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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NAPOLEON III

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CZAR ALEXANDER II

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

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

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

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

QUEEN VICTORIA

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

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

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

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

KAISER WILHELM I

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

EMPEROR FRANCIS JOSEPH

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

SULṬÁN ‘ABDU’L-‘AZÍZ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NÁṢIRI’D-DÍN SHÁH

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE RULERS OF AMERICA

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

THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLES IN EVERY LAND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

POPE PIUS IX

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“WHATSOEVER hath been announced in the Books hath…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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