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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is the Most Glorious.

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

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

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

Tablet To The First Letter Of The
Living

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

In the Name of the Almighty, the Best Beloved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracts From An Epistle To Muḥammad
Sháh

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

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

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

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

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

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

God beareth Me witness, I was not a man of learning, for
I was trained as a merchant. In the year sixty3
God graciously infused my soul with the conclusive evidences and
weighty knowledge which characterize Him Who is the Testimony of
God—may peace be upon Him—until finally in that year I
proclaimed God’s hidden Cause and unveiled its well-guarded
Pillar, in such wise that no one could refute it. ‘That he who
should perish might perish with a clear proof before him and he who
should live might live by clear proof.’4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracts From Another Epistle To
Muḥammad Sháh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracts From A Further Epistle To
Muḥammad Sháh

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

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

On My return from the sacred House of God6
I sent thee a Message similar to, nay even greater than the one I had
previously sent unto thee. Indeed God is the best protector and
witness. I despatched a messenger unto thee with Epistles revealed by
Me, that thou mightest obey the command of God and not be of them
that have repudiated the Truth. The oppressor, however, committed a
thing the like of which no one would commit, not even any of the
wicked, nor anyone among the vile wrong-doers…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Address To A Muslim Divine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of the people of the city have declared: ‘We
are the helpers of God’, but when this Remembrance came
suddenly upon them, they turned aside from helping Us. Verily God is
My Lord and your true Lord, therefore worship Him, while this Path
from ‘Alí [the Báb] is none but the straight
Path13
in the estimation of your Lord. Chapter III.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people
of the world? Nay, the day We cause them to be assailed by the pangs
of death15
they shall, upon the plain of Resurrection, behold how the Lord of
Mercy and His Remembrance were near. Thereupon they shall exclaim:
‘Would that we had followed the path of the Báb! Would
that we had sought refuge only with Him, and not with men of
perversity and error! For verily the Remembrance of God appeared
before us,16
behind us, and on all sides, yet we were, in very truth, shut out as
by a veil from Him.’ Chapter VII.

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

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

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

Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. In
His grasp He holdeth the source of authority, and verily God is
powerful over all things. We have decreed that every long life shall
in truth suffer decline17
and that every hardship shall be followed by ease,18
that perchance men may recognise the Gate of God as He Who is the
eternal Truth, and verily God shall stand as witness unto those that
have believed. Chapter XIII.

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

O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing
ye asked of Him remaineth unanswered, inasmuch as He hath been
commanded by God to observe silence, a silence which is in truth
praiseworthy. We have indeed enabled Thee to truly see in Thy dream a
measure of Our Cause, but wert Thou to acquaint them with the hidden
Mystery, they would dispute its truth among themselves. Verily Thy
Lord, the God of truth, knoweth the very secrets of hearts19 …

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

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

O Peoples of the East and the West! Be ye fearful of God
concerning the Cause of the true Joseph and barter Him not for a
paltry price22
established by yourselves, or for a trifle of your earthly
possessions, that ye may, in very truth, be praised by Him as those
who are reckoned among the pious who stand nigh unto this Gate.
Verily God hath deprived of His grace him who martyred Ḥusayn,
Our forefather, lonely and forsaken as He was upon the land of Táff
[Karbilá]. Yazíd, the son of Mu’áviyih,
out of corrupt desire, bartered away the head of the true Joseph to
the fiendish people for a trifling price and a petty sum from his
property. Verily they repudiated God by committing a grievous error.
Erelong will God wreak His vengeance upon them, at the time of Our
Return, and He hath, in very truth, prepared for them, in the world
to come, a severe torment. Chapter XXI.

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

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

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

The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank,
descend, by the leave of God, upon this Gate24 …’
and circle round this Focal Point in a far-stretching line. Greet
them with salutations, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for the dawn
hath indeed broken; then proclaim unto the concourse of the faithful:
‘Is not the rising of the Morn, foreshadowed in the Mother
Book, to be near at hand?25

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

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

O peoples of the earth! Give ear unto God’s holy
Voice proclaimed by this Arabian Youth Whom the Almighty hath
graciously chosen for His Own Self. He is indeed none other than the
True One, Whom God hath entrusted with this Mission from the midst of
the Burning Bush. O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Unravel what Thou
pleasest from the secrets of the All-Glorious, for the ocean is
surging high28
at the behest of the incomparable Lord. Chapter XXIV.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The infidels, of a truth, seek to separate God from His
Remembrance,36
but God hath determined to perfect His Light37
through His Remembrance, and indeed He is potent over all things…

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

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

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

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

O Peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of
God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book,
that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave
of God, step out of the darkness into the light and onto this
far-extended Path of Truth40 …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The people, during the absence of the Báb,
re-enacted the episode of the Calf by setting up a blaring figure
which embodied animal features in human form45
…

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

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

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

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

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

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

O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Point to Thy truthful
breast through the power of truth and exclaim: I swear by the One
true God, herein lieth the vicegerency of God; I am indeed the One
Who is regarded as the Best Reward51
and I am indeed He Who is the Most Excellent Abode. Chapter LXXII.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding in
blessings56
and beareth witness to the Truth, so that the people may realize that
the conclusive Proof of God in favour of His Remembrance is similar
to the one wherewith Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets, was
invested, and verily great is the Cause as ordained in the Mother
Book. Chapter LXVI.

“This Remembrance is indeed
the glorious Remnant of …”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is no paradise more wondrous for any soul than to
be exposed to God’s Manifestation in His Day, to hear His
verses and believe in them, to attain His presence, which is naught
but the presence of God, to sail upon the sea of the heavenly kingdom
of His good-pleasure, and to partake of the choice fruits of the
paradise of His divine Oneness. II, 16.58

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Twelve hundred and seventy
years have elapsed since …”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The revelation of the Divine
Reality hath everlastingly …”

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

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

“Thou hast asked concerning
the fundamentals …”

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

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

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

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

Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God
which lasted twelve hundred and seventy years67
till the dawn of the manifestation of the Bayán. He directed
everyone to await the advent of the Promised Qá’im. All
deeds which in the Islamic Dispensation began with Muḥammad
should find their consummation through the appearance of the Qá’im.
God hath made Him manifest invested with the proof wherewith the
Apostle of God was invested, so that none of the believers in the
Qur’án might entertain doubts about the validity of His
Cause, for it is set down in the Qur’án that none but
God is capable of revealing verses. During the period of 1270 years
no one among the followers of the Qur’án ever witnessed
a person appearing with conclusive proofs. Now the Ever-Living Lord
hath made manifest and invested with supreme testimony this
long-awaited Promised One from a place no one could imagine and from
a person whose knowledge was deemed of no account. His age is no more
than twenty-five years, yet His glory is such as none of the learned
among the people of Islám can rival; inasmuch as man’s
glory lieth in his knowledge. Behold the learned who are honoured by
virtue of their ability to understand the Holy Writings, and God hath
exalted them to such a degree that in referring to them He saith:
‘None knoweth the meaning thereof except God and them that are
well-grounded in knowledge.’68
How strange then that this twenty-five-year-old untutored one should
be singled out to reveal His verses in so astounding a manner. If the
Muslim divines have cause for pride in understanding the meaning of
the Holy Writings, His glory is in revealing the Writings, that none
of them may hesitate to believe in His Words. So great is the
celestial might and power which God hath revealed in Him that if it
were His will and no break should intervene He could, within the
space of five days and nights, reveal the equivalent of the Qur’án
which was sent down in twenty-three years. Ponder thou and reflect.
Hath anyone like unto Him ever appeared in former times, or is this
characteristic strictly confined unto Him?

“Consider the manifold favours
vouchsafed by the …”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The evidences which the
people demanded from the …”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take ye good heed in your night72
lest ye be a cause of sadness to any soul, whether ye be able to
discover proofs in him or not, that haply on the Day of Resurrection
ye may not grieve Him within Whose grasp lieth every proof. And when
ye do not discern God’s testimony in a person, he will verily
fail in manifesting the power of Truth; and God is sufficient to deal
with him. Indeed on no account should ye sadden any person; surely
God will put him to the proof and bring him to account. It behooveth
you to cling to the testimony of your own Faith and to observe the
ordinances laid down in the Bayán.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Say, every favourable and praiseworthy designation in
the Bayán is but an allusion to those who recognize Him Whom
God shall make manifest, and who believe with certainty in God and in
His holy Writings, while every unfavourable designation therein is
meant to refer to such as repudiate Him Whom God shall make manifest,
though they may act uprightly within the bounds laid down in the
Bayán. Say, if ye embrace the truth on the Day of
Resurrection, God will assuredly pardon you for your night73
and will grant you forgiveness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O Thou who art the chosen one among women!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is the Almighty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Immeasurably glorified and
exalted art Thou. How …”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verily there is no power nor strength except in Thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thine is the absolute authority to command.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thou art God, no God is there but Thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to forgive
me for seeking any pleasure save Thy love, or any comfort except Thy
nearness, or any delight besides Thy good-pleasure, or any existence
other than communion with Thee.

“Thou seest, O my Lord, my
dwelling-place in the heart …”

Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart of
this mountain and Thou dost witness my forbearance. Verily I have
desired naught else but Thy love and the love of those who love Thee.
How can I extol the effulgent beauty of Thy Lordship, conscious as I
am of my nothingness before the habitation of Thy glory? Yet the
sorrow of solitude and loneliness prompteth me to invoke Thee through
this prayer, perchance Thy trusted servants may become aware of my
lamentations, may supplicate unto Thee on my behalf, and Thou wouldst
graciously answer their prayers as a token of Thy grace and Thy
favour. I bear witness that there is no God but Thee, inasmuch as
Thou art invested with sovereignty, grandeur, glory and power which
no one among Thy servants can visualize or comprehend. Indeed Thou
shalt, by virtue of that which is inherent in Thine Essence, ever
remain inscrutable unto all except Thyself.

“Is there any Remover of
difficulties save God? Say: Praised …”

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say:
Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants and all abide by His
bidding!