E RR ATA:
Page 14, read Tablet written by EláBeha
( not to Americans ).
Page 17. third line, read "Victory" is this
that no one, elc. Other minor errors will
be corrected in next edition.
Tablets, Communes
and
Holy Utterances
,
'-J 'j--?
cdl.u,I,.,
THE T EACHINGS CLEARLY DEFINED BY
THE MASTER.
These teachings are simplicity itself. To accept
the glad tidings of the coming of God, to confess
His Oneness and Singleness, to be naturalized with
the attributes of God, to come neare- to the knowl-
edge of God; to attain these great aims is all that is
necessary for man.
These are the words of the Blessed Master to An-
ton Haddad for the benefit of all.
FIRST COMMUNE.
0 God, give me Knowledge, Faithá and Love.
Adorn my head, 0 God, with the crown of Thy
Providence, my heart with the light of knowing
Thee, my tongue with the utterance of Thy Great-
est Name * * *. and mine ear with listen-
ing to Thy Holy Word, for Thou art the only One
whose action was, is and ever shall be glorified, and
whose commands shall ever be obeyed.
0 God, help me to be just! Lift me up from the
ocean of superstitions and imaginations, and g rant
me an iron sight (spiritual perception) to see and
realize from the surrounding existence Thy Oneness
and Thy Truth.
DAILY MORNING PRAYER.
0 my God, strengthen Thou these hands to
take hold of Thy Book with such rectitude and up-
rightness that all the soldiers of the world will fail
to h inder it; and protect them, 0 my Lord, from
disposing of anything not owned by them. Thou
art the Powerful, the Mighty!
0 my God, I have turned my face to Thee, and
pray Thee to illuminate it with the Lights of Thy
Face, and keep it from turning to any but Thee!
God has testified that there is no God but He
(the affairs and creations are in His Hands). He
has manifested the Sun of the Manifestation, the
Speaker of Mount Sinai, through whom He made
the Supreme Horizon shine, and the Lote Tree (of
Life) speak; and between the heaven and the earth
a call was vociferously raised, saying: "The Ruler,
who is the Lord of the Worlds, and the King of
earth and heaven, has come, and His is the King-
dom, Glory and Omnipotence!"
Praise be to Thee, Thou art the Most Glorified
above all my prayers and those of others, and above
all my exaltation and those of heaven and earth!
0 my God, do Thou not disappoint the one, who,
by the fingers of hope, has held fast to the trail of
Thy Mercy and Bounty, 0 Thou, the Most Merci-
ful of the Merciful !
I confess Thy Oneness and Singleness, and that
Thou art God, and there is no God but Thee. Thou
hast manifested Thy affair, fulfilled Thy promise,
and opened the door of Thy Bounty upon those in
heaven and earth. Prayer, peace, glory and praise
be upon Thy friends and beloved, who, not with-
standing the affairs of the world and its vanity,
nothing could prevent them from clinging to Thee;
but, on the contrary, spent everything within their
power and provision in Thy Cause, with the hope
of receiving a higher reward from Thy Bounty.
Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous.
MORNING PRAYER.
Praise to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast awak-
ened me after my sleep, made me appear after my
absence, and raised me after my death. I arose this
morning, facing the light of the dawn of Thine
Appearance, which lightened the horizon of the
heavens of Thy Power and Majesty, confessing the
truth of Thy Word, believing in Thy Book and
holding to Thy Robe. I beg of Thee, by the power
of Thy Will and the performance of Thy Wish, to
make what Thou didst show me in my VISION-a
solid foundation for the house of Thyá love in the
hearts of Thy favorites, and the best cause for the
manifestation of Thy Generosity and Providence.
0 my God, let my destiny, which is written. by
Thy Greatest Pen, be to obtain the blessings of the
worlds to come and the present one. I hereby bear
witness that in Thy Hands are the reins of all
things, and Thou changest them according to Thy
Will, and that there is no God but Thee, for Thou
art the One, the Almighty and the Faithful. Thou
art the One who changest by His command the
dishonored to the highest state of honor, the weak
to be strong, the failing to have power, the con-
fused to be in peace, and the doubting to have
strong faith.
There is no God but Thee, who art the Dearest
and the most Generous. The heavens of Thy Char-
ity and the oceans of Thy Bounty are so vast that
Thou hast never disappointed those who beg of
Thee, nor refused those who willed to come unto
Thee. Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
COMMUNE.
I beg of Thee, Most High is Thy Name-by that
Letter (Power) which, when it was pronounced by
the Mouth oi Th y Will, th e seas moved, the winds
did blow, the fruit s appeared, the trees began to
thri ve, the traces were destroyed, the Curtains were
to rn asunder, and the faithful hurri ed to th e lights of
the Face of their God, the Chosen-to teach me
what is hidden in the treasures o f Thine Under-
standing secl uded in the stores o f Thy Knowl-
edge.
Thou seest m e, 0 my God, that I am depending
on Thy Name, which is the Mos t Sacred, the
Brightest, the D earest, the Greatest, the Highest
and th e Most Brilliant, and th at I a m holding on to
th e lower part of that Garme nt, which 1s being
grasped by all th e creatures in this and all other
worlds.
PRAYER WHEN ASSUMING DAILY
DUTIES.
He is the Exaltt:d and the Truthful One.
By Thy Generosity, 0 my God, I come to this
mo rnin g, and I leave th e house, depending o n Thee
and delivering all my co nce rns to Thy Hand.
Therefore send down upon me, from the heave ns
of Thy Mercy, a special blessing from Thy Pres-
ence ; b1 ing me back in peace and ri g hteo usness, as
Thou has se nt me out.
T here is n o Go d but Thee. Thou hast all the
knowledge and the wisdom.
EVENING PRAYER.
HE rs THE CREATOR OF ALL THE NAMES.
0 my God, my God, ho w can I choose to
sleep, and the eyes of Thy fav orites a re a wakened
beca use of Thv Deoarture. and how can I take my
re st upon my bed, and the hearts of Thy favorites
are aching because Th ou has left them. 0 my God.
I put my spirit, my so ul and myself in th e right
hand of Thy Power and Safety, and I lay my head
upon my pillow under the P ower of Thy Protection,
and I lift it up according to Thy Wish and Will, for
Thou a rt the Protector, th e Watcher, the Almighty
and th e Powerful. By Thy Glory I do not want,
sleeping or waking, but what Thou wishest me to
be. I am Thy servant, and in Thy Hand, confirm
m e to do that which brings the wave of the sweet
fragrance of Thy Plea,.ure. This is my hope, and
the ho pe of every one who is near to Thee. Prais e
t o Thee, 0 God of all the wo rld s.
HE IS THE LIST E NER AND T HE
ANSWERER.
A token issued from the presence of the Opáá
pressed; to him who confesses the Oneness of God
and His Sin g leness, and th at He is the First and
th e L ast, th e Manifested and th e Secluded. Th ere
is no Go d but H e wh o is the Sing le One, the per-
fe ct in knowledge and wisdom. We have heard your
supplications and granted them to you, and re-
m embered you with such a remembrance that at-
tracts the hearts to you. W e command you, and all
my redeemer s, to keep yourself in favor and love
with all the people; to be righteo us, pious, and to
do what will draw you nearer to God your L o rd,
and th e Lord of all the world. Say:
Praise t o Thee, 0 Go d my L ord, I beg of Thee,
by the prophets, redeemers and the chosen, to send
down upon me, throu g h the showers descending
from the heavens of Thy Bounty, a special provi-
dence and a . particular m ercy from Thy Majestic
Presence. Open upon my face the doors of Thy
Gifts and Benignities, Thou who art the most
Bounteous, most Pitiful, most Benevolent and most
Generous. There is no God but Thee. Thou art the
great Forgiver and the most Merciful.
HEALING TABLET.
I beg of Thee, 0 my God! my God! by the
ocean of Thy Healing Power ; by the dawning lights
of the Orb of Thy Generosity; by Thy Name, which
commands Thy servants to perform Thy orders; by
the executive power of Thy Supreme Word; by the
Might of Thy Greatest Pen; by Thy Glorious Sun
of Righteousness, and by Thy Mercy, which ex-
isted before the creation of the Heavens and the
Earth, to shower upon me (and upon * * * )
Thy gifted waters to purify me (or us) from every
affliction and disease, ind from every defect and
weakness.
Thou seest, 0 my God, that the needy one is
standing at the door of Thy bounty, and that the
waiting one is holding on to the robe of Thy gen-
erosity. I beg of Thee not to disappoint him in
what he desires from the sea of Thy favor and from
the shining sun of Thy providence. For Thou art
the Omnipotent. There is no God but Thee, for
Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER.
My God, my God, Thou art my Beloved and my
Hope, my intended Aim and my Desire. With great
humbleness and entire devotion I whisper to Thee
to make me the minaret amongst Thy creatures
and the banner of Thy Gift in Thy Kingdom. Make
me one of Thy worshipers, and one who cuts him-
self from everything but Thee, one who sanctifies
himself from every worldly thing, and be diverted
from the defects of the suspicious.
Let my bosom be dilated with joy through the
Spirit of Confirmation from Thy Kingdom: Illumi-
nate my sight, so that I may behold the hosts of
success following one another and descending upon
me from Thy Omnipotence. Thou art the Almighty,
the Invincible, the Powerful.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER.
Praise .be to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast
made me drink the Wine of Knowledge from that
beautiful Cup at the meeting of the Beloved of God,
enabled me to enter Thy Kingdom, caused me to
hear th e call of the angels of Thy Holiness, at-
tracted me with the Magnet of Thy Love, illu-
minated my face with the Light of Thy Oneness,
helped me utter Thy Name, kindled me with the
fire of Thy Love, dilated my breast with joy through
tbe Light of Thy Knowledge, awakened me by Thy
Breeze and quickened me by Thy Spirit.
0 my God, make me true and sincere to Thy
Face, to diffuse Thy Fragrance. A promoter of Thy
Word, a servant to Thy Beloved, a supplicater for
Thy Kingdom and a pleader at the Doors of Thy
Singleness, that I may be enabled to characterize
myself with Thy Attributes an d Characteristics.
Thou art the Merciful. Thou art the Compas-
sionate. Thou art the Righteous, the Pitiful, the
Bountiful.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL.
Praise to Thee, 0 God my Lord! Every time I
try to mention Thee my dreadful sins* and awful
*Doubt and denial of God. Spiritual ignorance .
crimes prevent me, and by them I find myself re-
moved from Thee and prevented from calling upon
Thee for help. But my assurance of Thy Gener-
osity encourages me, and my full trust in Thy
Bounty enables me to mention Thee, and ask of
Thee what Thou hast to gi ve. I ask Thee, 0 my
God, by Thy Mercy, which was b efore all thin gs
existing, and to which all those who are in the
depths of the seas of names did bear witness, not
to leave me to myself, for I long always to do what
is wrong. Keep me in the stronghold of Thy
Shelter and amidst the surroundings of Thy pro-
t ection. I do not want, 0 my God, but that which
was appointed for me by Thy Power, and thi s is
what I have chose n to myself, that Thy good D es-
tiny and Judgment may confirm me, and that I may
be exalted by what Thou hast written and ordained
for me.
I beg of Thee, 0 Beloved of the hearts of Thy
lovers, by the manifestation of Thy Command-
ments, by the depths of Thine Inspiration, by tlie
heights of Thine Exaltation, and by the stores of
Thine U nderstand ing, not to forbid m e from vi sit-
ing Thy Sacred H ouse and Holy Abode. Admit me,
0 God, to be so fortunat e as to drink from the
• fountain of its Holy Courts, to wander around it
and to stand beside its Gate, for Thou art He who
is, was and ever shall be Powerful and Mighty.
Nothing ca n be hidden from Thy Knowledge.
Thou art He who has all the Power and the Glory
and th e Majesty. Praise to God, the Lord of all th e
worlds.
TO THE AMERICANS-A DECLARATION.
I
HE IS GOD.
0 ye, the beloved of God and the children of
God, th e new Heaven is already come, the new
ear t h is already . established, and th e new Holy
J erusale m is already descended fr o m Heaven, from
th e presence of the Almighty, in the fo rm of a
g lorious virgin. excellent in her b eauty, an un-
equaled gem a mong the other virg ins, secluded in
the tent. ready to receive. The angels of th e High-
est of th e Kingdom have called in the ears of the
inhabitants of the earth an d heave n with a loud
and melod io us voice, saying: "This is th e city. of
God an d Hi s residence with th e h oly a nd sanctified
souls of Hi s servants. H e shall li ve with them, for
th ey are His people and H e is th eir God. " H e has
wiped th eir tears, lighted th eir candl es, g ive n peace
to t hei r h eart s and widened th eir breasts ; there-
fore, t he roots of death were rooted out, sorrow.
wa iling and crying have ceased, and the lesser King
of Majesty (Abbas) occupies th e Throne o f the
Kingdom. a nd renews the performance of untold
actions. This is the absolute truth, and o f a higher
certainty than what was said in th e R evelation by
St. John: . " He is the Alph a and th e Omega." This
is He wh o quenches the thi rst from the spring of
life. This is He who heals th e sick with the anti-
dote of safety and confirm s with a fl ood of grace
from thi s Kingdom. He is of th e g reatest heirs to
the apostles .and saints, the L ord is His God and
He is His dearest Son. (Abdu l-Beha.)
Good tidings to yon, 0 beloved of God, His
people, His ch ildren and His party! Raise your
voices in praising and glorifying the glorious Lord,
for th e li gh t s have shone, the traces appeared, the
seas moved, an d gave out eve ry precious gem.
AN ASSURANCE TO THE TEACHER .
HE I S GOD.
Oh, you who have been drawn by the fragrant
waves, spreading from the Gardens of th e gifts of
God:
God has already opened by His powerful and
mighty Hand the doors of prosperity, and the herald
has ' proclaimed á tidings of happiness, saying:
"Salute the advance, oh you, essence of the Spirit,
Jiving in the shell of phantoms! Happin ess to you
in this triumphant day, the day of the spring of life,
and the day of the gracious light descending on
thee by the benevolence of thy loving God."
By God, it is the truth that the fire burning in
the Blessed and Sinaitic Tree, spread its blaze, lifted
up its waves, rolled its glorious flames, declared its
brilliancy and its glow, wove a network of rays
from the eastá to the west of the earth!
And oh you, who areá expecting this grace and
preaching in .. this mercy, let your breast be ex-
panded and your heart refresh ed, because God has
strengthened you to spread these fragrant waves.
which gave a sweet scent to the surrounding hori-
zons.
The Highest of the Kingdom of the Most
Glorious call upon you from the highest heaven,
and they converse thus with .you: A blessing to
you, oh you who are heralding the Name of God!
Gladness to you, oh you who are attracted toward
God! Glory to you, oh you who are proclaiming
the mentioning of God! Happiness to you, oh you
who were confirmed by the Holy Spirit from the
highest heaven! Let your loins be girt with
strength, your back with iron , your eye with bril-
liancy, your soul with ease, and your heart with de-
light by that greatest gift you are assured to ob-
tain, which shall appear and illuminate more
brightly than the beautiful Venus and the shining
Sun in horizons of the chiefest magnificence, in the
first dawning of witnesses and in the chief sources
of existence. And kings shall glorify you in the em-
pyrean space, and El Abha is upon the enlightened
faces of those who were adorned by the victory of
the Most Merciful in this highest step.
TABLET TO THE AMERICANS.
HE IS THE LIVING AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.
0 ye beloved of God, and His sincere fri ends!
By the Life of God, the hearts are cheered when-
ever you are mentioned, and the souls are comforted
in your love, and the holy spirits are captivated by
your fragrance, and that the eyes are expecting to
see you, and the hearts are longing to meet you:
owing to the fact that your hearts were kindled with
the fire of the Love of God, and your eyes satisfied
in witnessing the Word of God, and your ears were
charmed by hearing the Word of God, and your
souls were rested in the appearance of the mysteries
of God; blessed are ye, oh children of the Kingdom
of God; glad tidings to you, oh friends of God, as
He has made your destiny great, and your share
victory and happiness, your lamp lit, and your
spring yields supply.
You are the most brilliant stars, you are the most
dazzling lamps, you are the green branches, you
are the ripe fruits, you are the beautiful gardens.
you are the overflowing bowl. God is merciful and
compassionate: His bounty is great and great; He
appropriates with His mercy those whom He likes,
and chooses for His Love those whom He approves of.
This is in accordance with what Christ said (peace
and praise be on Him) .: "Many are called, but few
chosen."
God makes your endeavor praiseworthy and your
reward great, and your days, by El-Beha, be feasts
and pleasure for casting aside the imaginary God
and accepting the knowable; and for discarding
every evil spirit, craving to the witnessed light and
turning your faces to the exalted position. God
will show forth your endeavors and increase your
spirit and fragrance, and perfume the different di-
rections with your odors, enlighten the horizon
with your lights, quicken the hearts with that which
is treasured within you, cheer the souls with what
you have accomplished, cause the verses of thank-
fulness to be recited in all places, the banner of re-
membrance of you to wa ve through the ages. your
fame and praise encircle the horizon and the
tongues speak of your virtues and good endeavor.
By the Living Truth, that bounty is great and
great, and the Lord is Supreme in Majesty. The
confirmation is successive, and success is contináá
nous, and the kindness of your God, the Merciful.
the Compassionate, will surround you from all sides
TABLET FROM THF MASTERTO THE
\ AMERICANS
Oh ye people of El-Behal Ye have been and are
the dawnings of affection and the day-springs oi
Divine Grace; defile not the tongue with cursing or
execration of any one, and guard the eye from that
which is not seemly. Shew forth that which ye have;
if it be accepted the object is attained; if not, inter-
ference is vain; leave him to himself while ad-
vancing toward God, th e Protective, the Self-Sub-
sisting. Be not a cause of grief, much less of strife
and sedition. It is hoped that ye will be nurtured in
the shade of the lotus tree of Divine Grace, and
practice that which God desireth. Ye are all leaves
of one tree and drops of one sea.
Oh friends, consort with all the people of the
world with joy and fragrance. If there be to you a
word or essence whereof others than you are de-
void, communicate it and sh ew it forth in the lan-
g uage of affection and kindn ess : if it be r eceived
and be effecti ve the object is attained; and if not,
l eave it to him a nd with regard to him, deal not
harshly, but pray. The language of love is the lode-
stone of h earts and the fo od of the soul ; it stands
in the relati on of ideas to words, and is as a h orizon
fo r the shining of the Sun of Wisdom and Knowl-
edge.
A NNOUN CEM ENT OF THE DEPA RTURE
OF BERA 'ULLAH.
Oh fri end of my heart and delight of my soul!
In these days th e showers o f a ffli ction do so de scend
from th e clo ud s o f the firmament of fate, and the
thunderbolts o f g riefs and sorrows do so succeed
o ne anoth er, th at neither h ath the tongue strength
to describ e nor the pen power to utteár th em-for
the horizon of the Phenomena l world is bereft of
t he effulgence of the Sun of W sidom and R evela-
tio n, and the t hrone of the Universe is deprived of
th e radiance o f the Most M ig hty Luminary. The
ea rs of th e fr iends are, to outward appearance, de-
barred from harkening to th e cry of th e Supreme
P en, and th e eyes of the longin g are veiled fr o m the
co ntemplation o f the Most Gl orious Horizon. Great
God I how dire a catastrophe is thi s which has
a risen in th e wo rld, and how grievous a cal a mity is
this which has appeared in the Universe. The Sun
o f Truth hath bidden farew ell to this earthly sphere
and now shines with a brightness which waneth not
in the regi on s of Might and Glory. Albeit thi s su-
preme afflictio n transcends endurance, and th is most
dire disaster lays in ruins the edifice of resig nation
and patienc e-yet having regard to the autho ritative
command and binding behest revealed from the
Holy Angel World in the Kitab-i-Akdas, we and
you alike must adorn ourselves with the ornament of
patience and resignation; lay hold of the firm rope
of submission and acquiescence; apply ourselves
with strong hearts and tranquil souls to what will
conduce to the progress of mankind, the peace and
prosperity of the world, the amelioration of charac-
ters and the 'appearance of charity and concord, and
attach ourselves with our whole being to the coun-
sels of the Lord of the Visible and Invisible, so
that the Phenomenal world may, by the Grace of
that Beneficent Being, be beheld an envy to the Gar-
den of Paradise . . Nor is this thing difficult with God.
The blessed text revealed in the Kitab-i-Akdas shall
here be cited. H e says (great is His Glory and uni-
versal His Bounty):
"Oh people of the earth! When. the Sun of my
B eauty sets and the firmament of My Form is hid-
den, be not troubled, a rise for th e helping of my
work and the advancement of my word through-
out the worlds. Verily, we are with you under all
conditions and will help you with the Truth. Verily
we can do this. Whosoever knoweth m e will rise
1.1p to serve me with such uprising that the Hosts
of Heaven and earth shall not put him down."
And in another place He says:
"Say, oh people, let not trouble take possession
of you when the kingdom of my Epiphany becomes
concealed and the waves of the ocean of my Utter-
ances are hushed. Verily, there is in my E piphany
a reason, and in my Occultation another reason.
which none knoweth, save God, the Incomparable
and the All-Knowing, and we shall see you from the
Most Glorious Horizon and will help whomsoever
riseth up for the helping of our work, with Hosts
from the Supreme Concourse and a Cohort of the
Cherubim."
HE IS GOD, EXALTED IS HE.
(A Command of Non-Resistance.)
It hath been known that God (glorious is His
mention) is sanctified from the world and what is
therein, and that the meaning of "victory" is
this-that no one should fight or strive with an-
other. The Lord, He doeth what He Will. He hath
committed the kingdoms of creation, both land and
sea, into the hand of kings, and they are the mani-
festations of the Divine Power according to the de-
gree of their rank-verily, He is the Potent, the Sov-
ereign. But that which God (glorious is His men-
tion) hath desired for himself, is the hearts of His
servants, which are treasures of praise, love of the
Lord, stores of .d ivine knowledge and wisdom. The
will of the Eternal King hath ever been to purify
the hearts of His servants from the promptings of
the world and what is therein, so that they may be
prepared for illumination by the effulgences of the
Lord of the Names and Attributes. Therefore, no
stranger should find his way into the city (posses-
sion) of the heart, so that the Incomparable Friend
may come unto His own place-that is, the efful-
gence of His Names and Attributes, not His Es-
sence (exalted is He), for that Peerless King hath
been and will be holy for everlasting, above ascent
or descent. Therefore, to-day, "victory" neither
hath been, nor will be opposition to any one, nor
strife with any person; but rather what is well-pleas-
ing-i. e., that the cities of men's hearts, which are
under the dominion of the hosts of selfishness and
lust, should be subdued by the sword of the Word
of Wisdom, and of Exhortation. Every one, then,
who desireth "victory" must first subdue the city of his
own heart with the sword of spiritual truth and of the
Word, and must protect it from remembering aught
beside God; afterward let him turn his concern
toward the cities of other's hearts. This is what
is intended by "victory"; sedition ha th never been
nor is pleasing to God, and that which certain ig-
norant persons formerly wrought was never ap-
proved. If ye be slain for His good pleasure, verily.
it is better for you than that ye sho uld slay. To-
day the friends of God mu st appear in such fashion,
amid st God's .servants, th at by their actions t hey
may lead all unto the pleasure of the Lord of Glory.
I swear by th e Sun of th e Horizon of Holiness that
the real friends of Go d never have regarded nor will
regard the earth and its transitory ri ches. God hath
ever regarded the hearts of His servants, and this,
too, by reason of His m ost great favor, tha t per-
chance mortal soul s may be cleansed and sanctifi ed
fro m earthly st at es and may attain unto everl asti ng
places. But that Real Kin g is iu Himself sufficient
. unto Himself and independent of all ; neither doth
an y advantage accrue to Him from th e love of con -
tingent beings, nor doth any hurt befall Him fro m
their hatred. A ll earthly places appear th rough
Him a nd unt o Him return , and God singly and
alon e abidet h in His own place, which is hol y above
space and tim e, mention an d utterance, sig n, de-
scription, definition, hei g ht and depth. And none
knoweth thi s save Him an d whosoever hath k nowl-
edge of the Book. (Holy utterances.) There is no
God but Him, t h e Mighty, the Bountifu l.
*HE IS EL-ABHA.
From the lights of that Shining Brilliancy an d
Brig htness, the horizons have already shone; bl essed
are they who are successiul. From that Blessed Tree
in Mo unt Sinai a call has been vociferously
rai sed: blessed are they who are hearing. From that
Holy Fragrance in that White Spot all sides and re-
gions have been perfumed; blessed are they who in-
hal e the odor thereof. The Light of Unity has been
transfigured in the Temple of Seclusion; blessed are
they who are wishing for Light. The Face o f EI-
Beha has been uncovered ; blessed are they who are
thereby attracted. The Cup of Giving, overflowing
with the Wine of Fulfillment, is passing round;
blessed are th ey who are drinking. The Kingdo m of
El-Abha and the Supreme God h ave been h ono red
and g lorified ; blessed are they who are winning a
place in the Kingdom. The clouds of Generosity
are ove rflowin g with th e Greatest Abundance; truly,
it is a Great Abundance! The hearts have been en-
lightened from the Lights of the Face of th e Be-
loved; truly, it is a clear Light!
Abdul-Beha, the Servan t of Beha, has clad Him-
self in the mantle of servitude and devotion, for the
beloved of El-Beha; trul y, this is a Great Victory!
-Abbas-Abdul-Beha.
*The above Tablet was expressly written by the
Master, and chanted into the phonograph by Him
at my long and earnest plead ing. The orginial writ-
ing and the phonograph records were given to me
b,y Him on March 23, 1899, at Acea. I to ok the
phon ograph there for this purpose and left it there.
-E. C. Getsinger.
TO THE AMERICANS.
(H e Is the Most Merciful Lord.)
Oh ye children of the Kingdom , let it be known
that the Sultan of the Kingdom has already estab-
lished Himself on the throne of humanity, and that
the Sun of the Worlds of Divinity has already arisen
and shone from the horizon of His Majesty. The
exaltation is to Him, the authority is to Him, the
greatness is to Him, and to those who were en-
lightened by His Light, and who were flooded by
the flood of His Generosity. And that the Lord of
Hosts, who was promised in the Bible and by the
tongue of David, has already directed the multitudes
of His angels and the battalions of His hosts with
His blessing to the eastern parts of this earth, and
to the western parts of it. And that they marched to
the battlefields and to the challenging grounds and
attacked the parties of darkness and the soldiers of
infidelity by flashing arrows of light--and so they
broke their lines and defeated them by thousands.
And thus the different directions were lighted, the
face of the heavens shone, the lights displayed their
brightness, and the darkness . was dispersed by a
shining light spread from the fire of the Blessed
Tree in the Paradise of the Glorious God. There-
fore, the faces of the faithful beamed, and the
tongues of the godly praised, and the faces of the
pharisees were darkened. Praise to God, the Lord
of all the worlds.
And you, oh children of the Kingdom, yqur ex-
ample is that which was declared by the Holy
Spirit in the revered Gospel, that a generous Prince
had spread a rare and excellent table, adorned with
different kinds of graces and gifts, containing what
the soul longs for, what the eyes of the friends would
enjoy, that which tastes delicious to the great, and
which makes the hearts of the pious happy. And
He invited to it the great, the princes and the
learned. But when the appointed time came and the
different foods were prepared, of many most de-
licious varieties, those who were invited refused to
be present, and showed their great treachery, and
hesitated to come with those crowds who drank
from that Spring of Life. At that time the Prince
called the high, the low, the neighbor and the
stranger, and set them at the table, and fed them
with the best food with great benevolence and
bounty, because those heads had no portion from
that grace, but the others were fit to receive these
gifts.
And you, oh sons of the Kingdom, in those far
away parts and wide lands, as you were fit for these
merciful gifts and godly graces, God, the Almighty,
sent to you a chosen soul to guide you to this sacred
and heavenly table, and to show you those lights
shining from the Kingdom of your God; also show-
i.ng you these gifts descending from the heavens of
the Majesty of your Creator.
Oh you people, what a great enjoyment is com-
ing to you from these gifts, what a great happiness
is coming to you from these coveted blessings, what
a great exaltation is coming to you from this food,
and what a great blessing is coming to you from
this benevolence, which is the breeze of God to
awaken every sleeper, and the Spirit of God will
give life to every moldering bone.
Good tidings to you! Good tidings to you!
Awake! Awake! for in a short time these fra-
grances, which give life to the soul, shall be diffused
and the lights, which disperse the darkness, shall
shine universally. Blessed are the nostrils which
shall inhale these sweet odors, and gladness to
every eye which shall be enlightened by this light,
sooner or later!
SELECTED PRECEPTS OF EL-HAK.
(The Manifestation.)
This manuscript contains fifteen clauses called
"Good Tidings," each of which indicates some re-
form, or law conducive to the general well-being of
mankind. As indicating the ideals held up by El-
Hak for the guidance of His followers, it is inter-
esting and important. The inscription at the top is
as follows:
"The Divine ordinances and commands, for-
merly revealed in sundry epistles, have, agreeably to
the Supreme and Most Holy Command, been col-
lected, that ail may become cognizant of the grace,
mercy and favor of God in this Most Mighty Mani-
festation and this Great Announcement, and may
engage in praise and thanksgiving to the Desired
Object of all the inhabitants of the world. Verily,
He helpetl1 His servants unto that which He will-
eth, for He is the \Vise Orctainer."
In substance the reforms enacted in the fifteen
clauses are as follows:
1. Abolition of religious warfare.
2. Permission of all sects and peoples to unite
in friendly intercourse.
3. Permission to study foreign languages,
coupled with a recommendation that one language
and writing ( either of those already existing or
especially devised for the purpose). should be se-
lected by general consent as a mediumá of interna-
tional communication.
4. All El-Hak's followers are bound loyally to
serve and support any king who extends his pro-
tection to their faith.
5. The followers of El-Hak, in whatever land
they dwell, must cheerfully and ungrudingly submit
to the laws and conform to the customs of that
country.
6. Promise of the "Most Great Peace."
7. All are permitted, subject to the dictates of
decency and good taste, to follow their own inclina-
tion as to dress and the wearing of the hair.
8. The good works and devotions of Christian
priests (and ministers) are recognized and will
be accepted, but they must henceforth abandon
their seclusion and "engage in that which shall
advantage them and whereby mankind shall be ben-
efited." (See text 12.) They are also permitted to
marry.
9. Confession of sin s to one's fellowmen and
:seeking absolution from them is not permitted. To
God only should confession be made, and from
Him only should pardon be sought. A form of
prayer suitable for such confession is given.
IO. The Bab's command to destroy certain classes
of books (e. g., books of logic, philoso phy a nd
other sciences, conducing, in his opinion, only to
self-conceit and disputation) and to "renew" all
books after a certain period is abrogated.
11. The study of sciences and arts is commended
and encouraged, but they shoud be such as conduce
to the welfare of mankind.
12. All men must learn and practice some craft,
trade or profession. The diligent and conscientious
practi ce o f some craft, trade or profess ion is in
itself an act of worship. Mendicity a nd idleness
are hateful to God.
13. The settlement of differences, the apportion-
m ent of alms and the ordering of the affairs of the
commonwealth generally are intrusted to the
"House of Justice."
14. Visitation of the tombs of martyrs and pil-
g rimages to the, shrine of saints are no longer to
be regarded as obligatory. Nevertheless it is a
pious work for rich men to leave money to the
" House of Justice" to enable their poorer brethren
to perform these pilgrimages.
15. Thoug h a republic conduces most to the gen-
eral welfare. it is not de sired that kings, who are
the " Sig ns of God's Power," should cease to exist.
If statesmen can combine these two things in this
cycle their reward with God shall be great.
Page 14, read Tablet written by EláBeha
( not to Americans ).
Page 17. third line, read "Victory" is this
that no one, elc. Other minor errors will
be corrected in next edition.
Tablets, Communes
and
Holy Utterances
,
'-J 'j--?
cdl.u,I,.,
THE T EACHINGS CLEARLY DEFINED BY
THE MASTER.
These teachings are simplicity itself. To accept
the glad tidings of the coming of God, to confess
His Oneness and Singleness, to be naturalized with
the attributes of God, to come neare- to the knowl-
edge of God; to attain these great aims is all that is
necessary for man.
These are the words of the Blessed Master to An-
ton Haddad for the benefit of all.
FIRST COMMUNE.
0 God, give me Knowledge, Faithá and Love.
Adorn my head, 0 God, with the crown of Thy
Providence, my heart with the light of knowing
Thee, my tongue with the utterance of Thy Great-
est Name * * *. and mine ear with listen-
ing to Thy Holy Word, for Thou art the only One
whose action was, is and ever shall be glorified, and
whose commands shall ever be obeyed.
0 God, help me to be just! Lift me up from the
ocean of superstitions and imaginations, and g rant
me an iron sight (spiritual perception) to see and
realize from the surrounding existence Thy Oneness
and Thy Truth.
DAILY MORNING PRAYER.
0 my God, strengthen Thou these hands to
take hold of Thy Book with such rectitude and up-
rightness that all the soldiers of the world will fail
to h inder it; and protect them, 0 my Lord, from
disposing of anything not owned by them. Thou
art the Powerful, the Mighty!
0 my God, I have turned my face to Thee, and
pray Thee to illuminate it with the Lights of Thy
Face, and keep it from turning to any but Thee!
God has testified that there is no God but He
(the affairs and creations are in His Hands). He
has manifested the Sun of the Manifestation, the
Speaker of Mount Sinai, through whom He made
the Supreme Horizon shine, and the Lote Tree (of
Life) speak; and between the heaven and the earth
a call was vociferously raised, saying: "The Ruler,
who is the Lord of the Worlds, and the King of
earth and heaven, has come, and His is the King-
dom, Glory and Omnipotence!"
Praise be to Thee, Thou art the Most Glorified
above all my prayers and those of others, and above
all my exaltation and those of heaven and earth!
0 my God, do Thou not disappoint the one, who,
by the fingers of hope, has held fast to the trail of
Thy Mercy and Bounty, 0 Thou, the Most Merci-
ful of the Merciful !
I confess Thy Oneness and Singleness, and that
Thou art God, and there is no God but Thee. Thou
hast manifested Thy affair, fulfilled Thy promise,
and opened the door of Thy Bounty upon those in
heaven and earth. Prayer, peace, glory and praise
be upon Thy friends and beloved, who, not with-
standing the affairs of the world and its vanity,
nothing could prevent them from clinging to Thee;
but, on the contrary, spent everything within their
power and provision in Thy Cause, with the hope
of receiving a higher reward from Thy Bounty.
Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous.
MORNING PRAYER.
Praise to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast awak-
ened me after my sleep, made me appear after my
absence, and raised me after my death. I arose this
morning, facing the light of the dawn of Thine
Appearance, which lightened the horizon of the
heavens of Thy Power and Majesty, confessing the
truth of Thy Word, believing in Thy Book and
holding to Thy Robe. I beg of Thee, by the power
of Thy Will and the performance of Thy Wish, to
make what Thou didst show me in my VISION-a
solid foundation for the house of Thyá love in the
hearts of Thy favorites, and the best cause for the
manifestation of Thy Generosity and Providence.
0 my God, let my destiny, which is written. by
Thy Greatest Pen, be to obtain the blessings of the
worlds to come and the present one. I hereby bear
witness that in Thy Hands are the reins of all
things, and Thou changest them according to Thy
Will, and that there is no God but Thee, for Thou
art the One, the Almighty and the Faithful. Thou
art the One who changest by His command the
dishonored to the highest state of honor, the weak
to be strong, the failing to have power, the con-
fused to be in peace, and the doubting to have
strong faith.
There is no God but Thee, who art the Dearest
and the most Generous. The heavens of Thy Char-
ity and the oceans of Thy Bounty are so vast that
Thou hast never disappointed those who beg of
Thee, nor refused those who willed to come unto
Thee. Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
COMMUNE.
I beg of Thee, Most High is Thy Name-by that
Letter (Power) which, when it was pronounced by
the Mouth oi Th y Will, th e seas moved, the winds
did blow, the fruit s appeared, the trees began to
thri ve, the traces were destroyed, the Curtains were
to rn asunder, and the faithful hurri ed to th e lights of
the Face of their God, the Chosen-to teach me
what is hidden in the treasures o f Thine Under-
standing secl uded in the stores o f Thy Knowl-
edge.
Thou seest m e, 0 my God, that I am depending
on Thy Name, which is the Mos t Sacred, the
Brightest, the D earest, the Greatest, the Highest
and th e Most Brilliant, and th at I a m holding on to
th e lower part of that Garme nt, which 1s being
grasped by all th e creatures in this and all other
worlds.
PRAYER WHEN ASSUMING DAILY
DUTIES.
He is the Exaltt:d and the Truthful One.
By Thy Generosity, 0 my God, I come to this
mo rnin g, and I leave th e house, depending o n Thee
and delivering all my co nce rns to Thy Hand.
Therefore send down upon me, from the heave ns
of Thy Mercy, a special blessing from Thy Pres-
ence ; b1 ing me back in peace and ri g hteo usness, as
Thou has se nt me out.
T here is n o Go d but Thee. Thou hast all the
knowledge and the wisdom.
EVENING PRAYER.
HE rs THE CREATOR OF ALL THE NAMES.
0 my God, my God, ho w can I choose to
sleep, and the eyes of Thy fav orites a re a wakened
beca use of Thv Deoarture. and how can I take my
re st upon my bed, and the hearts of Thy favorites
are aching because Th ou has left them. 0 my God.
I put my spirit, my so ul and myself in th e right
hand of Thy Power and Safety, and I lay my head
upon my pillow under the P ower of Thy Protection,
and I lift it up according to Thy Wish and Will, for
Thou a rt the Protector, th e Watcher, the Almighty
and th e Powerful. By Thy Glory I do not want,
sleeping or waking, but what Thou wishest me to
be. I am Thy servant, and in Thy Hand, confirm
m e to do that which brings the wave of the sweet
fragrance of Thy Plea,.ure. This is my hope, and
the ho pe of every one who is near to Thee. Prais e
t o Thee, 0 God of all the wo rld s.
HE IS THE LIST E NER AND T HE
ANSWERER.
A token issued from the presence of the Opáá
pressed; to him who confesses the Oneness of God
and His Sin g leness, and th at He is the First and
th e L ast, th e Manifested and th e Secluded. Th ere
is no Go d but H e wh o is the Sing le One, the per-
fe ct in knowledge and wisdom. We have heard your
supplications and granted them to you, and re-
m embered you with such a remembrance that at-
tracts the hearts to you. W e command you, and all
my redeemer s, to keep yourself in favor and love
with all the people; to be righteo us, pious, and to
do what will draw you nearer to God your L o rd,
and th e Lord of all the world. Say:
Praise t o Thee, 0 Go d my L ord, I beg of Thee,
by the prophets, redeemers and the chosen, to send
down upon me, throu g h the showers descending
from the heavens of Thy Bounty, a special provi-
dence and a . particular m ercy from Thy Majestic
Presence. Open upon my face the doors of Thy
Gifts and Benignities, Thou who art the most
Bounteous, most Pitiful, most Benevolent and most
Generous. There is no God but Thee. Thou art the
great Forgiver and the most Merciful.
HEALING TABLET.
I beg of Thee, 0 my God! my God! by the
ocean of Thy Healing Power ; by the dawning lights
of the Orb of Thy Generosity; by Thy Name, which
commands Thy servants to perform Thy orders; by
the executive power of Thy Supreme Word; by the
Might of Thy Greatest Pen; by Thy Glorious Sun
of Righteousness, and by Thy Mercy, which ex-
isted before the creation of the Heavens and the
Earth, to shower upon me (and upon * * * )
Thy gifted waters to purify me (or us) from every
affliction and disease, ind from every defect and
weakness.
Thou seest, 0 my God, that the needy one is
standing at the door of Thy bounty, and that the
waiting one is holding on to the robe of Thy gen-
erosity. I beg of Thee not to disappoint him in
what he desires from the sea of Thy favor and from
the shining sun of Thy providence. For Thou art
the Omnipotent. There is no God but Thee, for
Thou art the most Powerful and Mighty.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER.
My God, my God, Thou art my Beloved and my
Hope, my intended Aim and my Desire. With great
humbleness and entire devotion I whisper to Thee
to make me the minaret amongst Thy creatures
and the banner of Thy Gift in Thy Kingdom. Make
me one of Thy worshipers, and one who cuts him-
self from everything but Thee, one who sanctifies
himself from every worldly thing, and be diverted
from the defects of the suspicious.
Let my bosom be dilated with joy through the
Spirit of Confirmation from Thy Kingdom: Illumi-
nate my sight, so that I may behold the hosts of
success following one another and descending upon
me from Thy Omnipotence. Thou art the Almighty,
the Invincible, the Powerful.
A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE MASTER.
Praise .be to Thee, 0 my God, for Thou hast
made me drink the Wine of Knowledge from that
beautiful Cup at the meeting of the Beloved of God,
enabled me to enter Thy Kingdom, caused me to
hear th e call of the angels of Thy Holiness, at-
tracted me with the Magnet of Thy Love, illu-
minated my face with the Light of Thy Oneness,
helped me utter Thy Name, kindled me with the
fire of Thy Love, dilated my breast with joy through
tbe Light of Thy Knowledge, awakened me by Thy
Breeze and quickened me by Thy Spirit.
0 my God, make me true and sincere to Thy
Face, to diffuse Thy Fragrance. A promoter of Thy
Word, a servant to Thy Beloved, a supplicater for
Thy Kingdom and a pleader at the Doors of Thy
Singleness, that I may be enabled to characterize
myself with Thy Attributes an d Characteristics.
Thou art the Merciful. Thou art the Compas-
sionate. Thou art the Righteous, the Pitiful, the
Bountiful.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL.
Praise to Thee, 0 God my Lord! Every time I
try to mention Thee my dreadful sins* and awful
*Doubt and denial of God. Spiritual ignorance .
crimes prevent me, and by them I find myself re-
moved from Thee and prevented from calling upon
Thee for help. But my assurance of Thy Gener-
osity encourages me, and my full trust in Thy
Bounty enables me to mention Thee, and ask of
Thee what Thou hast to gi ve. I ask Thee, 0 my
God, by Thy Mercy, which was b efore all thin gs
existing, and to which all those who are in the
depths of the seas of names did bear witness, not
to leave me to myself, for I long always to do what
is wrong. Keep me in the stronghold of Thy
Shelter and amidst the surroundings of Thy pro-
t ection. I do not want, 0 my God, but that which
was appointed for me by Thy Power, and thi s is
what I have chose n to myself, that Thy good D es-
tiny and Judgment may confirm me, and that I may
be exalted by what Thou hast written and ordained
for me.
I beg of Thee, 0 Beloved of the hearts of Thy
lovers, by the manifestation of Thy Command-
ments, by the depths of Thine Inspiration, by tlie
heights of Thine Exaltation, and by the stores of
Thine U nderstand ing, not to forbid m e from vi sit-
ing Thy Sacred H ouse and Holy Abode. Admit me,
0 God, to be so fortunat e as to drink from the
• fountain of its Holy Courts, to wander around it
and to stand beside its Gate, for Thou art He who
is, was and ever shall be Powerful and Mighty.
Nothing ca n be hidden from Thy Knowledge.
Thou art He who has all the Power and the Glory
and th e Majesty. Praise to God, the Lord of all th e
worlds.
TO THE AMERICANS-A DECLARATION.
I
HE IS GOD.
0 ye, the beloved of God and the children of
God, th e new Heaven is already come, the new
ear t h is already . established, and th e new Holy
J erusale m is already descended fr o m Heaven, from
th e presence of the Almighty, in the fo rm of a
g lorious virgin. excellent in her b eauty, an un-
equaled gem a mong the other virg ins, secluded in
the tent. ready to receive. The angels of th e High-
est of th e Kingdom have called in the ears of the
inhabitants of the earth an d heave n with a loud
and melod io us voice, saying: "This is th e city. of
God an d Hi s residence with th e h oly a nd sanctified
souls of Hi s servants. H e shall li ve with them, for
th ey are His people and H e is th eir God. " H e has
wiped th eir tears, lighted th eir candl es, g ive n peace
to t hei r h eart s and widened th eir breasts ; there-
fore, t he roots of death were rooted out, sorrow.
wa iling and crying have ceased, and the lesser King
of Majesty (Abbas) occupies th e Throne o f the
Kingdom. a nd renews the performance of untold
actions. This is the absolute truth, and o f a higher
certainty than what was said in th e R evelation by
St. John: . " He is the Alph a and th e Omega." This
is He wh o quenches the thi rst from the spring of
life. This is He who heals th e sick with the anti-
dote of safety and confirm s with a fl ood of grace
from thi s Kingdom. He is of th e g reatest heirs to
the apostles .and saints, the L ord is His God and
He is His dearest Son. (Abdu l-Beha.)
Good tidings to yon, 0 beloved of God, His
people, His ch ildren and His party! Raise your
voices in praising and glorifying the glorious Lord,
for th e li gh t s have shone, the traces appeared, the
seas moved, an d gave out eve ry precious gem.
AN ASSURANCE TO THE TEACHER .
HE I S GOD.
Oh, you who have been drawn by the fragrant
waves, spreading from the Gardens of th e gifts of
God:
God has already opened by His powerful and
mighty Hand the doors of prosperity, and the herald
has ' proclaimed á tidings of happiness, saying:
"Salute the advance, oh you, essence of the Spirit,
Jiving in the shell of phantoms! Happin ess to you
in this triumphant day, the day of the spring of life,
and the day of the gracious light descending on
thee by the benevolence of thy loving God."
By God, it is the truth that the fire burning in
the Blessed and Sinaitic Tree, spread its blaze, lifted
up its waves, rolled its glorious flames, declared its
brilliancy and its glow, wove a network of rays
from the eastá to the west of the earth!
And oh you, who areá expecting this grace and
preaching in .. this mercy, let your breast be ex-
panded and your heart refresh ed, because God has
strengthened you to spread these fragrant waves.
which gave a sweet scent to the surrounding hori-
zons.
The Highest of the Kingdom of the Most
Glorious call upon you from the highest heaven,
and they converse thus with .you: A blessing to
you, oh you who are heralding the Name of God!
Gladness to you, oh you who are attracted toward
God! Glory to you, oh you who are proclaiming
the mentioning of God! Happiness to you, oh you
who were confirmed by the Holy Spirit from the
highest heaven! Let your loins be girt with
strength, your back with iron , your eye with bril-
liancy, your soul with ease, and your heart with de-
light by that greatest gift you are assured to ob-
tain, which shall appear and illuminate more
brightly than the beautiful Venus and the shining
Sun in horizons of the chiefest magnificence, in the
first dawning of witnesses and in the chief sources
of existence. And kings shall glorify you in the em-
pyrean space, and El Abha is upon the enlightened
faces of those who were adorned by the victory of
the Most Merciful in this highest step.
TABLET TO THE AMERICANS.
HE IS THE LIVING AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.
0 ye beloved of God, and His sincere fri ends!
By the Life of God, the hearts are cheered when-
ever you are mentioned, and the souls are comforted
in your love, and the holy spirits are captivated by
your fragrance, and that the eyes are expecting to
see you, and the hearts are longing to meet you:
owing to the fact that your hearts were kindled with
the fire of the Love of God, and your eyes satisfied
in witnessing the Word of God, and your ears were
charmed by hearing the Word of God, and your
souls were rested in the appearance of the mysteries
of God; blessed are ye, oh children of the Kingdom
of God; glad tidings to you, oh friends of God, as
He has made your destiny great, and your share
victory and happiness, your lamp lit, and your
spring yields supply.
You are the most brilliant stars, you are the most
dazzling lamps, you are the green branches, you
are the ripe fruits, you are the beautiful gardens.
you are the overflowing bowl. God is merciful and
compassionate: His bounty is great and great; He
appropriates with His mercy those whom He likes,
and chooses for His Love those whom He approves of.
This is in accordance with what Christ said (peace
and praise be on Him) .: "Many are called, but few
chosen."
God makes your endeavor praiseworthy and your
reward great, and your days, by El-Beha, be feasts
and pleasure for casting aside the imaginary God
and accepting the knowable; and for discarding
every evil spirit, craving to the witnessed light and
turning your faces to the exalted position. God
will show forth your endeavors and increase your
spirit and fragrance, and perfume the different di-
rections with your odors, enlighten the horizon
with your lights, quicken the hearts with that which
is treasured within you, cheer the souls with what
you have accomplished, cause the verses of thank-
fulness to be recited in all places, the banner of re-
membrance of you to wa ve through the ages. your
fame and praise encircle the horizon and the
tongues speak of your virtues and good endeavor.
By the Living Truth, that bounty is great and
great, and the Lord is Supreme in Majesty. The
confirmation is successive, and success is contináá
nous, and the kindness of your God, the Merciful.
the Compassionate, will surround you from all sides
TABLET FROM THF MASTERTO THE
\ AMERICANS
Oh ye people of El-Behal Ye have been and are
the dawnings of affection and the day-springs oi
Divine Grace; defile not the tongue with cursing or
execration of any one, and guard the eye from that
which is not seemly. Shew forth that which ye have;
if it be accepted the object is attained; if not, inter-
ference is vain; leave him to himself while ad-
vancing toward God, th e Protective, the Self-Sub-
sisting. Be not a cause of grief, much less of strife
and sedition. It is hoped that ye will be nurtured in
the shade of the lotus tree of Divine Grace, and
practice that which God desireth. Ye are all leaves
of one tree and drops of one sea.
Oh friends, consort with all the people of the
world with joy and fragrance. If there be to you a
word or essence whereof others than you are de-
void, communicate it and sh ew it forth in the lan-
g uage of affection and kindn ess : if it be r eceived
and be effecti ve the object is attained; and if not,
l eave it to him a nd with regard to him, deal not
harshly, but pray. The language of love is the lode-
stone of h earts and the fo od of the soul ; it stands
in the relati on of ideas to words, and is as a h orizon
fo r the shining of the Sun of Wisdom and Knowl-
edge.
A NNOUN CEM ENT OF THE DEPA RTURE
OF BERA 'ULLAH.
Oh fri end of my heart and delight of my soul!
In these days th e showers o f a ffli ction do so de scend
from th e clo ud s o f the firmament of fate, and the
thunderbolts o f g riefs and sorrows do so succeed
o ne anoth er, th at neither h ath the tongue strength
to describ e nor the pen power to utteár th em-for
the horizon of the Phenomena l world is bereft of
t he effulgence of the Sun of W sidom and R evela-
tio n, and the t hrone of the Universe is deprived of
th e radiance o f the Most M ig hty Luminary. The
ea rs of th e fr iends are, to outward appearance, de-
barred from harkening to th e cry of th e Supreme
P en, and th e eyes of the longin g are veiled fr o m the
co ntemplation o f the Most Gl orious Horizon. Great
God I how dire a catastrophe is thi s which has
a risen in th e wo rld, and how grievous a cal a mity is
this which has appeared in the Universe. The Sun
o f Truth hath bidden farew ell to this earthly sphere
and now shines with a brightness which waneth not
in the regi on s of Might and Glory. Albeit thi s su-
preme afflictio n transcends endurance, and th is most
dire disaster lays in ruins the edifice of resig nation
and patienc e-yet having regard to the autho ritative
command and binding behest revealed from the
Holy Angel World in the Kitab-i-Akdas, we and
you alike must adorn ourselves with the ornament of
patience and resignation; lay hold of the firm rope
of submission and acquiescence; apply ourselves
with strong hearts and tranquil souls to what will
conduce to the progress of mankind, the peace and
prosperity of the world, the amelioration of charac-
ters and the 'appearance of charity and concord, and
attach ourselves with our whole being to the coun-
sels of the Lord of the Visible and Invisible, so
that the Phenomenal world may, by the Grace of
that Beneficent Being, be beheld an envy to the Gar-
den of Paradise . . Nor is this thing difficult with God.
The blessed text revealed in the Kitab-i-Akdas shall
here be cited. H e says (great is His Glory and uni-
versal His Bounty):
"Oh people of the earth! When. the Sun of my
B eauty sets and the firmament of My Form is hid-
den, be not troubled, a rise for th e helping of my
work and the advancement of my word through-
out the worlds. Verily, we are with you under all
conditions and will help you with the Truth. Verily
we can do this. Whosoever knoweth m e will rise
1.1p to serve me with such uprising that the Hosts
of Heaven and earth shall not put him down."
And in another place He says:
"Say, oh people, let not trouble take possession
of you when the kingdom of my Epiphany becomes
concealed and the waves of the ocean of my Utter-
ances are hushed. Verily, there is in my E piphany
a reason, and in my Occultation another reason.
which none knoweth, save God, the Incomparable
and the All-Knowing, and we shall see you from the
Most Glorious Horizon and will help whomsoever
riseth up for the helping of our work, with Hosts
from the Supreme Concourse and a Cohort of the
Cherubim."
HE IS GOD, EXALTED IS HE.
(A Command of Non-Resistance.)
It hath been known that God (glorious is His
mention) is sanctified from the world and what is
therein, and that the meaning of "victory" is
this-that no one should fight or strive with an-
other. The Lord, He doeth what He Will. He hath
committed the kingdoms of creation, both land and
sea, into the hand of kings, and they are the mani-
festations of the Divine Power according to the de-
gree of their rank-verily, He is the Potent, the Sov-
ereign. But that which God (glorious is His men-
tion) hath desired for himself, is the hearts of His
servants, which are treasures of praise, love of the
Lord, stores of .d ivine knowledge and wisdom. The
will of the Eternal King hath ever been to purify
the hearts of His servants from the promptings of
the world and what is therein, so that they may be
prepared for illumination by the effulgences of the
Lord of the Names and Attributes. Therefore, no
stranger should find his way into the city (posses-
sion) of the heart, so that the Incomparable Friend
may come unto His own place-that is, the efful-
gence of His Names and Attributes, not His Es-
sence (exalted is He), for that Peerless King hath
been and will be holy for everlasting, above ascent
or descent. Therefore, to-day, "victory" neither
hath been, nor will be opposition to any one, nor
strife with any person; but rather what is well-pleas-
ing-i. e., that the cities of men's hearts, which are
under the dominion of the hosts of selfishness and
lust, should be subdued by the sword of the Word
of Wisdom, and of Exhortation. Every one, then,
who desireth "victory" must first subdue the city of his
own heart with the sword of spiritual truth and of the
Word, and must protect it from remembering aught
beside God; afterward let him turn his concern
toward the cities of other's hearts. This is what
is intended by "victory"; sedition ha th never been
nor is pleasing to God, and that which certain ig-
norant persons formerly wrought was never ap-
proved. If ye be slain for His good pleasure, verily.
it is better for you than that ye sho uld slay. To-
day the friends of God mu st appear in such fashion,
amid st God's .servants, th at by their actions t hey
may lead all unto the pleasure of the Lord of Glory.
I swear by th e Sun of th e Horizon of Holiness that
the real friends of Go d never have regarded nor will
regard the earth and its transitory ri ches. God hath
ever regarded the hearts of His servants, and this,
too, by reason of His m ost great favor, tha t per-
chance mortal soul s may be cleansed and sanctifi ed
fro m earthly st at es and may attain unto everl asti ng
places. But that Real Kin g is iu Himself sufficient
. unto Himself and independent of all ; neither doth
an y advantage accrue to Him from th e love of con -
tingent beings, nor doth any hurt befall Him fro m
their hatred. A ll earthly places appear th rough
Him a nd unt o Him return , and God singly and
alon e abidet h in His own place, which is hol y above
space and tim e, mention an d utterance, sig n, de-
scription, definition, hei g ht and depth. And none
knoweth thi s save Him an d whosoever hath k nowl-
edge of the Book. (Holy utterances.) There is no
God but Him, t h e Mighty, the Bountifu l.
*HE IS EL-ABHA.
From the lights of that Shining Brilliancy an d
Brig htness, the horizons have already shone; bl essed
are they who are successiul. From that Blessed Tree
in Mo unt Sinai a call has been vociferously
rai sed: blessed are they who are hearing. From that
Holy Fragrance in that White Spot all sides and re-
gions have been perfumed; blessed are they who in-
hal e the odor thereof. The Light of Unity has been
transfigured in the Temple of Seclusion; blessed are
they who are wishing for Light. The Face o f EI-
Beha has been uncovered ; blessed are they who are
thereby attracted. The Cup of Giving, overflowing
with the Wine of Fulfillment, is passing round;
blessed are th ey who are drinking. The Kingdo m of
El-Abha and the Supreme God h ave been h ono red
and g lorified ; blessed are they who are winning a
place in the Kingdom. The clouds of Generosity
are ove rflowin g with th e Greatest Abundance; truly,
it is a Great Abundance! The hearts have been en-
lightened from the Lights of the Face of th e Be-
loved; truly, it is a clear Light!
Abdul-Beha, the Servan t of Beha, has clad Him-
self in the mantle of servitude and devotion, for the
beloved of El-Beha; trul y, this is a Great Victory!
-Abbas-Abdul-Beha.
*The above Tablet was expressly written by the
Master, and chanted into the phonograph by Him
at my long and earnest plead ing. The orginial writ-
ing and the phonograph records were given to me
b,y Him on March 23, 1899, at Acea. I to ok the
phon ograph there for this purpose and left it there.
-E. C. Getsinger.
TO THE AMERICANS.
(H e Is the Most Merciful Lord.)
Oh ye children of the Kingdom , let it be known
that the Sultan of the Kingdom has already estab-
lished Himself on the throne of humanity, and that
the Sun of the Worlds of Divinity has already arisen
and shone from the horizon of His Majesty. The
exaltation is to Him, the authority is to Him, the
greatness is to Him, and to those who were en-
lightened by His Light, and who were flooded by
the flood of His Generosity. And that the Lord of
Hosts, who was promised in the Bible and by the
tongue of David, has already directed the multitudes
of His angels and the battalions of His hosts with
His blessing to the eastern parts of this earth, and
to the western parts of it. And that they marched to
the battlefields and to the challenging grounds and
attacked the parties of darkness and the soldiers of
infidelity by flashing arrows of light--and so they
broke their lines and defeated them by thousands.
And thus the different directions were lighted, the
face of the heavens shone, the lights displayed their
brightness, and the darkness . was dispersed by a
shining light spread from the fire of the Blessed
Tree in the Paradise of the Glorious God. There-
fore, the faces of the faithful beamed, and the
tongues of the godly praised, and the faces of the
pharisees were darkened. Praise to God, the Lord
of all the worlds.
And you, oh children of the Kingdom, yqur ex-
ample is that which was declared by the Holy
Spirit in the revered Gospel, that a generous Prince
had spread a rare and excellent table, adorned with
different kinds of graces and gifts, containing what
the soul longs for, what the eyes of the friends would
enjoy, that which tastes delicious to the great, and
which makes the hearts of the pious happy. And
He invited to it the great, the princes and the
learned. But when the appointed time came and the
different foods were prepared, of many most de-
licious varieties, those who were invited refused to
be present, and showed their great treachery, and
hesitated to come with those crowds who drank
from that Spring of Life. At that time the Prince
called the high, the low, the neighbor and the
stranger, and set them at the table, and fed them
with the best food with great benevolence and
bounty, because those heads had no portion from
that grace, but the others were fit to receive these
gifts.
And you, oh sons of the Kingdom, in those far
away parts and wide lands, as you were fit for these
merciful gifts and godly graces, God, the Almighty,
sent to you a chosen soul to guide you to this sacred
and heavenly table, and to show you those lights
shining from the Kingdom of your God; also show-
i.ng you these gifts descending from the heavens of
the Majesty of your Creator.
Oh you people, what a great enjoyment is com-
ing to you from these gifts, what a great happiness
is coming to you from these coveted blessings, what
a great exaltation is coming to you from this food,
and what a great blessing is coming to you from
this benevolence, which is the breeze of God to
awaken every sleeper, and the Spirit of God will
give life to every moldering bone.
Good tidings to you! Good tidings to you!
Awake! Awake! for in a short time these fra-
grances, which give life to the soul, shall be diffused
and the lights, which disperse the darkness, shall
shine universally. Blessed are the nostrils which
shall inhale these sweet odors, and gladness to
every eye which shall be enlightened by this light,
sooner or later!
SELECTED PRECEPTS OF EL-HAK.
(The Manifestation.)
This manuscript contains fifteen clauses called
"Good Tidings," each of which indicates some re-
form, or law conducive to the general well-being of
mankind. As indicating the ideals held up by El-
Hak for the guidance of His followers, it is inter-
esting and important. The inscription at the top is
as follows:
"The Divine ordinances and commands, for-
merly revealed in sundry epistles, have, agreeably to
the Supreme and Most Holy Command, been col-
lected, that ail may become cognizant of the grace,
mercy and favor of God in this Most Mighty Mani-
festation and this Great Announcement, and may
engage in praise and thanksgiving to the Desired
Object of all the inhabitants of the world. Verily,
He helpetl1 His servants unto that which He will-
eth, for He is the \Vise Orctainer."
In substance the reforms enacted in the fifteen
clauses are as follows:
1. Abolition of religious warfare.
2. Permission of all sects and peoples to unite
in friendly intercourse.
3. Permission to study foreign languages,
coupled with a recommendation that one language
and writing ( either of those already existing or
especially devised for the purpose). should be se-
lected by general consent as a mediumá of interna-
tional communication.
4. All El-Hak's followers are bound loyally to
serve and support any king who extends his pro-
tection to their faith.
5. The followers of El-Hak, in whatever land
they dwell, must cheerfully and ungrudingly submit
to the laws and conform to the customs of that
country.
6. Promise of the "Most Great Peace."
7. All are permitted, subject to the dictates of
decency and good taste, to follow their own inclina-
tion as to dress and the wearing of the hair.
8. The good works and devotions of Christian
priests (and ministers) are recognized and will
be accepted, but they must henceforth abandon
their seclusion and "engage in that which shall
advantage them and whereby mankind shall be ben-
efited." (See text 12.) They are also permitted to
marry.
9. Confession of sin s to one's fellowmen and
:seeking absolution from them is not permitted. To
God only should confession be made, and from
Him only should pardon be sought. A form of
prayer suitable for such confession is given.
IO. The Bab's command to destroy certain classes
of books (e. g., books of logic, philoso phy a nd
other sciences, conducing, in his opinion, only to
self-conceit and disputation) and to "renew" all
books after a certain period is abrogated.
11. The study of sciences and arts is commended
and encouraged, but they shoud be such as conduce
to the welfare of mankind.
12. All men must learn and practice some craft,
trade or profession. The diligent and conscientious
practi ce o f some craft, trade or profess ion is in
itself an act of worship. Mendicity a nd idleness
are hateful to God.
13. The settlement of differences, the apportion-
m ent of alms and the ordering of the affairs of the
commonwealth generally are intrusted to the
"House of Justice."
14. Visitation of the tombs of martyrs and pil-
g rimages to the, shrine of saints are no longer to
be regarded as obligatory. Nevertheless it is a
pious work for rich men to leave money to the
" House of Justice" to enable their poorer brethren
to perform these pilgrimages.
15. Thoug h a republic conduces most to the gen-
eral welfare. it is not de sired that kings, who are
the " Sig ns of God's Power," should cease to exist.
If statesmen can combine these two things in this
cycle their reward with God shall be great.
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