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Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

by Bahá'u'lláh · English · Gutenberg #16940 · 519,697 chars · public domain (US)

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Title: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

Author: Bahá'u'lláh


        
Release date: June 23, 2005 [eBook #16940]
                Most recently updated: June 26, 2020

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16940


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH ***





Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah


by Baha'u'llah




Edition 1, (June 23, 2005)





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                                 CONTENTS


Baha'i Terms of Use
I: Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord, my...
II: The beginning of all things is the knowledge...
III: The Revelation which, from time immemorial,...
IV: This is the Day in which God's most excellent...
V: This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God's...
VI: Behold, how the divers peoples and kindreds...
VII: Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind...
VIII: By the righteousness of God! These are the...
IX: O Husayn! Consider the eagerness with which...
X: The time foreordained unto the peoples and...
XI: All glory be to this Day, the Day in which the...
XII: Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of...
XIII: Consider the past. How many, both high and...
XIV: The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted...
XV: The Pen of Revelation exclaimeth: "On this...
XVI: Say: O men! This is a matchless Day....
XVII: By Him Who is the Great Announcement!...
XVIII: Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine...
XIX: To every discerning and illuminated heart it...
XX: Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen...
XXI: O Salman! The door of the knowledge of...
XXII: The Bearers of the Trust of God are made...
XXIII: Consider the former generations. Witness...
XXIV: Beware, O believers in the Unity of God,...
XXV: It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation...
XXVI: Praise be to God, the All-Possessing, the...
XXVII: All praise to the unity of God, and all...
XXVIII: Happy is the man who will arise to serve...
XXIX: The purpose of God in creating man hath...
XXX: God witnesseth that there is no God but...
XXXI: Contemplate with thine inward eye the...
XXXII: That which thou hast heard concerning...
XXXIII: It hath been decreed by Us that the Word...
XXXIV: All praise and glory be to God Who,...
XXXV: Ponder a while. What is it that prompted,...
XXXVI: Know thou that when the Son of Man...
XXXVII: Blessed is the man that hath acknowledged...
XXXVIII: Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation...
XXXIX: Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for the...
XL: O My Well-Beloved! Thou hast breathed Thy...
XLI: God is My witness, O people! I was asleep...
XLII: O Son of Justice! In the night season the...
XLIII: O Afnan, O thou that hast branched from...
XLIV: Lay not aside the fear of God, O ye the...
XLV: The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be...
XLVI: I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment....
XLVII: O Jews! If ye be intent on crucifying once...
XLVIII: God is my witness! Had it not been in...
XLIX: Know verily that whenever this Youth...
L: Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of...
LI: O people! I swear by the one true God! This...
LII: Say: O people! Withhold not from yourselves...
LIII: O Nasir, O My servant! God, the Eternal...
LIV: By the righteousness of God, my Well-Beloved!...
LV: Call thou to remembrance, O Land of Ta...
LVI: Let nothing grieve thee, O Land of Ta...
LVII: When thou art departed out of the court of...
LVIII: Call thou to mind that which hath been...
LIX: Every unbiased observer will readily admit...
LX: My captivity can bring on Me no shame....
LXI: The world is in travail, and its agitation...
LXII: Recall thou to mind My sorrows, My cares...
LXIII: O thou whose face is turned towards Me!...
LXIV: It is Our wish to remember the Abode of...
LXV: Call Thou to remembrance Thine arrival in...
LXVI: Fear God, ye inhabitants of the City (Constantinople),...
LXVII: There hath appeared in this Revelation...
LXVIII: O thou who art the fruit of My Tree and...
LXIX: Call thou to mind the behavior of Ashraf's...
LXX: The world's equilibrium hath been upset...
LXXI: Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world,...
LXXII: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people,...
LXXIII: It is clear and evident that when the veils...
LXXIV: Every word that proceedeth out of the...
LXXV: Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that...
LXXVI: Give ear, O My servant, unto that which...
LXXVII: And now, concerning thy question regarding...
LXXVIII: As to thy question concerning the origin...
LXXIX: As to thy question concerning the worlds...
LXXX: Thou hast asked Me whether man, as apart...
LXXXI: And now concerning thy question regarding...
LXXXII: Thou hast asked Me concerning the...
LXXXIII: Consider the rational faculty with which...
LXXXIV: Regard thou the one true God as One...
LXXXV: O My servants! It behoveth you to refresh...
LXXXVI: And now concerning thy question...
LXXXVII: And now regarding thy question, "How...
LXXXVIII: Know verily that the essence of justice...
LXXXIX: Know assuredly that just as thou firmly...
XC: Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on...
XCI: Amongst the proofs demonstrating the truth...
XCII: The Book of God is wide open, and His...
XCIII: Know thou that every created thing is a...
XCIV: And now concerning thy reference to the...
XCV: Know thou that, according to what thy...
XCVI: The Pen of the Most High is unceasingly...
XCVII: Consider the doubts which they who have...
XCVIII: Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the...
XCIX: The vitality of men's belief in God is dying...
C: The voice of the Divine Herald, proceeding...
CI: The purpose underlying the revelation of...
CII: Give a hearing ear, O people, to that which...
CIII: God hath, through His tongue that uttereth...
CIV: O ye peoples of the world! Know, verily,...
CV: O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign...
CVI: The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger...
CVII: He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful,...
CVIII: We have a fixed time for you, O peoples....
CIX: O Kamal! The heights which, through the...
CX: The Great Being saith: O ye children of men!...
CXI: O contending peoples and kindreds of the...
CXII: Behold the disturbances which, for many a...
CXIII: Dost thou imagine, O Minister of the Shah...
CXIV: Hearken, O King (Sultan 'Abdu'l-'Aziz),...
CXV: The Pen of Revelation, O Dhabih, hath, in...
CXVI: O kings of Christendom! Heard ye not the...
CXVII: The Great Being, wishing to reveal the...
CXVIII: Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of...
CXIX: O ye rulers of the earth! Wherefore have...
CXX: O ye the elected representatives of the people...
CXXI: Say: O ye that envy Me and seek My hurt!...
CXXII: Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a...
CXXIII: The generations that have gone on before...
CXXIV: How wondrous is the unity of the Living,...
CXXV: O My brother! When a true seeker determineth...
CXXVI: To whatever place We may be banished,...
CXXVII: If it be your wish, O people, to know...
CXXVIII: Say: Doth it beseem a man while claiming...
CXXIX: O wayfarer in the path of God! Take...
CXXX: Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in...
CXXXI: The Pen of the Ancient King hath never...
CXXXII: The Purpose of the one true God, exalted...
CXXXIII: The ordinances of God have been sent...
CXXXIV: The first and foremost duty prescribed...
CXXXV: O Letter of the Living! The ear of God...
CXXXVI: Say: Deliver your souls, O people, from...
CXXXVII: Some have regarded it as lawful to infringe...
CXXXVIII: Thou seest, O God of Mercy, Thou...
CXXXIX: Let thine ear be attentive, O Nabil-i-'Azam,...
CXL: O Muhammad-'Ali! Great is the blessedness...
CXLI: A Book sent down in truth unto men of...
CXLII: I swear by the beauty of the Well-Beloved!...
CXLIII: Blessed art thou, O My servant, inasmuch...
CXLIV: The Pen of the Most High hath decreed...
CXLV: If ye meet the abased or the down-trodden,...
CXLVI: It is Our wish and desire that every one of...
CXLVII: The Most Great Name beareth Me witness!...
CXLVIII: O Salman! All that the sages and mystics...
CXLIX: Should any man, in this Day, arise and,...
CL: When the victory arriveth, every man shall...
CLI: Release yourselves, O nightingales of God,...
CLII: Thine eye is My trust, suffer not the dust...
CLIII: O banished and faithful friend! Quench the...
CLIV: Warn, O Salman, the beloved of the one...
CLV: The first duty prescribed by God for His...
CLVI: He Who is the Eternal Truth hath, from...
CLVII: They that have forsaken their country for...
CLVIII: God hath prescribed unto every one the...
CLIX: Consider the pettiness of men's minds. They...
CLX: He is indeed a true believer in the unity of...
CLXI: Gird up the loins of thine endeavor, that...
CLXII: The All-Merciful hath conferred upon man...
CLXIII: All praise be to God Who hath adorned...
CLXIV: Members of the human race! Hold ye fast...
CLXV: Know thou that every hearing ear, if kept...
CLXVI: Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct...






I: LAUDED AND GLORIFIED ART THOU, O LORD, MY...


Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord, my God! How can I make mention of
Thee, assured as I am that no tongue, however deep its wisdom, can
befittingly magnify Thy name, nor can the bird of the human heart, however
great its longing, ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy majesty and
knowledge.

If I describe Thee, O my God, as Him Who is the All-Perceiving, I find
myself compelled to admit that They Who are the highest Embodiments of
perception have been created by virtue of Thy behest. And if I extol Thee
as Him Who is the All-Wise, I, likewise, am forced to recognize that the
Well Springs of wisdom have themselves been generated through the
operation of Thy Will. And if I proclaim Thee as the Incomparable One, I
soon discover that they Who are the inmost essence of oneness have been
sent down by Thee and are but the evidences of Thine handiwork. And if I
acclaim Thee as the Knower of all things, I must confess that they Who are
the Quintessence of knowledge are but the creation and instruments of Thy
Purpose.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man
to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the
nature of Thine Essence. For whatever such strivings may accomplish, they
never can hope to transcend the limitations imposed upon Thy creatures,
inasmuch as these efforts are actuated by Thy decree, and are begotten of
Thine invention. The loftiest sentiments which the holiest of saints can
express in praise of Thee, and the deepest wisdom which the most learned
of men can utter in their attempts to comprehend Thy nature, all revolve
around that Center Which is wholly subjected to Thy sovereignty, Which
adoreth Thy Beauty, and is propelled through the movement of Thy Pen.

Nay, forbid it, O my God, that I should have uttered such words as must of
necessity imply the existence of any direct relationship between the Pen
of Thy Revelation and the essence of all created things. Far, far are They
Who are related to Thee above the conception of such relationship! All
comparisons and likenesses fail to do justice to the Tree of Thy
Revelation, and every way is barred to the comprehension of the
Manifestation of Thy Self and the Day Spring of Thy Beauty.

Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or
attribute unto Thee, or the praise with which he can glorify Thee!
Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants of extolling to the
utmost Thy majesty and glory is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that
they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own
inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves.

No one else besides Thee hath, at any time, been able to fathom Thy
mystery, or befittingly to extol Thy greatness. Unsearchable and high
above the praise of men wilt Thou remain for ever. There is none other God
but Thee, the Inaccessible, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the Holy of
Holies.





II: THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS IS THE KNOWLEDGE...


The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and the end of all
things is strict observance of whatsoever hath been sent down from the
empyrean of the Divine Will that pervadeth all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth.





III: THE REVELATION WHICH, FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL,...


The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the
Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished
Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the
Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The
advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred
Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath
strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory.

Say: O ye lovers of the One true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognize
and know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. This is a Revelation,
under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of
oceans will be his recompense. Take heed, O friends, that ye forfeit not
so inestimable a benefit, or disregard its transcendent station. Consider
the multitude of lives that have been, and are still being, sacrificed in
a world deluded by a mere phantom which the vain imaginations of its
peoples have conceived. Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have
attained unto your heart's Desire, and been united to Him Who is the
Promise of all nations. Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God--exalted
be His glory--the integrity of the station which ye have attained, and
cleave to that which shall promote His Cause. He, verily, enjoineth on you
what is right and conducive to the exaltation of man's station. Glorified
be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of this wondrous Tablet.





IV: THIS IS THE DAY IN WHICH GOD'S MOST EXCELLENT...


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

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





V: THIS IS THE DAY WHEREON THE OCEAN OF GOD'S...


This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God's mercy hath been manifested unto
men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed its
radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor
have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and
refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and
fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.

They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and
whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and
in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility
and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may
attest the depth of their devotion. The conversation carried by these holy
souls should be informed with such power that these same atoms of dust
will be thrilled by its influence. They should conduct themselves in such
manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to
address to them such words as these: "I am to be preferred above you. For
witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman
layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all
beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath
entrusted me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the
unnumbered evidences of my wealth--a wealth that supplieth the needs of all
creation--behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute
submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men...."

Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another. Should any one
among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to
comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme
kindliness and good-will. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without
esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be
possessed of greater endowments.

The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of
grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the
largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in
the palm of a man's hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of
others even a gallon-measure.

Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will best promote the Cause of
God. He, Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness! Nothing whatever
can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension
and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of
God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive
ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savor of such
deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such
humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own
selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor. Bend your energies to
whatever may foster the education of men. Nothing is, or can ever be,
hidden from God. If ye follow in His way, His incalculable and
imperishable blessings will be showered upon you. This is the luminous
Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen of Him Who is the
Lord of all worlds. Ponder it in your hearts, and be ye of them that
observe its precepts.





VI: BEHOLD, HOW THE DIVERS PEOPLES AND KINDREDS...


Behold, how the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth have been waiting
for the coming of the Promised One. No sooner had He, Who is the Sun of
Truth, been made manifest, than, lo, all turned away from Him, except them
whom God was pleased to guide. We dare not, in this Day, lift the veil
that concealeth the exalted station which every true believer can attain,
for the joy which such a revelation must provoke might well cause a few to
faint away and die.

He Who is the Heart and Center of the Bayan hath written: "The germ that
holdeth within itself the potentialities of the Revelation that is to come
is endowed with a potency superior to the combined forces of all those who
follow Me." And, again, He saith: "Of all the tributes I have paid to Him
Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that
no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him
in My Book, the Bayan, do justice to His Cause."

Whoso hath searched the depths of the oceans that lie hid within these
exalted words, and fathomed their import, can be said to have discovered a
glimmer of the unspeakable glory with which this mighty, this sublime, and
most holy Revelation hath been endowed. From the excellence of so great a
Revelation the honor with which its faithful followers must needs be
invested can be well imagined. By the righteousness of the one true God!
The very breath of these souls is in itself richer than all the treasures
of the earth. Happy is the man that hath attained thereunto, and woe
betide the heedless.





VII: VERILY I SAY, THIS IS THE DAY IN WHICH MANKIND...


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

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

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





VIII: BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD! THESE ARE THE...


By the righteousness of God! These are the days in which God hath proved
the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets, and
beyond them those that stand guard over His sacred and inviolable
Sanctuary, the inmates of the celestial Pavilion and dwellers of the
Tabernacle of Glory. How severe, therefore, the test to which they who
join partners with God must needs be subjected!





IX: O HUSAYN! CONSIDER THE EAGERNESS WITH WHICH...


O Husayn! Consider the eagerness with which certain peoples and nations
have anticipated the return of Imam-Husayn, whose coming, after the
appearance of the Qa'im, hath been prophesied, in days past, by the chosen
ones of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover,
announced that when He Who is the Day Spring of the manifold grace of God
manifesteth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the Qa'im,
will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred Standard which the
Promised One will raise. That hour is now come. The world is illumined
with the effulgent glory of His countenance. And yet, behold how far its
peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed in Him except them
who, through the power of the Lord of Names, have shattered the idols of
their vain imaginings and corrupt desires and entered the city of
certitude. The seal of the choice Wine of His Revelation hath, in this Day
and in His Name, the Self-Sufficing, been broken. Its grace is being
poured out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink in, in His Name, the Most
Holy, the All-Praised.





X: THE TIME FOREORDAINED UNTO THE PEOPLES AND...


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

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee
in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty." No
man that meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of
this Cause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day--the Day of God
Himself. This same verse is followed by these words: "And the Lord alone
shall be exalted in that Day." This is the Day which the Pen of the Most
High hath glorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them
that doth not declare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth
not testify unto the loftiness of this most exalted theme. Were We to make
mention of all that hath been revealed in these heavenly Books and holy
Scriptures concerning this Revelation, this Tablet would assume impossible
dimensions. It is incumbent in this Day, upon every man to place his whole
trust in the manifold bounties of God, and arise to disseminate, with the
utmost wisdom, the verities of His Cause. Then, and only then, will the
whole earth be enveloped with the morning light of His Revelation.





XI: ALL GLORY BE TO THIS DAY, THE DAY IN WHICH THE...


All glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have
been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and
centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of
the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the
voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on
high, were heard calling aloud: "Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light
of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner
of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee."

Seized with transports of joy, and raising high her voice, she thus
exclaimed: "May my life be a sacrifice to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast
fixed Thy gaze upon me, hast bestowed upon me Thy bounty, and hast
directed towards me Thy steps. Separation from Thee, O Thou Source of
everlasting life, hath well nigh consumed me, and my remoteness from Thy
presence hath burned away my soul. All praise be to Thee for having
enabled me to hearken to Thy call, for having honored me with Thy
footsteps, and for having quickened my soul through the vitalizing
fragrance of Thy Day and the shrilling voice of Thy Pen, a voice Thou
didst ordain as Thy trumpet-call amidst Thy people. And when the hour at
which Thy resistless Faith was to be made manifest did strike, Thou didst
breathe a breath of Thy spirit into Thy Pen, and lo, the entire creation
shook to its very foundations, unveiling to mankind such mysteries as lay
hidden within the treasuries of Him Who is the Possessor of all created
things."

No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply:
"Render thanks unto thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me
was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy
face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with
delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this
Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of
His signs and the day spring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is
it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of
thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath
showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of
thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in
token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and
transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which
hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden,
which hath been honored by His presence, from which He raised His call,
and upon which He shed His tears.

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

Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all
the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of
Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His
knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily,
through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most
High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.





XII: BESTIR YOURSELVES, O PEOPLE, IN ANTICIPATION OF...


Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of the days of Divine
justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to
apprehend its import and be accounted among the erring.





XIII: CONSIDER THE PAST. HOW MANY, BOTH HIGH AND...


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

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

Consider Moses! Armed with the rod of celestial dominion, adorned with the
white hand of Divine knowledge, and proceeding from the Paran of the love
of God, and wielding the serpent of power and everlasting majesty, He
shone forth from the Sinai of light upon the world. He summoned all the
peoples and kindreds of the earth to the kingdom of eternity, and invited
them to partake of the fruit of the tree of faithfulness. Surely you are
aware of the fierce opposition of Pharaoh and his people, and of the
stones of idle fancy which the hands of infidels cast upon that blessed
Tree. So much so that Pharaoh and his people finally arose and exerted
their utmost endeavor to extinguish with the waters of falsehood and
denial the fire of that sacred Tree, oblivious of the truth that no
earthly water can quench the flames of Divine wisdom, nor mortal blasts
extinguish the lamp of everlasting dominion. Nay, rather, such water
cannot but intensify the burning of the flame, and such blasts cannot but
ensure the preservation of the lamp, were ye to observe with the eye of
discernment, and walk in the way of God's holy will and pleasure....

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

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

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

When the Unseen, the Eternal, the Divine Essence, caused the Day Star of
Muhammad to rise above the horizon of knowledge, among the cavils which
the Jewish divines raised against Him was that after Moses no Prophet
should be sent of God. Yea, mention hath been made in the Scriptures of a
Soul Who must needs be made manifest and Who will advance the Faith, and
promote the interests of the people of Moses, so that the Law of the
Mosaic Dispensation may encompass the whole earth. Thus hath the King of
eternal glory referred in His Book to the words uttered by those wanderers
in the vale of remoteness and error: "'The hand of God,' say the Jews, 'is
chained up.' Chained up be their own hands; And for that which they have
said, they were accursed. Nay, outstretched are both His hands!" "The hand
of God is above their hands." Although the commentators of the Qur'an have
related in divers manners the circumstances attending the revelation of
this verse, yet thou shouldst endeavor to apprehend the purpose thereof.
He saith: How false is that which the Jews have imagined! How can the hand
of Him Who is the King in truth, Who caused the countenance of Moses to be
made manifest, and conferred upon Him the robe of Prophethood--how can the
hand of such a One be chained and fettered? How can He be conceived as
powerless to raise up yet another Messenger after Moses? Behold the
absurdity of their saying; how far it hath strayed from the path of
knowledge and understanding! Observe how in this Day also, all these
people have occupied themselves with such foolish absurdities. For over a
thousand years they have been reciting this verse, and unwittingly
pronouncing their censure against the Jews, utterly unaware that they
themselves, openly and privily, are voicing the sentiments and belief of
the Jewish people! Thou art surely aware of their idle contention, that
all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that
from the day springs of eternal holiness no Sun shall rise again, that the
Ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the
Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made
manifest. Such is the measure of the understanding of these small-minded,
contemptible people. These people have imagined that the flow of God's
all-encompassing grace and plenteous mercies, the cessation of which no
mind can contemplate, has been halted. From every side they have risen and
girded up the loins of tyranny, and exerted the utmost endeavor to quench
with the bitter waters of their vain fancy the flame of God's Burning
Bush, oblivious that the globe of power shall, within its own mighty
stronghold, protect the Lamp of God....

Behold how the sovereignty of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, is today
apparent and manifest amongst the people. You are well aware of what
befell His Faith in the early days of His Dispensation. What woeful
sufferings did the hand of the infidel and erring, the divines of that age
and their associates, inflict upon that spiritual Essence, that most pure
and holy Being! How abundant the thorns and briars which they have strewn
over His path! It is evident that that wretched generation, in their
wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every injury to that immortal Being as
a means to the attainment of an abiding felicity; inasmuch as the
recognized divines of that age, such as 'Abdu'llah-i-Ubayy, Abu'Amir, the
hermit, Ka'b-ibn-i-A_sh_raf, and Nadr-ibn-i-Hari_th_, all treated Him as
an impostor, and pronounced Him a lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore
accusations they brought against Him that in recounting them God
forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move, or the page to bear them.
These malicious imputations provoked the people to arise and torment Him.
And how fierce that torment, if the divines of the age be its chief
instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers, cast Him out from
their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the same befallen this
Servant, and been witnessed by all?

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

Consider, how great is the change today! Behold, how many are the
Sovereigns who bow the knee before His name! How numerous the nations and
kingdoms who have sought the shelter of His shadow, who bear allegiance to
His Faith, and pride themselves therein! From the pulpit-top there
ascendeth today the words of praise which, in utter lowliness, glorify His
blessed name; and from the heights of minarets there resoundeth the call
that summoneth the concourse of His people to adore Him. Even those Kings
of the earth who have refused to embrace His Faith and to put off the
garment of unbelief, none-the-less confess and acknowledge the greatness
and overpowering majesty of that Day Star of loving-kindness. Such is His
earthly sovereignty, the evidences of which thou dost on every side
behold. This sovereignty must needs be revealed and established either in
the lifetime of every Manifestation of God or after His ascension unto His
true habitation in the realms above....

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

It behoveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God's
invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent
trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining
Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self.





XIV: THE DIVINE SPRINGTIME IS COME, O MOST EXALTED...


The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the
All-Merciful is fast approaching. Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the
entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise
that all created things may be regenerated and made new. Speak, and hold
not thy peace. The day star of blissfulness shineth above the horizon of
Our name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the kingdom of the name of God hath
been adorned with the ornament of the name of thy Lord, the Creator of the
heavens. Arise before the nations of the earth, and arm thyself with the
power of this Most Great Name, and be not of those who tarry.

Methinks that thou hast halted and movest not upon My Tablet. Could the
brightness of the Divine Countenance have bewildered thee, or the idle
talk of the froward filled thee with grief and paralyzed thy movement?
Take heed lest anything deter thee from extolling the greatness of this
Day--the Day whereon the Finger of majesty and power hath opened the seal
of the Wine of Reunion, and called all who are in the heavens and all who
are on the earth. Preferrest thou to tarry when the breeze announcing the
Day of God hath already breathed over thee, or art thou of them that are
shut out as by a veil from Him?

No veil whatever have I allowed, O Lord of all names and Creator of the
heavens, to shut me from the recognition of the glories of Thy Day--the Day
which is the lamp of guidance unto the whole world, and the sign of the
Ancient of Days unto all them that dwell therein. My silence is by reason
of the veils that have blinded Thy creatures' eyes to Thee, and my
muteness is because of the impediments that have hindered Thy people from
recognizing Thy truth. Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is
in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By Thy name that
excelleth all other names! If Thy overruling and all-compelling behest
should ever reach me, it would empower me to revive the souls of all men,
through Thy most exalted Word, which I have heard uttered by Thy Tongue of
power in Thy Kingdom of glory. It would enable me to announce the
revelation of Thy effulgent countenance wherethrough that which lay hidden
from the eyes of men hath been manifested in Thy name, the Perspicuous,
the sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Canst thou discover any one but Me, O Pen, in this Day? What hath become
of the creation and the manifestations thereof? What of the names and
their kingdom? Whither are gone all created things, whether seen or
unseen? What of the hidden secrets of the universe and its revelations?
Lo, the entire creation hath passed away! Nothing remaineth except My
Face, the Ever-Abiding, the Resplendent, the All-Glorious.

This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the
Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most
Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our
irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into
being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the
All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

This is the Day whereon the unseen world crieth out: "Great is thy
blessedness, O earth, for thou hast been made the foot-stool of thy God,
and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne." The realm of glory
exclaimeth: "Would that my life could be sacrificed for thee, for He Who
is the Beloved of the All-Merciful hath established His sovereignty upon
thee, through the power of His Name that hath been promised unto all
things, whether of the past or of the future." This is the Day whereon
every sweet smelling thing hath derived its fragrance from the smell of My
garment--a garment that hath shed its perfume upon the whole of creation.
This is the Day whereon the rushing waters of everlasting life have gushed
out of the Will of the All-Merciful. Haste ye, with your hearts and souls,
and quaff your fill, O Concourse of the realms above!

Say: He it is Who is the Manifestation of Him Who is the Unknowable, the
Invisible of the Invisibles, could ye but perceive it. He it is Who hath
laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. He
it is Who is the one Beloved of all things, whether of the past or of the
future. Would that ye might set your hearts and hopes upon Him!

We have heard the voice of thy pleading, O Pen, and excuse thy silence.
What is it that hath so sorely bewildered thee?

The inebriation of Thy presence, O Well-Beloved of all worlds, hath seized
and possessed me.

Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is
the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered
it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made
the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty
Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.

Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath
imprinted the testimony: "He that was hidden from the eyes of men is
revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!" This is the Paradise, the
rustling of whose leaves proclaims: "O ye that inhabit the heavens and the
earth! There hath appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who,
from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now
come." From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there
cometh the cry: "He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The
Kingdom is God's," while from its streaming waters can be heard the
murmur: "All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld, Whose
secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and
uncovered the countenance of Beauty."

Within this Paradise, and from the heights of its loftiest chambers, the
Maids of Heaven have cried out and shouted: "Rejoice, ye dwellers of the
realms above, for the fingers of Him Who is the Ancient of Days are
ringing, in the name of the All-Glorious, the Most Great Bell, in the
midmost heart of the heavens. The hands of bounty have borne round the cup
of everlasting life. Approach, and quaff your fill. Drink with healthy
relish, O ye that are the very incarnations of longing, ye who are the
embodiments of vehement desire!"

This is the Day whereon He Who is the Revealer of the names of God hath
stepped out of the Tabernacle of glory, and proclaimed unto all who are in
the heavens and all who are on the earth: "Put away the cups of Paradise
and all the life-giving waters they contain, for lo, the people of Baha
have entered the blissful abode of the Divine Presence, and quaffed the
wine of reunion, from the chalice of the beauty of their Lord, the
All-Possessing, the Most High."

Forget the world of creation, O Pen, and turn thou towards the face of thy
Lord, the Lord of all names. Adorn, then, the world with the ornament of
the favors of thy Lord, the King of everlasting days. For We perceive the
fragrance of the Day whereon He Who is the Desire of all nations hath shed
upon the kingdoms of the unseen and of the seen the splendor of the light
of His most excellent names, and enveloped them with the radiance of the
luminaries of His most gracious favors--favors which none can reckon except
Him, Who is the omnipotent Protector of the entire creation.

Look not upon the creatures of God except with the eye of kindliness and
of mercy, for Our loving providence hath pervaded all created things, and
Our grace encompassed the earth and the heavens. This is the Day whereon
the true servants of God partake of the life-giving waters of reunion, the
Day whereon those that are nigh unto Him are able to drink of the
soft-flowing river of immortality, and they who believe in His unity, the
wine of His Presence, through their recognition of Him Who is the Highest
and Last End of all, in Whom the Tongue of Majesty and Glory voiceth the
call: "The Kingdom is Mine. I, Myself, am, of Mine own right, its Ruler."

Attract the hearts of men, through the call of Him, the one alone Beloved.
Say: This is the Voice of God, if ye do but hearken. This is the Day
Spring of the Revelation of God, did ye but know it. This is the
Dawning-Place of the Cause of God, were ye to recognize it. This is the
Source of the commandment of God, did ye but judge it fairly. This is the
manifest and hidden Secret; would that ye might perceive it. O peoples of
the world! Cast away, in My name that transcendeth all other names, the
things ye possess, and immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths
lay hidden the pearls of wisdom and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in
My name, the All-Merciful. Thus instructeth you He with Whom is the Mother
Book.

The Best-Beloved is come. In His right hand is the sealed Wine of His
name. Happy is the man that turneth unto Him, and drinketh his fill, and
exclaimeth: "Praise be to Thee, O Revealer of the signs of God!" By the
righteousness of the Almighty! Every hidden thing hath been manifested
through the power of truth. All the favors of God have been sent down, as
a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their
fullness, been proffered unto men. Every single cup hath been borne round
by the hand of the Well-Beloved. Draw near, and tarry not, though it be
for one short moment.

Blessed are they that have soared on the wings of detachment and attained
the station which, as ordained by God, overshadoweth the entire creation,
whom neither the vain imaginations of the learned, nor the multitude of
the hosts of the earth have succeeded in deflecting from His Cause. Who is
there among you, O people, who will renounce the world, and draw nigh unto
God, the Lord of all names? Where is he to be found who, through the power
of My name that transcendeth all created things, will cast away the things
that men possess, and cling, with all his might, to the things which God,
the Knower of the unseen and of the seen, hath bidden him observe? Thus
hath His bounty been sent down unto men, His testimony fulfilled, and His
proof shone forth above the Horizon of mercy. Rich is the prize that shall
be won by him who hath believed and exclaimed: "Lauded art Thou, O Beloved
of all worlds! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou the Desire of every
understanding heart!"

Rejoice with exceeding gladness, O people of Baha, as ye call to
remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the
Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He departed from His House, proceeding to
the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of
His name, the All-Merciful. God is Our witness. Were We to reveal the
hidden secrets of that Day, all they that dwell on earth and in the
heavens would swoon away and die, except such as will be preserved by God,
the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Such is the inebriating effect of the words of God upon Him Who is the
Revealer of His undoubted proofs, that His Pen can move no longer. With
these words He concludeth His Tablet: "No God is there but Me, the Most
Exalted, the Most Powerful, the Most Excellent, the All-Knowing."





XV: THE PEN OF REVELATION EXCLAIMETH: "ON THIS...


The Pen of Revelation exclaimeth: "On this Day the Kingdom is God's!" The
Tongue of Power is calling: "On this Day all sovereignty is, in very deed,
with God!" The Phoenix of the realms above crieth out from the immortal
Branch: "The glory of all greatness belongeth to God, the Incomparable,
the All-Compelling!" The Mystic Dove proclaimeth from its blissful bower,
in the everlasting Paradise: "The source of all bounty is derived, in this
Day, from God, the One, the Forgiving!" The Bird of the Throne warbleth
its melody in its retreats of holiness: "Supreme ascendancy is to be
attributed, this Day, to none except God, Him Who hath no peer nor equal,
Who is the Most Powerful, the All-Subduing!" The inmost essence of all
things voiceth in all things the testimony: "All forgiveness floweth, in
this Day, from God, Him to Whom none can compare, with Whom no partners
can be joined, the Sovereign Protector of all men, and the Concealer of
their sins!" The Quintessence of Glory hath lifted up its voice above My
head, and crieth from such heights as neither pen nor tongue can in any
degree describe: "God is my witness! He, the Ancient of everlasting days
is come, girded with majesty and power. There is none other God but Him,
the All-Glorious, the Almighty, the All-Highest, the All-Wise, the
All-Pervading, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed, the Sovereign Protector,
the Source of eternal light!"

O My servant, who hast sought the good-pleasure of God and clung to His
love on the Day when all except a few who were endued with insight have
broken away from Him! May God, through His grace, recompense thee with a
generous, an incorruptible and everlasting reward, inasmuch as thou hast
sought Him on the Day when eyes were blinded. Know thou that if We reveal
to thee but a sprinkling of the showers which, through God's decree, and
at the hands of the envious and the malicious, have rained upon Us, thou
wouldst weep with a great weeping, and wouldst bewail day and night Our
plight. Oh, would that a discerning and fair-minded soul could be found
who would recognize the wonders of this Revelation--wonders that proclaim
the sovereignty of God and the greatness of its power. Would that such a
man might arise and, wholly for the sake of God, admonish, privately and
openly, the people, that haply they may bestir themselves and aid this
wronged One Whom the workers of iniquity have so sorely afflicted.

Methinks that I hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit calling from behind Me
saying: Vary Thou Thy theme, and alter Thy tone, lest the heart of him who
hath fixed his gaze upon Thy face be saddened. Say: I have through the
grace of God and His might besought the help of no one in the past,
neither will I seek the help of any one in the future. He it is Who aided
Me, through the power of truth, during the days of My banishment in 'Iraq.
He it is Who overshadowed Me with His protection at a time when the
kindreds of the earth were contending with Me. He it is Who enabled Me to
depart out of the city, clothed with such majesty as none, except the
denier and the malicious, can fail to admit.

Say: My army is My reliance on God; My people, the force of My confidence
in Him. My love is My standard, and My companion the remembrance of God,
the Sovereign Lord of all, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the
Unconditioned.

Arise, O wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid thou His Cause.
Say: Barter not away this Youth, O people, for the vanities of this world
or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God! One
hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the
earth. Beware, O men, lest ye be tempted to part with Him in exchange for
the gold and silver ye possess. Let His love be a storehouse of treasure
for your souls, on the Day when naught else but Him shall profit you, the
Day when every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall
creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror. Say: O people! Fear ye
God, and turn not away disdainfully from His Revelation. Fall prostrate on
your faces before God, and celebrate His praise in the daytime and in the
night season.

Let thy soul glow with the flame of this undying Fire that burneth in the
midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe
shall be powerless to cool down its ardor. Make, then, mention of thy
Lord, that haply the heedless among Our servants may be admonished through
thy words, and the hearts of the righteous be gladdened.





XVI: SAY: O MEN! THIS IS A MATCHLESS DAY....


Say: O men! This is a matchless Day. Matchless must, likewise, be the
tongue that celebrateth the praise of the Desire of all nations, and
matchless the deed that aspireth to be acceptable in His sight. The whole
human race hath longed for this Day, that perchance it may fulfil that
which well beseemeth its station, and is worthy of its destiny. Blessed is
the man whom the affairs of the world have failed to deter from
recognizing Him Who is the Lord of all things.

So blind hath become the human heart that neither the disruption of the
city, nor the reduction of the mountain in dust, nor even the cleaving of
the earth, can shake off its torpor. The allusions made in the Scriptures
have been unfolded, and the signs recorded therein have been revealed, and
the prophetic cry is continually being raised. And yet all, except such as
God was pleased to guide, are bewildered in the drunkenness of their
heedlessness!

Witness how the world is being afflicted with a fresh calamity every day.
Its tribulation is continually deepening. From the moment the
Suriy-i-Ra'is (Tablet to Ra'is) was revealed until the present day,
neither hath the world been tranquillized, nor have the hearts of its
peoples been at rest. At one time it hath been agitated by contentions and
disputes, at another it hath been convulsed by wars, and fallen a victim
to inveterate diseases. Its sickness is approaching the stage of utter
hopelessness, inasmuch as the true Physician is debarred from
administering the remedy, whilst unskilled practitioners are regarded with
favor, and are accorded full freedom to act. ...The dust of sedition hath
clouded the hearts of men, and blinded their eyes. Erelong, they will
perceive the consequences of what their hands have wrought in the Day of
God. Thus warneth you He Who is the All-Informed, as bidden by One Who is
the Most Powerful, the Almighty.





XVII: BY HIM WHO IS THE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT!...


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

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

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

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

Know thou, moreover, that We have been cast into an afflictive Prison, and
are encompassed with the hosts of tyranny, as a result of what the hands
of the infidels have wrought. Such is the gladness, however, which the
Youth hath tasted that no earthly joy can compare unto it. By God! The
harm He suffereth at the hands of the oppressor can never grieve His
heart, nor can He be saddened by the ascendancy of such as have repudiated
His truth.

Say: Tribulation is a horizon unto My Revelation. The day star of grace
shineth above it, and sheddeth a light which neither the clouds of men's
idle fancy nor the vain imaginations of the aggressor can obscure.

Follow thou the footsteps of thy Lord, and remember His servants even as
He doth remember thee, undeterred by either the clamor of the heedless
ones or the sword of the enemy.... Spread abroad the sweet savors of thy
Lord, and hesitate not, though it be for less than a moment, in the
service of His Cause. The day is approaching when the victory of thy Lord,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful, will be proclaimed.





XVIII: SAY: WE HAVE CAUSED THE RIVERS OF DIVINE...


Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our
throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth
from the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful? They who disdain to
worship their Lord shall be of those who are cast off. And oft as Our
verses are rehearsed unto them, they persist in proud disdain, and in
their gross violation of His law, and know it not. As for them who have
disbelieved in Him, they shall be in the shadow of a black smoke. "The
Hour" hath come upon them, while they are disporting themselves. They have
been seized by their forelock, and yet know it not.

The thing that must come hath come suddenly; behold how they flee from it!
The inevitable hath come to pass; witness how they have cast it behind
their backs! This is the Day whereon every man will fly from himself, how
much more from his kindred, could ye but perceive it. Say: By God! The
blast hath been blown on the trumpet, and lo, mankind hath swooned away
before us! The Herald hath cried out, and the Summoner raised His voice
saying: "The Kingdom is God's, the Most Powerful, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting."

This is the Day on which all eyes shall stare up with terror, the Day in
which the hearts of them that dwell on earth shall tremble, save them whom
thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, pleaseth to deliver. All faces
have turned black except those to whom the God of Mercy hath vouchsafed a
radiant heart. Drunken are the eyes of those men that have openly refused
to behold the face of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.

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

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

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

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

Drink with healthy relish, O people of Baha. Ye are indeed they with whom
it shall be well. This is what they who have near access to God have
attained. This is the flowing water ye were promised in the Qur'an, and
later in the Bayan, as a recompense from your Lord, the God of Mercy.
Blessed are they that quaff it.

O My servant that hath turned thy face towards Me! Render thanks unto God
for having sent down unto thee this Tablet in this Prison, that thou
mayest remind the people of the days of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the
All-Knowing. Thus have We established for thee, through the waters of Our
wisdom and utterance, the foundations of thy belief. This, verily, is the
water whereon the Throne of thy Lord hath been raised. "His Throne had
stood upon the waters." Ponder this in thine heart, that thou mayest
comprehend its meaning. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.





XIX: TO EVERY DISCERNING AND ILLUMINATED HEART IT...


To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the
unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every
human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress
and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately
recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery.
He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence,
and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.
"No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile,
the All-Perceiving."...

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the
face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying,
"His grace hath transcended all things; My grace hath encompassed them
all," hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the
realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made
manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries
of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable
Essence.

These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs of ancient glory, are, one and
all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe,
its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and
power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their
countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign
of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and
the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace
that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never
fade.... These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect
the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the
Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine
virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power,
sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are
made manifest.

These attributes of God are not, and have never been, vouchsafed specially
unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of
God, His well-favored, His holy and chosen Messengers are, without
exception, the bearers of His names, and the embodiments of His
attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the
comparative potency of their light. Even as He hath revealed: "Some of the
Apostles We have caused to excel the others."

It hath, therefore, become manifest and evident that within the
tabernacles of these Prophets and chosen Ones of God the light of His
infinite names and exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the
light of some of these attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed
from these luminous Temples to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute
of God hath not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment
doth in no wise imply that they who are the Day Springs of God's
attributes and the Treasuries of His holy names did not actually possess
it. Therefore, these illuminated Souls, these beauteous Countenances have,
each and every one of them, been endowed with all the attributes of God,
such as sovereignty, dominion, and the like, even though to outward
seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty....





XX: KNOW THOU OF A CERTAINTY THAT THE UNSEEN...


Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His
Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely
exalted beyond all that can either be recounted or perceived. From His
retreat of glory His voice is ever proclaiming: "Verily, I am God; there
is none other God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have
manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down Him Who is the Day Spring
of the signs of My Revelation. Through Him I have caused all creation to
testify that there is none other God except Him, the Incomparable, the
All-Informed, the All-Wise." He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes
of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His
Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than
the proof of His own Person.





XXI: O SALMAN! THE DOOR OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF...


O Salman! The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been,
and will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No man's
understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of
His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath
manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of
His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified
Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso
recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath
hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their
Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away
from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath
disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth
this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every
one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of
God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.





XXII: THE BEARERS OF THE TRUST OF GOD ARE MADE...


The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the
earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message.
Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the
heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His
irresistible Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same
person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all
partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness.

These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the
station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if thou
callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same
attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed:
"No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers." For they, one
and all, summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the unity of God,
and herald unto them the Kaw_th_ar of an infinite grace and bounty. They
are all invested with the robe of prophethood, and are honored with the
mantle of glory. Thus hath Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'an, revealed: "I
am all the Prophets." Likewise, He saith: "I am the first Adam, Noah,
Moses, and Jesus." Similar statements have been made by Imam 'Ali. Sayings
such as these, which indicate the essential unity of those Exponents of
Oneness, have also emanated from the Channels of God's immortal utterance,
and the Treasuries of the gems of Divine knowledge, and have been recorded
in the Scriptures. These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine
Command, and the Day Springs of His Revelation. This Revelation is exalted
above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith:
"Our Cause is but One." Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the
Exponents thereof also must needs be one and the same. Likewise, the Imams
of the Muhammadan Faith, those lamps of certitude, have said: "Muhammad is
our first, Muhammad is our last, Muhammad our all."

It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of
the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt
observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the
same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne,
uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the
unity of those Essences of Being, those Luminaries of infinite and
immeasurable splendor! Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of
Holiness proclaim saying: "I am the return of all the Prophets," He,
verily, speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every subsequent
Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact, the truth of
which is firmly established....

The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the
world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each
Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely
prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated
limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is
characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and is
entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: "Some of the
Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some
He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest
signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit."

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

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

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

Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: "I am
God," He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For
it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their
attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His attributes,
are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: "Those shafts were
God's, not Thine." And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted fealty
unto Thee, really plighted that fealty unto God." And were any of them to
voice the utterance, "I am the Messenger of God," He, also, speaketh the
truth, the indubitable truth. Even as He saith: "Muhammad is not the
father of any man among you, but He is the Messenger of God." Viewed in
this light, they are all but Messengers of that ideal King, that
unchangeable Essence. And were they all to proclaim, "I am the Seal of the
Prophets," they, verily, utter but the truth, beyond the faintest shadow
of doubt. For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one
being, one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the "Beginning"
and the "End," the "First" and the "Last," the "Seen" and the "Hidden"--all
of which pertain to Him Who is the Innermost Spirit of Spirits and Eternal
Essence of Essences. And were they to say, "We are the Servants of God,"
this also is a manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been made
manifest in the uttermost state of servitude, a servitude the like of
which no man can possibly attain. Thus in moments in which these Essences
of Being were deep immersed beneath the oceans of ancient and everlasting
holiness, or when they soared to the loftiest summits of Divine mysteries,
they claimed their utterances to be the Voice of Divinity, the Call of God
Himself.

Were the eye of discernment to be opened, it would recognize that in this
very state, they have considered themselves utterly effaced and
non-existent in the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading, the
Incorruptible. Methinks, they have regarded themselves as utter
nothingness, and deemed their mention in that Court an act of blasphemy.
For the slightest whispering of self within such a Court is an evidence of
self-assertion and independent existence. In the eyes of them that have
attained unto that Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous
transgression. How much more grievous would it be, were aught else to be
mentioned in that Presence, were man's heart, his tongue, his mind, or his
soul, to be busied with any one but the Well-Beloved, were his eyes to
behold any countenance other than His beauty, were his ear to be inclined
to any melody but His Voice, and were his feet to tread any way but His
way....

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





XXIII: CONSIDER THE FORMER GENERATIONS. WITNESS...


Consider the former generations. Witness how every time the Day Star of
Divine bounty hath shed the light of His Revelation upon the world, the
people of His Day have arisen against Him, and repudiated His truth. They
who were regarded as the leaders of men have invariably striven to hinder
their followers from turning unto Him Who is the Ocean of God's limitless
bounty.

Behold how the people, as a result of the verdict pronounced by the
divines of His age, have cast Abraham, the Friend of God, into fire; how
Moses, He Who held converse with the Almighty, was denounced as liar and
slanderer. Reflect how Jesus, the Spirit of God, was, notwithstanding His
extreme meekness and perfect tender-heartedness, treated by His enemies.
So fierce was the opposition which He, the Essence of Being and Lord of
the visible and invisible, had to face, that He had nowhere to lay His
head. He wandered continually from place to place, deprived of a permanent
abode. Ponder that which befell Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, may
the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him. How severe the afflictions
which the leaders of the Jewish people and of the idol-worshipers caused
to rain upon Him, Who is the sovereign Lord of all, in consequence of His
proclamation of the unity of God and of the truth of His Message! By the
righteousness of My Cause! My Pen groaneth, and all created things weep
with a great weeping, as a result of the woes He suffered at the hands of
them that have broken the Covenant of God, violated His Testament,
rejected His proofs, and disputed His signs. Thus recount We unto thee the
tale of that which happened in days past, haply thou mayest comprehend.

Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and
Chosen Ones, have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and
reason which have been responsible for such a persecution. At no time, in
no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God escaped the blasphemy of their
enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, the denunciation of the learned
of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety. Day and
night they passed through such agonies as none can ever measure, except
the knowledge of the one true God, exalted be His glory.

Consider this wronged One. Though the clearest proofs attest the truth of
His Cause; though the prophecies He, in an unmistakable language, hath
made have been fulfilled; though, in spite of His not being accounted
among the learned, His being unschooled and inexperienced in the
disputations current among the divines, He hath rained upon men the
showers of His manifold and Divinely-inspired knowledge; yet, behold how
this generation hath rejected His authority, and rebelled against Him! He
hath, during the greater part of His life, been sore-tried in the clutches
of His enemies. His sufferings have now reached their culmination in this
afflictive Prison, into which His oppressors have so unjustly thrown Him.
God grant that, with a penetrating vision and radiant heart, thou mayest
observe the things that have come to pass and are now happening, and,
pondering them in thine heart, mayest recognize that which most men have,
in this Day, failed to perceive. Please God, He may enable thee to inhale
the sweet fragrance of His Day, to partake of the limitless effusions of
His grace, to quaff thy fill, through His gracious favor, from the most
great Ocean that surgeth in this Day in the name of the Ancient King, and
to remain firm and immovable as the mountain in His Cause.

Say: Glory be to Thee Who hast caused all the holy Ones to confess their
helplessness before the manifold revelations of Thy might, and every
Prophet to acknowledge His nothingness at the effulgence of Thine abiding
glory. I beseech Thee, by Thy name that hath unlocked the gates of Heaven
and filled with ecstasy the Concourse on high, to enable me to serve Thee,
in this Day, and to strengthen me to observe that which Thou didst
prescribe in Thy Book. Thou knowest, O my Lord, what is in me; but I know
not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.





XXIV: BEWARE, O BELIEVERS IN THE UNITY OF GOD,...


Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any
distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to
discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their
Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of
them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that
the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God,
nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the
future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and
Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their
persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed
disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of
His Messengers.





XXV: IT IS EVIDENT THAT EVERY AGE IN WHICH A MANIFESTATION...


It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is
divinely ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God's
appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished
from those that have preceded it. The designation "Seal of the Prophets"
fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended.
The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of Power, and
is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation.





XXVI: PRAISE BE TO GOD, THE ALL-POSSESSING, THE...


Praise be to God, the All-Possessing, the King of incomparable glory, a
praise which is immeasurably above the understanding of all created
things, and is exalted beyond the grasp of the minds of men. None else
besides Him hath ever been able to sing adequately His praise, nor will
any man succeed at any time in describing the full measure of His glory.
Who is it that can claim to have attained the heights of His exalted
Essence, and what mind can measure the depths of His unfathomable mystery?
From each and every revelation emanating from the Source of His glory,
holy and never-ending evidences of unimaginable splendor have appeared,
and out of every manifestation of His invincible power oceans of eternal
light have outpoured. How immensely exalted are the wondrous testimonies
of His almighty sovereignty, a glimmer of which, if it but touched them,
would utterly consume all that are in the heavens and in the earth! How
indescribably lofty are the tokens of His consummate power, a single sign
of which, however inconsiderable, must transcend the comprehension of
whatsoever hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been brought
into being, or will be created in the future till the end that hath no
end. All the Embodiments of His Names wander in the wilderness of search,
athirst and eager to discover His Essence, and all the Manifestations of
His Attributes implore Him, from the Sinai of Holiness, to unravel His
mystery.

A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all
creation with the ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His
peerless Paradise hath invested all beings with the robe of His sanctity
and glory. A sprinkling from the unfathomed deep of His sovereign and
all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness, called into being a
creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration. The
wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful
grace can never be arrested. The process of His creation hath had no
beginning, and can have no end.

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the
Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that
whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His
glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of
the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His
boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation. Such
is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found
which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorify
His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity.
So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart,
however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant
of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star
of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence. The conceptions of
the devoutest of mystics, the attainments of the most accomplished amongst
men, the highest praise which human tongue or pen can render are all the
product of man's finite mind and are conditioned by its limitations. Ten
thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their
search at His forbidding voice, "Thou shalt never behold Me!"; whilst a
myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their
heavenly thrones by the interdiction, "Mine Essence thou shalt never
apprehend!" From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable
sanctity of His exalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt
in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence. Every attempt to
attain to an understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in
complete bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and
envisage His Essence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure.

How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the
sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the
magnitude of the power inherent in Thine handiwork--the revelation of Thy
creative power! How can mine eye, which hath no faculty to perceive
itself, claim to have discerned Thine Essence, and how can mine heart,
already powerless to apprehend the significance of its own potentialities,
pretend to have comprehended Thy nature? How can I claim to have known
Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I
confess not to have known Thee, when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth
Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy truth? The portals of Thy grace have
throughout eternity been open, and the means of access unto Thy Presence
made available, unto all created things, and the revelations of Thy
matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the realities of
all beings, visible and invisible. Yet, notwithstanding this most gracious
favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testify that
Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the
knowledge of all else besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is
inscrutable to every mind except Thine own. No one except Thyself can
unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught else but Thy transcendental
Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. How vast the
number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness of
their separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and
failed in the end to find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified
and immortal souls who were lost and bewildered while seeking in the
desert of search to behold Thy face! Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom
the consuming flame of remoteness from Thee hath caused to sink and
perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willingly laid down
their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The
sighs and moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never
reach Thy holy court, neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that
thirst to appear before Thy face attain Thy seat of glory.





XXVII: ALL PRAISE TO THE UNITY OF GOD, AND ALL...


All praise to the unity of God, and all honor to Him, the sovereign Lord,
the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter
nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught,
hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His
creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness
and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom
of incorruptible glory. Nothing short of His all-encompassing grace, His
all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How could it,
otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired by
itself the worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state of
non-existence into the realm of being?

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He,
through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will,
chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him
and to love Him--a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating
impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation.... Upon
the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light
of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His
attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance
of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self.
Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a
favor, so enduring a bounty.

These energies with which the Day Star of Divine bounty and Source of
heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent
within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of
light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies
may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be
concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the
candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor
can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It
is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be
ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror
it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and
glory.

And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true
God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the
transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath
ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be
made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this
mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the
physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is
born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon
Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost
reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself.
To this testifieth the tradition: "Manifold and mysterious is My
relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that
I am that I am, and He is that He is." And in like manner, the words:
"Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together
and made one in Thee." He similarly saith: "There is no distinction
whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants." The
second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses:
"I am but a man like you." "Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a
man, an apostle?" These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent
Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light
of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are
commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their
infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the
cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and
dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust
of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising
Orb of Divine Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant
the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men's hearts.

From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably
clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be
manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and
Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the
Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth
every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which
he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self
hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and
dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst
men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only
the Eternal can reveal.

Can one of sane mind ever seriously imagine that, in view of certain words
the meaning of which he cannot comprehend, the portal of God's infinite
guidance can ever be closed in the face of men? Can he ever conceive for
these Divine Luminaries, these resplendent Lights either a beginning or an
end? What outpouring flood can compare with the stream of His
all-embracing grace, and what blessing can excel the evidences of so great
and pervasive a mercy? There can be no doubt whatever that if for one
moment the tide of His mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world,
it would completely perish. For this reason, from the beginning that hath
no beginning the portals of Divine mercy have been flung open to the face
of all created things, and the clouds of Truth will continue to the end
that hath no end to rain on the soil of human capacity, reality and
personality their favors and bounties. Such hath been God's method
continued from everlasting to everlasting.





XXVIII: HAPPY IS THE MAN WHO WILL ARISE TO SERVE...


Happy is the man who will arise to serve My Cause, and glorify My
beauteous Name. Take hold of My Book with the power of My might, and
cleave tenaciously to whatsoever commandment thy Lord, the Ordainer, the
All-Wise, hath prescribed therein. Behold, O Muhammad, how the sayings and
doings of the followers of _Sh_i'ih Islam have dulled the joy and fervor
of its early days, and tarnished the pristine brilliancy of its light. In
its primitive days, whilst they still adhered to the precepts associated
with the name of their Prophet, the Lord of mankind, their career was
marked by an unbroken chain of victories and triumphs. As they gradually
strayed from the path of their Ideal Leader and Master, as they turned
away from the Light of God and corrupted the principle of His Divine
unity, and as they increasingly centered their attention upon them who
were only the revealers of the potency of His Word, their power was turned
into weakness, their glory into shame, their courage into fear. Thou dost
witness to what a pass they have come. Behold, how they have joined
partners with Him Who is the Focal-Point of Divine unity. Behold how their
evil doings have hindered them from recognizing, in the Day of
Resurrection, the Word of Truth, exalted be His glory. We cherish the hope
that this people will henceforth shield themselves from vain hopes and
idle fancies, and will attain to a true understanding of the meaning of
Divine unity.

The Person of the Manifestation hath ever been the representative and
mouthpiece of God. He, in truth, is the Day Spring of God's most excellent
Titles, and the Dawning-Place of His exalted Attributes. If any be set up
by His side as peers, if they be regarded as identical with His Person,
how can it, then, be maintained that the Divine Being is One and
Incomparable, that His Essence is indivisible and peerless? Meditate on
that which We have, through the power of truth, revealed unto thee, and be
thou of them that comprehend its meaning.





XXIX: THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN CREATING MAN HATH...


The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable
him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. To this most excellent
aim, this supreme objective, all the heavenly Books and the
divinely-revealed and weighty Scriptures unequivocally bear witness. Whoso
hath recognized the Day Spring of Divine guidance and entered His holy
court hath drawn nigh unto God and attained His Presence, a Presence which
is the real Paradise, and of which the loftiest mansions of heaven are but
a symbol. Such a man hath attained the knowledge of the station of Him Who
is "at the distance of two bows," Who standeth beyond the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha. Whoso hath failed to recognize Him will have condemned
himself to the misery of remoteness, a remoteness which is naught but
utter nothingness and the essence of the nethermost fire. Such will be his
fate, though to outward seeming he may occupy the earth's loftiest seats
and be established upon its most exalted throne.

He Who is the Day Spring of Truth is, no doubt, fully capable of rescuing
from such remoteness wayward souls and of causing them to draw nigh unto
His court and attain His Presence. "If God had pleased He had surely made
all men one people." His purpose, however, is to enable the pure in spirit
and the detached in heart to ascend, by virtue of their own innate powers,
unto the shores of the Most Great Ocean, that thereby they who seek the
Beauty of the All-Glorious may be distinguished and separated from the
wayward and perverse. Thus hath it been ordained by the all-glorious and
resplendent Pen....

That the Manifestations of Divine justice, the Day Springs of heavenly
grace, have when they appeared amongst men always been destitute of all
earthly dominion and shorn of the means of worldly ascendancy, should be
attributed to this same principle of separation and distinction which
animateth the Divine Purpose. Were the Eternal Essence to manifest all
that is latent within Him, were He to shine in the plentitude of His
glory, none would be found to question His power or repudiate His truth.
Nay, all created things would be so dazzled and thunderstruck by the
evidences of His light as to be reduced to utter nothingness. How, then,
can the godly be differentiated under such circumstances from the froward?

This principle hath operated in each of the previous Dispensations and
been abundantly demonstrated.... It is for this reason that, in every age,
when a new Manifestation hath appeared and a fresh revelation of God's
transcendent power was vouchsafed unto men, they that misbelieved in Him,
deluded by the appearance of the peerless and everlasting Beauty in the
garb of mortal men, have failed to recognize Him. They have erred from His
path and eschewed His company--the company of Him Who is the Symbol of
nearness to God. They have even arisen to decimate the ranks of the
faithful and to exterminate such as believed in Him.

Behold how in this Dispensation the worthless and foolish have fondly
imagined that by such instruments as massacre, plunder and banishment they
can extinguish the Lamp which the Hand of Divine power hath lit, or
eclipse the Day Star of everlasting splendor. How utterly unaware they
seem to be of the truth that such adversity is the oil that feedeth the
flame of this Lamp! Such is God's transforming power. He changeth
whatsoever He willeth; He verily hath power over all things....

Consider at all times the sovereignty exercised by the Ideal King, and
behold the evidences of His power and paramount influence. Sanctify your
ears from the idle talk of them that are the symbols of denial and the
exponents of violence and anger. The hour is approaching when ye will
witness the power of the one true God triumphing over all created things
and the signs of His sovereignty encompassing all creation. On that day ye
will discover how all else besides Him will have been forgotten and come
to be regarded as utter nothingness.

It should, however, be borne in mind that God and His Manifestation can,
under no circumstances, be dissociated from the loftiness and sublimity
which They inherently possess. Nay, loftiness and sublimity are themselves
the creations of His Word, if ye choose to see with My sight not with
yours.





XXX: GOD WITNESSETH THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT...


God witnesseth that there is no God but Him, the Gracious, the
Best-Beloved. All grace and bounty are His. To whomsoever He will He
giveth whatsoever is His wish. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the
Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. We, verily, believe in
Him Who, in the person of the Bab, hath been sent down by the Will of the
one true God, the King of Kings, the All-Praised. We, moreover, swear
fealty to the One Who, in the time of Musta_gh_a_th_, is destined to be
made manifest, as well as to those Who shall come after Him till the end
that hath no end. We recognize in the manifestation of each one of them,
whether outwardly or inwardly, the manifestation of none but God Himself,
if ye be of those that comprehend. Every one of them is a mirror of God,
reflecting naught else but His Self, His Beauty, His Might and Glory, if
ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors
capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves
the Primary Mirrors of the Divine Being, if ye be not devoid of
understanding. No one hath ever escaped them, neither are they to be
hindered from achieving their purpose. These Mirrors will everlastingly
succeed each other, and will continue to reflect the light of the Ancient
of Days. They that reflect their glory will, in like manner, continue to
exist for evermore, for the Grace of God can never cease from flowing.
This is a truth that none can disprove.





XXXI: CONTEMPLATE WITH THINE INWARD EYE THE...


Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that
hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Bab. I testify
before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down
through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been
the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a
divinely-revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a
mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them
hath been identified had been definitely fore-ordained. This, verily, is a
token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this
truth.... And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in
the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance
was to be unveiled to men's eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a
thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He
did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely-appointed Revelation
were being showered upon Him--signs and tokens which none can reckon except
the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of
concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a
myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping
the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the
Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God
fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory
such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath
arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and
all who are on the earth.





XXXII: THAT WHICH THOU HAST HEARD CONCERNING...


That which thou hast heard concerning Abraham, the Friend of the
All-Merciful, is the truth, and no doubt is there about it. The Voice of
God commanded Him to offer up Ishmael as a sacrifice, so that His
steadfastness in the Faith of God and His detachment from all else but Him
may be demonstrated unto men. The purpose of God, moreover, was to
sacrifice him as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples
of the earth. This same honor, Jesus, the Son of Mary, besought the one
true God, exalted be His name and glory, to confer upon Him. For the same
reason was Husayn offered up as a sacrifice by Muhammad, the Apostle of
God.

No man can ever claim to have comprehended the nature of the hidden and
manifold grace of God; none can fathom His all-embracing mercy. Such hath
been the perversity of men and their transgressions, so grievous have been
the trials that have afflicted the Prophets of God and their chosen ones,
that all mankind deserveth to be tormented and to perish. God's hidden and
most loving providence, however, hath, through both visible and invisible
agencies, protected and will continue to protect it from the penalty of
its wickedness. Ponder this in thine heart, that the truth may be revealed
unto thee, and be thou steadfast in His path.





XXXIII: IT HATH BEEN DECREED BY US THAT THE WORD...


It hath been decreed by Us that the Word of God and all the potentialities
thereof shall be manifested unto men in strict conformity with such
conditions as have been foreordained by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. We have, moreover, ordained that its veil of concealment be none
other except its own Self. Such indeed is Our Power to achieve Our
Purpose. Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies
latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a
Revelation. Nay, all that is in heaven and on earth would flee in
consternation before it.

Consider that which hath been sent down unto Muhammad, the Apostle of God.
The measure of the Revelation of which He was the bearer had been clearly
foreordained by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. They that heard
Him, however, could apprehend His purpose only to the extent of their
station and spiritual capacity. He, in like manner, uncovered the Face of
Wisdom in proportion to their ability to sustain the burden of His
Message. No sooner had mankind attained the stage of maturity, than the
Word revealed to men's eyes the latent energies with which it had been
endowed--energies which manifested themselves in the plenitude of their
glory when the Ancient Beauty appeared, in the year sixty, in the person
of 'Ali-Muhammad, the Bab.





XXXIV: ALL PRAISE AND GLORY BE TO GOD WHO,...


All praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His might, hath
delivered His creation from the nakedness of non-existence, and clothed it
with the mantle of life. From among all created things He hath singled out
for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested
it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness
of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed
away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of
the vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him. It hath
served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.

This robe with which the body and soul of man hath been adorned is the
very foundation of his well-being and development. Oh, how blessed the day
when, aided by the grace and might of the one true God, man will have
freed himself from the bondage and corruption of the world and all that is
therein, and will have attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the
shadow of the Tree of Knowledge!

The songs which the bird of thine heart had uttered in its great love for
its friends have reached their ears, and moved Me to answer thy questions,
and reveal to thee such secrets as I am allowed to unfold. In thine
esteemed letter thou hadst inquired which of the Prophets of God should be
regarded as superior to others. Know thou assuredly that the essence of
all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God,
the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers
of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same
secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the
rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His
Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet
gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to comprehend this
truth, and should consequently indulge in vain and unseemly language, no
one whose sight is keen and whose understanding is enlightened would ever
allow such idle talk to cause him to waver in his belief.

The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world,
however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a
distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through
specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear to vary in their
greatness. Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that
sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it
revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor can
never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.

It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the
intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should
rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world.
Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send
to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and
charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the
age in which He appeared. God's purpose in sending His Prophets unto men
is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness
of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The
second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all
the means by which they can be established.

The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to
foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the
spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity. To
none is given the right to question their words or disparage their
conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the
patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however
acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom
and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained. Little wonder,
then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not
be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before. How could
it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every
stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the
Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of
the Day Star of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its
peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted
the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to
scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of
their own knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets,
therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed,
inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the
erring, and give peace to the afflicted.... These are not days of
prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold
ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine
which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.

And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know
thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human
temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of
mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its
robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath
fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age
requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation
hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age
in which it hath appeared.

As to thy question regarding the sayings of the leaders of past religions.
Every wise and praiseworthy man will no doubt eschew such vain and
profitless talk. The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one
same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His
creatures. Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon
man's own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his
progress. We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God
may cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil of
men's hearts, and may wash them from all earthly defilements.





XXXV: PONDER A WHILE. WHAT IS IT THAT PROMPTED,...


Ponder a while. What is it that prompted, in every Dispensation, the
peoples of the earth to shun the Manifestation of the All-Merciful? What
could have impelled them to turn away from Him and to challenge His
authority? Were men to meditate on these words which have flowed from the
Pen of the Divine Ordainer, they would, one and all, hasten to embrace the
truth of this God-given, and ever-enduring Revelation, and would testify
to that which He Himself hath solemnly affirmed. It is the veil of idle
imaginations which, in the days of the Manifestations of the Unity of God
and the Day Springs of His everlasting glory, hath intervened, and will
continue to intervene, between them and the rest of mankind. For in those
days, He Who is the Eternal Truth manifesteth Himself in conformity with
that which He Himself hath purposed, and not according to the desires and
expectations of men. Even as He hath revealed: "So oft, then, as an
Apostle cometh to you with that which your souls desire not, do ye swell
with pride, and treat some as impostors, and slay others."

There can be no doubt whatever that had these Apostles appeared, in bygone
ages and cycles, in accordance with the vain imaginations which the hearts
of men had devised, no one would have repudiated the truth of these
sanctified Beings. Though such men have been, night and day, remembering
the one true God, and have been devoutly engaged in the exercise of their
devotions, yet they failed in the end to recognize, and partake of the
grace of, the Day Springs of the signs of God and the Manifestations of
His irrefutable evidences. To this the Scriptures bear witness. Thou hast,
no doubt, heard about it.

Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men
of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised
One, have nevertheless denied Him. Both Annas, the most learned among the
divines of His day, and Caiaphas, the high priest, denounced Him and
pronounced the sentence of His death.

In like manner, when Muhammad, the Prophet of God--may all men be a
sacrifice unto Him--appeared, the learned men of Mecca and Medina arose, in
the early days of His Revelation, against Him and rejected His Message,
while they who were destitute of all learning recognized and embraced His
Faith. Ponder a while. Consider how Balal, the Ethiopian, unlettered
though he was, ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude, whilst
'Abdu'llah Ubayy, a leader among the learned, maliciously strove to oppose
Him. Behold, how a mere shepherd was so carried away by the ecstasy of the
words of God that he was able to gain admittance into the habitation of
his Best-Beloved, and was united to Him Who is the Lord of Mankind, whilst
they who prided themselves on their knowledge and wisdom strayed far from
His path and remained deprived of His grace. For this reason He hath
written: "He that is exalted among you shall be abased, and he that is
abased shall be exalted." References to this theme are to be found in most
of the heavenly Books, as well as in the sayings of the Prophets and
Messengers of God.

Verily I say, such is the greatness of this Cause that the father flieth
from his son, and the son flieth from his father. Call ye to mind the
story of Noah and Canaan. God grant that, in these days of heavenly
delight, ye may not deprive yourselves of the sweet savors of the
All-Glorious God, and may partake, in this spiritual Springtime, of the
outpourings of His grace. Arise in the name of Him Who is the Object of
all knowledge, and, with absolute detachment from the learning of men,
lift up your voices and proclaim His Cause. I swear by the Day Star of
Divine Revelation! The very moment ye arise, ye will witness how a flood
of Divine knowledge will gush out of your hearts, and will behold the
wonders of His heavenly wisdom manifested in all their glory before you.
Were ye to taste of the sweetness of the sayings of the All-Merciful, ye
would unhesitatingly forsake your selves, and would lay down your lives
for the Well-Beloved.

Who can ever believe that this Servant of God hath at any time cherished
in His heart a desire for any earthly honor or benefit? The Cause
associated with His Name is far above the transitory things of this world.
Behold Him, an exile, a victim of tyranny, in this Most Great Prison. His
enemies have assailed Him on every side, and will continue to do so till
the end of His life. Whatever, therefore, He saith unto you is wholly for
the sake of God, that haply the peoples of the earth may cleanse their
hearts from the stain of evil desire, may rend its veil asunder, and
attain unto the knowledge of the one true God--the most exalted station to
which any man can aspire. Their belief or disbelief in My Cause can
neither profit nor harm Me. We summon them wholly for the sake of God. He,
verily, can afford to dispense with all creatures.





XXXVI: KNOW THOU THAT WHEN THE SON OF MAN...


Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole
creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a
fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as
witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee.
The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning
which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have
produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but
manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His
all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.

We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His
glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the
leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward
were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the
blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.

Leprosy may be interpreted as any veil that interveneth between man and
the recognition of the Lord, his God. Whoso alloweth himself to be shut
out from Him is indeed a leper, who shall not be remembered in the Kingdom
of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We bear witness that through the
power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was
healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the
world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned
towards Him.





XXXVII: BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT HATH ACKNOWLEDGED...


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

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

Whoso hath not recognized this sublime and fundamental verity, and hath
failed to attain this most exalted station, the winds of doubt will
agitate him, and the sayings of the infidels will distract his soul. He
that hath acknowledged this principle will be endowed with the most
perfect constancy. All honor to this all-glorious station, the remembrance
of which adorneth every exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching which God
bestoweth on you, a teaching that will deliver you from all manner of
doubt and perplexity, and enable you to attain unto salvation in both this
world and in the next. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Bountiful.





XXXVIII: KNOW OF A CERTAINTY THAT IN EVERY DISPENSATION...


Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of Divine
Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in direct proportion to their
spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it
appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase
as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to
adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it
declineth until it reacheth its setting point. Were it, all of a sudden,
to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause
injury to all created things.... In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were
suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full
measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath
bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be
consumed; for men's hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its
revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light.
Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.





XXXIX: PRAISE BE TO THEE, O LORD MY GOD, FOR THE...


Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for the wondrous revelations of Thy
inscrutable decree and the manifold woes and trials Thou hast destined for
Myself. At one time Thou didst deliver Me into the hands of Nimrod; at
another Thou hast allowed Pharaoh's rod to persecute Me. Thou, alone,
canst estimate, through Thine all-encompassing knowledge and the operation
of Thy Will, the incalculable afflictions I have suffered at their hands.
Again Thou didst cast Me into the prison-cell of the ungodly, for no
reason except that I was moved to whisper into the ears of the
well-favored denizens of Thy Kingdom an intimation of the vision with
which Thou hadst, through Thy knowledge, inspired Me, and revealed to Me
its meaning through the potency of Thy might. And again Thou didst decree
that I be beheaded by the sword of the infidel. Again I was crucified for
having unveiled to men's eyes the hidden gems of Thy glorious unity, for
having revealed to them the wondrous signs of Thy sovereign and
everlasting power. How bitter the humiliations heaped upon Me, in a
subsequent age, on the plain of Karbila! How lonely did I feel amidst Thy
people! To what a state of helplessness I was reduced in that land!
Unsatisfied with such indignities, My persecutors decapitated Me, and,
carrying aloft My head from land to land paraded it before the gaze of the
unbelieving multitude, and deposited it on the seats of the perverse and
faithless. In a later age, I was suspended, and My breast was made a
target to the darts of the malicious cruelty of My foes. My limbs were
riddled with bullets, and My body was torn asunder. Finally, behold how,
in this Day, My treacherous enemies have leagued themselves against Me,
and are continually plotting to instill the venom of hate and malice into
the souls of Thy servants. With all their might they are scheming to
accomplish their purpose.... Grievous as is My plight, O God, My
Well-Beloved, I render thanks unto Thee, and My Spirit is grateful for
whatsoever hath befallen me in the path of Thy good-pleasure. I am well
pleased with that which Thou didst ordain for Me, and welcome, however
calamitous, the pains and sorrows I am made to suffer.





XL: O MY WELL-BELOVED! THOU HAST BREATHED THY...


O My Well-Beloved! Thou hast breathed Thy Breath into Me, and divorced Me
from Mine own Self. Thou didst, subsequently, decree that no more than a
faint reflection, a mere emblem of Thy Reality within Me be left among the
perverse and envious. Behold, how, deluded by this emblem, they have risen
against Me, and heaped upon Me their denials! Uncover Thy Self, therefore,
O My Best-Beloved, and deliver Me from My plight.

Thereupon a Voice replied: "I love, I dearly cherish this emblem. How can
I consent that Mine eyes, alone, gaze upon this emblem, and that no heart
except Mine heart recognize it? By My Beauty, which is the same as Thy
Beauty! My wish is to hide Thee from Mine own eyes: how much more from the
eyes of men!"

I was preparing to make reply, when lo, the Tablet was suddenly ended,
leaving My theme unfinished, and the pearl of Mine utterance unstrung.





XLI: GOD IS MY WITNESS, O PEOPLE! I WAS ASLEEP...


God is My witness, O people! I was asleep on My couch, when lo, the Breeze
of God wafting over Me roused Me from My slumber. His quickening Spirit
revived Me, and My tongue was unloosed to voice His Call. Accuse Me not of
having transgressed against God. Behold Me, not with your eyes but with
Mine. Thus admonisheth you He Who is the Gracious, the All-Knowing. Think
ye, O people, that I hold within My grasp the control of God's ultimate
Will and Purpose? Far be it from Me to advance such claim. To this I
testify before God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. Had the ultimate destiny of God's Faith been in Mine hands, I
would have never consented, even though for one moment, to manifest Myself
unto you, nor would I have allowed one word to fall from My lips. Of this
God Himself is, verily, a witness.





XLII: O SON OF JUSTICE! IN THE NIGHT SEASON THE...


O Son of Justice! In the night season the beauty of the immortal Being
hath repaired from the emerald height of fidelity unto the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha, and wept with such a weeping that the Concourse on high
and the dwellers of the realms above wailed at His lamenting. Whereupon
there was asked, Why the wailing and weeping? He made reply: As bidden I
waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them
that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity. Then summoned to return I
beheld, and lo! certain doves of holiness were sore tried within the claws
of the dogs of earth. Thereupon the Maid of Heaven hastened forth unveiled
and resplendent from Her mystic mansion, and asked of their names, and all
were told but one. And when urged, the first letter thereof was uttered,
whereupon the dwellers of the celestial chambers rushed forth out of their
habitation of glory. And whilst the second letter was pronounced they fell
down, one and all, upon the dust. At that moment a voice was heard from
the inmost shrine: "Thus far and no farther." Verily, We bear witness unto
that which they have done, and now are doing.





XLIII: O AFNAN, O THOU THAT HAST BRANCHED FROM...


O Afnan, O thou that hast branched from Mine ancient Stock! My glory and
My loving-kindness rest upon thee. How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause
of God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth,
and will, erelong, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its
shelter. Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the
testimony of the bounties vouchsafed unto thee. Arise for the triumph of
My Cause, and, through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of
men. Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and the
well-being of the miserable and the down-trodden. Gird up the loins of
thine endeavor, that perchance thou mayest release the captive from his
chains, and enable him to attain unto true liberty.

Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath
the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face
of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. Through the movement of Our Pen
of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a
new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh
potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide
regeneration. This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by
the Pen of this wronged One to mankind. Wherefore fear ye, O My
well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you? A touch of moisture
sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse
generation is molded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to
scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people....

Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels
which the Pen of this wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme
animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its
peoples. Arise, O people, and, by the power of God's might, resolve to
gain the victory over your own selves, that haply the whole earth may be
freed and sanctified from its servitude to the gods of its idle
fancies--gods that have inflicted such loss upon, and are responsible for
the misery of, their wretched worshipers. These idols form the obstacle
that impedeth man in his efforts to advance in the path of perfection. We
cherish the hope that the Hand of Divine power may lend its assistance to
mankind, and deliver it from its state of grievous abasement.

In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: O people of God! Do
not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon
that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the
hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy
deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will
ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce
its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is
the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first
choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you.

O friends! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the
gracious favors which in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime are
being showered upon you. The Day Star of His great glory hath shed its
radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed
you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great
a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this,
His new attire. Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait,
ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led
by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the
darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather
than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise
and obstructeth the spiritual progress of the children of men.

It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever
will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just
governments. Through each and every one of the verses which the Pen of the
Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and unity have been unlocked
and flung open to the face of men. We have erewhile declared--and Our Word
is the truth--: "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of
friendliness and fellowship." Whatsoever hath led the children of men to
shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them,
hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished.
From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world
of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down
that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole
human race. The highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever
the peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most
potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the
All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been revealed: "Love
of one's country is an element of the Faith of God." The Tongue of
Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: "It is
not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the
world." Through the power released by these exalted words He hath lent a
fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds of men's hearts, and
hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy
Book.

O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light, and as splendid as the
fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your
love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of
the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot
but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His
creatures from the evil designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over
all things.

All praise be to the one true God--exalted be His glory--inasmuch as He
hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men's
hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining
portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure
and stainless deeds. The summons and the message which We gave were never
intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in
its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and
vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty.
The whole earth is illuminated with the resplendent glory of God's
Revelation. In the year sixty He Who heralded the light of Divine
Guidance--may all creation be a sacrifice unto Him--arose to announce a
fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years
later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of
this promised glory, this wondrous favor. Behold how the generality of
mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most
exalted Word--the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and
spiritual resurrection of all men....

Incline your hearts, O people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your
incomparable Friend. The Word of God may be likened unto a sapling, whose
roots have been implanted in the hearts of men. It is incumbent upon you
to foster its growth through the living waters of wisdom, of sanctified
and holy words, so that its root may become firmly fixed and its branches
may spread out as high as the heavens and beyond.

O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the
preeminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We
have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's holy Book
whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice and mischief amongst
the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential
prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring
unity. Well is it with them that keep My statutes.

Time and again have We admonished Our beloved ones to avoid, nay to flee
from, anything whatsoever from which the odor of mischief can be detected.
The world is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state
of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously
illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover
that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all
conditions. He, verily is the All-Possessing, the Most High.





XLIV: LAY NOT ASIDE THE FEAR OF GOD, O YE THE...


Lay not aside the fear of God, O ye the learned of the world, and judge
fairly the Cause of this unlettered One to Whom all the Books of God, the
Protector, the Self-Subsisting, have testified. ...Will not the dread of
Divine displeasure, the fear of Him Who hath no peer or equal, arouse you?
He Whom the world hath wronged hath, at no time, associated with you, hath
never studied your writings, nor participated in any of your disputations.
The garb He weareth, His flowing locks, His headdress, attest the truth of
His words. How long will ye persist in your injustice? Witness the
habitation in which He, Who is the incarnation of justice, hath been
forced to dwell. Open your eyes, and, beholding His plight, meditate
diligently upon that which your hands have wrought, that haply ye may not
be deprived of the light of His Divine utterance, nor remain bereft of
your share of the ocean of His knowledge.

Certain ones among both commoners and nobles have objected that this
wronged One is neither a member of the ecclesiastical order nor a
descendant of the Prophet. Say: O ye that claim to be just! Reflect a
little while, and ye shall recognize how infinitely exalted is His present
state above the station ye claim He should possess. The Will of the
Almighty hath decreed that out of a house wholly devoid of all that the
divines, the doctors, the sages, and scholars commonly possess His Cause
should proceed and be made manifest.

The Breathings of the Divine Spirit awoke Him, and bade Him arise and
proclaim His Revelation. No sooner was He roused from His slumber than He
lifted up His voice and summoned the whole of mankind unto God, the Lord
of all worlds. We have been moved to reveal these words in consideration
of the weakness and frailty of men; otherwise, the Cause We have
proclaimed is such as no pen can ever describe, nor any mind conceive its
greatness. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book.





XLV: THE ANCIENT BEAUTY HATH CONSENTED TO BE...


The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may
be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner
within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto
true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the
peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with
gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most
Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God,
that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye
might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole
world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him
to dwell within the most desolate of cities!





XLVI: I SORROW NOT FOR THE BURDEN OF MY IMPRISONMENT....


I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither do I grieve over
My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer at the hands of Mine enemies. By
My life! They are My glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own
Self. Would that ye know it!

The shame I was made to bear hath uncovered the glory with which the whole
of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured,
the Day Star of Justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon
men.

My sorrows are for those who have involved themselves in their corrupt
passions, and claim to be associated with the Faith of God, the Gracious,
the All-Praised.

It behoveth the people of Baha to die to the world and all that is
therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of
Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of
sanctity, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize in their faces
the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that through them may be spread
abroad the signs and tokens of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. They that
have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God, by following the things
of the flesh--these are in palpable error!





XLVII: O JEWS! IF YE BE INTENT ON CRUCIFYING ONCE...


O Jews! If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit of God,
put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My person, been made manifest
unto you. Deal with Me as ye wish, for I have vowed to lay down My life in
the path of God. I will fear no one, though the powers of earth and heaven
be leagued against Me. Followers of the Gospel! If ye cherish the desire
to slay Muhammad, the Apostle of God, seize Me and put an end to My life,
for I am He, and My Self is His Self. Do unto Me as ye like, for the
deepest longing of Mine heart is to attain the presence of My Best-Beloved
in His Kingdom of Glory. Such is the Divine decree, if ye know it.
Followers of Muhammad! If it be your wish to riddle with your shafts the
breast of Him Who hath caused His Book the Bayan to be sent down unto you,
lay hands on Me and persecute Me, for I am His Well-Beloved, the
revelation of His own Self, though My name be not His name. I have come in
the shadows of the clouds of glory, and am invested by God with invincible
sovereignty. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. I,
verily, anticipate from you the treatment ye have accorded unto Him that
came before Me. To this all things, verily, witness, if ye be of those who
hearken. O people of the Bayan! If ye have resolved to shed the blood of
Him Whose coming the Bab hath proclaimed, Whose advent Muhammad hath
prophesied, and Whose Revelation Jesus Christ Himself hath announced,
behold Me standing, ready and defenseless, before you. Deal with Me after
your own desires.





XLVIII: GOD IS MY WITNESS! HAD IT NOT BEEN IN...


God is my witness! Had it not been in conflict with that which the Tablets
of God have decreed, I would have gladly kissed the hands of whosoever
attempted to shed my blood in the path of the Well-Beloved. I would,
moreover, have bestowed upon him a share of such worldly goods as God had
allowed me to possess, even though he who perpetrated this act would have
provoked the wrath of the Almighty, incurred His malediction, and deserved
to be tormented throughout the eternity of God, the All-Possessing, the
Equitable, the All-Wise.





XLIX: KNOW VERILY THAT WHENEVER THIS YOUTH...


Know verily that whenever this Youth turneth His eyes towards His own
self, he findeth it the most insignificant of all creation. When He
contemplates, however, the bright effulgences He hath been empowered to
manifest, lo, that self is transfigured before Him into a sovereign
Potency permeating the essence of all things visible and invisible. Glory
be to Him Who, through the power of truth, hath sent down the
Manifestation of His own Self and entrusted Him with His message unto all
mankind.





L: SHAKE OFF, O HEEDLESS ONES, THE SLUMBER OF...


Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold
the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish
are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye who
are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His
effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain
whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power
nor mine to set the time at which it should be made manifest. God's
inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed its hour beforehand. Be content, O people,
with that which God hath desired for you and predestined unto you.... O my
ill-wishers! The Day Star of eternal Guidance beareth me witness: Had it
been in my power, I would have, under no circumstances, consented to
distinguish myself amongst men, for the Name I bear utterly disdaineth to
associate itself with this generation whose tongues are sullied and whose
hearts are false. And whenever I chose to hold my peace and be still, lo,
the voice of the Holy Ghost, standing on my right hand, aroused me, and
the Supreme Spirit appeared before my face, and Gabriel overshadowed me,
and the Spirit of Glory stirred within my bosom, bidding me arise and
break my silence. If your hearing be purged and your ears be attentive, ye
will assuredly perceive that every limb of my body, nay all the atoms of
my being, proclaim and bear witness to this call: "God, besides Whom is
none other God, and He, Whose beauty is now manifest, is the reflection of
His glory unto all that are in heaven and on earth."





LI: O PEOPLE! I SWEAR BY THE ONE TRUE GOD! THIS...


O people! I swear by the one true God! This is the Ocean out of which all
seas have proceeded, and with which every one of them will ultimately be
united. From Him all the Suns have been generated, and unto Him they will
all return. Through His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have
yielded their fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form
of a Prophet, bearing a Message to God's creatures in each of the worlds
whose number God, alone, in His all-encompassing Knowledge, can reckon.
This He hath accomplished through the agency of but one Letter of His
Word, revealed by His Pen--a Pen moved by His directing Finger--His Finger
itself sustained by the power of God's Truth.





LII: SAY: O PEOPLE! WITHHOLD NOT FROM YOURSELVES...


Say: O people! Withhold not from yourselves the grace of God and His
mercy. Whoso withholdeth himself therefrom is indeed in grievous loss.
What, O people! Do ye worship the dust, and turn away from your Lord, the
Gracious, the All-Bountiful? Fear ye God, and be not of those who perish.
Say: The Book of God hath been sent down in the form of this Youth.
Hallowed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of makers! Take ye good
heed, O peoples of the world, lest ye flee from His face. Nay, make haste
to attain His presence, and be of them that have returned unto Him. Pray
to be forgiven, O people, for having failed in your duty towards God, and
for having trespassed against His Cause, and be not of the foolish. He it
is Who hath created you; He it is Who hath nourished your souls through
His Cause, and enabled you to recognize Him Who is the Almighty, the Most
Exalted, the All-Knowing. He it is Who hath unveiled to your eyes the
treasures of His knowledge, and caused you to ascend unto the heaven of
certitude--the certitude of His resistless, His irrefutable, and most
exalted Faith. Beware that ye do not deprive yourselves of the grace of
God, that ye do not bring to naught your works, and do not repudiate the
truth of this most manifest, this lofty, this shining, and glorious
Revelation. Judge ye fairly the Cause of God, your Creator, and behold
that which hath been sent down from the Throne on high, and meditate
thereon with innocent and sanctified hearts. Then will the truth of this
Cause appear unto you as manifest as the sun in its noon-tide glory. Then
will ye be of them that have believed in Him.

Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own
Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to
recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He
hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an
evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the
capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have
fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause
in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He
task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the
All-Merciful.

Say: So great is the glory of the Cause of God that even the blind can
perceive it, how much more they whose sight is sharp, whose vision is
pure. The blind, though unable to perceive the light of the sun, are,
nevertheless, capable of experiencing its continual heat. The blind in
heart, however, among the people of the Bayan--and to this God is My
witness--are impotent, no matter how long the Sun may shine upon them,
either to perceive the radiance of its glory, or to appreciate the warmth
of its rays.

Say: O people of the Bayan! We have chosen you out of the world to know
and recognize Our Self. We have caused you to draw nigh unto the right
side of Paradise--the Spot out of which the undying Fire crieth in manifold
accents: "There is none other God besides Me, the All-Powerful, the Most
High!" Take heed lest ye allow yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from
this Day Star that shineth above the dayspring of the Will of your Lord,
the All-Merciful, and whose light hath encompassed both the small and the
great. Purge your sight, that ye may perceive its glory with your own
eyes, and depend not on the sight of any one except your self, for God
hath never burdened any soul beyond its power. Thus hath it been sent down
unto the Prophets and Messengers of old, and been recorded in all the
Scriptures.

Strive, O people, to gain admittance into this vast Immensity for which
God ordained neither beginning nor end, in which His voice hath been
raised, and over which have been wafted the sweet savors of holiness and
glory. Divest not yourselves of the Robe of grandeur, neither suffer your
hearts to be deprived of remembering your Lord, nor your ears of
hearkening unto the sweet melodies of His wondrous, His sublime, His
all-compelling, His clear, and most eloquent voice.





LIII: O NASIR, O MY SERVANT! GOD, THE ETERNAL...


O Nasir, O My servant! God, the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness. The
Celestial Youth hath, in this Day, raised above the heads of men the
glorious Chalice of Immortality, and is standing expectant upon His seat,
wondering what eye will recognize His glory, and what arm will,
unhesitatingly, be stretched forth to seize the Cup from His snow-white
Hand and drain it. Only a few have as yet quaffed from this peerless, this
soft-flowing grace of the Ancient King. These occupy the loftiest mansions
of Paradise, and are firmly established upon the seats of authority. By
the righteousness of God! Neither the mirrors of His glory, nor the
revealers of His names, nor any created thing, that hath been or will ever
be, can ever excel them, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth.

O Nasir! The excellence of this Day is immensely exalted above the
comprehension of men, however extensive their knowledge, however profound
their understanding. How much more must it transcend the imaginations of
them that have strayed from its light, and been shut out from its glory!
Shouldst thou rend asunder the grievous veil that blindeth thy vision,
thou wouldst behold such a bounty as naught, from the beginning that hath
no beginning till the end that hath no end, can either resemble or equal.
What language should He Who is the Mouthpiece of God choose to speak, so
that they who are shut out as by a veil from Him can recognize His glory?
The righteous, inmates of the Kingdom on high, shall drink deep from the
Wine of Holiness, in My name, the all-glorious. None other besides them
will share such benefits.





LIV: BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, MY WELL-BELOVED!...


By the righteousness of God, my Well-Beloved! I have never aspired after
worldly leadership. My sole purpose hath been to hand down unto men that
which I was bidden to deliver by God, the Gracious, the Incomparable, that
it may detach them from all that pertaineth to this world, and cause them
to attain such heights as neither the ungodly can conceive, nor the
froward imagine.





LV: CALL THOU TO REMEMBRANCE, O LAND OF TA...


Call thou to remembrance, O Land of Ta (Tihran), the former days in which
thy Lord had made thee the seat of His throne, and had enveloped thee with
the effulgence of His glory. How vast the number of those sanctified
beings, those symbols of certitude, who, in their great love for thee,
have laid down their lives and sacrificed their all for thy sake! Joy be
to thee, and blissfulness to them that inhabit thee. I testify that out of
thee, as every discerning heart knoweth, proceedeth the living breath of
Him Who is the Desire of the world. In thee the Unseen hath been revealed,
and out of thee hath gone forth that which lay hid from the eyes of men.
Which one of the multitude of thy sincere lovers shall We remember, whose
blood hath been shed within thy gates, and whose dust is now concealed
beneath thy soil? The sweet savors of God have unceasingly been wafted,
and shall everlastingly continue to be wafted upon thee. Our Pen is moved
to commemorate thee, and to extol the victims of tyranny, those men and
women that sleep beneath thy dust.

Among them is Our own sister, whom We now call to mind as a token of Our
fidelity, and as proof of Our loving-kindness, unto her. How piteous was
her plight! In what a state of resignation she returned to her God! We,
alone, in Our all-encompassing knowledge, have known it.

O Land of Ta! Thou art still, through the grace of God, a center around
which His beloved ones have gathered. Happy are they; happy every refugee
that seeketh thy shelter, in his sufferings in the path of God, the Lord
of this wondrous Day! Blessed are they that remember the one true God,
that magnify His Name, and seek diligently to serve His Cause. It is to
these men that the sacred Books of old have referred. On them hath the
Commander of the Faithful lavished his praise, saying: "The blessedness
awaiting them excelleth the blessedness we now enjoy." He, verily, hath
spoken the truth, and to this We now testify. The glory of their station,
however, is as yet undisclosed. The Hand of Divine power will, assuredly,
lift up the veil, and expose to the sight of men that which shall cheer
and lighten the eye of the world.

Render thanks unto God, the Eternal Truth, exalted be His glory, inasmuch
as ye have attained so wondrous a favor, and been adorned with the
ornament of His praise. Appreciate the value of these days, and cleave to
whatsoever beseemeth this Revelation. He, verily, is the Counsellor, the
Compassionate, the All-Knowing.





LVI: LET NOTHING GRIEVE THEE, O LAND OF TA...


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

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

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





LVII: WHEN THOU ART DEPARTED OUT OF THE COURT OF...


When thou art departed out of the court of My presence, O Muhammad, direct
thy steps towards My House (Ba_gh_dad House), and visit it on behalf of
thy Lord. When thou reachest its door, stand thou before it and say:
Whither is the Ancient Beauty gone, O most great House of God, He through
Whom God hath made thee the cynosure of an adoring world, and proclaimed
thee to be the sign of His remembrance unto all who are in the heavens and
all who are on the earth? Oh! for the former days when thou, O House of
God, wert made His footstool, the days when in ceaseless strains the
melody of the All-Merciful poured forth from thee! What hath become of thy
jewel whose glory hath irradiated all creation? Whither are gone the days
in which He, the Ancient King, had made thee the throne of His glory, the
days in which He had chosen thee alone to be the lamp of salvation between
earth and heaven, and caused thee to diffuse, at dawn and at eventide, the
sweet fragrance of the All-Glorious?

Where, O House of God, is the Sun of majesty and power Who had enveloped
thee with the brightness of His presence? Where is He, the Day Spring of
the tender mercies of thy Lord, the Unconstrained, Who had established His
seat within thy walls? What is it, O throne of God, that hath altered thy
countenance, and made thy pillars to tremble? What could have closed thy
door to the face of them that eagerly seek thee? What hath made thee so
desolate? Couldst thou have been told that the Beloved of the world is
pursued by the swords of His enemies? The Lord bless thee, and bless thy
fidelity unto Him, inasmuch as thou hast remained His companion through
all His sorrows and His sufferings.

I testify that thou art the scene of His transcendent glory, His most holy
habitation. Out of thee hath gone forth the Breath of the All-Glorious, a
Breath that hath breathed over all created things, and filled with joy the
breasts of the devout that dwell in the mansions of Paradise. The
Concourse on high, and they that inhabit the Cities of the Names of God,
weep over thee, and bewail the things that have befallen thee.

Thou art still the symbol of the names and attributes of the Almighty, the
Point towards which the eyes of the Lord of earth and heaven are directed.
There hath befallen thee what hath befallen the Ark in which God's pledge
of security had been made to dwell. Well is it with him that apprehendeth
the intent of these words, and recognizeth the purpose of Him Who is the
Lord of all creation.

Happy are those that inhale from thee the sweet savors of the Merciful,
that acknowledge thine exaltation, that safeguard thy sanctity, that
reverence, at all times, thy station. We implore the Almighty to grant
that the eyes of those who have turned away from thee, and failed to
appreciate thy worth, may be opened, that they may truly recognize thee,
and Him Who, through the power of truth, hath raised thee up on high.
Blind, indeed, are they about thee, and utterly unaware of thee in this
day. Thy Lord is, verily, the Gracious, the Forgiving.

I bear witness that through thee God hath proved the hearts of His
servants. Blessed be the man that directeth his steps toward thee, and
visiteth thee. Woe to him that denieth thy right, that turneth away from
thee, that dishonoreth thy name, and profaneth thy holiness.

Grieve not, O House of God, if the veil of thy sanctity be rent asunder by
the infidels. God hath, in the world of creation, adorned thee with the
jewel of His remembrance. Such an ornament no man can, at any time,
profane. Towards thee the eyes of thy Lord shall, under all conditions,
remain directed. He, verily, will incline His ear to the prayer of every
one that visiteth thee, who will circle around thee, and calleth upon Him
in thy name. He, in truth, is the Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by this House that hath suffered such change in
its separation from Thee, that bewaileth its remoteness from Thy presence,
and lamenteth Thy tribulation, to forgive me, and my parents, and my
kindred, and such of my brethren as have believed in Thee. Grant that all
my needs be satisfied, through Thy bounty, O Thou Who art the King of
Names. Thou art the most Bountiful of the bountiful, the Lord of all
worlds.





LVIII: CALL THOU TO MIND THAT WHICH HATH BEEN...


Call thou to mind that which hath been revealed unto Mihdi, Our servant,
in the first year of Our banishment to the Land of Mystery (Adrianople).
Unto him have We predicted that which must befall Our House (Ba_gh_dad
House), in the days to come, lest he grieve over the acts of robbery and
violence already perpetrated against it. Verily, the Lord, thy God,
knoweth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.

To him We have written: This is not the first humiliation inflicted upon
My House. In days gone by the hand of the oppressor hath heaped
indignities upon it. Verily, it shall be so abased in the days to come as
to cause tears to flow from every discerning eye. Thus have We unfolded to
thee things hidden beyond the veil, inscrutable to all save God, the
Almighty, the All-Praised. In the fullness of time, the Lord shall, by the
power of truth, exalt it in the eyes of all men. He shall cause it to
become the Standard of His Kingdom, the Shrine round which will circle the
concourse of the faithful. Thus hath spoken the Lord, thy God, ere the day
of lamentation arriveth. This revelation have We given thee in Our holy
Tablet, lest thou sorrow for what hath befallen Our House through the
assaults of the enemy. All praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.





LIX: EVERY UNBIASED OBSERVER WILL READILY ADMIT...


Every unbiased observer will readily admit that, ever since the dawn of
His Revelation, this wronged One hath invited all mankind to turn their
faces towards the Day Spring of Glory, and hath forbidden corruption,
hatred, oppression, and wickedness. And yet, behold what the hand of the
oppressor hath wrought! No pen dare describe his tyranny. Though the
purpose of Him Who is the Eternal Truth hath been to confer everlasting
life upon all men, and ensure their security and peace, yet witness how
they have arisen to shed the blood of His loved ones, and have pronounced
on Him the sentence of death.

The instigators of this oppression are those very persons who, though so
foolish, are reputed the wisest of the wise. Such is their blindness that,
with unfeigned severity, they have cast into this fortified and afflictive
Prison Him, for the servants of Whose Threshold the world hath been
created. The Almighty, however, in spite of them and those that have
repudiated the truth of this "Great Announcement," hath transformed this
Prison House into the Most Exalted Paradise, the Heaven of Heavens.

We did not refuse such material benefits as could relieve Us from Our
afflictions. Every one of Our companions, however, will bear Us witness
that Our holy court is sanctified from, and far above, such material
benefits. We have nevertheless accepted, while confined in this Prison,
those things of which the infidels have striven to deprive Us. If a man be
found willing to rear, in Our name, an edifice of pure gold or silver, or
a house begemmed with stones of inestimable value, such a wish will no
doubt be granted. He, verily, doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth that
which He pleaseth. Leave hath, moreover, been given to whosoever may
desire to raise, throughout the length and breadth of this land, noble and
imposing structures, and dedicate the rich and sacred territories
adjoining the Jordan and its vicinity to the worship and service of the
one true God, magnified be His glory, that the prophecies recorded by the
Pen of the Most High in the sacred Scriptures may be fulfilled, and that
which God, the Lord of all worlds, hath purposed in this most exalted,
this most holy, this mighty, and wondrous Revelation may be made manifest.

We have, of old, uttered these words: Spread thy skirt, O Jerusalem!
Ponder this in your hearts, O people of Baha, and render thanks unto your
Lord, the Expounder, the Most Manifest.

Were the mysteries, that are known to none except God, to be unraveled,
the whole of mankind would witness the evidences of perfect and consummate
justice. With a certitude that none can question, all men would cleave to
His commandments, and would scrupulously observe them. We, verily, have
decreed in Our Book a goodly and bountiful reward to whosoever will turn
away from wickedness and lead a chaste and godly life. He, in truth, is
the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful.





LX: MY CAPTIVITY CAN BRING ON ME NO SHAME....


My captivity can bring on Me no shame. Nay, by My life, it conferreth on
Me glory. That which can make Me ashamed is the conduct of such of My
followers as profess to love Me, yet in fact follow the Evil One. They,
indeed, are of the lost.

When the time set for this Revelation was fulfilled, and He Who is the Day
Star of the world appeared in 'Iraq, He bade His followers observe that
which would sanctify them from all earthly defilements. Some preferred to
follow the desires of a corrupt inclination, while others walked in the
way of righteousness and truth, and were rightly guided.

Say: He is not to be numbered with the people of Baha who followeth his
mundane desires, or fixeth his heart on things of the earth. He is My true
follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold, will pass straight
through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause. Such a
man is, assuredly, of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can
inhale the fragrance of sanctity.... And if he met the fairest and most
comely of women, he would not feel his heart seduced by the least shadow
of desire for her beauty. Such an one, indeed, is the creation of spotless
chastity. Thus instructeth you the Pen of the Ancient of Days, as bidden
by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.





LXI: THE WORLD IS IN TRAVAIL, AND ITS AGITATION...


The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is
turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to
disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long
continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear
that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then,
will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise
warble its melody.





LXII: RECALL THOU TO MIND MY SORROWS, MY CARES...


Recall thou to mind My sorrows, My cares and anxieties, My woes and
trials, the state of My captivity, the tears that I have shed, the
bitterness of Mine anguish, and now My imprisonment in this far-off land.
God, O Mustafa, beareth Me witness. Couldst thou be told what hath
befallen the Ancient Beauty, thou wouldst flee into the wilderness, and
weep with a great weeping. In thy grief, thou wouldst smite thyself on the
head, and cry out as one stung by the sting of the adder. Be thou grateful
to God, that We have refused to divulge unto thee the secrets of those
unsearchable decrees that have been sent down unto Us from the heaven of
the Will of thy Lord, the Most Powerful, the Almighty.

By the righteousness of God! Every morning I arose from My bed, I
discovered the hosts of countless afflictions massed behind My door; and
every night when I lay down, lo! My heart was torn with agony at what it
had suffered from the fiendish cruelty of its foes. With every piece of
bread the Ancient Beauty breaketh is coupled the assault of a fresh
affliction, and with every drop He drinketh is mixed the bitterness of the
most woeful of trials. He is preceded in every step He taketh by an army
of unforeseen calamities, while in His rear follow legions of agonizing
sorrows.

Such is My plight, wert thou to ponder it in thine heart. Let not,
however, thy soul grieve over that which God hath rained down upon Us.
Merge thy will in His pleasure, for We have, at no time, desired anything
whatsoever except His Will, and have welcomed each one of His irrevocable
decrees. Let thine heart be patient, and be thou not dismayed. Follow not
in the way of them that are sorely agitated.





LXIII: O THOU WHOSE FACE IS TURNED TOWARDS ME!...


O thou whose face is turned towards Me! As soon as thine eyes behold from
afar My native city (Tihran), stand thou and say: I am come to thee out of
the Prison, O Land of Ta, with tidings from God, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. I announce unto thee, O mother of the world and fountain
of light unto all its peoples, the tender mercies of thy Lord, and greet
thee in the name of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, the Knower of things
unseen. I testify that within thee He Who is the Hidden Name was revealed,
and the Unseen Treasure uncovered. Through thee the secret of all things,
be they of the past or of the future, hath been unfolded.

O Land of Ta! He Who is the Lord of Names remembereth thee in His glorious
station. Thou wert the Day Spring of the Cause of God, the fountain of His
Revelation, the manifestation of His Most Great Name--a Name that hath
caused the hearts and souls of men to tremble. How vast the number of
those men and women, those victims of tyranny, that have, within thy
walls, laid down their lives in the path of God, and been buried beneath
thy dust with such cruelty as to cause every honored servant of God to
bemoan their plight.





LXIV: IT IS OUR WISH TO REMEMBER THE ABODE OF...


It is Our wish to remember the Abode of supreme blissfulness (Tihran), the
holy and shining city--the city wherein the fragrance of the Well-Beloved
hath been shed, wherein His signs have been diffused, wherein the
evidences of His glory have been revealed, wherein His standards have been
raised, wherein His tabernacle hath been pitched, wherein each of His wise
decrees hath been unfolded.

It is the city in which the sweet savors of reunion have breathed, which
have caused the sincere lovers of God to draw nigh unto Him, and to gain
access to the Habitation of holiness and beauty. Happy is the wayfarer
that directeth his steps towards this city, that gaineth admittance into
it, and quaffeth the wine of reunion, through the outpouring grace of his
Lord, the Gracious, the All-Praised.

I am come to thee, O land of the heart's desire, with tidings from God,
and announce to thee His gracious favor and mercy, and greet and magnify
thee in His name. He, in truth, is of immense bounteousness and goodness.
Blessed be the man that turneth his face towards thee, that perceiveth
from thee the fragrance of God's Presence, the Lord of all worlds. His
glory be on thee, and the brightness of His light envelop thee, inasmuch
as God hath made thee a paradise unto His servants, and proclaimed thee to
be the blest and sacred land of which He, Himself, hath made mention in
the Books which His Prophets and Messengers have revealed.

Through thee, O land of resplendent glory, the ensign, "There is none
other God but Him," hath been unfurled, and the standard, "Verily I am the
Truth, the Knower of things unseen," been hoisted. It behoveth every one
that visiteth thee to glory in thee and in them that inhabit thee, that
have branched from My Tree, who are the leaves thereof, who are the signs
of My glory, who follow Me and are My lovers, and who, with the most
mighty determination, have turned their faces in the direction of My
glorious station.





LXV: CALL THOU TO REMEMBRANCE THINE ARRIVAL IN...


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





LXVI: FEAR GOD, YE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY (CONSTANTINOPLE),...


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

Know ye that I am afraid of none except God. In none but Him have I placed
My trust; to none will I cleave but Him, and wish for naught except the
thing He hath wished for Me. This, indeed, is My heart's desire, did ye
but know it. I have offered up My soul and My body as a sacrifice for God,
the Lord of all worlds. Whoso hath known God shall know none but Him, and
he that feareth God shall be afraid of no one except Him, though the
powers of the whole earth rise up and be arrayed against him. I speak
naught except at His bidding, and follow not, through the power of God and
His might, except His truth. He, verily, shall recompense the truthful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





LXVII: THERE HATH APPEARED IN THIS REVELATION...


There hath appeared in this Revelation what hath never appeared before. As
to the infidels that have witnessed what hath been manifested, they murmur
and say: "Verily, this is a sorcerer who hath devised a lie against God."
They are indeed an outcast people.

Tell out to the nations, O Pen of the Ancient of Days, the things that
have happened in 'Iraq. Tell them of the messenger whom the congregation
of the divines of that land had delegated to meet Us, who, when attaining
Our presence, questioned Us concerning certain sciences, and whom We
answered by virtue of the knowledge We inherently possess. Thy Lord is,
verily, the Knower of things unseen. "We testify," said he, "that the
knowledge Thou dost possess is such as none can rival. Such a knowledge,
however, is insufficient to vindicate the exalted station which the people
ascribe to Thee. Produce, if Thou speakest the truth, what the combined
forces of the peoples of the earth are powerless to produce." Thus was it
irrevocably decreed in the court of the presence of thy Lord, the
All-Glorious, the Loving.

"Witness! What is it thou seest?" He was dumbfounded. And when he came to
himself, he said: "I truly believe in God, the All-Glorious, the
All-Praised." "Go thou to the people, and tell them: 'Ask whatsoever ye
please. Powerful is He to do what He willeth. Nothing whatsoever, be it of
the past or of the future, can frustrate His Will.' Say: 'O ye
congregation of the divines! Choose any matter ye desire, and ask your
Lord, the God of Mercy, to reveal it unto you. If He fulfil your wish, by
virtue of His sovereignty, believe ye then in Him, and be not of those
that reject His truth.'" "The dawn of understanding hath now broken," said
he, "and the testimony of the All-Merciful is fulfilled." He arose and
returned unto them that sent him, at the bidding of God, the All-Glorious,
the Well-Beloved.

Days passed and he failed to come back to Us. Eventually, there came
another messenger who informed Us that the people had given up what they
originally had purposed. They are indeed a contemptible people. This is
what happened in 'Iraq, and to what I reveal I Myself am witness. This
happening was noised abroad, yet none was found to comprehend its meaning.
Thus did We ordain it. Would that ye knew this!

By My Self! Whoso hath in bygone ages asked Us to produce the signs of
God, hath, no sooner We revealed them to him, repudiated God's truth. The
people, however, have, for the most part, remained heedless. They whose
eyes are illumined with the light of understanding will perceive the sweet
savors of the All-Merciful, and will embrace His truth. These are they who
are truly sincere.





LXVIII: O THOU WHO ART THE FRUIT OF MY TREE AND...


O thou who art the fruit of My Tree and the leaf thereof! On thee be My
glory and My mercy. Let not thine heart grieve over what hath befallen
thee. Wert thou to scan the pages of the Book of Life, thou wouldst, most
certainly, discover that which would dissipate thy sorrows and dissolve
thine anguish.

Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer,
as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be
obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by
men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it
is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the
harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the
decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce
in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.

The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty
can succeed in averting it.

God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are
associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.

Say: O God, my God! Thou hast committed into mine hands a trust from Thee,
and hast now according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will called it back to
Thyself. It is not for me, who am a handmaid of Thine, to say, whence is
this to me or wherefore hath it happened, inasmuch as Thou art glorified
in all Thine acts, and art to be obeyed in Thy decree. Thine handmaid, O
my Lord, hath set her hopes on Thy grace and bounty. Grant that she may
obtain that which will draw her nigh unto Thee, and will profit her in
every world of Thine. Thou art the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. There is
none other God but Thee, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

Vouchsafe Thy blessings, O Lord, my God, unto them that have quaffed the
wine of Thy love before the face of men, and, in spite of Thine enemies,
have acknowledged Thy unity, testified to Thy oneness, and confessed their
belief in that which hath made the limbs of the oppressors among Thy
creatures to quake, and the flesh of the proud ones of the earth to
tremble. I bear witness that Thy Sovereignty can never perish, nor Thy
Will be altered. Ordain for them that have set their faces towards Thee,
and for Thine handmaids that have held fast by Thy Cord, that which
beseemeth the Ocean of Thy bounty and the Heaven of Thy grace.

Thou art He, O God, Who hath proclaimed Himself as the Lord of Wealth, and
characterized all that serve Him as poor and needy. Even as Thou hast
written: "O ye that believe! Ye are but paupers in need of God; but God is
the All-Possessing, the All-Praised." Having acknowledged my poverty, and
recognized Thy wealth, suffer me not to be deprived of the glory of Thy
riches. Thou art, verily, the Supreme Protector, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise.





LXIX: CALL THOU TO MIND THE BEHAVIOR OF A_SH_RAF'S...


Call thou to mind the behavior of A_sh_raf's mother, whose son laid down
his life in the Land of Za (Zanjan). He, most certainly, is in the seat of
truth, in the presence of One Who is the Most Powerful, the Almighty.

When the infidels, so unjustly, decided to put him to death, they sent and
fetched his mother, that perchance she might admonish him, and induce him
to recant his faith, and follow in the footsteps of them that have
repudiated the truth of God, the Lord of all worlds.

No sooner did she behold the face of her son, than she spoke to him such
words as caused the hearts of the lovers of God, and beyond them those of
the Concourse on high, to cry out and be sore pained with grief. Truly,
thy Lord knoweth what My tongue speaketh. He Himself beareth witness to My
words.

And when addressing him she said: "My son, mine own son! Fail not to offer
up thyself in the path of thy Lord. Beware that thou betray not thy faith
in Him before Whose face have bowed down in adoration all who are in the
heavens and all who are on the earth. Go thou straight on, O my son, and
persevere in the path of the Lord, thy God. Haste thee 

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