”
   “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have ...”
   “O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from ...”
   “Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Nothing whatsoever ...”
   “O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in ...”
   “Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord! In whom shall I ...”
   “Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou ...”
   “I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my ...”
   “I Beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention ...”
   “How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy ...”
   “Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath ...”
   “I Implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy ...”
   “Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou ...”
   “How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed ...”
   “Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest ...”
   “O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain ...”
   “Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of ...”
   “Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought ...”
   “O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all ...”
   “O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the ...”
   “Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, ...”
   “The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest ...”
   “All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere ...”
   “Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou ...”
   “Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to ...”
   “Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my God, above the ...”
   “All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion and ...”
   “O My God! There is no one but Thee to allay the anguish ...”
   “O My God! I have failed to know Thee as is worthy of ...”
   “Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord! Both the world ...”
   “O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached ...”
   “I Adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm ...”
   “I Beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon ...”
   “Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in ...”
   “Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled ...”
   “Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the ...”
   “Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth ...”
   “Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the ...”
   “Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations ...”
   “Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me ...”
   “O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to ...”
   “Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart ...”
   “Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised ...”



                         REFERENCES TO THE QUR’ÁN


In footnotes referring to the Qur’án the súrihs have been numbered
according to the original, whereas the verse numbers are those in
Rodwell’s translation which differ sometimes from those of the Arabic.



1: TABLETS AND ADDRESSES



A Tablet Addressed To ‘Him Who Will Be Made Manifest’


This is an epistle from this lowly servant to the All-Glorious Lord—He Who
hath been aforetime and will be hereafter made manifest. Verily He is the
Most Manifest, the Almighty.

In the name of the Sovereign Lord, the Lord of Power.

Glorified is He before Whom all the dwellers of earth and heaven bow down
in adoration and unto Whom all men turn in supplication. He is the One Who
holdeth in His grasp the mighty kingdom of all created things and unto Him
shall all return. He is the One Who revealeth whatsoever He willeth and by
His injunction ‘Be Thou’ all things have come into being.

This is an epistle from the letter ‘_Th_á’(1) unto Him Who will be made
manifest through the power of Truth—He Who is the All-Glorious, the Best
Beloved—to affirm that all created things as well as myself bear witness
for all time that there is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the
Self-Subsisting; that Thou art God, there is no God besides Thee and that
all men shall be raised up to life through Thee.

Lauded and glorified be Thy name, O Lord, my God!

From all eternity I have indeed recognized Thee and unto all eternity will
ever do so through Thine Own Self and not through any one else besides
Thee. Verily Thou art the Source of all knowledge, the Omniscient. From
everlasting I have besought and unto everlasting will beseech forgiveness
for my limited understanding of Thee, aware as I am that there is no God
but Thee, the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

I beg of Thee, O my Best Beloved, to pardon me and those who earnestly
seek to promote Thy Cause; Thou art indeed the One Who forgiveth the sins
of all mankind. And in this second year of my Revelation—a Revelation
which took place at Thy behest—I bear witness that Thou art the Most
Manifest, the Omnipotent, the Ever-Abiding; that of all things that exist
on earth and in the heavens nothing whatsoever can frustrate Thy purpose
and that Thou art the Knower of all things and the Lord of might and
majesty.

Verily, we have believed in Thee and in Thy signs ere the dawn of Thy
Manifestation, and in Thee are we all well-assured. Verily, we have
believed in Thee and in Thy signs after the fulfilment of Thy
Manifestation, and in Thee do we all believe. Verily, we have believed in
Thee and in Thy signs at the hour of Thy Manifestation and bear witness
that through Thine injunction ‘Be Thou’ all things have been created.

Every Manifestation is but a revelation of Thine Own Self, with each of
Whom we have truly appeared and we bow down in adoration before Thee. Thou
hast been, O my Best Beloved, and shalt ever be my witness throughout
bygone times and in the days to come. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful,
the Ever-Faithful, the Omnipotent.

I have testified to Thy oneness through Thine Own Self before the dwellers
of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that, verily, Thou art the
All-Glorious, the Best Beloved. I have attained the recognition of Thee
through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth,
bearing witness that Thou art in truth the Almighty, the All-Praised. I
have glorified Thy Name through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the
heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art indeed the Lord of
power, He Who is the Most Manifest. I have exalted Thy holiness through
Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing
witness that in truth Thou art the Most Sanctified, the Most Holy. I have
praised Thy sanctity through Thine Own Self before the dwellers of the
heavens and the earth, bearing witness that Thou art indeed the
Indescribable, the Inaccessible, the Immeasurably Glorified. I have
extolled Thine overpowering majesty through Thine Own Self before the
dwellers of the heavens and the earth, bearing witness that, verily, Thou
and Thou alone art the Lord of might, the Eternal One, the Ancient of
Days.

Hallowed and glorified art Thou; there is none other God but Thee and in
truth unto Thee do we all return.

As to those who have put the kindred of ‘Alí to death, ere long they shall
realize to what depths of perdition they have descended.



A Second Tablet Addressed To ‘Him Who Will Be Made Manifest’


May the glances of Him Whom God shall make manifest illumine this letter
at the primary school.(2)

He is the Most Glorious.

He is God, no God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Best Beloved. All
that are in the heavens and on the earth and whatever lieth between them
are His. Verily He is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

This is a letter from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, unto
God, the Almighty, the Best Beloved, to affirm that the Bayán and such as
bear allegiance to it are but a present from me unto Thee and to express
my undoubting faith that there is no God but Thee, that the kingdoms of
Creation and Revelation are Thine, that no one can attain anything save by
Thy power and that He Whom Thou hast raised up is but Thy servant and Thy
Testimony. I, indeed, beg to address Him Whom God shall make manifest, by
Thy leave in these words: ‘Shouldst Thou dismiss the entire company of the
followers of the Bayán in the Day of the Latter Resurrection by a mere
sign of Thy finger even while still a suckling babe, Thou wouldst indeed
be praised in Thy indication. And though no doubt is there about it, do
Thou grant a respite of nineteen years as a token of Thy favour so that
those who have embraced this Cause may be graciously rewarded by Thee.
Thou art verily the Lord of grace abounding. Thou dost indeed suffice
every created thing and causest it to be independent of all things, while
nothing in the heavens or on the earth or that which lieth between them
can ever suffice Thee.’

Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the All-Knowing; Thou art indeed
potent over all things.



Tablet To The First Letter Of The Living


This is that which We have revealed for the First Believer in Him Whom God
shall make manifest, that it may serve as an admonition from Our presence
unto all mankind.

In the Name of the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

Lauded and glorified is He Who is the sovereign Lord of the kingdoms of
heaven and earth and whatever is between them. Say, verily unto Him shall
all return, and He is the One Who guideth at His Own behest whomsoever He
pleaseth. Say, all men beseech His blessings and He is supreme over all
created things. He is indeed the All-Glorious, the Mighty, the
Well-Beloved.

This is an epistle from the letter ‘_Th_á’ unto him who is the First
Believer. Bear thou witness that verily He is I, Myself, the Sovereign,
the Omnipotent. He is the One Who ordaineth life and death and unto Him
shall all return. Indeed there is none other God but Him and all men bow
down in adoration before Him. Verily Thy Lord, God, shall presently
recompense every one as He ordaineth, even swifter than uttering the words
‘Be thou, and it is’.

God hath in truth testified in His Book and so also have testified the
company of His angels, His Messengers and those endued with divine
knowledge, that thou hast believed in God and in His signs and that
everyone is guided aright by virtue of thy guidance. This is indeed a
boundless grace which God, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, hath
graciously conferred upon thee aforetime and will confer hereafter. And
since thou didst believe in God before the creation, He hath in truth, at
His own behest, raised thee up in every Revelation. There is no God but
Him, the Sovereign Protector, the All-Glorious.

It behooveth you to proclaim the Cause of God unto all created things as a
token of grace from His presence; no God is there but Him, the Most
Generous, the All-Compelling.

Say: All matters must be referred to the Book of God; I am indeed the
First to believe in God and in His signs; I am the One Who divulgeth and
proclaimeth the Truth and I have been invested with every excellent title
of God, the Mighty, the Incomparable. Verily I have attained the Day of
the First Manifestation and by the bidding of the Lord and as a token of
His grace, I shall attain the Day of the Latter Manifestation. There is no
God but Him and at the appointed hour everyone shall bow down unto Him in
adoration.

I render thanks and yield praise unto God for having been chosen by Him as
the Exponent of His Cause in bygone days and in the days to come; there is
none other God save Him, the Glorified, the All-Praised, the Ever-Abiding.
Whatever is in the heavens and on the earth is His and through Him are we
guided aright.

O people of the Bayán! Those who embrace the Truth must turn unto Me, as
ordained in the Book and divine guidance will be vouchsafed to whosoever
attaineth My presence.



Extracts From An Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh


The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which
others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the
worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover ... I am one
of the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath
recognized Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained
all that is good and seemly; and whosoever hath failed to recognize Me,
hath turned away from all that is true and right and hath succumbed to
everything evil and unseemly.

I swear by the righteousness of Thy Lord, the Lord of all created things,
the Lord of all the worlds! Were a man to rear in this world as many
edifices as possible and worship God through every virtuous deed which
God’s knowledge embraceth, and attain the presence of the Lord, and were
he, even to a measure less than that which is accountable before God, to
bear in his heart a trace of malice towards Me, all his deeds would be
reduced to naught and he would be deprived of the glances of God’s favour,
become the object of His wrath and assuredly perish. For God hath ordained
that all the good things which lie in the treasury of His knowledge shall
be attained through obedience unto Me, and every fire recorded in His
Book, through disobedience unto Me. Methinks in this day and from this
station I behold all those who cherish My love and follow My behest
abiding within the mansions of Paradise, and the entire company of Mine
adversaries consigned to the lowest depths of hell-fire.

By My life! But for the obligation to acknowledge the Cause of Him Who is
the Testimony of God ... I would not have announced this unto thee... All
the keys of heaven God hath chosen to place on My right hand, and all the
keys of hell on My left...

I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I
am the Countenance of God Whose splendour can never be obscured, the Light
of God Whose radiance can never fade. Whoso recognizeth Me, assurance and
all good are in store for him, and whoso faileth to recognize Me, infernal
fire and all evil await him...

I swear by God, the Peerless, the Incomparable, the True One: for no other
reason hath He—the supreme Testimony of God—invested Me with clear signs
and tokens than that all men may be enabled to submit to His Cause.

By the righteousness of Him Who is the Absolute Truth, were the veil to be
lifted, thou wouldst witness on this earthly plane all men sorely
afflicted with the fire of the wrath of God, a fire fiercer and greater
than the fire of hell, with the exception of those who have sought shelter
beneath the shade of the tree of My love. For they in very truth are the
blissful...

God beareth Me witness, I was not a man of learning, for I was trained as
a merchant. In the year sixty(3) God graciously infused my soul with the
conclusive evidences and weighty knowledge which characterize Him Who is
the Testimony of God—may peace be upon Him—until finally in that year I
proclaimed God’s hidden Cause and unveiled its well-guarded Pillar, in
such wise that no one could refute it. ‘That he who should perish might
perish with a clear proof before him and he who should live might live by
clear proof.’(4)

In that same year [year 60] I despatched a messenger and a book unto thee,
that thou mightest act towards the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of
God as befitteth the station of thy sovereignty. But inasmuch as dark,
dreadful and dire calamity had been irrevocably ordained by the Will of
God, the book was not submitted to thy presence, through the intervention
of such as regard themselves the well-wishers of the government. Up to the
present, when nearly four years have passed, they have not duly presented
it to Your Majesty. However, now that the fateful hour is drawing nigh,
and because it is a matter of faith, not a worldly concern, therefore I
have given thee a glimpse of what hath transpired.

I swear by God! Shouldst thou know the things which in the space of these
four years have befallen Me at the hands of thy people and thine army,
thou wouldst hold thy breath from fear of God, unless thou wouldst rise to
obey the Cause of Him Who is the Testimony of God and make amends for thy
shortcomings and failure.

While I was in _Sh_íráz the indignities which befell Me at the hands of
its wicked and depraved Governor waxed so grievous that if thou wert
acquainted with but a tithe thereof, thou wouldst deal him retributive
justice. For as a result of his unmitigated oppression, thy royal court
hath become, until the Day of Resurrection, the object of the wrath of
God. Moreover, his indulgence in alcohol had grown so excessive that he
was never sober enough to make a sound judgement. Therefore, disquieted, I
was obliged to set out from _Sh_íráz with the aim of attaining the
enlightened and exalted court of Your Majesty. The Mu’tamídu’d-Dawlih then
became aware of the truth of the Cause and manifested exemplary servitude
and devotion to His chosen ones. When some of the ignorant people in his
city arose to stir up sedition, he defended the divine Truth by affording
Me protection for a while in the privacy of the Governor’s residence. At
length, having attained the good-pleasure of God, he repaired to his
habitation in the all-highest Paradise. May God reward him graciously...

Following his ascension to the eternal Kingdom, the vicious Gurgín,
resorting to all manner of treachery, false oaths and coercion, sent Me
away from Iṣfáhán with an escort of five guards on a journey which lasted
seven days, without providing the barest necessities for My travel (Alas!
Alas! for the things which have touched Me!), until eventually Your
Majesty’s order came, instructing Me to proceed to Mákú...

I swear by the Most Great Lord! Wert thou to be told in what place I
dwell, the first person to have mercy on Me would be thyself. In the heart
of a mountain is a fortress [Mákú] ... the inmates of which are confined
to two guards and four dogs. Picture, then, My plight... I swear by the
truth of God! Were he who hath been willing to treat Me in such a manner
to know Who it is Whom he hath so treated, he, verily, would never in his
life be happy. Nay—I, verily, acquaint thee with the truth of the
matter—it is as if he hath imprisoned all the Prophets, and all the men of
truth and all the chosen ones...

When this decree was made known unto Me, I wrote to him who administereth
the affairs of the kingdom, saying: ‘Put Me to death, I adjure thee by
God, and send My head wherever thou pleasest. For surely an innocent
person such as I, cannot reconcile himself to being consigned to a place
reserved for criminals and let his life continue.’ My plea remained
unanswered. Evidently His Excellency the Ḥájí, is not fully aware of the
truth of our Cause. It would be far more heinous a deed to sadden the
hearts of the faithful, whether men or women, than to lay waste the sacred
House of God.

Verily, the One True God beareth Me witness that in this Day I am the true
mystic Fane of God, and the Essence of all good. He who doeth good unto
Me, it is as if he doeth good unto God, His angels and the entire company
of His loved ones. He who doeth evil unto Me, it is as if he doeth evil
unto God and His chosen ones. Nay, too exalted is the station of God and
of His loved ones for any person’s good or evil deed to reach their holy
threshold. Whatever reacheth Me is ordained to reach Me; and that which
hath come unto Me, to him who giveth will it revert. By the One in Whose
hand is My soul, he hath cast no one but himself into prison. For
assuredly whatsoever God hath decreed for Me shall come to pass and naught
else save that which God hath ordained for us shall ever touch us. Woe
betide him from whose hands floweth evil, and blessed the man from whose
hands floweth good. Unto no one do I take My plaint save to God; for He is
the best of judges. Every state of adversity or bliss is from Him alone,
and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

In brief, I hold within My grasp whatsoever any man might wish of the good
of this world and of the next. Were I to remove the veil, all would
recognize Me as their Best Beloved, and no one would deny Me. Let not this
assertion astound Your Majesty; inasmuch as a true believer in the unity
of God who keepeth his eyes directed towards Him alone, will regard aught
else but Him as utter nothingness. I swear by God! I seek no earthly goods
from thee, be it as much as a mustard seed. Indeed, to possess anything of
this world or of the next would, in My estimation, be tantamount to open
blasphemy. For it ill beseemeth the believer in the unity of God to turn
his gaze to aught else, much less to hold it in his possession. I know of
a certainty that since I have God, the Ever-Living, the Adored One, I am
the possessor of all things, visible and invisible...

In this mountain I have remained alone, and have come to such a pass that
none of those gone before Me have suffered what I have suffered, nor any
transgressor endured what I have endured! I render praise unto God and yet
again praise Him. I find Myself free from sorrow, inasmuch as I abide
within the good-pleasure of My Lord and Master. Methinks I am in the
all-highest Paradise, rejoicing at My communion with God, the Most Great.
Verily this is a bounty which God hath conferred upon Me; and He is the
Lord of unbounded blessings.

I swear by the truth of God! Wert thou to know that which I know, thou
wouldst forgo the sovereignty of this world and of the next, that thou
mightest attain My good-pleasure, through thine obedience unto the True
One... Wert thou to refuse, the Lord of the world would raise up one who
would exalt His Cause, and the Command of God would, verily, be carried
into effect.

Through the grace of God nothing can frustrate My purpose, and I am fully
conscious of that which God hath bestowed upon Me as a token of His
favour. If it were My will, I would disclose to Your Majesty all things;
but I have not done this, nor will I do it, that the Truth may be
distinguished from aught else beside it, and this prophecy uttered by the
Imám Báqir—may peace rest upon Him—be fully realized: ‘What must needs
befall us in Á_dh_irbayján is inevitable and without parallel. When this
happeneth, rest ye in your homes and remain patient as we have remained
patient. As soon as the Mover moveth make ye haste to attain unto Him,
even though ye have to crawl over the snow.’

I implore pardon of God for Myself and for all things related to Me and
affirm, ‘Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds’.



Extracts From Another Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh


Glory be unto Him Who knoweth all that is in the heavens and in the earth.
Verily there is no God but Him, the sovereign Ruler, the Almighty, the
Great.

He is the One Who on the Day of Severing shall pass judgement through the
power of Truth; indeed no God is there besides Him, the Peerless, the
All-Compelling, the Exalted. He is the One Who holdeth within His grasp
the kingdom of all created things; there is none other God but Him, the
Single, the Incomparable, the Ever-Abiding, the Inaccessible, the Most
Great.

At this moment I testify unto God, even as He testified unto Himself
before the creation of all things: Verily there is no God save Him, the
All-Glorious, the All-Wise. And I bear witness unto whatsoever He hath
fashioned or will fashion, even as He Himself, in the majesty of His
glory, hath borne witness: No God is there but Him, the Peerless, the
Self-Subsisting, the Most Wondrous.

In God, Who is the Lord of all created things, have I placed My whole
trust. There is no God but Him, the Peerless, the Most Exalted. Unto Him
have I resigned Myself and into His hands have I committed all My affairs.
No God is there besides Him, the supreme Ruler, the resplendent Truth.
Indeed all-sufficient is He for Me; independently of all things doth He
suffice, while nothing in the heavens or in the earth but Him sufficeth.
He, in very truth, is the Self-Subsisting, the Most Severe.

Praise be unto Him Who at this very moment perceiveth in this remote
prison the goal of My desire. He is the One Who beareth witness unto Me at
all times and beholdeth Me ere the inception of ‘after Ḥin’.(5)

Why didst thou pronounce judgement without remembering God, the All-Wise?
How canst thou endure in the fire? Indeed, mighty and most severe is thy
God.

Thou pridest thyself in the things thou dost possess, yet no believer in
God and in His signs, nor any righteous man would ever deign to regard
them. This mortal life is like unto the carcass of a dog, around which
none would gather, nor would any partake thereof, except those who gainsay
the life hereafter. Verily it is incumbent upon thee to become a true
believer in God, the All-Possessing, the Almighty, and to turn away from
the one who guideth thee into the torment of hell-fire.

I have been waiting a while that perchance thou wouldst take heed and be
rightly guided. How canst thou answer God on the day which is near at
hand—the day whereon witnesses will stand forth to testify in the presence
of thy Lord, the Lord of all the worlds?

By the righteousness of Him Who hath called thee into being and unto Whom
ere long thou shalt return, if thou remainest, at the moment of death, a
disbeliever in the signs of thy Lord thou shalt surely enter the gates of
hell, and none of the deeds thy hands have wrought will profit thee, nor
shalt thou find a patron nor anyone to plead for thee. Fear thou God and
pride not thyself on thine earthly possessions, inasmuch as what God doth
possess is better for them that tread the path of righteousness.

Verily in this Day all that dwell on earth are the servants of God. As to
those who truly believe in God and are well assured in the signs revealed
by Him, perchance He will graciously forgive them the things their hands
have committed, and will grant them admission into the precincts of His
mercy. He, in truth, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Compassionate. But the
verdict of divine chastisement is pronounced against those who have turned
away disdainfully from Me and have repudiated the conclusive proofs and
the unerring Book with which God hath invested Me, and on the Day of
Severing they shall find no protector or helper.

I swear by Him Who createth all beings and unto Whom all shall return, if
anyone at the hour of death beareth hatred towards Me or disputeth the
clear tokens wherewith I have been invested, then naught but afflictive
torment shall be his lot. On that day no ransom will be accepted, nor will
any intercession be permitted, unless God so please. Verily He is the
All-Compelling, the All-Glorious; and no God is there other than Him, the
sovereign Ruler, the Almighty, the Most Severe.

If thou rejoicest in My imprisonment, woe then unto thee for the grievous
torment which will soon overtake thee. Indeed God hath permitted no one to
pass unfair judgement, and if thou wouldst fain do so, then soon shalt
thou learn.

From the first day that I cautioned thee not to wax proud before God until
the present time, four years have elapsed, and during this space naught
have I witnessed, either from thee or from thy soldiers, except dire
oppression and disdainful arrogance. Methinks thou dost imagine that I
wish to gain some paltry substance from this earthly life. Nay, by the
righteousness of My Lord! In the estimation of them that have fixed their
eyes upon the merciful Lord, the riches of the world and its trappings are
worth as much as the eye of a dead body, nay even less. Far from His glory
be what they associate with Him!... I seek patience only in God. Verily He
is the best protector and the best helper. No refuge do I seek save God.
Verily He is the guardian and the best supporter...

I swear by the glory of God, My Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, He
assuredly, as is divinely ordained, will make His Cause shine resplendent,
while there will be no helper for the unjust. If thou hast any scheme,
produce thy scheme. Indeed every revelation of authority proceedeth from
God. In Him do I trust and unto Him do I turn.

Hast thou heard anyone of old passing a judgement similar to the one thou
didst contrive or like unto that whereto thou didst give thine assent? Woe
then unto the oppressors! Both thine intentions and the manner in which
thou dealest with the people clearly demonstrate thine infidelity towards
God, hence He hath ordained a severe chastisement for thee. Verily I seek
patience only in God, and Him do I regard as the goal of My desire. This
signifieth that I have the undoubted Truth on My side.

If thou art not apprehensive that the truth might be revealed and the
works of the ungodly be brought to naught, why summonest thou not the
divines of the land, and then summon Me, so that I may confound them
forthwith, even as those disbelievers whom I have previously confounded?
This is My sure testimony unto thee and unto them, if they speak the
truth. Summon thou all of them. Should they then be able to utter words
like unto this, thou wouldst know that their cause is worthy of attention.
Nay, by the righteousness of My Lord! They are bereft of power, nor are
they endued with perception. They professed faith in the past without
understanding its significance, then later they repudiated the Truth; for
they are devoid of discernment.

If thou hast decided to shed My blood, wherefore dost thou delay? Thou art
now endowed with power and authority. For Me it will prove an infinite
bounty conferred by God, while for thee and for them that would commit
such an act it will amount to a chastisement meted out by Him.

How great the blessedness that would await Me, wert thou to pass a verdict
such as this; and what immense joy would be Mine, shouldst thou agree to
do this! This is a bounty which God hath reserved for them that enjoy near
access to His court. Give then thy leave and wait no longer. In truth,
mighty is thy Lord, the Avenger.

Art thou not ashamed in the presence of God for consenting to the
consignment to a fortress of Him Who is the Testimony of God, and His
being made captive in the hands of the faithless? Woe betide thee and them
who rejoice at this moment in inflicting so dire a humiliation upon Me...

I swear by Him Who hath called Me into being, I can discover no trace of
sinfulness in Myself, nor have I followed aught but the Truth; and unto Me
God is sufficient witness. Fie upon the world and its people and upon
those who take delight in earthly riches, while oblivious of the life to
come.

Were the veil to be removed from thine eye thou wouldst crawl unto Me on
thy breast, even through the snow, from fear of the chastisement of God
which is swift and near at hand. By the righteousness of Him Who hath
created thee, wert thou to be acquainted with that which hath transpired
during thy reign, thou wouldst wish not to have issued from thy father’s
loins, but rather to have passed into oblivion. However, that which God,
thy Lord, had ordained hath presently come to pass, and woe betide the
oppressors in this day.

Methinks thou hast not perused the unerring Book. If thou art satisfied
with thine own way and dost not wish to follow the Truth, then to Me be My
way and to thee thine. If thou aidest Me not, why dost thou seek to abase
Me? Verily, God is the hearer of the suppliant, and in Him all things find
their highest consummation, both in this world and in the world to come.

Far from the glory of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, the Lord of
creation, be that which is affirmed of Him by the peoples of the world,
except by such as faithfully observe His precepts. May the peace of God
rest upon the sincere among His servants.

All praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.



Extracts From A Further Epistle To Muḥammad Sháh


This is an Epistle from Him Who is the true, the undoubted Leader. Herein
is revealed the law of all things for those who fain would heed His Call
or wish to be reckoned among them that are guided aright. Herein is
enshrined the law of all things for such as would bear witness to the
Revelation of thy Lord in accordance with this clear balance. Verily the
ordinances of God concerning all things were formerly set forth in
eloquent Arabic. Indeed those whose souls have been created through the
splendour of the light of thy Lord recognize the Truth and are numbered
with such as faithfully obey the One True God and are well assured...

O Muḥammad! The Decree of thy Lord was fulfilled four years ago; and ever
since the inception of the Cause of thy Lord I have warned thee to fear
God and not to be of the ignorant. I despatched a messenger unto thee with
a truly resplendent Tablet, but the followers of the devil turned him away
disdainfully and interposed themselves between him and thee. They expelled
him from the land whereof thou art the undisputed sovereign. Thus hath the
good of this world and of the next escaped thee, unless thou submit to the
commandment ordained by God and be of them that are rightly guided.

On My return from the sacred House of God(6) I sent thee a Message similar
to, nay even greater than the one I had previously sent unto thee. Indeed
God is the best protector and witness. I despatched a messenger unto thee
with Epistles revealed by Me, that thou mightest obey the command of God
and not be of them that have repudiated the Truth. The oppressor, however,
committed a thing the like of which no one would commit, not even any of
the wicked, nor anyone among the vile wrong-doers...

The tribulations which I have suffered in this land, no one of old hath
suffered. Verily unto God shall revert the whole affair, and He in truth
is the best protector and is cognizant of all. The things which have, from
the first day till now, befallen Me at the hand of thy people are but the
work of Satan.(7) Ever since the Cause of thy Lord hath appeared none of
thy deeds hath been acceptable, and thou hast been lost in palpable error
while all thou couldst see appeared to thee as deeds performed for the
sake of thy Lord. In truth thy day is nigh at hand and thou shalt be
questioned concerning all this, and assuredly God is not heedless of the
deeds of the wicked.

Had it not been for thee, thy supporters would not have disdainfully
rejected Me, though they have gone more widely astray than the foolish.

Dost thou imagine him whom thou hast appointed Chancellor in thy kingdom
to be the best leader and the best supporter? Nay, I swear by thy Lord. He
will bring thee into grievous trouble by reason of that which Satan
instilleth in his heart, and verily, he himself is Satan. He comprehendeth
not a single letter from the Book of God and is seized with fear by reason
of that which his hands have wrought. Fain would he extinguish the light
which thy Lord hath kindled, so that the old impiety which is concealed in
his inner being may not be revealed. Hadst thou not appointed him as thy
Chancellor no one would have paid him the slightest attention. Indeed in
the estimation of the people he is naught but manifest darkness...

Fear thou God and suffer not thy soul to be chastised beyond that with
which it hath already been tormented; for ere long thou shalt pass away
and shalt declare thyself clear of the devil whom thou hast appointed as
thy Chancellor, saying: ‘O would that I had not taken the devil as my
Chancellor, nor appointed an impostor as my guide and adviser.’

Why dost thou burden thy soul with that which is far more abject than the
deeds of Pharaoh, and still callest thyself one of the faithful? How dost
thou peruse the verses of the Qur’án, while thou art of the unjust? Never
would the Jews, nor the Christians nor any such people as have rejected
the truth consent to inflict wrongs upon the son of their Prophet’s
daughter. Woe betide thee, for the day of chastisement is approaching.
Dost thou not dread the wrath of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Lord of the
heavens, the Lord of all worlds? Indeed these manifest verses are
conclusive testimony for those who seek true guidance.

I have no desire to seize thy property, even to the extent of a grain of
mustard, nor do I wish to occupy thy position. If thou followest Me not,
then unto thee be the things thou dost possess, and unto Me the land of
unfailing security. If thou obeyest Me not, wherefore dost thou look
disdainfully upon Me and seek to treat Me with sore injustice? Verily,
behold My habitation—a lofty mountain wherein no one dwelleth. Woe betide
them that wrongfully do injustice to people, and unjustly and deceitfully
usurp the property of the believers in violation of His lucid Book;
whereas I, Who, in very truth, am the rightful Sovereign of all men,
designated by the true, the undeniable Leader, would never infringe on the
integrity of the substance of the people, were it to the extent of a grain
of mustard, nor would I treat them unjustly. Rather would I consort with
them even as one of themselves, and I would be their witness.

That which devolveth upon Me is but to mention the Book of thy Lord and to
deliver this clear Message. If thou wishest to enter the gates of
Paradise, lo, they are open before thy face and no harm can reach Me from
anyone. Every missive which up till now I have directed unto thee and unto
the custodian of thy affairs hath been but a token of My bounty to you
both, that perchance ye may grow anxious about the day which is nigh at
hand. Nevertheless from the moment ye waxed disdainful, divine judgement
was passed upon you in the Book of God, for in truth ye both have denied
your Lord and are numbered with them that will perish... This is indeed My
last reminder unto you, and I shall make no mention of you hereafter, nor
shall I make any remark other than affirming you as infidels.

Unto God do I commit Mine affair and yours, and He verily is the best
Judge. Were ye to return, however, ye would be granted whatever ye desire
of earthly possessions and of the ineffable delights of the life to come,
and ye would inherit such glorious might and majesty as your minds can
scarce conceive in this mortal life. But if ye fail to return then upon ye
shall be your transgressions.

Ye cannot alter the things which the Almighty hath prescribed unto Me.
Naught shall touch Me besides that which God, My Lord, hath pre-ordained
for Me. In Him have I placed My whole trust and upon Him do the faithful
place their complete reliance.

Bear Thou witness unto Me, O Lord. By sending forth this resplendent
Epistle I shall have proclaimed Thy Verses unto both of them and shall
have fulfilled Thy Testimony for them. I am well pleased to lay down My
life in Thy path and ere long to return to Thy presence. Unto Thee be
praise in the heavens and on the earth. Deal with them according to Thy
decree. In truth Thou art the best protector and helper.

Set right, O Lord, such disorders as people stir up, and cause Thy Word to
shine resplendent throughout the earth, so that no trace of the ungodly
may remain.

I beg forgiveness of Thee, O My Lord, for that which I have uttered in Thy
Epistle, and I repent unto Thee. I am but one of Thy servants who give
praise to Thee. Glorified art Thou; no God is there but Thee. In Thee have
I placed My whole trust and of Thee do I beg pardon for being a suppliant
at Thy door.

Sanctified is God thy Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, from that which
the people wrongfully and without the guidance of His lucid Book, affirm
of Him. Peace be upon them that beseech forgiveness from God thy Lord,
saying: ‘Verily, praise be unto God, the Lord of the worlds.’



Extracts From A Tablet Containing Words Addressed To The Sherif Of Mecca


O Sherif!... All thy life thou hast accorded worship unto Us, but when We
manifested Ourself unto thee, thou didst desist from bearing witness unto
Our Remembrance, and from affirming that He is indeed the Most Exalted,
the Sovereign Truth, the All-Glorious. Thus hath Thy Lord put thee to
proof in the Day of Resurrection. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.

For hadst thou uttered ‘Here am I’ at the time We sent thee the Book, We
would have admitted thee to the company of such of Our servants as truly
believe, and would have graciously praised thee in Our Book, until the Day
when all men shall appear before Us for judgement. This is in truth far
more advantageous unto thee than all the acts of worship thou hast
performed for thy Lord during all thy life, nay, from the beginning that
hath no beginning. Assuredly this is what would have served and will ever
serve thy best interests. Verily We are cognizant of all things. Yet
notwithstanding that We had called thee into being for the purpose of
attaining Our presence in the Day of Resurrection, thou didst shut thyself
out from Us without any reason or explicit Writ; whereas hadst thou been
among such as are endowed with the knowledge of the Bayán, thou wouldst
have, at the sight of the Book, testified forthwith that there is no God
but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and wouldst have affirmed
that He Who hath revealed the Qur’án, hath likewise revealed this Book,
that every word of it is from God, and unto it we all bear allegiance.

However, that which was preordained hath come to pass. Shouldst thou
return unto Us while revelation still continueth through Us, We shall
transform thy fire into light. Truly We are powerful over all things. But
if thou failest in this task, thou shalt find no way open to thee other
than to embrace the Cause of God and to implore that the matter of thine
allegiance be brought to the attention of Him Whom God shall make
manifest, that He may graciously enable thee to prosper and cause thy fire
to be transformed into light. This is that which hath been sent down unto
Us. Should this not come to pass, whatever We have set down shall remain
binding and irrevocably decreed by God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting, and We shall therefore banish thee from Our presence as a
token of justice on Our part. Verily we are equitable in Our judgement.



Address To A Muslim Divine


O ‘Abdu’s-Sáhib! Verily God and every created thing testify that there is
none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Best Beloved...

Thy vision is obscured by the belief that divine revelation ended with the
coming of Muḥammad, and unto this We have borne witness in Our first
epistle. Indeed, He Who hath revealed verses unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of
God, hath likewise revealed verses unto ‘Alí-Muḥammad. For who else but
God can reveal to a man such clear and manifest verses as overpower all
the learned? Since thou hast acknowledged the revelation of Muḥammad, the
Apostle of God, then there is no other way open before thee but to testify
that whatever is revealed by the Primal Point hath also proceeded from
God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Is it not true that the
Qur’án hath been sent down from God and that all men are powerless before
its revelation? Likewise these words have also been revealed by God, if
thou dost but perceive. What is there in the Bayán which keepeth thee back
from recognizing these verses as being sent forth by God, the
Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious?

The essence of these words is this: Were We to bring thee to a reckoning,
thou wouldst prove thyself empty-handed; We in truth know all things.
Hadst thou uttered ‘yea’ on hearing the Words of God, thou wouldst have
been seen to have been worshipping God from the beginning that hath no
beginning until the present day, never to have disobeyed Him, not even for
the twinkling of an eye. Yet, neither the upright deeds thou hast wrought
during all thy life, nor the exertions thou didst make to banish every
thought from thy heart save that of the good-pleasure of God, none of
these did in truth profit thee, not even to the extent of a grain of
mustard seed, inasmuch as thou didst veil thyself from God and tarried
behind at the time of His manifestation.

Verily all the divines in the land of Káf [Kúfih] shall, even as thyself,
be asked by God: ‘Is it not strange that a Messenger should have come to
you with a Book, and ye, while confessing your powerlessness, refused to
follow the Faith of God which He had brought, and ye persisted in your
disbelief?’ Therefore unto thee shall be assigned the fire which was meant
for those who turned away from God in that land, inasmuch as thou art
their leader; would that thou might be of them who heed.

Hadst thou faithfully obeyed the Decree of God, all the inhabitants of thy
land would have followed thee, and would have themselves entered into the
celestial Paradise, content with the good-pleasure of God for evermore.
However, on that day thou shalt wish that God had not created thee.

Thou hast set thyself up as one of the learned in the Faith of Islám, that
thou mightest save the believers, yet thou didst cause thy followers to
descend into the fire, for when the verses of God were sent forth thou
didst deprive thyself therefrom and yet reckoned thyself to be of the
righteous... Nay, by the life of Him Whom God shall make manifest! Neither
thou nor any one among His servants can produce the slightest proof, while
God shineth resplendent above His creatures and through the power of His
behest standeth supreme over all that dwell in the kingdoms of heaven and
earth and in whatever lieth between them. Verily He is potent over all
created things.

Thou hath named thyself ‘Abdu’s Sáhib [servant of the Lord]. Yet, while
God hath, in very truth, made thy Lord manifest, and thou didst set thine
eyes upon Him, thou didst not recognize Him, even though thou hadst been
called into being by God for the purpose of attaining His presence, didst
thou but truly believe in the third verse of the chapter entitled
‘Thunder’.(8)

Thou contendest, ‘How can we recognize Him when we have heard naught but
words which fall short of irrefutable proofs?’ Yet since thou hast
acknowledged and recognized Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, through the
Qur’án, how canst thou withhold recognition from Him Who sent thee the
Book, despite thy calling thyself ‘His servant’? Verily He doth exercise
undisputed authority over His revelations unto all mankind.

Wert thou to come unto Us while divine revelation is descending upon Us,
haply God will change thy fire into light. Verily He is the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Otherwise that which hath been revealed
is decisive and final and will be faithfully upheld by all until the Day
of Resurrection... If divine revelation ceaseth, thou shouldst write a
petition to Him Whom God shall make manifest, imploring that it be
delivered into His presence. Therein thou must beg pardon of thy Lord,
turn unto Him in repentance and be of them that are wholly devoted to Him.
Perchance God will transform thy fire into light at the next Resurrection.
He, of a truth, is the Protector, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving.
Unto Him bow down in worship all that are in the heavens and on the earth
and whatever lieth between them; and unto Him shall all return.

We enjoin thee to save thyself and all the inhabitants of that land from
the fire, then to enter the peerless and exalted Paradise of His
good-pleasure. Otherwise the day is approaching when thou shalt perish and
enter the fire, when thou shalt have neither patron nor helper from God.
We have taken compassion on thee, as a sign of Our grace, inasmuch as thou
hast related thyself unto Us. Verily We are aware of all things. We are
cognizant of thy righteous deeds, though they shall avail thee nothing;
for the whole object of such righteousness is but recognition of God, thy
Lord, and undoubted faith in the Words revealed by Him.



Address To Sulaymán, One Of The Muslim Divines In The Land Of Masqat


This is an Epistle from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, unto
Sulaymán in the land of Masqát, to the right of the Sea. In truth there is
none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting... Indeed,
were all the inhabitants of heaven and earth and whatever existeth between
them to assemble together, they would utterly fail and be powerless to
produce such a book, even though We made them masters of eloquence and
learning on earth. Since thou dost adduce proofs from the Qur’án, God
shall, with proofs from that self-same Book, vindicate Himself in the
Bayán. This is none other than a decree of God; He is truly the
All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

If thou art of them that truly believe, thou hast no other alternative
than to bear allegiance unto it. This is the Way of God for all the
inhabitants of earth and heaven and all that lieth betwixt them. No God is
there but Me, the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Most Exalted.

From this land We then proceeded to the sacred House, and on Our return
journey We landed once again at this spot, when We perceived that thou
hadst heeded not that which We sent thee, nor art thou of them that truly
believe. Although We had created thee to behold Our countenance, and We
did actually alight in thy locality, yet thou didst fail to attain the
object of thy creation, and this despite thy worshipping God all thy life.
Wherefore vain shall be the deeds thou hast wrought, by reason of thy
being shut out as by a veil from Our presence and from Our Writings. This
is an irrevocable decree ordained by Us. Verily We are equitable in Our
judgement.

Hadst thou observed the contents of the Epistle We sent unto thee, it
would have been far more profitable to thee than worshipping thy Lord from
the beginning that hath no beginning until this day, and indeed more
meritorious than proving thyself wholly devoted in thine acts of worship.
And hadst thou attained the presence of thy Lord in this land, and been of
them that truly believe that the Face of God is beheld in the person of
the Primal Point, it would have been far more advantageous than
prostrating thyself in adoration from the beginning that hath no beginning
until the present time....

In truth We tested thee and found that thou wert not of them that are
endowed with understanding, wherefore We passed upon thee the sentence of
negation, as a token of justice from Our presence; and verily We are
equitable.

However, shouldst thou return unto Us, We would convert thy negation into
affirmation. Verily We are the One Who is of immense bounteousness. But
should the Primal Point cease to be with you, then the judgement given in
the Words of God shall be final and unalterable and every one will
assuredly uphold it.

Wert thou to address a letter to Him Whom God shall make manifest, begging
that it be delivered unto His presence, perchance He would graciously
forgive thee and, at His behest, turn thy negation into affirmation. He is
in truth the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, He Whose grace is infinite.
Otherwise, no way shalt thou find open unto thee and no benefit shalt thou
gain from the deeds thou hast wrought, by reason of thy failure to respond
‘yea, here am I’. Verily We have reduced thee and thy works to naught, as
though thou hadst never come into existence nor ever been of them that do
good works, that this may serve as a lesson for those unto whom the Bayán
is given, that they may take good heed when the sacred Writings of Him
Whom God shall make manifest will reach them and perchance, by pondering
upon them, may be enabled to save their own souls.

Our grace assuredly pervadeth all that dwell in the kingdoms of earth and
heaven and in whatever lieth between them, and beyond them all mankind.
However, souls that have shut themselves out as by a veil can never
partake of the outpourings of the grace of God.



2: EXCERPTS FROM THE QAYYÚMU’L-ASMÁ



“All praise be to God Who hath, through the ...”


All praise be to God Who hath, through the power of Truth, sent down this
Book unto His servant, that it may serve as a shining light for all
mankind... Verily this is none other than the sovereign Truth; it is the
Path which God hath laid out for all that are in heaven and on earth. Let
him then who will, take for himself the right path unto his Lord. Verily
this is the true Faith of God, and sufficient witness are God and such as
are endowed with the knowledge of the Book. This is indeed the eternal
Truth which God, the Ancient of Days, hath revealed unto His omnipotent
Word—He Who hath been raised up from the midst of the Burning Bush. This
is the Mystery which hath been hidden from all that are in heaven and on
earth, and in this wondrous Revelation it hath, in very truth, been set
forth in the Mother Book by the hand of God, the Exalted...

O concourse of kings and of the sons of kings! Lay aside, one and all,
your dominion which belongeth unto God...

Let not thy sovereignty deceive thee, O _Sh_áh, for ‘every soul shall
taste of death,’(9) and this, in very truth, hath been written down as a
decree of God. _Chapter I._



“O King of Islám! Aid thou, with the truth, after having ...”


O King of Islám! Aid thou, with the truth, after having aided the Book,
Him Who is Our Most Great Remembrance, for God hath, in very truth,
destined for thee, and for such as circle round thee, on the Day of
Judgement, a responsible position in His Path. I swear by God, O _Sh_áh!
If thou showest enmity unto Him Who is His Remembrance, God will, on the
Day of Resurrection, condemn thee, before the kings, unto hell-fire, and
thou shalt not, in very truth, find on that Day any helper except God, the
Exalted. Purge thou, O _Sh_áh, the Sacred Land [Ṭihrán] from such as have
repudiated the Book, ere the day whereon the Remembrance of God cometh,
terribly and of a sudden, with His potent Cause, by the leave of God, the
Most High. God, verily, hath prescribed to thee to submit unto Him Who is
His Remembrance, and unto His Cause, and to subdue, with the truth and by
His leave, the countries, for in this world thou hast been mercifully
invested with sovereignty, and wilt, in the next, dwell, nigh unto the
Seat of Holiness, with the inmates of the Paradise of His good-pleasure...

By God! If ye do well, to your own behoof will ye do well; and if ye deny
God and His signs, We, in very truth, having God, can well dispense with
all creatures and all earthly dominion. _Chapter I._



“Be thou content with the commandment of God, the ...”


Be thou content with the commandment of God, the True One, inasmuch as
sovereignty, as recorded in the Mother Book by the hand of God, is surely
invested in Him Who is His Remembrance...

O Minister of the _Sh_áh! Fear thou God, besides Whom there is none other
God but Him, the Sovereign Truth, the Just, and lay aside thy dominion,
for We, by the leave of God, the All-Wise, inherit the earth and all who
are upon it,(10) and He shall rightfully be a witness unto thee and unto
the _Sh_áh. Were ye to obey the Remembrance of God with absolute
sincerity, We guarantee, by the leave of God, that on the Day of
Resurrection, a vast dominion shall be yours in His eternal Paradise.

Vain indeed is your dominion, for God hath set aside earthly possessions
for such as have denied Him; for unto Him Who is your Lord shall be the
most excellent abode, He Who is, in truth, the Ancient of Days....

O concourse of kings! Deliver with truth and in all haste the verses sent
down by Us to the peoples of Turkey and of India, and beyond them, with
power and with truth, to lands in both the East and the West.... And know
that if ye aid God, He will, on the Day of Resurrection, graciously aid
you, upon the Bridge, through Him Who is His Most Great Remembrance...

O people of the earth! Whoso obeyeth the Remembrance of God and His Book
hath in truth obeyed God and His chosen ones and he will, in the life to
come, be reckoned in the presence of God among the inmates of the Paradise
of His good-pleasure. _Chapter I._



“Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony ...”


Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony for Our message
unto you. Can ye produce a single letter to match these verses? Bring
forth, then, your proofs, if ye be of those who can discern the one true
God. I solemnly affirm before God, should all men and spirits combine to
compose the like of one chapter of this Book, they would surely fail, even
though they were to assist one another.(11)

O concourse of divines! Fear God from this day onwards in the views ye
advance, for He Who is Our Remembrance in your midst, and Who cometh from
Us, is, in very truth, the Judge and Witness. Turn away from that which ye
lay hold of, and which the Book of God, the True One, hath not sanctioned,
for on the Day of Resurrection ye shall, upon the Bridge, be, in very
truth, held answerable for the position ye occupied.... And unto you We
have sent down this Book which truly none can mistake...

O concourse of the people of the Book! Fear ye God and pride not
yourselves in your learning. Follow ye the Book which His Remembrance hath
revealed in praise of God, the True One. He Who is the Eternal Truth
beareth me witness, whoso followeth this Book hath indeed followed all the
past Scriptures which have been sent down from heaven by God, the
Sovereign Truth. Verily, He is well informed of what ye do... Such as are
the true followers of Islám would say: ‘O Lord our God! We have hearkened
to the call of Thy Remembrance and obeyed Him. Forgive us our sins. Thou
art, verily, the Eternal Truth, and unto Thee, our infallible Retreat,
must we all return.’(12) _Chapter II._



“As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of ...”


As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of God, for them We have
prepared, as justly decreed by God, a sore torment. And He, God, is the
Mighty, the Wise.

We have, of a truth, sent down this divinely-inspired Book unto Our
Servant... Ask ye then Him Who is Our Remembrance of its interpretation,
inasmuch as He, as divinely-ordained and through the grace of God, is
invested with the knowledge of its verses...

O children of men! If ye believe in the one True God, follow Me, this Most
Great Remembrance of God sent forth by your Lord, that He may graciously
forgive you your sins. Verily He is forgiving and compassionate toward the
concourse of the faithful. We, of a truth, choose the Messengers through
the potency of Our Word, and We exalt Their offspring, some over others,
through the Great Remembrance of God as decreed in the Book and concealed
therein...

Some of the people of the city have declared: ‘We are the helpers of God’,
but when this Remembrance came suddenly upon them, they turned aside from
helping Us. Verily God is My Lord and your true Lord, therefore worship
Him, while this Path from ‘Alí [the Báb] is none but the straight Path(13)
in the estimation of your Lord. _Chapter III._



“Unto every people We have sent down the Book in ...”


Unto every people We have sent down the Book in their own language.(14)
This Book We have, verily, revealed in the language of Our Remembrance and
it is in truth a wondrous language. He is, verily, the eternal Truth come
from God, and according to the divine judgement given in the Mother Book,
He is the most distinguished among the writers of Arabic and most eloquent
in His utterance. He is in truth the Supreme Talisman and is endowed with
supernatural powers, as set forth in the Mother Book...

O people of the city! Ye have disbelieved your Lord. If ye are truly
faithful to Muḥammad, the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets, and
if ye follow His Book, the Qur’án, which is free from error, then here is
the like of it—this Book, which We have, in truth and by the leave of God,
sent down unto Our Servant. If ye fail to believe in Him, then your faith
in Muḥammad and His Book which was revealed in the past will indeed be
treated as false in the estimation of God. If ye deny Him, the fact of
your having denied Muḥammad and His Book will, in very truth and with
absolute certainty, become evident unto yourselves. _Chapter IV._



“Fear ye God and breathe not a word concerning His ...”


Fear ye God and breathe not a word concerning His Most Great Remembrance
other than what hath been ordained by God, inasmuch as We have established
a separate covenant regarding Him with every Prophet and His followers.
Indeed, We have not sent any Messenger without this binding covenant and
We do not, of a truth, pass judgement upon anything except after the
covenant of Him Who is the Supreme Gate hath been established. Ere long
the veil shall be lifted from your eyes at the appointed time. Ye shall
then behold the sublime Remembrance of God, unclouded and vivid. _Chapter
V._



“Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people ...”


Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people of the world? Nay,
the day We cause them to be assailed by the pangs of death(15) they shall,
upon the plain of Resurrection, behold how the Lord of Mercy and His
Remembrance were near. Thereupon they shall exclaim: ‘Would that we had
followed the path of the Báb! Would that we had sought refuge only with
Him, and not with men of perversity and error! For verily the Remembrance
of God appeared before us,(16) behind us, and on all sides, yet we were,
in very truth, shut out as by a veil from Him.’ _Chapter VII._



“Do not say, ‘How can He speak of God while in truth ...”


Do not say, ‘How can He speak of God while in truth His age is no more
than twenty-five?’ Give ye ear unto Me. I swear by the Lord of the heavens
and of the earth: I am verily a servant of God. I have been made the
Bearer of irrefutable proofs from the presence of Him Who is the
long-expected Remnant of God. Here is My Book before your eyes, as indeed
inscribed in the presence of God in the Mother Book. God hath indeed made
Me blessed, wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon Me to observe
prayer and fortitude so long as I shall live on earth amongst you.
_Chapter IX._



“Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. ...”


Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. In His grasp He
holdeth the source of authority, and verily God is powerful over all
things. We have decreed that every long life shall in truth suffer
decline(17) and that every hardship shall be followed by ease,(18) that
perchance men may recognise the Gate of God as He Who is the eternal
Truth, and verily God shall stand as witness unto those that have
believed. _Chapter XIII._



“O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing ye ...”


O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing ye asked of Him
remaineth unanswered, inasmuch as He hath been commanded by God to observe
silence, a silence which is in truth praiseworthy. We have indeed enabled
Thee to truly see in Thy dream a measure of Our Cause, but wert Thou to
acquaint them with the hidden Mystery, they would dispute its truth among
themselves. Verily Thy Lord, the God of truth, knoweth the very secrets of
hearts(19) ...

O peoples of the world! Whatsoever ye have offered up in the way of the
One True God, ye shall indeed find preserved by God, the Preserver, intact
at God’s Holy Gate. O peoples of the earth! Bear ye allegiance unto this
resplendent light wherewith God hath graciously invested Me through the
power of infallible Truth, and walk not in the footsteps of the Evil
One,(20) inasmuch as he prompteth you to disbelieve in God, your Lord, and
verily God will not forgive disbelief in Himself, though He will forgive
other sins to whomsoever He pleaseth.(21) Indeed His knowledge embraceth
all things... _Chapter XVII._



“O Peoples of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God ...”


O Peoples of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God concerning the
Cause of the true Joseph and barter Him not for a paltry price(22)
established by yourselves, or for a trifle of your earthly possessions,
that ye may, in very truth, be praised by Him as those who are reckoned
among the pious who stand nigh unto this Gate. Verily God hath deprived of
His grace him who martyred Ḥusayn, Our forefather, lonely and forsaken as
He was upon the land of Táff [Karbilá]. Yazíd, the son of Mu’áviyih, out
of corrupt desire, bartered away the head of the true Joseph to the
fiendish people for a trifling price and a petty sum from his property.
Verily they repudiated God by committing a grievous error. Erelong will
God wreak His vengeance upon them, at the time of Our Return, and He hath,
in very truth, prepared for them, in the world to come, a severe torment.
_Chapter XXI._



“O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! We have, verily, dilated Thine ...”


O Qurratu’l-‘ayn!(23) We have, verily, dilated Thine heart in this
Revelation, which stands truly unique from all created things, and have
exalted Thy name through the manifestation of the Báb, so that men may
become aware of Our transcendent power, and recognize that God is
immeasurably sanctified above the praise of all men. He is verily
independent of the whole of creation. _Chapter XXIII._



“The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, ...”


The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, descend, by the leave
of God, upon this Gate(24) ...’ and circle round this Focal Point in a
far-stretching line. Greet them with salutations, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for
the dawn hath indeed broken; then proclaim unto the concourse of the
faithful: ‘Is not the rising of the Morn, foreshadowed in the Mother Book,
to be near at hand?(25)

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Turn Thou eagerly unto God in Thy Cause, for the peoples
of the world have risen in iniquity, and but for the outpouring of the
grace of God and Thy mercy unto them, no one could purge even a single
soul for evermore.(26) O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! The life to come is indeed far
more advantageous unto Thee and unto such as follow Thy Cause than this
earthly life and its pleasures. This is what hath been foreordained
according to the dispensations of Providence...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the ‘Gate of God’ and I give you to
drink, by the leave of God, the sovereign Truth, of the crystal-pure
waters of His Revelation which are gushing out from the incorruptible
Fountain situate upon the Holy Mount. And those who earnestly strive after
the One True God, let them then strive to attain this Gate.(27) Verily God
is potent over all things...

O peoples of the earth! Give ear unto God’s holy Voice proclaimed by this
Arabian Youth Whom the Almighty hath graciously chosen for His Own Self.
He is indeed none other than the True One, Whom God hath entrusted with
this Mission from the midst of the Burning Bush. O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Unravel
what Thou pleasest from the secrets of the All-Glorious, for the ocean is
surging high(28) at the behest of the incomparable Lord. _Chapter XXIV._



“Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish ...”


Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish fancies, an evil plot
against Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God? By the righteousness
of God, all who are in the heaven and on earth and whatsoever lieth
between them are regarded in My sight even as a spider’s web,(29) and
verily God beareth witness unto all things. Indeed they will not lay plots
but against themselves. God hath caused this Remembrance to be, in very
truth, independent of all the dwellers of earth and heaven. _Chapter XXV._



“O ye peoples of the earth! During the time of My ...”


O ye peoples of the earth! During the time of My absence I sent down the
Gates unto you. However the believers, except for a handful, obeyed them
not. Formerly I sent forth unto you Aḥmad and more recently Kázim, but
apart from the pure in heart amongst you no one followed them. What hath
befallen you, O people of the Book? Will ye not fear the One true God, He
Who is your Lord, the Ancient of Days?... O ye who profess belief in God!
I adjure you by Him Who is the Eternal Truth, have ye discerned among the
precepts of these Gates anything inconsistent with the commandments of God
as set forth in this Book? Hath your learning deluded you by reason of
your impiety? Take ye heed then, for verily your God, the Lord of Eternal
Truth, is with you and in very truth is watchful over you... _Chapter
XXVII._



“O ye kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance! This ...”


O ye kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance! This Tree of Holiness, dyed
crimson with the oil of servitude, hath verily sprung forth out of your
own soil in the midst of the Burning Bush, yet ye comprehend nothing
whatever thereof, neither of His true, heavenly attributes, nor of the
actual circumstances of His earthly life, nor of the evidences of His
powerful and unblemished behaviour. Actuated by your own fancies, you
consider Him to be alien to the sovereign Truth, while in the estimation
of God He is none other than the Promised One Himself, invested with the
power of the sovereign Truth, and verily He is, as decreed in the Mother
Book, held answerable in the midst of the Burning Bush...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Deliver the summons of the most exalted Word unto the
handmaids among Thy kindred, caution them against the Most Great Fire and
announce unto them the joyful tidings that following this mighty Covenant
there shall be everlasting reunion with God in the Paradise of His
good-pleasure, nigh unto the Seat of Holiness. Verily God, the Lord of
creation, is potent over all things.

O Thou Mother of the Remembrance! May the peace and salutation of God rest
upon thee. Indeed thou hast endured patiently in Him Who is the sublime
Self of God. Recognize then the station of thy Son Who is none other than
the mighty Word of God. He hath verily pledged Himself to be answerable
for thee both in thy grave and on the Judgement Day, while thou hast, in
the Preserved Tablet of God, been immortalized as the ‘Mother of the
Faithful’ by the Pen of His Remembrance. _Chapter XXVIII._



“O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Stretch not Thy hands wide open ...”


O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Stretch not Thy hands wide open in the Cause, inasmuch
as the people would find themselves in a state of stupor by reason of the
Mystery, and I swear by the true, Almighty God that there is yet for Thee
another turn after this Dispensation.

And when the appointed hour hath struck, do Thou, by the leave of God, the
All-Wise, reveal from the heights of the Most Lofty and Mystic Mount a
faint, an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy impenetrable Mystery, that they who
have recognized the radiance of the Sinaic Splendour may faint away and
die as they catch a lightning glimpse of the fierce and crimson Light that
envelops Thy Revelation. And God is, in very truth, Thine unfailing
Protector. _Chapter XXVIII._



“O People of Persia! Are ye not satisfied with this glorious ...”


O People of Persia! Are ye not satisfied with this glorious honour which
the supreme Remembrance of God hath conferred upon you? Verily ye have
been especially favoured by God through this mighty Word. Then do not
withdraw from the sanctuary of His presence, for, by the righteousness of
the One true God, He is none other than the sovereign Truth from God; He
is the most exalted One and the Source of all wisdom, as decreed in the
Mother Book...

O peoples of the earth! Cleave ye tenaciously to the Cord of the
All-Highest God, which is but this Arabian Youth, Our Remembrance—He Who
standeth concealed at the point of ice amidst the ocean of fire. _Chapter
XXIX._



“O People of the earth! By the righteousness of the One ...”


O People of the earth! By the righteousness of the One true God, I am the
Maid of Heaven begotten by the Spirit of Bahá, abiding within the Mansion
hewn out of a mass of ruby, tender and vibrant; and in this mighty
Paradise naught have I ever witnessed save that which proclaimeth the
Remembrance of God by extolling the virtues of this Arabian Youth. Verily
there is none other God but your Lord, the All-Merciful. Magnify ye, then,
His station, for behold, He is poised in the midmost heart of the
All-Highest Paradise as the embodiment of the praise of God in the
Tabernacle wherein His glorification is intoned.

At one time I hear His Voice as He acclaimeth Him Who is the Ever-Living,
the Ancient of Days, and at another time as He speaketh of the mystery of
His most august Name. And when He intoneth the anthems of the greatness of
God all Paradise waileth in its longing to gaze on His Beauty, and when He
chanteth words of praise and glorification of God all Paradise becomes
motionless like unto ice locked in the heart of a frost-bound mountain.
Methinks I visioned Him moving along a straight middle path wherein every
paradise was His Own paradise, every heaven His Own heaven, while the
whole earth and all that is therein appeared but as a ring upon the finger
of His servants. Glorified be God, His Creator, the Lord of everlasting
sovereignty. Verily He is none other but the servant of God, the Gate of
the Remnant of God your Lord, the Sovereign Truth. _Chapter XXIX._



“O Thou the Supreme Word of God! Fear not, nor be ...”


O Thou the Supreme Word of God! Fear not, nor be Thou grieved, for indeed
unto such as have responded to Thy Call, whether men or women, We have
assured forgiveness of sins, as known in the presence of the Best Beloved
and in conformity with what Thou desirest. Verily His knowledge embraceth
all things. I adjure Thee by My life, set Thy face towards Me and be not
apprehensive. Verily Thou art the Exalted One among the Celestial
Concourse, and Thy hidden Mystery hath, of a truth, been recorded upon the
Tablet of creation in the midst of the Burning Bush. Ere long God will
bestow upon Thee rulership over all men, inasmuch as His rule transcendeth
the whole of creation. _Chapter XXXI._



“O Concourse of Shí’ihs! Fear ye God and Our Cause ...”


O Concourse of _Sh_í’ihs! Fear ye God and Our Cause which concerneth Him
Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God. For great is its fire, as
decreed in the Mother Book. _Chapter XL._



“Recite ye as much as convenient from this Qur’án both ...”


Recite ye as much as convenient from this Qur’án both at morn and at
eventide, and chant the verses of this Book, by the leave of the eternal
God, in the sweet accents of this Bird which warbleth its melody in the
vault of heaven. _Chapter XLI._



“Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and ...”


Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God ere the
Day when the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the
clouds with the angels circling around Him,(30) exalting His praise and
seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs. Verily
His decree hath been issued, and the command of God, as given in the
Mother Book, hath indeed been revealed...

Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion of God, free
from distinction, for verily God desireth that your hearts should become
mirrors unto your brethren in the Faith, so that ye find yourselves
reflected in them, and they in you. This is the true Path of God, the
Almighty, and He is indeed watchful over your actions. _Chapter XLVI._



“O ye peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing ...”


O ye peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing forth from the
precincts of this sacred Tree—a Tree set ablaze by the pre-existent Fire:
There is no God but Him; He is the Exalted, the All-Wise. O ye the
servants of the Merciful One! Enter ye, one and all, through this Gate and
follow not the steps of the Evil One, for he prompteth you to walk in the
ways of impiety and wickedness; he is, in truth, your declared enemy.(31)
_Chapter LI._



“Be Thou patient, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for God hath indeed ...”


Be Thou patient, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for God hath indeed pledged to
establish Thy sovereignty throughout all countries and over the people
that dwell therein. He is God and verily He is powerful over all things.
_Chapter LIII._



“By My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the ...”


By My glory! I will make the infidels to taste, with the hands of My
power, retributions unknown of any one except Me, and will waft over the
faithful those musk-scented breaths which I have nursed in the midmost
heart of My throne; and verily the knowledge of God embraceth all things.

O concourse of light! By the righteousness of God, We speak not according
to selfish desire, nor hath a single letter of this Book been revealed
save by the leave of God, the Sovereign Truth. Fear ye God and entertain
no doubts regarding His Cause, for verily, the Mystery of this Gate is
shrouded in the mystic utterances of His Writ and hath been written beyond
the impenetrable veil of concealment by the hand of God, the Lord of the
visible and the invisible.

Indeed God hath created everywhere around this Gate oceans of divine
elixir, tinged crimson with the essence of existence and vitalized through
the animating power of the desired fruit; and for them God hath provided
Arks of ruby, tender, crimson-coloured, wherein none shall sail but the
people of Bahá, by the leave of God, the Most Exalted; and verily He is
the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. _Chapter LVII._



“The Lord hath, in truth, inspired Me: Verily, verily, I am ...”


The Lord hath, in truth, inspired Me: Verily, verily, I am God, He besides
Whom there is none other God, and I am indeed the Ancient of Days...

O people of the Kingdom! By the righteousness of the true God, if ye
remain steadfast upon this line which standeth upright between the two
lines, ye shall, in very truth, quaff the living waters from the Fountain
of this wondrous Revelation as proffered by the hand of His Remembrance...

I swear by your true Lord, by Him Who is the Lord of the heavens and of
the earth, that the divine Promise concerning His Remembrance is naught
but the sovereign truth and, as decreed in the Mother Book, it shall come
to pass...

Say, O peoples of the earth! Were ye to assemble together in order to
produce the like of a single letter of My Works, ye would never be able to
do so,(32) and verily God is cognizant of all things...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Behold! Verily the Moon hath faded; verily the
night hath retreated; verily the dawn hath brightened;(33) verily the
command of God, your true Lord, hath been accomplished...

Out of utter nothingness, O great and omnipotent Master, Thou hast,
through the celestial potency of Thy might, brought me forth and raised me
up to proclaim this Revelation. I have made none other but Thee my trust;
I have clung to no will but Thy Will. Thou art, in truth, the
All-Sufficing and behind Thee standeth the true God, He Who overshadoweth
all things. Indeed sufficient unto Me is God, the Exalted, the Powerful,
the Sustainer. _Chapter LVIII._



“O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly ...”


O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have
accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in
the path of Thy love. Sufficient witness unto me is God, the Exalted, the
Protector, the Ancient of Days.

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! The words Thou hast uttered in this momentous Call have
grieved Me bitterly. However, the irrevocable decision resteth with none
but God and the decree proceedeth from none save Him alone. By My life,
Thou art the Well-Beloved in the sight of God and His creation. Verily,
there is no power except in God, and sufficient witness unto Me is your
Lord, Who is, in very truth, the Omnipotent Avenger. _Chapter LVIII._



“O Peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, this ...”


O Peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, this Book hath,
through the potency of the sovereign Truth, pervaded the earth and the
heaven with the mighty Word of God concerning Him Who is the supreme
Testimony, the Expected Qá’im, and verily God hath knowledge of all
things. This divinely-inspired Book hath firmly established His Proof for
all those who are in the East and in the West, hence beware lest ye utter
aught but the truth regarding God, for I swear by your Lord that this
supreme Proof of Mine beareth witness unto all things...

O servants of God! Be ye patient, for, God grant, He Who is the sovereign
Truth will suddenly appear amongst you, invested with the power of the
mighty Word, and ye shall then be confounded by the Truth itself, and ye
shall have no power to ward it off;(34) and verily I am a witness over all
mankind. _Chapter LIX._



“Verily such as ridicule the wondrous, divine Verses ...”


Verily such as ridicule the wondrous, divine Verses revealed through His
Remembrance, are but making themselves the objects of ridicule, and We, in
truth, aid them to wax in their iniquity.(35) Indeed God’s knowledge
transcendeth all created things...

The infidels, of a truth, seek to separate God from His Remembrance,(36)
but God hath determined to perfect His Light(37) through His Remembrance,
and indeed He is potent over all things...

Verily, Christ is Our Word which We communicated unto Mary;(38) and let no
one say what the Christians term as ‘the third of three’,(39) inasmuch as
it would amount to slandering the Remembrance Who, as decreed in the
Mother Book, is invested with supreme authority. Indeed God is but one
God, and far be it from His glory that there should be aught else besides
Him. All those who shall attain unto Him on the Day of Resurrection are
but His servants, and God is, of a truth, a sufficient Protector. Verily I
am none other but the servant of God and His Word, and none but the first
one to bow down in supplication before God, the Most Exalted; and indeed
God witnesseth all things. _Chapter LXI._



“O People of the Qur’án! Ye are as nothing unless ye ...”


O People of the Qur’án! Ye are as nothing unless ye submit unto the
Remembrance of God and unto this Book. If ye follow the Cause of God, We
will forgive you your sins, and if ye turn aside from Our command, We
will, in truth, condemn your souls in Our Book, unto the Most Great Fire.
We, verily, do not deal unjustly with men, even to the extent of a speck
on a date-stone. _Chapter LXII._



“O Peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of ...”


O Peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared
in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided
aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the
darkness into the light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth(40) ...

God hath, out of sheer nothingness and through the potency of His command,
created the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them. He is
single and peerless in His eternal unity with none to join partner with
His holy Essence, nor is there any soul, except His Own Self, who can
befittingly comprehend Him...

O peoples of the earth! Verily His Remembrance is come to you from God
after an interval during which there were no Messengers,(41) that He may
purge and purify you from uncleanliness in anticipation of the Day of the
One true God; therefore seek ye whole-heartedly divine blessings from Him,
inasmuch as We have, in truth, chosen Him to be the Witness and the Source
of wisdom unto all that dwell on earth...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Proclaim that which hath been sent down unto Thee as a
token of the grace of the merciful Lord, for if Thou do it not, Our secret
will never be made known to the people,(42) while the purpose of God in
creating man is but for him to know Him. Indeed God hath knowledge of all
things and is self-sufficient above the need of all mankind. _Chapter
LXII._



“Whenever the faithful hear the verses of this Book ...”


Whenever the faithful hear the verses of this Book being recited, their
eyes will overflow with tears and their hearts will be deeply touched by
Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance for the love they cherish for God,
the All-Praised. He is God, the All-Knowing, the Eternal. They are indeed
the inmates of the all-highest Paradise wherein they will abide for ever.
Verily they will see naught therein save that which hath proceeded from
God, nothing that will lie beyond the compass of their understanding.
There they will meet the believers in Paradise, who will address them with
the words ‘Peace, Peace’ lingering on their lips...

O concourse of the faithful! Incline your ears to My Voice, proclaimed by
this Remembrance of God. Verily God hath revealed unto Me that the Path of
the Remembrance which is set forth by Me is, in very truth, the straight
Path of God, and that whoever professeth any religion other than this
upright Faith, will, when called to account on the Day of Judgement,
discover that as recorded in the Book no benefit hath he reaped out of
God’s Religion...

Fear ye God, O concourse of kings, lest ye remain afar from Him Who is His
Remembrance [the Báb], after the Truth hath come unto you with a Book and
signs from God, as spoken through the wondrous tongue of Him Who is His
Remembrance. Seek ye grace from God, for God hath ordained for you, after
ye have believed in Him, a Garden the vastness of which is as the vastness
of the whole of Paradise. Therein ye shall find naught save the gifts and
favours which the Almighty hath graciously bestowed by virtue of this
momentous Cause, as decreed in the Mother Book. _Chapter LXIII._



“O Spirit of God! Call Thou to mind the bounty which ...”


O Spirit of God! Call Thou to mind the bounty which I bestowed upon Thee
when I conversed with Thee in the midmost heart of My Sanctuary and aided
Thee through the potency of the Holy Spirit that Thou mightest, as the
peerless Mouthpiece of God, proclaim unto men the commandments of God
which lie enshrined within the divine Spirit.

Verily God hath inspired Thee with divine verses and wisdom while still a
child and hath graciously deigned to bestow His favour upon the peoples of
the world through the influence of Thy Most Great Name, for indeed men
have not the least knowledge of the Book. _Chapter LXIII._



“O People of the earth! To attain the ultimate retreat in ...”


O People of the earth! To attain the ultimate retreat in God, the True
One, are we to seek a Gate other than this exalted Being?...

When God created the Remembrance He presented Him to the assemblage of all
created beings upon the altar of His Will. Thereupon the concourse of the
angels bowed low in adoration to God, the Peerless, the Incomparable;
while Satan waxed proud, refusing to submit to His Remembrance; hence he
is identified in the Book of God as the arrogant one and the accursed.(43)
_Chapter LXVII._



“God, besides Whom there is none other true God, saith: ...”


God, besides Whom there is none other true God, saith: Indeed, whoso
visiteth the Remembrance of God after His passing, it is as though he hath
attained the presence of the Lord, seated upon His mighty Throne. Verily
this is the Way of God, the Most Exalted, which hath been irrevocably
decreed in the Mother Book...

Say, O peoples of the world! Do ye dispute with Me about God by virtue of
the names which ye and your fathers have adopted for Him at the promptings
of the Evil One?(44) God hath indeed sent down this Book unto Me with
truth that ye may be enabled to recognize the true names of God, inasmuch
as ye have strayed in error far from the Truth. Verily We have taken a
covenant from every created thing upon its coming into being concerning
the Remembrance of God, and there shall be none to avert the binding
command of God for the purification of mankind, as ordained in the Book
which is written by the hand of the Báb. _Chapter LXVIII._



“The people, during the absence of the Báb, re-enacted ...”


The people, during the absence of the Báb, re-enacted the episode of the
Calf by setting up a blaring figure which embodied animal features in
human form(45) ...

Whenever the people ask Thee of the appointed Hour say: Verily the
knowledge of it is only with My Lord,(46) Who is the Knower of the unseen.
There is none other God but Him—He Who hath created you from a single
soul,(47) and I have no control over what profiteth Me or harmeth Me, but
as My Lord pleaseth.(48) Indeed God is Self-Sufficient and He, My Lord,
standeth supreme over all things. _Chapter LXIX._



“Doth it seem strange to the people that We should have ...”


Doth it seem strange to the people that We should have revealed the Book
to a man from among themselves in order to purge them and give them the
good tidings that they shall be rewarded with a sure stance in the
presence of their Lord? He indeed beareth witness unto all things...

When the verses of this Book are recited to the infidels they say: ‘Give
us a book like the Qur’án and make changes in the verses.’ Say: ‘God hath
not given Me that I should change them at My pleasure.’ I follow only what
is revealed unto Me. Verily, I shall fear My Lord on the Day of
Separation, whose advent He hath, in very truth, irrevocably ordained.(49)
_Chapter LXXI._



“O Peoples of the earth! Verily the true God calleth ...”


O Peoples of the earth! Verily the true God calleth saying: He Who is the
Remembrance is indeed the sovereign Truth from God, and naught remaineth
beyond truth but error,(50) and naught is there beyond error save fire,
irrevocably ordained...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Point to Thy truthful breast through the power of truth
and exclaim: I swear by the One true God, herein lieth the vicegerency of
God; I am indeed the One Who is regarded as the Best Reward(51) and I am
indeed He Who is the Most Excellent Abode. _Chapter LXXII._



“O ye concourse of the believers! Utter not words of ...”


O ye concourse of the believers! Utter not words of denial against Me once
the Truth is made manifest, for indeed the mandate of the Báb hath
befittingly been proclaimed unto you in the Qur’án aforetime. I swear by
your Lord, this Book is verily the same Qur’án which was sent down in the
past. _Chapter LXXXI._



“O Thou cherished Fruit of the heart! Give ear to the ...”


O Thou cherished Fruit of the heart! Give ear to the melodies of this
mystic Bird warbling in the loftiest heights of heaven. The Lord hath, in
truth, inspired Me to proclaim: Verily, verily, I am God, He besides Whom
there is none other God. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.

O My servants! Seek ye earnestly this highest reward, as I have indeed
created for the Remembrance of God gardens which remain inscrutable to
anyone save Myself, and naught therein hath been made lawful unto anyone
except those whose lives have been sacrificed in His Path. Hence beseech
ye God, the Most Exalted, that He may grant you this meritorious reward,
and He is in truth the Most High, the Most Great. Had it been Our wish, We
would have brought all men into one fold round Our Remembrance, yet they
will not cease to differ,(52) unless God accomplish what He willeth
through the power of truth. In the estimation of the Remembrance this
commandment hath, in very truth, been irrevocably ordained...

God hath indeed chosen Thee to warn the people, to guide the believers
aright and to elucidate the secrets of the Book. _Chapter LXXXV._



“Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, ...”


Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of
but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to
recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our
Cause....

Truly other apostles have been laughed to scorn before Thee,(53) and Thou
art none other but the Servant of God, sustained by the power of Truth.
Ere long We shall prolong the days of such as have rejected the Truth by
reason of that which their hands have wrought,(54) and verily God will not
deal unjustly with anyone, even to the extent of a speck on a date-stone.
_Chapter LXXXVII._



“O ye peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, ...”


O ye peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of God, the True One, the
testimony shown forth by His Remembrance is like unto a sun which the hand
of the merciful Lord hath raised high in the midmost heart of the heaven,
wherefrom it shineth in the plenitude of its meridian splendour...

With each and every Prophet Whom We have sent down in the past, We have
established a separate Covenant concerning the Remembrance of God and His
Day. Manifest, in the realm of glory and through the power of truth, are
the Remembrance of God and His Day before the eyes of the angels that
circle His mercy-seat. _Chapter XCI._



“O Hour of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the ...”


O Hour of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the divine Luminary
sheddeth its radiance from the Dayspring of this Gate, call thou to mind
that the appointed Day of God will indeed be at hand in less than the
twinkling of an eye. Thus hath the decree of God been issued in the Mother
Book. _Chapter XCIV._



“O Concourse of the faithful! Verily the object of each ...”


O Concourse of the faithful! Verily the object of each and every sign
revealed by God in the Scriptures or in the world at large or in the
hearts of men is but to make them fully realize that this Remembrance is
indeed the True One from God. Verily God is cognizant of all things
through the power of eternal Truth...

O ye that circle the throne of glory! Hearken unto My Call which is raised
from the midst of the Burning Bush, ‘Verily I am God and there is none
other God but Me. Hence worship Me, and for the sake of Him Who is the
Most Great Remembrance, offer ye prayers, purged from the insinuations of
the people, for verily your Lord, the One true God, is none other than the
Sovereign Truth. Indeed such as invoke others besides Him are deservedly
numbered among the inmates of the fire, while He Who is the Remembrance of
God verily abideth, firm and undeviating, on the Path of Truth amidst the
Burning Bush.’...

O peoples of the earth! Inflict not upon the Most Great Remembrance what
the Umayyads cruelly inflicted upon Ḥusayn in the Holy Land. By the
righteousness of God, the True One, He is indeed the Eternal Truth, and
unto Him God, verily, is a witness. _Chapter XVII._



“God had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the ...”


God had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the heavens and the earth and
the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid thereof.
However, Man, this ‘Alí, Who is none other but the Great Remembrance of
God, undertook to bear it. Hence God, the All-Encompassing, hath referred
to Him in His Preserved Book as the ‘Wronged One’, and by reason of His
being undistinguished before the eyes of men, He hath, according to the
judgement of the Book, been entitled ‘the Unknown’...(55)

Erelong We will, in very truth, torment such as waged war against Ḥusayn
[Imám Ḥusayn], in the Land of the Euphrates, with the most afflictive
torment, and the most dire and exemplary punishment....

God knoweth well the heart of Ḥusayn, the heat of His burning thirst and
His long-suffering for the sake of God, the Incomparable, the Ancient of
Days; and unto Him God is verily a witness. _Chapter XII._



“Hearken unto the Voice of Thy Lord calling from ...”


Hearken unto the Voice of Thy Lord calling from Mount Sinai, ‘Verily there
is no God but Him, and I am the Most Exalted One Who hath been veiled in
the Mother Book according to the dispensations of Providence.’ _Chapter
XIX._



“This Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding ...”


This Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding in blessings(56) and
beareth witness to the Truth, so that the people may realize that the
conclusive Proof of God in favour of His Remembrance is similar to the one
wherewith Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets, was invested, and verily
great is the Cause as ordained in the Mother Book. _Chapter LXVI._



“This Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of ...”


This Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of the Light of God, and
He will be best for you,(57) if ye in very truth remain faithful to God,
the Most Exalted...

We have in truth sent Thee forth unto all men, by the leave of God,
invested with Our signs and reinforced by Our unsurpassed sovereignty. He
is indeed the appointed Bearer of the Trust of God...

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Persevere steadfastly as Thou art bidden and let not the
faithless amongst men nor their utterances grieve Thee, since Thy Lord
shall, by the righteousness of God, the Most Great, pass judgement upon
them on the Day of Resurrection, and surely God witnesseth all things.
_Chapter LXXXIV._



“This Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence ...”


This Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence of the Faith of
Muḥammad; haste ye then to attain the celestial Paradise and the
all-highest Garden of His good-pleasure in the presence of the One True
God, could ye but be patient and thankful before the evidences of the
signs of God. _Chapter XLVIII._



“O My servants! This is God’s appointed Day which the ...”


O My servants! This is God’s appointed Day which the merciful Lord hath
promised you in His Book; wherefore, in very truth, glorify ye abundantly
the name of God while treading the Path of the Most Great Remembrance...

Verily God hath granted leave to His Remembrance to say whatsoever He
willeth in whatever manner He pleaseth. Indeed whatsoever He chooseth is
none other than what is chosen by Us. The Lord, in truth, witnesseth all
things. _Chapter LXXXVII._



“Indeed We conversed with Moses by the leave of God ...”


Indeed We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the
Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy
Light upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the Mount shook to
its foundations and was crushed into dust...

O peoples of the earth! I swear by your Lord! Ye shall act as former
generations have acted. Warn ye, then, yourselves of the terrible, the
most grievous vengeance of God. For God is, verily, potent over all
things. _Chapter LIII._



“O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! I recognize in Thee none other ...”


O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! I recognize in Thee none other except the ‘Great
Announcement’—the Announcement voiced by the Concourse on high. By this
name, I bear witness, they that circle the Throne of Glory have ever known
Thee.

O concourse of the believers! Do ye harbour any doubt as to that whereunto
the Remembrance of God doth summon you? By the righteousness of the One
true God, He is none other than the sovereign Truth Who hath been made
manifest through the power of Truth. Are ye in doubt concerning the Báb?
Verily He is the One Who holdeth, by Our leave, the kingdoms of earth and
heaven in His grasp, and the Lord is in truth fully aware of what ye are
doing...

Indeed I am but a man like unto you. However, God bestoweth upon Me
whatever favours He willeth as He pleaseth, and that which your Lord hath
decreed in the Mother Book is unbounded. _Chapter LXXXVIII._



“God, of a truth, revealed unto Me in the sacred house of ...”


God, of a truth, revealed unto Me in the sacred house of the Ka’bah,
‘Verily, I am God, no God is there but Me. I have singled Thee out for
Myself and have chosen Thee as the Remembrance. Indeed, whosoever beareth
allegiance unto Thee by walking in the way of the Báb, for him the
recompense of the next world hath surely been prescribed...’ It is
ordained in the Book that upon the realization of the Cause of the
Remembrance, the Most Great Event will have come to pass according to the
dispensation of Providence, and God, truly, is potent over all things.
_Chapter LXXIX._



“O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the One Who is ...”


O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother
Book as the ‘Great Announcement’. Say: The people have grievously differed
over Me, whereas in truth there is no difference between Me and the Báb;
and God, the Eternal Truth, is sufficient witness. _Chapter LXXVII._



“I Am the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence ...”


I am the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared. I am the
Lamp which the Finger of God hath lit within its niche and caused to shine
with deathless splendour. I am the Flame of that supernal Light that
glowed upon Sinai in the gladsome Spot, and lay concealed in the midst of
the Burning Bush. _Chapter XCIV._



“As a token of pure justice, We have indeed sent tidings ...”


As a token of pure justice, We have indeed sent tidings unto every Prophet
concerning the Cause of Our Remembrance, and verily God is supreme over
all the peoples of the world. _Chapter LXXXIII._



3: EXCERPTS FROM THE PERSIAN BAYÁN



“It is better to guide one soul than to possess all ...”


It is better to guide one soul than to possess all that is on earth, for
as long as that guided soul is under the shadow of the Tree of Divine
Unity, he and the one who hath guided him will both be recipients of God’s
tender mercy, whereas possession of earthly things will cease at the time
of death. The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force
and coercion. This hath been God’s method in the past, and shall continue
to be in the future! He causeth him whom He pleaseth to enter the shadow
of His Mercy. Verily, He is the Supreme Protector, the All-Generous.

There is no paradise more wondrous for any soul than to be exposed to
God’s Manifestation in His Day, to hear His verses and believe in them, to
attain His presence, which is naught but the presence of God, to sail upon
the sea of the heavenly kingdom of His good-pleasure, and to partake of
the choice fruits of the paradise of His divine Oneness. II, 16.(58)



“Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead ...”


Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire,
no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy
recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship
which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of
fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and
could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His
Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him
while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God’s creation a partner
with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.

Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That
which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without
fear of fire, or hope of paradise.

Although when true worship is offered, the worshipper is delivered from
the fire, and entereth the paradise of God’s good-pleasure, yet such
should not be the motive of his act. However, God’s favour and grace ever
flow in accordance with the exigencies of His inscrutable wisdom.

The most acceptable prayer is the one offered with the utmost spirituality
and radiance; its prolongation hath not been and is not beloved by God.
The more detached and the purer the prayer, the more acceptable is it in
the presence of God. VII, 19.



“The Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth ...”


The Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth and setteth like
unto any other day. How oft hath the Day of Resurrection dawned, and the
people of the land where it occurred did not learn of the event. Had they
heard, they would not have believed, and thus they were not told!

When the Apostle of God [Muḥammad] appeared, He did not announce unto the
unbelievers that the Resurrection had come, for they could not bear the
news. That Day is indeed an infinitely mighty Day, for in it the Divine
Tree proclaimeth from eternity unto eternity, ‘Verily, I am God. No God is
there but Me’. Yet those who are veiled believe that He is one like unto
them, and they refuse even to call Him a believer, although such a title
in the realm of His heavenly Kingdom is conferred everlastingly upon the
most insignificant follower of His previous Dispensation. Thus, had the
people in the days of the Apostle of God regarded Him at least as a
believer of their time how would they have debarred Him, for seven years
while He was in the mountain, from access to His Holy House [Ka’bah]?
Likewise in this Dispensation of the Point of the Bayán, if the people had
not refused to concede the name believer unto Him, how could they have
incarcerated Him on this mountain, without realizing that the quintessence
of belief oweth its existence to a word from Him? Their hearts are
deprived of the power of true insight, and thus they cannot see, while
those endowed with the eyes of the spirit circle like moths round the
Light of Truth until they are consumed. It is for this reason that the Day
of Resurrection is said to be the greatest of all days, yet it is like
unto any other day. VIII, 9.



“There is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in ...”


There is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in the Divine
Unity, more exalted than to obey God’s commandments, and there is no fire
in the eyes of those who have known God and His signs, fiercer than to
transgress His laws and to oppress another soul, even to the extent of a
mustard seed. On the Day of Resurrection God will, in truth, judge all
men, and we all verily plead for His grace. V, 19.



“God loveth those who are pure. Naught in the Bayán and ...”


God loveth those who are pure. Naught in the Bayán and in the sight of God
is more loved than purity and immaculate cleanliness....

God desireth not to see, in the Dispensation of the Bayán, any soul
deprived of joy and radiance. He indeed desireth that under all
conditions, all may be adorned with such purity, both inwardly and
outwardly, that no repugnance may be caused even to themselves, how much
less unto others. V, 14.



“Likewise consider the manifestation of the Point of the ...”


Likewise consider the manifestation of the Point of the Bayán. There are
people who every night until morning busy themselves with the worship of
God, and even at present when the Day-Star of Truth is nearing its zenith
in the heaven of its Revelation, they have not yet left their prayer-rugs.
If any one of them ever heard the wondrous verses of God recited unto him,
he would exclaim: ‘Why dost thou keep me back from offering my prayers?’ O
thou who are wrapt in veils! If thou makest mention of God, wherefore
sufferest thou thyself to be shut out from Him Who hath kindled the light
of worship in thy heart? If He had not previously revealed the injunction:
‘Verily, make ye mention of God’(59), what would have prompted thee to
offer devotion unto God, and whereunto wouldst thou turn in prayer?

Know thou of a certainty that whenever thou makest mention of Him Whom God
shall make manifest, only then art thou making mention of God. In like
manner shouldst thou hearken unto the verses of the Bayán and acknowledge
its truth, only then would the revealed verses of God profit thee.
Otherwise what benefit canst thou derive therefrom? For wert thou to
prostrate thyself in adoration from the beginning of life till the end and
to spend thy days for the sake of God’s remembrance, but disbelieve in the
Exponent of His Revelation for the age, dost thou imagine that thy deeds
would confer any benefit upon thee? On the other hand, if thou believest
in Him and dost recognize Him with true understanding, and He saith: ‘I
have accepted thine entire life spent in My adoration’, then assuredly
hast thou been worshipping Him most ardently. Thy purpose in performing
thy deeds is that God may graciously accept them; and divine acceptance
can in no wise be achieved except through the acceptance of Him Who is the
Exponent of His Revelation. For instance, if the Apostle of God—may divine
blessings rest upon Him—accepted a certain deed, in truth God accepted it;
otherwise it hath remained within the selfish desires of the person who
wrought it, and did not reach the presence of God. Likewise, any act which
is accepted by the Point of the Bayán is accepted by God, inasmuch as the
contingent world hath no other access unto the presence of the Ancient of
Days. Whatever is sent down cometh through the Exponent of His Revelation,
and whatever ascendeth, ascendeth unto the Exponent of His Revelation.
VIII, 19.



“There is no doubt that the Almighty hath sent down ...”


There is no doubt that the Almighty hath sent down these verses unto Him
[the Báb], even as He sent down unto the Apostle of God. Indeed no less
than a hundred thousand verses similar to these have already been
disseminated among the people, not to mention His Epistles, His Prayers or
His learned and philosophical treatises. He revealeth no less than a
thousand verses within the space of five hours. He reciteth verses at a
speed consonant with the capacity of His amanuensis to set them down.
Thus, it may well be considered that if from the inception of this
Revelation until now He had been left unhindered, how vast then would have
been the volume of writings disseminated from His pen.

If ye contend that these verses cannot, of themselves, be regarded as a
proof, scan the pages of the Qur’án. If God hath established therein any
evidence other than the revealed verses to demonstrate the validity of the
prophethood of His Apostle—may the blessings of God rest upon Him—ye may
then have your scruples about Him...

Concerning the sufficiency of the Book as a proof, God hath revealed: ‘Is
it not enough for them that We have sent down unto Thee the Book to be
recited to them? In this verily is a mercy and a warning to those who
believe.’(60) When God hath testified that the Book is a sufficient
testimony, as is affirmed in the text, how can one dispute this truth by
saying that the Book in itself is not a conclusive proof?... II, 1.



“Since that Day is a great Day it would be sorely trying ...”


Since that Day is a great Day it would be sorely trying for thee to
identify thyself with the believers. For the believers of that Day are the
inmates of Paradise, while the unbelievers are the inmates of the fire.
And know thou of a certainty that by Paradise is meant recognition of and
submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, and by the fire the
company of such souls as would fail to submit unto Him or to be resigned
to His good-pleasure. On that Day thou wouldst regard thyself as the
inmate of Paradise and as a true believer in Him, whereas in reality thou
wouldst suffer thyself to be wrapt in veils and thy habitation would be
the nethermost fire, though thou thyself wouldst not be cognizant thereof.

Compare His manifestation with that of the Point of the Qur’án. How vast
the number of the Letters of the Gospel who eagerly expected Him, yet from
the time of His declaration up to five years no one became an inmate of
Paradise, except the Commander of the Faithful [Imám ‘Alí], and those who
secretly believed in Him. All the rest were accounted as inmates of the
fire, though they considered themselves as dwellers in Paradise.

Likewise behold this Revelation. The essences of the people have, through
divinely-conceived designs, been set in motion and until the present day
three hundred and thirteen disciples have been chosen. In the land of Sád
[Iṣfáhán], which to outward seeming is a great city, in every corner of
whose seminaries are vast numbers of people regarded as divines and
doctors, yet when the time came for inmost essences to be drawn forth,
only its sifter of wheat donned the robe of discipleship. This is the
mystery of what was uttered by the kindred of the Prophet Muḥammad—upon
them be the peace of God—concerning this Revelation, saying that the
abased shall be exalted and the exalted shall be abased.

Likewise is the Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest. Among
those to whom it will never occur that they might merit the displeasure of
God, and whose pious deeds will be exemplary unto everyone, there will be
many who will become the personification of the nethermost fire itself,
when they fail to embrace His Cause; while among the lowly servants whom
no one would imagine to be of any merit, how great the number who will be
honoured with true faith and on whom the Fountainhead of generosity will
bestow the robe of authority. For whatever is created in the Faith of God
is created through the potency of His Word. VIII, 14.



“In the manifestation of the Apostle of God all were eagerly ...”


In the manifestation of the Apostle of God all were eagerly awaiting Him,
yet thou hast heard how He was treated at the time of His appearance, in
spite of the fact that if ever they beheld Him in their dreams they would
take pride in them.

Likewise in the manifestation of the Point of the Bayán, the people stood
up at the mention of His Name and fervently implored His advent night and
day, and if they dreamt of Him they gloried in their dreams; yet now that
He hath revealed Himself, invested with the mightiest testimony, whereby
their own religion is vindicated, and despite the incalculable number of
people who yearningly anticipate His coming, they are resting comfortably
in their homes, after having hearkened to His verses; while He at this
moment is confined in the mountain of Mákú, lonely and forsaken.

Take good heed of yourselves, O people of the Bayán, lest ye perform such
deeds as to weep sore for His sake night and day, to stand up at the
mention of His Name, yet on this Day of fruition—a Day whereon ye should
not only arise at His Name, but seek a path unto Him Who personifies that
Name—ye shut yourselves out from Him as by as veil. VI, 15.



“At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God ...”


At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
everyone should be well trained in the teachings of the Bayán, so that
none of the followers may outwardly cling to the Bayán and thus forfeit
their allegiance unto Him. If anyone does so, the verdict of ‘disbeliever
in God’ shall be passed upon him.

I swear by the holy Essence of God, were all in the Bayán to unite in
helping Him Whom God shall make manifest in the days of His Revelation,
not a single soul, nay, not a created thing would remain on earth that
would not gain admittance into Paradise. Take good heed of yourselves, for
the sum total of the religion of God is but to help Him, rather than to
observe, in the time of His appearance, such deeds as are prescribed in
the Bayán. Should anyone, however, ere He manifesteth Himself, transgress
the ordinances, were it to the extent of a grain of barley, he would have
trangressed His command.

Seek ye refuge in God from whatsoever might lead you astray from the
Source of His Revelation and hold fast unto His Cord, for whoso holdeth
fast unto His allegiance, he hath attained and will attain salvation in
all the worlds.

‘Such is the bounty of God; to whom He will, He giveth it, and God is the
Lord of grace abounding.’(61) V, 5.



“Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of ...”


Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of your lives till the
end thereof, yet not a single act is for the sake of Him Who is the
Manifestation of God, to Whom every good deed reverteth. Had ye acted in
such manner, ye would not have suffered so grievously on the Day of
Resurrection.

Behold how great is the Cause, and yet how the people are wrapt in veils.
I swear by the sanctified Essence of God that every true praise and deed
offered unto God is naught but praise and deed offered unto Him Whom God
shall make manifest.

Deceive not your own selves that you are being virtuous for the sake of
God when you are not. For should ye truly do your works for God, ye would
be performing them for Him Whom God shall make manifest and would be
magnifying His Name. The dwellers of this mountain who are bereft of true
understanding unceasingly utter the words, ‘No God is there but God’; but
what benefit doth it yield them? Ponder awhile that ye may not be shut out
as by a veil from Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation. VIII, 19.



“God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been ...”


God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been wholly independent
of His creatures. He hath cherished and will ever cherish the desire that
all men may attain His gardens of Paradise with utmost love, that no one
should sadden another, not even for a moment, and that all should dwell
within His cradle of protection and security until the Day of Resurrection
which marketh the dayspring of the Revelation of Him Whom God will make
manifest.

The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent
down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling
for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch
as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit. VI, 16.



“How veiled are ye, O My creatures, ... who, without ...”


How veiled are ye, O My creatures,(62) ... who, without any right, have
consigned Him unto a mountain [Mákú], not one of whose inhabitants is
worthy of mention... With Him, which is with Me, there is no one except
him who is one of the Letters of the Living of My Book. In His presence,
which is My Presence, there is not at night even a lighted lamp! And yet,
in places [of worship] which in varying degrees reach out unto Him,
unnumbered lamps are shining! All that is on earth hath been created for
Him, and all partake with delight of His benefits, and yet they are so
veiled from Him as to refuse Him even a lamp!

In this Day therefore I bear witness unto My creatures, for the witness of
no one other than Myself hath been or shall ever be worthy of mention in
My presence. I affirm that no Paradise is more sublime for My creatures
than to stand before My face and to believe in My holy Words, while no
fire hath been or will be fiercer for them than to be veiled from the
Manifestation of My exalted Self and to disbelieve in My Words.

Ye may contend: ‘How doth He speak on our behalf?’ Have ye not perused the
unseemly words ye uttered in the past, as reflected in the text of My
Book, and still ye feel not ashamed? Ye have now seen the truth of My Book
conclusively established and today every one of you doth profess belief in
Me through that Book. The day is not far distant when ye shall readily
realize that your glory lieth in your belief in these holy verses. Today,
however, when only belief in this Faith truly profiteth you, ye have
debarred yourselves therefrom by reason of the things which are
disadvantageous unto you and will inflict harm upon you, whereas He Who is
the Manifestation of My Self hath been and shall ever remain immune from
any harm whatever, and any loss that hath appeared or will appear shall
eventually revert unto yourselves. II, 1.



“How vast the number of people who are well versed in ...”


How vast the number of people who are well versed in every science, yet it
is their adherence to the holy Word of God which will determine their
faith, inasmuch as the fruit of every science is none other than the
knowledge of divine precepts and submission unto His good-pleasure. II, 1.



“No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it ...”


No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its
highest prescribed degree of perfection. For instance, this crystal
representeth the paradise of the stone whereof its substance is composed.
Likewise there are various stages in the paradise for the crystal
itself... So long as it was stone it was worthless, but if it attaineth
the excellence of ruby—a potentiality which is latent in it—how much a
carat will it be worth? Consider likewise every created thing.

Man’s highest station, however, is attained through faith in God in every
Dispensation and by acceptance of what hath been revealed by Him, and not
through learning; inasmuch as in every nation there are learned men who
are versed in divers sciences. Nor is it attainable through wealth; for it
is similarly evident that among the various classes in every nation there
are those possessed of riches. Likewise are other transitory things.

True knowledge, therefore, is the knowledge of God, and this is none other
than the recognition of His Manifestation in each Dispensation. Nor is
there any wealth save in poverty in all save God and sanctity from aught
else but Him—a state that can be realized only when demonstrated towards
Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation. This doth not mean, however,
that one ought not to yield praise unto former Revelations. On no account
is this acceptable, inasmuch as it behooveth man, upon reaching the age of
nineteen, to render thanksgiving for the day of his conception as an
embryo. For had the embryo not existed, how could he have reached his
present state? Likewise had the religion taught by Adam not existed, this
Faith would not have attained its present stage. Thus consider thou the
development of God’s Faith until the end that hath no end. V, 4.



“Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since ...”


Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since the declaration of
Muḥammad, and each year unnumbered people have circumambulated the House
of God [Mecca]. In the concluding year of this period He Who is Himself
the Founder of the House went on pilgrimage. Great God! There was a vast
concourse of pilgrims from every sect. Yet not one recognized Him, though
He recognized every one of them—souls tightly held in the grasp of His
former commandment. The only person who recognized Him and performed
pilgrimage with Him is the one round whom revolve eight Vahíds,(63) in
whom God hath gloried before the Concourse on high by virtue of his
absolute detachment and for his being wholly devoted to the Will of God.
This doth not mean that he was made the object of a special favour, nay,
this is a favour which God hath vouchsafed unto all men, yet they have
suffered themselves to be veiled from it. The Commentary on the Súrih of
Joseph had, in the first year of this Revelation, been widely distributed.
Nevertheless, when the people realized that fellow supporters were not
forthcoming they hesitated to accept it; while it never occurred to them
that the very Qur’án whereunto unnumbered souls bear fealty today, was
revealed in the midmost heart of the Arab world, yet to outward seeming
for no less than seven years no one acknowledged its truth except the
Commander of the Faithful [Imám ‘Alí]—may the peace of God rest upon
him—who, in response to the conclusive proofs advanced by God’s supreme
Testimony, recognized the Truth and did not fix his eyes on others. Thus
on the Day of Resurrection God will ask everyone of his understanding and
not of his following in the footsteps of others. How often a person,
having inclined his ears to the holy verses, would bow down in humility
and would embrace the Truth, while his leader would not do so. Thus every
individual must bear his own responsibility, rather than someone else
bearing it for him. At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will
make manifest the most distinguished among the learned and the lowliest of
men shall both be judged alike. How often the most insignificant of men
have acknowledged the truth, while the most learned have remained wrapt in
veils. Thus in every Dispensation a number of souls enter the fire by
reason of their following in the footsteps of others. IV, 18.



“Better is it for a person to write down but one of His ...”


Better is it for a person to write down but one of His verses than to
transcribe the whole of the Bayán and all the books which have been
written in the Dispensation of the Bayán. For everything shall be set
aside except His Writings, which will endure until the following
Revelation. And should anyone inscribe with true faith but one letter of
that Revelation, his recompense would be greater than for inscribing all
the heavenly Writings of the past and all that has been written during
previous Dispensations. Likewise continue thou to ascend through one
Revelation after another, knowing that thy progress in the Knowledge of
God shall never come to an end, even as it can have no beginning. VII, 13.



“O People of the Bayán! Be on your guard; for on the ...”


O People of the Bayán! Be on your guard; for on the Day of Resurrection no
one shall find a place to flee to. He will shine forth suddenly, and will
pronounce judgement as He pleaseth. If it be His wish He will cause the
abased to be exalted, and the exalted to be abased, even as He did in the
Bayán, couldst thou but understand. And no one but Him is equal unto this.
Whatever He ordaineth will be fulfilled, and nothing will remain
unfulfilled. VII, 9.



“Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the ...”


Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the signs of His
Divinity and Lordship, they always tend to take a path, lofty and high.
And because they are bereft of a discerning eye to recognize their
Beloved, they fall short of their duty to manifest meekness and humility
towards Him. Nevertheless, from the beginning of their lives till the end
thereof, in conformity with the laws established in the previous religion,
they worship God, piously adore Him, bow themselves before His divine
Reality and show submissiveness toward His exalted Essence. At the hour of
His manifestation, however, they all turn their gaze toward their own
selves and are thus shut out from Him, inasmuch as they fancifully regard
Him as one like unto themselves. Far from the glory of God is such a
comparison. Indeed that august Being resembleth the physical sun, His
verses are like its rays, and all believers, should they truly believe in
Him, are as mirrors wherein the sun is reflected. Their light is thus a
mere reflection. VII, 15.



“O People of the Bayán! If ye believe in Him Whom God ...”


O People of the Bayán! If ye believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest,
to your own behoof do ye believe. He hath been and ever will remain
independent of all men. For instance, were ye to place unnumbered mirrors
before the sun, they would all reflect the sun and produce impressions
thereof, whereas the sun is in itself wholly independent of the existence
of the mirrors and of the suns which they reproduce. Such are the bounds
of the contingent beings in their relation to the manifestation of the
Eternal Being...

In this day no less than seventy thousand people make pilgrimage every
year to the holy House of God in compliance with the bidding of the
Apostle of God; while He Himself Who ordained this ordinance took refuge
for seven years in the mountains of Mecca. And this notwithstanding that
the One Who enjoined this commandment is far greater than the commandment
itself. Hence all this people who at this time go on pilgrimage do not do
so with true understanding, otherwise in this Day of His Return which is
mightier than His former Dispensation, they would have followed His
commandment. But now behold what hath happened. People who profess belief
in His former religion, who in the daytime and in the night season bow
down in worship in His Name, have assigned Him to a dwelling place in a
mountain, while each one of them would regard attaining recognition of Him
as an honour. VII, 15.



“The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments ...”


The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this,
that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that
thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut
out as by a veil from thy Best Beloved. Let not thy tongue pay lip service
in praise of God while thy heart be not attuned to the exalted Summit of
Glory, and the Focal Point of communion. Thus if haply thou dost live in
the Day of Resurrection, the mirror of thy heart will be set towards Him
Who is the Day-Star of Truth; and no sooner will His light shine forth
than the splendour thereof shall forthwith be reflected in thy heart. For
He is the Source of all goodness, and unto Him revert all things. But if
He appeareth while thou hast turned unto thyself in meditation, this shall
not profit thee, unless thou shalt mention His Name by words He hath
revealed. For in the forthcoming Revelation it is He Who is the
Remembrance of God, whereas the devotions which thou art offering at
present have been prescribed by the Point of the Bayán, while He Who will
shine resplendent in the Day of Resurrection is the Revelation of the
inner reality enshrined in the Point of the Bayán—a Revelation more
potent, immeasurably more potent, than the one which hath preceded it. IX,
4.



“It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, ...”


It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to
bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God’s call will
be raised: ‘Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents
shall be thy recompense!’ Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when
communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the
Well-Beloved. VIII, 16.



“As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, ...”


As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs
to the former is felt by the latter. In reality that which takes delight
in joy or is saddened by pain is the inner temple of the body, not the
body itself. Since this physical body is the throne whereon the inner
temple is established, God hath ordained that the body be preserved to the
extent possible, so that nothing that causeth repugnance may be
experienced. The inner temple beholdeth its physical frame, which is its
throne. Thus, if the latter is accorded respect, it is as if the former is
the recipient. The converse is likewise true.

Therefore, it hath been ordained that the dead body should be treated with
the utmost honour and respect. V, 12.



“At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall ...”


At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, wert
thou to perform thy deeds for the sake of the Point of the Bayán, they
would be regarded as performed for one other than God, inasmuch as on that
Day the Point of the Bayán is none other than Him Whom God shall make
manifest...

It is for this reason that at the beginning of every Dispensation a vast
multitude, who fondly imagine that their deeds are for God, become drowned
and ungodly, and perceive this not, except such as He guideth at His
behest.

It is better for a man to guide a soul than to possess all that lies
between East and West. Likewise better is guidance for him who is guided
than all the things that exist on earth, for by reason of this guidance he
will, after his death, gain admittance into Paradise, whereas by reason of
the things of the world below, he will, after his death, receive his
deserts. Hence God desireth that all men should be guided aright through
the potency of the Words of Him Whom God shall make manifest. However,
such as are conceited will not suffer themselves to be guided. They will
be debarred from the Truth, some by reason of their learning, others on
account of their glory and power, and still others due to reasons of their
own, none of which shall be of any avail at the hour of death.

Take thou good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of Him Who is
the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct thy steps aright upon
the Bridge, which is sharper than the sword and finer than a hair, so that
perchance the things which from the beginning of thy life till the end
thou hast performed for the love of God, may not, all at once and
unrealized by thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of
God. Verily God guideth whom He will into the path of absolute certitude.
VII, 2.



“Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since ...”


Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since their inner eyes
are not directed towards Him sorrow must needs befall Him. In the case of
the Apostle of God—may the blessings of God rest upon Him—before the
revelation of the Qur’án everyone bore witness to His piety and noble
virtues. Behold Him then after the revelation of the Qur’án. What
outrageous insults were levelled against Him, as indeed the pen is ashamed
to recount. Likewise behold the Point of the Bayán. His behaviour prior to
the declaration of His mission is clearly evident unto those who knew Him.
Now, following His manifestation, although He hath, up to the present,
revealed no less than five hundred thousand verses on different subjects,
behold what calumnies are uttered, so unseemly that the pen is stricken
with shame at the mention of them. But if all men were to observe the
ordinances of God no sadness would befall that heavenly Tree. VI, 11.



“The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like ...”


The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like unto the sun, while
the works of men, provided they conform to the good-pleasure of God,
resemble the stars or the moon... Thus, should the followers of the Bayán
observe the precepts of Him Whom God shall make manifest at the time of
His appearance, and regard themselves and their own works as stars exposed
to the light of the sun, then they will have gathered the fruits of their
existence; otherwise the title of ‘starship’ will not apply to them.
Rather it will apply to such as truly believe in Him, to those who pale
into insignificance in the day-time and gleam forth with light in the
night season.

Such indeed is the fruit of this precept, should anyone observe it on the
Day of Resurrection. This is the essence of all learning and of all
righteous deeds, should anyone but attain unto it. Had the peoples of the
world fixed their gaze upon this principle, no Exponent of divine
Revelation would ever have, at the inception of any Dispensation, regarded
them as things of naught. However, the fact is that during the night
season everyone perceiveth the light which he himself, according to his
own capacity, giveth out, oblivious that at the break of day this light
shall fade away and be reduced to utter nothingness before the dazzling
splendour of the sun.

The light of the people of the world is their knowledge and utterance;
while the splendours shed from the glorious acts of Him Whom God shall
make manifest are His Words, through whose potency He rolleth up the whole
world of existence, sets it under His Own authority by relating it unto
Himself, then as the Mouthpiece of God, the Source of His divine
light—exalted and glorified be He—proclaimeth: ‘Verily, verily, I am God,
no God is there but Me; in truth all others except Me are My creatures.
Say, O My creatures! Me alone, therefore, should ye fear’. VIII, 1.



“Know thou that in the Bayán purification is regarded as ...”


Know thou that in the Bayán purification is regarded as the most
acceptable means for attaining nearness unto God and as the most
meritorious of all deeds. Thus purge thou thine ear that thou mayest hear
no mention besides God, and purge thine eye that it behold naught except
God, and thy conscience that it perceive naught other than God, and thy
tongue that it proclaim nothing but God, and thy hand to write naught but
the words of God, and thy knowledge that it comprehend naught except God,
and thy heart that it entertain no wish save God, and in like manner purge
all thine acts and thy pursuits that thou mayest be nurtured in the
paradise of pure love, and perchance mayest attain the presence of Him
Whom God shall make manifest, adorned with a purity which He highly
cherisheth, and be sanctified from whosoever hath turned away from Him and
doth not support Him. Thus shalt thou manifest a purity that shall profit
thee.

Know thou that every ear which hearkeneth unto His Words with true faith
shall be immune from the fire. Thus the believer, through his recognition
of Him will appreciate the transcendent character of His heavenly Words,
will whole-heartedly choose Him over others, and will refuse to incline
his affections towards those who disbelieve in Him. Whatever one gaineth
in the life to come is but the fruit of this faith. Indeed any man whose
eye gazeth upon His Words with true faith well deserveth Paradise; and one
whose conscience beareth witness unto His Words with true faith shall
abide in Paradise and attain the presence of God; and one whose tongue
giveth utterance to His Words with true faith shall have his abode in
Paradise, wherein he will be seized with ecstasy in praise and
glorification of God, the Ever-Abiding, Whose revelations of glory never
end and the reviving breaths of Whose holiness never fail. Every hand
which setteth down His Words with true faith shall be filled by God, both
in this world and in the next, with things that are highly prized; and
every breast which committeth His Words to memory, God shall cause, if it
were that of a believer, to be filled with His love; and every heart which
cherisheth the love of His Words and manifesteth in itself the signs of
true faith when His Name is mentioned, and exemplifieth the words, ‘their
hearts are thrilled with awe at the mention of God’,(64) that heart will
become the object of the glances of divine favour and on the Day of
Resurrection will be highly praised by God. IX, 10.



“If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will ...”


If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will make manifest all
the dwellers of the earth were to bear witness unto a thing whereunto He
beareth witness differently, His testimony would be like unto the sun,
while theirs would be even as a false image produced in a mirror which is
not facing the sun. For had it been otherwise their testimony would have
proved a faithful reflection of His testimony.

I swear by the most sacred Essence of God that but one line of the Words
uttered by Him is more sublime than the words uttered by all that dwell on
earth. Nay, I beg forgiveness for making this comparison. How could the
reflections of the sun in the mirror compare with the wondrous rays of the
sun in the visible heaven? The station of one is that of nothingness,
while the station of the other, by the righteousness of God—hallowed and
magnified be His Name—is that of the Reality of things....

If in the Day of His manifestation a king were to make mention of his own
sovereignty, this would be like unto a mirror challenging the sun, saying:
‘The light is in me’. It would be likewise, if a man of learning in His
Day were to claim to be an exponent of knowledge, or if he who is
possessed of riches were to display his affluence, or if a man wielding
power were to assert his own authority, or if one invested with grandeur
were to show forth his glory. Nay, such men would become the object of the
derision of their peers, and how would they be judged by Him Who is the
Sun of Truth! III, 12.



“It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom ...”


It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom God will make
manifest, except that which well beseemeth Him. For His station is that of
the Essence of divine Revelation... Whatever evidence of bounty is
witnessed in the world, is but an image of His bounty; and every thing
owes its existence to His Being... The Bayán is, from beginning to end,
the repository of all of His attributes, and the treasury of both His fire
and His light. Should anyone desire to ask questions, he is allowed to do
so only in writing, that he may derive ample understanding from His
written reply and that it may serve as a sign from his Beloved. However,
let no one ask aught that may prove unworthy of His lofty station. For
instance, were a person to inquire the price of straw from a merchant of
rubies, how ignorant would he be and how unacceptable. Similarly
unacceptable would be the questions of the highest-ranking people of the
world in His presence, except such words as He Himself would utter about
Himself in the Day of His manifestation.

Methinks I visualize those who would, prompted by their own deluded
conceptions, write to Him and ask Him questions about that which hath been
revealed in the Bayán, and He would answer them with words not of His Own,
but divinely inspired, saying: ‘Verily, verily, I am God; no God is there
but Me. I have called into being all the created things, I have raised up
divine Messengers in the past and have sent down Books unto Them. Take
heed not to worship anyone but God, He Who is My Lord and your Lord. This
indeed is the undoubted truth. However, alike shall it be to Me; if ye
believe in Me, ye will provide good for your own souls, and if ye believe
not in Me, nor in that which God hath revealed unto Me, ye will suffer
yourselves to be shut out as by a veil. For verily I have been independent
of you heretofore, and shall remain independent hereafter. Therefore it
behooveth you, O creatures of God, to help your own selves and to believe
in the Verses revealed by Me...’ III, 13.



“The Bayán shall constitute God’s unerring balance till the ...”


The Bayán shall constitute God’s unerring balance till the Day of
Resurrection which is the Day of Him Whom God will make manifest. Whoso
acteth in conformity with that which is revealed therein will abide in
Paradise, under the shadow of His affirmation and reckoned among the most
sublime Letters in the presence of God; while whoso deviateth, were it
even so much as the tip of a grain of barley, will be consigned to the
fire and will be assembled neath the shadow of negation. This truth hath
likewise been laid bare in the Qur’án where in numerous instances God hath
set down that whoever should pass judgement contrary to the bounds fixed
by Him, would be deemed an infidel...

In these days how few are those who abide by the standard laid down in the
Qur’án. Nay, nowhere are they to be found, except such as God hath willed.
Should there be, however, such a person, his righteous deeds would prove
of no avail unto him, if he hath failed to follow the standard revealed in
the Bayán; even as the pious deeds of the Christian monks profited them
not, inasmuch as at the time of the manifestation of the Apostle of
God—may the blessings of God rest upon Him—they contented themselves with
the standard set forth in the Gospel.

Had the divine standard laid down in the Qur’án been truly observed,
adverse judgements would not have been pronounced against Him Who is the
Tree of divine Truth. As it hath been revealed: ‘Almost might the heavens
be rent and the earth be cleft asunder and the mountains fall down in
fragments.’(65) And yet how much harder than these mountains their hearts
must be to have remained unmoved! Indeed no paradise is more glorious in
the sight of God than attainment unto His good-pleasure. II, 6.



“The One true God may be compared unto the sun and ...”


The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a
mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its
light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it
is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun. Thus the former
layeth down his life as a sacrifice, while the latter doeth against God
what he committeth. Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone
into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state.
Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume
crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to
believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. But
when the latter suffereth himself to be wrapt in veils, the same cause
shutteth him out as by a veil. Thus, as is clearly evident today, those
who have set their faces toward God, the True One, have believed in Him
because of the Bayán, while such as are veiled have been deprived because
of it. VI, 4.



“I swear by the most holy Essence of God—exalted and ...”


I Swear by the most holy Essence of God—exalted and glorified be He—that
in the Day of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest a
thousand perusals of the Bayán cannot equal the perusal of a single verse
to be revealed by Him Whom God shall make manifest.

Ponder a while and observe that everything in Islám hath its ultimate and
eventual beginning in the Book of God. Consider likewise the Day of the
Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, He in Whose grasp lieth
the source of proofs, and let not erroneous considerations shut thee out
from Him, for He is immeasurably exalted above them, inasmuch as every
proof proceedeth from the Book of God which is itself the supreme
testimony, as all men are powerless to produce its like. Should myriads of
men of learning, versed in logic, in the science of grammar, in law, in
jurisprudence and the like, turn away from the Book of God, they would
still be pronounced unbelievers. Thus the fruit is within the supreme
testimony itself, not in the things derived therefrom. And know thou of a
certainty that every letter revealed in the Bayán is solely intended to
evoke submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, for it is He Who
hath revealed the Bayán prior to His Own manifestation. V, 8.



“In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned ...”


In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned to bestow His
mighty utterances and resplendent signs upon the Point of the Bayán, and
hath ordained them as His matchless testimony for all created things. Were
all the people that dwell on earth to assemble together, they would be
unable to produce a single verse like unto the ones which God hath caused
to stream forth from the tongue of the Point of the Bayán. Indeed, if any
living creature were to pause to meditate he would undoubtedly realize
that these verses are not the work of man, but are solely to be ascribed
unto God, the One, the Peerless, Who causeth them to flow forth from the
tongue of whomsoever He willeth, and hath not revealed nor will He reveal
them save through the Focal Point of God’s Primal Will. He it is, through
Whose dispensations divine Messengers are raised up and heavenly Books are
sent down. Had human beings been able to accomplish this deed surely
someone would have brought forth at least one verse during the period of
twelve hundred and seventy years which hath elapsed since the revelation
of the Qur’án until that of the Bayán. However, all men have proved
themselves impotent and have utterly failed to do so, although they
endeavoured, with their vehement might, to quench the flame of the Word of
God. II, 1.



“Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who ...”


Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who go to Mecca each year
on pilgrimage and engage in circumambulation, while He, through the
potency of Whose Word the Ka’bah [the sanctuary in Mecca] hath become the
object of adoration, is forsaken in this mountain. He is none other but
the Apostle of God Himself, inasmuch as the Revelation of God may be
likened to the sun. No matter how innumerable its risings, there is but
one sun, and upon it depends the life of all things. It is clear and
evident that the object of all preceding Dispensations hath been to pave
the way for the advent of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God. These, including
the Muḥammadan Dispensation, have had, in their turn, as their objective
the Revelation proclaimed by the Qá’im. The purpose underlying this
Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been
to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest.
And this Faith—the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest—in its turn,
together with all the Revelations gone before it, have as their object the
Manifestation destined to succeed it. And the latter, no less than all the
Revelations preceding it, prepare the way for the Revelation which is yet
to follow. The process of the rise and setting of the Sun of Truth will
thus indefinitely continue—a process that hath had no beginning and will
have no end.

Well is it with him who in every Dispensation recognizeth the Purpose of
God for that Dispensation, and is not deprived therefrom by turning his
gaze towards the things of the past. IV, 12.



“The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended ...”


The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended by the Day of
Resurrection is the Day of the appearance of the Tree of divine Reality,
but it is not seen that any one of the followers of _Sh_í’ih Islám hath
understood the meaning of the Day of Resurrection; rather have they
fancifully imagined a thing which with God hath no reality. In the
estimation of God and according to the usage of such as are initiated into
divine mysteries, what is meant by the Day of Resurrection is this, that
from the time of the appearance of Him Who is the Tree of divine Reality,
at whatever period and under whatever name, until the moment of His
disappearance, is the Day of Resurrection.

For example, from the inception of the mission of Jesus—may peace be upon
Him—till the day of His ascension was the Resurrection of Moses. For
during that period the Revelation of God shone forth through the
appearance of that divine Reality, Who rewarded by His Word everyone who
believed in Moses, and punished by His Word everyone who did not believe;
inasmuch as God’s Testimony for that Day was that which He had solemnly
affirmed in the Gospel. And from the inception of the Revelation of the
Apostle of God—may the blessings of God be upon Him—till the day of His
ascension was the Resurrection of Jesus—peace be upon Him—wherein the Tree
of divine Reality appeared in the person of Muḥammad, rewarding by His
Word everyone who was a believer in Jesus, and punishing by His Word
everyone who was not a believer in Him. And from the moment when the Tree
of the Bayán appeared until it disappeareth is the Resurrection of the
Apostle of God, as is divinely foretold in the Qur’án; the beginning of
which was when two hours and eleven minutes had passed on the eve of the
fifth of Jamádiyu’l-Avval, 1260 A.H.,(66) which is the year 1270 of the
Declaration of the Mission of Muḥammad. This was the beginning of the Day
of Resurrection of the Qur’án, and until the disappearance of the Tree of
divine Reality is the Resurrection of the Qur’án. The stage of perfection
of everything is reached when its resurrection occurreth. The perfection
of the religion of Islám was consummated at the beginning of this
Revelation; and from the rise of this Revelation until its setting, the
fruits of the Tree of Islám, whatever they are, will become apparent. The
Resurrection of the Bayán will occur at the time of the appearance of Him
Whom God shall make manifest. For today the Bayán is in the stage of seed;
at the beginning of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest
its ultimate perfection will become apparent. He is made manifest in order
to gather the fruits of the trees He hath planted; even as the Revelation
of the Qá’im [He Who ariseth], a descendant of Muḥammad—may the blessings
of God rest upon Him—is exactly like unto the Revelation of the Apostle of
God Himself [Muḥammad]. He appeareth not, save for the purpose of
gathering the fruits of Islám from the Qur’ánic verses which He [Muḥammad]
hath sown in the hearts of men. The fruits of Islám cannot be gathered
except through allegiance unto Him [the Qá’im] and by believing in Him. At
the present time, however, only adverse effects have resulted; for
although He hath appeared in the midmost heart of Islám, and all people
profess it by reason of their relationship to Him [the Qá’im], yet
unjustly have they consigned Him to the Mountain of Mákú, and this
notwithstanding that in the Qur’án the advent of the Day of Resurrection
hath been promised unto all by God. For on that Day all men will be
brought before God and will attain His Presence; which meaneth appearance
before Him Who is the Tree of divine Reality and attainment unto His
presence; inasmuch as it is not possible to appear before the Most Holy
Essence of God, nor is it conceivable to seek reunion with Him. That which
is feasible in the matter of appearance before Him and of meeting Him is
attainment unto the Primal Tree. II, 7.



“The evidence set forth by God can never be compared ...”


The evidence set forth by God can never be compared with the evidences
produced by any one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth; and beyond a
shadow of doubt no evidence is set forth by God save through the One Who
is appointed as His supreme Testimony. Moreover, the proof of revealed
verses doth, alone and of itself, conclusively demonstrate the utter
impotence of all created things on earth, for this is a proof which hath
proceeded from God and shall endure until the Day of Resurrection.

And if anyone should reflect on the appearance of this Tree, he will
undoubtedly testify to the loftiness of the Cause of God. For if one from
whose life only twenty-four years have passed, and who is devoid of those
sciences wherein all are learned, now reciteth verses after such fashion
without thought or hesitation, writes a thousand verses of prayer in the
course of five hours without pause of the pen, and produceth commentaries
and learned treatises on such lofty themes as the true understanding of
God and of the oneness of His Being, in a manner which doctors and
philosophers confess surpasseth their power of understanding, then there
is no doubt that all that hath been manifested is divinely inspired.
Notwithstanding their life-long diligent study, what pains do these
divines take when writing a single line in Arabic! Yet after such efforts
the result is but words which are unworthy of mention. All these things
are for a proof unto the people; otherwise the religion of God is too
mighty and glorious for anyone to comprehend through aught but itself;
rather by it all else is understood. II, 1.



“Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become ...”


Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become cognizant of Him Whom
God shall make manifest in the Day of Resurrection, so that we may derive
benefit from the fruit of our existence and be not deprived of attaining
the presence of God. For indeed this is the object of our creation and the
sole purpose underlying every virtuous deed we may perform. Such is the
bounty which God hath conferred upon us; verily He is the All-Bountiful,
the Gracious. Know thou, that thou wilt succeed in doing so if thou
believest with undoubting faith. However, since thou canst not attain the
state of undoubting faith, due to the intervening veils of thy selfish
desires, therefore thou wilt tarry in the fire, though realizing it not.
On the Day of His manifestation, unless thou truly believest in Him,
naught can save thee from the fire, even if thou dost perform every
righteous deed. If thou embracest the Truth, everything good and seemly
shall be set down for thee in the Book of God, and by virtue of this thou
wilt rejoice in the all-highest Paradise until the following Resurrection.

Consider with due attention, for the path is very strait, even while it is
more spacious than the heavens and the earth and what is between them. For
instance, if all those who were expecting the fulfilment of the promise of
Jesus had been assured of the manifestation of Muḥammad, the Apostle of
God, not one would have turned aside from the sayings of Jesus. So
likewise in the Revelation of the Point of the Bayán, if all should be
assured that this is that same Promised Mihdí [One Who is guided] whom the
Apostle of God foretold, not one of the believers in the Qur’án would turn
aside from the sayings of the Apostle of God. So likewise in the
Revelation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, behold the same thing; for
should all be assured that He is that same ‘He Whom God shall make
manifest’ whom the Point of the Bayán hath foretold, not one would turn
aside. IX, 3.



“In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. ...”


In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy. All praise and glory
befitteth the sacred and glorious court of the sovereign Lord, Who from
everlasting hath dwelt, and unto everlasting will continue to dwell within
the mystery of His Own divine Essence, Who from time immemorial hath
abided and will forever continue to abide within His transcendent
eternity, exalted above the reach and ken of all created beings. The sign
of His matchless Revelation as created by Him and imprinted upon the
realities of all beings, is none other but their powerlessness to know
Him. The light He hath shed upon all things is none but the splendour of
His Own Self. He Himself hath at all times been immeasurably exalted above
any association with His creatures. He hath fashioned the entire creation
in such wise that all beings may, by virtue of their innate powers, bear
witness before God on the Day of Resurrection that He hath no peer or
equal and is sanctified from any likeness, similitude or comparison. He
hath been and will ever be one and incomparable in the transcendent glory
of His divine being and He hath ever been indescribably mighty in the
sublimity of His sovereign Lordship. No one hath ever been able
befittingly to recognize Him nor will any man succeed at any time in
comprehending Him as is truly meet and seemly, for any reality to which
the term ‘being’ is applicable hath been created by the sovereign Will of
the Almighty, Who hath shed upon it the radiance of His Own Self, shining
forth from His most august station. He hath moreover deposited within the
realities of all created things the emblem of His recognition, that
everyone may know of a certainty that He is the Beginning and the End, the
Manifest and the Hidden, the Maker and the Sustainer, the Omnipotent and
the All-Knowing, the One Who heareth and perceiveth all things, He Who is
invincible in His power and standeth supreme in His Own identity, He Who
quickeneth and causeth to die, the All-Powerful, the Inaccessible, the
Most Exalted, the Most High. Every revelation of His divine Essence
betokens the sublimity of His glory, the loftiness of His sanctity, the
inaccessible height of His oneness and the exaltation of His majesty and
power. His beginning hath had no beginning other than His Own firstness
and His end knoweth no end save His Own lastness. I, 1.



“The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly ...”


The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly been identical
with its concealment and its concealment identical with its revelation.
That which is intended by ‘Revelation of God’ is the Tree of divine Truth
that betokeneth none but Him, and it is this divine Tree that hath raised
and will raise up Messengers, and hath revealed and will ever reveal
Scriptures. From eternity unto eternity this Tree of divine Truth hath
served and will ever serve as the throne of the revelation and concealment
of God among His creatures, and in every age is made manifest through
whomsoever He pleaseth. At the time of the revelation of the Qur’án He
asserted His transcendent power through the advent of Muḥammad, and on the
occasion of the revelation of the Bayán He demonstrated His sovereign
might through the appearance of the Point of the Bayán, and when He Whom
God shall make manifest will shine forth, it will be through Him that He
will vindicate the truth of His Faith, as He pleaseth, with whatsoever He
pleaseth and for whatsoever He pleaseth. He is with all things, yet
nothing is with Him. He is not within a thing nor above it nor beside it.
Any reference to His being established upon the throne implieth that the
Exponent of His Revelation is established upon the seat of transcendent
authority...

He hath everlastingly existed and will everlastingly continue to exist. He
hath been and will ever remain inscrutable unto all men, inasmuch as all
else besides Him have been and shall ever be created through the potency
of His command. He is exalted above every mention or praise and is
sanctified beyond every word of commendation or every comparison. No
created thing comprehendeth Him, while He in truth comprehendeth all
things. Even when it is said ‘no created thing comprehendeth Him’, this
refers to the Mirror of His Revelation, that is Him Whom God shall make
manifest. Indeed too high and exalted is He for anyone to allude unto Him.
II, 8.



4: EXCERPTS FROM DALÁ’IL-I-SAB‘IH (THE SEVEN PROOFS)



“Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals ...”


Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals of religion and its
ordinances: Know thou that first and foremost in religion is the knowledge
of God. This attaineth its consummation in the recognition of His divine
unity, which in turn reacheth its fulfilment in acclaiming that His
hallowed and exalted Sanctuary, the Seat of His transcendent majesty, is
sanctified from all attributes. And know thou that in this world of being
the knowledge of God can never be attained save through the knowledge of
Him Who is the Dayspring of divine Reality.



“Gracious God! Within the domains of Islám there are ...”


Gracious God! Within the domains of Islám there are at present seven
powerful sovereigns ruling the world. None of them hath been informed of
His [the Báb’s] Manifestation, and if informed, none hath believed in Him.
Who knoweth, they may leave this world below full of desire, and without
having realized that the thing for which they were waiting had come to
pass. This is what happened to the monarchs that held fast unto the
Gospel. They awaited the coming of the Prophet of God [Muḥammad], and when
He did appear, they failed to recognize Him. Behold how great are the sums
which these sovereigns expend without even the slightest thought of
appointing an official charged with the task of acquainting them in their
own realms with the Manifestation of God! They would thereby have
fulfilled the purpose for which they have been created. All their desires
have been and are still fixed upon leaving behind them traces of their
names.



“Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God ...”


Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God which lasted twelve
hundred and seventy years(67) till the dawn of the manifestation of the
Bayán. He directed everyone to await the advent of the Promised Qá’im. All
deeds which in the Islamic Dispensation began with Muḥammad should find
their consummation through the appearance of the Qá’im. God hath made Him
manifest invested with the proof wherewith the Apostle of God was
invested, so that none of the believers in the Qur’án might entertain
doubts about the validity of His Cause, for it is set down in the Qur’án
that none but God is capable of revealing verses. During the period of
1270 years no one among the followers of the Qur’án ever witnessed a
person appearing with conclusive proofs. Now the Ever-Living Lord hath
made manifest and invested with supreme testimony this long-awaited
Promised One from a place no one could imagine and from a person whose
knowledge was deemed of no account. His age is no more than twenty-five
years, yet His glory is such as none of the learned among the people of
Islám can rival; inasmuch as man’s glory lieth in his knowledge. Behold
the learned who are honoured by virtue of their ability to understand the
Holy Writings, and God hath exalted them to such a degree that in
referring to them He saith: ‘None knoweth the meaning thereof except God
and them that are well-grounded in knowledge.’(68) How strange then that
this twenty-five-year-old untutored one should be singled out to reveal
His verses in so astounding a manner. If the Muslim divines have cause for
pride in understanding the meaning of the Holy Writings, His glory is in
revealing the Writings, that none of them may hesitate to believe in His
Words. So great is the celestial might and power which God hath revealed
in Him that if it were His will and no break should intervene He could,
within the space of five days and nights, reveal the equivalent of the
Qur’án which was sent down in twenty-three years. Ponder thou and reflect.
Hath anyone like unto Him ever appeared in former times, or is this
characteristic strictly confined unto Him?



“Consider the manifold favours vouchsafed by the ...”


Consider the manifold favours vouchsafed by the Promised One, and the
effusions of His bounty which have pervaded the concourse of the followers
of Islám to enable them to attain unto salvation. Indeed observe how He
Who representeth the origin of creation, He Who is the Exponent of the
verse, ‘I, in very truth, am God’, identified Himself as the Gate [Báb]
for the advent of the promised Qá’im, a descendant of Muḥammad, and in His
first Book enjoined the observance of the laws of the Qur’án, so that the
people might not be seized with perturbation by reason of a new Book and a
new Revelation and might regard His Faith as similar to their own,
perchance they would not turn away from the Truth and ignore the thing for
which they had been called into being.



“Let Me set forth some rational arguments for thee. If ...”


Let Me set forth some rational arguments for thee. If someone desireth to
embrace the Faith of Islám today, would the testimony of God prove
conclusive for him? If thou dost contend that it would not, then how is it
that God will chastise him after death, and that, while he lives, the
verdict of ‘non-believer’ is passed upon him? If thou affirmest that the
testimony is conclusive, how wouldst thou prove this? If thy assertion is
based on hearsay, then mere words are unacceptable as a binding testimony;
but if thou deemest the Qur’án as the testimony, this would be a weighty
and evident proof.

Now consider the Revelation of the Bayán. If the followers of the Qur’án
had applied to themselves proofs similar to those which they advance for
the non-believers in Islám, not a single soul would have remained deprived
of the Truth, and on the Day of Resurrection everyone would have attained
salvation.

Should a Christian contend, ‘How can I deem the Qur’án a testimony while I
am unable to understand it?’ such a contention would not be acceptable.
Likewise the people of the Qur’án disdainfully observe, ‘We are unable to
comprehend the eloquence of the verses in the Bayán, how can we regard it
as a testimony?’ Whoever uttereth such words, say unto him, ‘O thou
untutored one! By what proof hast thou embraced the Religion of Islám? Is
it the Prophet on whom thou hast never set eyes? Is it the miracles which
thou hast never witnessed? If thou hast accepted Islám unwittingly,
wherefore hast thou done so? But if thou hast embraced the Faith by
recognizing the Qur’án as the testimony, because thou hast heard the
learned and the faithful express their powerlessness before it, or if thou
hast, upon hearing the divine verses and by virtue of thy spontaneous love
for the True Word of God, responded in a spirit of utter humility and
lowliness—a spirit which is one of the mightiest signs of true love and
understanding—then such proofs have been and will ever be regarded as
sound.’



“The recognition of Him Who is the Bearer of divine ...”


The recognition of Him Who is the Bearer of divine Truth is none other
than the recognition of God, and loving Him is none other than loving God.
However, I swear by the sublime Essence of God—exalted and glorified be
He—that I did not wish my identity to be known by men, and gave
instructions that My name should be concealed, because I was fully aware
of the incapacity of this people, who are none other than those who have,
in reference to no less a person than the Apostle of God—incomparable as
He hath ever been—remarked, ‘He is certainly a lunatic’.(69) If they now
claim to be other than those people, their deeds bear witness to the
falsity of their assertions. That which God testifieth is none other than
what His supreme Testimony testifieth. Were all the peoples of the world
to testify unto a thing and were He to testify unto another, His testimony
will be regarded as God’s testimony, while aught else but Him hath been
and will ever be as naught; for it is through His might that a thing
assumeth existence.

Consider the extent of the adherence of these people to matters of faith.
When dealing with their own affairs they are well content with the
testimony of two just witnesses, and yet despite the testimony of so many
righteous men they hesitate to believe in Him Who is the Bearer of the
divine Truth.



“The evidences which the people demanded from the ...”


The evidences which the people demanded from the Apostle of God through
their idle fancy have mostly been rejected in the Qur’án, even as in the
Súrih of the Children of Israel [Súrih XVII] it hath been revealed: ‘And
they say, by no means will we believe on thee till thou cause a fountain
to gush forth for us from the earth; or till thou have a garden of palm
trees and vines, and thou cause rivers to spring forth from the midst
thereof in abundance; or thou cause the heaven to fall down upon us, as
thou hast given out, in pieces; or thou bring God and the angels to vouch
for thee; or thou have a house of gold; or thou ascend to heaven nor will
we believe in thine ascension, till thou send down to us a book which we
may read. Say, Praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?’

Now be fair! The Arabs uttered such words, and now, prompted by thy
desire, thou dost demand yet other things? What is the difference between
thee and them? If thou dost ponder a while, it will be evident that it is
incumbent upon a lowly servant to acquiesce to whatever proof God hath
appointed, and not to follow his own idle fancy. If the wishes of the
people were to be gratified not a single disbeliever would remain on
earth. For once the Apostle of God had fulfilled the wishes of the people
they would unhesitatingly have embraced His Faith. May God save thee,
shouldst thou seek any evidence according to thy selfish desire; rather it
behooveth thee to uphold the unfailing proof which God hath appointed. The
object of thy belief in God is but to secure His good-pleasure. How then
dost thou seek as a proof of thy faith a thing which hath been and is
contrary to His good-pleasure?



“Rid thou thyself of all attachments to aught except God, ...”


Rid thou thyself of all attachments to aught except God, enrich thyself in
God by dispensing with all else besides Him, and recite this prayer:

Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens
or in the earth or in whatever lieth between them but God, thy Lord,
sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower, the Sustainer, the
Omnipotent.

Regard not the all-sufficing power of God as an idle fancy. It is that
genuine faith which thou cherishest for the Manifestation of God in every
Dispensation. It is such faith which sufficeth above all the things that
exist on the earth, whereas no created thing on earth besides faith would
suffice thee. If thou art not a believer, the Tree of divine Truth would
condemn thee to extinction. If thou art a believer, thy faith shall be
sufficient for thee above all things that exist on earth, even though thou
possess nothing.



“It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of ...”


It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of the
Christians no more than seventy people embraced the Faith of the Apostle
of God. The blame falleth upon their doctors, for if these had believed,
they would have been followed by the mass of their countrymen. Behold,
then, that which hath come to pass! The learned men of Christendom are
held to be learned by virtue of their safeguarding the teaching of Christ,
and yet consider how they themselves have been the cause of men’s failure
to accept the Faith and attain unto salvation! Is it still thy wish to
follow in their footsteps? The followers of Jesus submitted to their
clerics to be saved on the Day of Resurrection, and as a result of this
obedience they eventually entered into the fire, and on the Day when the
Apostle of God appeared they shut themselves out from the recognition of
His exalted Person. Dost thou desire to follow such divines?

Nay, by God, be thou neither a divine without discernment nor a follower
without discernment, for both of these shall perish on the Day of
Resurrection. Rather it behooveth thee to be a discerning divine, or to
walk with insight in the way of God by obeying a true leader of religion.

In every nation thou beholdest unnumbered spiritual leaders who are bereft
of true discernment, and among every people thou dost encounter myriads of
adherents who are devoid of the same characteristic. Ponder for a while in
thy heart, have pity on thyself and turn not aside thine attention from
proofs and evidences. However, seek not proofs and evidences after thine
idle fancy; but rather base thy proofs upon what God hath appointed.
Moreover, know thou that neither being a man of learning nor being a
follower is in itself a source of glory. If thou art a man of learning,
thy knowledge becometh an honour, and if thou art a follower, thine
adherence unto leadership becometh an honour, only when these conform to
the good-pleasure of God. And beware lest thou regard as an idle fancy the
good-pleasure of God; it is the same as the good-pleasure of His
Messenger. Consider the followers of Jesus. They were eagerly seeking the
good-pleasure of God, yet none of them attained the good-pleasure of His
Apostle which is identical with God’s good-pleasure, except such as
embraced His Faith.



“Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this ...”


Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this Revelation to be
fully demonstrated with elaborate proofs, all the scrolls that exist in
the heaven and on the earth would be insufficient to contain them.

However, the substance and essence of the subject is this, that there can
be no doubt that from everlasting God hath been invested with the
independent sovereignty of His exalted Being, and unto everlasting He will
remain inaccessible in the transcendent majesty of His holy Essence. No
creature hath ever recognized Him as befitteth His recognition, nor hath
any created being ever praised Him as is worthy of His praise. He is
exalted above every name, and is sanctified from every comparison. Through
Him all things are made known, while too lofty is His reality to be known
through anyone but Him. The process of His creation hath had no beginning
and can have no end, otherwise it would necessitate the cessation of His
celestial grace. God hath raised up Prophets and revealed Books as
numerous as the creatures of the world, and will continue to do so to
everlasting.

If thou art sailing upon the sea of God’s Names, which are reflected in
all things, know thou that He is exalted and sanctified from being known
through His creatures, or being described by His servants. Everything thou
beholdest hath been called into being through the operation of His Will.
How can such a created thing, therefore, be indicative of His essential
oneness? God’s existence in itself testifieth to His Own oneness, while
every created thing, by its very nature, beareth evidence that it hath
been fashioned by God. Such is the proof of consummate wisdom in the
estimation of those who sail the ocean of divine Truth.

If, however, thou art sailing upon the sea of creation, know thou that the
First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto
the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He
hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be
manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His
behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest
Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.

And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the
sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor
ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure for
evermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It
is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and
speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch
as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the
Last oweth its lastness unto It.

In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam;
in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him;
and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muḥammad, the
Apostle of God; the day of the ‘Point of the Bayán’; the day of Him Whom
God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him
Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered
by the Apostle of God, ‘I am all the Prophets’, inasmuch as what shineth
resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and
the same sun.



5: EXCERPTS FROM THE KITÁB-I-ASMÁ (THE BOOK OF NAMES)


O ye that are invested with the Bayán! Denounce ye not one another, ere
the Day-Star of ancient eternity shineth forth above the horizon of His
sublimity. We have created you from one tree and have caused you to be as
the leaves and fruit of the same tree, that haply ye may become a source
of comfort to one another. Regard ye not others save as ye regard your own
selves, that no feeling of aversion may prevail amongst you so as to shut
you out from Him Whom God shall make manifest on the Day of Resurrection.
It behooveth you all to be one indivisible people; thus should ye return
unto Him Whom God shall make manifest.

Those who have deprived themselves of this Resurrection by reason of their
mutual hatreds or by regarding themselves to be in the right and others in
the wrong, were chastised on the Day of Resurrection by reason of such
hatreds evinced during their night.(70) Thus they deprived themselves of
beholding the countenance of God, and this for no other reason than mutual
denunciations.

O ye that are invested with the Bayán! Ye should perform such deeds as
would please God, your Lord, earning thereby the good-pleasure of Him Whom
God shall make manifest. Turn not your religion into a means of material
gain, spending your life on vanities, and inheriting thereby on the Day of
Resurrection that which would displease Him Whom God shall make manifest,
while ye deem that what ye do is right. If, however, ye observe piety in
your Faith, God will surely nourish you from the treasuries of His
heavenly grace.

Be ye sincere in your allegiance to Him Whom God shall make manifest, for
the sake of God, your Lord, that perchance ye may, through devotion to His
Faith, be redeemed on the Day of Resurrection. Beware lest ye suffer one
another to be wrapt in veils by reason of the disputes which may, during
your night, arise among you as a result of the problems ye encounter or in
consideration of such matters as your loftiness or lowliness, your
nearness or remoteness.

Thus have We firmly exhorted you—a befitting exhortation indeed—that haply
ye may cleave tenaciously unto it and attain thereby salvation on the Day
of Resurrection. The time is approaching when ye will be at peace with
yourselves in your homes, and lo, Him Whom God shall make manifest will
have appeared, and God wisheth you to return unto Him, even as God called
you into being through the Primal Point. However, all of you will seek
guidance while pursuing the promptings of your own desires. Some of you
are filled with pride by reason of your religion, others because of your
learning. Ye will, one and all, cling unto some part of the Bayán as a
means of self-glorification. XVI, 19.(71)



“God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ...”


God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ever
existeth between Him and any created thing, while ye have all arisen at
His bidding. Verily He is your Lord and your God, your Master and your
King. He ordaineth your movements at His behest throughout the day-time
and in the night season.

Say, He Whom God shall make manifest is indeed the Primal Veil of God.
Above this Veil ye can find nothing other than God, while beneath it ye
can discern all things emanating from God. He is the Unseen, the
Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Best Beloved.

If ye seek God, it behooveth you to seek Him Whom God shall make manifest,
and if ye cherish the desire to dwell in the Ark of Names, ye will be
distinguished as the guides to Him Whom God shall make manifest, did ye
but believe in Him. Verily then make your hearts the daysprings of His
exalted Names as recorded in the Book, and ye shall, even as mirrors
placed before the sun, be able to receive enlightenment. XVI, 17.



“Should a person lay claim to a cause and produce his ...”


Should a person lay claim to a cause and produce his proofs, then those
who seek to repudiate him are required to produce proofs like unto his. If
they succeed in doing so, his words will prove vain and they will prevail;
otherwise neither his words will cease nor the proofs he hath set forth
will become void. I admonish you, O ye who are invested with the Bayán, if
ye would fain assert your ascendancy, confront not any soul unless ye give
proofs similar to that which he hath adduced; for Truth shall be firmly
established, while aught else besides it is sure to perish.

How numerous the people who engaged in contests with Muḥammad, the Apostle
of God, and were eventually reduced to naught, inasmuch as they were
powerless to bring forth proofs similar to that which God had sent down
unto Him. Had they been abashed and modest, and had they realized the
nature of the proofs wherewith He was invested, they would never have
challenged Him. But they regarded themselves as champions of their own
religion. Therefore God laid hold on them according to their deserts and
vindicated the Truth through the power of Truth. This is what ye clearly
perceive today in the Muḥammadan Revelation.

Who is the man amongst you who can challenge the exalted Thrones of
Reality in every Dispensation, while all existence is wholly dependent
upon Them? Indeed, God hath wiped out all those who have opposed Them from
the beginning that hath no beginning until the present day and hath
conclusively demonstrated the Truth through the power of Truth. Verily, He
is the Almighty, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. XVII, 11.



“O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Be ye watchful ...”


O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Be ye watchful on the Day of
Resurrection, for on that Day ye will firmly believe in the Vahíd of the
Bayán, though this, even as your past religion which proved of no avail,
can in no wise benefit you, unless ye embrace the Cause of Him Whom God
shall make manifest and believe in that which He ordaineth. Therefore take
ye good heed lest ye shut yourselves out from Him Who is the Fountain-head
of all Messengers and Scriptures, while ye hold fast to parts of the
teachings which have emanated from these sources. XVII, 15.



“Consider how at the time of the appearance of every ...”


Consider how at the time of the appearance of every Revelation, those who
open their hearts to the Author of that Revelation recognize the Truth,
while the hearts of those who fail to apprehend the Truth are straitened
by reason of their shutting themselves out from Him. However, openness of
heart is bestowed by God upon both parties alike. God desireth not to
straiten the heart of anyone, be it even an ant, how much less the heart
of a superior creature, except when he suffereth himself to be wrapt in
veils, for God is the Creator of all things.

Wert thou to open the heart of a single soul by helping him to embrace the
Cause of Him Whom God shall make manifest, thine inmost being would be
filled with the inspirations of that august Name. It devolveth upon you,
therefore, to perform this task in the Days of Resurrection, inasmuch as
most people are helpless, and wert thou to open their hearts and dispel
their doubts, they would gain admittance into the Faith of God. Therefore,
manifest thou this attribute to the utmost of thine ability in the days of
Him Whom God shall make manifest. For indeed if thou dost open the heart
of a person for His sake, better will it be for thee than every virtuous
deed; since deeds are secondary to faith in Him and certitude in His
Reality. XVII, 15.



“Take heed to carefully consider the words of every soul, ...”


Take heed to carefully consider the words of every soul, then hold fast to
the proofs which attest the truth. If ye fail to discover truth in a
person’s words, make them not the object of contention, inasmuch as ye
have been forbidden in the Bayán to enter into idle disputation and
controversy, that perchance on the Day of Resurrection ye may not engage
in argumentation, and dispute with Him Whom God shall make manifest. XVII,
16.



“On the Day of Resurrection when He Whom God will ...”


On the Day of Resurrection when He Whom God will make manifest cometh unto
you, invested with conclusive proofs, ye shall hold His Cause as being
devoid of truth, whereas God hath apprised you in the Bayán that no
similarity existeth between the Cause of Him Whom God will make manifest
and the cause of others. How can anyone besides God reveal a verse such as
to overwhelm all mankind? Say, great is God! Who else but Him Whom God
will make manifest can spontaneously recite verses which proceed from His
Lord—a feat that no mortal man can ever hope to accomplish?

Truth can in no wise be confounded with aught else except itself; would
that ye might ponder His proof. Nor can error be confused with Truth, if
ye do but reflect upon the testimony of God, the True One.

How great hath been the number of those who have falsely laid claim to a
cause within Islám, and ye followed in their footsteps without having
witnessed a single proof. What evidence can ye then produce in the
presence of your Lord, if ye do but meditate a while?

Take ye good heed in your night(72) lest ye be a cause of sadness to any
soul, whether ye be able to discover proofs in him or not, that haply on
the Day of Resurrection ye may not grieve Him within Whose grasp lieth
every proof. And when ye do not discern God’s testimony in a person, he
will verily fail in manifesting the power of Truth; and God is sufficient
to deal with him. Indeed on no account should ye sadden any person; surely
God will put him to the proof and bring him to account. It behooveth you
to cling to the testimony of your own Faith and to observe the ordinances
laid down in the Bayán.

You are like unto the man who layeth out an orchard and planteth all kinds
of fruit trees therein. When the time is at hand for him, the lord, to
come, ye will have taken possession of the orchard in his name, and when
he doth come in person, ye will shut him out from it.

Verily We planted the Tree of the Qur’án and provided its Orchard with all
kinds of fruit, whereof ye all have been partaking. Then when We came to
take over that which We had planted, ye pretended not to know Him Who is
the Lord thereof.

Be ye not a cause of grief unto Us, nor withhold Us from this Orchard
which belongeth unto Us, though independent are We of all that ye possess.
Moreover, unto none of you shall We make this property lawful, were it
even to the extent of a mustard seed. Verily, the Reckoner are We.

We have planted the Garden of the Bayán in the name of Him Whom God will
make manifest, and have granted you permission to live therein until the
time of His manifestation; then from the moment the Cause of Him Whom God
will make manifest is inaugurated, We forbid you all the things ye hold as
your own, unless ye may, by the leave of your Lord, be able to regain
possession thereof. XVIII, 3.



“O Ye unto whom the Bayán is given! Be ye vigilant lest ...”


O Ye unto whom the Bayán is given! Be ye vigilant lest in the days of Him
Whom God shall make manifest, while ye consider yourselves as seeking
God’s pleasure, in reality ye persist in that which would only displease
Him, even as did those who lived in the days of the Primal Point, to whom
it never occurred that they were seeking things which ran counter to that
which God had purposed. They shut themselves out as by a veil from God and
failed to observe that which He had desired for them to perform as true
believers. They pondered not upon such people as lived in the days of
Muḥammad, who believed likewise that they were seeking the good-pleasure
of God, while they had actually cut themselves off therefrom, once they
had failed to secure the good-pleasure of Muḥammad. Nevertheless they
comprehended not.

O ye who are invested with the Bayán! Regard not yourselves as being like
unto the people to whom the Qur’án or the Gospel or other Scriptures of
old were given, since at the time of His manifestation ye shall stray
farther from God than did they. If ye happen to shut yourselves out it
would never cross your minds that ye were shut out from Him. It behooveth
you to consider how the people unto whom the Qur’án was given were
debarred from the Truth, for indeed ye will act in a like manner, thinking
that ye are doers of good. If ye perceive the degree of your deprivation
of God, ye will wish to have perished from the face of the earth and to
have sunk into oblivion. The day will come when ye will earnestly desire
to know that which would meet with the good-pleasure of God but, alas, ye
shall find no path unto Him. Ye, even as camels that wander aimlessly,
will not find a pasture wherein ye may gather and unite upon a Cause in
which ye can assuredly believe. At that time God shall cause the Sun of
Truth to shine forth and the oceans of His bounty and grace to surge,
while ye will have chosen droplets of water as the object of your desire,
and will have deprived yourselves of the plenteous waters in His oceans.

If ye entertain any doubts in this matter consider the people unto whom
the Gospel was given. Having no access to the apostles of Jesus, they
sought the pleasure of the Lord in their churches, hoping to learn that
which would be acceptable unto God, but they found therein no path unto
Him. Then when God manifested Muḥammad as His Messenger and as the
Repository of His good-pleasure, they neglected to quicken their souls
from the Fountain of living waters which streamed forth from the presence
of their Lord and continued to rove distraught upon the earth seeking a
mere droplet of water and believing that they were doing righteous deeds.
They behaved as the people unto whom the Qur’án was given are now
behaving.

O ye who are invested with the Bayán! Ye can act similarly. Take ye heed,
therefore, lest ye deprive yourselves of attaining the presence of Him Who
is the Manifestation of God, notwithstanding that ye have been day and
night praying to behold His countenance; and be ye careful lest ye be
deterred from attaining unto the ocean of His good-pleasure, when
perplexed and to no avail ye roam the earth in search of a drop of water.

Say, the testimony of God hath been fulfilled in the Bayán, and through
its revelation the grace of God hath attained its highest consummation for
all mankind. Let no one among you say that God hath withheld the
outpouring of His bounty unto you, for assuredly God’s mercy unto those to
whom the Bayán is given hath been fulfilled and completed until the Day of
Resurrection. Would that ye might believe in the signs of God. XVI, 13.



“Verily God hath caused the people of the Bayán to be ...”


Verily God hath caused the people of the Bayán to be called into being
through the power of Him unto Whom the Bayán was revealed, in preparation
for the Day when they will return to their Lord.

Indeed those who will bear allegiance unto Him Whom God shall make
manifest are the ones who have grasped the meaning of that which hath been
revealed in the Bayán; they are indeed the sincere ones, while those who
turn away from Him at the time of His appearance will have utterly failed
to comprehend a single letter of the Bayán, even though they profess
belief and assurance in whatever is revealed in it or observe its
precepts.

Say, every favourable and praiseworthy designation in the Bayán is but an
allusion to those who recognize Him Whom God shall make manifest, and who
believe with certainty in God and in His holy Writings, while every
unfavourable designation therein is meant to refer to such as repudiate
Him Whom God shall make manifest, though they may act uprightly within the
bounds laid down in the Bayán. Say, if ye embrace the truth on the Day of
Resurrection, God will assuredly pardon you for your night(73) and will
grant you forgiveness.

As to those who have faithfully observed the ordinances in the Bayán from
the inception of its revelation until the Day when Him Whom God shall make
manifest will appear, these are indeed the companions of the paradise of
His good-pleasure who will be glorified in the presence of God and will
dwell in the pavilions of His celestial Garden. Yet, within less than a
tiny fraction of an instant from the moment God will have revealed Him Who
is the Manifestation of His Own Self, the entire company of the followers
of the Bayán shall be put to proof. XVII, 1.



“Since thou hast faithfully obeyed the true religion of God ...”


Since thou hast faithfully obeyed the true religion of God in the past, it
behooveth thee to follow His true religion hereafter, inasmuch as every
religion proceedeth from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

He Who hath revealed the Qur’án unto Muḥammad, the Apostle of God,
ordaining in the Faith of Islám that which was pleasing unto Him, hath
likewise revealed the Bayán, in the manner ye have been promised, unto Him
Who is your Qá’im,(74) your Guide, your Mihdí,(75) your Lord, Him Whom ye
acclaim as the manifestation of God’s most excellent titles. Verily the
equivalent of that which God revealed unto Muḥammad during twenty-three
years, hath been revealed unto Me within the space of two days and two
nights. However, as ordained by God, no distinction is to be drawn between
the two. He, in truth, hath power over all things.

I swear by the life of Him Whom God shall make manifest! My Revelation is
indeed far more bewildering than that of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, if
thou dost but pause to reflect upon the days of God. Behold, how strange
that a person brought up amongst the people of Persia should be empowered
by God to proclaim such irrefutable utterances as to silence every man of
learning, and be enabled to spontaneously reveal verses far more rapidly
than anyone could possibly set down in writing. Verily, no God is there
but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. XVI, 18.



“As to those who have debarred themselves from the ...”


As to those who have debarred themselves from the Revelation of God, they
have indeed failed to understand the significance of a single letter of
the Qur’án, nor have they obtained the slightest notion of the Faith of
Islám, otherwise they would not have turned away from God, Who hath
brought them into being, Who hath nurtured them, hath caused them to die
and hath proffered life unto them, by clinging to parts of their religion,
thinking that they are doing righteous work for the sake of God.

How numerous the verses which have been revealed concerning the grievous
tests ye shall experience on the Day of Judgement, yet it appeareth that
ye have never perused them; and how vast the number of revealed traditions
regarding the trials which will overtake you on the Day of Our Return, and
yet ye seem never to have set your eyes upon them.

Ye spend all your days contriving forms and rules for the principles of
your Faith, while that which profiteth you in all this is to comprehend
the good-pleasure of your Lord and unitedly to become well-acquainted with
His supreme Purpose.

God hath made His Own Self known unto you, but ye have failed to recognize
Him; and the thing which will, on the Day of Judgement, turn you aside
from God is the specious character of your deeds. Throughout your lives ye
follow your religion in order to attract the good-pleasure of God, yet on
the Last Day ye shut yourselves out from God and turn away from Him Who is
your Promised One. XVII, 2.



“O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Ye shall be put ...”


O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Ye shall be put to proof, even as
those unto whom the Qur’án was given. Have pity on yourselves, for ye
shall witness the Day when God will have revealed Him Who is the
Manifestation of His Own Self, invested with clear and irrefutable proofs,
while ye will cling tenaciously to the words the Witnesses of the Bayán
have uttered. On that Day ye will continue to rove distraught, even as
camels, seeking a drop of the water of life. God will cause oceans of
living water to stream forth from the presence of Him Whom God shall make
manifest, while ye will refuse to quench your thirst therefrom,
notwithstanding that ye regard yourselves as the God-fearing witnesses of
your Faith. Nay, and yet again, nay! Ye will go astray far beyond the
peoples unto whom the Gospel, or the Qur’án or any other Scripture was
given. Take good heed to yourselves, inasmuch as the Cause of God will
come upon you at a time when you will all be entreating and tearfully
imploring God for the advent of the Day of His Manifestation; yet when He
cometh ye will tarry and will fail to be of those who are well-assured in
His Faith.

Beware lest ye grieve Him Who is the Supreme Manifestation of your Lord;
verily, He can well afford to dispense with your allegiance unto Him. Be
ye careful and bring not despondency upon any soul, for surely ye shall be
put to proof. XVII, 2.



“Say, He Whom God shall make manifest will surely ...”


Say, He Whom God shall make manifest will surely redeem the rights of
those who truly believe in God and in His signs, for they are the ones who
merit reward from His presence. Say, it is far from the glory of Him Whom
God shall make manifest that anyone should in this wise make mention of
His name, if ye ponder the Cause of God in your hearts. Say, He shall
vindicate the Cause through the potency of His command and shall bring to
naught all perversion of truth by virtue of His behest. Verily God is
potent over all things.

If ye wish to distinguish truth from error, consider those who believe in
Him Whom God shall make manifest and those who disbelieve Him at the time
of His appearance. The former represent the essence of truth, as attested
in the Book of God, while the latter the essence of error, as attested in
that same Book. Fear ye God that ye may not identify yourselves with aught
but the truth, inasmuch as ye have been exalted in the Bayán for being
recognized as the bearers of the name of Him Who is the eternal Truth.

Say, were He Whom God shall make manifest to pronounce a pious and
truthful follower of the Bayán as false, it is incumbent upon you to
submit to His decree, as this hath been affirmed by God in the Bayán;
verily God is able to convert light into fire whenever He pleaseth; surely
He is potent over all things. And were He to declare a person whom ye
regard alien to the truth as being akin thereto, err not by questioning
His decision in your fancies, for He Who is the Sovereign Truth createth
things through the power of His behest. Verily God transmuteth fire into
light as He willeth, and indeed potent is He over all things. Consider ye
how the truth shone forth as truth in the First Day and how error became
manifest as error; so likewise shall ye distinguish them from each other
on the Day of Resurrection. XVII, 4.



“Ponder upon the people unto whom the Gospel was ...”


Ponder upon the people unto whom the Gospel was given. Their religious
leaders were considered as the true Guides of the Gospel, yet when they
shut themselves out from Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, they turned into
guides of error, notwithstanding that all their lives they had faithfully
observed the precepts of their religion in order to attain unto Paradise;
then when God made Paradise known unto them, they would not enter therein.
Those unto whom the Qur’án is given have wrought likewise. They performed
their acts of devotion for the sake of God, hoping that He might enable
them to join the righteous in Paradise. However, when the gates of
Paradise were flung open to their faces, they declined to enter. They
suffered themselves to enter into the fire, though they had been seeking
refuge therefrom in God.

Say, verily, the criterion by which truth is distinguished from error
shall not appear until the Day of Resurrection. This ye will know, if ye
be of them that love the Truth. And ere the advent of the Day of
Resurrection ye shall distinguish truth from aught else besides it
according to that which hath been revealed in the Bayán.

How vast the number of people who will, on the Day of Resurrection, regard
themselves to be in the right, while they shall be accounted as false
through the dispensation of Providence, inasmuch as they will shut
themselves out as by a veil from Him Whom God shall make manifest and
refuse to bow down in adoration before Him Who, as divinely ordained in
the Book, is the Object of their creation. XVII, 4.



“Say, ye will be unable to recognize the One True God or ...”


Say, ye will be unable to recognize the One True God or to discern clearly
the words of divine guidance, inasmuch as ye seek and tread a path other
than His. Whenever ye learn that a new Cause hath appeared, ye must seek
the presence of its author and must delve into his writings that haply ye
may not be debarred from attaining unto Him Whom God shall make manifest
at the hour of His manifestation. Wert thou to walk in the way of truth as
handed down by them that are endowed with the knowledge of the inmost
reality, God, thy Lord, will surely redeem thee on the Day of
Resurrection. Verily He is potent over all things.

In the Bayán God hath forbidden everyone to pronounce judgement against
any soul, lest he may pass sentence upon God, his Lord, while regarding
himself to be of the righteous, inasmuch as no one knoweth how the Cause
of God will begin or end.

O ye who are invested with the Bayán! Should ye be apprised of a person
laying claim to a Cause and revealing verses which to outward seeming are
unlikely to have been revealed by anyone else save God, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting, do not pass sentence against him, lest ye may
inadvertently pass sentence against Him Whom God shall make manifest. Say,
He Whom God shall make manifest is but one of you; He will make Himself
known unto you on the Day of Resurrection. Ye shall know God when the
Manifestation of His Own Self is made known unto you, that perchance ye
may not stray far from His Path.

Verily God will raise up Him Whom God shall make manifest, and after Him
Whomsoever He willeth, even as He hath raised up prophets before the Point
of the Bayán. He in truth hath power over all things. XVII, 4.



“Verily, on the First Day We flung open the gates of ...”


Verily, on the First Day We flung open the gates of Paradise unto all the
peoples of the world, and exclaimed: ‘O all ye created things! Strive to
gain admittance into Paradise, since ye have, during all your lives, held
fast unto virtuous deeds in order to attain unto it.’ Surely all men yearn
to enter therein, but alas, they are unable to do so by reason of that
which their hands have wrought. Shouldst thou, however, gain a true
understanding of God in thine heart of hearts, ere He hath manifested
Himself, thou wouldst be able to recognize Him, visible and resplendent,
when He unveileth Himself before the eyes of all men. XVII, 11.



“Say, by reason of your remembering Him Whom God ...”


Say, by reason of your remembering Him Whom God shall make manifest and by
extolling His name, God will cause your hearts to be dilated with joy, and
do ye not wish your hearts to be in such a blissful state? Indeed the
hearts of them that truly believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest are
vaster than the expanse of heaven and earth and whatever is between them.
God hath left no hindrance in their hearts, were it but the size of a
mustard seed. He will cheer their hearts, their spirits, their souls and
their bodies and their days of prosperity or adversity, through the
exaltation of the name of Him Who is the supreme Testimony of God and the
promotion of the Word of Him Who is the Dayspring of the glory of their
Creator.

Verily, these are souls who take delight in the remembrance of God, Who
dilates their hearts through the effulgence of the light of knowledge and
wisdom. They seek naught but God and are oft engaged in giving praise unto
Him. They desire naught except whatever He desireth and stand ready to do
His bidding. Their hearts are mirrors reflecting whatsoever He Whom God
shall make manifest willeth. Thus God will cheer the hearts of those who
truly believe in Him and in His signs and who are well assured of the life
to come. Say, the life to come is none other than the days associated with
the coming of Him Whom God will make manifest.

Reduce not the ordinances of God to fanciful imaginations of your own;
rather observe all the things which God hath created at His behest with
the eye of the spirit, even as ye see things with the eyes of your bodies.
XVII, 15.



“The divine Revelation associated with the advent of Him ...”


The divine Revelation associated with the advent of Him Who is your
promised Mihdí hath proved far more wondrous than the Revelation wherewith
Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, was invested. Would that ye might ponder.
Verily, God raised up Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, from among the people
of Arabia after he had reached forty years of age—a fact which every one
of you affirmeth and upholdeth—while your Redeemer was raised up by God at
the age of twenty-four amidst people none of whom can speak or understand
a single word of Arabic. Thus God layeth bare the glory of His Cause and
demonstrateth the Truth through the potency of His revealed Word. He is
indeed the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the Help in Peril, the Best Beloved.
XVII, 4.



“Say, verily God hath caused all created things to enter ...”


Say, verily God hath caused all created things to enter beneath the shade
of the tree of affirmation, except those who are endowed with the faculty
of understanding. Theirs is the choice either to believe in God their
Lord, and put their whole trust in Him, or to shut themselves out from Him
and refuse to believe with certitude in His signs. These two groups sail
upon two seas: the sea of affirmation and the sea of negation.

They that truly believe in God and in His signs, and who in every
Dispensation faithfully obey that which hath been revealed in the
Book—such are indeed the ones whom God hath created from the fruits of the
Paradise of His good-pleasure, and who are of the blissful. But they who
turn away from God and His signs in each Dispensation, those are the ones
who sail upon the sea of negation.

God hath, through the potency of His behest, ordained for Himself the task
of ensuring the ascendancy of the sea of affirmation and of bringing to
naught the sea of negation through the power of His might. He is in truth
potent over all things.

Verily it is incumbent upon you to recognize your Lord at the time of His
manifestation, that haply ye may not enter into negation, and that, ere a
prophet is raised by God, ye may find yourselves securely established upon
the sea of affirmation. For if a prophet cometh to you from God and ye
fail to walk in His Way, God will, thereupon, transform your light into
fire. Take heed then that perchance ye may, through the grace of God and
His signs, be enabled to redeem your souls. XVIII, 13.



“Say, God shall of a truth cause your hearts to be given to ...”


Say, God shall of a truth cause your hearts to be given to perversity if
ye fail to recognize Him Whom God shall make manifest; but if ye do
recognize Him God shall banish perversity from your hearts...

That day whereon ye were, by God’s Will, initiated into the Bayán, did any
of you know who were the Letters of the Living or the Witnesses or the
Testimonies or what the names of the believers? Likewise doth God wish you
to recognize Him Whom God shall make manifest on the Day of Resurrection.
Beware lest ye shut yourselves out as by a veil from Him Who hath created
you, by reason of your regard for those who were called into being at the
bidding of the Point of the Bayán for the exaltation of His Word. Did ye
possess, ere the Point of the Bayán had called you into existence, any
trace of identity, how much less a writ or authority? Disregard then your
beginnings, perchance ye may be saved on the day of your return. Indeed
had it not been for the exaltation of the name of the Primal Point, God
would not have ordained for you the Letters of the Living, nor those who
are the Testimonies of His Truth, nor the Witnesses of His Justice; could
ye but heed a little. All this is to glorify the Cause of Him Whom God
shall make manifest at the time of His manifestation; would that ye might
ponder a while.

Therefore it behooveth you to return unto God even as ye were brought
forth into existence, and to utter not such words as why or nay, if ye
wish your creation to yield fruit at the time of your return. For none of
you who have been born in the Bayán shall gain the fruit of your beginning
unless ye return unto Him Whom God shall make manifest. He it is Who
caused your beginning to proceed from God, and your return to be unto Him,
did ye but know. XVI, 15.



“How great the number of people who deck themselves ...”


How great the number of people who deck themselves with robes of silk all
their lives, while clad in the garb of fire, inasmuch as they have
divested themselves of the raiment of divine guidance and righteousness;
and how numerous are those who wear clothes made of cotton or coarse wool
throughout their lives, and yet by reason of their being endowed with the
vesture of divine guidance and righteousness, are truly attired with the
raiment of Paradise and take delight in the good-pleasure of God. Indeed
it would be better in the sight of God were ye to combine the two,
adorning yourselves with the raiment of divine guidance and righteousness
and wearing exquisite silk, if ye can afford to do so. If not, at least
act ye not unrighteously, but rather observe piety and virtue...

But for the sole reason of His being present amongst this people, We would
have neither prescribed any law nor laid down any prohibition. It is only
for the glorification of His Name and the exaltation of His Cause that We
have enunciated certain laws at Our behest, or forbidden the acts to which
We are averse, so that at the hour of His manifestation ye may attain
through Him the good-pleasure of God and abstain from the things that are
abhorrent unto Him.

Say, verily, the good-pleasure of Him Whom God shall make manifest is the
good-pleasure of God, while the displeasure of Him Whom God shall make
manifest is none other than the displeasure of God. Avoid ye His
displeasure, and flee for refuge unto His good-pleasure. Say, the living
guides to His good-pleasure are such as truly believe in Him and are
well-assured in their faith, while the living testimonies of His
displeasure are those who, when they hear the verses of God sent forth
from His presence, or read the divine words revealed by Him, do not
instantly embrace the Faith and attain unto certitude. XVI, 14.



6: EXCERPTS FROM VARIOUS WRITINGS



“Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto ...”


  Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto Him.
  Say, God is the True One and all pay homage unto Him.
  This is God, your Lord, and unto Him shall ye return.
  Is there any doubt concerning God? He hath created you and all things.
              The Lord of all worlds is He.

Say, verily any one follower of this Faith can, by the leave of God,
prevail over all who dwell in heaven and earth and in whatever lieth
between them; for indeed this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the one
true Faith. Therefore fear ye not, neither be ye grieved.

Say, God hath, according to that which is revealed in the Book, taken upon
Himself the task of ensuring the ascendancy of any one of the followers of
the Truth, over and above one hundred other souls, and the supremacy of
one hundred believers over one thousand non-believers and the domination
of one thousand of the faithful over all the peoples and kindreds of the
earth; inasmuch as God calleth into being whatsoever He willeth by virtue
of His behest. Verily He is potent over all things.

Say, the power of God is in the hearts of those who believe in the unity
of God and bear witness that no God is there but Him, while the hearts of
them that associate partners with God are impotent, devoid of life on this
earth, for assuredly they are dead.

The Day is approaching when God will render the hosts of Truth victorious,
and He will purge the whole earth in such wise that within the compass of
His knowledge not a single soul shall remain unless he truly believeth in
God, worshippeth none other God but Him, boweth down by day and by night
in His adoration, and is reckoned among such as are well assured.

Say, God indeed is the Sovereign Truth, Who is manifestly Supreme over His
servants; He is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.



“God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His ...”


God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms
in the heavens and on the earth and all that is between them. He is
exalted above the comprehension of all things, and is inscrutable to the
mind of every created being; none shall be able to fathom the oneness of
His Being or to unravel the nature of His Existence. No peer or likeness,
no similitude or equal can ever be joined with Him. Yield ye praise then
unto Him and glorify Him and bear ye witness to the sanctity and oneness
of His Being and magnify His might and majesty with wondrous
glorification. This will enable you to gain admittance into the
all-highest Paradise. Would that ye had firm faith in the revelation of
the signs of God.

This is the divinely-inscribed Book. This is the outspread Tablet. Say,
this indeed is the Frequented Fane, the sweet-scented Leaf, the Tree of
divine Revelation, the surging Ocean, the Utterance which lay concealed,
the Light above every light... Indeed every light is generated by God
through the power of His behest. He of a truth is the Light in the kingdom
of heaven and earth and whatever is between them. Through the radiance of
His light God imparteth illumination to your hearts and maketh firm your
steps, that perchance ye may yield praise unto Him.

Say, this of a certainty is the Garden of Repose, the loftiest Point of
adoration, the Tree beyond which there is no passing, the blessed
Lote-Tree, the Most Mighty Sign, the most beauteous Countenance and the
most comely Face.



“From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have ...”


From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have bowed in adoration
before Him Whom God shall make manifest and will continue to do so until
the end that hath no end. How strange then that at the time of His
appearance ye should pay homage by day and night unto that which the Point
of the Bayán hath enjoined upon you and yet fail to worship Him Whom God
shall make manifest.



“Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree ...”


Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him, that from it
may be revealed all the fruits created by God within it for Him through
Whom God hath willed to reveal all that He pleaseth. By Thy glory! I have
not wished that this Tree should ever bear any branch, leaf, or fruit that
would fail to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, or refuse
to laud Thee through Him, as beseemeth the glory of His all-glorious
Revelation, and the sublimity of His most sublime Concealment. And
shouldst Thou behold, O my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit upon Me that
hath failed to bow down before Him, on the day of His Revelation, cut it
off, O My God, from that Tree, for it is not of Me, nor shall it return
unto Me.



“He—glorified be His mention—resembleth the sun. ...”


He—glorified be His mention—resembleth the sun. Were unnumbered mirrors to
be placed before it, each would, according to its capacity, reflect the
splendour of that sun, and were none to be placed before it, it would
still continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would be veiled from
its light. I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that
people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord,
and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all
that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice,
inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will
have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have
recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the
splendour of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will
indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose.
How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God,
and will continue to call upon Him. He, verily, is nigh, ready to answer.



“The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is ...”


The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is immeasurably above every
other glory, and His majesty is far above every other majesty. His beauty
excelleth every other embodiment of beauty, and His grandeur immensely
exceedeth every other manifestation of grandeur. Every light paleth before
the radiance of His light, and every other exponent of mercy falleth short
before the tokens of His mercy. Every other perfection is as naught in
face of His consummate perfection, and every other display of might is as
nothing before His absolute might. His names are superior to all other
names. His good-pleasure taketh precedence over any other expression of
good-pleasure. His pre-eminent exaltation is far above the reach of every
other symbol of exaltation. The splendour of His appearance far surpasseth
that of any other appearance. His divine concealment is far more profound
than any other concealment. His loftiness is immeasurably above every
other loftiness. His gracious favour is unequalled by any other evidence
of favour. His power transcendeth every power. His sovereignty is
invincible in the face of every other sovereignty. His celestial dominion
is exalted far above every other dominion. His knowledge pervadeth all
created things, and His consummate power extendeth over all beings.



“All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall ...”


All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall all return. All shall
appear before Him for judgement. He is the Lord of the Day of
Resurrection, of Regeneration and of Reckoning, and His revealed Word is
the Balance.

True death is realized when a person dieth to himself at the time of His
Revelation in such wise that he seeketh naught except Him.

True resurrection from the sepulchres means to be quickened in conformity
with His Will, through the power of His utterance.

Paradise is attainment of His good-pleasure and everlasting hell-fire His
judgement through justice.

The Day He revealeth Himself is Resurrection Day which shall last as long
as He ordaineth.

Everything belongeth unto Him and is fashioned by Him. All besides Him are
His creatures.



“Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught ...”


In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught except Me is but My
creation. Say, worship Me then, O ye, My creatures.

I have called Thee into being, have nurtured Thee, protected Thee, loved
Thee, raised Thee up and have graciously chosen Thee to be the
manifestation of Mine Own Self, that Thou mayest recite My verses as
ordained by Me, and may summon whomsoever I have created unto My Religion
which is none other than this glorious and exalted Path.

I have fashioned all created things for Thy sake, and I have, by virtue of
My Will, set Thee sovereign Ruler over all mankind. Moreover, I have
decreed that whoso embraceth My religion shall believe in My unity, and I
have linked this belief with remembrance of Thee, and after Thee the
remembrance of such as Thou hast, by My leave, caused to be the ‘Letters
of the Living’, and of whatever hath been revealed from My religion in the
Bayán. This, indeed, is what will enable the sincere among My servants to
gain admittance into the celestial Paradise.

Verily, the sun is but a token from My presence so that the true believers
among My servants may discern in its rising the dawning of every
Dispensation.

In truth I have created Thee through Thyself, then at My Own behest I have
fashioned all things through the creative power of Thy Word. We are
All-Powerful. I have appointed Thee to be the Beginning and the End, the
Seen and the Hidden. Verily We are the All-Knowing.

No one hath been or will ever be invested with prophethood other than
Thee, nor hath any sacred Book been or will be revealed unto any one
except Thee. Such is the decree ordained by Him Who is the
All-Encompassing, the Best Beloved.

The Bayán is in truth Our conclusive proof for all created things, and all
the peoples of the world are powerless before the revelation of its
verses. It enshrineth the sum total of all the Scriptures, whether of the
past or of the future, even as Thou art the Repository of all Our proofs
in this Day. We cause whomsover We desire to be admitted into the gardens
of our most holy, most sublime Paradise. Thus is divine revelation
inaugurated in each Dispensation at Our behest. We are truly the supreme
Ruler. Indeed no religion shall We ever inaugurate unless it be renewed in
the days to come. This is a promise We solemnly have made. Verily We are
supreme over all things...



“Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever ...”


He is God, the Sovereign Lord, the All-Glorious.

Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever He willeth to
adore Him. Verily no God is there but Him. His are the most excellent
titles; it is He Who causeth His Word to be fulfilled as He pleaseth and
it is He Who leadeth those who have received illumination and seek the way
of righteousness.

Fear thou God, thy Lord, and make mention of His Name in the day-time and
at eventide. Follow not the promptings of the faithless, lest thou be
reckoned among the exponents of idle fancies. Faithfully obey the Primal
Point Who is the Lord Himself, and be of the righteous. Let nothing cause
thee to be sore shaken, neither let the things which have been destined to
take place in this Cause disturb thee. Strive earnestly for the sake of
God and walk in the path of righteousness. Shouldst thou encounter the
unbelievers, place thy whole trust in God, thy Lord, saying, Sufficient is
God unto me in the kingdoms of both this world and the next.

The Day is approaching when God shall bring the faithful together. In
truth no God is there other than Him.

May the peace of God be with those who have been guided aright through the
power of divine guidance.



“Glorified is He to Whom pertaineth the dominion of ...”


He is God, the Supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, He Whose help is
implored by all.

Glorified is He to Whom pertaineth the dominion of the heavens and of the
earth, in Whose hand lieth the kingdom of all created things and unto Whom
shall all return. It is He Who setteth the measure assigned to each and
every thing and revealeth His goodly gifts and blessings in His sacred
Book for the benefit of those who offer gratitude for His Cause.

Say, this earthly life shall come to an end, and everyone shall expire and
return unto my Lord God Who will reward with the choicest gifts the deeds
of those who endure with patience. Verily thy God assigneth the measure of
all created things as He willeth, by virtue of His behest; and those who
conform to the good-pleasure of your Lord, they are indeed among the
blissful.

Thy Lord hath never raised up a prophet in the past who failed to summon
the people to His Lord, and today is truly similar to the times of old,
were ye to ponder over the verses revealed by God.

When God sent forth His Prophet Muḥammad, on that day the termination of
the prophetic cycle was foreordained in the knowledge of God. Yea, that
promise hath indeed come true and the decree of God hath been accomplished
as He hath ordained. Assuredly we are today living in the Days of God.
These are the glorious days on the like of which the sun hath never risen
in the past. These are the days which the people in bygone times eagerly
expected. What hath then befallen you that ye are fast asleep? These are
the days wherein God hath caused the Day-Star of Truth to shine
resplendent. What hath then caused you to keep your silence? These are the
appointed days which ye have been yearningly awaiting in the past—the days
of the advent of divine justice. Render ye thanks unto God, O ye concourse
of believers.

Let not the deeds of those who reject the Truth shut you out as by a veil.
Such people have warrant over your bodies only, and God hath not reposed
in them power over your spirits, your souls and your hearts. Fear ye God
that haply it may be well with you. All things have been created for your
sakes, and for the sake of naught else hath your creation been ordained.
Fear ye God and take heed lest forms and apparels debar you from
recognizing Him. Render ye thanksgiving unto God that perchance He may
deal mercifully with you.

This mortal life is sure to perish; its pleasures are bound to fade away
and ere long ye shall return unto God, distressed with pangs of remorse,
for presently ye shall be roused from your slumber, and ye shall soon find
yourselves in the presence of God and will be asked of your doings.

Say, how dare ye flagrantly deny the verses sent down from the heaven of
justice, yet ye read the Books of God revealed in the past? How do ye
repudiate the meeting with your Lord which was appointed with you
aforetime, and fail in this Day to heed His warning? Indeed, by adhering
to forms and by following the promptings of your selfish desires, ye have
deprived yourselves of the good-pleasure of your Lord, except those whom
their Lord hath endowed with knowledge and who in this Day render thanks
unto Him for the bounty of being identified with the true Faith of God.
Therefore announce ye the Message unto those who manifest virtue and teach
them the ways of the One True God, that haply they may comprehend.

Withhold thy tongue from uttering that which might grieve thee and beseech
God for mercy. Verily He is fully cognizant of the righteous, for He is
with such of His servants as truly believe in Him, and He is not unaware
of the actions of the mischief-makers, inasmuch as nothing whatever in the
heavens or on the earth can escape His knowledge.

These verses, clear and conclusive, are a token of the mercy of thy Lord
and a source of guidance for all mankind. They are a light unto those who
believe in them and a fire of afflictive torment for those who turn away
and reject them.



“O Thou who art the chosen one among women! ...”


O Thou who art the chosen one among women!

He is God; glorified is the splendour of His light. The verses in this
Tablet are revealed for the one who hath believed in the signs of her Lord
and is reckoned among such as are wholly devoted unto Him. Bear thou
witness that verily no God is there but Him, Who is both my Lord and
thine, and that no other God besides Him existeth. He is the Bountiful,
the Almighty.

Yield thee thanks unto God, for He hath graciously aided thee in this Day,
revealed for thee the clear verses of this Tablet, and hath numbered thee
among such women as have believed in the signs of God, have taken Him as
their guardian and are of the grateful. Verily God shall soon reward thee
and those who have believed in His signs with an excellent reward from His
presence. Assuredly no God is there other than Him, the All-Possessing,
the Most Generous. The revelations of His bounty pervade all created
things; He is the Merciful, the Compassionate.



“God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the ...”


God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the
Best Beloved.

Fix your gaze upon Him Whom God shall make manifest in the Day of
Resurrection, then firmly believe in that which is sent down by Him.

Say, God hath undisputed triumph over every victorious one. There is no
one in heaven or earth or in whatever lieth between them who can frustrate
the transcendent supremacy of His triumph. He calleth into being
whatsoever He willeth through the potency of His behest. Verily God is the
mightiest Sustainer, the Helper and the Defender.



“When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above ...”


When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of
eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne.
Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His
leave. Fear ye God, O concourse of the Mirrors.

Beg ye of Him the wondrous tokens of His favour that He may graciously
reveal for you whatever He willeth and desireth, inasmuch as on that Day
all the revelations of divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His
glory and emanate from His presence, could ye but understand it.

It behooveth you to remain silent before His Throne, for indeed of all the
things which have been created between heaven and earth nothing on that
Day will be deemed more fitting than the observance of silence. Moreover,
take ye good heed not to be reckoned among those of the past who were
invested with knowledge, yet by reason of their learning waxed proud
before God, the Transcendent, the Self-Subsisting, inasmuch as on that Day
it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the Omniscient, the Source of all
knowledge, far above such as are endued with learning; and it is He Who is
the Potent, the All-Compelling, the Lord of power, in the face of those
who wield power; and it is He Who is the Mighty, the Most August, the Most
Glorious before such as display glory; and on that Day it is He Who is the
Lofty, the All-Highest, the Source of exaltation, far above those who are
elevated in rank; and it is He Who is the Almighty, the Source of glory
and grandeur, far above the pomp of the mighty; and it is He Who is the
Omnipotent, the Supreme Ruler, the Lord of judgement, transcending all
such as are invested with authority; and it is He Who is the Generous, the
Most Benevolent, the Essence of bounty, Who standeth supreme in the face
of such as show benevolence; and it is He Who is the Ordainer and the
Supreme Wielder of authority and power, inconceivably high above those who
hold earthly dominion; and it is He Who is the Most Excellent, the
Unsurpassed, the Pre-eminent in the face of every man of accomplishment.

Ye have, one and all, been called into being to seek His presence and to
attain that exalted and glorious station. Indeed, He will send down from
the heaven of His mercy that which will benefit you, and whatever is
graciously vouchsafed by Him shall enable you to dispense with all
mankind. Verily on that Day the learning of the learned shall prove of no
avail, neither the accomplishments of the exponents of knowledge, nor the
pomp of the highly honoured, nor the power of the mighty, nor the
remembrance of the devout, nor the deeds of the righteous, nor the
genuflexion of the kneeling worshipper, nor his prostration or turning
towards the Qiblih, nor the honour of the honoured, nor the kinship of the
highly born, nor the nobility of those of noble descent, nor the discourse
of the eloquent, nor the titles of the prominent—none of these shall be of
any avail unto them—inasmuch as all these and whatever else ye have known
or comprehended were created by His word of command ‘Be’ and it is. Indeed
if it be His Will He can assuredly bring about the resurrection of all
created things through a word from Himself. He is, in truth, over and
above all this, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.

Beware, O concourse of Mirrors, lest on that Day titles make you
vainglorious. Know ye of a certainty that ye, together with all those who
stand above you or below you, have been created for that Day. Fear ye God
and commit not that which would grieve His heart, nor be of them that have
gone astray. Perchance He will appear invested with the power of Truth
while ye are fast asleep on your couches, or His messengers will bring
glorious and resplendent Tablets from Him while ye turn away disdainfully
from Him, pronounce sentence against Him—such sentence as ye would never
pass on yourselves—and say, ‘This is not from God, the All-Subduing, the
Self-Existent’.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Thou art well aware that I have proclaimed
Thy Word and have not failed in the mission Thou didst enjoin upon me. I
entreat Thee to guard the people of the Bayán on that Day in order that
they may not pronounce censure against Thee nor contend with Thy signs.
Protect them then, O my God, through the power of Thy might which
pervadeth all mankind.



“Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in ...”


He is the Almighty.

Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in the heavens and on
the earth; He is the All-Wise, the All-Informed. It is He Who calleth into
being whatsoever He willeth at His behest; He is indeed the Clement, the
Fashioner. Say, verily He is equal to His purpose; whomsoever He willeth,
He maketh victorious through the power of His hosts; there is none other
God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise. His is the kingdom of earth and heaven
and He is the Lord of power and glory. Such as have believed in God and in
His signs are indeed the followers of truth and shall abide in the gardens
of delight, while those who have disbelieved in God and have rejected that
which He hath revealed, these shall be the inmates of the fire wherein
they shall remain forever. Say, most people have openly repudiated God and
have followed the rebellious wicked doers. Such people resemble those who
have gone before them, upholding every hostile oppressor. Verily no God is
there but God; His is the kingdom of heaven and earth and He is the
Clement, the All-Knowing. God testifieth that there is no God but Him, and
He Who speaketh at the bidding of His Lord is but the First to worship
Him. He is the peerless Creator Who hath created the heavens and the earth
and whatsoever lieth between them, and all do His bidding. He is the One
Whose grace hath encompassed all that are in the heavens, on earth or
elsewhere, and everyone abideth by His behest.



“It behooveth you to await the Day of the appearance of ...”


It behooveth you to await the Day of the appearance of Him Whom God shall
manifest. Indeed My aim in planting the Tree of the Bayán hath been none
other than to enable you to recognize Me. In truth I Myself am the first
to bow down before God and to believe in Him. Therefore let not your
recognition become fruitless, inasmuch as the Bayán, notwithstanding the
sublimity of its station, beareth fealty to Him Whom God shall make
manifest, and it is He Who beseemeth most to be acclaimed as the Seat of
divine Reality, though indeed He is I and I am He. However, when the Tree
of the Bayán attaineth its highest development, We shall bend it low as a
token of adoration towards its Lord Who will appear in the person of Him
Whom God shall make manifest. Perchance ye may be privileged to glorify
God as it befitteth His august Self.

Indeed ye have been called into being through the power of the Point of
the Bayán while the Point Himself is resigned to the Will of Him Whom God
shall make manifest, is exalted through His transcendent sublimity, is
sustained by the evidences of His might, is glorified by the majesty of
His oneness, is adorned by the beauty of His singleness, is empowered by
His eternal dominion and is invested with authority through His
everlasting sovereignty. How then could they, who are but the creation of
the Point, be justified in saying ‘why or wherefore’?

O congregation of the Bayán, and all who are therein! Recognize ye the
limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayán Himself
hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest, before all things were
created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of
heaven and earth. Suffer not yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from
God after He hath revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in the
Bayán is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring
upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest—glorified be His
mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and
through whatsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most
High.



7: PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS



“Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the ...”


In the Name of God, the Lord of overpowering majesty, the All-Compelling.

Hallowed be the Lord in Whose hand is the source of dominion. He createth
whatsoever He willeth by His Word of command ‘Be’, and it is. His hath
been the power of authority heretofore and it shall remain His hereafter.
He maketh victorious whomsoever He pleaseth, through the potency of His
behest. He is in truth the Powerful, the Almighty. Unto Him pertaineth all
glory and majesty in the kingdoms of Revelation and Creation and whatever
lieth between them. Verily He is the Potent, the All-Glorious. From
everlasting He hath been the Source of indomitable strength and shall
remain so unto everlasting. He is indeed the Lord of might and power. All
the kingdoms of heaven and earth and whatever is between them are God’s,
and His power is supreme over all things. All the treasures of earth and
heaven and everything between them are His, and His protection extendeth
over all things. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and
whatever lieth between them and He truly is a witness over all things. He
is the Lord of Reckoning for all that dwell in the heavens and on earth
and whatever lieth between them, and truly God is swift to reckon. He
setteth the measure assigned to all who are in the heavens and the earth
and whatever is between them. Verily He is the Supreme Protector. He
holdeth in His grasp the keys of heaven and earth and of everything
between them. At His Own pleasure doth He bestow gifts, through the power
of His command. Indeed His grace encompasseth all and He is the
All-Knowing.

Say: God sufficeth unto me; He is the One Who holdeth in His grasp the
kingdom of all things. Through the power of His hosts of heaven and earth
and whatever lieth between them, He protecteth whomsoever among His
servants He willeth. God, in truth, keepeth watch over all things.

Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O Lord! Protect us from what lieth in front
of us and behind us, above our heads, on our right, on our left, below our
feet and every other side to which we are exposed. Verily Thy protection
over all things is unfailing.(76)



“Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of ...”


Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of the Bayán, upon its
root and its branch, its boughs, its leaves, its fruits and upon
whatsoever it beareth or sheltereth. Cause this Tree then to be made into
a magnificent Scroll to be offered to the presence of Him Whom Thou wilt
make manifest on the Day of Judgement, that He may graciously allow the
entire company of the followers of the Bayán to be restored to life and
that He may, through His bounty, inaugurate a new creation.

Indeed all are but paupers in the face of Thy tender mercy, and lowly
servants before the tokens of Thy loving-kindness. I beg of Thee, by Thy
bounty, O my God, and by the outpourings of Thy mercy and bestowals, O my
Lord, and by the evidences of Thy heavenly favours and grace, O my Best
Beloved, to watch over Him Whom God shall make manifest that no trace of
despondency may ever touch Him.



“Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How ...”


Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How can I make mention of
Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the entire creation; and how can I acknowledge
Thy claim, O Thou, before Whom every created thing standeth in awe. The
loftiest station to which human perception can soar and the utmost height
which the minds and souls of men can scale are but signs created through
the potency of Thy command and tokens manifested through the power of Thy
Revelation. Far be it from Thy glory that anyone other than Thee should
make mention of Thee or should attempt to voice Thy praise. The very
essence of every reality beareth witness to its debarment from the
precincts of the court of Thy nearness, and the quintessence of every
being testifieth to its failure to attain Thy holy Presence. Immeasurably
glorified and exalted art Thou! That which alone beseemeth Thee is the
befitting mention made by Thine Own Self, and that only which is worthy of
Thee is the anthem of praise voiced by Thine Own Essence...

Through the revelation of Thy grace, O Lord, Thou didst call Me into being
on a night such as this,(77) and lo, I am now lonely and forsaken in a
mountain. Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for whatever conformeth to
Thy pleasure within the empire of heaven and earth. And all sovereignty is
Thine, extending beyond the uttermost range of the kingdoms of Revelation
and Creation.

Thou didst create Me, O Lord, through Thy gracious favour and didst
protect Me through Thy bounty in the darkness of the womb and didst
nourish Me, through Thy loving-kindness, with life-giving blood. After
having fashioned Me in a most comely form, through Thy tender providence,
and having perfected My creation through Thine excellent handiwork and
breathed Thy Spirit into My body through Thine infinite mercy and by the
revelation of Thy transcendent unity, Thou didst cause Me to issue forth
from the world of concealment into the visible world, naked, ignorant of
all things, and powerless to achieve aught. Thou didst then nourish Me
with refreshing milk and didst rear Me in the arms of My parents with
manifest compassion, until Thou didst graciously acquaint Me with the
realities of Thy Revelation and apprised Me of the straight path of Thy
Faith as set forth in Thy Book. And when I attained full maturity Thou
didst cause Me to bear allegiance unto Thine inaccessible Remembrance, and
enabled Me to advance towards the designated station, where Thou didst
educate Me through the subtle operations of Thy handiwork and didst
nurture Me in that land with Thy most gracious gifts. When that which had
been preordained in Thy Book came to pass Thou didst cause Me, through Thy
kindness, to reach Thy holy precincts and didst suffer Me, through Thy
tender mercy, to dwell within the court of fellowship, until I discerned
therein that which I witnessed of the clear tokens of Thy mercifulness,
the compelling evidences of Thy oneness, the effulgent splendours of Thy
majesty, the source of Thy supreme singleness, the heights of Thy
transcendent sovereignty, the signs of Thy peerlessness, the
manifestations of Thine exalted glory, the retreats of Thy sanctity, and
whatsoever is inscrutable to all but Thee.



“Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor ...”


Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor one and Thy suppliant and
Thy wretched creature. I have arrived at Thy gate, seeking Thy shelter. I
have found no contentment save in Thy love, no exultation except in Thy
remembrance, no eagerness but in obedience to Thee, no joy save in Thy
nearness, and no tranquillity except in reunion with Thee, notwithstanding
that I am conscious that all created things are debarred from Thy sublime
Essence and the entire creation is denied access to Thine inmost Being.
Whenever I attempt to approach Thee, I perceive nothing in myself but the
tokens of Thy grace and behold naught in my being but the revelations of
Thy loving-kindness. How can one who is but Thy creature seek reunion with
Thee and attain unto Thy presence, whereas no created thing can ever be
associated with Thee, nor can aught comprehend Thee? How is it possible
for a lowly servant to recognize Thee and to extol Thy praise,
notwithstanding that Thou hast destined for him the revelations of Thy
dominion and the wondrous testimonies of Thy sovereignty? Thus every
created thing beareth witness that it is debarred from the sanctuary of
Thy presence by reason of the limitations imposed upon its inner reality.
It is undisputed, however, that the influence of Thine attraction hath
everlastingly been inherent in the realities of Thy handiwork, although
that which beseemeth the hallowed court of Thy providence is exalted
beyond the attainment of the entire creation. This indicateth, O my God,
my utter powerlessness to praise Thee and revealeth my utmost impotence in
yielding thanks unto Thee; and how much more to attain the recognition of
Thy divine unity or to succeed in reaching the clear tokens of Thy praise,
Thy sanctity and Thy glory. Nay, by Thy might, I yearn for naught but
Thine Own Self and seek no one other than Thee.



“Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the ...”


Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the Kingdoms of Creation
and Revelation, and verily in our Lord have we placed our whole trust. All
praise be unto Thee, O God; Thou art the Maker of the heavens and the
earth and that which is between them, and Thou in truth art the supreme
Ruler, the Fashioner, the All-Wise. Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Thou wilt
surely gather mankind for the Day of whose coming there is no doubt—the
Day whereon everyone shall appear before Thee and find life in Thee. This
is the Day of the One true God—the Day Thou shalt bring about as Thou
pleasest through the power of Thy behest.

Thou art the Sovereign, the wondrous Creator, the Mighty, the Best
Beloved.



“Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our ...”


Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our Lord; Thou art aware of
whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth. Send down then upon us a
token of Thy mercy. Verily Thou art unsurpassed among them that show
mercy. All praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Ordain for us from Thy presence
that which will comfort the hearts of the sincere among Thy servants.
Glorified art Thou, O God, Thou art the Creator of the heavens and the
earth and that which lieth between them. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the
Most Holy, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Magnified be Thy Name, O God, send
down upon them who have believed in God and in His signs a mighty succour
from Thy presence such as to enable them to prevail over the generality of
mankind.



“Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention ...”


Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention of Thee while Thou art
sanctified from the praise of all mankind. Magnified be Thy Name, O God,
Thou art the King, the Eternal Truth; Thou knowest what is in the heavens
and on the earth, and unto Thee must all return. Thou hast sent down Thy
divinely-ordained Revelation according to a clear measure. Praised art
Thou, O Lord! At Thy behest Thou dost render victorious whomsoever Thou
willest, through the hosts of heaven and earth and whatsoever existeth
between them. Thou art the Sovereign, the Eternal Truth, the Lord of
invincible might.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord, Thou forgivest at all times the sins of such
among Thy servants as implore Thy pardon. Wash away my sins and the sins
of those who seek Thy forgiveness at dawn, who pray to Thee in the
day-time and in the night season, who yearn after naught save God, who
offer up whatsoever God hath graciously bestowed upon them, who celebrate
Thy praise at morn and eventide, and who are not remiss in their duties.



“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have ...”


Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have mercy upon us and
enable us to return unto Thee. Suffer us not to rely on aught else besides
Thee, and vouchsafe unto us, through Thy bounty, that which Thou lovest
and desirest and well beseemeth Thee. Exalt the station of them that have
truly believed and forgive them with Thy gracious forgiveness. Verily Thou
art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.



“O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from ...”


O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever may be
repugnant unto Thee and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth Thee.
Give us more out of Thy bounty and bless us. Pardon us for the things we
have done and wash away our sins and forgive us with Thy gracious
forgiveness. Verily Thou art the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting.

Thy loving providence hath encompassed all created things in the heavens
and on the earth, and Thy forgiveness hath surpassed the whole creation.
Thine is sovereignty; in Thy hand are the Kingdoms of Creation and
Revelation; in Thy right hand Thou holdest all created things and within
Thy grasp are the assigned measures of forgiveness. Thou forgivest
whomsoever among Thy servants Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge,
and naught is there which is hidden from Thee.

O God our Lord! Protect us through the potency of Thy might, enable us to
enter Thy wondrous surging ocean, and grant us that which well befitteth
Thee.

Thou art the Sovereign Ruler, the Mighty Doer, the Exalted, the
All-loving.



“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Nothing whatsoever ...”


Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy
knowledge, nor is there anything that could slip from Thy grasp, or
anything that could thwart Thy Purpose, whether in the heavens or on the
earth, of the past or of the future.

Thou seest Paradise and the inmates thereof; Thou beholdest the realm
below and the dwellers thereof. All are but Thy servants and are held
within Thy grasp.



“O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in ...”


O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by granting
them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought martyrdom in Thy
path. Send down upon them that which will bring comfort to their minds,
will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance to their hearts and
tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their souls to ascend to the
presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain the supreme Paradise and
such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined for men of true knowledge and
virtue. Verily Thou knowest all things, while we are but Thy servants, Thy
thralls, Thy bondsmen and Thy poor ones. No Lord but Thee do we invoke, O
God our Lord, nor do we implore blessings or grace from anyone but Thee, O
Thou Who art the God of mercy unto this world and the next. We are but the
embodiments of poverty, of nothingness, of helplessness and of perdition,
while Thy whole Being betokeneth wealth, independence, glory, majesty and
boundless grace.

Turn our recompense, O Lord, into that which well beseemeth Thee of the
good of this world and of the next, and of the manifold bounties which
extend from on high down to the earth below.

Verily Thou art our Lord and the Lord of all things. Into Thy hands do we
surrender ourselves, yearning for the things that pertain unto Thee.



“Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord! In whom shall I ...”


Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord! In whom shall I take refuge while Thou art
in truth my God and my Beloved; unto whom shall I turn for shelter while
Thou art my Lord and my Possessor; and towards whom shall I flee while
Thou art in truth my Master and my Sanctuary; and whom shall I implore
while Thou art in truth my Treasure and the Goal of my desire; and through
whom shall I plead before Thee, while Thou art in truth my highest
aspiration and supreme desire? Every hope hath been frustrated save the
yearning for Thy heavenly grace, and every door is barred except the
portal leading to the well-spring of Thy blessings.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy most effulgent splendour, before whose
brightness every soul humbly boweth down and prostrateth itself in
adoration for Thy sake—a splendour before whose radiance fire is turned
into light, the dead are brought to life and every difficulty is changed
into ease. I entreat Thee by this great, this wondrous splendour and by
the glory of Thine exalted sovereignty, O Thou Who art the Lord of
indomitable power, to transform us through Thy bounty into that which Thou
Thyself dost possess and enable us to become fountains of Thy light, and
graciously vouchsafe unto us that which beseemeth the majesty of Thy
transcendent dominion. For unto Thee have I raised my hands, O Lord, and
in Thee have I found sheltering support, O Lord, and unto Thee have I
resigned myself, O Lord, and upon Thee have I placed my whole reliance, O
Lord, and by Thee am I strengthened, O Lord.

Verily there is no power nor strength except in Thee.



“Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou ...”


Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou didst call Me into being
out of the water of Thy love till I reached fifteen years of age I lived
in the land which witnessed My birth [_Sh_íráz]. Then Thou didst enable Me
to go to the seaport [Bú_sh_ihr] where for five years I was engaged in
trading with the goodly gifts of Thy realm and was occupied in that with
which Thou hast favoured Me through the wondrous essence of Thy
loving-kindness. I proceeded therefrom to the Holy Land [Karbilá] where I
sojourned for one year. Then I returned to the place of My birth. There I
experienced the revelation of Thy sublime bestowals and the evidences of
Thy boundless grace. I yield Thee praise for all Thy goodly gifts and I
render Thee thanksgiving for all Thy bounties. Then at the age of
twenty-five I proceeded to thy sacred House [Mecca], and by the time I
returned to the place where I was born, a year had elapsed. There I
tarried patiently in the path of Thy love and beheld the evidences of Thy
manifold bounties and of Thy loving-kindness until Thou didst ordain for
Me to set out in Thy direction and to migrate to Thy presence. Thus I
departed therefrom by Thy leave, spending six months in the land of Sád
[Iṣfáhán] and seven months in the First Mountain [Mákú], where Thou didst
rain down upon Me that which beseemeth the glory of Thy heavenly blessings
and befitteth the sublimity of Thy gracious gifts and favours. Now, in My
thirtieth year, Thou beholdest Me, O My God, in this Grievous Mountain
[_Ch_ihríq] where I have dwelt for one whole year.

Praise be unto Thee, O My Lord, for all times, heretofore and hereafter;
and thanks be unto Thee, O My God, under all conditions, whether of the
past or the future. The gifts Thou hast bestowed upon Me have reached
their fullest measure and the blessings Thou hast vouchsafed unto Me have
attained their consummation. Naught do I now witness but the manifold
evidences of Thy grace and loving-kindness, Thy bounty and gracious
favours, Thy generosity and loftiness, Thy sovereignty and might, Thy
splendour and Thy glory, and that which befitteth the holy court of Thy
transcendent dominion and majesty and beseemeth the glorious precincts of
Thine eternity and exaltation.



“I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my ...”


I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my face with shame in
Thy presence, and have burdened my back before Thee, have intervened
between me and Thy beauteous countenance, have compassed me from every
direction and have hindered me on all sides from gaining access unto the
revelations of Thy celestial power.

O Lord! If Thou forgivest me not, who is there then to grant pardon, and
if Thou hast no mercy upon me who is capable of showing compassion? Glory
be unto Thee, Thou didst create me when I was non-existent and Thou didst
nourish me while I was devoid of any understanding. Praise be unto Thee,
every evidence of bounty proceedeth from Thee and every token of grace
emanateth from the treasuries of Thy decree.



“I Beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention ...”


I Beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention but the mention of
Thee, and for every praise but the praise of Thee, and for every delight
but delight in Thy nearness, and for every pleasure but the pleasure of
communion with Thee, and for every joy but the joy of Thy love and of Thy
good-pleasure, and for all things pertaining unto me which bear no
relationship unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of lords, He Who provideth
the means and unlocketh the doors.



“How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy ...”


How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy mighty splendour
and for Thy wondrous sweet savours which Thou hast imparted to Me in this
fortress, in such measure that nothing in the heavens or on the earth can
compare with them? Thou hast watched over Me in the heart of this mountain
where I am compassed by mountains on all sides. One hangeth above Me,
others stand on My right and My left and yet another riseth in front of
Me. Glory be unto Thee, no God is there but Thee. How often have I seen
rocks from the mountain hurtling down upon Me, and Thou didst protect Me
therefrom and preserved Me within the stronghold of Thy divine Unity.

Glorified and exalted art Thou, and praise be unto Thee for whatsoever
Thou lovest and desirest, and thanks be unto Thee for that which Thou hast
decreed and preordained. From time immemorial Thy tender mercy hath been
sent down and the process of Thy creation hath been and ever is ceaseless.
Thy handiwork is unlike the work of anyone besides Thee, and Thy goodly
gifts are unparalleled by the gifts of anyone other than Thyself.

Praise be unto Thee, O My Beloved, and magnified be Thy Name. Ever since
the hour I set foot upon this fortress till the moment I shall have
departed therefrom, I behold Thee established upon Thy seat of glory and
majesty, sending down upon Me the manifold tokens of Thy bountiful favour
and grace. Thou beholdest that My dwelling place is but the heart of the
mountains, and Thou discernest naught in My Person except the evidences of
abasement and loneliness.

Lauded be Thy Name; I render Thee thanks for every instance of Thine
inscrutable Decree and offer My praise for every token of Thy
tribulations. Having suffered Me to be cast into the prison, Thou didst
turn it into a garden of Paradise for Me and caused it to become a chamber
of the court of everlasting fellowship.

How numerous the verses Thou didst send down unto Me, and the prayers Thou
didst hear Me offer unto Thee. How diverse the revelations which Thou
didst call into being through Me and the experiences Thou didst witness in
Me.

Magnified be Thy Name. Manifold trials have been powerless to deter Me
from yielding thanks unto Thee and My shortcomings have failed to keep Me
back from extolling Thy virtues. The infidels had purposed to turn My
abode into one of disgrace and humiliation. But Thou hast glorified Me
through My remembrance of Thee, hast exalted Me through My praise of Thee,
hast graciously aided Me through the revelations of Thy oneness, and hast
conferred upon Me a great honour through the effulgent splendours of Thine
ancient eternity. To the fire Thou dost command, ‘Be thou a soothing balm
unto My Servant’, and to the prison, ‘Be thou a seat of tender compassion
to My Servant, as a token from My presence’. Yea, I swear by Thy glory; to
Me the prison hath proved to be naught but the most delightful garden of
Paradise and hath served as the noblest spot in the realm above.

Praised and glorified art Thou. How often did adversities descend upon Me
and Thou didst temper them and avert them through Thy gracious favour; and
how many times were commotions stirred up against Me at the hand of the
people, while Thou didst cause them to subside through Thy tender mercy.
How numerous the occasions when the Nimrods kindled fires wherewith to
burn Me, but Thou didst make them balm for Me; and how manifold the
instances when the infidels decreed My humiliation and Thou didst turn
them into marks of honour for Me...

Verily Thou art the highest aspiration of every earnest seeker and the
Goal of the desire of them that yearn after Thee. Thou art He Who is ready
to answer the call of such as recognize Thy divine unity, and He before
Whom the faint-hearted stand in awe. Thou art the Helper of the needy, the
Deliverer of the captives, the Abaser of the oppressors, the Destroyer of
the wrong-doers, the God of all men, the Lord of all created things. Thine
are the kingdoms of Creation and Revelation, O Thou Who art the Lord of
all the worlds.

O All-Sufficient One! Thou dost suffice Me in every hardship that may
descend upon Me and in every affliction that may wax great before Me. Thou
art My sole Companion in My loneliness, the Delight of My heart in My
solitude and My Best Beloved in My prison and in My Abode. No God is there
but Thee!

Whomsoever Thou dost suffice shall not be put to grief; whomsoever Thou
dost protect shall never perish; whomsoever Thou dost help shall never be
abased; and he unto whom Thou turnest Thy gaze shall never be far removed
from Thee.

Write down for us then whatsoever is of Thee, and forgive us for what we
are. Verily Thou art the Lord of power and glory, the Lord of all the
worlds. ‘Far be the glory of Thy Lord, the Lord of all greatness, from
what they impute to Him, and peace be upon His Apostles, and praise be
unto God, the Lord of all the worlds.’(78)



“Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath ...”


Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath existed before all
things, Who will exist after all things and will last beyond all things.
Thou art the God Who knoweth all things, and is supreme over all things.
Thou art the God Who dealeth mercifully with all things, Who judgeth
between all things and Whose vision embraceth all things. Thou art God my
Lord, Thou art aware of my position, Thou dost witness my inner and outer
being.

Grant Thy forgiveness unto me and unto the believers who responded to Thy
Call. Be Thou my sufficing helper against the mischief of whosoever may
desire to inflict sorrow upon me or wish me ill. Verily Thou art the Lord
of all created things. Thou dost suffice everyone, while no one can be
self-sufficient without Thee.



“I Implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy ...”


I Implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy glorious face, the
majesty of Thine ancient grandeur and the power of Thy transcendent
sovereignty to ordain for us at this moment every measure of that which is
good and seemly and to destine for us every portion of the outpourings of
Thy grace. For granting of gifts doth not cause Thee loss, nor doth the
bestowing of favours diminish Thy wealth.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Verily I am poor while in truth Thou art rich;
verily I am lowly while in truth Thou art mighty; verily I am impotent
while in truth Thou art powerful; verily I am abased while in truth Thou
art the most exalted; verily I am distressed while in truth Thou art the
Lord of might.



“Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou ...”


Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou hast created or wilt
create, and shield me from whatever evil Thou abhorrest from among the
things Thou hast caused or wilt cause to exist. In truth Thy knowledge
embraceth all things. Praised be Thou, verily no God is there but Thee,
and nothing whatsoever in the heavens or on the earth and all that is
between them can ever thwart Thy Purpose. Indeed potent art Thou over all
things.

Far be it from the sublimity of Thy Being, O my God, that anyone seek Thy
loving-kindness or favour. Far be it from Thy transcendent glory that
anyone entreat Thee for the evidences of Thy bestowals and tender mercy.
Too high art Thou for any soul to beseech the revelation of Thy gracious
providence and loving care, and too sanctified is Thy glory for anyone to
beg of Thee the outpourings of Thy blessings and of Thy heavenly bounty
and grace. Throughout Thy kingdom of heaven and earth, which is endowed
with manifold bounties, Thou art immeasurably glorified above aught
whereunto any identity could be ascribed.

All that I beg of Thee, O my God, is to enable me, ere my soul departeth
from my body, to attain Thy good-pleasure, even were it granted to me for
a moment tinier than the infinitesimal fraction of a mustard seed. For if
it departeth while Thou art pleased with me, then I shall be free from
every concern or anxiety; but if it abandoneth me while Thou art
displeased with me, then, even had I wrought every good deed, none would
be of any avail, and had I earned every honour and glory, none would serve
to exalt me.

I earnestly beseech Thee then, O my God, to graciously bestow Thy
good-pleasure upon me when Thou dost cause me to ascend unto Thee and make
me appear before Thy holy presence, inasmuch as Thou hast, from
everlasting, been the God of immense bounty unto the people of Thy realm,
and the Lord of most excellent gifts to all that dwell in the exalted
heaven of Thine omnipotence.



“How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed ...”


How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed to dire humiliation
in Thy Path for exalting Thy Word and for glorifying Thy divine Unity! How
profuse the blood that hath been shed for the sake of Thy Faith to
vindicate the authenticity of Thy divine Mission and to celebrate Thy
praise! How vast the possessions that were wrongfully seized in the Path
of Thy love in order to affirm the loftiness of Thy sanctity and to extol
Thy glorious Name! How many the feet that have trodden upon the dust in
order to magnify Thy holy Word and to extol Thy glory! How innumerable the
voices that were raised in lamentation, the hearts that were struck with
terror, the grievous woes that none other than Thee can reckon, and the
adversities and afflictions that remain inscrutable to anyone except
Thyself; all this to establish, O my God, the loftiness of Thy sanctity
and to demonstrate the transcendent character of Thy glory.

These decrees were ordained by Thee so that all created things might bear
witness that they have been brought into being for the sake of naught else
but Thee. Thou hast withheld from them the things that bring tranquillity
to their hearts, that they might know of a certainty that whatever is
associated with Thy holy Being is far superior to and exalted above aught
else that would satisfy them; inasmuch as Thine indomitable power
pervadeth all things, and nothing can ever frustrate it.

Indeed Thou hast caused these momentous happenings to come to pass that
those who are endued with perception may readily recognize that they were
ordained by Thee to demonstrate the loftiness of Thy divine Unity and to
affirm the exaltation of Thy sanctity.



“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest ...”


Glory be unto Thee, O Lord! Although Thou mayest cause a person to be
destitute of all earthly possessions, and from the beginning of his life
until his ascension unto Thee he may be reduced to poverty through the
operation of Thy decree, yet wert Thou to have brought him forth from the
Tree of Thy love, such a bounty would indeed be far better for him than
all the things Thou hast created in heaven and earth and whatsoever lieth
between them; inasmuch as he will inherit the heavenly home, through the
revelation of Thy favours, and will partake of the goodly gifts Thou hast
provided therein; for the things which are with Thee are inexhaustible.
This indeed is Thy blessing which according to the good-pleasure of Thy
Will Thou dost bestow on those who tread the path of Thy love.

How numerous the souls who in former times were put to death for Thy sake,
and in whose names all men now pride themselves; and how vast the number
of those whom Thou didst enable to acquire earthly fortunes, and who
amassed them while they were deprived of Thy Truth, and who in this day
have passed into oblivion. Theirs is a grievous chastisement and a dire
punishment.

O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the Tree of Thy divine Unity;
water it then, O Lord, with the flowing waters of Thy good-pleasure, and
cause it, before the revelations of Thy divine assurance, to yield such
fruits as Thou desirest for Thy glorification and exaltation, Thy praise
and thanksgiving, and to magnify Thy Name, to laud the oneness of Thine
Essence and to offer adoration unto Thee, inasmuch as all this lieth
within Thy grasp and in that of none other.

Great is the blessedness of those whose blood Thou hast chosen wherewith
to water the Tree of Thine affirmation, and thus to exalt Thy holy and
immutable Word.

Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those who believe in Thee that which is
deemed best for us in Thine estimation, as set forth in the Mother Book,
for within the grasp of Thy hand Thou holdest the determined measures of
all things.

Thy goodly gifts are unceasingly showered upon such as cherish Thy love
and the wondrous tokens of Thy heavenly bounties are amply bestowed on
those who recognize Thy divine Unity. We commit unto Thy care whatsoever
Thou hast destined for us, and implore Thee to grant us all the good that
Thy knowledge embraceth.

Protect me, O my Lord, from every evil that Thine omniscience perceiveth,
inasmuch as there is no power nor strength but in Thee, no triumph is
forthcoming save from Thy presence, and it is Thine alone to command.
Whatever God hath willed hath been, and that which He hath not willed
shall not be.

There is no power nor strength except in God, the Most Exalted, the Most
Mighty.



“O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain ...”


O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain admittance into the
Paradise of Thy Faith, so that no created being may remain beyond the
bounds of Thy good-pleasure.

From time immemorial Thou hast been potent to do what pleaseth Thee and
transcendent above whatsoever Thou desirest.



“Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of ...”


Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of Thy love and Thy
good-pleasure, and through the attractions of Thy resplendent light
enrapture our hearts, O Thou Who art the Supreme Evidence and the
All-Glorified. Send down upon me, as a token of Thy grace, Thy vitalizing
breezes, throughout the day-time and in the night season, O Lord of
bounty.

No deed have I done, O my God, to merit beholding Thy face, and I know of
a certainty that were I to live as long as the world lasts I would fail to
accomplish any deed such as to deserve this favour, inasmuch as the
station of a servant shall ever fall short of access to Thy holy
precincts, unless Thy bounty should reach me and Thy tender mercy pervade
me and Thy loving-kindness encompass me.

All praise be unto Thee, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God.
Graciously enable me to ascend unto Thee, to be granted the honour of
dwelling in Thy nearness and to have communion with Thee alone. No God is
there but Thee.

Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst
blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except
Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason
of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou
wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he
might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.



“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought ...”


Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought into being all created
things, through the power of Thy behest.

O Lord! Assist those who have renounced all else but Thee, and grant them
a mighty victory. Send down upon them, O Lord, the concourse of the angels
in heaven and earth and all that is between, to aid Thy servants, to
succour and strengthen them, to enable them to achieve success, to sustain
them, to invest them with glory, to confer upon them honour and
exaltation, to enrich them and to make them triumphant with a wondrous
triumph.

Thou art their Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of
all the worlds. Strengthen this Faith, O Lord, through the power of these
servants and cause them to prevail over all the peoples of the world; for
they, of a truth, are Thy servants who have detached themselves from aught
else but Thee, and Thou verily art the protector of true believers.

Grant Thou, O Lord, that their hearts may, through allegiance to this,
Thine inviolable Faith, grow stronger than anything else in the heavens
and on earth and in whatsoever is between them; and strengthen, O Lord,
their hands with the tokens of Thy wondrous power that they may manifest
Thy power before the gaze of all mankind.



“O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all ...”


O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all Thy signs I set my
heart.

O Lord! Whether travelling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work,
I place my whole trust in Thee.

Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all
things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!

Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be
satisfied with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me.

Thine is the absolute authority to command.



“O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the ...”


O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the Dispeller of every
affliction. Thou art He Who banisheth every sorrow and setteth free every
slave, the Redeemer of every soul. O Lord! Grant deliverance through Thy
mercy and reckon me among such servants of Thine as have gained salvation.



“Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, ...”


Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, and wilt ever remain the
One true God, while all else save Thee are needy and poor. Having clung
tenaciously to Thy Cord, O my God, I have detached myself from all
mankind, and having set my face towards the habitation of Thy tender
mercy, I have turned away from all created things. Graciously inspire me,
O my God, through Thy grace and bounty, Thy glory and majesty, and Thy
dominion and grandeur, for no one mighty and all-knowing can I find beside
Thee. Protect me, O my God, through the potency of Thy transcendent and
all-sufficing glory and by the hosts of the heavens and the earth,
inasmuch as in no one can I wholly place my trust but in Thee and no
refuge is there but Thee.

Thou art God, my Lord, Thou knowest my needs, Thou seest my state and art
well aware of what hath befallen me by reason of Thy decree, and of the
earthly sufferings I have endured by Thy leave and as a token of Thy
bounty and favour.



“The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest ...”


The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest upon Thee, O my
God. Thy majesty is so transcendent that no human imagination can reach it
and Thy consummate power is so sublime that the birds of men’s hearts and
minds can never attain its heights. All beings acknowledge their
powerlessness to praise Thee as beseemeth Thy station. Immeasurably
exalted art Thou. No one can glorify Thy Being, or fathom the evidences of
Thy bounty as it exists in Thine inmost Essence, since Thou alone knowest
Thyself as Thou art in Thyself.

I yield praise unto Thee, O Lord our God, for the bounty of having called
into being the realm of creation and invention—a praise which shineth
resplendent through the potency of Thine inspiration which none other but
Thee can befittingly appraise. I glorify Thee moreover and render Thee
thanks as beseemeth Thine awe-inspiring presence and the glory of Thine
overpowering majesty, for this sublime blessing, this wondrous sign which
is manifest in Thy kingdoms of Revelation and Creation.

All glory be unto Thee. Immeasurably exalted is that which beseemeth Thee.
Verily no one hath ever adequately grasped the loftiness of Thy station,
nor hath any one except Thee recognized Thee as beseemeth Thee. Thou art
manifest through the outpourings of Thy bounty, while no one besides Thee
can fathom the sublimity of Thy Revelation.

Magnified be Thy name. Hath aught else save Thee any independent existence
so as to be capable of hinting at Thy nature, and doth anyone but Thee
possess any trace of identity wherewith I could recognize Thee? All that
is known owes its renown to the splendour of Thy Name, the Most Manifest,
and every object is deeply stirred by the vibrating influence emanating
from Thine invincible Will. Thou art nearer unto all things than all
things.

Lauded and glorified art Thou. Too exalted is Thy loftiness for the hands
of such as are endued with understanding to reach unto Thee, and too
profound is Thy fathomless depth for the rivers of men’s minds and
perceptions to flow out therefrom.



“All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere ...”


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

All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere created things were
called into being, when there was no one else besides Him. He is the One
Who hath been Ever-Abiding while no element of His creation did yet exist.
Indeed the souls of them that are endued with understanding fail to
comprehend the least manifestation of His attributes, and the minds of
those who have acknowledged His unity are unable to perceive the most
insignificant token of His omnipotence.

Sanctified art Thou, O Lord my God. The tongues of men fall short in
extolling Thy glorious handiwork, how much more then would they falter in
lauding the majesty of Thy transcendent power; and since human
understanding is sore perplexed to fathom the mystery of a single object
of Thy creation, how can anyone ever attain the recognition of Thine Own
Being?

I have known Thee by Thy making known unto me that Thou art unknowable to
anyone save Thyself. I have become apprised by the creation Thou hast
fashioned out of sheer non-existence that the way to attain the
comprehension of Thine Essence is barred to everyone. Thou art God,
besides Whom there is none other God. No one except Thine Own Self can
comprehend Thy nature. Thou art without peer or partner. From everlasting
Thou hast been alone with no one else besides Thee and unto everlasting
Thou wilt continue to be the same, while no created thing shall ever
approach Thine exalted position.

All men, O my God, confess their powerlessness to know Thee as Thou
knowest Thine Own Being; the generative impulse Thou hast released is
manifest throughout the entire creation, and all created things which Thou
hast fashioned are but expressions of Thy wondrous signs. Magnified be Thy
name; Thou art immeasurably exalted above the strivings of anyone among
Thy creatures to attain Thy recognition as is befitting and worthy of
Thee.

Praise be unto Thee! The way in which Thou hast called into being Thy
creation out of non-existence preventeth all created things from
recognizing Thee, and the manner in which Thou hast fashioned the
creatures, with the limitations imposed upon them, proclaimeth their utter
nothingness before the revelations of Thine attributes.

Exalted art Thou, O my God! All mankind are powerless to celebrate Thy
glory and the minds of men fall short of yielding praise unto Thee. I bear
witness in Thy presence, O my God, that Thou art made known by Thy
wondrous tokens and art recognized through the revelations of Thy signs.
The fact that Thou hast brought us forth into existence prompteth me to
acknowledge before Thee that Thou art immeasurably exalted above our
praise, and by virtue of the qualities wherewith Thou hast endowed our
beings I testify unto Thee that Thou art transcendent beyond our
comprehension.

Grant that I may soar to the noblest heights in approaching Thee, and
enable me to draw nigh unto Thee through the fragrance of Thy holiness.
Thus may all impediments be dissolved by the light of ecstasy, and all
remoteness from Thee be dissipated by my attainment unto the seats of
reunion, and the subtle veils which have hindered me from entering Thy
mansion of glory become so rarified that I may gain admittance into Thy
presence, take up my abode near Thee, and voice the expressions of praise
wherewith Thou hast described Thine Own Self unto me, bearing witness that
Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, the One, the Incomparable,
the Ever-Abiding, that Thou dost not beget, neither art Thou begotten,
that Thou hast no offspring, no partner, nor is there any protector
against humiliation but Thee, and Thou art the Lord of all worlds. I bear
witness also that all besides Thee are but Thy creatures, and are held
within Thy grasp. No one is favoured with means or liveth in want except
by Thy Will. Thou art the King of everlasting days and the supreme Ruler.
Thy might is potent over all things and all created things exist by Thy
Will. All mankind recognize their lowly servitude and confess their
shortcomings and naught is there which doth not celebrate Thy praise.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the glory of Thy merciful Countenance and by
the majesty of Thine ancient Name not to deprive me of the vitalizing
fragrance of the evidences of Thy Days—such Days as Thou Thyself hast
inaugurated and brought forth.



“Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou ...”


Thou art God, no God is there but Thee.

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art supreme over the
realm of being and Thy power pervadeth all created things. Thou holdest
the kingdom of creation within Thy grasp and dost call into being in
conformity with Thy pleasure.

All praise be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by such souls as
are eagerly waiting at Thy gate and by those holy beings who have attained
the court of Thy presence, to cast upon us the glances of Thy tender
compassion and to regard us with the eye of Thy loving providence. Cause
our souls to be enkindled with the fire of Thy tender affection and give
us to drink of the living waters of Thy bounty. Keep us steadfast in the
path of Thine ardent love and enable us to abide within the precincts of
Thy holiness. Verily Thou art the Giver, the Most Generous, the
All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I invoke Thee by Thy Most Great Name through
which the hidden secrets of God, the Most Exalted, were divulged and the
kindreds of all nations converged toward the focal centre of faith and
certitude, through which Thy luminous Words streamed forth for the
quickening of mankind and the essence of all knowledge was revealed from
that Embodiment of bounty. May my life, my inmost being, my soul and my
body be offered up as a sacrifice for the dust ennobled by His footsteps.

I earnestly beg Thee, O Lord my God, by Thy most glorious Name whereby Thy
sovereignty hath been established and the tokens of Thy might have been
manifested, and whereby the oceans of life and of holy ecstasy have surged
for the reviving of the mouldering bones of all Thy creatures and for the
stirring of the limbs of such as have embraced Thy Cause—I earnestly beg
Thee to graciously ordain for us the good of this world and of the next,
to enable us to gain admission into the court of Thy mercy and
loving-kindness and to kindle in our hearts the fire of joy and ecstasy in
such wise that the hearts of all men may thereby be attracted.

Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Protector, the Almighty, the
Self-Subsisting.



“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to ...”


Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to forgive me and those who
support Thy Faith. Verily Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Forgiver, the
Most Generous. O my God! Enable such servants of Thine as are deprived of
knowledge to be admitted into Thy Cause; for once they learn of Thee, they
bear witness to the truth of the Day of Judgement and do not dispute the
revelations of Thy bounty. Send down upon them the tokens of Thy grace and
grant them, wherever they reside, a liberal share of that which Thou hast
ordained for the pious among Thy servants. Thou art in truth the Supreme
Ruler, the All-Bounteous, the Most Benevolent.

O my God! Let the outpourings of Thy bounty and blessings descend upon
homes whose inmates have embraced Thy Faith, as a token of Thy grace and
as a mark of loving-kindness from Thy presence. Verily unsurpassed art
Thou in granting forgiveness. Should Thy bounty be withheld from anyone,
how could he be reckoned among the followers of the Faith in Thy Day?

Bless me, O my God, and those who will believe in Thy signs on the
appointed Day, and such as cherish my love in their hearts—a love which
Thou dost instil into them. Verily Thou art the Lord of righteousness, the
Most Exalted.



“Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my God, above the ...”


Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my God, above the endeavours of all
beings and created things to praise Thee and recognize Thee. No creature
can ever comprehend Thee as beseemeth the reality of Thy holy Being and no
servant can ever worship Thee as is worthy of Thine unknowable Essence.
Praise be unto Thee; too high is Thine exalted Self for any allusions
proceeding from Thy creatures ever to gain access unto Thy presence.

Whenever, O my God, I soared into Thy holy atmosphere and attained the
inmost spirit of prayerfulness unto Thee, I was led to recognize that Thou
art inaccessible and that no mention of Thee can ever reach Thy
transcendent court. Therefore I turn towards Thy Loved Ones—They upon Whom
Thou hast graciously conferred Thine Own station that They might manifest
Thy love and Thy true knowledge. Bless Them then, O my God, with every
distinction and goodly gift which Thy knowledge may reckon within the
domain of Thy power.

O my God, my Lord and my Master! I swear by Thy might and glory that Thou
alone and no one else besides Thee art the ultimate Desire of all men, and
that Thou alone and none other save Thee art the Object of adoration. O my
God! The paths of Thine inaccessible glory have prompted me to voice these
words and the ways of Thine unattainable heights have guided me to make
these allusions. Exalted art Thou, O my God! The evidences of Thy
revelation are too manifest for me to need to refer to aught else save
Thyself, and the love I cherish for Thee is far sweeter to my taste than
the knowledge of all things and freeth me from the need to seek anyone’s
knowledge other than Thine.

All praise be unto Thee, O my Lord. I verily believe in Thee, as Thou art
in Thyself; and of Thee, as Thou art in Thyself, I beg forgiveness for
myself and on behalf of all mankind.

O my God! Wholly have I fled unto Thy face and have cast myself before
Thee and no power have I over aught in Thy holy presence. Shouldst Thou
chastise me with Thy might, Thou wouldst assuredly be just in Thy decree;
and wert Thou to bestow every goodly gift on me, Thou wouldst indeed be
most generous and bountiful. Verily Thou art independent of all the
peoples of the world.

I have sought reunion with Thee, O my Master, yet have I failed to attain
thereto save through the knowledge of detachment from aught save Thee. I
have yearned for Thy love, but failed to find it except in renouncing
everything other than Thyself. I have been eager to worship Thee, yet have
I failed to achieve Thy adoration, except by loving those who cherish Thy
love. No one do I recognize, O my God, except Thee. Thou art incomparable
and hast no partner. Thou alone knowest our shortcomings and none other
hath this knowledge. I beg Thy forgiveness for whatever doth displease
Thee.

I call upon Thee at all times with the tongue of Thine inspiration,
saying: ‘Thou art in truth the All-Possessing, the Peerless. No God is
there but Thee. Immeasurably far and exalted art Thou above the
descriptions of those who arrogantly assign peers unto Thee.’



“All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion and ...”


All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion and light and grandeur
and splendour be unto Thee. Thou bestowest sovereignty on whom Thou
willest and dost withhold it from whom Thou desirest. No God is there but
Thee, the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted. Thou art He Who createth from
naught the universe and all that dwell therein. There is nothing worthy of
Thee except Thyself, while all else but Thee are as outcasts in Thy holy
presence and are as nothing when compared to the glory of Thine Own Being.

Far be it from me to extol Thy virtues save by what Thou hast extolled
Thyself in Thy weighty Book where Thou sayest, ‘No vision taketh in Him
but He taketh in all vision. He is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving.’(79)
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, indeed no mind or vision, however keen or
discriminating, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of Thy
signs. Verily Thou art God, no God is there besides Thee. I bear witness
that Thou Thyself alone art the sole expression of Thine attributes, that
the praise of no one besides Thee can ever attain to Thy holy court nor
can Thine attributes ever be fathomed by anyone other than Thyself.

Glory be unto Thee, Thou art exalted above the description of anyone save
Thyself, since it is beyond human conception to befittingly magnify Thy
virtues or to comprehend the inmost reality of Thine Essence. Far be it
from Thy glory that Thy creatures should describe Thee or that any one
besides Thyself should ever know Thee. I have known Thee, O my God, by
reason of Thy making Thyself known unto me, for hadst Thou not revealed
Thyself unto me, I would not have known Thee. I worship Thee by virtue of
Thy summoning me unto Thee, for had it not been for Thy summons I would
not have worshipped Thee. Lauded art Thou, O my God, my trespasses have
waxed mighty and my sins have assumed grievous proportions. How
disgraceful my plight will prove to be in Thy holy presence. I have failed
to know Thee to the extent Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me; I have
failed to worship Thee with a devotion worthy of Thy summons; I have
failed to obey Thee through not treading the path of Thy love in the
manner Thou didst inspire me.

Thy might beareth me witness, O my God, what befitteth Thee is far greater
and more exalted than any being could attempt to accomplish. Indeed
nothing can ever comprehend Thee as is worthy of Thee nor can any servile
creature worship Thee as beseemeth Thine adoration. So perfect and
comprehensive is Thy proof, O my God, that its inner essence transcendeth
the description of any soul and so abundant are the outpourings of Thy
gifts that no faculty can appraise their infinite range.

O my God! O my Master! I beseech Thee by Thy manifold bounties and by the
pillars which sustain Thy throne of glory, to have pity on these lowly
people who are powerless to bear the unpleasant things of this fleeting
life, how much less then can they bear Thy chastisement in the life to
come—a chastisement which is ordained by Thy justice, called forth by Thy
wrath and will continue to exist for ever.

I beg Thee by Thyself, O my God, my Lord and my Master, to intercede in my
behalf. I have fled from Thy justice unto Thy mercy. For my refuge I am
seeking Thee and such as turn not away from Thy path, even for a twinkling
of an eye—they for whose sake Thou didst create the creation as a token of
Thy grace and bounty.



“O My God! There is no one but Thee to allay the anguish ...”


O My God! There is no one but Thee to allay the anguish of my soul, and
Thou art my highest aspiration, O my God. My heart is wedded to none save
Thee and such as Thou dost love. I solemnly declare that my life and death
are both for Thee. Verily Thou art incomparable and hast no partner.

O my Lord! I beg Thee to forgive me for shutting myself out from Thee. By
Thy glory and majesty, I have failed to befittingly recognize Thee and to
worship Thee, while Thou dost make Thyself known unto me and callest me to
remembrance as beseemeth Thy station. Grievous woe would betide me, O my
Lord, wert Thou to take hold of me by reason of my misdeeds and
trespasses. No helper do I know of other than Thee. No refuge do I have to
flee to save Thee. None among Thy creatures can dare to intercede with
Thyself without Thy leave. I hold fast to Thy love before Thy court, and,
according to Thy bidding, I earnestly pray unto Thee as befitteth Thy
glory. I beg Thee to heed my call as Thou hast promised me. Verily Thou
art God; no God is there but Thee. Alone and unaided, Thou art independent
of all created things. Neither can the devotion of Thy lovers profit Thee,
nor the evil doings of the faithless harm Thee. Verily Thou art my God, He
Who will never fail in His promise.

O my God! I beseech Thee by the evidences of Thy favour, to let me draw
nigh to the sublime heights of Thy holy presence, and protect me from
inclining myself toward the subtle allusions of aught else but Thee. Guide
my steps, O my God, unto that which is acceptable and pleasing to Thee.
Shield me, through Thy might, from the fury of Thy wrath and chastisement,
and hold me back from entering habitations not desired by Thee.



“O My God! I have failed to know Thee as is worthy of ...”


O My God! I have failed to know Thee as is worthy of Thy glory, and I have
failed to fear Thee as befitteth my station. How can I make mention of
Thee when I am in this condition, and how can I set my face towards Thee
when I have fallen short of my duty in worshipping Thee?

Thou didst not call me into being to demonstrate the potency of Thy might
which is unmistakably manifest and evident; for Thou art God Who
everlastingly existed when there was naught. Rather Thou didst create us
through Thy transcendent power that a bare mention may be graciously made
of us before the resplendent manifestation of Thy Remembrance.

I have no knowledge of Thee, O my God, but that which Thou hast taught me
whereby I might recognize Thy Self—a knowledge which reflecteth only my
failure and sinfulness. Here am I then, O my God, wholly consecrated unto
Thee, willing to do what Thou desirest. Humbly I cast myself before the
revelations of Thy mercy, confessing that Thou art God, no God is there
but Thee, and that Thou art incomparable, hast no partner and naught is
there like Thee. Unto this Thou Thyself bearest witness, as well becometh
Thy glory.



“Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord! Both the world ...”


He is God, the Sovereign Ruler, the Ever-Living, He Whose help all men
implore.

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord! Both the world of existence and the
souls of men bear witness that Thou art transcendent above the revelations
of Thy handiwork, and the bearers of Thy names and attributes proclaim
that Thou art immeasurably exalted above such praise as the dwellers of
the dominions of creation and invention may render unto Thee. All
appearances and realities indicate the oneness of Thine Essence, and all
evidences and signs reflect the truth that Thou art God and there is no
peer or partner for Thee throughout the kingdoms of heaven and earth.

Immensely high and sanctified art Thou, O Lord! Thy divine Being
testifieth that Thou art inscrutable to all that dwell in Thy realm of
existence, and Thine inmost Essence proclaimeth that Thou art far above
the description of those who reveal Thy glory.

The signs which the sanctified essences reveal and the words which the
exalted realities express and the allusions manifested by the ethereal
entities all proclaim that Thou art immeasurably exalted above the reach
of the embodiments of the realm of being, and all solemnly affirm that
Thou art immensely high above the description of such as are wrapt in the
veils of fancy.

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord! Thy divine Being is a sure testimony of the
oneness of Thine inmost Essence and Thy supreme divinity beareth witness
to the unity of Thy Self, and the realities of all created things testify
that no tie of intercourse bindeth Thee to anything in the kingdom of
creation which Thou hast fashioned.

Every man of perception who hath scaled the noble heights of detachment,
and every man of eloquence who hath attained the most sublime station,
beareth witness that Thou art God, the Incomparable, and that Thou hast
assigned no associate unto Thyself in the kingdom of creation, nor is
there anyone to compare with Thee in the realm of invention. Men of
wisdom, who had but a notion of the revelation of Thy glory, conceived a
likeness of Thee according to their own understanding, and men of
erudition, who had gained but a glimpse of the manifold evidences of Thy
loving-kindness and glory, have contrived peers for Thee in conformity
with their own imaginations.

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, O Lord! Every man of insight
is far astray in his attempt to recognize Thee, and every man of
consummate learning is sore perplexed in his search after Thee. Every
evidence falleth short of Thine unknowable Essence and every light
retreateth and sinketh below the horizon when confronted with but a
glimmer of the dazzling splendour of Thy might.

Bestow on me, O my Lord, Thy gracious bounty and benevolent gifts and
grant me that which beseemeth the sublimity of Thy glory. Aid me, O my
Lord, to achieve a singular victory. Open Thou the door of unfailing
success before me and grant that the things Thou hast promised may be
close at hand. Thou art in truth potent over all things. Refresh my heart,
O my God, with the living waters of Thy love and give me a draught, O my
Master, from the chalice of Thy tender mercy. Let me abide, O my Lord,
within the habitation of Thy glory, and suffer me, O my God, to emerge
from the darkness in which Thy divine obscurity is shrouded. Enable me to
partake of every good Thou hast vouchsafed unto Him Who is the Point and
unto such as are the exponents of His Cause, and ordain for me that which
beseemeth Thee and well becometh Thy station. Do Thou graciously forgive
me for the things that I have wrought in Thy holy presence, and look not
upon me with the glance of justice, but rather deliver me through Thy
grace, treat me with Thy mercy and deal with me according to Thy bountiful
favours, as is worthy of Thy glory.

Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Glorious, the Bestower of favours and
gifts, the Lord of grace abounding. Verily no God is there but Thee. Thou
art the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Sanctified art Thou, O Lord, Thou unto Whom all render thanksgiving.
Whatever I may affirm of Thee would be but a wanton crime before Thee, and
whatever mention I may choose to make of Thee would be the essence of
transgression, and whatever the praise whereby I may glorify Thee, it
would amount to sheer blasphemy. No one else besides Thee hath been or
will ever be able to fathom Thy mystery, neither hath any one succeeded
nor will anyone succeed at any time in discovering Thine Essence.

Magnified art Thou! No God is there but Thee. Thou art in truth the
Supreme Ruler, the Help in Peril, the Most High, the Incomparable, the
Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Verily Thou art mighty in Thy prowess, the
Lord of transcendent glory and majesty.

Protect Thou, O God, whosoever learneth this prayer by heart and reciteth
it in the day-time and in the night season. Verily Thou art God, the Lord
of creation, the All-Sufficing. Thou art faithful to Thy promise and doest
whatsoever Thou pleasest. Thou art the One Who holdeth in His hands the
dominions of earth and heaven. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the
Inaccessible, the Help in Peril, the All-Compelling.



“O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached ...”


O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached myself from my kindred
and have sought through Thee to become independent of all that dwell on
earth and ever ready to receive that which is praiseworthy in Thy sight.
Bestow on me such good as will make me independent of aught else but Thee,
and grant me an ampler share of Thy boundless favours. Verily Thou art the
Lord of grace abounding.



“I Adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm ...”


I Adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in times of
tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright through Thine
inspiration. Thou art God, potent art Thou to do what Thou desirest. No
one can withstand Thy Will or thwart Thy Purpose.



“I Beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon ...”


I Beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the manner Thou
wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee. I beg of Thee to wash
away our sins as befitteth Thy Lordship, and to forgive me, my parents,
and those who in Thy estimation have entered the abode of Thy love in a
manner which is worthy of Thy transcendent sovereignty and well beseemeth
the glory of Thy celestial power.

O my God! Thou hast inspired my soul to offer its supplication to Thee,
and but for Thee, I would not call upon Thee. Lauded and glorified art
Thou; I yield Thee praise inasmuch as Thou didst reveal Thyself unto me,
and I beg Thee to forgive me, since I have fallen short in my duty to know
Thee and have failed to walk in the path of Thy love.



“Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in ...”


Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in truth the Knower of things
unseen. Ordain for us such good as Thine all-embracing knowledge can
measure. Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

All praise be unto Thee, O Lord! We shall seek Thy grace on the appointed
Day and shall put our whole reliance in Thee, Who art our Lord. Glorified
art Thou, O God! Grant us that which is good and seemly that we may be
able to dispense with everything but Thee. Verily Thou art the Lord of all
worlds.

O God! Recompense those who endure patiently in Thy days and strengthen
their hearts to walk undeviatingly in the path of Truth. Grant then, O
Lord, such goodly gifts as would enable them to gain admittance into Thy
blissful Paradise. Exalted art Thou, O Lord God. Let Thy heavenly
blessings descend upon homes whose inmates have believed in Thee. Verily,
unsurpassed art Thou in sending down divine blessings. Send forth, O God,
such hosts as would render Thy faithful servants victorious. Thou dost
fashion the created things through the power of Thy decree as Thou
pleasest. Thou art in truth the Sovereign, the Creator, the All-Wise.

Say: God is indeed the Maker of all things. He giveth sustenance in plenty
to whomsoever He willeth. He is the Creator, the Source of all beings, the
Fashioner, the Almighty, the Maker, the All-Wise. He is the Bearer of the
most excellent titles throughout the heavens and the earth and whatever
lieth between them. All do His bidding, and all the dwellers of earth and
heaven celebrate His praise, and unto Him shall all return.



“Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled ...”


Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled me to know Thee, and
through the radiance of Thine effulgent splendour Thou hast inspired me
with Thy remembrance. Thou art the One nearest to me with naught else
between Thee and me, and Thou art the One Whose power nothing whatsoever
can frustrate. Far be it then from Thine Essence that the mightiest birds
of the souls of men or of human imaginings should ever scale its heights,
and too exalted is Thy holy Being for the loftiest sentiments of men of
understanding to attain unto Thee. From everlasting no one hath
comprehended Thine Own Self, and unto everlasting Thou shalt remain what
Thou hast been since time immemorial with no one else besides Thee.

Magnified be Thy Name, Thou art the Best Beloved Who hast enabled me to
know Thee and Thou art that All-Renowned One Who hast graciously favoured
me with Thy love. Thou art the Ancient of Days Whom none can ever describe
through the evidences of Thy glory and majesty, and Thou art the mighty
One Whom none can ever comprehend through the revelations of Thy greatness
and beauty, inasmuch as the expressions of majesty and grandeur and the
attributes of dominion and beauty are but the tokens of Thy divine Will
and the effulgent reflections of Thy sovereignty which, by reason of their
very essence and nature, proclaim that the way is barred and bear witness
that the pathway is inaccessibly beyond the reach of men.



“Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the ...”


In the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, the All-Sufficing,
the Most Exalted, He Whose help is implored by all men.

Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens and of the earth, O
Lord of the Kingdom! Thou well knowest the secrets of my heart, while Thy
Being is inscrutable to all save Thyself. Thou seest whatsoever is of me,
while no one else can do this save Thee. Vouchsafe unto me, through Thy
grace, what will enable me to dispense with all except Thee, and destine
for me that which will make me independent of everyone else besides Thee.
Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life in this world and in the
next. Open to my face the portals of Thy grace and graciously confer upon
me Thy tender mercy and bestowals.

O Thou Who art the Lord of grace abounding! Let Thy celestial aid surround
those who love Thee and bestow upon us the gifts and the bounties Thou
dost possess. Be Thou sufficient unto us of all things, forgive our sins
and have mercy upon us. Thou art Our Lord and the Lord of all created
things. No one else do we invoke but Thee and naught do we beseech but Thy
favours. Thou art the Lord of bounty and grace, invincible in Thy power
and the most skilful in Thy designs. No God is there but Thee, the
All-Possessing, the Most Exalted.

Confer Thy blessings, O my Lord, upon the Messengers, the holy ones and
the righteous. Verily Thou art God, the Peerless, the All-Compelling.



“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth ...”


Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth the King of kings.
Thou dost confer sovereignty upon whomsoever Thou willest and dost seize
it from whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost exalt whomsoever Thou willest
and dost abase whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost render victorious
whomsoever Thou willest and dost bring humiliation upon whomsoever Thou
willest. Thou dost bestow wealth upon whomsoever Thou willest and dost
reduce to poverty whomsoever Thou willest. Thou dost cause whomsoever Thou
willest to prevail over whomsoever Thou willest. Within Thy grasp Thou
dost hold the empire of all created things and through the potency of Thy
sovereign behest Thou dost call into being whomsoever Thou willest. Verily
Thou art the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Lord of power.



“Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the ...”


Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the day of attaining Thy
holy presence may be fast approaching. Cheer our hearts through the
potency of Thy love and good-pleasure and bestow upon us steadfastness
that we may willingly submit to Thy Will and Thy Decree. Verily Thy
knowledge embraceth all the things Thou hast created or wilt create and
Thy celestial might transcendeth whatsoever Thou hast called or wilt call
into being. There is none to be worshipped but Thee, there is none to be
desired except Thee, there is none to be adored besides Thee and there is
naught to be loved save Thy good-pleasure.

Verily Thou art the supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.



“Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations ...”


Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations have showered upon me
from all directions and that no one can dispel or transmute them except
Thee. I know of a certainty, by virtue of my love for Thee, that Thou wilt
never cause tribulations to befall any soul unless Thou desirest to exalt
his station in Thy celestial Paradise and to buttress his heart in this
earthly life with the bulwark of Thine all-compelling power, that it may
not become inclined toward the vanities of this world. Indeed Thou art
well aware that under all conditions I would cherish the remembrance of
Thee far more than the ownership of all that is in the heavens and on the
earth.

Strengthen my heart, O my God, in Thine obedience and in Thy love and
grant that I may be clear of the entire company of Thine adversaries.
Verily I swear by Thy glory that I yearn for naught besides Thyself, nor
do I desire anything except Thy mercy, nor am I apprehensive of aught save
Thy justice. I beg Thee to forgive me as well as those whom Thou lovest,
howsoever Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Bountiful.

Immensely exalted art Thou, O Lord of the heavens and earth, above the
praise of all men, and may peace be upon Thy faithful servants and glory
be unto God, the Lord of all the worlds.



“Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me ...”


Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause
and grant that I may be reckoned among those who have not violated Thy
Covenant nor followed the gods of their own idle fancy. Enable me, then,
to obtain a seat of truth in Thy presence, bestow upon me a token of Thy
mercy and let me join with such of Thy servants as shall have no fear nor
shall they be put to grief. Abandon me not to myself, O my Lord, nor
deprive me of recognizing Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine Own Self,
nor account me with such as have turned away from Thy holy presence.
Number me, O my God, with those who are privileged to fix their gaze upon
Thy Beauty and who take such delight therein that they would not exchange
a single moment thereof with the sovereignty of the kingdom of heavens and
earth or with the entire realm of creation. Have mercy on me, O Lord, in
these days when the peoples of Thine earth have erred grievously; supply
me then, O my God, with that which is good and seemly in Thine estimation.
Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Gracious, the Bountiful, the
Ever-Forgiving.

Grant, O my God, that I may not be reckoned among those whose ears are
deaf, whose eyes are blind, whose tongues are speechless and whose hearts
have failed to comprehend. Deliver me, O Lord, from the fire of ignorance
and of selfish desire, suffer me to be admitted into the precincts of Thy
transcendent mercy and send down upon me that which Thou hast ordained for
Thy chosen ones. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. Verily Thou art
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.



“O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to ...”


O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to forgive me for seeking any
pleasure save Thy love, or any comfort except Thy nearness, or any delight
besides Thy good-pleasure, or any existence other than communion with
Thee.



“Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart ...”


Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart of this mountain and
Thou dost witness my forbearance. Verily I have desired naught else but
Thy love and the love of those who love Thee. How can I extol the
effulgent beauty of Thy Lordship, conscious as I am of my nothingness
before the habitation of Thy glory? Yet the sorrow of solitude and
loneliness prompteth me to invoke Thee through this prayer, perchance Thy
trusted servants may become aware of my lamentations, may supplicate unto
Thee on my behalf, and Thou wouldst graciously answer their prayers as a
token of Thy grace and Thy favour. I bear witness that there is no God but
Thee, inasmuch as Thou art invested with sovereignty, grandeur, glory and
power which no one among Thy servants can visualize or comprehend. Indeed
Thou shalt, by virtue of that which is inherent in Thine Essence, ever
remain inscrutable unto all except Thyself.



“Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised ...”


Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is
God! All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!



FOOTNOTES


    1 This is the first letter of ‘_Th_amárih’ which means ‘fruit’. Shoghi
      Effendi, in his writings, refers to the Báb as the ‘_Th_amárih’
      (fruit) of the Tree of God’s successive Revelations. (See Shoghi
      Effendi’s letter to the Bahá’ís of the East dated Naw-Rúz 110, page
      5.)

    2 In one of His Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains that some were misled by
      this statement and thought that the school referred to was a
      physical school for the training of unlettered children, whereas it
      referred to a spiritual school sanctified from the limits of the
      contingent world. Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas also refers to
      this Epistle of the Báb in the following words:

      O Thou Supreme Pen! Move over the Tablet by the leave of Thy Lord,
      the Creator of the heavens. Call Thou then to mind the day when the
      Fountainhead of divine unity sought to attend the school which is
      sanctified of all save God, that perchance the righteous might
      become acquainted, to the extent of a needle’s eye, with that which
      is concealed behind the veil of the inner mysteries of Thy Lord, the
      Almighty, the All-Knowing.

      Say, We, in truth, entered the school of inner meaning and
      exposition at a time when the minds of all that dwell on earth were
      wrapt in heedlessness. We beheld what the Merciful Lord had
      revealed, accepted the gift He [the Báb] had offered Me of the
      verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and hearkened
      to that to which He had attested in the Tablet. We, verily, are the
      Witness. We responded to His call at Our Own behest, and We are, in
      truth, the Ordainer.

      O people of the Bayán! We entered the School of God when ye were
      slumbering on your couches, and perused the Tablet when ye were fast
      asleep. By the righteousness of God, the True One, We had read it
      before it was revealed, and ye were utterly unaware. Indeed Our
      knowledge had encompassed the Book when ye were yet unborn.

      These utterances are revealed according to your measure, not to
      God’s, and unto this beareth witness that which is enshrined in the
      knowledge of God, did ye but know. Unto this testifieth He Who is
      the Mouthpiece of God, could ye but understand. By the righteousness
      of God! Were We to lift the veil ye would swoon away. Take heed lest
      ye dispute with Him and His Cause. He hath indeed appeared in such
      wise as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the
      future. Were We to speak forth at this time in the language of the
      dwellers of the Kingdom, We would say that God raised up this School
      ere the earth and the heavens were brought into being, and We
      entered it before the letters ‘B’ and ‘E’ were joined and knit
      together.

    3 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D.)

    4 Qur’án 8:44

    5 The numerical value of the letters of the word Ḥin is 68. The year
      1268 A.H. (1851–1852 A.D.) is the year preceding the birth of the
      Bahá’í Revelation.

    6 The Ka’bah in Mecca

    7 cf. Qur’án 4:119

    8 Qur’án 13

    9 Qur’án 3:182

   10 cf. Qur’án 19:41

   11 cf. Qur’án 17:90

   12 cf. Qur’án 2:285

   13 cf. Qur’án 3:50

   14 cf. Qur’án 14:4

   15 cf. Qur’án 68:42

   16 cf. Qur’án 7:63, 69

   17 cf. Qur’án 36:68

   18 cf. Qur’án 65:7; 94:5

   19 cf. Qur’án 8:45

   20 cf. Qur’án 2:204

   21 cf. Qur’án 4:51

   22 In these passages of the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá the name Qurratu’l-‘Ayn
      (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Báb Himself.

   23 cf. Qur’án 12:20

   24 cf. Qur’án 78:38

   25 cf. Qur’án 11:83

   26 cf. Qur’án 24:21

   27 cf. Qur’án 83:25–26

   28 Qur’án 52:6

   29 cf. Qur’án 29:40

   30 cf. Qur’án 2:206

   31 cf. Qur’án 2:163–164

   32 cf. Qur’án 17:88

   33 cf. Qur’án 74:35–37

   34 cf. Qur’án 21:40

   35 cf. Qur’án 2:14

   36 cf. Qur’án 4:149

   37 cf. Qur’án 9:32

   38 cf. Qur’án 4:169

   39 Qur’án 5:77

   40 cf. Qur’án 5:15–18

   41 cf. Qur’án 5:22

   42 cf. Qur’án 5:71

   43 cf. Qur’án 2:32; 38:74–78

   44 cf. Qur’án 7:69; 12:40

   45 cf. Qur’án 7:146; 20:90

   46 cf. Qur’án 7:186

   47 cf. Qur’án 4:1

   48 cf. Qur’án 10:50

   49 cf. Qur’án 10:16

   50 cf. Qur’án 10:33

   51 cf. Qur’án 18:42

   52 cf. Qur’án 11:120

   53 cf. Qur’án 6:10

   54 cf. Qur’án 3:172

   55 cf. Qur’án 33:72

   56 cf. Qur’án 6:93

   57 cf. Qur’án 11:87

   58 The Bayán is divided into vahíds and chapters, to which these
      numbers refer.

   59 Qur’án 8:47; 33:41; 62:10

   60 Qur’án 29:50

   61 Qur’án 57:21

   62 In The Promised Day is Come on page 7 Shoghi Effendi affirms that
      this passage was revealed by the Báb speaking with the voice of God.

   63 This is a reference to Quddús, ‘whom the Persian Bayán extolled as
      that fellow-pilgrim round whom mirrors to the number of eight Vahíds
      revolve’. (God Passes By, p. 49).

   64 Qur’án 8:2

   65 Qur’án 19:92

   66 22 May 1844

   67 From the Declaration of Muḥammad; this occurred ten years before the
      Hijrah which marks the starting point of the Muslim calendar.

   68 Qur’án 3:5

   69 Qur’án 68:51

   70 By ‘night’ is meant the period between two divine Revelations when
      the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayán,
      II, 7, the Báb says, ‘O people of the Bayán! Act not as the people
      of the Qur’án have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night
      will come to naught’.

   71 The Kitáb-i-Asmá’ is divided into vahíds and chapters, to which
      these numbers refer.

   72 By ‘night’ is meant the period between two divine Revelations when
      the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayán,
      II, 7, the Báb says, ‘O people of the Bayán! Act not as the people
      of the Qur’án have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night
      will come to naught’.

   73 By ‘night’ is meant the period between two divine Revelations when
      the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men. In the Persian Bayán,
      II, 7, the Báb says, ‘O people of the Bayán! Act not as the people
      of the Qur’án have acted, for if you do so the fruits of your night
      will come to naught’.

   74 He Who ariseth (God Passes By, p. 57)

   75 One Who is guided (God Passes By, p. 58)

   76 The original of this prayer for protection is written in the Báb’s
      own hand, in the form of a pentacle.

   77 Refers to the Báb’s birthday on the first day of the month of
      Muharram, 1235 A.H. (October 20, 1819).

   78 Qur’án 37:180–182

   79 Qur’án 6:103





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