Part One

Herein Follow the Tablets and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

All-praise To Him Who, by the Shield of His Covenant,
hath guarded the Temple of His Cause from the darts of doubtfulness,
Who by the Hosts of His Testament hath preserved the Sanctuary of His
most Beneficent Law and protected His Straight and Luminous Path,
staying thereby the onslaught of the company of Covenant-breakers,
that have threatened to subvert His Divine Edifice; Who hath watched
over His Mighty Stronghold and All-Glorious Faith, through the aid of
men whom the slander of the slanderer affect not, whom no earthly
calling, glory and power can turn aside from the Covenant of God and
His Testament, established firmly by His clear and manifest words,
writ and revealed by His All-Glorious Pen and recorded in the
Preserved Tablet.

Salutation and praise, blessing and glory rest upon that
primal branch of the Divine and Sacred Lote-Tree, grown out, blest,
tender, verdant and flourishing from the Twin Holy Trees; the most
wondrous, unique and priceless pearl that doth gleam from out the
Twin surging seas; upon the offshoots of the Tree of Holiness, the
twigs of the Celestial Tree, they that in the Day of the Great
Dividing have stood fast and firm in the Covenant; upon the Hands
(pillars) of the Cause of God that have diffused widely the Divine
Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proclaimed His Faith, published
abroad His Law, detached themselves from all things but Him, stood
for righteousness in this world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of
God in the very hearts and souls of His servants; upon them that have
believed, rested assured, stood steadfast in His Covenant and
followed the Light that after my passing shineth from the Dayspring
of Divine Guidance—for behold! he is the blest and sacred bough
that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is it with him
that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind.

O ye beloved of the Lord! The greatest of all things is
the protection of the True Faith of God, the preservation of His Law,
the safeguarding of His Cause and service unto His Word. Ten thousand
souls have shed streams of their sacred blood in this path, their
precious lives they offered in sacrifice unto Him, hastened wrapt in
holy ecstasy unto the glorious field of martyrdom, upraised the
Standard of God’s Faith and writ with their life-blood upon the
Tablet of the world the verses of His Divine Unity. The sacred breast
of His Holiness, the Exalted One (may my life be a sacrifice unto
Him), was made a target to many a dart of woe, and in Mázindarán,
the blessed feet of the Abhá Beauty (may my life be offered up
for His loved ones) were so grievously scourged as to bleed and be
sore wounded. His neck also was put into captive chains and His feet
made fast in the stocks. In every hour, for a period of fifty years,
a new trial and calamity befell Him and fresh afflictions and cares
beset Him. One of them: after having suffered intense vicissitudes,
He was made homeless and a wanderer and fell a victim to still new
vexations and troubles. In ‘Iráq, the Day-Star of the
world was so exposed to the wiles of the people of malice as to be
eclipsed in splendor. Later on He was sent an exile to the Great City
(Constantinople) and thence to the Land of Mystery (Adrianople),
whence, grievously wronged, He was eventually transferred to the Most
Great Prison (Akká). He Whom the world hath wronged (may my
life be offered up for His loved ones) was four times banished from
city to city, till at last, condemned to perpetual confinement, He
was incarcerated in this prison, the prison of highway robbers, of
brigands and of man-slayers. All this is but one of the trials that
have afflicted the Blessed Beauty, the rest being even as grievous as
this.

And still another of His trials was the hostility, the
flagrant injustice, the iniquity and rebellion of Mírzá
Yaḥyá. Although that Wronged One, that Prisoner, had
through His loving-kindness nurtured him in His own bosom ever since
his early years, had showered at every moment His tender care upon
him, exalted his name, shielded him from every misfortune, endeared
him to them of this world and the next, and despite the firm
exhortations and counsels of His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Báb)
and His clear and conclusive warning;—”Beware, beware,
lest the Nineteen Letters of the Living and that which hath been
revealed in the Bayán veil thee!” yet notwithstanding
this, Mírzá Yaḥyá denied Him, dealt
falsely with Him, believed Him not, sowed the seeds of doubt, closed
his eyes to His manifest verses and turned aside therefrom. Would
that he had been content therewith! Nay, he even attempted to shed
the sacred blood (of Bahá’u’lláh) and then
raised a great clamor and tumult around him, attributing unto
Bahá’u’lláh malevolence and cruelty towards
himself. What sedition he stirred up and what a storm of mischief he
raised whilst in the Land of Mystery (Adrianople)! At last, he
wrought that which caused the Day-Star of the world to be sent an
exile to this, the Most Great Prison, and sorely wronged, and in the
West of this Great Prison He did set.

O ye that stand fast and firm in the Covenant! The
Center of Sedition, the Prime Mover of mischief, Mírzá
Muḥammad ‘Alí, hath passed out from under the
shadow of the Cause, hath broken the Covenant, hath falsified the
Holy Text, hath inflicted a grievous loss upon the true Faith of God,
hath scattered His people, hath with bitter rancor endeavored to hurt
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and hath assailed with the utmost
enmity this servant of the Sacred Threshold. Every dart he seized and
hurled to pierce the breast of this wronged servant, no wound did he
neglect to grievously inflict upon me, no venom did he spare but he
poisoned therewith the life of this hapless one. I swear by the most
holy Abhá Beauty and by the Light shining from His Holiness,
the Exalted One (may my soul be a sacrifice for Their lowly
servants), that because of this iniquity the dwellers in the Pavilion
of the Abhá Kingdom have bewailed, the Celestial Concourse is
lamenting, the Immortal Maids of Heaven in the All-Highest Paradise
have raised their plaintive cries and the angelic company sighed and
uttered their moanings. So grievous the deeds of this iniquitous
person became that he struck with his axe at the root of the Blessed
Tree, dealt a heavy blow at the Temple of the Cause of God, deluged
with tears of blood the eyes of the loved ones of the Blessed Beauty,
cheered and encouraged the enemies of the One True God, by his
repudiation of the Covenant turned many a seeker after Truth aside
from the Cause of God, revived the blighted hopes of Yaḥyá’s
following, made himself detested, caused the enemies of the Greatest
Name to become audacious and arrogant, put aside the firm and
conclusive verses and sowed the seeds of doubt. Had not the promised
aid of the Ancient Beauty been graciously vouchsafed at every moment
to this one, unworthy though he be, he surely would have destroyed,
nay exterminated the Cause of God and utterly subverted the Divine
Edifice. But, praised be the Lord, the triumphant assistance of the
Abhá Kingdom was received, the hosts of the Realm above
hastened to bestow victory. The Cause of God was promoted far and
wide, the call of the True One was noised abroad, ears in all regions
were inclined to the Word of God, His standard was unfurled, the
ensigns of Holiness gloriously waved aloft and the verses celebrating
His Divine Unity were chanted. Now, that the true Faith of God may be
shielded and protected, His Law guarded and preserved and His Cause
remain safe and secure, it is incumbent upon everyone to hold fast
unto the Text of the clear and firmly established blessed verse,
revealed about him. None other transgression greater than his can be
ever imagined. He (Bahá’u’lláh) sayeth,
glorious and holy is His Word:—”My foolish loved ones
have regarded him even as my partner, have kindled sedition in the
land and they verily are of the mischief-makers.” Consider, how
foolish are the people! They that have been in His (Bahá’u’lláh’s)
Presence and beheld His Countenance, have nevertheless noised abroad
such idle talk, until, exalted be His explicit words, He
said:—”Should he for a moment pass out from under the
shadow of the Cause, he surely shall be brought to naught.”
Reflect! What stress He layeth upon one moment’s deviation:
that is, were he to incline a hair’s breadth to the right or to
the left, his deviation would be clearly established and his utter
nothingness made manifest. And now ye are witnessing how the wrath of
God hath from all sides afflicted him and how day by day he is
speeding towards destruction. Ere long will ye behold him and his
associates, outwardly and inwardly, condemned to utter ruin.

What deviation can be greater than breaking the Covenant
of God! What deviation can be greater than interpolating and
falsifying the words and verses of the Sacred Text, even as testified
and declared by Mírzá Badí’u’lláh!
What deviation can be greater than calumniating the Center of the
Covenant himself! What deviation can be more glaring than spreading
broadcast false and foolish reports touching the Temple of God’s
Testament! What deviation can be more grievous than decreeing the
death of the Center of the Covenant, supported by the holy verse:—”He
that layeth a claim ere the passing of a thousand years…,”
whilst he (Muḥammad ‘Alí) without shame in the
days of the Blessed Beauty had advanced such a claim as this and been
confuted by Him in the aforementioned manner, the text of his claim
being still extant in his own handwriting and bearing his own seal.
What deviation can be more complete than falsely accusing the loved
ones of God! What deviation can be more evil than causing their
imprisonment and incarceration! What deviation can be more severe
than delivering into the hands of the government the Holy Writings
and Epistles, that haply they (the government) might arise intent
upon the death of this wronged one! What deviation can be more
violent than threatening the ruin of the Cause of God, forging and
slanderously falsifying letters and documents so that this might
perturb and alarm the government and lead to the shedding of the
blood of this wronged one,—such letters and documents being now
in the possession of the government! What deviation can be more
odious than his iniquity and rebellion! What deviation can be more
shameful than dispersing the gathering of the people of salvation!
What deviation can be more infamous than the vain and feeble
interpretations of the people of doubt! What deviation can be more
wicked than joining hands with strangers and with the enemies of God!

A few months ago, in concert with others, he that hath
broken the Covenant, hath prepared a document teeming with calumny
and slander wherein, the Lord forbid, among many similar slanderous
charges, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is deemed a deadly enemy,
the ill-wisher of the Crown. They so perturbed the minds of the
members of the Imperial Government that at last a Committee of
Investigation was sent from the seat of His Majesty’s
Government which, violating every rule of justice and equity that
befit His Imperial Majesty, nay, with the most glaring injustice,
proceeded with its investigations. The ill-wishers of the One True
God surrounded them on every side and explained and excessively
enlarged upon the text of the document whilst they (the members of
the Committee) in their turn blindly acquiesced. One of their many
calumnies was that this servant had raised aloft a banner in this
city, had summoned the people together under it, had established a
new sovereignty for himself, had erected upon Mount Carmel a mighty
stronghold, had rallied around him all the peoples of the land and
made them obedient to him, had caused disruption in the Faith of
Islám, had covenanted with the following of Christ and, God
forbid, had purposed to cause the gravest breach in the mighty power
of the Crown. May the Lord protect us from such atrocious falsehoods!

According to the direct and sacred command of God we are
forbidden to utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and
amity, are exhorted to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and
harmony with all the kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey
and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land, regard
disloyalty unto a just king as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing
evil to the government a transgression of the Cause of God. With
these final and decisive words, how can it be that these imprisoned
ones should indulge in such vain fancies; incarcerated, how could
they show forth such disloyalty! But alas! The Committee of
Investigation hath approved and confirmed these calumnies of my
brother and ill-wishers and submitted them to the presence of His
Majesty the Sovereign. Now at this moment a fierce storm is raging
around this prisoner who awaiteth, be it favorable or unfavorable,
the gracious will of His Majesty, may the Lord aid him by His grace
to be just. In whatsoever condition he may be, with absolute calm and
quietness, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is ready for
self-sacrifice and is wholly resigned and submitted to His Will. What
transgression can be more abominable, more odious, more wicked than
this!

In like manner, the focal Center of Hate, hath purposed
to put ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to death and this is supported
by the testimony written by Mírzá Shu‘á’u’lláh
himself and is here enclosed. It is evident and indisputable that
they are privily and with the utmost subtlety engaged in conspiring
against me. The following are his very words written by him in this
letter:—”I curse at every moment him that hath kindled
this discord, imprecate in these words ‘Lord! have no mercy
upon him’ and I hope ere long God will make manifest the one
that shall have no pity on him, who now weareth another garb and
about whom I cannot any more explain.” Reference he doth make
by these words to the sacred verse that beginneth as follows:—”He
that layeth a claim ere the passing of a thousand years…”
Reflect! How intent they are upon the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!
Ponder in your hearts upon the phrase “I cannot any more
explain” and realize what schemes they are devising for this
purpose. They fear lest, too fully explained, the letter might fall
into alien hands and their schemes be foiled and frustrated. The
phrase is only foretelling good tidings to come, namely that
regarding this all requisite arrangements have been made.

O God, my God! Thou seest this wronged servant of Thine,
held fast in the talons of ferocious lions, of ravening wolves, of
bloodthirsty beasts. Graciously assist me, through my love for Thee,
that I may drink deep of the chalice that brimmeth over with
faithfulness to Thee and is filled with Thy bountiful Grace; so that,
fallen upon the dust, I may sink prostrate and senseless whilst my
vesture is dyed crimson with my blood. This is my wish, my heart’s
desire, my hope, my pride, my glory. Grant, O Lord my God, and my
Refuge, that in my last hour, my end may even as musk shed its
fragrance of glory! Is there a bounty greater than this? Nay, by Thy
Glory! I call Thee to witness that no day passeth but that I quaff my
fill from this cup, so grievous are the misdeeds wrought by them that
have broken the Covenant, kindled discord, showed their malice,
stirred sedition in the land and dishonored Thee amidst Thy servants.
Lord! Shield Thou from these Covenant-breakers the mighty Stronghold
of Thy Faith and protect Thy secret Sanctuary from the onslaught of
the ungodly. Thou art in truth the Mighty, the Powerful, the
Gracious, the Strong.

In short, O ye beloved of the Lord! The Center of
Sedition, Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alí, in
accordance with the decisive words of God and by reason of his
boundless transgression, hath grievously fallen and been cut off from
the Holy Tree. Verily, we wronged them not, but they have wronged
themselves!

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 Thy all-swaying
power that cometh from Thy Realm of Glory. Thou art the
All-Bountiful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Gracious!

O ye that stand fast in the Covenant! When the hour
cometh that this wronged and broken-winged bird will have taken its
flight into the Celestial Concourse, when it will have hastened to
the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will have been either
lost or hidden neath the dust, it is incumbent upon the Afnán,
that are steadfast in the Covenant of God and have branched from the
Tree of Holiness; the Hands, (pillars) of the Cause of God (the glory
of the Lord rest upon them), and all the friends and loved ones, one
and all to bestir themselves and arise with heart and soul and in one
accord, to diffuse the sweet savors of God, to teach His Cause and to
promote His Faith. It behooveth them not to rest for a moment,
neither to seek repose. They must disperse themselves in every land,
pass by every clime, and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred,
without rest, and steadfast to the end, they must raise in every land
the triumphal cry “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!”
(O Thou the Glory of Glories), must achieve renown in the world
wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in every
meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every assembly;
that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the midmost heart of
the world, that throughout the East and throughout the West a vast
concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the
sweet savors of holiness may be diffused, that faces may shine
radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit and souls be made
heavenly.

In these days, the most important of all things is the
guidance of the nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause
is of utmost importance for it is the head corner-stone of the
foundation itself. This wronged servant has spent his days and nights
in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service. He rested
not a moment, till the fame of the Cause of God was noised abroad in
the world and the celestial strains from the Abhá Kingdom
roused the East and the West. The beloved of God must also follow the
same example. This is the secret of faithfulness, this is the
requirement of servitude to the Threshold of Bahá!

The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all
earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged
themselves of self and passion, and with absolute detachment
scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the
world to the divine guidance; till at last they made the world
another world, illumined the surface of the earth, and even to their
last hour proved self-sacrificing in the pathway of that beloved One
of God. Finally in various lands they suffered glorious martyrdom.
Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!

O my loving friends! After the passing away of this
wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Aghsán
(Branches), the Afnán (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the
Hands (pillars) of the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abhá
Beauty to turn unto Shoghi Effendi—the youthful branch branched
from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees and the fruit grown from
the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,—as he
is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of
God, he unto whom all the Aghsán, the Afnán, the
Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He is the
Interpreter of the Word of God and after him will succeed the
first-born of his lineal descendents.

The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the
Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be
universally elected and established, are both under the care and
protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring
guidance of the Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them
both). Whatsoever they decide is of God. Whoso obeyeth him not,
neither obeyeth them, hath not obeyed God; whoso rebelleth against
him and against them hath rebelled against God; whoso opposeth him
hath opposed God; whoso contendeth with them hath contended with God;
whoso disputeth with him hath disputed with God; whoso denieth him
hath denied God; whoso disbelieveth in him hath disbelieved in God;
whoso deviateth, separateth himself and turneth aside from him hath
in truth deviated, separated himself and turned aside from God. May
the wrath, the fierce indignation, the vengeance of God rest upon
him! The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through
obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God. It is
incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the
Aghsán, the Afnán, the Hands of the Cause of God
to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the
Guardian of the Cause of God, to turn unto him and be lowly before
him. He that opposeth him hath opposed the True One, will make a
breach in the Cause of God, will subvert His Word and will become a
manifestation of the Center of Sedition. Beware, beware, lest the
days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh)
be repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious
and with Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed
and poisoned others. No doubt every vainglorious one that purposeth
dissension and discord will not openly declare his evil purposes, nay
rather, even as impure gold, will he seize upon divers measures and
various pretexts that he may separate the gathering of the people of
Bahá. My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God
must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to
oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him
out from the congregation of the people of Bahá and in no wise
accept any excuse from him. How often hath grievous error been
disguised in the garb of truth, that it might sow the seeds of doubt
in the hearts of men!

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon the
Guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that
shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his
passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment
from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in
himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom and learning. Thus, should
the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in
himself the truth of the words:—”The child is the secret
essence of its sire,” that is, should he not inherit of the
spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his
glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must
he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to
succeed him.

The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own
number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the
important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God.
The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by
majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these,
whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to
the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath
chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as
the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i.e.,
secret ballot).

O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be
nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God. All must
be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or
without the company of the Hands of the Cause of God disobey and seek
division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he
will have caused a breach in the true Faith of God.

The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to
diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote
learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times
and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly
things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their
manners, their deeds and their words.

This body of the Hands of the Cause of God is under the
direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually
urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to
diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the
world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the
universe to be illumined. To disregard, though it be for a moment,
this absolute command which is binding upon everyone, is in no wise
permitted, that the existent world may become even as the Abhá
Paradise, that the surface of the earth may become heavenly, that
contention and conflict amidst peoples, kindreds, nations and
governments may disappear, that all the dwellers on earth may become
one people and one race, that the world may become even as one home.
Should differences arise, they shall be amicably and conclusively
settled by the Supreme Tribunal, that shall include members from all
the governments and peoples of the world.

O ye beloved of the Lord! In this sacred Dispensation,
conflict and contention are in no wise permitted. Every aggressor
deprives himself of God’s grace. It is incumbent upon everyone
to show the utmost love, rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness
and sincere kindliness unto all the peoples and kindreds of the
world, be they friends or strangers. So intense must be the spirit of
love and loving kindness, that the stranger may find himself a
friend, the enemy a true brother, no difference whatsoever existing
between them. For universality is of God and all limitations earthly.
Thus man must strive that his reality may manifest virtues and
perfections, the light whereof may shine upon everyone. The light of
the sun shineth upon all the world and the merciful showers of Divine
Providence fall upon all peoples. The vivifying breeze reviveth every
living creature and all beings endued with life obtain their share
and portion at His heavenly board. In like manner, the affections and
loving kindness of the servants of the One True God must be
bountifully and universally extended to all mankind. Regarding this,
restrictions and limitations are in no wise permitted.

Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the
peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost
truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and
friendliness, that all the world of being may be filled with the holy
ecstasy of the grace of Bahá, that ignorance, enmity, hate and
rancor may vanish from the world and the darkness of estrangement
amidst the peoples and kindreds of the world may give way to the
Light of Unity. Should other peoples and nations be unfaithful to you
show your fidelity unto them, should they be unjust toward you show
justice towards them, should they keep aloof from you attract them to
yourselves, should they show their enmity be friendly towards them,
should they poison your lives, sweeten their souls, should they
inflict a wound upon you, be a salve to their sores. Such are the
attributes of the sincere! Such are the attributes of the truthful.

And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath
ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error, it must
be elected by universal suffrage, that is, by the believers. Its
members must be manifestations of the fear of God and daysprings of
knowledge and understanding, must be steadfast in God’s faith
and the well-wishers of all mankind. By this House is meant the
Universal House of Justice, that is, in all countries a secondary
House of Justice must be instituted, and these secondary Houses of
Justice must elect the members of the Universal one. Unto this body
all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and
regulations that are not to be found in the explicit Holy Text. By
this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the
Guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and the distinguished
member for life of that body. Should he not attend in person its
deliberations, he must appoint one to represent him. Should any of
the members commit a sin, injurious to the common weal, the Guardian
of the Cause of God hath at his own discretion the right to expel
him, whereupon the people must elect another one in his stead. This
House of Justice enacteth the laws and the government enforceth them.
The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must
aid and assist the legislative body so that through the close union
and harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and
justice may become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world
may become even as Paradise itself.

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.

O friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! The Lord,
as a sign of His infinite bounties, hath graciously favored His
servants by providing for a fixed money offering (Ḥuqúq),
to be dutifully presented unto Him, though He, the True One and His
servants have been at all times independent of all created things,
and God verily is the All-Possessing, exalted above the need of any
gift from His creatures. This fixed money offering, however, causeth
the people to become firm and steadfast and draweth Divine increase
upon them. It is to be offered through the Guardian of the Cause of
God, that it may be expended for the diffusion of the Fragrances of
God and the exaltation of His Word, for benevolent pursuits and for
the common weal.

O ye beloved of the Lord! It is incumbent upon you to be
submissive to all monarchs that are just and to show your fidelity to
every righteous king. Serve ye the sovereigns of the world with
utmost truthfulness and loyalty. Show obedience unto them and be
their well-wishers. Without their leave and permission do not meddle
with political affairs, for disloyalty to the just sovereign is
disloyalty to God Himself.

This is my counsel and the commandment of God unto you.
Well is it with them that act accordingly.

Part Two

He Is God

O My Lord, my heart’s Desire, Thou Whom I ever
invoke, Thou Who art my Aider and my Shelter, my Helper and my
Refuge! Thou seest me submerged in an ocean of calamities that
overwhelm the soul, of afflictions that oppress the heart, of woes
that disperse Thy gathering, of ills and pains that scatter Thy
flock. Sore trials have compassed me round and perils have from all
sides beset me. Thou seest me immersed in a sea of unsurpassed
tribulation, sunk into a fathomless abyss, afflicted by mine enemies
and consumed with the flame of their hate, enkindled by my kinsmen
with whom Thou didst make Thy strong Covenant and Thy firm Testament,
wherein Thou biddest them turn their hearts to this wronged one, to
keep away from me the foolish, the unjust, and refer unto this lonely
one all that about which they differ in Thy Holy Book, so that the
Truth may be revealed unto them, their doubts may be dispelled and
Thy manifest Signs be spread abroad.

Yet now Thou seest them, O Lord, my God! with Thine eye
that sleepeth not, how that they have broken Thy Covenant and turned
their backs thereon, how with hate and rebelliousness they have erred
from Thy Testament and have arisen intent upon malice.

Adversities have waxed still more severe as they rose
with unbearable cruelty to overpower and crush me, as they scattered
far and wide their scrolls of doubt and in utter falsehood hurled
their calumnies upon me. Not content with this, their chief, O my
God, hath dared to interpolate Thy Book, to fraudulently alter Thy
decisive Holy Text and falsify that which hath been revealed by Thy
All-Glorious Pen. He did also maliciously insert that which Thou
didst reveal for the one that hath wrought the most glaring cruelty
upon Thee, disbelieved in Thee and denied Thy wondrous Signs, into
what Thou didst reveal for this servant of Thine that hath been
wronged in this world. All this he did that he might beguile the
souls of men and breathe his evil whisperings into the hearts of Thy
devoted ones. Thereunto did their second chief testify, confessing it
in his own handwriting, setting thereupon his seal and spreading it
throughout all regions. O my God! Could there be a more grievous
injustice than this? And still they rested not, but further strove
with stubbornness, falsehood and slander, with scorn and calumny to
stir up sedition in the midst of the government of this land and
elsewhere, causing them to deem me a sower of sedition and filling
the minds with things that the ear abhorreth to hear. The government
was thus alarmed, fear fell upon the sovereign, and the suspicion of
the nobility was aroused. Minds were troubled, affairs were upset,
souls were perturbed, the fire of anguish and sorrow was kindled
within the breasts, the Holy Leaves (of the Household) were convulsed
and shaken, their eyes rained with tears, their sighs and
lamentations were raised and their hearts burned within them as they
bewailed this wronged servant of Thine, fallen a victim into the
hands of these, his kindred, nay, his very enemies!

Lord! Thou seest all things weeping over Me and My
kindred rejoicing in My woes. By Thy Glory, O my God! Even amongst
mine enemies, some have lamented my troubles and my distress, and of
the envious ones a number have shed tears because of my cares, my
exile and my afflictions. They did this because they found naught in
me but affection and care and witnessed naught but kindliness and
mercy. As they saw me swept into the flood of tribulation and
adversity and exposed even as a target to the arrows of fate, their
hearts were moved with compassion, tears came to their eyes and they
testified declaring:—”The Lord is our witness; naught
have we seen from him but faithfulness, generosity and extreme
compassion.” The Covenant-breakers, foreboders of evil,
however, waxed fiercer in their rancor, rejoiced as I fell a victim
to the most grievous ordeal, bestirred themselves against me and made
merry over the heartrending happenings around me.

I call upon Thee, O Lord my God! with my tongue and with
all my heart, not to requite them for their cruelty and their
wrong-doings, their craft and their mischief, for they are foolish
and ignoble and know not what they do. They discern not good from
evil, neither do they distinguish right from wrong, nor justice from
injustice. They follow their own desires and walk in the footsteps of
the most imperfect and foolish amongst them. O my Lord! Have mercy
upon them, shield them from all afflictions in these troubled times
and grant that all trials and hardships may be the lot of this Thy
servant that hath fallen into this darksome pit. Single me out for
every woe and make me a sacrifice for all Thy loved ones. O Lord,
Most High! May my soul, my life, my being, my spirit, my all be
offered up for them. O God, my God! Lowly, suppliant and fallen upon
my face, I beseech Thee with all the ardor of my invocation to pardon
whosoever hath hurt me, forgive him that hath conspired against me
and offended me, and wash away the misdeeds of them that have wrought
injustice upon me. Vouchsafe unto them Thy goodly gifts, give them
joy, relieve them from sorrow, grant them peace and prosperity, give
them Thy bliss and pour upon them Thy bounty.

Thou art the Powerful, the Gracious, the Help in Peril,
the Self-Subsisting!

O dearly beloved friends! I am now in very great danger
and the hope of even an hour’s life is lost to me. I am thus
constrained to write these lines for the protection of the Cause of
God, the preservation of His Law, the safeguarding of His Word and
the safety of His Teachings. By the Ancient Beauty! This wronged one
hath in no wise borne nor doth he bear a grudge against any one;
towards none doth he entertain any ill-feeling and uttereth no word
save for the good of the world. My supreme obligation, however, of
necessity, prompteth me to guard and preserve the Cause of God. Thus,
with the greatest regret, I counsel you saying: Guard ye the Cause of
God, protect His law and have the utmost fear of discord. This is the
foundation of the belief of the people of Bahá (may my life be
offered up for them): “His Holiness, the Exalted One (the Báb),
is the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the
Forerunner of the Ancient Beauty. His Holiness the Abhá Beauty
(may my life be a sacrifice for His steadfast friends) is the Supreme
Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His Most Divine Essence.
All others are servants unto Him and do His bidding.” Unto the
Most Holy Book every one must turn, and all that is not expressly
recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice.
That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth
carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso
doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath
shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By
this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be
elected from all countries, that is from those parts in the East and
West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the
customary elections in Western countries such as those of England.

It is incumbent upon these members (of the Universal
House of Justice) to gather in a certain place and deliberate upon
all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure
and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever
they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. Inasmuch as the
House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly
recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it
hath power to repeal the same. Thus for example, the House of Justice
enacteth today a certain law and enforceth it, and a hundred years
hence, circumstances having profoundly changed and the conditions
having altered, another House of Justice will then have power,
according to the exigencies of the time, to alter that law. This it
can do because these laws form no part of the divine explicit Text.
The House of Justice is both the initiator and the abrogator of its
own laws.

And now, one of the greatest and most fundamental
principles of the Cause of God is to shun and avoid entirely the
Covenant-breakers, for they will utterly destroy the Cause of God,
exterminate His Law and render of no account all efforts exerted in
the past. O friends! It behooveth you to call to mind with tenderness
the trials of His Holiness, the Exalted One, and show your fidelity
to the Ever-Blest Beauty. The utmost endeavor must be exerted lest
all these woes, trials and afflictions, all this pure and sacred
blood that hath been shed so profusely in the Path of God, may prove
to be in vain. Ye know well what the hands of the Center of Sedition,
Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alí, and his
associates have wrought. Among his doings, one of them is the
corruption of the Sacred Text whereof ye are all aware, the Lord be
praised, and know that it is evident, proven and confirmed by the
testimony of his brother, Mírzá Badí’u’lláh,
whose confession is written in his own handwriting, beareth his seal,
is printed and spread abroad. This is but one of his misdeeds. Can a
transgression be imagined more glaring than this, the interpolation
of the Holy Text? Nay, by the righteousness of the Lord! His
transgressions are writ and recorded in a leaflet by itself. Please
God, ye will peruse it.

In short, according to the explicit Divine Text the
least transgression shall make of this man a fallen creature, and
what transgression is more grievous than attempting to destroy the
Divine Edifice, breaking the Covenant, erring from the Testament,
falsifying the Holy Text, sowing the seeds of doubt, calumniating
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, advancing claims for which God hath
sent down no warrant, kindling mischief and striving to shed the very
blood of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and many other things
whereof ye are all aware! It is thus evident that should this man
succeed in bringing disruption into the Cause of God, he will utterly
destroy and exterminate it. Beware lest ye approach this man, for to
approach him is worse than approaching fire!

Gracious God! After Mírzá Badí’u’lláh
had declared in his own handwriting that this man (Muḥammad
‘Alí) had broken the Covenant and had proclaimed his
falsification of the Holy Text, he realized that to return to the
True Faith and pay allegiance to the Covenant and Testament would in
no wise promote his selfish desires. He thus repented and regretted
the thing he had done and attempted privily to gather in his printed
confessions, plotted darkly with the Center of Sedition against me
and informed him daily of all the happenings within my household. He
has even taken a leading part in the mischievous deeds that have of
late been committed. Praise be to God affairs recovered their former
stability and the loved ones obtained partial peace. But ever since
the day he entered again into our midst, he began afresh to sow the
seeds of sore sedition. Some of his machinations and intrigues will
be recorded in a separate leaflet.

My purpose is, however, to show that it is incumbent
upon the friends that are fast and firm in the Covenant and Testament
to be ever wakeful lest after this wronged one is gone this alert and
active worker of mischief may cause disruption, privily sow the seeds
of doubt and sedition and utterly root out the Cause of God. A
thousand times shun his company. Take heed and be on your guard.
Watch and examine; should anyone, openly or privily, have the least
connection with him, cast him out from your midst, for he will surely
cause disruption and mischief.

O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive with all your heart to
shield the Cause of God from the onslaught of the insincere, for
souls such as these cause the straight to become crooked and all
benevolent efforts to produce contrary results.

O God, my God! I call Thee, Thy Prophets and Thy
Messengers, Thy Saints and Thy Holy Ones, to witness that I have
declared conclusively Thy Proofs unto Thy loved ones and set forth
clearly all things unto them, that they may watch over Thy Faith,
guard Thy Straight Path and protect Thy Resplendent Law. Thou art,
verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Part Three

He Is the Witness, the All-Sufficing

O My God! my Beloved, my heart’s Desire! Thou
knowest, Thou seest that which hath befallen this servant of Thine,
that hath humbled himself at Thy Door, and Thou knowest the sins
committed against him by the people of malice, they that have broken
Thy Covenant and turned their backs on Thy Testament. In the day-time
they afflicted me with the arrows of hate and in the night-season
they privily conspired to hurt me. At dawn they committed that which
the Celestial Concourse did lament and at eventide they unsheathed
against me the sword of tyranny and hurled in the presence of the
ungodly their darts of calumny upon me. Notwithstanding their
misdeeds, this lowly servant of Thine was patient and did endure
every affliction and trial at their hands, though by Thy power and
might he could have destroyed their words, quenched their fire and
stayed the flame of their rebelliousness.

Thou seest, O my God! how my long-suffering, my
forbearance and silence have increased their cruelty, their arrogance
and their pride. By Thy Glory, O Beloved One! They have misbelieved
in Thee and rebelled against Thee in such wise that they left me not
a moment of rest and quiet, that I might arise as it is meet and
seemly, to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind, and might serve at Thy
Threshold of Holiness with a heart that overfloweth with the joy of
the dwellers of the Abhá Kingdom.

Lord! My cup of woe runneth over, and from all sides
blows are fiercely raging upon me. The darts of affliction have
compassed me round and the arrows of distress have rained upon me.
Thus tribulation overwhelmed me and my strength, because of the
onslaught of the foemen, became weakness within me, while I stood
alone and forsaken in the midst of my woes. Lord! Have mercy upon me,
lift me up unto Thyself and make me to drink from the Chalice of
Martyrdom, for the wide world with all its vastness can no longer
contain me.

Thou art, verily, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the
Gracious, the All-Bountiful!

O ye the true, the sincere, the faithful friends of this
wronged one! Everyone knoweth and believeth what calamities and
afflictions have befallen this wronged one, this prisoner, at the
hands of those who have broken the Covenant at the time when, after
the setting of the Day-Star of the world, his heart was consumed with
the flame of His bereavement.

When, in all parts of the earth, the enemies of God
profiting by the passing away of the Sun of Truth, suddenly and with
all their might launched their attack; at such a time and in the
midst of so great a calamity, the Covenant-breakers arose with the
utmost cruelty, intent upon harm and the stirring up of the spirit of
enmity. At every moment a misdeed they did commit and bestirred
themselves to sow the seeds of grievous sedition, and to ruin the
edifice of the Covenant. But this wronged one, this prisoner, did his
utmost to hide and veil their doings, that haply they might regret
and repent. His long-suffering and forbearance of these evil deeds,
however, made the rebellious ones still more arrogant and daring;
until, through leaflets written with their own hands, they sowed the
seeds of doubt, printing these leaflets and scattering them broadcast
throughout the world, believing that such foolish doings would bring
to naught the Covenant and the Testament.

Thereupon the loved ones of the Lord arose, inspired
with the greatest confidence and constancy and aided by the power of
the Kingdom, by Divine Strength, by heavenly Grace, by the unfailing
help and Celestial Bounty, they withstood the enemies of the Covenant
in well-nigh three score and ten treatises and supported by
conclusive proofs, unmistakable evidences and clear texts from the
Holy Writ, they refuted their scrolls of doubt and mischief-kindling
leaflets. The Center of Sedition was thus confounded in his
craftiness, afflicted by the wrath of God, sunk into a degradation
and infamy that shall be lasting until the Day of Doom. Base and
wretched is the plight of the people of evil deeds, they that are in
grievous loss!

And as they lost their cause, grew hopeless in their
efforts against the loved ones of God, saw the Standard of His
Testament waving throughout all regions and witnessed the power of
the Covenant of the Merciful One, the flame of envy so blazed within
them as to be beyond recounting. With the utmost vigor, exertion,
rancor and enmity, they followed another path, walked in another way,
devised another plan: that of kindling the flame of sedition in the
heart of the very government itself, and thus cause this wronged one,
this prisoner to appear as a mover of strife, inimical to the
government and a hater and opponent of the Crown. Perchance
‘Abdu’l-Bahá may be put to death and his name be
made to perish whereby an arena may be opened unto the enemies of the
Covenant wherein they may advance and spur on their charger, inflict
a grievous loss upon everyone and subvert the very foundations of the
edifice of the Cause of God. For so grievous is the conduct and
behavior of this false people that they are become even as an axe
striking at the very root of the Blessed Tree. Should they be
suffered to continue they would, in but a few days’ time,
exterminate the Cause of God, His Word, and themselves.

Hence, the beloved of the Lord must entirely shun them,
avoid them, foil their machinations and evil whisperings, guard the
Law of God and His religion, engage one and all in diffusing widely
the sweet savors of God and to the best of their endeavor proclaim
His Teachings.

Whosoever and whatsoever meeting becometh a hindrance to
the diffusion of the Light of Faith, let the loved ones give them
counsel and say: “Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the
gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our
first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay,
our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a
sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God.”
Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in
the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder. The
Glory of Glories rest upon you.

O ye the faithful loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!
It is incumbent upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi,
the twig that hath branched from and the fruit given forth by the two
hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no dust of despondency and
sorrow may stain his radiant nature, that day by day he may wax
greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may grow to become
even as a fruitful tree.

For he is, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the
Guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnán, the Hands (pillars)
of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto
him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God; he that turneth
away from him, hath turned away from God and he that denieth him,
hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these
words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day
of Ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) advance a
pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the
door of false interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth
his own opinion or express his particular conviction. All must seek
guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of
Justice. And he that turneth unto whatsoever else is indeed in
grievous error.