Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
by Bahá’u’lláh, The Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Edition 1, (September 2006)

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Contents


“Blessed is the spot, and the house…”

Blessed is the spot, and the house,
and the place, and the city,
and the heart, and the mountain,
and the refuge, and the cave,
and the valley, and the land,
and the sea, and the island,
and the meadow where mention
of God hath been made,
and His praise glorified.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Intone, O My servant, the verses of
God…”

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee,
as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him,
that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul,
and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber,
the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty
shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth,
and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb.
Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue
of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise
its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation
of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him
Who is the Source of power and wisdom.

—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH


OBLIGATORY PRAYERS


“The daily obligatory prayers are three in
number….”

“The daily obligatory prayers are three in number.
… The believer is entirely free to choose any one of these three
prayers, but is under the obligation of reciting one of them, and in
accordance with any specific directions with which they may be
accompanied.”

—from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

“By ‘morning,’ ‘noon’ and
‘evening,’ mentioned in connection with the Obligatory
Prayers, is meant respectively the intervals between sunrise and
noon, between noon and sunset, and from sunset till two hours after
sunset.”—Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
p. 36


SHORT OBLIGATORY PRAYER

TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AT NOON

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to
know Thee and to worship Thee.

I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to
Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.

There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.


MEDIUM OBLIGATORY PRAYER

TO BE RECITED DAILY, IN THE MORNING, AT NOON, AND IN
THE EVENING

Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while
he washeth, let him say:

Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of
Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall
have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever
doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.

And while washing his face, let him say:

I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it
with the light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to
anyone but Thee.

Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of
Adoration, i.e. Bahjí, Akká), let him say:

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His
are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath
manifested Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on
Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and
the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and
through Whom the call hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven
and on earth: “Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and
heaven, glory and dominion are God’s, the Lord of all men, and
the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below!”

Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the
knees, and say:

Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of
anyone beside me, above my description and the description of all who
are in heaven and all who are on earth!

Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the
face, let him say:

Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching
fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of
those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!

Let him, then, be seated and say:

I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that
Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou
hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened
wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth.
Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones,
whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from
turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of
obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse
these words: “God testifieth that there is none other God but
Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,” it would be
sufficient. And likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to
choose to recite these words: “I bear witness to Thy unity and
Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God
beside Thee.”)

—Bahá’u’lláh


LONG OBLIGATORY PRAYER

TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS

Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up
and turn unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to
the right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the
Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Then let him say:

O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of
the heavens! I beseech Thee by them Who are the Daysprings of Thine
invisible Essence, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my
prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out
from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy
Presence.

Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward
God—blessed and exalted be He—and say:

O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the
nations! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment
to anyone save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement
the whole creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy servant, O my Lord,
and the son of Thy servant. Behold me standing ready to do Thy will
and Thy desire, and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I
implore Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy and the Daystar of Thy grace
to do with Thy servant as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might
which is far above all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by
Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my
God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy
will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy Most
Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only what Thou
didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love.

Let him then kneel, and bowing his forehead to the
ground, let him say:

Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone save
Thyself, and the comprehension of aught else except Thee.

Let him then stand and say:

Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters
whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make
mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.

Let him again raise his hands in supplication, and say:

O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls have
melted, and by the fire of Whose love the whole world hath been set
aflame! I implore Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued
the whole creation, not to withhold from me that which is with Thee,
O Thou Who rulest over all men! Thou seest, O my Lord, this stranger
hastening to his most exalted home beneath the canopy of Thy majesty
and within the precincts of Thy mercy; and this transgressor seeking
the ocean of Thy forgiveness; and this lowly one the court of Thy
glory; and this poor creature the orient of Thy wealth. Thine is the
authority to command whatsoever Thou willest. I bear witness that
Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, and to be obeyed in Thy
behests, and to remain unconstrained in Thy bidding.

Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the
Greatest Name.1
Let him then bend down with hands resting on the knees before
God—blessed and exalted be He—and say:

Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been stirred up
within my limbs and members, in its longing to worship Thee, and in
its yearning to remember Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to
that whereunto the Tongue of Thy Commandment hath testified in the
kingdom of Thine utterance and the heaven of Thy knowledge. I love,
in this state, O my Lord, to beg of Thee all that is with Thee, that
I may demonstrate my poverty, and magnify Thy bounty and Thy riches,
and may declare my powerlessness, and manifest Thy power and Thy
might.

Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in
supplication, and say:

There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Bountiful. There is no God but Thee, the Ordainer, both in the
beginning and in the end. O God, my God! Thy forgiveness hath
emboldened me, and Thy mercy hath strengthened me, and Thy call hath
awakened me, and Thy grace hath raised me up and led me unto Thee.
Who, otherwise, am I that I should dare to stand at the gate of the
city of Thy nearness, or set my face toward the lights that are
shining from the heaven of Thy will? Thou seest, O my Lord, this
wretched creature knocking at the door of Thy grace, and this
evanescent soul seeking the river of everlasting life from the hands
of Thy bounty. Thine is the command at all times, O Thou Who art the
Lord of all names; and mine is resignation and willing submission to
Thy will, O Creator of the heavens!

Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say:

Greater is God than every great one!

Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the
ground, say:

Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh
unto Thee to ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds
of the hearts of them who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door
of Thy gate. I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all
attributes and holy above all names. No God is there but Thee, the
Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.

Let him then seat himself and say:

I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created
things, and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest
Paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the
all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God but
Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the
Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E (Be) have been
joined and knit together. I testify that it is He Whose name hath
been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been
mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of
earth below.

Let him then stand erect and say:

O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible
and invisible! Thou dost perceive my tears and the sighs I utter, and
hearest my groaning, and my wailing, and the lamentation of my heart.
By Thy might! My trespasses have kept me back from drawing nigh unto
Thee; and my sins have held me far from the court of Thy holiness.
Thy love, O my Lord, hath enriched me, and separation from Thee hath
destroyed me, and remoteness from Thee hath consumed me. I entreat
Thee by Thy footsteps in this wilderness, and by the words “Here
am I. Here am I” which Thy chosen Ones have uttered in this
immensity, and by the breaths of Thy Revelation, and the gentle winds
of the Dawn of Thy Manifestation, to ordain that I may gaze on Thy
beauty and observe whatsoever is in Thy Book.

Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend
down with hands resting on the knees, and say:

Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast aided me to
remember Thee and to praise Thee, and hast made known unto me Him Who
is the Dayspring of Thy signs, and hast caused me to bow down before
Thy Lordship, and humble myself before Thy Godhead, and to
acknowledge that which hath been uttered by the Tongue of Thy
grandeur.

Let him then rise and say:

O God, my God! My back is bowed by the burden of my
sins, and my heedlessness hath destroyed me. Whenever I ponder my
evil doings and Thy benevolence, my heart melteth within me, and my
blood boileth in my veins. By Thy Beauty, O Thou the Desire of the
world! I blush to life up my face to Thee, and my longing hands are
ashamed to stretch forth toward the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou seest,
O my God, how my tears prevent me from remembering Thee and from
extolling Thy virtues, O Thou the Lord of the Throne on high and of
earth below! I implore Thee by the signs of Thy Kingdom and the
mysteries of Thy Dominion to do with Thy loved ones as becometh Thy
bounty, O Lord of all being, and is worthy of Thy grace, O King of
the seen and the unseen!

Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and kneel
with his forehead to the ground, and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O our God, that Thou hast sent down
unto us that which draweth us nigh unto Thee, and supplieth us with
every good thing sent down by Thee in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures.
Protect us, we beseech Thee, O my Lord, from the hosts of idle
fancies and vain imaginations. Thou, in truth, art the Mighty, the
All-Knowing.

Let him then raise his head, and seat himself, and say:

I testify, O my God, to that whereunto Thy chosen Ones
have testified, and acknowledge that which the inmates of the
all-highest Paradise and those who have circled round Thy mighty
Throne have acknowledged. The kingdoms of earth and heaven are Thine,
O Lord of the worlds!

—Bahá’u’lláh


GENERAL PRAYERS


AID AND ASSISTANCE


“O Thou Whose face is the object of my
adoration,…”

O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose
beauty is my sanctuary, Whose habitation is my goal, Whose praise is
my hope, Whose providence is my companion, Whose love is the cause of
my being, Whose mention is my solace, Whose nearness is my desire,
Whose presence is my dearest wish and highest aspiration, I entreat
Thee not to withhold from me the things Thou didst ordain for the
chosen ones among Thy servants. Supply me, then, with the good of
this world and of the next.

Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no God
but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“My God, my Adored One, my King, my
Desire!…”

My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire! What tongue
can voice my thanks to Thee? I was heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I
had turned back from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn
towards Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water
of life. I was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly
stream of Thine utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the
All-Merciful.

O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy
bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do
Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid
and assist me at all times and under all conditions, and seek from
the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor. Thou art, in truth, the
Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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 favors. Verily, Thou art the Lord of grace abounding.

—The Báb


“Lord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor;
poor,…”

Lord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor; poor, bestow
upon us a share from the ocean of Thy wealth; needy, do Thou satisfy
us; abased, give us Thy glory. The fowls of the air and the beasts of
the field receive their meat each day from Thee, and all beings
partake of Thy care and loving-kindness.

Deprive not this feeble one of Thy wondrous grace and
vouchsafe by Thy might unto this helpless soul Thy bounty.

Give us our daily bread, and grant Thine increase in the
necessities of life, that we may be dependent on none other but Thee,
may commune wholly with Thee, may walk in Thy ways and declare Thy
mysteries. Thou art the Almighty and the Loving and the Provider of
all mankind.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of
Thy…”

O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of Thy Threshold,
taking shelter at Thy holy Door. We seek no refuge save only this
strong pillar, turn nowhere for a haven but unto Thy safekeeping.
Protect us, bless us, support us, make us such that we shall love but
Thy good pleasure, utter only Thy praise, follow only the pathway of
truth, that we may become rich enough to dispense with all save Thee,
and receive our gifts from the sea of Thy beneficence, that we may
ever strive to exalt Thy Cause and to spread Thy sweet savors far and
wide, that we may become oblivious of self and occupied only with
Thee, and disown all else and be caught up in Thee.

O Thou Provider, O Thou Forgiver! Grant us Thy grace and
loving-kindness, Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and sustain us, that we
may attain our goal. Thou art the Powerful, the Able, the Knower, the
Seer; and, verily, Thou art the Generous, and, verily, Thou art the
All-Merciful, and, verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, He to Whom
repentance is due, He Who forgiveth even the most grievous of sins.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“Remove not, O Lord, the festal board that
hath…”

Remove not, O Lord, the festal board that hath been
spread in Thy Name, and extinguish not the burning flame that hath
been kindled by Thine unquenchable fire. Withhold not from flowing
that living water of Thine that murmureth with the melody of Thy
glory and Thy remembrance, and deprive not Thy servants from the
fragrance of Thy sweet savors breathing forth the perfume of Thy
love.

Lord! Turn the distressing cares of Thy holy ones into
ease, their hardship into comfort, their abasement into glory, their
sorrow into blissful joy, O Thou that holdest in Thy grasp the reins
of all mankind!

Thou art, verily, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


PRAYER FOR AMERICA


“O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is
turning…”

O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee.
These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are
exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this
American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it
has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government
victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of
the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to
become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations
of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and
is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through
Thy bounty and bestowal.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


ASSISTANCE WITH TESTS


“Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy
generosity,…”

Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity, O God,
my God, and banish mine anguish through Thy sovereignty and Thy
might. Thou seest me, O my God, with my face set towards Thee at a
time when sorrows have compassed me on every side. I implore Thee, O
Thou Who art the Lord of all being, and overshadowest all things
visible and invisible, by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued the
hearts and the souls of men, and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy
mercy and the splendors of the Daystar of Thy bounty, to number me
with them whom nothing whatsoever hath deterred from setting their
faces toward Thee, O Thou Lord of all names and Maker of the heavens!

Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which have
befallen me in Thy days. I entreat Thee, by Him Who is the Dayspring
of Thy names and the Dawning-Place of Thine attributes, to ordain for
me what will enable me to arise to serve Thee and to extol Thy
virtues. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, Who art
wont to answer the prayers of all men!

And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy
countenance to bless my affairs, and redeem my debts, and satisfy my
needs. Thou art He to Whose power and to Whose dominion every tongue
hath testified, and Whose majesty and Whose sovereignty every
understanding heart hath acknowledged. No God is there but Thee, Who
hearest and art ready to answer.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I entreat Thee
by the sighing of Thy lovers and by the tears shed by them that long
to behold Thee, not to withhold from me Thy tender mercies in Thy
Day, nor to deprive me of the melodies of the Dove that extolleth Thy
oneness before the light that shineth from Thy face. I am the one who
is in misery, O God! Behold me cleaving fast to Thy Name, the
All-Possessing. I am the one who is sure to perish; behold me
clinging to Thy Name, the Imperishable. I implore Thee, therefore, by
Thy Self, the Exalted, the Most High, not to abandon me unto mine own
self and unto the desires of a corrupt inclination. Hold Thou my hand
with the hand of Thy power, and deliver me from the depths of my
fancies and idle imaginings, and cleanse me of all that is abhorrent
unto Thee.

Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee, to put my
whole trust in Thee, to seek Thee as my Refuge, and to flee unto Thy
face. Thou art, verily, He Who, through the power of His might, doeth
whatsoever He desireth, and commandeth, through the potency of His
will, whatsoever He chooseth. None can withstand the operation of Thy
decree; none can divert the course of Thine appointment. Thou art, in
truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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!

—The Báb


“Say: God sufficeth all things above all
things,…”

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

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


“O Lord, my God and my Haven in my
distress!…”

O Lord, my God and my Haven in my distress! My Shield
and my Shelter in my woes! My Asylum and Refuge in time of need and
in my loneliness my Companion! In my anguish my Solace, and in my
solitude a loving Friend! The Remover of the pangs of my sorrows and
the Pardoner of my sins!

Wholly unto Thee do I turn, fervently imploring Thee
with all my heart, my mind and my tongue, to shield me from all that
runs counter to Thy will in this, the cycle of Thy divine unity, and
to cleanse me of all defilement that will hinder me from seeking,
stainless and unsullied, the shade of the tree of Thy grace.

Have mercy, O Lord, on the feeble, make whole the sick,
and quench the burning thirst.

Gladden the bosom wherein the fire of Thy love doth
smolder, and set it aglow with the flame of Thy celestial love and
spirit.

Robe the tabernacles of divine unity with the vesture of
holiness, and set upon my head the crown of Thy favor.

Illumine my face with the radiance of the orb of Thy
bounty, and graciously aid me in ministering at Thy holy threshold.

Make my heart overflow with love for Thy creatures and
grant that I may become the sign of Thy mercy, the token of Thy
grace, the promoter of concord amongst Thy loved ones, devoted unto
Thee, uttering Thy commemoration and forgetful of self but ever
mindful of what is Thine.

O God, my God! Stay not from me the gentle gales of Thy
pardon and grace, and deprive me not of the wellsprings of Thine aid
and favor.

‘Neath the shade of Thy protecting wings let me
nestle, and cast upon me the glance of Thine all-protecting eye.

Loose my tongue to laud Thy name amidst Thy people, that
my voice may be raised in great assemblies and from my lips may
stream the flood of Thy praise.

Thou art, in all truth, the Gracious, the Glorified, the
Mighty, the Omnipotent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“He is the Compassionate, the
All-Bountiful!…”

He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O God, my
God! Thou seest me, Thou knowest me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge.
None have I sought nor any will I seek save Thee; no path have I
trodden nor any will I tread but the path of Thy love. In the
darksome night of despair, my eye turneth expectant and full of hope
to the morn of Thy boundless favor and at the hour of dawn my
drooping soul is refreshed and strengthened in remembrance of Thy
beauty and perfection. He whom the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though
he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and the merest
atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth, shall
shine even as the radiant star.

Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of purity,
Thou Who art the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled
servant of Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast
and firm in Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird attain a
refuge and shelter in Thy divine nest that abideth upon the celestial
tree.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire!
Befriend…”

O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire! Befriend me in my
loneliness and accompany me in my exile. Remove my sorrow. Cause me
to be devoted to Thy beauty. Withdraw me from all else save Thee.
Attract me through Thy fragrances of holiness. Cause me to be
associated in Thy Kingdom with those who are severed from all else
save Thee, who long to serve Thy sacred threshold and who stand to
work in Thy Cause. Enable me to be one of Thy maidservants who have
attained to Thy good pleasure. Verily, Thou art the Gracious, the
Generous.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


CHILDREN AND YOUTH


“Praised be Thou, O Lord my God!
Graciously…”

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Graciously grant that
this infant be fed from the breast of Thy tender mercy and loving
providence and be nourished with the fruit of Thy celestial trees.
Suffer him not to be committed to the care of anyone save Thee,
inasmuch as Thou, Thyself, through the potency of Thy sovereign will
and power, didst create and call him into being. There is none other
God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Lauded art Thou, O my Best Beloved, waft over him the
sweet savors of Thy transcendent bounty and the fragrances of Thy
holy bestowals. Enable him then to seek shelter beneath the shadow of
Thy most exalted Name, O Thou Who holdest in Thy grasp the kingdom of
names and attributes. Verily, Thou art potent to do what Thou
willest, and Thou art indeed the Mighty, the Exalted, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious, the Generous, the Merciful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O Thou peerless Lord! Let this suckling
babe…”

O Thou peerless Lord! Let this suckling babe be nursed
from the breast of Thy loving-kindness, guard it within the cradle of
Thy safety and protection and grant that it be reared in the arms of
Thy tender affection.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom
of…”

O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of Thy love,
and give it milk from the breast of Thy Providence. Cultivate this
fresh plant in the rose garden of Thy love and aid it to grow through
the showers of Thy bounty. Make it a child of the kingdom, and lead
it to Thy heavenly realm. Thou art powerful and kind, and Thou art
the Bestower, the Generous, the Lord of surpassing bounty.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God! Educate these children. These
children…”

O God! Educate these children. These children are the
plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy
garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine
upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that
they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost
beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children
are…”

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the
handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy
greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to
be educated and enable them to render service to the world of
humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured
within the shell of Thy loving-kindness.

Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Lord! Make these children excellent
plants….”

O Lord! Make these children excellent plants. Let them
grow and develop in the Garden of Thy Covenant, and bestow freshness
and beauty through the outpourings of the clouds of the Abhá
Kingdom.

O Thou kind Lord! I am a little child, exalt me by
admitting me to the kingdom. I am earthly, make me heavenly; I am of
the world below, let me belong to the realm above; gloomy, suffer me
to become radiant; material, make me spiritual, and grant that I may
manifest Thine infinite bounties.

Thou art the Powerful, the All-Loving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“He is God! O God my God! Bestow upon
me…”

He is God! O God my God! Bestow upon me a pure heart,
like unto a pearl.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, guide me, protect me, make of me
a…”

O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp
and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord! O my Lord!…”

O my Lord! O my Lord!

I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast
of Thy mercy, train me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the
school of Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy bounty.
Deliver me from darkness, make me a brilliant light; free me from
unhappiness, make me a flower of the rose garden; suffer me to become
a servant of Thy threshold and confer upon me the disposition and
nature of the righteous; make me a cause of bounty to the human
world, and crown my head with the diadem of eternal life.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Seer, the
Hearer.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Peerless Lord! Be Thou a shelter for
this…”

O Peerless Lord! Be Thou a shelter for this poor child
and a kind and forgiving Master unto this erring and unhappy soul. O
Lord! Though we are but worthless plants, yet we belong to Thy garden
of roses. Though saplings without leaves and blossoms, yet we are a
part of Thine orchard. Nurture this plant then through the
outpourings of the clouds of Thy tender mercy and quicken and refresh
this sapling through the reviving breath of Thy spiritual springtime.
Suffer him to become heedful, discerning and noble, and grant that he
may attain eternal life and abide in Thy Kingdom for evermore.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and
confer…”

O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty
upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added
strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter
of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote
himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the
hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be
blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the
Powerful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


FOR THE DEPARTED


“O my God! This is Thy servant and the son
of…”

(The Prayer for the Dead is to be used for Bahá’ís
over the age of fifteen. “It is the only Bahá’í
obligatory prayer which is to be recited in congregation; it is to be
recited by one believer while all present stand. There is no
requirement to face the Qiblih when reciting this prayer.”—A
Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas)

O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant
who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and set his face towards
Thee, wholly detached from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of
those who show mercy the most merciful.

Deal with him, O Thou Who forgivest the sins of men and
concealest their faults, as beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and
the ocean of Thy grace. Grant him admission within the precincts of
Thy transcendent mercy that was before the foundation of earth and
heaven. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Generous.

Let him, then, repeat six times the greeting
“Alláh-u-Abhá,” and then repeat nineteen
times each of the following verses:

We all, verily, worship God.

We all, verily, bow down before God.

We all, verily, are devoted unto God.

We all, verily, give praise unto God.

We all, verily, yield thanks unto God.

We all, verily, are patient in God.

(If the dead be a woman, let him say: This is Thy
handmaiden and the daughter of Thy handmaiden, etc. …)

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! Abase
not…”

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! Abase not him whom Thou
hast exalted through the power of Thine everlasting sovereignty, and
remove not far from Thee him whom Thou hast caused to enter the
tabernacle of Thine eternity. Wilt Thou cast away, O my God, him whom
Thou hast overshadowed with Thy Lordship, and wilt Thou turn away
from Thee, O my Desire, him to whom Thou hast been a refuge? Canst
Thou degrade him whom Thou hast uplifted, or forget him whom Thou
didst enable to remember Thee?

Glorified, immensely glorified art Thou! Thou art He Who
from everlasting hath been the King of the entire creation and its
Prime Mover, and Thou wilt to everlasting remain the Lord of all
created things and their Ordainer. Glorified art Thou, O my God! If
Thou ceasest to be merciful unto Thy servants, who, then, will show
mercy unto them; and if Thou refusest to succor Thy loved ones, who
is there that can succor them?

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou! Thou art
adored in Thy truth, and Thee do we all, verily, worship; and Thou
art manifest in Thy justice, and to Thee do we all, verily, bear
witness. Thou art, in truth, beloved in Thy grace. No God is there
but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of
loving-kindness…”

He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of loving-kindness
and bounty!

Glory be unto Thee, Thou, O my God, the Lord Omnipotent.
I testify to Thine omnipotence and Thy might, Thy sovereignty and Thy
loving-kindness, Thy grace and Thy power, the oneness of Thy Being
and the unity of Thine Essence, Thy sanctity and exaltation above the
world of being and all that is therein.

O my God! Thou seest me detached from all save Thee,
holding fast unto Thee and turning unto the ocean of Thy bounty, to
the heaven of Thy favor, to the Daystar of Thy grace.

Lord! I bear witness that in Thy servant Thou hast
reposed Thy Trust, and that is the Spirit wherewith Thou hast given
life to the world.

I ask of Thee by the splendor of the Orb of Thy
Revelation, mercifully to accept from him that which he hath achieved
in Thy days. Grant then that he may be invested with the glory of Thy
good-pleasure and adorned with Thine acceptance.

O my Lord! I myself and all created things bear witness
unto Thy might, and I pray Thee not to turn away from Thyself this
spirit that hath ascended unto Thee, unto Thy heavenly place, Thine
exalted Paradise and Thy retreats of nearness, O Thou who art the
Lord of all men!

Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant may consort with
Thy chosen ones, Thy saints and Thy Messengers in heavenly places
that the pen cannot tell nor the tongue recount.

O my Lord, the poor one hath verily hastened unto the
Kingdom of Thy wealth, the stranger unto his home within Thy
precincts, he that is sore athirst to the heavenly river of Thy
bounty. Deprive him not, O Lord, from his share of the banquet of Thy
grace and from the favor of Thy bounty. Thou art in truth the
Almighty, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful.

O my God, Thy Trust hath been returned unto Thee. It
behooveth Thy grace and Thy bounty that have compassed Thy dominions
on earth and in heaven, to vouchsafe unto Thy newly welcomed one Thy
gifts and Thy bestowals, and the fruits of the tree of Thy grace!
Powerful art Thou to do as Thou willest, there is none other God but
Thee, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful, the Compassionate, the
Bestower, the Pardoner, the Precious, the All-Knowing.

I testify, O my Lord, that Thou hast enjoined upon men
to honor their guest, and he that hath ascended unto Thee hath verily
reached Thee and attained Thy Presence. Deal with him then according
to Thy grace and bounty! By Thy glory, I know of a certainty that
Thou wilt not withhold Thyself from that which Thou hast commanded
Thy servants, nor wilt Thou deprive him that hath clung to the cord
of Thy bounty and hath ascended to the Dayspring of Thy wealth.

There is none other God but Thee, the One, the Single,
the Powerful, the Omniscient, the Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins,
bestower…”

O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower of gifts,
dispeller of afflictions!

Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as
have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the
spiritual world.

O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their
sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter
the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and
grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my God! O my God! Verily, Thy
servant,…”

O my God! O my God! Verily, Thy servant, humble before
the majesty of Thy divine supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy
oneness, hath believed in Thee and in Thy verses, hath testified to
Thy word, hath been enkindled with the fire of Thy love, hath been
immersed in the depths of the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been
attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied upon Thee, hath turned his face
unto Thee, hath offered his supplications to Thee, and hath been
assured of Thy pardon and forgiveness. He hath abandoned this mortal
life and hath flown to the kingdom of immortality, yearning for the
favor of meeting Thee.

O Lord, glorify his station, shelter him under the
pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, cause him to enter Thy glorious
paradise, and perpetuate his existence in Thine exalted rose garden,
that he may plunge into the sea of light in the world of mysteries.

Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Powerful, the
Forgiver and the Bestower.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou forgiving Lord! Although some souls
have…”

O Thou forgiving Lord!

Although some souls have spent the days of their lives
in ignorance, and became estranged and contumacious, yet, with one
wave from the ocean of Thy forgiveness, all those encompassed by sin
will be set free. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou makes a confidant, and
whosoever is not the object of Thy choice is accounted a
transgressor. Shouldst Thou deal with us with Thy justice, we are all
naught but sinners and deserving to be shut out from Thee, but
shouldst Thou uphold mercy, every sinner would be made pure and every
stranger a friend. Bestow, then, Thy forgiveness and pardon, and
grant Thy mercy unto all.

Thou art the Forgiver, the Lightgiver and the Omnipotent

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


DETACHMENT


“Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto
Thee,…”

Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to
abide within the precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee
hath well-nigh consumed me. Cause me to rest under the shadow of the
wings of Thy grace, for the flame of my separation from Thee hath
melted my heart within me. Draw me nearer unto the river that is life
indeed, for my soul burneth with thirst in its ceaseless search after
Thee. My sighs, O my God, proclaim the bitterness of mine anguish,
and the tears I shed attest my love for Thee.

I beseech Thee, by the praise wherewith Thou praisest
Thyself and the glory wherewith Thou glorifiest Thine own Essence, to
grant that we may be numbered among them that have recognized Thee
and acknowledged Thy sovereignty in Thy days. Help us then to quaff,
O my God, from the fingers of mercy the living waters of Thy
loving-kindness, that we may utterly forget all else except Thee, and
be occupied only with Thy Self. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou
willest. No God is there beside Thee, the Mighty, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting.

Glorified be Thy name, O Thou Who art the King of all
Kings!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield
Thee…”

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee thanks that
Thou hast made known unto me Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy mercy,
and the Dawning-Place of Thy grace, and the Repository of Thy Cause.
I beseech Thee by Thy Name, through which the faces of them that are
nigh unto Thee have turned white, and the hearts of such as are
devoted to Thee have winged their flight towards Thee, to grant that
I may, at all times and under all conditions, lay hold on Thy cord,
and be rid of all attachment to anyone except Thee, and may keep mine
eyes directed towards the horizon of Thy Revelation, and may carry
out what Thou hast prescribed unto me in Thy Tablets.

Attire, O my Lord, both my inner and outer being with
the raiment of Thy favors and Thy loving-kindness. Keep me safe,
then, from whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee, and graciously
assist me and my kindred to obey Thee, and to shun whatsoever may
stir up any evil or corrupt desire within me.

Thou, truly, art the Lord of all mankind, and the
Possessor of this world and of the next. No God is there save Thee,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat
Thee…”

Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee by the
fragrances of the Raiment of Thy grace which at Thy bidding and in
conformity with Thy desire were diffused throughout the entire
creation, and by the Daystar of Thy will that hath shone brightly,
through the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, above the
horizon of Thy mercy, to blot out from my heart all idle fancies and
vain imaginings, that with all my affections I may turn unto Thee, O
Thou Lord of all mankind!

I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, O my God! I
have laid hold on the handle of Thy grace, and clung to the cord of
Thy tender mercy. Ordain for me the good things that are with Thee,
and nourish me from the Table Thou didst send down out of the clouds
of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy favor.

Thou, in very truth, art the Lord of the worlds, and the
God of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath
been…”

Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been set ablaze
with the fire of Thy Cause, and many a slumberer hath been wakened by
the sweetness of Thy voice. How many are the strangers who have
sought shelter beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness, and how
numerous the thirsty ones who have panted after the fountain of Thy
living waters in Thy days!

Blessed is he that hath set himself towards Thee, and
hasted to attain the Dayspring of the lights of Thy face. Blessed is
he who with all his affections hath turned to the Dawning-Place of
Thy Revelation and the Fountainhead of Thine inspiration. Blessed is
he that hath expended in Thy path what Thou didst bestow upon him
through Thy bounty and favor. Blessed is he who, in his sore longing
after Thee, hath cast away all else except Thyself. Blessed is he who
hath enjoyed intimate communion with Thee, and rid himself of all
attachment to anyone save Thee.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Him Who is Thy Name, Who,
through the power of Thy sovereignty and might, hath risen above the
horizon of His prison, to ordain for everyone what becometh Thee and
beseemeth Thine exaltation.

Thy might, in truth, is equal to all things.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“I know not, O my God, what the Fire is
which…”

I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which Thou didst
kindle in Thy land. Earth can never cloud its splendor, nor water
quench its flame. All the peoples of the world are powerless to
resist its force. Great is the blessedness of him that hath drawn
nigh unto it, and heard its roaring.

Some, O my God, Thou didst, through Thy strengthening
grace, enable to approach it, while others Thou didst keep back by
reason of what their hands have wrought in Thy days. Whoso hath
hasted towards it and attained unto it hath, in his eagerness to gaze
on Thy beauty, yielded his life in Thy path, and ascended unto Thee,
wholly detached from aught else except Thyself.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by this Fire which blazeth
and rageth in the world of creation, to rend asunder the veils that
have hindered me from appearing before the throne of Thy majesty, and
from standing at the door of Thy gate. Do Thou ordain for me, O my
Lord, every good thing Thou didst send down in Thy Book, and suffer
me not to be far removed from the shelter of Thy mercy.

Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art,
verily, the All-Powerful, the Most Generous.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one
of…”

Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one of Thy servants,
who hath believed on Thee and on Thy signs. Thou seest how I have set
myself towards the door of Thy mercy, and turned my face in the
direction of Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee, by Thy most
excellent titles and Thy most exalted attributes, to open to my face
the portals of Thy bestowals. Aid me, then, to do that which is good,
O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names and attributes!

I am poor, O my Lord, and Thou art the Rich. I have set
my face towards Thee, and detached myself from all but Thee. Deprive
me not, I implore Thee, of the breezes of Thy tender mercy, and
withhold not from me what Thou didst ordain for the chosen among Thy
servants.

Remove the veil from mine eyes, O my Lord, that I may
recognize what Thou hast desired for Thy creatures, and discover, in
all the manifestations of Thy handiwork, the revelations of Thine
almighty power. Enrapture my soul, O my Lord, with Thy most mighty
signs, and draw me out of the depths of my corrupt and evil desires.
Write down, then, for me the good of this world and of the world to
come. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but
Thee, the All-Glorious, Whose help is sought by all men.

I yield Thee thanks, O my Lord, that Thou hast wakened
me from my sleep, and stirred me up, and created in me the desire to
perceive what most of Thy servants have failed to apprehend. Make me
able, therefore, O my Lord, to behold, for love of Thee and for the
sake of Thy pleasure, whatsoever Thou hast desired. Thou art He to
the power of Whose might and sovereignty all things testify.

There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the
Beneficent.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“In the Name of thy Lord, the Creator, the
Sovereign,…”

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 favors. Thou art the Lord of
bounty and grace, invincible in Thy power and the most skillful 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.

—The Báb


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

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

O Lord! Whether traveling 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.

—The Báb


“O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my…”

O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my Beloved, my
highest Aim and Desire! With great humbleness and entire devotion I
pray to Thee to make me a minaret of Thy love in Thy land, a lamp of
Thy knowledge among Thy creatures, and a banner of divine bounty in
Thy dominion.

Number me with such of Thy servants as have detached
themselves from everything but Thee, have sanctified themselves from
the transitory things of this world, and have freed themselves from
the promptings of the voicers of idle fancies.

Let my heart be dilated with joy through the spirit of
confirmation from Thy kingdom, and brighten my eyes by beholding the
hosts of divine assistance descending successively upon me from the
kingdom of Thine omnipotent glory.

Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the
All-Powerful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of
detachment…”

O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from
all things, and in the assembly of Thy splendors and bestowals,
rejoice me with the wine of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of
passion and desire, break off from me the shackles of this nether
world, draw me with rapture unto Thy supernal realm, and refresh me
amongst the handmaids with the breathings of Thy holiness.

O Lord, brighten Thou my face with the lights of Thy
bestowals, light Thou mine eyes with beholding the signs of Thine
all-subduing might; delight my heart with the glory of Thy knowledge
that encompasseth all things, gladden Thou my soul with Thy
soul-reviving tidings of great joy, O Thou King of this world and the
Kingdom above, O Thou Lord of dominion and might, that I may spread
abroad Thy signs and tokens, and proclaim Thy Cause, and promote Thy
Teachings, and serve Thy Law and exalt Thy Word.

Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Ever-Giving, the
Able, the Omnipotent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


EVENING


“O my God, my Master, the Goal of my
desire!…”

O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire! This, Thy
servant, seeketh to sleep in the shelter of Thy mercy, and to repose
beneath the canopy of Thy grace, imploring Thy care and Thy
protection.

I beg of Thee, O my Lord, by Thine eye that sleepeth
not, to guard mine eyes from beholding aught beside Thee. Strengthen,
then, their vision that they may discern Thy signs, and behold the
Horizon of Thy Revelation. Thou art He before the revelations of
Whose omnipotence the quintessence of power hath trembled.

No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Subduing, the Unconditioned.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“How can I choose to sleep, O God, my
God,…”

How can I choose to sleep, O God, my God, when the eyes
of them that long for Thee are wakeful because of their separation
from Thee; and how can I lie down to rest whilst the souls of Thy
lovers are sore vexed in their remoteness from Thy presence?

I have committed, O my Lord, my spirit and my entire
being into the right hand of Thy might and Thy protection, and I lay
my head on my pillow through Thy power, and lift it up according to
Thy will and Thy good pleasure. Thou art, in truth, the Preserver,
the Keeper, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

By Thy might! I ask not, whether sleeping or waking, but
that which Thou dost desire. I am Thy servant and in Thy hands. Do
Thou graciously aid me to do what will shed forth the fragrance of
Thy good pleasure. This, truly, is my hope and the hope of them that
enjoy near access to Thee. Praised be Thou, O Lord of the worlds!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O Lord, I have turned my face unto Thy
kingdom…”

O seeker of Truth! If thou desirest that God may open
thine eye, thou must supplicate unto God, pray to and commune with
Him at midnight, saying:

O Lord, I have turned my face unto Thy kingdom of
oneness and am immersed in the sea of Thy mercy. O Lord, enlighten my
sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night, and make me happy
by the wine of Thy love in this wonderful age. O Lord, make me hear
Thy call, and open before my face the doors of Thy heaven, so that I
may see the light of Thy glory and become attracted to Thy beauty.

Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Generous, the Merciful,
the Forgiving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


FAMILIES


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

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 Judgment 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 instill into them. Verily, Thou
art the Lord of righteousness, the Most Exalted.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


“O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation
Thou…”

O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept
the intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one
of the special infinite bestowals of this Dispensation. Therefore, O
Thou kind Lord, accept the request of this Thy servant at the
threshold of Thy singleness and submerge his father in the ocean of
Thy grace, because this son hath arisen to render Thee service and is
exerting effort at all times in the pathway of Thy love. Verily, Thou
art the Giver, the Forgiver and the Kind!

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is
calling…”

O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is calling upon Thee,
trusting in Thee, turning her face unto Thee, imploring Thee to shed
Thy heavenly bounties upon her, and to disclose unto her Thy
spiritual mysteries, and to cast upon her the lights of Thy Godhead.

O my Lord! Make the eyes of my husband to see. Rejoice
Thou his heart with the light of the knowledge of Thee, draw Thou his
mind unto Thy luminous beauty, cheer Thou his spirit by revealing
unto him Thy manifest splendors.

O my Lord! Lift Thou the veil from before his sight.
Rain down Thy plenteous bounties upon him, intoxicate him with the
wine of love for Thee, make him one of Thy angels whose feet walk
upon this earth even as their souls are soaring through the high
heavens. Cause him to become a brilliant lamp, shining out with the
light of Thy wisdom in the midst of Thy people.

Verily, Thou art the Precious, the Ever-Bestowing, the
Open of Hand.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I
thank…”

My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank Thee for
that whereby Thou hast favored Thine humble maidservant, Thy slave
beseeching and supplicating Thee, because Thou hast verily guided her
unto Thine obvious Kingdom and caused her to hear Thine exalted Call
in the contingent world and to behold Thy Signs which prove the
appearance of Thy victorious reign over all things.

O my Lord, I dedicate that which is in my womb unto
Thee. Then cause it to be a praiseworthy child in Thy Kingdom and a
fortunate one by Thy favor and Thy generosity; to develop and to grow
up under the charge of Thine education. Verily, Thou art the
Gracious! Verily, Thou art the Lord of Great Favor!

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


FIRMNESS IN THE COVENANT


“Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and
the…”

Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and the Maker of
nations, and the Fashioner of every moldering bone! I pray Thee, by
Thy Name through which Thou didst call all mankind unto the horizon
of Thy majesty and glory, and didst guide Thy servants to the court
of Thy grace and favors, to number me with such as have rid
themselves from everything except Thyself, and have set themselves
towards Thee, and have not been kept back by such misfortunes as were
decreed by Thee, from turning in the direction of Thy gifts.

I have laid hold, O my Lord, on the handle of Thy
bounty, and clung steadfastly to the hem of the robe of Thy favor.
Send down, then, upon me, out of the clouds of Thy generosity, what
will purge out from me the remembrance of anyone except Thee, and
make me able to turn unto Him Who is the Object of the adoration of
all mankind, against Whom have been arrayed the stirrers of sedition,
who have broken Thy covenant, and disbelieved in Thee and in Thy
signs.

Deny me not, O my Lord, the fragrances of Thy raiment in
Thy days, and deprive me not of the breathings of Thy Revelation at
the appearance of the splendors of the light of Thy face. Powerful
art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Naught can resist Thy will, nor
frustrate what Thou hast purposed by Thy power.

No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is the Mighty, the Pardoner, the
Compassionate!…”

He is the Mighty, the Pardoner, the Compassionate!

O God, my God! Thou beholdest Thy servants in the abyss
of perdition and error; where is Thy light of divine guidance, O Thou
the Desire of the world? Thou knowest their helplessness and their
feebleness; where is Thy power, O Thou in Whose grasp lie the powers
of heaven and earth?

I ask Thee, O Lord my God, by the splendor of the lights
of Thy loving-kindness and the billows of the ocean of Thy knowledge
and wisdom and by Thy Word wherewith Thou hast swayed the peoples of
Thy dominion, to grant that I may be one of them that have observed
Thy bidding in Thy Book. And do Thou ordain for me that which Thou
hast ordained for Thy trusted ones, them that have quaffed the wine
of divine inspiration from the chalice of Thy bounty and hastened to
do Thy pleasure and observe Thy Covenant and Testament. Powerful art
Thou to do as Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Decree for me, by Thy bounty, O Lord, that which shall
prosper me in this world and hereafter and shall draw me nigh unto
Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all men. There is none other God but
Thee, the One, the Mighty, the Glorified.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy
path…”

Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy path and strengthen
Thou our hearts in Thine obedience. Turn our faces toward the beauty
of Thy oneness, and gladden our bosoms with the signs of Thy divine
unity. Adorn our bodies with the robe of Thy bounty, and remove from
our eyes the veil of sinfulness, and give us the chalice of Thy
grace; that the essence of all beings may sing Thy praise before the
vision of Thy grandeur. Reveal then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful
utterance and the mystery of Thy divine being, that the holy ecstasy
of prayer may fill our souls—a prayer that shall rise above
words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and
sounds—that all things may be merged into nothingness before
the revelation of Thy splendor.

Lord! These are servants that have remained fast and
firm in Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, that have held fast unto the
cord of constancy in Thy Cause and clung unto the hem of the robe of
Thy grandeur. Assist them, O Lord, with Thy grace, confirm with Thy
power and strengthen their loins in obedience to Thee.

Thou art the Pardoner, the Gracious.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee
for…”

O compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee for Thou hast
awakened and made me conscious. Thou hast given me a seeing eye and
favored me with a hearing ear, hast led me to Thy kingdom and guided
me to Thy path. Thou hast shown me the right way and caused me to
enter the ark of deliverance. O God! Keep me steadfast and make me
firm and staunch. Protect me from violent tests, and preserve and
shelter me in the strongly fortified fortress of Thy Covenant and
Testament. Thou art the Powerful. Thou art the Seeing. Thou art the
Hearing.

O Thou the Compassionate God. Bestow upon me a heart
which, like unto glass, may be illumined with the light of Thy love,
and confer upon me thoughts which may change this world into a rose
garden through the outpourings of heavenly grace.

Thou art the Compassionate, the Merciful. Thou art the
Great Beneficent God.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy…”

O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy loved ones to be
steadfast in Thy mighty Covenant, to remain faithful to Thy manifest
Cause, and to carry out the commandments Thou didst set down for them
in Thy Book of Splendors; that they may become banners of guidance
and lamps of the Company above, wellsprings of Thine infinite wisdom,
and stars that lead aright, as they shine down from the supernal sky.

Verily, art Thou the Invincible, the Almighty, the
All-Powerful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


FORGIVENESS


“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
beseech…”

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy
Chosen Ones, and by the Bearers of Thy Trust, and by Him Whom Thou
hast ordained to be the Seal of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers,
to let Thy remembrance be my companion, and Thy love my aim, and Thy
face my goal, and Thy name my lamp, and Thy wish my desire, and Thy
pleasure my delight.

I am a sinner, O my Lord, and Thou art the
Ever-Forgiving. As soon as I recognized Thee, I hastened to attain
the exalted court of Thy loving-kindness. Forgive me, O my Lord, my
sins which have hindered me from walking in the ways of Thy good
pleasure, and from attaining the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness.

There is no one, O my Lord, who can deal bountifully
with me to whom I can turn my face, and none who can have compassion
on me that I may crave his mercy. Cast me not out, I implore Thee, of
the presence of Thy grace, neither do Thou withhold from me the
outpourings of Thy generosity and bounty. Ordain for me, O my Lord,
what Thou hast ordained for them that love Thee, and write down for
me what Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. My gaze hath, at
all times, been fixed on the horizon of Thy gracious providence, and
mine eyes bent upon the court of Thy tender mercies. Do with me as
beseemeth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the God of power, the God
of glory, Whose help is implored by all men.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“I am he, O my Lord, that hath set his face
towards…”

I am he, O my Lord, that hath set his face towards Thee,
and fixed his hope on the wonders of Thy grace and the revelations of
Thy bounty. I pray Thee that Thou wilt not suffer me to turn away
disappointed from the door of Thy mercy, nor abandon me to such of
Thy creatures as have repudiated Thy Cause.

I am, O my God, Thy servant and the son of Thy servant.
I have recognized Thy truth in Thy days, and have directed my steps
towards the shores of Thy oneness, confessing Thy singleness,
acknowledging Thy unity, and hoping for Thy forgiveness and pardon.
Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest; no God is there beside
Thee, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face…”

Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face turned towards
the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy favor, withdrawn from
all else beside Thee. I ask of Thee, by the splendors of the Sun of
Thy revelation on Sinai, and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy grace
which shineth from the horizon of Thy Name, the Ever-Forgiving, to
grant me Thy pardon and to have mercy upon me. Write down, then, for
me with Thy pen of glory that which will exalt me through Thy Name in
the world of creation. Aid me, O my Lord, to set myself towards Thee,
and to hearken unto the voice of Thy loved ones, whom the powers of
the earth have failed to weaken, and the dominion of the nations has
been powerless to withhold from Thee, and who, advancing towards
Thee, have said: “God is our Lord, the Lord of all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth!”

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I venture
to make mention of Thee, I am held back by my mighty sins and
grievous trespasses against Thee, and find myself wholly deprived of
Thy grace, and utterly powerless to celebrate Thy praise. My great
confidence in Thy bounty, however, reviveth my hope in Thee, and my
certitude that Thou wilt bountifully deal with me emboldeneth me to
extol Thee, and to ask of Thee the things Thou dost possess.

I implore Thee, O my God, by Thy mercy that hath
surpassed all created things, and to which all that are immersed
beneath the oceans of Thy names bear witness, not to abandon me unto
my self, for my heart is prone to evil. Guard me, then, within the
stronghold of Thy protection and the shelter of Thy care. I am he, O
my God, whose only wish is what Thou hast determined by the power of
Thy might. All I have chosen for myself is to be assisted by Thy
gracious appointments and the ruling of Thy will, and to be aided
with the tokens of Thy decree and judgment.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the hearts
which long for Thee, by the Manifestations of Thy Cause and the
Daysprings of Thine inspiration, and the Exponents of Thy majesty,
and the Treasuries of Thy knowledge, not to suffer me to be deprived
of Thy holy Habitation, Thy Fane and Thy Tabernacle. Aid me, O my
Lord, to attain His hallowed court, and to circle round His person,
and to stand humbly at His door.

Thou art He Whose power is from everlasting to
everlasting. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge. Thou art, verily, the
God of power, the God of glory and wisdom.

Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God
of…”

Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God of all things,
my Glory and the Glory of all things, my Desire and the Desire of all
things, my Strength and the Strength of all things, my King and the
King of all things, my Possessor and the Possessor of all things, my
Aim and the Aim of all things, my Mover and the Mover of all things!
Suffer me not, I implore Thee, to be kept back from the ocean of Thy
tender mercies, nor to be far removed from the shores of nearness to
Thee.

Aught else except Thee, O my Lord, profiteth me not, and
near access to anyone save Thyself availeth me nothing. I entreat
Thee by the plenteousness of Thy riches, whereby Thou didst dispense
with all else except Thyself, to number me with such as have set
their faces towards Thee, and arisen to serve Thee.

Forgive, then, O my Lord, Thy servants and Thy
handmaidens. Thou, truly, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Compassionate.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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 daytime 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.

—The Báb


“O Thou forgiving Lord! Thou art the
shelter…”

O Thou forgiving Lord! Thou art the shelter of all these
Thy servants. Thou knowest the secrets and art aware of all things.
We are all helpless, and Thou art the Mighty, the Omnipotent. We are
all sinners, and Thou art the Forgiver of sins, the Merciful, the
Compassionate. O Lord! Look not at our shortcomings. Deal with us
according to Thy grace and bounty. Our shortcomings are many, but the
ocean of Thy forgiveness is boundless. Our weakness is grievous, but
the evidences of Thine aid and assistance are clear. Therefore,
confirm and strengthen us. Enable us to do that which is worthy of
Thy holy Threshold. Illumine our hearts, grant us discerning eyes and
attentive ears. Resuscitate the dead and heal the sick. Bestow wealth
upon the poor and give peace and security to the fearful. Accept us
in Thy kingdom and illumine us with the light of guidance. Thou are
the Powerful and the Omnipotent. Thou art the Generous. Thou art the
Clement. Thou art the Kind.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


THE FUND


“O God, my God! Illumine the brows of
Thy…”

All the friends of God … should contribute to the
extent possible, however modest their offering may be. God doth not
burden a soul beyond its capacity. Such contributions must come from
all centers and all believers. … O Friends of God! Be ye assured
that in place of these contributions, your agriculture, your
industry, and your commerce will be blessed by manifold increases,
with goodly gifts and bestowals. He who cometh with one goodly deed
will receive a tenfold reward. There is no doubt that the living Lord
will abundantly confirm those who expend their wealth in His path.

O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy true lovers,
and support them with angelic hosts of certain triumph. Set firm
their feet on Thy straight path, and out of Thine ancient bounty open
before them the portals of Thy blessings; for they are expending on
Thy pathway what Thou hast bestowed upon them, safeguarding Thy
Faith, putting their trust in their remembrance of Thee, offering up
their hearts for love of Thee, and withholding not what they possess
in adoration for Thy Beauty and in their search for ways to please
Thee.

O my Lord! Ordain for them a plenteous share, a destined
recompense and sure reward.

Verily, Thou art the Sustainer, the Helper, the
Generous, the Bountiful, the Ever-Bestowing.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


HEALING


“O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the
ocean…”

O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of Thy
healing, and by the splendors of the Daystar of Thy grace, and by Thy
Name through which Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by the
pervasive power of Thy most exalted Word and the potency of Thy most
august Pen, and by Thy mercy that hath preceded the creation of all
who are in heaven and on earth, to purge me with the waters of Thy
bounty from every affliction and disorder, and from all weakness and
feebleness.

Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at the door
of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his hopes on Thee clinging to the
cord of Thy generosity. Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the things he
seeketh from the ocean of Thy grace and the Daystar of Thy
loving-kindness.

Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is
none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and
remembrance…”

Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of
Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is
my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both
this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the
All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Thy
Name, through which Thou didst lift up the ensigns of Thy guidance,
and didst shed the radiance of Thy loving-kindness, and didst reveal
the sovereignty of Thy Lordship; through which the lamp of Thy names
hath appeared within the niche of Thine attributes, and He Who is the
Tabernacle of Thy unity and the Manifestation of detachment hath
shone forth; through which the ways of Thy guidance were made known,
and the paths of Thy good pleasure were marked out; through which the
foundations of error have been made to tremble, and the signs of
wickedness have been abolished; through which the fountains of wisdom
have burst forth, and the heavenly table hath been sent down; through
which Thou didst preserve Thy servants and didst vouchsafe Thy
healing; through which Thou didst show forth Thy tender mercies unto
Thy servants and revealedst Thy forgiveness amidst Thy creatures—I
implore Thee to keep safe him who hath held fast and returned unto
Thee, and clung to Thy mercy, and seized the hem of Thy loving
providence. Send down, then, upon him Thy healing, and make him
whole, and endue him with a constancy vouchsafed by Thee, and a
tranquillity bestowed by Thy highness.

Thou art, verily, the Healer, the Preserver, the Helper,
the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I
implore…”

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy
Most Great Name through which Thou didst stir up Thy servants and
build up Thy cities, and by Thy most excellent titles, and Thy most
august attributes, to assist Thy people to turn in the direction of
Thy manifold bounties, and set their faces towards the Tabernacle of
Thy wisdom. Heal Thou the sicknesses that have assailed the souls on
every side, and have deterred them from directing their gaze towards
the Paradise that lieth in the shelter of Thy shadowing Name, which
Thou didst ordain to be the King of all names unto all who are in
heaven and all who are on earth. Potent art Thou to do as pleaseth
Thee. In Thy hands is the empire of all names. There is none other
God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.

I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have clung to the
hem of Thy riches. I am sore sick; I have held fast the cord of Thy
healing. Deliver me from the ills that have encircled me, and wash me
thoroughly with the waters of Thy graciousness and mercy, and attire
me with the raiment of wholesomeness, through Thy forgiveness and
bounty. Fix, then, mine eyes upon Thee, and rid me of all attachment
to aught else except Thyself. Aid me to do what Thou desirest, and to
fulfill what Thou pleasest.

Thou art truly the Lord of this life and of the next.
Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of Thee by Thy
Name through which He Who is Thy Beauty hath been stablished upon the
throne of Thy Cause, and by Thy Name through which Thou changest all
things, and gatherest together all things, and callest to account all
things, and rewardest all things, and preservest all things, and
sustainest all things—I beg of Thee to guard this handmaiden
who hath fled for refuge to Thee, and hath sought the shelter of Him
in Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put her whole trust and
confidence in Thee.

She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath the
shadow of the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted, and hath fled to the
City of Thy protection; diseased, and hath sought the Fountainhead of
Thy favors; sorely vexed, and hath hasted to attain the Wellspring of
Thy tranquillity; burdened with sin, and hath set her face toward the
court of Thy forgiveness.

Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness,
O my God and my Beloved, with the raiment of Thy balm and Thy
healing, and make her quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors.
Protect her, moreover, from every affliction and ailment, from all
pain and sickness, and from whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee.

Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all else
except Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the All-Sufficing, the
Preserver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


THE LONG HEALING PRAYER

He is the Healer, the Sufficer, the Helper, the
All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

I call on Thee O Exalted One, O Faithful One, O Glorious
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Sovereign, O Upraiser, O Judge! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!

I call on Thee O Peerless One, O Eternal One, O Single
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Praised One, O Holy One, O Helping
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Omniscient, O Most Wise, O Most Great
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Clement One, O Majestic One, O
Ordaining One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Beloved One, O Cherished One, O
Enraptured One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Mightiest One, O Sustaining One, O
Potent One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Ruling One, O Self-Subsisting, O
All-Knowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Spirit, O Light, O Most Manifest One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Frequented by all, O Thou Known to
all, O Thou Hidden from all! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing,
Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Concealed One, O Triumphant One, O
Bestowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Almighty, O Succoring One, O Concealing
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Fashioner, O Satisfier, O Uprooter!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Rising One, O Gathering One, O Exalting
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Perfecting One, O Unfettered One, O
Bountiful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Beneficent One, O Withholding One, O
Creating One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding,
O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Sublime One, O Beauteous One, O
Bounteous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Just One, O Gracious One, O Generous
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O All-Compelling, O Ever-Abiding, O Most
Knowing One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding,
O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Magnificent One, O Ancient of Days, O
Magnanimous One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Well-guarded One, O Lord of Joy, O
Desired One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding,
O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Kind to all, O Thou Compassionate
with all, O Most Benevolent One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the
Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Haven for all, O Shelter to all, O
All-Preserving One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Succorer of all, O Thou Invoked by
all, O Quickening One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Unfolder, O Ravager, O Most Clement
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou my Soul, O Thou my Beloved, O Thou
my Faith! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Quencher of thirsts, O Transcendent
Lord, O Most Precious One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou
the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Greatest Remembrance, O Noblest Name, O
Most Ancient Way! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Most Lauded, O Most Holy, O Sanctified
One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Unfastener, O Counselor, O Deliverer!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Friend, O Physician, O Captivating One!
Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou
Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Glory, O Beauty, O Bountiful One! Thou
the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding
One!

I call on Thee O the Most Trusted, O the Best Lover, O
Lord of the Dawn! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Enkindler, O Brightener, O Bringer of
Delight! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the Abiding, O
Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Lord of Bounty, O Most Compassionate, O
Most Merciful One! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Constant One, O Life-giving One, O
Source of all Being! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the Healing, Thou the
Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Who penetratest all things, O
All-Seeing God, O Lord of Utterance! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the
Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Manifest yet Hidden, O Unseen yet
Renowned, O Onlooker sought by all! Thou the Sufficing, Thou the
Healing, Thou the Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

I call on Thee O Thou Who slayest the Lovers, O God of
Grace to the wicked!

O Sufficer, I call on Thee, O Sufficer!

O Healer, I call on Thee, O Healer!

O Abider, I call on Thee, O Abider!

Thou the Ever-Abiding, O Thou Abiding One!

Sanctified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy
generosity, whereby the portals of Thy bounty and grace were opened
wide, whereby the Temple of Thy Holiness was established upon the
throne of eternity; and by Thy mercy whereby Thou didst invite all
created things unto the table of Thy bounties and bestowals; and by
Thy grace whereby Thou didst respond, in Thine own Self with Thy word
“Yea!” on behalf of all in heaven and earth, at the hour
when Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur stood revealed, at the
dawn-time when the might of Thy dominion was made manifest. And again
do I beseech Thee, by these most beauteous names, by these most noble
and sublime attributes, and by Thy most Exalted Remembrance, and by
Thy pure and spotless Beauty, and by Thy hidden Light in the most
hidden pavilion, and by Thy Name, cloaked with the garment of
affliction every morn and eve, to protect the bearer of this blessed
Tablet, and whoso reciteth it, and whoso cometh upon it, and whoso
passeth around the house wherein it is. Heal Thou, then, by it every
sick, diseased and poor one, from every tribulation and distress,
from every loathsome affliction and sorrow, and guide Thou by it
whosoever desireth to enter upon the paths of Thy guidance, and the
ways of Thy forgiveness and grace.

Thou art verily the Powerful, the All-Sufficing, the
Healing, the Protector, the Giving, the Compassionate, the
All-Generous, the All-Merciful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


MANKIND


“My God, Whom I worship and adore! I
bear…”

My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear witness unto
Thy unity and Thy oneness, and acknowledge Thy gifts, both in the
past and in the present. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing
showers of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and
the splendors of Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient
and the rebellious.

O God of mercy, before Whose door the quintessence of
mercy hath bowed down, and round the sanctuary of Whose Cause
loving-kindness, in its inmost spirit, hath circled, we beseech Thee,
entreating Thine ancient grace, and seeking Thy present favor, that
Thou mayest have mercy upon all who are the manifestations of the
world of being, and deny them not the outpourings of Thy grace in Thy
days.

All are but poor and needy, and Thou, verily, art the
All-Possessing, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O Thou compassionate Lord, Thou Who
art…”

O Thou compassionate Lord, Thou Who art generous and
able! We are servants of Thine sheltered beneath Thy providence. Cast
Thy glance of favor upon us. Give light to our eyes, hearing to our
ears, and understanding and love to our hearts. Render our souls
joyous and happy through Thy glad tidings. O Lord! Point out to us
the pathway of Thy kingdom and resuscitate all of us through the
breaths of the Holy Spirit. Bestow upon us life everlasting and
confer upon us never-ending honor. Unify mankind and illumine the
world of humanity. May we all follow Thy pathway, long for Thy good
pleasure and seek the mysteries of Thy kingdom. O God! Unite us and
connect our hearts with Thy indissoluble bond. Verily, Thou art the
Giver, Thou art the Kind One and Thou art the Almighty.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Who art
generous…”

O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Who art generous and merciful!
We are servants of Thy threshold and are gathered beneath the
sheltering shadow of Thy divine unity. The sun of Thy mercy is
shining upon all, and the clouds of Thy bounty shower upon all. Thy
gifts encompass all, Thy loving providence sustains all, Thy
protection overshadows all, and the glances of Thy favor are cast
upon all. O Lord! Grant Thine infinite bestowals, and let the light
of Thy guidance shine. Illumine the eyes, gladden the hearts with
abiding joy. Confer a new spirit upon all people and bestow upon them
eternal life. Unlock the gates of true understanding and let the
light of faith shine resplendent. Gather all people beneath the
shadow of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony, so that they
may become as the rays of one sun, as the waves of one ocean, and as
the fruit of one tree. May they drink from the same fountain. May
they be refreshed by the same breeze. May they receive illumination
from the same source of light. Thou art the Giver, the Merciful, the
Omnipotent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created
all…”

O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from
the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same
household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all
mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered
together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light
of Thy Providence.

O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all,
dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each
and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the
Ocean of Thy Mercy.

O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and
make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family
and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in
perfect harmony.

O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.

O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the
fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy
Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter
us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving
and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, O Thou Who hast cast Thy
splendor…”

O God, O Thou Who hast cast Thy splendor over the
luminous realities of men, shedding upon them the resplendent lights
of knowledge and guidance, and hast chosen them out of all created
things for this supernal grace, and hast caused them to encompass all
things, to understand their inmost essence, and to disclose their
mysteries, bringing them forth out of darkness into the visible
world! “He verily showeth His special mercy to whomsoever He
will.”2

O Lord, help Thou Thy loved ones to acquire knowledge
and the sciences and arts, and to unravel the secrets that are
treasured up in the inmost reality of all created beings. Make them
to hear the hidden truths that are written and embedded in the heart
of all that is. Make them to be ensigns of guidance amongst all
creatures, and piercing rays of the mind shedding forth their light
in this, the “first life.”3
Make them to be leaders unto Thee, guides unto Thy path, runners
urging men on to Thy Kingdom.

Thou verily art the Powerful, the Protector, the Potent,
the Defender, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


MARRIAGE


“He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!…”

“Bahá’í marriage is union and
cordial affection between the two parties. They must, however,
exercise the utmost care and become acquainted with each other’s
character. This eternal bond should be made secure by a firm
covenant, and the intention should be to foster harmony, fellowship
and unity and to attain everlasting life.”

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The pledge of marriage, the verse to be spoken
individually by the bride and the bridegroom in the presence of at
least two witnesses acceptable to the Spiritual Assembly is, as
stipulated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book):

“We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.”

He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!

Praise be to God, the Ancient, the Ever-Abiding, the
Changeless, the Eternal! He Who hath testified in His Own Being that
verily He is the One, the Single, the Untrammelled, the Exalted. We
bear witness that verily there is no God but Him, acknowledging His
oneness, confessing His singleness. He hath ever dwelt in
unapproachable heights, in the summits of His loftiness, sanctified
from the mention of aught save Himself, free from the description of
aught but Him.

And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to
men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and
created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it
as a fortress for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us
in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most
Holy Book. He saith, great is His glory: “Marry, O people, that
from you may appear he who will remember Me amongst My servants; this
is one of My commandments unto you; obey it as an assistance to
yourselves.”

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is God!…”

He is God!

O peerless Lord! In Thine almighty wisdom Thou hast
enjoined marriage upon the peoples, that the generations of men may
succeed one another in this contingent world, and that ever, so long
as the world shall last, they may busy themselves at the Threshold of
Thy oneness with servitude and worship, with salutation, adoration
and praise. “I have not created spirits and men, but that they
should worship me.”4
Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of the
nest of Thy love, and make them the means of attracting perpetual
grace; that from the union of these two seas of love a wave of
tenderness may surge and cast the pearls of pure and goodly issue on
the shore of life. “He hath let loose the two seas, that they
meet each other: Between them is a barrier which they overpass not.
Which then of the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From each He
bringeth up greater and lesser pearls.”5

O Thou kind Lord! Make Thou this marriage to bring forth
coral and pearls. Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Most Great,
the Ever-Forgiving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily,
this…”

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant
and this Thy maidservant have gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy
and they are united through Thy favor and generosity. O Lord! Assist
them in this Thy world and Thy kingdom and destine for them every
good through Thy bounty and grace. O Lord! Confirm them in Thy
servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer them to become the
signs of Thy Name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals
which are inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord!
They are supplicating the kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking
the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are married in obedience to
Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity
until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the
Omnipresent and the Almighty!

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright…”

O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright orbs are wedded
in Thy love, conjoined in servitude to Thy Holy Threshold, united in
ministering to Thy Cause. Make Thou this marriage to be as threading
lights of Thine abounding grace, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, the
luminous rays of Thy bestowals, O Thou the Beneficent, the
Ever-Giving, that there may branch out from this great tree boughs
that will grow green and flourishing through the gifts that rain down
from Thy clouds of grace.

Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the
Almighty. Verily, Thou art the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


MEETINGS


“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
implore…”

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by the
onrushing winds of Thy grace, and by them Who are the Daysprings of
Thy purpose and the Dawning-Places of Thine inspiration, to send down
upon me and upon all that have sought Thy face that which beseemeth
Thy generosity and bountiful grace, and is worthy of Thy bestowals
and favors. Poor and desolate I am, O my Lord! Immerse me in the
ocean of Thy wealth; athirst, suffer me to drink from the living
waters of Thy loving-kindness.

I beseech Thee, by Thine own Self and by Him Whom Thou
hast appointed as the Manifestation of Thine own Being and Thy
discriminating Word unto all that are in heaven and on earth, to
gather together Thy servants beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy
gracious providence. Help them, then, to partake of its fruits, to
incline their ears to the rustling of its leaves, and to the
sweetness of the voice of the Bird that chanteth upon its branches.
Thou art, verily, the Help in Peril, the Inaccessible, the Almighty,
the Most Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O Thou merciful God! O Thou Who art…”

O Thou merciful God! O Thou Who art mighty and powerful!
O Thou most kind Father! These servants have gathered together,
turning to Thee, supplicating Thy threshold, desiring Thine endless
bounties from Thy great assurance. They have no purpose save Thy good
pleasure. They have no intention save service to the world of
humanity.

O God! Make this assemblage radiant. Make the hearts
merciful. Confer the bounties of the Holy Spirit. Endow them with a
power from heaven. Bless them with heavenly minds. Increase their
sincerity, so that with all humility and contrition they may turn to
Thy kingdom and be occupied with service to the world of humanity.
May each one become a radiant candle. May each one become a brilliant
star. May each one become beautiful in color and redolent of
fragrance in the kingdom of God.

O kind Father! Confer Thy blessings. Consider not our
shortcomings. Shelter us under Thy protection. Remember not our sins.
Heal us with Thy mercy. We are weak; Thou art mighty. We are poor;
Thou art rich. We are sick; Thou art the Physician. We are needy;
Thou art most generous.

O God! Endow us with Thy providence. Thou art the
Powerful. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Beneficent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou kind Lord! These are Thy
servants…”

O Thou kind Lord! These are Thy servants who have
gathered in this meeting, have turned unto Thy kingdom and are in
need of Thy bestowal and blessing. O Thou God! Manifest and make
evident the signs of Thy oneness which have been deposited in all the
realities of life. Reveal and unfold the virtues which Thou hast made
latent and concealed in these human realities.

O God! We are as plants, and Thy bounty is as the rain;
refresh and cause these plants to grow through Thy bestowal. We are
Thy servants; free us from the fetters of material existence. We are
ignorant; make us wise. We are dead; make us alive. We are material;
endow us with spirit. We are deprived; make us the intimates of Thy
mysteries. We are needy; enrich and bless us from Thy boundless
treasury. O God! Resuscitate us; give us sight; give us hearing;
familiarize us with the mysteries of life, so that the secrets of Thy
kingdom may become revealed to us in this world of existence and we
may confess Thy oneness. Every bestowal emanates from Thee; every
benediction is Thine.

Thou art mighty. Thou art powerful. Thou art the Giver,
and Thou art the Ever-Bounteous.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my God! O my God! Verily, these
servants…”

O my God! O my God! Verily, these servants are turning
to Thee, supplicating Thy kingdom of mercy. Verily, they are
attracted by Thy holiness and set aglow with the fire of Thy love,
seeking confirmation from Thy wondrous kingdom, and hoping for
attainment in Thy heavenly realm. Verily, they long for the descent
of Thy bestowal, desiring illumination from the Sun of Reality. O
Lord! Make them radiant lamps, merciful signs, fruitful trees and
shining stars. May they come forth in Thy service and be connected
with Thee by the bonds and ties of Thy love, longing for the lights
of Thy favor. O Lord! Make them signs of guidance, standards of Thine
immortal kingdom, waves of the sea of Thy mercy, mirrors of the light
of Thy majesty.

Verily, Thou art the Generous. Verily, Thou art the
Merciful. Verily, Thou art the Precious, the Beloved.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou forgiving God! These servants
are…”

O Thou forgiving God! These servants are turning to Thy
kingdom and seeking Thy grace and bounty. O God! Make their hearts
good and pure in order that they may become worthy of Thy love.
Purify and sanctify the spirits that the light of the Sun of Reality
may shine upon them. Purify and sanctify the eyes that they may
perceive Thy light. Purify and sanctify the ears in order that they
may hear the call of Thy kingdom.

O Lord! Verily, we are weak, but Thou art mighty.
Verily, we are poor, but Thou art rich. We are the seekers, and Thou
art the One sought. O Lord! Have compassion upon us and forgive us;
bestow upon us such capacity and receptiveness that we may be worthy
of Thy favors and become attracted to Thy kingdom, that we may drink
deep of the water of life, may be enkindled by the fire of Thy love,
and be resuscitated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit in this
radiant century.

O God, my God! Cast upon this gathering the glances of
Thy loving-kindness. Keep safe each and all in Thy custody and under
Thy protection. Send down upon these souls Thy heavenly blessings.
Immerse them in the ocean of Thy mercy, and quicken them through the
breaths of the Holy Spirit.

O Lord! Bestow Thy gracious aid and confirmation upon
this just government. This country lieth beneath the sheltering
shadow of Thy protection, and this people is in Thy service. O Lord!
Confer upon them Thy heavenly bounty and render the outpourings of
Thy grace and favor copious and abundant. Suffer this esteemed nation
to be held in honor, and enable it to be admitted into Thy kingdom.

Thou art the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the Merciful, and
Thou art the Generous, the Beneficent, the Lord of grace abounding.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Divine Providence! This assemblage is
composed…”

O Divine Providence! This assemblage is composed of Thy
friends who are attracted to Thy beauty and are set ablaze by the
fire of Thy love. Turn these souls into heavenly angels, resuscitate
them through the breath of Thy Holy Spirit, grant them eloquent
tongues and resolute hearts, bestow upon them heavenly power and
merciful susceptibilities, cause them to become the promulgators of
the oneness of mankind and the cause of love and concord in the world
of humanity, so that the perilous darkness of ignorant prejudice may
vanish through the light of the Sun of Truth, this dreary world may
become illumined, this material realm may absorb the rays of the
world of spirit, these different colors may merge into one color and
the melody of praise may rise to the kingdom of Thy sanctity.

Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, and the Almighty!

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


MORNING


“O my God and my Master! I am Thy
servant…”

O my God and my Master! I am Thy servant and the son of
Thy servant. I have risen from my couch at this dawntide when the
Daystar of Thy oneness hath shone forth from the Dayspring of Thy
will, and hath shed its radiance upon the whole world, according to
what had been ordained in the Books of Thy Decree.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, that we have wakened to
the splendors of the light of Thy knowledge. Send down, then, upon
us, O my Lord, what will enable us to dispense with anyone but Thee,
and will rid us of all attachment to aught except Thyself. Write
down, moreover, for me, and for such as are dear to me, and for my
kindred, man and woman alike, the good of this world and the world to
come. Keep us safe, then, through Thine unfailing protection, O Thou
the Beloved of the entire creation and the Desire of the whole
universe, from them whom Thou hast made to be the manifestations of
the Evil Whisperer, who whisper in men’s breasts. Potent art
Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Help in
Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Bless Thou, O Lord my God, Him Whom Thou hast set over
Thy most excellent Titles, and through Whom Thou hast divided between
the godly and the wicked, and graciously aid us to do what Thou
lovest and desirest. Bless Thou, moreover, O my God, them Who are Thy
Words and Thy Letters, and them who have set their faces towards
Thee, and turned unto Thy face, and hearkened to Thy Call.

Thou art, truly, the Lord and King of all men, and art
potent over all things.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God,
and…”

I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it becometh
him that seeketh that shelter to abide within the Sanctuary of Thy
protection and the Stronghold of Thy defense. Illumine my inner
being, O my Lord, with the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy
Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer being with the
morning light of Thy favor.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O
my…”

I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O my God, and
left my home trusting wholly in Thee, and committing myself to Thy
care. Send down, then, upon me, out of the heaven of Thy mercy, a
blessing from Thy side, and enable me to return home in safety even
as Thou didst enable me to set out under Thy protection with my
thoughts fixed steadfastly upon Thee.

There is none other God but Thee, the One, the
Incomparable, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou
hast…”

I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast awakened
me out of my sleep, and brought me forth after my disappearance, and
raised me up from my slumber. I have wakened this morning with my
face set toward the splendors of the Daystar of Thy Revelation,
through Which the heavens of Thy power and Thy majesty have been
illumined, acknowledging Thy signs, believing in Thy Book, and
holding fast unto Thy Cord.

I beseech Thee, by the potency of Thy will and the
compelling power of Thy purpose, to make of what Thou didst reveal
unto me in my sleep the surest foundation for the mansions of Thy
love that are within the hearts of Thy loved ones, and the best
instrument for the revelation of the tokens of Thy grace and Thy
loving-kindness.

Do Thou ordain for me through Thy most exalted Pen, O my
Lord, the good of this world and of the next. I testify that within
Thy grasp are held the reins of all things. Thou changest them as
Thou pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Strong, the Faithful.

Thou art He Who changeth through His bidding abasement
into glory, and weakness into strength, and powerlessness into might,
and fear into calm, and doubt into certainty. No God is there but
Thee, the Mighty, the Beneficent.

Thou disappointest no one who hath sought Thee, nor dost
Thou keep back from Thee anyone who hath desired Thee. Ordain Thou
for me what becometh the heaven of Thy generosity, and the ocean of
Thy bounty. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


PRAISE AND GRATITUDE


“All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art
the…”

All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of
all glory and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and
dominion, of loftiness and grace, of awe and power. Whomsoever Thou
willest Thou causest to draw nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, and on
whomsoever Thou desirest Thou conferrest the honor of recognizing Thy
Most Ancient Name. Of all who are in heaven and on earth, none can
withstand the operation of Thy sovereign Will. From all eternity Thou
didst rule the entire creation, and Thou wilt continue for evermore
to exercise Thy dominion over all created things. There is none other
God but Thee, the Almighty, The Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the
All-Wise.

Illumine, O Lord, the faces of Thy servants, that they
may behold Thee; and cleanse their hearts that they may turn unto the
court of Thy heavenly favors, and recognize Him Who is the
Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dayspring of Thine Essence. Verily,
Thou art the Lord of all worlds. There is no God but Thee, the
Unconstrained, the All-Subduing.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“In the Name of God, the Most High!
Lauded…”

In the Name of God, the Most High! Lauded and glorified
art Thou, Lord, God Omnipotent! Thou before Whose wisdom the wise
falleth short and faileth, before Whose knowledge the learned
confesseth his ignorance, before Whose might the strong waxeth weak,
before Whose wealth the rich testifieth to his poverty, before Whose
light the enlightened is lost in darkness, toward the shrine of Whose
knowledge turneth the essence of all understanding and around the
sanctuary of Whose presence circle the souls of all mankind.

How then can I sing and tell of Thine Essence, which the
wisdom of the wise and the learning of the learned have failed to
comprehend, inasmuch as no man can sing that which he understandeth
not, nor recount that unto which he cannot attain, whilst Thou hast
been from everlasting the Inaccessible, the Unsearchable. Powerless
though I be to rise to the heavens of Thy glory and soar in the
realms of Thy knowledge, I can but recount Thy tokens that tell of
Thy glorious handiwork.

By Thy Glory! O Beloved of all hearts, Thou that alone
canst still the pangs of yearning for Thee! Though all the dwellers
of heaven and earth unite to glorify the least of Thy signs, wherein
and whereby Thou hast revealed Thyself, yet would they fail, how much
more to praise Thy holy Word, the creator of all Thy tokens.

All praise and glory be to Thee, Thou of Whom all things
have testified that Thou art one and there is none other God but
Thee, Who hast been from everlasting exalted above all peer or
likeness and to everlasting shalt remain the same. All kings are but
Thy servants and all beings, visible and invisible, as naught before
Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Gracious, the Powerful,
the Most High.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God!…”

Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom
all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all
things and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known
of none. Thou didst wish to make Thyself known unto men; therefore,
Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring creation into being
and fashion the universe. There is none other God except Thee, the
Fashioner, the Creator, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

I implore Thee, by this very word that hath shone forth
above the horizon of Thy will, to enable me to drink deep of the
living waters through which Thou hast vivified the hearts of Thy
chosen ones and quickened the souls of them that love Thee, that I
may, at all times and under all conditions, turn my face wholly
towards Thee.

Thou art the God of power, of glory and bounty. No God
is there beside Thee, the Supreme Ruler, the All-Glorious, the
Omniscient.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
yield…”

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield Thee thanks
for having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thyself, and
for having severed me from Thine enemies, and laid bare before mine
eyes their misdeeds and wicked works in Thy days, and for having rid
me of all attachment to them, and caused me to turn wholly towards
Thy grace and bountiful favors. I give Thee thanks, also, for having
sent down upon me from the clouds of Thy will that which hath so
sanctified me from the hints of the infidels and the allusions of the
misbelievers that I have fixed my heart firmly on Thee, and fled from
such as have denied the light of Thy countenance. Again I thank Thee
for having empowered me to be steadfast in Thy love, and to speak
forth Thy praise and to extol Thy virtues, and for having given me to
drink of the cup of Thy mercy that hath surpassed all things visible
and invisible.

Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
All-Glorious, the All- Loving.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every
time…”

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I attempt to
make mention of Thee, I am hindered by the sublimity of Thy station
and the overpowering greatness of Thy might. For were I to praise
Thee throughout the length of Thy dominion and the duration of Thy
sovereignty, I would find that my praise of Thee can befit only such
as are like unto me, who are themselves Thy creatures, and who have
been generated through the power of Thy decree and been fashioned
through the potency of Thy will. And at whatever time my pen
ascribeth glory to any one of Thy names, methinks I can hear the
voice of its lamentation in its remoteness from Thee, and can
recognize its cry because of its separation from Thy Self. I testify
that everything other than Thee is but Thy creation and is held in
the hollow of Thy hand. To have accepted any act or praise from Thy
creatures is but an evidence of the wonders of Thy grace and
bountiful favors, and a manifestation of Thy generosity and
providence.

I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Most Great Name
whereby Thou didst separate light from fire, and truth from denial,
to send down upon me and upon such of my loved ones as are in my
company the good of this world and of the next. Supply us, then, with
Thy wondrous gifts that are hid from the eyes of men. Thou art,
verily, the Fashioner of all creation. No God is there but Thee, the
Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most High.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion and
light and grandeur and splendor 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.”6
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 anyone 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
worshiped Thee.

—The Báb


PROTECTION


“Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou
seest…”

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest and knowest
that I have called upon Thy servants to turn nowhere except in the
direction of Thy bestowals, and have bidden them observe naught save
the things Thou didst prescribe in Thy Perspicuous Book, the Book
which hath been sent down according to Thine inscrutable decree and
irrevocable purpose.

I can utter no word, O my God, unless I be permitted by
Thee, and can move in no direction until I obtain Thy sanction. It is
Thou, O my God, Who hast called me into being through the power of
Thy might, and hast endued me with Thy grace to manifest Thy Cause.
Wherefore I have been subjected to such adversities that my tongue
hath been hindered from extolling Thee and from magnifying Thy glory.

All praise be to Thee, O my God, for the things Thou
didst ordain for me through Thy decree and by the power of Thy
sovereignty. I beseech Thee that Thou wilt fortify both myself and
them that love me in our love for Thee, and wilt keep us firm in Thy
Cause. I swear by Thy might! O my God! Thy servant’s shame is
to be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and his glory is to know Thee.
Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with
Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise
alarm me.

Send down, therefore, O my Lord, upon me and upon my
loved ones that which will protect us from the mischief of those that
have repudiated Thy truth and disbelieved in Thy signs.

Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is
Thy…”

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy servant who
hath quaffed from the hands of Thy grace the wine of Thy tender
mercy, and tasted of the savor of Thy love in Thy days. I beseech
Thee, by the embodiments of Thy names whom no grief can hinder from
rejoicing in Thy love or from gazing on Thy face, and whom all the
hosts of the heedless are powerless to cause to turn aside from the
path of Thy pleasure, to supply him with the good things Thou dost
possess, and to raise him up to such heights that he will regard the
world even as a shadow that vanisheth swifter than the twinkling of
an eye.

Keep him safe also, O my God, by the power of Thine
immeasurable majesty, from all that Thou abhorrest. Thou art, verily,
his Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I
entreat…”

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat Thee by Thy
Name through which the Hour hath struck, and the Resurrection came to
pass, and fear and trembling seized all that are in heaven and all
that are on earth, to rain down, out of the heaven of Thy mercy and
the clouds of Thy tender compassion, what will gladden the hearts of
Thy servants, who have turned towards Thee and helped Thy Cause.

Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O my Lord,
from the darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and give them from
the hands of Thy grace a draught of the soft-flowing waters of Thy
knowledge.

Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the
Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O God, my God! I have set out from my…”

O God, my God! I have set out from my home, holding fast
unto the cord of Thy love, and I have committed myself wholly to Thy
care and Thy protection. I entreat Thee by Thy power through which
Thou didst protect Thy loved ones from the wayward and the perverse,
and from every contumacious oppressor, and every wicked doer who hath
strayed far from Thee, to keep me safe by Thy bounty and Thy grace.
Enable me, then, to return to my home by Thy power and Thy might.
Thou art, truly, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those
who…”

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.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


“In the Name of God, the Lord of
overpowering…”

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.7

—The Báb


“O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted
servants…”

O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants from the
evils of self and passion, protect them with the watchful eye of Thy
loving-kindness from all rancor, hate and envy, shelter them in the
impregnable stronghold of Thy care and, safe from the darts of
doubtfulness, make them the manifestations of Thy glorious signs,
illumine their faces with the effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring
of Thy divine unity, gladden their hearts with the verses revealed
from Thy holy kingdom, strengthen their loins by Thine all-swaying
power that cometh from Thy realm of glory. Thou art the
All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord! Thou knowest that the
people…”

O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people are encircled
with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and
trouble. Every trial doth attack man and every dire adversity doth
assail him like unto the assault of a serpent. There is no shelter
and asylum for him except under the wing of Thy protection,
preservation, guard and custody.

O Thou the Merciful One! O my Lord! Make Thy protection
my armor, Thy preservation my shield, humbleness before the door of
Thy oneness my guard, and Thy custody and defense my fortress and my
abode. Preserve me from the suggestions of self and desire, and guard
me from every sickness, trial, difficulty and ordeal.

Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Guardian, the
Preserver, the Sufficer, and verily, Thou art the Merciful of the
Most Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! We are servants of
Thine…”

Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this
prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue
purified from all but His remembrance, that the All-Powerful may
graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory.

O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned
with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all
besides Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual
Assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes
harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us
the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thine exalted
Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant, O Thou our Lord
Most High, manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abhá
Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us
to become seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace,
streams flowing from Thine all-glorious Heights, goodly fruits upon
the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the breezes of
Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls dependent
upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the
outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one
sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine effulgent Light;
that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality,
manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the
Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful,
the Compassionate.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our…”

Come ye together in gladness unalloyed, and at the
beginning of the meeting, recite ye this prayer:

O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our bodies be
gathered here together, yet our spellbound hearts are carried away by
Thy love, and yet are we transported by the rays of Thy resplendent
face. Weak though we be, we await the revelations of Thy might and
power. Poor though we be, with neither goods nor means, still take we
riches from the treasures of Thy Kingdom. Drops though we be, still
do we draw from out Thy ocean deeps. Motes though we be, still do we
gleam in the glory of Thy splendid Sun.

O Thou our Provider! Send down Thine aid, that each one
gathered here may become a lighted candle, each one a center of
attraction, each one a summoner to Thy heavenly realms, till at last
we make this nether world the mirror image of Thy Paradise.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God! O God! From the unseen kingdom
of…”

Prayer to be said at the close of the meeting of the
Spiritual Assembly.

O God! O God! From the unseen kingdom of Thy oneness
behold us assembled in this spiritual meeting, believing in Thee,
confident in Thy signs, firm in Thy Covenant and Testament, attracted
to Thee, set aglow with the fire of Thy love and sincere in Thy
Cause. We are servants in Thy vineyard, spreaders of Thy religion,
devoted worshipers of Thy countenance, humble towards Thy loved ones,
submissive before Thy door, and imploring Thee to confirm us in
serving Thy chosen ones, to support us with Thine unseen hosts, to
strengthen our loins in Thy servitude and to make us submissive and
adoring subjects communing with Thee.

O our Lord! We are weak, and Thou art the Mighty, the
Powerful. We are lifeless, and Thou art the great life-giving Spirit.
We are needy, and Thou art the Sustainer, the Powerful.

O our Lord! Turn our faces unto Thy merciful
countenance, feed us from Thy heavenly table with Thine abundant
grace, assist us with the hosts of Thy supreme angels and confirm us
through the holy ones of the Kingdom of Abhá.

Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful. Thou art
the Possessor of great bounty, and, verily, Thou art the Clement and
the Gracious.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


SPIRITUAL QUALITIES


“From the sweet-scented streams of Thine
eternity…”

From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me
to drink, O my God, and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable
me to taste, O my Hope! From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer
me to quaff, O my Glory, and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting
providence let me abide, O my Light! Within the meadows of Thy
nearness, before Thy presence, make me able to roam, O my Beloved,
and at the right hand of the throne of Thy mercy, seat me, O my
Desire! From the fragrant breezes of Thy joy let a breath pass over
me, O my Goal, and into the heights of the paradise of Thy reality
let me gain admission, O my Adored One! To the melodies of the dove
of Thy oneness suffer me to hearken, O Resplendent One, and through
the spirit of Thy power and Thy might quicken me, O my Provider! In
the spirit of Thy love keep me steadfast, O my Succorer, and in the
path of Thy good pleasure set firm my steps, O my Maker! Within the
garden of Thine immortality, before Thy countenance, let me abide for
ever, O Thou Who art merciful unto me, and upon the seat of Thy glory
stablish me, O Thou Who art my Possessor! To the heaven of Thy
loving-kindness lift me up, O my Quickener, and unto the Daystar of
Thy guidance lead me, O Thou my Attractor! Before the revelations of
Thine invisible spirit summon me to be present, O Thou Who art my
Origin and my Highest Wish, and unto the essence of the fragrance of
Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause me to return, O Thou Who
art my God!

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art,
verily, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Highest.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and
renew…”

Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a
tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power
confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of
Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire!
Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the
heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of
Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine
everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and
let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all
except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of
Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most
manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!…”

He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!

O God, my God! Thy call hath attracted me, and the voice
of Thy Pen of Glory awakened me. The stream of Thy holy utterance
hath enraptured me, and the wine of Thine inspiration entranced me.
Thou seest me, O Lord, detached from all things but Thee, clinging to
the cord of Thy bounty and craving the wonders of Thy grace. I ask
Thee, by the eternal billows of Thy loving-kindness and the shining
lights of Thy tender care and favor, to grant that which shall draw
me nigh unto Thee and make me rich in Thy wealth. My tongue, my pen,
my whole being, testify to Thy power, Thy might, Thy grace and Thy
bounty, that Thou art God and there is none other God but Thee, the
Powerful, the Mighty.

I bear witness at this moment, O my God, to my
helplessness and Thy sovereignty, my feebleness and Thy power. I know
not that which profiteth me or harmeth me; Thou art, verily, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Do Thou decree for me, O Lord, my God, and
my Master, that which will make me feel content with Thine eternal
decree and will prosper me in every world of Thine. Thou art in truth
the Gracious, the Bountiful.

Lord! Turn me not away from the ocean of Thy wealth and
the heaven of Thy mercy, and ordain for me the good of this world and
hereafter. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the mercy-seat, enthroned in
the highest; there is none other God but Thee, the One, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my
food,…”

O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy
presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my
action, and remembrance of Thee my companion, and the power of Thy
sovereignty my succorer, and Thy habitation my home, and my
dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified from the limitations
imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from Thee.

Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the
Most Powerful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I
am…”

Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am Thy servant who
hath laid hold on the cord of Thy tender mercies, and clung to the
hem of Thy bounteousness. I entreat Thee by Thy name whereby Thou
hast subjected all created things, both visible and invisible, and
through which the breath that is life indeed was wafted over the
entire creation, to strengthen me by Thy power which hath encompassed
the heavens and the earth, and to guard me from all sickness and
tribulation. I bear witness that Thou art the Lord of all names, and
the Ordainer of all that may please Thee. There is none other God but
Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Do Thou ordain for me, O my Lord, what will profit me in
every world of Thy worlds. Supply me, then, with what Thou hast
written down for the chosen ones among Thy creatures, whom neither
the blame of the blamer, nor the clamor of the infidel, nor the
estrangement of such as have withdrawn from Thee, hath deterred from
turning towards Thee.

Thou, truly, art the Help in Peril through the power of
Thy sovereignty. No God is there save Thee, the Almighty, the Most
Powerful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!…”

O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!

Thou art that King by Whose commanding word the whole
creation hath been called into being; and Thou art that All-Bountiful
One the doings of Whose servants have never hindered Him from showing
forth His grace, nor have they frustrated the revelations of His
bounty.

Suffer this servant, I beseech Thee, to attain unto that
which is the cause of his salvation in every world of Thy worlds.
Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is the prayer-hearing,
prayer-answering…”

He is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!

By Thy glory, O Beloved One, Thou giver of light to the
world! The flames of separation have consumed me, and my waywardness
hath melted my heart within me. I ask of Thee, by Thy Most Great
Name, O Thou the Desire of the world and the Well-Beloved of mankind,
to grant that the breeze of Thine inspiration may sustain my soul,
that Thy wondrous voice may reach my ear, that my eyes may behold Thy
signs and Thy light as revealed in the manifestations of Thy names
and Thine attributes, O Thou within Whose grasp are all things!

Thou seest, O Lord my God, the tears of Thy favored
ones, shed because of their separation from Thee, and the fears of
Thy devoted ones in their remoteness from Thy Holy Court. By Thy
power, that swayeth all things, visible and invisible! It behooveth
Thy loved ones to shed tears of blood for that which hath befallen
the faithful at the hands of the wicked and the oppressors on the
earth. Thou beholdest, O my God, how the ungodly have compassed Thy
cities and Thy realms! I ask Thee by Thy Messengers and Thy chosen
ones and by Him whereby the standard of Thy divine unity hath been
implanted amidst Thy servants, to shield them by Thy bounty. Thou
art, verily, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful.

And, again, I ask Thee by the sweet showers of Thy grace
and the billows of the ocean of Thy favor, to ordain for Thy saints
that which shall solace their eyes and comfort their hearts. Lord!
Thou seest him that kneeleth yearning to arise and serve Thee, the
dead calling for eternal life from the ocean of Thy favor and craving
to soar to the heavens of Thy wealth, the stranger longing for his
home of glory ‘neath the canopy of Thy grace, the seeker
hastening by Thy mercy to Thy door of bounty, the sinful turning to
the ocean of forgiveness and pardon.

By Thy sovereignty, O Thou Who art glorified in the
hearts of men! I have turned to Thee, forsaking mine own will and
desire, that Thy holy will and pleasure may rule within me and direct
me according to that which the pen of Thy eternal decree hath
destined for me. This servant, O Lord, though helpless turneth to the
Orb of Thy Power, though abased hasteneth unto the Dayspring of
Glory, though needy craveth the Ocean of Thy Grace. I beseech Thee by
Thy favor and bounty, cast him not away.

Thou art verily the Almighty, the Pardoner, the
Compassionate.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
give…”

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give Thee thanks
inasmuch as Thou hast called me into being in Thy days, and infused
into me Thy love and Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, by Thy name
whereby the goodly pearls of Thy wisdom and Thine utterance were
brought forth out of the treasuries of the hearts of such of Thy
servants as are nigh unto Thee, and through which the Daystar of Thy
name, the Compassionate, hath shed its radiance upon all that are in
Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to supply me, by Thy grace and bounty,
with Thy wondrous and hidden bounties.

These are the earliest days of my life, O my God, which
Thou hast linked with Thine own days. Now that Thou hast conferred
upon me so great an honor, withhold not from me the things Thou hast
ordained for Thy chosen ones.

I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in
the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy
bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the
waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down
upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will
enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of
Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have
recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy
living waters.

Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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 daytime 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 favor, 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 honor 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.

—The Báb


“O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit.
Purify…”

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart.
Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my
Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I
will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of
anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the
unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I
dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee…”

O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee for that Thou
hast confirmed me to the confession of Thy oneness, attracted me unto
the word of Thy singleness, enkindled me by the fire of Thy love, and
occupied me with Thy mention and the service of Thy friends and
maidservants.

O Lord, help me to be meek and lowly, and strengthen me
in severing myself from all things and in holding to the hem of the
garment of Thy glory, so that my heart may be filled with Thy love
and leave no space for love of the world and attachment to its
qualities.

O God! Sanctify me from all else save Thee, purge me
from the dross of sins and transgressions, and cause me to possess a
spiritual heart and conscience.

Verily, Thou art merciful and, verily, Thou art the Most
Generous, Whose help is sought by all men.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp
lighted…”

O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp lighted by the fire
of Thy love and ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree of
Thy mercy. O my Lord! Increase his enkindlement, heat and flame, with
the fire which is kindled in the Sinai of Thy Manifestation. Verily,
Thou art the Confirmer, the Assister, the Powerful, the Generous, the
Loving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant,…”

O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant, hath advanced
towards Thee, is passionately wandering in the desert of Thy love,
walking in the path of Thy service, anticipating Thy favors, hoping
for Thy bounty, relying upon Thy kingdom, and intoxicated by the wine
of Thy gift. O my God! Increase the fervor of his affection for Thee,
the constancy of his praise of Thee, and the ardor of his love for
Thee.

Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace
abounding. There is no other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the
Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! This is Thy radiant
servant,…”

O God, my God! This is Thy radiant servant, Thy
spiritual thrall, who hath drawn nigh unto Thee and approached Thy
presence. He hath turned his face unto Thine, acknowledging Thy
oneness, confessing Thy singleness, and he hath called out in Thy
name among the nations, and led the people to the streaming waters of
Thy mercy, O Thou Most generous Lord! To those who asked He hath
given to drink from the cup of guidance that brimmeth over with the
wine of Thy measureless grace.

O Lord, assist him under all conditions, cause him to
learn Thy well-guarded mysteries, and shower down upon him Thy hidden
pearls. Make of him a banner rippling from castle summits in the
winds of Thy heavenly aid, make of him a wellspring of crystal
waters.

O my forgiving Lord! Light up the hearts with the rays
of a lamp that sheddeth abroad its beams, disclosing to those among
Thy people whom Thou hast bounteously favored, the realities of all
things.

Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the
Protector, the Strong, the Beneficent! Verily, Thou art the Lord of
all mercies!

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! These are Thy feeble
servants;…”

O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants; they are
Thy loyal bondsmen and Thy handmaidens, who have bowed themselves
down before Thine exalted Utterance and humbled themselves at Thy
Threshold of light, and borne witness to Thy oneness through which
the Sun hath been made to shine in midday splendor. They have
listened to the summons Thou didst raise from out Thy hidden Realm,
and with hearts quivering with love and rapture, they have responded
to Thy call.

O Lord, shower upon them all the outpourings of Thy
mercy, rain down upon them all the waters of Thy grace. Make them to
grow as beauteous plants in the garden of heaven, and from the full
and brimming clouds of Thy bestowals and out of the deep pools of
Thine abounding grace make Thou this garden to flower, and keep it
ever green and lustrous, ever fresh and shimmering and fair.

Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Powerful,
He Who alone, in the heavens and on the earth, abideth unchanged.
There is none other God save Thee, the Lord of manifest tokens and
signs.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“He is God!…”

He is God!

O God, my God! These are servants attracted in Thy days
by the fragrances of Thy holiness, enkindled with the flame burning
in Thy holy tree, responding to Thy voice, uttering Thy praise,
awakened by Thy breeze, stirred by Thy sweet savors, beholding Thy
signs, understanding Thy verses, hearkening to Thy words, believing
Thy Revelation and assured of Thy loving-kindness. Their eyes, O
Lord, are fixed upon Thy kingdom of effulgent glory and their faces
turned toward Thy dominion on high, their hearts beating with the
love of Thy radiant and glorious beauty, their souls consumed with
the flame of Thy love, O Lord of this world and the world hereafter,
their lives seething with the ardor of their longing for Thee, and
their tears poured forth for Thy sake.

Shield them within the stronghold of Thy protection and
safety, preserve them in Thy watchful care, look upon them with the
eyes of Thy providence and mercy, make them the signs of Thy divine
unity that are manifest throughout all regions, the standards of Thy
might that wave above Thy mansions of grandeur, the shining lamps
that burn with the oil of Thy wisdom in the globes of Thy guidance,
the birds of the garden of Thy knowledge that warble upon the topmost
boughs in Thy sheltering paradise, and the leviathans of the ocean of
Thy bounty that plunge by Thy supreme mercy in the fathomless deeps.

O Lord, my God! Lowly are these servants of Thine, exalt
them in Thy kingdom on high; feeble, strengthen them by Thy supreme
power; abased, bestow upon them Thy glory in Thine all-highest realm;
poor, enrich them in Thy great dominion. Do Thou then ordain for them
all the good Thou hast destined in Thy worlds, visible and invisible,
prosper them in this world below, gladden their hearts with Thine
inspiration, O Lord of all beings! Illumine their hearts with Thy
joyful tidings diffused from Thine all-glorious Station, make firm
their steps in Thy Most Great Covenant and strengthen their loins in
Thy firm Testament, by Thy bounty and promised grace, O Gracious and
Merciful One! Thou art, verily, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed
over…”

O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over the friends in
the West the sweet fragrance of the Holy Spirit, and with the light
of divine guidance Thou hast lit up the western sky. Thou hast made
those who were once remote to draw near unto Thyself; Thou hast
turned strangers into loving friends; Thou hast awakened those who
slept; Thou hast made the heedless mindful.

O Thou Provider! Assist Thou these noble friends to win
Thy good pleasure, and make them well wishers of stranger and friend
alike. Bring them into the world that abideth forever; grant them a
portion of heavenly grace; cause them to be true Bahá’ís,
sincerely of God; save them from outward semblances, and establish
them firmly in the truth. Make them signs and tokens of the Kingdom,
luminous stars above the horizons of this nether life. Make them to
be a comfort and a solace to humankind and servants to the peace of
the world. Exhilarate them with the wine of Thy counsel, and grant
that all of them may tread the path of Thy commandments.

O Thou Provider! The dearest wish of this servant of Thy
Threshold is to behold the friends of East and West in close embrace;
to see all the members of human society gathered with love in a
single great assemblage, even as individual drops of water collected
in one mighty sea; to behold them all as birds in one garden of
roses, as pearls of one ocean, as leaves of one tree, as rays of one
sun.

Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, and Thou art the God
of strength, the Omnipotent, the All-Seeing.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


STEADFASTNESS


“Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I
beseech…”

Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by
Thy power that hath encompassed all created things, and by Thy
Sovereignty that hath transcended the entire creation, and by Thy
Word which was hidden in Thy wisdom and whereby Thou didst create Thy
heaven and Thy earth, both to enable us to be steadfast in our love
for Thee and in our obedience to Thy pleasure, and to fix our gaze
upon Thy face, and celebrate Thy glory. Empower us, then, O my God,
to spread abroad Thy signs among Thy creatures, and to guard Thy
Faith in Thy realm. Thou hast ever existed independently of the
mention of any of Thy creatures, and wilt remain as Thou hast been
for ever and ever.

In Thee I have placed my whole confidence, unto Thee I
have turned my face, to the cord of Thy loving providence I have
clung, and towards the shadow of Thy mercy I have hastened. Cast me
not as one disappointed out of Thy door, O my God, and withhold not
from me Thy grace, for Thee alone do I seek. No God is there beside
Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.

Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of them
that have known Thee!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O Thou Whose nearness is my wish,
Whose…”

O Thou Whose nearness is my wish, Whose presence is my
hope, Whose remembrance is my desire, Whose court of glory is my
goal, Whose abode is my aim, Whose name is my healing, Whose love is
the radiance of my heart, Whose service is my highest aspiration! I
beseech Thee by Thy Name, through which Thou hast enabled them that
have recognized Thee to soar to the sublimest heights of the
knowledge of Thee and empowered such as devoutly worship Thee to
ascend into the precincts of the court of Thy holy favors, to aid me
to turn my face towards Thy face, to fix mine eyes upon Thee, and to
speak of Thy glory.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath forgotten all else but
Thee, and turned towards the Dayspring of Thy grace, who hath
forsaken all save Thyself in the hope of drawing nigh unto Thy court.
Behold me, then, with mine eyes lifted up towards the Seat that
shineth with the splendors of the light of Thy Face. Send down, then,
upon me, O my Beloved, that which will enable me to be steadfast in
Thy Cause, so that the doubts of the infidels may not hinder me from
turning towards Thee.

Thou art, verily, the God of Power, the Help in Peril,
the All-Glorious, the Almighty.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O God, my God! I have turned in
repentance…”

O God, my God! I have turned in repentance unto Thee,
and verily Thou art the Pardoner, the Compassionate.

O God, my God! I have returned to Thee, and verily Thou
art the Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious.

O God, my God! I have clung to the cord of Thy bounty,
and with Thee is the storehouse of all that is in heaven and earth.

O God, my God! I have hastened toward Thee, and verily
Thou art the Forgiver, the Lord of grace abounding.

O God, my God! I thirst for the celestial wine of Thy
grace, and verily Thou art the Giver, the Bountiful, the Gracious,
the Almighty.

O God, my God! I testify that Thou hast revealed Thy
Cause, fulfilled Thy promise and sent down from the heaven of Thy
grace that which hath drawn unto Thee the hearts of Thy favored ones.
Well is it with him that hath held fast unto Thy firm cord and clung
to the hem of Thy resplendent robe!

I ask Thee, O Lord of all being and King of the seen and
unseen, by Thy power, Thy majesty and Thy sovereignty, to grant that
my name may be recorded by Thy pen of glory among Thy devoted ones,
them whom the scrolls of the sinful hindered not from turning to the
light of Thy countenance, O prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I
beseech…”

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Him
Who is Thy Most Great Name, Who hath been sorely afflicted by such of
Thy creatures as have repudiated Thy truth, and Who hath been hemmed
in by sorrows which no tongue can describe, to grant that I may
remember Thee and celebrate Thy praise, in these days when all have
turned away from Thy beauty, have disputed with Thee, and turned away
disdainfully from Him Who is the Revealer of Thy Cause. None is
there, O my Lord, to help Thee except Thine own Self, and no power to
succor Thee save Thine own power.

I entreat Thee to enable me to cleave steadfastly to Thy
love and Thy remembrance. This is, verily, within my power, and Thou
art the One that knoweth all that is in me. Thou, in truth, art
knowing, apprised of all. Deprive me not, O my Lord, of the splendors
of the light of Thy face, whose brightness hath illuminated the whole
world. No God is there beside Thee, the Most Powerful, the
All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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.

—The Báb


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

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 worshiped 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.

—The Báb


“O Lord my God! Assist Thy loved ones to
be…”

O Lord my God! Assist Thy loved ones to be firm in Thy
Faith, to walk in Thy ways, to be steadfast in Thy Cause. Give them
Thy grace to withstand the onslaught of self and passion, to follow
the light of divine guidance. Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious,
the Self-Subsisting, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Almighty,
the All-Bountiful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O Thou, my God! Who guidest the seeker
to…”

O Thou, my God! Who guidest the seeker to the pathway
that leadeth aright, Who deliverest the lost and blinded soul out of
the wastes of perdition, Thou Who bestowest upon the sincere great
bounties and favors, Who guardest the frightened within Thine
impregnable refuge, Who answerest, from Thine all-highest horizon,
the cry of those who cry out unto Thee. Praised be Thou, O my Lord!
Thou hast guided the distracted out of the death of unbelief, and
hast brought those who draw nigh unto Thee to the journey’s
goal, and hast rejoiced the assured among Thy servants by granting
them their most cherished desires, and hast, from Thy Kingdom of
beauty, opened before the faces of those who yearn after Thee the
gates of reunion, and hast rescued them from the fire of deprivation
and loss—so that they hastened unto Thee and gained Thy
presence, and arrived at Thy welcoming door, and received of gifts an
abundant share.

O my Lord, they thirsted, Thou didst lift to their
parched lips the waters of reunion. O Tender One, Bestowing One, Thou
didst calm their pain with the balm of Thy bounty and grace, and
didst heal their ailments with the sovereign medicine of Thy
compassion. O Lord, make firm their feet on Thy straight path, make
wide for them the needle’s eye, and cause them, dressed in
royal robes, to walk in glory for ever and ever.

Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Ever-Giving, the
Precious, the Most Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the
Mighty, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Victorious.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


GENERAL PRAYERS FOR TEACHING


“Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for
that…”

Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that Thou hast
manifested the Day which is the King of Days, the Day which Thou
didst announce unto Thy chosen Ones and Thy Prophets in Thy most
excellent Tablets, the Day whereon Thou didst shed the splendor of
the glory of all Thy names upon all created things. Great is his
blessedness whosoever hath set himself towards Thee, and entered Thy
presence, and caught the accents of Thy voice.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the name of Him round Whom
circleth in adoration the kingdom of Thy names, that Thou wilt
graciously assist them that are dear to Thee to glorify Thy word
among Thy servants, and to shed abroad Thy praise amidst Thy
creatures, so that the ecstasies of Thy revelation may fill the souls
of all the dwellers of Thine earth.

Since Thou hast guided them, O my Lord, unto the living
waters of Thy grace, grant, by Thy bounty, that they may not be kept
back from Thee; and since Thou hast summoned them to the habitation
of Thy throne, drive them not out from Thy presence, through Thy
loving-kindness. Send down upon them what shall wholly detach them
from aught else except Thee, and make them able to soar in the
atmosphere of Thy nearness, in such wise that neither the ascendancy
of the oppressor nor the suggestions of them that have disbelieved in
Thy most august and most mighty Self shall be capable of keeping them
back from Thee.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I
implore…”

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy
Name which none hath befittingly recognized, and whose import no soul
hath fathomed; I beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountainhead of Thy
Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs, to make my heart to be a
receptacle of Thy love and of remembrance of Thee. Knit it, then, to
Thy most great Ocean, that from it may flow out the living waters of
Thy wisdom and the crystal streams of Thy glorification and praise.

The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, and the hair
of my head declareth the power of Thy sovereignty and might. I have
stood at the door of Thy grace with utter self-effacement and
complete abnegation, and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and fixed
mine eyes upon the horizon of Thy gifts.

Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what becometh the
greatness of Thy majesty, and assist me, by Thy strengthening grace,
so to teach Thy Cause that the dead may speed out of their
sepulchers, and rush forth towards Thee, trusting wholly in Thee, and
fixing their gaze upon the orient of Thy Cause, and the dawning-place
of Thy Revelation.

Thou, verily, art the Most Powerful, the Most High, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world
and…”

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of
the nations, O Thou Who hast become manifest in the Greatest Name,
whereby the pearls of wisdom and utterance have appeared from the
shells of the great sea of Thy knowledge, and the heavens of divine
revelation have been adorned with the light of the appearance of the
sun of Thy countenance.

I beg of Thee, by that Word through which Thy proof was
perfected among Thy creatures and Thy testimony was fulfilled amidst
Thy servants, to strengthen Thy people in that whereby the face of
the Cause will radiate in Thy dominion, the standards of Thy power
will be planted among Thy servants, and the banners of Thy guidance
will be raised throughout Thy dominions.

O my Lord! Thou beholdest them clinging to the rope of
Thy grace and holding fast unto the hem of the mantle of Thy
beneficence. Ordain for them that which may draw them nearer unto
Thee, and withhold them from all else save Thee.

I beg of Thee, O Thou King of existence and Protector of
the seen and the unseen, to make whosoever arises to serve Thy Cause
as a sea moving by Thy desire, as one ablaze with the fire of Thy
Sacred Tree, shining from the horizon of the heaven of Thy will.
Verily, Thou art the mighty One, Whom neither the power of all the
world nor the strength of nations can weaken. There is no God but
Thee, the One, the Incomparable, the Protector, the Self-Subsistent.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O God, Who art the Author of all
Manifestations,…”

O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations, the
Source of all Sources, the Fountainhead of all Revelations, and the
Wellspring of all Lights! I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of
understanding hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath
surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated
unto the followers of all religions.

I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all
save Thee, and be made independent of anyone except Thyself. Rain
down, then, upon me out of the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall
profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then, through Thy
strengthening grace, so to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants that I
may show forth what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine
own kingdom endureth and Thy dominion will last.

This is Thy servant, O my Lord, who with his whole being
hath turned unto the horizon of Thy bounty, and the ocean of Thy
grace, and the heaven of Thy gifts. Do with me then as becometh Thy
majesty, and Thy glory, and Thy bounteousness, and Thy grace.

Thou, in truth, art the God of strength and power, Who
art meet to answer them that pray Thee. There is no God save Thee,
the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise
up…”

O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise up the Word, and
to refute what is vain and false, to establish the truth, to spread
the sacred verses abroad, reveal the splendors, and make the
morning’s light to dawn in the hearts of the righteous.

Thou art, verily, the Generous, the Forgiving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted
servants…”

O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have
loving and tender hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the
nations of the earth, the light of guidance that cometh from the
Company on high. Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Powerful, the
Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever-Giving. Verily, Thou art the
Generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most Bountiful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in…”

Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in lowliness,
humbling myself before Thy commandments, submitting to Thy
sovereignty, trembling at the might of Thy dominion, fleeing from Thy
wrath, entreating Thy grace, relying upon Thy forgiveness, shaking
with awe at Thy fury. I implore Thee with a throbbing heart, with
streaming tears and a yearning soul, and in complete detachment from
all things, to make Thy lovers as rays of light across Thy realms,
and to aid Thy chosen servants to exalt Thy Word, that their faces
may turn beauteous and bright with splendor, that their hearts may be
filled with mysteries, and that every soul may lay down its burden of
sin. Guard them then from the aggressor, from him who hath become a
shameless and blasphemous doer of wrong.

Verily, Thy lovers thirst, O my Lord; lead them to the
wellspring of bounty and grace. Verily, they hunger; send down unto
them Thy heavenly table. Verily, they are naked; robe them in the
garments of learning and knowledge.

Heroes are they, O my Lord, lead them to the field of
battle. Guides are they, make them to speak out with arguments and
proofs. Ministering servants are they, cause them to pass round the
cup that brimmeth with the wine of certitude. O my God, make them to
be songsters that carol in fair gardens, make them lions that couch
in the thickets, whales that plunge in the vasty deep.

Verily, Thou art He of abounding grace. There is none
other God save Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Ever-Bestowing.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


PRAYERS FOR TEACHING FROM THE
TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: “O Thou incomparable God! O Thou
Lord of…”

O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom!
These souls are Thy heavenly army. Assist them and, with the cohorts
of the Supreme Concourse, make them victorious, so that each one of
them may become like unto a regiment and conquer these countries
through the love of God and the illumination of divine teachings.

O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in
the wilderness, the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies
and the seas, be Thou their confidant—so that they may cry out
through the power of the Kingdom and the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the
Omnipotent, and Thou art the Wise, the Hearing and the Seeing.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: “O God, my God! Thou seest me
enraptured…”

Whoever sets out on a teaching journey to any place, let
him recite this prayer day and night during his travels in foreign
lands.

O God, my God! Thou seest me enraptured and attracted
toward Thy glorious kingdom, enkindled with the fire of Thy love
amongst mankind, a herald of Thy kingdom in these vast and spacious
lands, severed from aught else save Thee, relying on Thee, abandoning
rest and comfort, remote from my native home, a wanderer in these
regions, a stranger fallen upon the ground, humble before Thine
exalted Threshold, submissive toward the heaven of Thine omnipotent
glory, supplicating Thee in the dead of night and at the break of
dawn, entreating and invoking Thee at morn and at eventide to
graciously aid me to serve Thy Cause, to spread abroad Thy Teachings
and to exalt Thy Word throughout the East and the West.

O Lord! Strengthen my back, enable me to serve Thee with
the utmost endeavor, and leave me not to myself, lonely and helpless
in these regions.

O Lord! Grant me communion with Thee in my loneliness,
and be my companion in these foreign lands.

Verily, Thou art the Confirmer of whomsoever Thou
willest in that which Thou desirest, and, verily, Thou art the
All-Powerful, the Omnipotent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: “O God! O God! Thou seest my
weakness,…”

Let whosoever travels to different parts to teach,
peruse over mountain, desert, land and sea this supplication.

O God! O God! Thou seest my weakness, lowliness and
humility before Thy creatures; nevertheless, I have trusted in Thee
and have arisen in the promotion of Thy teachings among Thy strong
servants, relying on Thy power and might.

O Lord! I am a broken-winged bird and desire to soar in
Thy limitless space. How is it possible for me to do this save
through Thy providence and grace, Thy confirmation and assistance.

O Lord! Have pity on my weakness, and strengthen me with
Thy power. O Lord! Have pity on my impotence, and assist me with Thy
might and majesty.

O Lord! Should the breath of the Holy Spirit confirm the
weakest of creatures, he would attain all to which he aspireth and
would possess anything he desireth. Indeed, Thou hast assisted Thy
servants in the past and, though they were the weakest of Thy
creatures, the lowliest of Thy servants and the most insignificant of
those who lived upon the earth, through Thy sanction and potency they
took precedence over the most glorious of Thy people and the most
noble of mankind. Whereas formerly they were as moths, they became as
royal falcons, and whereas before they were as brooks, they became as
seas, through Thy bestowal and Thy mercy. They became, through Thy
most great favor, stars shining on the horizon of guidance, birds
singing in the rose gardens of immortality, lions roaring in the
forests of knowledge and wisdom, and whales swimming in the oceans of
life.

Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Powerful, the Mighty,
and the Most Merciful of the merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: “O God, my God! Thou seest how
black darkness…”

O God, my God! Thou seest how black darkness is
enshrouding all regions, how all countries are burning with the flame
of dissension, and the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout
the East and the West. Blood is flowing, corpses bestrew the ground,
and severed heads are fallen on the dust of the battlefield.

O Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones, and look upon
them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire, so
that these dense clouds which obscure the horizon may be scattered,
the Sun of Reality shine forth with the rays of conciliation, this
intense gloom be dispelled and the resplendent light of peace shed
its radiance upon all countries.

O Lord! Draw up the people from the abyss of the ocean
of hatred and enmity, and deliver them from this impenetrable
darkness. Unite their hearts, and brighten their eyes with the light
of peace and reconciliation. Deliver them from the depths of war and
bloodshed, and free them from the darkness of error. Remove the veil
from their eyes, and enlighten their hearts with the light of
guidance. Treat them with Thy tender mercy and compassion, and deal
not with them according to Thy justice and wrath which cause the
limbs of the mighty to quake.

O Lord! Wars have persisted. Distress and anxiety have
waxed great, and every flourishing region is laid waste.

O Lord! Hearts are heavy, and souls are in anguish. Have
mercy on these poor souls, and do not leave them to the excesses of
their own desires.

O Lord! Make manifest in Thy lands humble and submissive
souls, their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from
the world, extolling Thy Name, uttering Thy praise, and diffusing the
fragrance of Thy holiness amongst mankind.

O Lord! Strengthen their backs, gird up their loins, and
enrapture their hearts with the most mighty signs of Thy love.

O Lord! Verily, they are weak, and Thou art the Powerful
and the Mighty; they are impotent, and Thou art the Helper and the
Merciful.

O Lord! The ocean of rebellion is surging, and these
tempests will not be stilled save through Thy boundless grace which
hath embraced all regions.

O Lord! Verily, the people are in the abyss of passion,
and naught can save them but Thine infinite bounties.

O Lord! Dispel the darkness of these corrupt desires,
and illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love through which all
countries will erelong be enlightened. Confirm, moreover, Thy loved
ones, those who, leaving their homelands, their families and their
children, have, for the love of Thy Beauty, traveled to foreign
countries to diffuse Thy fragrances and promulgate Thy Teachings. Be
Thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange
land, the remover of their sorrows, their comforter in calamity. Be
Thou a refreshing draught for their thirst, a healing medicine for
their ills and a balm for the burning ardor of their hearts.

Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace
abounding, and, verily, Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE NORTHEASTERN STATES: “O Thou kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee
that…”

The following supplication is to be read by the teachers
and friends daily:

O Thou kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee that Thou hast
shown us the highway of guidance, opened the doors of the kingdom and
manifested Thyself through the Sun of Reality. To the blind Thou hast
given sight; to the deaf Thou hast granted hearing; Thou hast
resuscitated the dead; Thou hast enriched the poor; Thou hast shown
the way to those who have gone astray; Thou hast led those with
parched lips to the fountain of guidance; Thou hast suffered the
thirsty fish to reach the ocean of reality; and Thou hast invited the
wandering birds to the rose garden of grace.

O Thou Almighty! We are Thy servants and Thy poor ones;
we are remote and yearn for Thy presence, are athirst for the water
of Thy fountain, are ill, longing for Thy healing. We are walking in
Thy path and have no aim or hope save the diffusion of Thy fragrance,
so that all souls may raise the cry of “O God, guide us to the
straight path.” May their eyes be opened to behold the light,
and may they be freed from the darkness of ignorance. May they gather
around the lamp of Thy guidance. May every portionless one receive a
share. May the deprived become the confidants of Thy mysteries.

O Almighty! Look upon us with the glance of
mercifulness. Grant us heavenly confirmation. Bestow upon us the
breath of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be assisted in Thy service
and, like unto brilliant stars, shine in these regions with the light
of Thy guidance.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise and
the Seeing.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE SOUTHERN STATES: “O my God! O my God! Thou seest me in…”

Every soul who travels through the cities, villages and
hamlets of these States and is engaged in the diffusion of the
fragrances of God, should peruse this commune every morning:

O my God! O my God! Thou seest me in my lowliness and
weakness, occupied with the greatest undertaking, determined to raise
Thy word among the masses and to spread Thy teachings among Thy
peoples. How can I succeed unless Thou assist me with the breath of
the Holy Spirit, help me to triumph by the hosts of Thy glorious
kingdom, and shower upon me Thy confirmations, which alone can change
a gnat into an eagle, a drop of water into rivers and seas, and an
atom into lights and suns? O my Lord! Assist me with Thy triumphant
and effective might, so that my tongue may utter Thy praises and
attributes among all people and my soul overflow with the wine of Thy
love and knowledge.

Thou art the Omnipotent and the Doer of whatsoever Thou
willest.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE CENTRAL STATES: “O Lord, my God! Praise and thanksgiving
be…”

Let the spreaders of the fragrances of God recite this
prayer every morning:

O Lord, my God! Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for
Thou hast guided me to the highway of the kingdom, suffered me to
walk in this straight and far-stretching path, illumined my eye by
beholding the splendors of Thy light, inclined my ear to the melodies
of the birds of holiness from the kingdom of mysteries and attracted
my heart with Thy love among the righteous.

O Lord! Confirm me with the Holy Spirit, so that I may
call in Thy Name amongst the nations and give the glad tidings of the
manifestation of Thy kingdom amongst mankind.

O Lord! I am weak, strengthen me with Thy power and
potency. My tongue falters, suffer me to utter Thy commemoration and
praise. I am lowly, honor me through admitting me into Thy kingdom. I
am remote, cause me to approach the threshold of Thy mercifulness. O
Lord! Make me a brilliant lamp, a shining star and a blessed tree,
adorned with fruit, its branches overshadowing all these regions.
Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful and Unconstrained.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
THE WESTERN STATES: “O God! O God! This is a broken-winged
bird…”

The following commune is to be read … every day:

O God! O God! This is a broken-winged bird and his
flight is very slow—assist him so that he may fly toward the
apex of prosperity and salvation, wing his way with the utmost joy
and happiness throughout the illimitable space, raise his melody in
Thy Supreme Name in all the regions, exhilarate the ears with this
call, and brighten the eyes by beholding the signs of guidance.

O Lord! I am single, alone and lowly. For me there is no
support save Thee, no helper except Thee and no sustainer beside
Thee. Confirm me in Thy service, assist me with the cohorts of Thy
angels, make me victorious in the promotion of Thy Word and suffer me
to speak out Thy wisdom amongst Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the
helper of the weak and the defender of the little ones, and verily
Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Unconstrained.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
CANADA: “Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are Thy…”

Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are Thy servants who
are attracted by the fragrances of Thy mercifulness, are enkindled by
the fire burning in the tree of Thy singleness, and whose eyes are
brightened by beholding the splendors of the light shining in the
Sinai of Thy oneness.

O Lord! Loose their tongues to make mention of Thee
amongst Thy people, suffer them to speak forth Thy praise through Thy
grace and loving-kindness, assist them with the cohorts of Thine
angels, strengthen their loins in Thy service, and make them the
signs of Thy guidance amongst Thy creatures.

Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the
Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


REVEALED TO THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF
CANADA: “O God, my God! Thou beholdest this weak…”

The spreaders of the fragrances of God should recite
this prayer every morning:

O God, my God! Thou beholdest this weak one begging for
celestial strength, this poor one craving Thy heavenly treasures,
this thirsty one longing for the fountain of eternal life, this
afflicted one yearning for Thy promised healing through Thy boundless
mercy which Thou hast destined for Thy chosen servants in Thy kingdom
on high.

O Lord! I have no helper save Thee, no shelter besides
Thee, and no sustainer except Thee. Assist me with Thine angels to
diffuse Thy holy fragrances and to spread abroad Thy teachings
amongst the choicest of Thy people.

O my Lord! Suffer me to be detached from aught else save
Thee, to hold fast to the hem of Thy bounty, to be wholly devoted to
Thy Faith, to remain fast and firm in Thy love and to observe what
Thou hast prescribed in Thy Book.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the
Omnipotent.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


TESTS AND DIFFICULTIES


“O Thou Whose tests are a healing
medicine…”

O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are
nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all them that
love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of those hearts that yearn
after Thee, Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have
recognized Thy truth! I implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by
the splendors of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy
retreats on high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee.
Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy Cause, and enlighten our
hearts with the effulgence of Thy knowledge, and illumine our breasts
with the brightness of Thy names.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the
tribulations…”

Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which
are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized;
and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how
could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might
beareth me witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are the
tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are the
groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the
fragments of their broken hearts.

How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death
suffered in Thy path, and how precious in my estimation are the
shafts of Thine enemies when encountered for the sake of the
exaltation of Thy word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God,
whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all
Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and
cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all times, placed my
whole trust and confidence.

Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this
Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy name and of Thy
sovereignty, that they may remember me among Thy creatures, and hoist
the ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is
there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every man of insight
confesseth Thy sovereignty and Thy dominion, and every discerning eye
perceiveth the greatness of Thy majesty and the compelling power of
Thy might. The winds of tests are powerless to hold back them that
enjoy near access to Thee from setting their faces towards the
horizon of Thy glory, and the tempests of trials must fail to draw
away and hinder such as are wholly devoted to Thy will from
approaching Thy court.

Methinks, the lamp of Thy love is burning in their
hearts, and the light of Thy tenderness is lit within their breasts.
Adversities are incapable of estranging them from Thy Cause, and the
vicissitudes of fortune can never cause them to stray from Thy
pleasure.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by them and by the sighs which
their hearts utter in their separation from Thee, to keep them safe
from the mischief of Thine adversaries, and to nourish their souls
with what Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones on whom shall come no
fear and who shall not be put to grief.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“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.

—The Báb


TRIUMPH OF THE CAUSE


“Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God!
Darkness…”

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Darkness hath fallen
upon every land, and the forces of mischief have encompassed all the
nations. Through them, however, I perceive the splendors of Thy
wisdom, and discern the brightness of the light of Thy providence.

They that are shut out as by a veil from Thee have
imagined that they have the power to put out Thy light, and to quench
Thy fire, and to still the winds of Thy grace. Nay, and to this Thy
might beareth me witness! Had not every tribulation been made the
bearer of Thy wisdom, and every ordeal the vehicle of Thy providence,
no one would have dared oppose us, though the powers of earth and
heaven were to be leagued against us. Were I to unravel the wondrous
mysteries of Thy wisdom which are laid bare before me, the reins of
Thine enemies would be cleft asunder.

Glorified be Thou, then, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy
Most Great Name to assemble them that love Thee around the Law that
streameth from the good pleasure of Thy will, and to send down upon
them what will assure their hearts.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou art,
verily, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

—Bahá’u’lláh


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

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 succor and strengthen them, to
enable them to achieve success, to sustain them, to invest them with
glory, to confer upon them honor 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.

—The Báb


“O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of
the…”

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.

—The Báb


“O Lord! Render victorious Thy
forbearing…”

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.

—The Báb


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

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.

—The Báb


“O God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for…”

O God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for kindling the fire
of divine love in the Holy Tree on the summit of the loftiest mount:
that Tree which is “neither of the East nor of the West,”8
that fire which blazed out till the flame of it soared upward to the
Concourse on high, and from it those realities caught the light of
guidance, and cried out: “Verily have we perceived a fire on
the slope of Mount Sinai.”9

O God, my God! Increase Thou this fire, as day followeth
day, till the blast of it setteth in motion all the earth. O Thou, my
Lord! Kindle the light of Thy love in every heart, breathe into men’s
souls the spirit of Thy knowledge, gladden their breasts with the
verses of Thy oneness. Call Thou to life those who dwell in their
tombs, warn Thou the prideful, make happiness worldwide, send down
Thy crystal waters, and in the assemblage of manifest splendors, pass
round that cup which is “tempered at the camphor fountain.”10

Verily, art Thou the Giving, the Forgiving, the
Ever-Bestowing. Verily, art Thou the Merciful, the Compassionate.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“He is God!…”

He is God!

O Lord, my God, my Well-Beloved! These are servants of
Thine that have heard Thy Voice, given ear to Thy Word and hearkened
to Thy Call. They have believed in Thee, witnessed Thy wonders,
acknowledged Thy proof and testified to Thine evidence. They have
walked in Thy ways, followed Thy guidance, discovered Thy mysteries,
comprehended the secrets of Thy Book, the verses of Thy Scrolls and
the tidings of Thy Epistles and Tablets. They have clung to the hem
of Thy garment and held fast unto the robe of Thy light and grandeur.
Their footsteps have been strengthened in Thy Covenant and their
hearts made firm in Thy Testament. Lord! Do Thou kindle in their
hearts the flame of Thy divine attraction and grant that the bird of
love and understanding may sing within their hearts. Grant that they
may be even as potent signs, resplendent standards, and perfect as
Thy Word. Exalt by them Thy Cause, unfurl Thy banners and publish far
and wide Thy wonders. Make by them Thy Word triumphant, and
strengthen the loins of Thy loved ones. Unloose their tongues to laud
Thy Name, and inspire them to do Thy holy will and pleasure. Illumine
their faces in Thy Kingdom of holiness, and perfect their joy by
aiding them to arise for the triumph of Thy Cause.

Lord! Feeble are we, strengthen us to diffuse the
fragrances of Thy Holiness; poor, enrich us from the treasures of Thy
Divine Unity; naked, clothe us with the robe of Thy bounty; sinful,
forgive us our sins by Thy grace, Thy favor and Thy pardon. Thou art,
verily, the Aider, the Helper, the Gracious, the Mighty, the
Powerful.

The glory of glories rest upon them that are fast and
firm.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


UNITY


“O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts
of…”

O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants,
and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy
commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their
endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them
not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy
knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their
Helper and their Lord.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“O my God! O my God! Verily, I invoke
Thee…”

O my God! O my God! Verily, I invoke Thee and supplicate
before Thy threshold, asking Thee that all Thy mercies may descend
upon these souls. Specialize them for Thy favor and Thy truth.

O Lord! Unite and bind together the hearts, join in
accord all the souls, and exhilarate the spirits through the signs of
Thy sanctity and oneness. O Lord! Make these faces radiant through
the light of Thy oneness. Strengthen the loins of Thy servants in the
service of Thy kingdom.

O Lord, Thou possessor of infinite mercy! O Lord of
forgiveness and pardon! Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings,
and cause us to turn to the kingdom of Thy clemency, invoking the
kingdom of might and power, humble at Thy shrine and submissive
before the glory of Thine evidences.

O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of
the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord!
Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all
mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect
fruits growing upon Thy tree of life.

Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the
Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS


TABLET OF AḤMAD


“He is the King, the All-Knowing, the
Wise!…”

“These daily obligatory prayers, together with a
few other specific ones, such as the Healing Prayer, the Tablet of
Aḥmad, have been invested by Bahá’u’lláh
with a special potency and significance, and should therefore be
accepted as such and be recited by the believers with unquestioning
faith and confidence, that through them they may enter into a much
closer communion with God, and identify themselves more fully with
His laws and precepts.”

—From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi

He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise! Lo, the
Nightingale of Paradise singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of
Eternity, with holy and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere
ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God, calling the believers
in the Divine Unity to the court of the Presence of the Generous One,
informing the severed ones of the message which hath been revealed by
God, the King, the Glorious, the Peerless, guiding the lovers to the
seat of sanctity and to this resplendent Beauty.

Verily this is that Most Great Beauty, foretold in the
Books of the Messengers, through Whom truth shall be distinguished
from error and the wisdom of every command shall be tested. Verily He
is the Tree of Life that bringeth forth the fruits of God, the
Exalted, the Powerful, the Great.

O Aḥmad! Bear thou witness that verily He is God
and there is no God but Him, the King, the Protector, the
Incomparable, the Omnipotent. And that the One Whom He hath sent
forth by the name of ‘Alí11
was the true One from God, to Whose commands we are all conforming.

Say: O people be obedient to the ordinances of God,
which have been enjoined in the Bayán by the Glorious, the
Wise One. Verily He is the King of the Messengers and His Book is the
Mother Book did ye but know.

Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from
this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever
desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth
let him choose the path to his Lord.

O people, if ye deny these verses, by what proof have ye
believed in God? Produce it, O assemblage of false ones.

Nay, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, they are not,
and never shall be able to do this, even should they combine to
assist one another.

O Aḥmad! Forget not My Bounties while I am absent.
Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in
this remote prison. And be thou so steadfast in My love that thy
heart shall not waver, even if the swords of the enemies rain blows
upon thee and all the heavens and the earth arise against thee.

Be thou as a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of
life eternal to My loved ones, and be not of those who doubt.

And if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path, or
degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby.

Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers. For
the people are wandering in the paths of delusion, bereft of
discernment to see God with their own eyes, or hear His Melody with
their own ears. Thus have We found them, as thou also dost witness.

Thus have their superstitions become veils between them
and their own hearts and kept them from the path of God, the Exalted,
the Great.

Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns
away from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of
the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all
eternity.

Learn well this Tablet, O Aḥmad. Chant it during
thy days and withhold not thyself therefrom. For verily, God hath
ordained for the one who chants it, the reward of a hundred martyrs
and a service in both worlds. These favors have We bestowed upon thee
as a bounty on Our part and a mercy from Our presence, that thou
mayest be of those who are grateful.

By God! Should one who is in affliction or grief read
this Tablet with absolute sincerity, God will dispel his sadness,
solve his difficulties and remove his afflictions.

Verily, He is the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be
to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh


FIRE TABLET


“In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the
Most Great….”

In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great.

Indeed the hearts of the sincere are consumed in the
fire of separation: Where is the gleaming of the light of Thy
Countenance, O Beloved of the worlds?

Those who are near unto Thee have been abandoned in the
darkness of desolation: Where is the shining of the morn of Thy
reunion, O Desire of the worlds?

The bodies of Thy chosen ones lie quivering on distant
sands: Where is the ocean of Thy presence, O Enchanter of the worlds?

Longing hands are uplifted to the heaven of Thy grace
and generosity: Where are the rains of Thy bestowal, O Answerer of
the worlds?

The infidels have arisen in tyranny on every hand: Where
is the compelling power of Thine ordaining pen, O Conqueror of the
worlds?

The barking of dogs is loud on every side: Where is the
lion of the forest of Thy might, O Chastiser of the worlds?

Coldness hath gripped all mankind: Where is the warmth
of Thy love, O Fire of the worlds?

Calamity hath reached its height: Where are the signs of
Thy succor, O Salvation of the worlds?

Darkness hath enveloped most of the peoples: Where is
the brightness of Thy splendor, O Radiance of the worlds?

The necks of men are stretched out in malice: Where are
the swords of Thy vengeance, O Destroyer of the worlds?

Abasement hath reached its lowest depth: Where are the
emblems of Thy glory, O Glory of the worlds?

Sorrows have afflicted the Revealer of Thy Name, the
All-Merciful: Where is the joy of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, O
Delight of the worlds?

Anguish hath befallen all the peoples of the earth:
Where are the ensigns of Thy gladness, O Joy of the worlds?

Thou seest the Dawning Place of Thy signs veiled by evil
suggestions: Where are the fingers of Thy might, O Power of the
worlds?

Sore thirst hath overcome all men: Where is the river of
Thy bounty, O Mercy of the worlds?

Greed hath made captive all mankind: Where are the
embodiments of detachment, O Lord of the worlds?

Thou seest this Wronged One lonely in exile: Where are
the hosts of the heaven of Thy Command, O Sovereign of the worlds?

I have been forsaken in a foreign land: Where are the
emblems of Thy faithfulness, O Trust of the worlds?

The agonies of death have laid hold on all men: Where is
the surging of Thine ocean of eternal life, O Life of the worlds?

The whisperings of Satan have been breathed to every
creature: Where is the meteor of Thy fire, O Light of the worlds?

The drunkenness of passion hath perverted most of
mankind: Where are the daysprings of purity, O Desire of the worlds?

Thou seest this Wronged One veiled in tyranny among the
Syrians: Where is the radiance of Thy dawning light, O Light of the
worlds?

Thou seest Me forbidden to speak forth: Then from where
will spring Thy melodies, O Nightingale of the worlds?

Most of the people are enwrapped in fancy and idle
imaginings: Where are the exponents of Thy certitude, O Assurance of
the worlds?

Bahá is drowning in a sea of tribulation: Where
is the Ark of Thy salvation, O Savior of the worlds?

Thou seest the Dayspring of Thine utterance in the
darkness of creation: Where is the sun of the heaven of Thy grace, O
Lightgiver of the worlds?

The lamps of truth and purity, of loyalty and honor,
have been put out: Where are the signs of Thine avenging wrath, O
Mover of the worlds?

Canst Thou see any who have championed Thy Self, or who
ponder on what hath befallen Him in the pathway of Thy love? Now doth
My pen halt, O Beloved of the worlds.

The branches of the Divine Lote-Tree lie broken by the
onrushing gales of destiny: Where are the banners of Thy succor, O
Champion of the worlds?

This Face is hidden in the dust of slander: Where are
the breezes of Thy compassion, O Mercy of the worlds?

The robe of sanctity is sullied by the people of deceit:
Where is the vesture of Thy holiness, O Adorner of the worlds?

The sea of grace is stilled for what the hands of men
have wrought: Where are the waves of Thy bounty, O Desire of the
worlds?

The door leading to the Divine Presence is locked
through the tyranny of Thy foes: Where is the key of Thy bestowal, O
Unlocker of the worlds?

The leaves are yellowed by the poisoning winds of
sedition: Where is the downpour of the clouds of Thy bounty, O Giver
of the worlds?

The universe is darkened with the dust of sin: Where are
the breezes of Thy forgiveness, O Forgiver of the worlds?

This Youth is lonely in a desolate land: Where is the
rain of Thy heavenly grace, O Bestower of the worlds?

O Supreme Pen, We have heard Thy most sweet call in the
eternal realm: Give Thou ear unto what the Tongue of Grandeur
uttereth, O Wronged One of the worlds!

Were it not for the cold, how would the heat of Thy
words prevail, O Expounder of the worlds?

Were it not for calamity, how would the sun of Thy
patience shine, O Light of the worlds?

Lament not because of the wicked. Thou wert created to
bear and endure, O Patience of the worlds.

How sweet was Thy dawning on the horizon of the Covenant
among the stirrers of sedition, and Thy yearning after God, O Love of
the worlds.

By Thee the banner of independence was planted on the
highest peaks, and the sea of bounty surged, O Rapture of the worlds.

By Thine aloneness the Sun of Oneness shone, and by Thy
banishment the land of Unity was adorned. Be patient, O Thou Exile of
the worlds.

We have made abasement the garment of glory, and
affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Pride of the worlds.

Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate, and to
overlook is Thine, O Thou Concealer of the sins of the worlds.

When the swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly,
press onward! O Thou Sacrifice of the worlds.

Dost Thou wail, or shall I wail? Rather shall I weep at
the fewness of Thy champions, O Thou Who hast caused the wailing of
the worlds.

Verily, I have heard Thy Call, O All-Glorious Beloved;
and now is the face of Bahá flaming with the heat of
tribulation and with the fire of Thy shining word, and He hath risen
up in faithfulness at the place of sacrifice, looking toward Thy
pleasure, O Ordainer of the worlds.

O ‘Alí-Akbar, thank thy Lord for this
Tablet whence thou canst breathe the fragrances of My meekness, and
know what hath beset Us in the path of God, the Adored of all the
worlds.

Should all the servants read and ponder this, there
shall be kindled in their veins a fire that shall set aflame the
worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh


TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER

“Study the Tablet of the Holy Mariner that ye may
know the truth, and consider that the Blessed Beauty hath fully
foretold future events. Let them who perceive, take
warning!”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


“He is the Gracious, the Well-Beloved! O
Holy Mariner!…”

He is the Gracious, the Well-Beloved!

O Holy Mariner!

Bid thine ark of eternity appear before the Celestial
Concourse,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Launch it upon the ancient sea, in His Name, the Most
Wondrous,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And let the angelic spirits enter, in the Name of God,
the Most High.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Unmoor it, then, that it may sail upon the ocean of
glory,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Haply the dwellers therein may attain the retreats of
nearness in the everlasting realm.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Having reached the sacred strand, the shore of the
crimson seas,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Bid them issue forth and attain this ethereal invisible
station,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

A station wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His
Beauty appeared within the deathless tree;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves
of self and passion;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Around which the Glory of Moses doth circle with the
everlasting hosts;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the Hand of God was drawn forth from His bosom
of Grandeur;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the ark of the Cause remaineth motionless even
though to its dwellers be declared all divine attributes.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

O Mariner! Teach them that are within the ark that which
we have taught thee behind the mystic veil,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Perchance they may not tarry in the sacred snow-white
spot,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

But may soar upon the wings of the spirit unto that
station which the Lord hath exalted above all mention in the worlds
below,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

May wing through space even as the favored birds in the
realm of eternal reunion;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

May know the mysteries hidden in the Seas of light.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

They passed the grades of worldly limitations and
reached that of the divine unity, the center of heavenly guidance.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

They have desired to ascend unto that state which the
Lord hath ordained to be above their stations.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Whereupon the burning meteor cast them out from them
that abide in the Kingdom of His Presence,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And they heard the Voice of Grandeur raised from behind
the unseen pavilion upon the Height of Glory:

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“O guardian angels! Return them to their abode in
the world below,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Inasmuch as they have purposed to rise to that
sphere which the wings of the celestial dove have never attained;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Whereupon the ship of fancy standeth still which
the minds of them that comprehend cannot grasp.”

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Whereupon the maid of heaven looked out from her exalted
chamber,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And with her brow signed to the Celestial Concourse,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Flooding with the light of her countenance the heaven
and the earth,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And as the radiance of her beauty shone upon the people
of dust,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

All beings were shaken in their mortal graves.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then raised the call which no ear through all
eternity hath ever heard,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And thus proclaimed: “By the Lord! He whose heart
hath not the fragrance of the love of the exalted and glorious
Arabian Youth,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Can in no wise ascend unto the glory of the
highest heaven.”

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon she summoned unto herself one maiden from her
handmaidens,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And commanded her: “Descend into space from the
mansions of eternity,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“And turn thou unto that which they have concealed
in the inmost of their hearts.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Shouldst thou inhale the perfume of the robe from
the Youth that hath been hidden within the tabernacle of light by
reason of that which the hands of the wicked have wrought,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Raise a cry within thyself, that all the inmates
of the chambers of Paradise, that are the embodiments of the eternal
wealth, may understand and hearken;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“That they may all come down from their
everlasting chambers and tremble,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“And kiss their hands and feet for having soared
to the heights of faithfulness;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Perchance they may find from their robes the
fragrance of the Beloved One.”

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon the countenance of the favored damsel beamed
above the celestial chambers even as the light that shineth from the
face of the Youth above His mortal temple;

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then descended with such an adorning as to illumine
the heavens and all that is therein.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She bestirred herself and perfumed all things in the
lands of holiness and grandeur.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

When she reached that place she rose to her full height
in the midmost heart of creation,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And sought to inhale their fragrance at a time that
knoweth neither beginning nor end.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She found not in them that which she did desire, and
this, verily, is but one of His wondrous tales.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then cried aloud, wailed and repaired to her own
station within her most lofty mansion,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And then gave utterance to one mystic word, whispered
privily by her honeyed tongue,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And raised the call amidst the Celestial Concourse and
the immortal maids of heaven:

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“By the Lord! I found not from these idle
claimants the breeze of Faithfulness!

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“By the Lord! The Youth hath remained lone and
forlorn in the land of exile in the hands of the ungodly.”

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then uttered within herself such a cry that the
Celestial Concourse did shriek and tremble,

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And she fell upon the dust and gave up the spirit. It
seemeth she was called and hearkened unto Him that summoned her unto
the Realm on High.

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Glorified be He that created her out of the essence of
love in the midmost heart of His exalted paradise!

Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon the maids of heaven hastened forth from their
chambers, upon whose countenances the eye of no dweller in the
highest paradise had ever gazed.

Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

They all gathered around her, and lo! they found her
body fallen upon the dust;

Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

And as they beheld her state and comprehended a word of
the tale told by the Youth, they bared their heads, rent their
garments asunder, beat upon their faces, forgot their joy, shed tears
and smote with their hands upon their cheeks, and this is verily one
of the mysterious grievous afflictions—

Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

—Bahá’u’lláh


TABLETS OF VISITATION


“The praise which hath dawned from Thy
most…”

(This Tablet is read at the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh
and the Báb. It is also frequently used in commemorating Their
anniversaries.)

The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self,
and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty,
rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the
King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth!
I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion,
and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the
Daystars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven
of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone
forth above the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with
but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction “Be Thou” hath
been enforced, and God’s hidden Secret hath been divulged, and
all created things have been called into being, and all the
Revelations have been sent down.

I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the
beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the
face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word
from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, caused them
who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the
infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.

I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known
God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto
the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who
hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself
before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honored with meeting Thee, and
hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee,
and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed
against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and
gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud
before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy
rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose
names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy
Tablets.

Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the
right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of
Thy favors, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world
unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to
do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all
things.

The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of
God and His splendor, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I
bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one
wronged like Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life
beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and
fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine
enemies. Yet, despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to
observe what had been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst
suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst
sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been
illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and
who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden,
to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures,
and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious,
the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree and its
leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its
offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy
most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief
of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy
servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee. Thou,
truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is
there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“He is the All-Glorious!…”

(This prayer, revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
is read at His Shrine. It is also used in private prayer.)

Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervor
will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be
even as meeting Him face to face.

He is the All-Glorious!

O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant
hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that Threshold of
Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the learned, and the praise of
all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and
lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, and
immerse him in the Ocean of Thine eternal grace.

Lord! He is a poor and lowly servant of Thine,
enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hand, praying fervently
to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee
and beseeching Thee, saying:

O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved
ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with
the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy
kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance
of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy
holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of
selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me.
Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I
may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy
chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.

With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawntide
and in the night-season. Fulfill his heart’s desire, O Lord!
Illumine his heart, gladden his bosom, kindle his light, that he may
serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.

Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful,
the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


INTERCALARY DAYS


“My God, my Fire and my Light! The days…”

(The Intercalary Days, February 26 to March 1,
inclusive, should be days of preparation for the Fast, days of
hospitality, charity and the giving of presents.)

My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast
named the Ayyám-i-Há12
in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names, and the
fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in the
kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O
my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that period
clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle of
Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place
within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of
the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.

These, O my Lord, are Thy servants whom no corrupt
inclination hath kept back from what Thou didst send down in Thy
Book. They have bowed themselves before Thy Cause, and received Thy
Book with such resolve as is born of Thee, and observed what Thou
hadst prescribed unto them, and chosen to follow that which had been
sent down by Thee.

Thou seest, O my Lord, how they have recognized and
confessed whatsoever Thou hast revealed in Thy Scriptures. Give them
to drink, O my Lord, from the hands of Thy graciousness the waters of
Thine eternity. Write down, then, for them the recompense ordained
for him that hath immersed himself in the ocean of Thy presence, and
attained unto the choice wine of Thy meeting.

I implore Thee, O Thou the King of kings and the Pitier
of the downtrodden, to ordain for them the good of this world and of
the world to come. Write down for them, moreover, what none of Thy
creatures hath discovered, and number them with those who have
circled round Thee, and who move about Thy throne in every world of
Thy worlds.

Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the
All-Informed.

—Bahá’u’lláh


THE FAST

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas states: “We have
commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity [15
years]; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your
forefathers…. The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child or
giving suck, are not bound by the fast…. Abstain from food and
drink, from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of
this grace that is appointed in the Book.”

The period of the Fast is March 2 through March 20.


“I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy
mighty…”

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty Sign, and by the
revelation of Thy grace amongst men, to cast me not away from the
gate of the city of Thy presence, and to disappoint not the hopes I
have set on the manifestations of Thy grace amidst Thy creatures.
Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most
Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most
Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all
in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet Voice and by
Thy most exalted Word, to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy
door, and to suffer me not to be far removed from the shadow of Thy
mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou seest me, O my God, holding
to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the
Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the
hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the
world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of Thy
luminous brow and the brightness of the light of Thy countenance,
which shineth from the all-highest horizon, to attract me by the
fragrance of Thy raiment, and make me drink of the choice wine of
Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the
Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe
to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy hair which moveth
across Thy face, even as Thy most exalted pen moveth across the pages
of Thy Tablets, shedding the musk of hidden meanings over the kingdom
of Thy creation, so to raise me up to serve Thy Cause that I shall
not fall back, nor be hindered by the suggestions of them who have
caviled at Thy signs and turned away from Thy face. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name which Thou hast
made the King of Names, by which all who are in heaven and all who
are on earth have been enraptured, to enable me to gaze on the
Daystar of Thy Beauty, and to supply me with the wine of Thine
utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most
Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most
Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to
which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Tabernacle of Thy
majesty upon the loftiest summits, and the Canopy of Thy Revelation
on the highest hills, to graciously aid me to do what Thy will hath
desired and Thy purpose hath manifested. Thou seest me, O my God,
holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Beauty that shineth
forth above the horizon of eternity, a Beauty before which as soon as
it revealeth itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down in worship,
magnifying it in ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I
possess and live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Manifestation of Thy
Name, the Well-Beloved, through Whom the hearts of Thy lovers were
consumed and the souls of all that dwell on earth have soared aloft,
to aid me to remember Thee amongst Thy creatures, and to extol Thee
amidst Thy people. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the
Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe
to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the rustling of the Divine
Lote-Tree and the murmur of the breezes of Thine utterance in the
kingdom of Thy names, to remove me far from whatsoever Thy will
abhorreth, and draw me nigh unto the station wherein He Who is the
Dayspring of Thy signs hath shone forth. Thou seest me, O my God,
holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by that Letter which, as soon
as it proceeded out of the mouth of Thy will, hath caused the oceans
to surge, and the winds to blow, and the fruits to be revealed, and
the trees to spring forth, and all past traces to vanish, and all
veils to be rent asunder, and them who are devoted to Thee to hasten
unto the light of the countenance of their Lord, the Unconstrained,
to make known unto me what lay hid in the treasuries of Thy knowledge
and concealed within the repositories of Thy wisdom. Thou seest me, O
my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the
Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the fire of Thy love which
drove sleep from the eyes of Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, and
by their remembrance and praise of Thee at the hour of dawn, to
number me with such as have attained unto that which Thou hast sent
down in Thy Book and manifested through Thy will. Thou seest me, O my
God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most
Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and
clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world
and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy
countenance which impelled them who are nigh unto Thee to meet the
darts of Thy decree, and such as are devoted to Thee to face the
swords of Thine enemies in Thy path, to write down for me with Thy
most exalted Pen what Thou hast written down for Thy trusted ones and
Thy chosen ones. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the
Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the
Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe
to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou
hast hearkened unto the call of Thy lovers, and the sighs of them
that long for Thee, and the cry of them that enjoy near access to
Thee, and the groaning of them that are devoted to Thee, and through
which Thou hast fulfilled the wishes of them that have set their
hopes on Thee, and hast granted them their desires, through Thy grace
and Thy favors, and by Thy Name through which the ocean of
forgiveness surged before Thy face, and the clouds of Thy generosity
rained upon Thy servants, to write down for everyone who hath turned
unto Thee, and observed the fast prescribed by Thee, the recompense
decreed for such as speak not except by Thy leave, and who forsook
all that they possessed in Thy path and for love of Thee.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thyself, and by Thy signs,
and Thy clear tokens, and the shining light of the Daystar of Thy
Beauty, and Thy Branches, to cancel the trespasses of those who have
held fast to Thy laws, and have observed what Thou hast prescribed
unto them in Thy Book. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name,
the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great,
the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the
robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I
beseech…”

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this
Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through
which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet
revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and
upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar
into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the
stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering
into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of
Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do
Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and
of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou
didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.

These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden
Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the
fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things
except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey Thee and
to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou
choosest.

There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“These are, O my God, the days whereon
Thou…”

These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin
Thy servants to observe the fast. With it Thou didst adorn the
preamble of the Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy creatures, and
didst deck forth the Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight of
all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. Thou hast
endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable
to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things.
Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue in
accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine
irrevocable judgment. Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou
hast, moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of
the earth.

For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy
decree, reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance, O
Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers! These are they who have been so
inebriated with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake
their couches in their longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy
virtues, and flee from sleep in their eagerness to approach Thy
presence and partake of Thy bounty. Their eyes have, at all times,
been bent upon the Dayspring of Thy loving-kindness, and their faces
set towards the Fountainhead of Thine inspiration. Rain down, then,
upon us and upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy what beseemeth the
heaven of Thy bounteousness and grace.

Lauded be Thy name, O my God! This is the hour when Thou
hast unlocked the doors of Thy bounty before the faces of Thy
creatures, and opened wide the portals of Thy tender mercy unto all
the dwellers of Thine earth. I beseech Thee, by all them whose blood
was shed in Thy path, who, in their yearning over Thee, rid
themselves from all attachment to any of Thy creatures, and who were
so carried away by the sweet savors of Thine inspiration that every
single member of their bodies intoned Thy praise and vibrated to Thy
remembrance, not to withhold from us the things Thou hast irrevocably
ordained in this Revelation—a Revelation the potency of which
hath caused every tree to cry out what the Burning Bush had aforetime
proclaimed unto Moses, Who conversed with Thee, a Revelation that
hath enabled every least pebble to resound again with Thy praise, as
the stones glorified Thee in the days of Muḥammad, Thy Friend.

These are the ones, O my God, whom Thou hast graciously
enabled to have fellowship with Thee and to commune with Him Who is
the Revealer of Thyself. The winds of Thy will have scattered them
abroad until Thou didst gather them together beneath Thy shadow, and
didst cause them to enter into the precincts of Thy court. Now that
Thou hast made them to abide under the shade of the canopy of Thy
mercy, do Thou assist them to attain what must befit so august a
station. Suffer them not, O my Lord, to be numbered with them who,
though enjoying near access to Thee, have been kept back from
recognizing Thy face, and who, though meeting with Thee, are deprived
of Thy presence.

These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have entered with
Thee in this, the Most Great Prison, who have kept the fast within
its walls according to what Thou hast commanded them in the Tablets
of Thy decree and the Books of Thy behest. Send down, therefore, upon
them what will thoroughly purge them of all that Thou abhorrest, that
they may be wholly devoted to Thee, and may detach themselves
entirely from all except Thyself.

Rain down, then, upon us, O my God, that which beseemeth
Thy grace and befitteth Thy bounty. Enable us, then, O my God, to
live in remembrance of Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us
with the gift of Thy presence in Thy worlds hereafter—worlds
which are inscrutable to all except Thee. Thou art our Lord and the
Lord of all worlds, and the God of all that are in heaven and all
that are on earth.

Thou beholdest, O my God, what hath befallen Thy dear
ones in Thy days. Thy glory beareth me witness! The voice of the
lamentation of Thy chosen ones hath been lifted up throughout Thy
realm. Some were ensnared by the infidels in Thy land, and were
hindered by them from having near access to Thee and from attaining
the court of Thy glory. Others were able to approach Thee, but were
kept back from beholding Thy face. Still others were permitted, in
their eagerness to look upon Thee, to enter the precincts of Thy
court, but they allowed the veils of the imaginations of Thy
creatures and the wrongs inflicted by the oppressors among Thy people
to come in between them and Thee.

This is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast caused to
excel every other hour, and hast related to the choicest among Thy
creatures. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Self and by them, to
ordain in the course of this year what shall exalt Thy loved ones. Do
Thou, moreover, decree within this year what will enable the Daystar
of Thy power to shine brightly above the horizon of Thy glory, and to
illuminate by Thy sovereign might, the whole world.

Render Thy Cause victorious, O my Lord, and abase Thou
Thine enemies. Write down, then, for us the good of this life and of
the life to come. Thou art the Truth, Who knoweth the secret things.
No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

—Bahá’u’lláh


“Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These
are…”

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the days
whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it
they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to
anyone but Thee, and that out of their hearts may ascend that which
will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the
seat of the revelation of Thy oneness. Grant, O my Lord, that this
fast may become a river of life-giving waters and may yield the
virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Cleanse Thou by its means the
hearts of Thy servants whom the evils of the world have failed to
hinder from turning towards Thine all-glorious Name, and who have
remained unmoved by the noise and tumult of such as have repudiated
Thy most resplendent signs which have accompanied the advent of Thy
Manifestation Whom Thou hast invested with Thy sovereignty, Thy
power, Thy majesty and glory. These are the servants who, as soon as
Thy call reached them, hastened in the direction of Thy mercy and
were not kept back from Thee by the changes and chances of this world
or by any human limitations.

I am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity, who
acknowledgeth Thy oneness, who boweth humbly before the revelations
of Thy majesty, and who recognizeth with downcast countenance the
splendors of the light of Thy transcendent glory. I have believed in
Thee after Thou didst enable me to know Thy Self, Whom Thou hast
revealed to men’s eyes through the power of Thy sovereignty and
might. Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and
cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors. I have
embraced His truth, and the truth of all the wondrous laws and
precepts that have been sent down unto Him. I have fasted for love of
Thee and in pursuance of Thine injunction, and have broken my fast
with Thy praise on my tongue and in conformity with Thy pleasure.
Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have fasted
in the daytime, who in the night-season have prostrated themselves
before Thy face, and who have repudiated Thy truth, disbelieved in
Thy signs, gainsaid Thy testimony, and perverted Thine utterances.

Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them
that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own
eyes. This is Thy bidding given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto
Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou hast singled out
for Thy favor above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to
invest with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially favored and
entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised be Thou,
therefore, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to
recognize Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto
Him, and conferred upon us the honor of attaining the presence of the
One Whom Thou didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.

Thou seest me then, O my God, with my face turned
towards Thee, cleaving steadfastly to the cord of Thy gracious
providence and generosity, and clinging to the hem of Thy tender
mercies and bountiful favors. Destroy not, I implore Thee, my hopes
of attaining unto that which Thou didst ordain for Thy servants who
have turned towards the precincts of Thy court and the sanctuary of
Thy presence, and have observed the fast for love of Thee. I confess,
O my God, that whatever proceedeth from me is wholly unworthy of Thy
sovereignty and falleth short of Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee
by Thy Name through which Thou hast revealed Thy Self, in the glory
of Thy most excellent titles, unto all created things, in this
Revelation whereby Thou hast, through Thy most resplendent Name,
manifested Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine of Thy mercy
and of the pure beverage of Thy favor, which have streamed forth from
the right hand of Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and
be so detached from all else but Thee, that the world and all that
hath been created therein may appear before me as a fleeting day
which Thou hast not deigned to create.

I moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down, from
the heaven of Thy will and the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will
cleanse us from the noisome savors of our transgressions, O Thou Who
hast called Thyself the God of Mercy! Thou art, verily, the Most
Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent.

Cast not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned towards
Thee, nor suffer him who hath drawn nigh unto Thee to be removed far
from Thy court. Dash not the hopes of the suppliant who hath
longingly stretched out his hands to seek Thy grace and favors, and
deprive not Thy sincere servants of the wonders of Thy tender mercies
and loving-kindness. Forgiving and Most Bountiful art Thou, O my
Lord! Power hast Thou to do what Thou pleasest. All else but Thee are
impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are as lost in the face
of the evidences of Thy wealth, are as nothing when compared with the
manifestations of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and are destitute of
all strength when face to face with the signs and tokens of Thy
power. What refuge is there beside Thee, O my Lord, to which I can
flee, and where is there a haven to which I can hasten? Nay, the
power of Thy might beareth me witness! No protector is there but
Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek save Thee.
Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance
and praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of its sweetness
will rid himself of all attachment to the world and all that is
therein, and will set his face towards Thee, cleansed from the
remembrance of anyone except Thee.

Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous
remembrance, that I may glorify Thy name. Number me not with them who
read Thy words and fail to find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by
Thee, is contained therein, and which quickeneth the souls of Thy
creatures and the hearts of Thy servants. Cause me, O my Lord, to be
reckoned among them who have been so stirred up by the sweet savors
that have been wafted in Thy days that they have laid down their
lives for Thee and hastened to the scene of their death in their
longing to gaze on Thy beauty and in their yearning to attain Thy
presence. And were anyone to say unto them on their way, “Whither
go ye?” they would say, “Unto God, the All-Possessing,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!”

The transgressions committed by such as have turned away
from Thee and have borne themselves haughtily towards Thee have not
availed to hinder them from loving Thee, and from setting their faces
towards Thee, and from turning in the direction of Thy mercy. These
are they who are blessed by the Concourse on high, who are glorified
by the denizens of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those
on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written: “These!
The people of Bahá. Through them have been shed the splendors
of the light of guidance.” Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy
behest and by Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree.

Proclaim, therefore, O my God, their greatness and the
greatness of those who while living or after death have circled round
them. Supply them with that which Thou hast ordained for the
righteous among Thy creatures. Potent art Thou to do all things.
There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Help in Peril, the
Almighty, the Most Bountiful.

Do not bring our fasts to an end with this fast, O my
Lord, nor the covenants Thou hast made with this covenant. Do Thou
accept all that we have done for love of Thee, and for the sake of
Thy pleasure, and all that we have left undone as a result of our
subjection to our evil and corrupt desires. Enable us, then, to
cleave steadfastly to Thy love and Thy good pleasure, and preserve us
from the mischief of such as have denied Thee and repudiated Thy most
resplendent signs. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of this world and of
the next. No God is there beside Thee, the Exalted, the Most High.

Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal
Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Dayspring of
Divinity, and the Manifestation of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the
knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the future were made
plain, through Whom the pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered,
and the mystery of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast
appointed as the Announcer of the One through Whose name the letter B
and the letter E have been joined and united, through Whom Thy
majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom
Thy words have been sent down, Thy laws set forth with clearness, and
Thy signs spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the
hearts of Thy chosen ones were laid bare, and all that were in the
heavens and all that were on the earth were gathered together, Whom
Thou has called ‘Alí-Muḥammad in the kingdom of
Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of Thine
irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested with Thine own title,
unto Whose name all other names have, at Thy bidding and through the
power of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom Thou hast caused
all Thine attributes and titles to attain their final consummation.
To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy stainless
tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified cities.

Magnify Thou, moreover, such as have believed in Him and
in His signs and have turned towards Him, from among those that have
acknowledged Thy unity in His Latter Manifestation—a
Manifestation whereof He hath made mention in His Tablets, and in His
Books, and in His Scriptures, and in all the wondrous verses and
gem-like utterances that have descended upon Him. It is this same
Manifestation Whose covenant Thou hast bidden Him establish ere He
had established His own covenant. He it is Whose praise the Bayán
hath celebrated. In it His excellence hath been extolled, and His
truth established, and His sovereignty proclaimed, and His Cause
perfected. Blessed is the man that hath turned unto Him, and
fulfilled the things He hath commanded, O Thou Who art the Lord of
the worlds and the Desire of all them that have known Thee!

Praised be Thou, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast aided
us to recognize and love Him. I, therefore, beseech Thee by Him and
by Them who are the Daysprings of Thy Divinity, and the
Manifestations of Thy Lordship, and the Treasuries of Thy Revelation,
and the Depositories of Thine inspiration, to enable us to serve and
obey Him, and to empower us to become the helpers of His Cause and
the dispersers of His adversaries. Powerful art Thou to do all that
pleaseth Thee. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the
All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all men!

—Bahá’u’lláh


NAW-RÚZ


“Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou
hast…”

(Naw-Rúz, March 21, is the first day of the
Bahá’í year.)

Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained
Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast
for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee.
Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by
the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make
them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.

Since Thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the
ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with
the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful
favor. For the doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good
pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou regard him
who hath broken the fast as one who hath observed it, such a man
would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the
fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the fast
hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have
caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been
far removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.

Thou art He through Whom the ensign “Praiseworthy
art Thou in Thy works” hath been lifted up, and the standard
“Obeyed art Thou in Thy behest” hath been unfurled. Make
known this Thy station, O my God, unto Thy servants, that they may be
made aware that the excellence of all things is dependent upon Thy
bidding and Thy word, and the virtue of every act is conditioned by
Thy leave and the good pleasure of Thy will, and may recognize that
the reins of men’s doings are within the grasp of Thine
acceptance and Thy commandment. Make this known unto them, that
nothing whatsoever may shut them out from Thy Beauty, in these days
whereon the Christ exclaimeth: “All dominion is Thine, O Thou
the Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)”; and Thy Friend (Muḥammad)
crieth out: “Glory be to Thee, O Thou the Best-Beloved, for
that Thou hast uncovered Thy Beauty, and written down for Thy chosen
ones what will cause them to attain unto the seat of the revelation
of Thy Most Great Name, through which all the peoples have lamented
except such as have detached themselves from all else except Thee,
and set themselves towards Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the
Manifestation of Thine attributes.”

He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord,
have broken this day their fast, after having observed it within the
precincts of Thy court, and in their eagerness to please Thee. Do
Thou ordain for Him, and for them, and for all such as have entered
Thy presence in those days all the good Thou didst destine in Thy
Book. Supply them, then, with that which will profit them, in both
this life and in the life beyond.

Thou, in truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

—Bahá’u’lláh


MARTYRS AND THEIR FAMILIES


“He is God! O Lord my God! O Thou Helper of
the…”

He is God!

O Lord my God! O Thou Helper of the feeble, Succorer of
the poor and Deliverer of the helpless who turn unto Thee.

With utmost lowliness I raise my suppliant hands to Thy
kingdom of beauty and fervently call upon Thee with my inner tongue,
saying: O God, my God! Aid me to adore Thee, strengthen my loins to
serve Thee; assist me by Thy grace in my servitude to Thee; suffer me
to remain steadfast in my obedience to Thee; pour forth upon me the
liberal effusions of Thy bounty, let the glances of the eye of Thy
loving-kindness be directed towards me, and immerse me in the ocean
of Thy forgiveness. Grant that I may be confirmed in my allegiance to
Thy Faith, and bestow upon me a fuller measure of certitude and
assurance, that I may wholly dispense with the world, may turn my
face with entire devotion towards Thy face, be reinforced by the
compelling power of proofs and testimonies, and, invested with
majesty and power, may pass beyond every region of heaven and earth.
Verily Thou art the Merciful, the All-Glorious, the Kind, the
Compassionate.

O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that
company of blessed souls. They have sustained every tribulation and
displayed patience in the face of grievous injustice. They have
forsaken all comfort and prosperity, have willingly submitted to dire
suffering and adversity in the path of Thy love, and are still held
captive in the clutches of their enemies who continually torment them
with sore torment, and oppress them because they walk steadfastly in
Thy straight path. There is no one to help them, no one to befriend
them. Apart from the ignoble and the wicked, there is no one to
associate and consort with them.

O Lord! These souls have tasted bitter agony in this
earthly life and have, as a sign of their love for the shining beauty
of Thy countenance and in their eagerness to attain Thy celestial
kingdom, tolerated every gross indignity that the people of tyranny
have inflicted upon them.

O Lord! Fill their ears with the verses of divine
assistance and of a speedy victory, and deliver them from the
oppression of such as wield terrible might. Withhold the hands of the
wicked and leave not these souls to be torn by the claws and teeth of
fierce beasts, for they are captivated by their love for Thee,
entrusted with the mysteries of Thy holiness, stand humbly at Thy
door and have attained to Thine exalted precinct.

O Lord! Graciously reinforce them with a new spirit;
illumine their eyes by enabling them to behold Thy wondrous evidences
in the gloom of night; destine for them all good that aboundeth in
Thy Kingdom of eternal mysteries; make them as brilliant stars
shining over all regions, luxuriant trees laden with fruit and
branches moving in the breezes of dawn.

Verily, Thou are the Bountiful, the Mighty, the
Omnipotent, the Unconstrained. There is none other God but Thee, the
God of love and tender mercy, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá


MOTHER TEMPLE OF THE WEST


“O God, my God! I implore Thee with a
throbbing…”

O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and
streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for the
erection of this House, and the construction of this Building wherein
Thy name is mentioned every morn and every eve.

O God! Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever
endeavoreth to serve this edifice and exerteth himself to raise it
amongst the kindreds and religions of the world. Confirm him in every
good deed in promoting the welfare of mankind. Open Thou the doors of
wealth and abundance unto him and make him an heir to the treasures
of the Kingdom, which perish not. Make him a sign of Thy bestowals
among the peoples and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and
bounty, surging with waves of Thy grace and favor. Verily, Thou art
the Generous, the Merciful and the Bountiful.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Footnotes

1.

Alláh-u-Abhá

2.

Qur’án
3:67.

3.

Qur’án
56:62.

4.

Qur’án
51:56.

5.

Qur’án
55:19–22.

6.

Qur’án
6:103.

7.

The
original of this prayer for protection is written in the Báb’s
own hand, in the form of a pentacle.

8.

Qur’án
24:35.

9.

cf.
Qur’án 28:29.

10.

Qur’án
76:5.

11.

The
Báb

12.

The
Days of Há, Intercalary Days.

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