# Baha'u'llah's Four Tablets to Maryam

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Gloria Yazdani, Baha'u'llah's Four Tablets to Maryam, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> OJBS: Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                         Volume 1 (2007)
> URL: http://www.ojbs.org                                       ISSN 1177-8547
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh’s Four Tablets to Maryam
> Lawh-i-Maryam, Maryama Isiy-i-Jan, Hurufat-i-‘Ali’in and Ziyárat-Námih-i-
> Maryam
> 
> Gloria Yazdani
> Dubai, United Arab Emirates
> 
> “In one of the older neighbourhoods in Tihran, there exists a
> beautiful, large house, which belongs to the relatives of Mirza
> Buzurg-i-Nuri. A young woman, by the name of Maryam -- who is
> well endowed with beauty and perfections -- is the bride of the
> household. An Immortal Beauty, Whose luminous Countenance can
> easily steal the hearts of the world‟s inhabitants and Whose blessed
> heart can attract all those around Him, has been released from the
> darksome and stench-filled prison of the Siyah Chal, and, freed from
> the heavy chains that had been weighing on Him, lies in His sickbed
> in that house. He slips in and out of consciousness as He rests in bed
> gravely stricken with ill health.
> 
> Maryam, enthralled with love, circles moth-like round that Peerless
> Flame and weeps tears of anguish. She sings out with heavenly
> melodies the odes of love that stream forth from the pure plains of
> her delicate heart as she circles in adoration around His Blessed
> Person and attends to his ails. She sees the luminousness of His
> Countenance, discerns the Glory of His majesty and grandeur, and
> recognises in His Countenance the all encompassing transformations
> derived from divine inspiration!”1
> 
> These are the words by which Furugh Arbab introduces her short chapter on
> Maryam, Baha‟u‟llah‟s cousin, sister-in-law, friend, and faithful follower.
> Unfortunately other works by other historians such as Malik-Khusravi,
> Bayda‟i, and Ishragh-Khavari present even shorter accounts on the life of
> Maryam. In a maximum of two pages, they all introduce her ancestry and
> outline her relationship to Baha‟u‟llah; assert that she lived a short life of
> pain and agony; indicate that beautiful Tablets were revealed in her honour
> by the Pen of the Blessed Perfection; refer to the great bond of love and
> devotion between her and the Ancient Beauty; and mention the month she
> spent nursing Baha‟u‟llah back to health – with the help of Assiyih Khanum
> -- after His release from the Siyah Chal.
> 
> Reading these short chapters, one is left thirsting after the truth of this
> woman‟s existence. The mystery behind her unbearable life of hardship, her
> character, her obscurity, and her station as a historical figure so closely
> 
> . Furugh Arbab, Akhtaran-i-Taban v1, p109
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                 271                1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 272      Gloria Yazdani                                            Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> associated with the Person of Baha‟u‟llah all leave one question mark after
> another in the reader‟s mind!
> 
> Who was this woman other than being the daughter of Mirza Karim-i-
> Namadsab and Maliku‟l-Nisa Khanum, Baha‟u‟llah‟s paternal aunt? Or the
> sister of Fatimih Khanum (Mahd-i-„Ulya), Baha‟u‟llah‟s second wife?2
> What other social status did she hold than being the wife of Baha‟u‟llah‟s
> half brother, Mirza Rida-Quli who was a Haji by his pilgrimage to Mecca
> and a physician?3 And what purpose did she serve in the history of a Faith
> she had espoused so early in its development?4 What services did she render
> surrounded by a husband who tried his best to conceal his association with
> Baha‟u‟llah and sister-in-laws who were staunch supporters of Mirza Yahya
> and who tried everything in their powers to keep her mute in praise of her
> Lord and to make sure that she was not to attain her heart‟s desire of
> attaining the presence of Baha‟u‟llah after His exile from Iran.5
> 
> The dates of her birth and death are not conclusively clear from any of the
> aforementioned historical works; however what can be fairly decisively
> assumed from them is that she – in most probability – died around the year
> 1868 or 1869 at around the age of 41 or 42. It is also said that she married
> Baha‟u‟llah‟s brother Mirza Rida-Quli a couple of years before the
> Declaration of the Blessed Bab at around the age of 15; which makes her
> about 10 years younger than Baha‟u‟llah.6
> 
> There is no indication anywhere of her formal education, but since she was
> obviously literate, it can be assumed that she received some sort of home-
> schooling. Regardless, however, of the sort of training she received, her
> poetry is testimony to the fact that she was not only eloquently literate; but
> that she was also knowledgeable in matters of religious history, theology
> and classical poetry.
> 
> One of her poems reads:
> 
> “A rare heart -- bewildered and bleeding -- is my lot;
> Flowing out rivers -- Euphrates and Tigris -- from the crimson sea
> that is my heart.
> 
> There once was a time when peculiar I found Majnun‟s tale;
> In my heart now two hundred Layli and Majnun epics prevail.
> 
> To the wilderness, withdrew His tent from this town, my heart‟s
> Desire;
> 
> . Muhammad-„Ali Malik-Khusravi, Iqlim-i-Nur p137
> . H.M. Balyuzi, The King of Glory p13
> . Adib Taherzadeh The Revelation of Baha’u’llah v1, p12
> . Adib Taherzadeh The Revelation of Baha’u’llah v3, p212
> . Furugh Arbab Akhtaran-i-Taban v1, pp110, 112
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies               272                                     1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 273      Gloria Yazdani                                              Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> And so -- enamoured as the mad Qays – to the wilderness is set my
> gaze.
> 
> One luminous Moon may have had doleful Zulaykha in captivity;
> What I have in bondage are two hundred suns shining brightly.
> 
> Nine heavens shall I burn to naught;
> Should I tell of all the world‟s ails that lie in my heart.
> 
> At the Ka‟ba of the Beloved, I held refuge for many years;
> Yet I am now separated from Him by more than a journey of a
> hundred years.
> 
> O thou whose abode is now set across from the deep sea;
> My heart‟s vessel do Thou witness, so filled with Thee.
> 
> So grieved I am with pain of separation from thee;
> That saddened I shall make the hearts of all maidens -- both angels
> and houris.
> 
> Untold doth remain my heart‟s secret, though to its end the page hath
> arrived;
> Oh, how I lament this blazing fire that within the core of my being
> remains enwrapped.”7
> 
> In the first four verses of this poem, she unveils her inner knowledge of such
> subjects as the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which, in addition to being
> geographical elements, have profound theological significance and deep
> roots in religious history; her knowledge of poetical epics such as the story
> of Layli and Majnun; her knowledge of the name of Majnun, the mad
> “Qays”; and her knowledge of the Qur‟anic account of Yusuf and Zulaykha.
> 
> One may assume -- at first glance -- that her usage of such metaphors may
> simply be out of a common familiarity with popular epics and stories;
> however, a deeper study of this and her other poems and a systematic
> analysis of the context in which she uses these familiar words or names will
> prove her deep understanding of their place in history; their symbolism in
> religion; and their effects on society.
> 
> Her poems are, however, generally written with the fire of her devotion for
> her Lord and with the tender eloquence of a handmaiden wholly enthralled
> with the love of God.
> 
> Lovers' melodies echoed thoroughly enchanting;
> Flames of love filled the world wholly energizing
> 
> . Bayda‟i, Tadhkariy-i-Shu’aray-i-Qarn-i-Avval-i-Baha’í v3, p337
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                  273                                    1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 274      Gloria Yazdani                                               Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> The lover's plight perceiveth not, but a lover's mind;
> For a lover's plight is of a peculiar kind
> 
> A fare so splendid wherein kings of the day;
> Like unto beggars bare and forlorn at its way
> 
> So enticingly played Love's flute;
> Liberating my soul from both worlds‟ loot
> 
> Ah! If only Love's scorching blaze;
> Bestirred me at every breath with its flame ever more
> ablaze8
> 
> Fascinating as Maryam‟s poetry may be, however, the purpose of this paper
> lies in the introduction of her character and identity as portrayed by
> Baha‟u‟llah in His four Tablets addressed to her; for given the brevity of all
> historical accounts on her life, the answers to the questions pertaining to this
> blessed handmaiden may only be attained in these Tablets.
> 
> The Tablet of Maryam
> 
> One of these Tablets, known as “the Tablet of Maryam”, is the one that is
> translated in part by Shoghi Effendi and starts with “O Maryam! The
> wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the wrongs suffered by My First
> Name from the Tablet of Creation”. It is written in the same poetic language
> as the other Tablets addressed to her and – like all the other ones – it is
> clearly indicative of the most tender affection cherished by the
> Manifestation of God for this cousin and obviously loyal friend and trusted
> confidant.
> 
> This Tablet is a heartrending account of Baha‟u‟llah‟s pre-exile trials in
> Tihran and of the actual exile from Tihran to Baghdad, as well as what befell
> him during His sojourn in Sulaymaniyyih, the details of his being
> discovered and His return to Baghdad. It recounts His triumphant victory in
> reviving the perishing Babi community of Baghdad in the mid 1850s, and
> the sufferings He endured at the hands of those from within and outside of
> His own community. And ultimately, it reveals the adversities that are yet to
> come and His further banishment to remote lands.
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah cries out in this Tablet with eager affection, confiding His
> heart‟s ails in a devoted relative, a cousin, a sister-in-law, a friend and a
> faithful believer. He shares His agonies almost as if seeking comfort in her
> unquestionable understanding and her absolute willingness to be party to
> 
> . Bayda‟i, Tadhkariy-i-Shu’aray-i-Qarn-i-Avval-i-Baha’i v, p 336
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                  274                                     1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 275      Gloria Yazdani                                       Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> His sufferings, and bestows upon her the ultimate bounty of sharing in His
> own tribulations
> 
> Maryama Isiy-i-Jan [O Maryam, the Spirit of life ascended to the
> domain of placelessness…]
> 
> The date of the Revelation of this Tablet has not yet become clear, and
> therefore one cannot conclude with certainty where it was revealed;
> although Adib Taherzadeh alludes to the fact that all the Tablets addressed to
> Maryam -- except the Tablet of Visitation – were revealed in Baghdad.9 This
> Tablet, like the other ones, speaks of clamours and afflictions in the path of
> the Beloved, however it seems rather different in tone to the other Tablet in
> that it appears to have been revealed by Baha‟u‟llah mainly to comfort
> Maryam in times of adversity, perhaps soon after His settlement in Baghdad
> and in appreciation of her tireless efforts in nursing Him back to enough
> health for Him to undertake the journey, and while she must have been
> agonizing over the separation.
> 
> Hurufat-i-‘Ali’in [Exalted letters]
> 
> Another tablet, which in reality is a prayer because it is entirely addressed to
> God, is Hurufat-i-„Ali‟in or Hurufat-i-„Aliyat (Exalted Letters] or Musibat-i-
> Hurufat-i-„Aliyat, which means the sufferings of the Exalted Letters. This
> tablet was revealed by Baha‟u‟llah in 8 sections first in Arabic and then
> translated by Himself into Persian. In a prologue to the tablet, He explains
> that at the request of some believers He translated the tablet into Persian; but
> that the translation is that of the essence, because a word for word literal
> translation would not have been seemly.10
> 
> The tablet was dedicated to the memory of Mirza Muhammad-i-Vazir,
> Maryam‟s brother. Mirza Muhammad and his wife Havva (Baha‟u‟llah‟s
> niece from one of His half sisters from His mother‟s side) were both
> devoted believers. In fact according to Adib Taherzadeh, Mirza Muhammad
> may have been the first in Baha‟u‟llah‟s family who was converted by Him
> to the Cause of the Bab in 1844.11
> 
> Mirza Muhammad died in Nur when Baha‟u‟llah was still in Baghdad, and
> the Blessed Beauty revealed this Tablet in his honour and sent it to Mirza
> Muhamad‟s sister (Maryam) and his wife (Havva) to console them in their
> time of sorrow.12
> 
> Adib Taherzadeh, The Revealtion of Baha’u’llah v1, p12
> Baha‟u‟llah, Ad’iyyiy-i-Hadrat-i-Mahbub p.?
> Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha’u’llah v1, p122 [He was presumably the first in
> Baha‟u‟llah‟s family to be converted by Him to the Cause of the Blessed Bab after Mirza Musa]
> Ibid
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies            275                                          1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 276      Gloria Yazdani                                          Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> Adib Taherzadeh and John Walbridge both explain the contents of this tablet
> in very similar words;13 but both explanations are minimal in the extreme.
> The tablet covers a whole array of things in a unique tone, and although the
> general purport of the tablet is about life -- and it paints a vivid picture of
> the journey from pre-conception to death (or the destruction of the temporal
> body as the tablet explains it) -- it touches on so many various aspects along
> the way.
> 
> It praises God; recounts the bounties of God showered upon the believers
> from the moment of creation; explains the soul and its eternal nature,
> elucidates the nobility of man and his being created in God‟s own image,
> and speaks of the greatest bounty bestowed upon man which is his ability to
> recognize God‟s Manifestation and gain eternal life.
> 
> The tablet also speaks of the believer‟s path towards certitude and how he is
> to endure tremendous sufferings and persecutions in the path of God,
> renounce the world and become wholly detached from all else except Him.
> 
> After an elaborate and eloquent description of the station of the soul,
> Baha‟u‟llah speaks of the physical death and the afflictions that befalls the
> human temple upon its destruction after death. He also explains how this
> physical destruction can be mournful to the loved ones who are left behind;
> but ultimately His attention reverts in several part of the tablet to the
> limitless sufferings with which the believer is afflicted in his path toward
> eternal glory.
> 
> The last section of the tablet was revealed specifically for Maryam and
> Havva, where Baha‟u‟llah ever so tenderly and lovingly showers these
> women with the utmost of affection and consoles them in the loss
> 
> Tablet of Visitation
> 
> The Tablet of Visitation revealed by the Pen of the Blessed Perfection in her
> honour can certainly serve as a comprehensive introduction to the life and
> character of Maryam; one that defines her beginnings, her life, and her end
> well beyond the confines of parental ancestry and social standing. It speaks
> of time immemorial, pre-existence, the beginnings of love, of her being a
> sign of love, and much more.
> 
> In the prologue to this tablet, Baha‟u‟llah states that it was revealed for one
> who was named Maryam, and who was ablaze with the fire of the love of
> her Lord before the flames even touched her.
> 
> Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha’u’llah v1, p122 – John Walbridge, Exalted Letters, The
> Overview (published in Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time, pp267-8
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies              276                                             1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 277      Gloria Yazdani                        Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> The analogy of being lit without coming into contact with the light or fire
> goes back to the Qur‟an, where in Surih 24:35 it is said:
> 
> “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
> The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche
> and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass:
> the glass as it were a brilliant star:
> Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive,
> neither of the east nor of the west,
> whose oil is well-nigh luminous,
> though fire scarce touched it:
> Light upon Light !
> God doth guide whom He will to His Light (núr):
> God doth set forth Parables for men: and God doth know all
> things.”14
> 
> And so Bahá‟u‟lláh says that the Fire scarce touched Maryam, and yet she
> was ablaze with the Fire and thus she was one whom God hath willed to
> guide.
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah indicates in the prologue that Maryam‟s station had remained
> concealed throughout her life time, but that after her death God unveiled her
> (through this Tablet of Visitation, it may be assumed) and revealed her to
> His servants. The prologue also states that should one wish to pay homage
> to Tahirih, one can do so with this same Tablet.
> 
> It is most interesting that the same tablet is for both Tahirih and Maryam:
> the first woman so well-known in Babi/Baha‟i history, so bold in character
> and so revolutionary in nature; while the second woman so obscure, so
> subtle and so concealed.
> 
> Nevertheless, if one were to paint a portrait of the lives of these two women,
> it would almost be the exact same drawing, but done in different colours.
> Here are two women who were both instantly confirmed believers – both
> poetesses. They were both married, while in both cases, they were not in the
> least supported by their husbands in their acceptance of their newfound
> Faith.
> 
> They each lived their lives for their Beloved and would give it up in a
> twinkling of an eye for Him. They both died at a young age: Tahirih died a
> martyr‟s death, while Maryam, dying after a lifetime of anguish, was named
> by Baha‟u‟llah Himself “a martyr in the path of Bahá”.
> 
> They were both persecuted by their relatives, and kept at some point captive
> in their own homes against their will.
> 
> . Yusuf Ali translation
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies    277                            1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 278      Gloria Yazdani                                           Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> However, within all these similarities there exists the stark difference in
> their lives and character.
> 
> Tahirih was very much famous for her poetry; while Maryam‟s was written
> in the seclusion of her home and chanted out as a means of soothing her
> own bereaved heart. Tahirih‟s fame of scholarship, poetry, lectureship, faith,
> bravery and martyrdom were almost instant and far-reaching; resulting in
> her celebrity status throughout time and beyond the geographical limits of
> Iran. Her poetry has been translated into other languages. She lives in many
> homes across the globe, while Maryam is pretty much still envisioned in
> that same beautiful house on Khadim Street, where she looked after her
> noble Guest -- her Lord -- for a short time, and where she died in her
> longing desire to be near Him.
> 
> The study of the differences between these two women and that of the
> common thread between them -- which is their reciprocated love for their
> Lord -- makes for a very interesting discussion. However, since the focus is
> intended to be on Maryam alone here, space does not afford the present
> writer a further examination of this matter.
> 
> What stands out, however, and is addressed by Baha‟u‟lláh Himself in His
> prologue is her obscurity. Baha‟u‟llah says that her station was concealed
> throughout her lifetime and revealed by God only upon her death! So,
> according to Baha‟u‟llah, this Tablet of Visitation is in fact a discovery of
> her life and station which was concealed prior to her death -- perhaps in
> order to protect her from even further jealousy and hatred by her unfaithful
> relatives.
> 
> This Tablet of Visitation is not dated; however it had to be revealed in Akka,
> because it was revealed after Maryam‟s passing to the Realm on High,
> which was about the year 1868-69. Therefore, depending on how soon after
> her death Baha‟u‟llah revealed this Tablet; it could very well have been
> while He was still inside the Prison Cell within the barracks. The Tablet is
> written in a poetic and highly symbolic style, and consists of three distinct
> parts with three distinct addressees.
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah starts out by addressing the “Supreme Pen”. This in itself -- at
> the very first sentence of the Tablet -- is at once captivating.
> 
> In the Suratu‟l-Qalam (the Tablet of the Pen), Baha‟u‟llah asserts that the
> divine blessings were bestowed upon the Exalted (or Supreme) Pen (Qalam-
> i-„Ala) before the creation of letters and words and that of the kingdom of
> names and attributes, and before God‟s mighty Tablets were revealed.15 In
> Islam, The Supreme Pen is of the highest station. It is the station of “the
> 
> . Kavian Milami and Nafeh Fananapazir, A Study of the Pen Motif in the Baha’i Writings, March
> 1999
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                278                                            1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 279      Gloria Yazdani                                         Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> reality of realities” [Haqiqatu‟l-Haqa‟iq]; or the reality of Muhammad as the
> Prophet of God. In Surah 96:1 of the Qur‟an it is said:
> 
> “Read, in the name of your Lord, who created. He created man from
> an embryo. Read, and your Lord, Most Exalted teaches by means of
> the pen.”16
> 
> The Pen is then a symbol for the creative forces of the manifestation of God.
> And here Baha‟u‟llah -- a captive in the great citadel of Akka -- is calling
> out to “The Supreme Pen” to console It for the calamity of Maryam‟s death.
> 
> Turning His attention to Maryam herself, Baha‟u‟llah laments her death and
> confers upon her the title of “Crimson Leaf”.
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah referred to His male off-springs as “branches” and to the
> females in the family as “leaves”; however many outstanding women
> outside the family were also honoured by being addressed by Him as a leaf.
> In the case of Maryam and Tahirih, they were both blessed with the title of
> “crimson leaf”! The word crimson appears frequently in Baha‟u‟llah‟s
> Writings -- and is symbolic of all things pertaining to Baha‟u‟llah‟s Own
> Dispensation -- such as the Crimson Ark17 (His Cause), the Crimson Book
> or Scroll18 (The Book of His Covenant), the Crimson Spot19 (the Most Great
> Prison), the Crimson Wine20 (His Revealed Word), The Crimson Cup21
> (one‟s portion of God‟s Decree), the Crimson Light22 (testimony-evidence
> of the His Revelation), the Crimson cloud23 (Throne of Revelation), the
> Crimson Ink24 (the blood shed in His path – martyrdom). And of course “the
> shores of the crimson seas” which in the tablet of the Holy Mariner is
> identified as a “sacred strand” from where those upon the Ark of God can
> attain a station (ethereal invisible station):
> 
> “… Wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His Beauty appeared
> within the deathless tree.”
> “…Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves of
> self and passion.”
> “…Around which the glory of Moses doth circles with the
> everlasting hosts.”
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, translated by Shoghi Effendi (Wilmette, Bahai
> Publishing, 1988), 32.
> . Baha‟u‟llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p215
> Baha‟u‟llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p135, 139
> . Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p238
> . Baha‟u‟llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p56
> . Baha‟u‟llah, Suriy-i-Haykal
> . „Abdu‟l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – ‘Abdu’l-Baha Section, p440
> . Baha‟u‟llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p282
> . Baha‟u‟llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p182
> . Baha‟u‟llah, The Arabic Hidden Words
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies             279                                            1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 280      Gloria Yazdani                                        Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> “…Wherein the Hand of God was drawn forth from His bosom of
> grandeur.”25
> 
> Thus a “crimson leaf” may be characterised by any and all things for which
> the aforementioned stations stand: A leaf belonging to the new Dispensation
> and so cherished as belonging to the Tree of God, moving by the Will of
> God -- a leaf signifying the crimson blood and a martyr‟s life, and a leaf
> who has attained to a station of utter servitude, utter annihilation and eternal
> glory.
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah honours her in this Tablet with such appellations as: “an
> adorning sign of guidance on the faces of women” and “a light unto the
> brow of piety”!
> 
> Through her, Baha‟u‟llah affirms, the veils of superstition were rent asunder
> from the eyes of women and their beings were adorned with the
> remembrance of the Lord of earth and heaven, and characterises her as:
> 
> Someone who upon hearing the call of God hesitated – not even for a
> moment, but hastened towards Him detached from all else save Him.
> 
> Someone who embraced Him and His great signs and recognised the
> manifestation of God in His Days.
> 
> Someone who was a stranger in her own land and a prisoner in her
> own home! One who was far from the presence of His Holiness even
> in her eagerness to be near, and forbidden to attain His presence even
> in her fervid desire to behold Him.
> 
> Someone who was moved by the winds of the will of God in such
> way as was desired and willed by Him.
> 
> Someone who had no movement or rest save by His command and
> permission.
> 
> Someone who annihilated her own will in the will of her Lord and
> her desire in His Decree.
> 
> Someone whom the whisperings of the stirrers of sedition failed to
> keep back from the Daystar of the world; and whom the opposition
> of the promoters of sedition deterred not from the Lord of the Day of
> Reunion.
> 
> Someone who remained firm in the Covenant on a Day in which the
> eyes of men were stilled with bewilderment.
> 
> . Baha‟u‟llah, The Tablet of the Holy Mariner
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies                   280                             1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
> 281       Gloria Yazdani                                              Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> Baha‟u‟llah‟s Pen is moved again and again in this Tablet by the calamities
> that had befallen Maryam, and He is transported back to pre-existence,
> poetically relating a great shock as a result of Maryam‟s sufferings.
> 
> He expresses sorrows at the death of this friend in poetic hyperbole of
> cosmic catastrophes such as the disconnections of the letters at the
> beginning of the surihs of the Qur‟an and the essence of being taking the
> form of the temple and becoming a historic Manifestation. He speaks of
> multiple existences coming about from a primal state of unicity, of the
> words of negation and affirmation (“La-Ilaha Illallah”), of the most great
> colourless river being divided into four rivers and acquiring various shades
> and earthly limitations; of the Primal Point becoming all letters and words;
> and of the point of knowledge being multiplied by the ignorant.
> 
> This differentiation of multiple existences, coming forth from a primal state
> of unicity, is clearly explained in „Abdu‟l-Baha‟s Tafsir-i-kuntu Kanzan
> Makhfiyan [ Commentary on “I was a Hidden Treasure…”] where He
> considers the “dot” [a mere point] and how all the letters and words are
> concealed within this mere “dot”. But all these letters and words are within
> the dot in absolute annihilation. By looking at the dot, no trace can be
> discerned of these words and letters and there is no difference between
> them.
> 
> In the same way He explains that the names and attributes of God are also
> absolutely and entirely obliterated and annihilated in the station of Primary
> Oneness.26
> 
> And it is thus that as humans we are exhorted to attain the utmost of self-
> effacement and submit to complete self annihilation in order that –
> according to „Abdu‟l-Baha in the same commentary -- one may shine forth
> from the dawning place of perpetual existence.
> 
> So in understanding the poetic hyperbole of Baha‟u‟llah‟s words describing
> the shock of the agonies suffered by Maryam, one can merely begin to
> imagine this essence of detachment in her annihilation of a pre-existence
> shining forth from the Dawning Place of perpetual existence as Baha‟u‟llah
> Himself has described her in His Tablet of Visitation for her!
> 
> Concerning the station of love, in the same aforementioned Commentary,
> „Abdu‟l-Baha states that this station is over and above the world of
> estimation or description, and that the power of intellect and reasoning can
> 
> 26 . Makatib-i-Hadrat-i-„Abdu‟l-Baha, v2. p4 Tafsir 'Kuntu Kanzan Makhfiyan' "Tafsir 'Kuntu Kanzan
> Makhfiyan'" (Commentary on the Saying 'I was a Hidden Treasure.'Makatib Hadrat `Abdu'l-Baha, Vol. 2 (Cairo:
> Matba`at Kurdistan al-`Ilmiyyah, 1330 A.H./1912). Reprinted, East Lansing, H-Bahai, 1998. [a provisional
> translation of this commentary is available by Moojan Momen.] Moojan Momen, "`Abdu'l-Baha's Commentary on
> the Islamic Tradition 'I was a Hidden Treasure,' " Baha'i Studies Bulletin vol. 3, no. 4 (December 1985), pp. 4-64.
> 
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> 282      Gloria Yazdani                                            Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> never attain an understanding of this station. He calls it an eternal mystery.
> This eternal Mystery, He says, is identical to the Essence of the Absolute
> and is the origin of all love and affection.27
> 
> Therefore, these cosmic catastrophes are expressed by Baha‟u‟llah
> poetically at the shock of the sufferings inflicted upon a leaf who was
> touched by the origin of all love and affection – or rather a leaf who was
> ablaze by the fire without the fire even touching it!.
> 
> The last section of the Tablet is a prayer in which Baha‟u‟llah, while
> extolling God‟s attributes, confers even greater blessings upon His cousin
> Maryam.
> 
> Postcript
> 
> Upon her death, Maryam was survived by one, sole, faithful relative, that
> being her daughter, Zahra Khanum, who was referred to by „Abdu‟l-Baha as
> Thamarih [thamarih literally meaning fruit]. Zahra Khanum gave birth to
> three children two daughters and one son. One of the daughters passed away
> at an early age, and when the son passed away as well, the other daughter,
> Zibandih Khanum came to be the only surviving member of the family who
> remained faithful to the Cause.
> 
> Like her mother and grand-mother, Zibandih Khanum was surrounded by
> relatives who were mostly followers of Azal. According to Furugh Arbab,
> who actually had the privilege of interviewing her, Zibandih Khanum
> survived their oppression and persecution and was able through a loving
> approach to reduce their animosity to some degree.
> 
> In one of His Tablets addressed to Zibandih Khanum, „Abdu‟l-Baha writes:
> 
> …Hadrat-i-Thamarih [thamarih literally being fruit], in whose bosom
> thou wert reared, was the one blessed fruit and the only shell of
> steadfastness in the Covenant, and a brilliant star favoured and
> distinguished at the Holy Threshold….28
> 
> Zibandih Khanum had heard stories of Maryam‟s incredible love for
> Baha‟u‟llah from her mother and knew of the calamities she had suffered in
> her life. She often retold those stories to other friends.
> 
> From a very early age, Zibandih Khanum – like her grandmother -- was
> consumed with a burning desire to move to the Holy Land and to live in
> close proximity to „Abdu‟l-Baha and the Holy Family; but her father would
> not grant her permission. According to Furugh Arbab, from as early as age 9
> 
> . Ibid
> . The complete Tablet is quoted by Furugh Arbab in Akhtaran-i-Taban v2, p2
> 
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> 283      Gloria Yazdani                                             Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> she had increased her desperate pleas for permission to go and had wept
> uncontrollably, expressing her longing desire to undertake the journey; but
> still her father had not given consent for the trip.
> 
> Eventually in later years, she was finally able to realise her own desire – as
> well as her grandmother‟s desire -- of travelling to the Holy Land to visit
> „Abdu‟l-Baha and the Holy family; however she arrived after „Abdu‟l-Baha
> had passed away.
> 
> Although in great pain while mourning the loss of „Abdu‟l-Baha, the
> Greatest Holy Leaf rushed out to meet her. Welcoming her, the Greatest
> Holy Leaf told Zibandih Khanum that they were all awaiting her arrival.
> 
> She was in the Holy Land for 19 days, and then she was to leave like all
> other pilgrims; however, she went into the presence of Shoghi Effendi and
> with great longing said that she did not want to go. She was given
> permission to stay for another 19 days. Finally after 85 days she left the
> Holy Land deeply touched with the loving affections of Shoghi Effendi and
> the Greatest Holy Leaf who referred to her as “Dokhtar-Amih” [paternal
> cousin]. Shoghi Effendi also referred to her as “Mansub-i-bavafa” [the loyal
> relative] and a “reminder of Hadrat-i-Thamarih”.
> 
> At age 35, she married Sani‟ „Ata‟i [Sani‟us-Sultan]. Her husband passed
> away in 1322, leaving her a good inheritance, which she left for the Baha‟i
> community after her death at age 100.29
> 
> Tablet for Cousin Maryam: Provisional Translation
> 
> O Maryam! The wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the wrongs suffered
> by My First Name (the Bab) from the Tablet of Creation, and showers of
> tribulations have rained from the clouds of God‟s decree upon this Manifest
> Beauty. My banishment from My home was prompted by naught else but
> the love of the Beloved, and My exile from My land for none other reason
> than attaining the good pleasure of the Desired One.
> 
> Like a candle, I remained radiant and luminous before the biddings of His
> decrees, and stood as firm as a mountain in the face of divine tribulations. I
> was even as a torrent of rain amidst the revelations of the tokens of His
> Grace, and a flame of fire in staying the enemies of the Sovereign Lord of
> Eternity.
> 
> The manifold evidences of My might gave way to the envy of the enemies,
> and the revelations of My wisdom brought forth their malice and perfidy.
> 
> All the information on Zibandih Khanum is drawn from Furugh Arbab‟s Akhtaran-i-Taban, v2. pp 1-
> 
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> 284      Gloria Yazdani                         Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> Not for one night did I rest in a place of safety, nor did I lift my head from
> my couch on any morn with ease. I swear by the beauty of the True One that
> Husayn wept at my meekness and the Friend of God (Ibrahim) cast Himself
> into the fire for My afflictions. Shoudst thou observe plainly; thou shalt
> witness that the Eyes of Majesty are shedding tears beneath the Tabernacle
> of Purity, and the men of glory are wailing in the Realm of Grandeure; to
> which beareth witness the Tongue of Truth and Glory.
> 
> O Maryam! From the land of Ta (Tihran), after countless afflictions, We
> reached „Iraq at the bidding of the Tyrant of Persia, where after the fetters of
> Our foes, We were afflicted with the perfidy of our friends. God knoweth
> what befell Me thereafter. Until such time as I renounced My home and all
> therein, and my life and all its attachments; and unaccompanied and alone
> chose to set out into retirement. I roamed the wilderness of resignation,
> travelling in such wise that in my exile every eye wept sore over Me, and all
> created things shed tears of blood because of My anguish. The birds of the
> air were My companions and the beasts of the field My associates.
> 
> I traversed the mortal world in a flash of the sprit, and for two years or
> rather less, I shunned all beside God, and closed Mine eyes to all except
> Him, that haply the fire of hatred may die down and the heat of jealousy
> abate.
> 
> O Maryam! It is not befitting to divulge the divine mysteries, nor is it
> seemly to reveal heavenly secrets; and by this is meant the mysteries
> enshrined within the treasury of My being and naught else! As God is My
> witness, I endured what the oceans, waves and fruits -- and all that hath ever
> been or will ever be – could never bear to endure.
> 
> During this period of retirement, none from amongst my brothers or others
> ventured to enquire into this matter; nor did they seek to understand it,
> whilst this was a matter greater than the creation of the heavens and the
> earth. By God! One moment of this journey is far greater than pious worship
> in both worlds. Although this journey was a most great testimony and the
> mightiest and clearest evidence; yet it requires a man of insight to behold
> the scene of His Transcendent Glory. He, who is bereft of insight, perceiveth
> not even his own beauty; what recourse does he have then of attaining the
> most sacred Divine Beauty.
> 
> What can the shadow discern of the object who sheddeth the shadow; or a
> handful of clay perceive of the subtle reality of the heart?
> 
> At length, divine providence prompted some of His spiritual servants to
> think of this Canaanite Youth, and they set out with a bundle of letters to
> search Me out everywhere and from everyone, until they discovered a trace
> of this Traceless One in a cave of a mountain. And He guideth all things
> unto the straight, sacred, path.
> 
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> 
> I swear by the Sun of Divine Reality that this poor forsaken One was so
> utterly amazed and mystified by their arrival that this Pen is unable to
> recount. Perhaps a keen Pen must needs step forth from within the eternal
> realm to rend asunder the veils and reveal all the mysteries with absolute
> sincerity and utmost certitude, and to speak with such tongue that would
> draw out the heavenly pearls from the shell of silence. And this indeed
> would not be difficult for Him.
> 
> At last, the Hand of Glory broke the seal of mystery; but alas, ignorant
> remained the wise, save those who were truly detached.
> 
> Then, the Day-star of the World returned to Iraq. We found no more than a
> handful of souls, faint and dispirited; nay utterly lost and dead. The Cause of
> God had ceased to be on any one‟s lips; nor was any heart receptive of its
> message.30
> 
> Hence, this Servant, arose to safeguard the Cause and exalt it to the heights
> of glory in such wise as though a new resurrection had come to pass. The
> loftiness of the cause became so evident in every city and so manifest in
> every land that all sovereigns conducted themselves with forbearance.
> 
> O Maryam! Arising before all enemies of different sects and tribes by this
> Servant, increased the fire of jealousy of Our foes, to such degree that is not
> possible to mention; nor is it imaginable -- thus hath it been decreed by the
> Exalted, the Almighty.
> 
> O Maryam! The Pen of Him who is the Ancient of Days sayeth that the
> greatest of all deeds is to purify the heart from all else but God. Sanctify thy
> heart then from the ungodly, that thou mayest be worthy of the Realm of
> Eternal Reunion.
> 
> O Maryam! From the limitations of vain imitation, step thou into the vast
> immensity of the realm of detachment. Purify thy heart from the world and
> all that is therein, that thou mayest attain unto the sovereign Lord of faith,
> and not be deprived of His Divine Sanctuary. Rent asunder the veils of idle
> fancies through the power of detachment, and enter thou into the sacred
> court of certitude.
> 
> O Maryam! Though a tree may bear a hundred thousand leaves and harvest
> a hundred thousand fruits; yet all these leaves and fruits shall disappear and
> be destroyed with one movement of the autumn breeze or the cold of the
> winter. Waver not away thy gaze then from the very Root of the Divine Tree
> and of the branches of the Tree of Transcendent Oneness. Witness thou the
> 
> This and the preceding sentence translated by Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, (Willmette::Baha‟i
> Publishing Trust, 1944),126
> 
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> 
> sea abiding secure in its spot with the utmost poise and dignity; yet how
> innumerable shapes and figures form on its surface through the stirring of
> breezes of the will of the Everlasting Beloved. All these waves appear to be
> different one from another and run contrary to each other; yet the people are
> all busy with the waves and are veiled from the sovereign Might of the Sea
> of Seas, from Whose movement have appeared the signs of the
> Unconstrained.
> 
> O Maryam! Seek thou companionship with the Self of the All-merciful, and,
> barring thyself from association with evil, abide under the unerring
> protection of the Most Bountiful; so that perchance the Hand of divine
> blessings may draw you away from the path of selfish desire to the vast
> immensity of exaltation and glory.
> 
> O Maryam! From beneath the shadows of mortality repair thee unto the Sun
> of Eternal Glory. All shadows remain and move about by reason of the
> existence of the sun; in such manner that -- were the sun to withhold its
> bountiful rays for only a moment -- all created things would return to utter
> nothingness.
> 
> Alas, how pitiful and regrettable that one should busy oneself with the
> manifestations of the mortal world and remain deprived of the Dawning-
> Place of Sacred Immortality.
> 
> O Maryam! Cherish thou these days, for soon thou shalt not see the
> Celestial Youth in the earthly pavilion, and shalt behold the signs of grief in
> all things. They shall bite their fingers‟ end in wonder and regret; yet they
> shall not find the Youth even if they were to search for Him to the uttermost
> limits of the heavens and the earth. Thus hath it been revealed from the
> Kingdom of Exalted Glory.
> 
> Yea, soon thou shalt see thyself biting thy fingers‟ ends, and endeavour to
> seek Him in all the heavens and the earth; but alas thou shalt not attain the
> presence of the Youth.
> 
> In short, such was ultimately the state of affairs that this Servant decided to
> leave from amongst the stirrers of sedition, separated from all except for a
> few women who perhaps have to remain with this Servant. I shalt not even
> take with me the maids of the household; until such time as God may desire
> otherwise.
> 
> This Youth begins His journey, whilst My tear drops are My only comfort;
> the sighs of My heart are My only companion; My pen is My only friend;
> My Beauty is My only solace; My army is my reliance and My people are
> my trust. This is what I divulged unto thee from the mysteries of the Cause,
> that thou mayest be of them that are endued with understanding.
> 
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> 
> O Maryam! All the seas of the world and the rivers that flow out from them
> are pouring down from the eyes of the Youth that hath appeared as a cloud
> and is weeping at His Own meekness.
> 
> Alas, this Life and this Head, We offered in the path of the Friend from all
> eternity to all eternity, and shall be wholly resigned to whatever that may
> transpire.
> 
> At one time this Head was raised on a spear; and at another time it was
> delivered to the hands of Shimr. I was cast into the Fire at one time, and
> suspended in the air at another time. And this is that which the infidels have
> wrought against Us.
> 
> And thus, O Maryam, We named this Tablet with wondrous wailings and
> showers of tears; and dispatched it towards thee; that thou mayest bewail
> with ease and share with the Ancient Beauty in His anguish.
> 
> Furthermore, since Jinab-i-Baba was in our presence in the first year, he is
> aware of certain matters. God willing, the Holy Spirit will inspire his tongue
> to speak of the undoubted truth, and cleanse the world with a dewdrop from
> the story of the Youth.
> 
> Tablet for Maryam on Sorrow and Love: Provisional Translation
> 
> O Maryam, The Spirit of life ascended to the domain of placelessness; the
> Cage of Being was bereft of its Ever-blessed Cageling; the Bird of eternity
> took its flight to the wilds of evanescence; and the Divine Nightingale let
> out its cry on the Celestial Tree. The Tabernacle of Glory was rent asunder;
> and the Phoenix of Grandeur winged its way from the boughs of delight.
> 
> Spheres, lofty and transcendent, descended on the darksome dust; and ailing
> hearts let out clamours of affliction. Wholesome waters were turned into
> blood, and with blood was tinged the Courtyard of the All-highest Paradise.
> Yea, the gleaming hearts of the friends are alone befitting of the darts of His
> decree, and the throats of those that love Him are alone yearning for the
> mesh of limitless anguish.
> 
> Wherever a spear flies, it strikes the breasts of the friends; and wherever
> sorrow is dispelled, it descends on the hearts of the companions.
> 
> Wells of tears are the eyes of the lovers, whilst charming indifference is the
> response of the objects of their desires. Shouldst the lover cry out with pain
> hundreds of times over, the beloved shall only add to the anguish of the
> lover. Shoudst thou desire to drink of the Cup of Reunion, thou must submit
> to evanescence; and if thou wishest to partake of the Wine of His beauty,
> thou must enter the valley of privation.
> 
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> 
> O Maryam, taste thou joy in sorrow and drink thou anguish from the cup of
> gladness. Shouldst thou desire to advance into the wilderness of search,
> endure patiently and do not tear away at thy face. Shed thou not tears from
> thine eyes and be not of the anxious ones. Put on the robe of submission and
> quaff from the wine of acquiescence; and sell the entire world for a mere
> derham31. Give thy heart to God‟s irrevocable decree and submit to that
> which hath been ordained for thee.
> 
> Open thine eyes of discernment and turn away from all else but the Friend,
> for erelong we shall gather round together at the Court of Eternal Holiness
> and gain admittance to the Presence of the Lord of Mercy. We shall hear the
> Harp-Player of Persia sing out in the melodious language of Hijaz, and
> come together with the Friend. We shall speak of the unspoken, behold the
> unseen, and give ear to that which is unheard.
> 
> We shall bring to dance the Tabernacle of Spirit with the hymns of light and
> array the sanctuary of the heart with a delightful feast. We shall obtain the
> Chalice of Beauty from the Cupbearer of Glory and drink from its
> Matchless Wine in the memory of the Countenance of the Lord of Majesty.
> 
> Dry up thy tears then, sanctify thy soul from sorrow, free thy heart from
> anguish, and sing out with thy melodious voice:
> 
> Should there be swords raining down in the path to the abode of the all
> Beauteous; Our necks we shall offer on their edges at the behest of the all
> Glorious!
> 
> Exalted Letters: Provisional Translation
> 
> Verily, Thou seest, my best Beloved, how trials and tribulations have
> appeared from the horizon of Thy will. The fury of Thy wrath is pouring in
> from all sides, and the winds of sorrow have begun to blow. Numerous the
> lives that were sacrificed in the path of the Friend, and countless the
> illustrious heads that were hung on gallows. Neither a moment‟s repose
> was attained; nor a night‟s fete possible. The rope of Thy love has firmly
> fastened the necks of such as have recognized Thee, and the darts of Thy
> affection have been fired into the breasts of Thy lovers.
> 
> Fourteen years have elapsed since tranquillity ceased and the means of
> comfort were sealed. Not one pleasure did they embrace from the favours
> of the world; nor a breath did they inhale from the merciful breezes of the
> spirit. At times, they were afflicted with the degradation of captivity and, at
> other times, with banishment in the plains of remoteness -- cast out from
> every home, exiled from every land, and debarred from every comfort.
> 
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> 
> What indissoluble bonds were torn apart, and what cords of constancy were
> rent asunder!
> 
> Deprived they remained of every portion of their lot, and empty handed they
> persisted of their share. Blessings of the lands were turned into pernicious
> vengeance; the orb of the dayspring of divinity was veiled beneath the
> twilight of obscurity; the light of omnipotence was held hidden within the
> lamps of men‟s hearts; the eternal flame was concealed within the tree of
> mystery; the everlasting pearl lay sheltered in the invisible shell; and the
> dawning place of Thy Godhead was enwrapped within the veil of holiness.
> 
> How then can the pen move or the tongue recount? O Thou my Lord and
> my Master, thou knowest of the sufferings inflicted upon this Servant and
> the afflictions heaped upon this Wronged One. Not for a fleeting moment
> did I rest in an abode of safety; nor did I secure a refuge at any time. I
> quenched not My thirst but with the blood of My heart, and received not for
> sustenance but a token of the lamentations of My soul.
> 
> At times, I roamed the cities, captive in the hands of the unbelievers; yet, at
> other times, I was accompanied by chains and fetters. And in these days, I
> have, in particular, become a target for the arrows of both parties [Shi‟ites
> and Azalis] and the object of retribution from both sides. Friends glory in
> My abasement and rejoice in My sorrow; whilst foes have their hearts‟ fill
> of ill-will for My existence. Ample is the malice concealed in their breasts
> and plentiful the animosity hidden in their hearts.
> 
> Having left the outward dungeon, I was taken captive in the prison of the
> ungodly. Shafts of idle fancies are flying from all sides, and swords of
> rivalry are rushing-in like torrents of rain. Yet in the face of all these trials
> and adversities and weighty afflictions, may there be no pause in servitude;
> may the steps not waver from steadfastness, and the eyes take stand in
> service in place of the feet. At this time when tears are flowing from My
> cheeks, and crimson blood is pouring out from My heart, I call on Thee to
> cause My anguished heart to turn away from all things except Thee, and to
> fix it wholly upon Thyself; so that it may be severed from all else and enter
> in Thee. For he who holds fast unto Thee will never be put asunder, and he
> who is accepted by Thee will never be scorned. A king shall he remain even
> if condemned by mankind; victorious he shall be rendered even if no-one
> cometh to his aid; and dearly cherished shall he prevail even if he be an
> outcast. Then shall the flame of oneness be set ablaze; the tabernacle of
> divine unity shall shine forth from the mirror of singleness; and the pipe of
> the Persian shall sing out in the 32Arabic tongue the verse “all things shall
> perish, except His countenance”; inasmuch as the out-stretched arms of
> those that have recognized Thee are wanting and Thou art securely
> established upon the exalted court of glory. The longing hearts of those who
> 
> Qur’an 22:88
> 
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> 
> thirst after Thee are perplexed, and Thou art ever–abiding with absolute
> sovereignty upon the repository of grandeur.
> 
> How then can mortal conception find its way to soar in the vast immensity
> of Thy firmament; or the mind advance into the realm of sacred
> evanescence? How can the vain imaginings of men, tarnished with dark
> and dreary clouds of dust, ever touch the hem of Thy sanctified and holy
> vesture; or narrow vision ever settle on Thy most luminous Countenance?
> Thou hast ever been and shall ever remain unfathomable, even though Thou
> art more manifest than any manifestation. And Thou shall remain veiled for
> eternity, even though Thine evidence is more evident in every object than
> the object itself. Thus Thou art unseen in Thy revelation and manifest in Thy
> concealment. Aye, O my beloved, not every breast is deserving of Thy love;
> nor is every heart worthy of Thy affection. Thy love is a burning flame and
> the bodies of men are like unto firewood. How can firewood remain
> unmoved in near proximity to the flame, unless Thy eternal bounties are
> sent forth to hoist the banner of peace and to move the Almighty pen across
> the luminous tablet of the heart with Thy tender affection? Such is Thy
> ancient grace, for Thou bestowest unto thy servants whatsoever Thou
> willeth.
> 
> I swear by Thy majesty, O my Lord, that these calamities are sweeter than
> the sweetest nectar, and more desirable than the breath of life; for unless
> those longing after the Ka‟ba of reunion transcend the limits of grandeur,
> they shall not delight in the joy of the manifestation of Thy beauty. Unless
> they quaff their fill from the chalice of selflessness, they shall not enter the
> threshold of immortality. Unless they attire themselves with the garb of
> poverty in the path of Thy good pleasure, they shall not be blessed with the
> exalted cloak of riches. Unless they are afflicted with the ailment of fervid
> love; they shall not discover the abode of healing. Unless they renounce
> their earthly home, they shall not ascend to the land of divine holiness.
> Unless they die to the perpetual desert of desire, they shall not attain life
> eternal. Unless they take refuge in the land of abasement, they shall not find
> the path to the heaven of exaltation. Unless they taste of the venom of
> separation, they shall not savour the sweetness of divine presence; and
> unless they traverse the wilds of remoteness and bereavement, they shall not
> abide secure in the cities of nearness and reunion.
> 
> Although, O my Lord, calamities have surrounded all thy loved ones, two of
> Thy handmaidens -- one by the name of Havva and the other by the name of
> Maryam -- have, in this day, been especially afflicted with extreme
> adversity. This great calamity was heaped upon them whence Thy
> handmaidens had no mother to tear away her garment in despair and throw
> dismal dust upon her head for their anguish. They had no companions to
> dry up their cheeks from their tears and shield their tresses from gloomy
> tarnish; nor did they have loving friends to console their sadness and fill
> 
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> 
> their hearts with gladness. And they had no confidant to offer affection, or to
> brush their locks and tinge their hands after their loss.
> 
> They drank their fill from draughts of blood and took their sustenance from
> provisions of grief; inasmuch as Thou didst purpose for them that which was
> willed by Thee, and ordained upon their fate Thine all-compelling behest in
> whatsoever thou didst desire.
> 
> Thus, O my best Beloved, clothe them with the garb of patience and
> constancy, and with the attire of mercy and forbearance; that their eyes may
> be illumined by Thy new-found bounties and their hearts may be consoled
> by Thy boundless blessings. Enter them into the rivers of nearness and
> cities of reunion; and shelter the homeless within the precincts of Thy mercy
> and under the pleasant shadows of Thy forgiveness and grace. Comfort
> these bewildered ones in Thy sacred assemblages and give these thirsty ones
> a taste of the unseen streams of Thy life-giving waters and the preserved
> wine that is life indeed. Let the breezes of the city of Thy love waft over
> them, and cause them to enter the everlasting lands of Thy affection; so that
> they may stray far from all else and draw nigh unto Thee, and busy
> themselves in the glorification of Thy name and take pleasure in
> remembrance of Thee. Plant the tree of Thy affection in the luminous fields
> of their hearts and nurture it with the waters of Thy love, so that its branches
> may grow, develop, and bear fruit; and so that they may remain steadfast in
> Thy love, walk upon the land of Thy good pleasure, lay in the cradle of Thy
> divine presence, traverse the plains of Thy reunion; soar in the firmament of
> Thy nearness; renounce the tokens of worldly limitations and be ennobled
> by entering Thy gatherings of divine singleness; and inhale the breezes of
> unity in the realm of detachment. Thus they may close their eyes to all and
> open them to Thee, flee from aught else and seek Thy presence.
> 
> Then bestow upon them and upon Thy newly-arrived guest, O my Lord, all
> that hath been described herein and all that hath been set aside, and
> everything that belongeth neither to the former nor to the latter.
> 
> The day is soon approaching when Thou shall grant that which is implored
> of Thee, for such are Thy all-embracing favours that have encompassed all
> Thy creatures, O my God.
> 
> Ziyárat-Námih-i-Maryam: Provisional Translation
> 
> This Tablet was revealed for one who was named Maryam. Verily she was
> ablaze with the fire of the love of her Lord, before its flames approached
> her. And We concealed her station during her life time. Upon her ascension
> to the realm on High, God unveiled her and revealed her to His servants.
> Should one desire to pay homage to the Great “Ta” [Tahirih], who was
> martyred in the years passed, he may do so with this Tablet of visitation.
> 
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> 292      Gloria Yazdani                         Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> In the name of God, the Exalted, the Most High
> 
> O Supreme Pen, joyfulness did not take hold of Thee in the days of Thy
> Lord, the Exalted, the Most High, whereupon Thou didst sing with the
> melodies of Bahá upon the twigs of the divine Lote-tree; yet there
> descended upon thee a great calamity that hath caused the lamentation of
> those between heaven and earth. Speak out therefore of that which befell
> Thee from the rulings of His decree, that the tears of all in the oceans of
> names may begin to flow for a calamity that hath caused the trembling of
> heaven, the quaking of the earth and the agitation of the inmost essence of
> being; and hath brought tears to the Eye of Grandeur on the Throne of His
> Mercifulness.
> 
> And say: May the first outpourings of the showers of bounty that descended
> from the clouds of the Will of God -- the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious --
> and the first glimmerings of light that dawned from the Horizon of Eternity;
> and the first salutation that was revealed from the Tongue of Grandeur in the
> Kingdom of His irrevocable decree rest upon thee O thou great sign, exalted
> word, luminous pearl and countenance of unity [tal’at-i-ahadiyyih] in the
> dominion of His decree.
> 
> How can I make mention of thy afflictions, O thou Crimson Leaf! I swear
> by God that through thy fall from the Tree of the Cause, the leaves of the
> divine Lote Tree fell; the twigs of the tree of eternity were severed; the
> branches of the Tree of Blessedness were seared; the hearts of His loved
> ones were sorely afflicted; the faces of the chosen ones of God were bereft
> of colour; and the hearts of the godly were torn apart in the highest paradise.
> Gabriel [Ruhu‟l-Amin – the Faithful Spirit] wailed in the Court of Grandeur,
> and the inhabitants of earth and heaven cried out:
> 
> O thou who were an adorning sign of guidance on the faces of women and a
> light unto the brow of piety. Through thee, the veils of superstition were
> rent asunder from the eyes of women, and their beings were adorned with
> the remembrance of the Lord of earth and heaven.
> 
> Thou art she who – upon hearing the call of God – hesitated not, even for a
> moment, but hastened towards Him detached from all else save Him. Thou
> didst embrace Him and His great signs and recognised the Manifestation of
> the Self of God in His days, while all that were in heaven or on earth were
> terror stricken except for those who were aided by the hand of the Will of
> God and saved from the abyss of self and desire. Thou wert a stranger in
> thine own land and a prisoner in thine own home; one who was far from the
> Presence of Holiness even in her eagerness to be near and forbidden to
> attain His presence even in her fervid desire to behold Him.
> 
> Thou wert moved by the winds of the will of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, in
> such way as was desired and willed by Him. There was no movement or
> 
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> 293      Gloria Yazdani                        Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> rest for thee save by His command and permission! Blessed art thou for
> annihilating thine own will in the Will of thy Lord, and thy desire in His
> Decree.
> 
> Thou art she whom the whisperings of the stirrers of sedition failed to keep
> back from the Day-star of the world; and the opposition of the promoters of
> sedition deterred not from the Lord of the Day of Reunion.
> 
> Verily, thou didst remain firm in the Covenant on a day in which the eyes of
> men were stunned with bewilderment and the sinners fled from the presence
> of the Manifestation of the Self of God, the Unconstrained -- except for a
> few amongst the righteous.
> 
> Ah, ah, for thy calamity, the Pen ceased in its flow and breezes of sadness
> wafted over the inhabitants of paradise. The foundations of His all-
> encompassing Word were torn asunder and its members appeared as isolated
> letters at the beginning of the surihs of the book [Qur‟an], through which
> understanding accepted the decree of limitation in the world of God‟s
> command, and the Essence of Being was dressed in the form of the Temple
> in the kingdom of God‟s irrevocable decree.
> 
> By God, O eternal leaf, perplexing indeed it is for Me to witness the world
> and not behold thee; and to hear the voice of the heavenly dove and hear not
> thy sweet melodies in praise of thy Lord, the Exalted, the All-Glorious. As
> God is my witness, by thy afflictions all who have come into being in the
> kingdom of creation were stricken with sorrow, and all in the kingdom of
> names robed themselves with black garments. How I recall, O beloved of
> Bahá, the days in which thou wert engaged in singing the praises of the All-
> Merciful with thy sweet melodies upon the boughs and branches; within
> which was raised the voice of the Tree of Utterance, the cooing of the dove
> of understanding, the melodies of the waters of life, the whisperings of
> heavenly breezes and the song of the bird of heaven!
> 
> Thou art she with whose song of praise all created things arose in
> glorification of the All-Loving God. And after thee, the dove crept away in
> silence, the winds remained still, the lights of salvation were extinguished,
> and the waters of prosperity stood frozen.
> 
> Blind be the eye that beholdeth not in thy face the beauty of the
> Countenance of the Lord, and shedeth not tears of anguish for the sorrows
> that befell thee; and mute be the tongue that doth not make mention of thy
> name in the world of being.
> 
> Hail unto the days, during which thou wert rustling upon the tree singing
> verses of the unity of God; thereby was attracted the heart of every
> submissive woman who desired to turn to her Lord with a countenance
> 
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> 294      Gloria Yazdani                        Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> joyful and radiant. How sad were the days, in which thy face was veiled
> and thy revelation was hidden, and nearness to thee was not possible.
> 
> Ah, ah, O leaf of singleness, O primal word, O imperishable essence, O
> divine fruit, O effulgent beauty, O celestial sign and heavenly soul! By the
> calamities that were heaped upon thee, the oceans were banned from surging
> forth their waves, the trees from bearing fruit, verses from being revealed,
> words from carrying meaning, the sky from its ornaments, the earth from its
> vegetation, the water from running forth, and the wind from blowing. And
> were I to describe thy tribulations, the world of being would turn to utter
> nothingness, and the shrill voice of the Pen of the Ancient of Days would
> raise its cries.
> 
> I know not which of thy calamities I should make mention of before the
> Concourse on High: those that were heaped upon thee by thy friends or
> those that came from the enemies of God. Thou art she who suffered in the
> path of thy Lord what no other faithful woman could bear to suffer; through
> which came to flow the tears of maidens in the celestial chambers, the huris
> of heaven fell upon the dust in prostration, and heavenly countenances shorn
> their heads of the tresses.
> 
> O Crimson Leaf, through thy calamities, the face of Revelation was
> changed, joy was overturned, the foundations of the frequented fane were
> shaken, and the outspread roll was rolled up. Then alas, alas, by the
> calamities that befell thee all created things both visible and invisible
> accepted death and the Primal Will donned the robe of names and attributes.
> 
> When thy tribulations were poured into the most Great River, which was
> sanctified of all colour, it divided into four rivers and acquired various
> shades and earthly limitations. And as they [the calamities] were released
> onto the primal pillar of the word of piety, the letter of affirmation delayed
> in its sorrow, while the letter of negation raced ahead, from which appeared
> what set the heart and soul of Bahá afire. And no sooner were [thy
> calamities] recited unto the Primal Point than it let out a cry and was seized
> with perplexity and agitation, thereupon letters were revealed and appeared
> over the pages.
> 
> When the Point of Knowledge heard of thy calamities, it began to wail and
> cry and became scattered and disconnected, from which there appeared
> diverse sciences and various exponents, through which the learned
> manifested pride towards God on a Day whereon all created things bore
> witness to the truth that the dominion belongs to God, the Almighty, the All-
> Compelling.
> 
> By God, on account of that which was heaped upon thee by thine enemies,
> His mercy was well-nigh overtaken by His Justice, and His bounties --
> which have transcended all created things -- by His wrath!
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies   294                             1 (2007)
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> 295      Gloria Yazdani                         Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> Ah, ah, O word of Baha, and martyr in the path of Baha, how many a night
> didst thou shed tears on thy pillow in thy eagerness for nearness to Bahá;
> and how many a day wert thou consumed with the fire of desire for reunion
> with Bahá and fixed thy gaze on the Countenance of Glory, in which naught
> else could be beheld but God, the exalted, the Most High, and desired
> naught from its Countenance save the Countenance of thy Lord! To this
> bear witness the inhabitants of the Concourse on High; nay those of the
> realm of Eternity. Blind be the eye that beholds not in thee the sign of His
> oneness and the manifestations of His singleness, O thou who hast been
> mentioned by the tongue of Bahá. As God is my witness, the station of
> womanhood is abashed to be bestowed thee, O thou who art the pride of all
> men.
> 
> Blessed art thou O manifestation of beauty. Blessed art thou indeed, for
> God hath – from time immemorial -- sanctified thee from the idle fancies of
> the people of perdition, and protected thee from wavering. Verily, He is the
> Best-Beloved, the All-Glorious, and onto Him shall return the realms of the
> beginning and of the end.
> 
> I bear witness that thou wert a leaf that was moved only by the breezes of
> the Will of God; and that the vain imaginings of the people of sedition --
> who broke the Covenant of God and turned against Him who is the Lord of
> the Day of Judgement -- did not take hold of thee.
> 
> Blessed is the woman who attained thy companionship and hearkened to thy
> praise, and held fast unto the robe of thy love, and drew nigh unto thee and
> unto the Lord thy Maker and Creator. Verily, he who did not recognise thy
> love -- wholly for the sake of God –remained deprived of the special favours
> which God had purposed solely for thee. Paradise is for him, who hath
> turned unto thee, shed tears for thee, and visited thee after thy death. O thou
> who art hidden within the layers of the earth, verily thy corpse is a trust of
> God, the All-Bountiful, latent beneath the earth while thy soul hath ascended
> to the All-Glorious Horizon and the realm of the Most High.
> 
> O God I beseech thee to confer Thy bounties upon whomsoever gazeth with
> affection upon her, and to turn away from whomsoever ariseth against her.
> Aid thou whomsoever cometh to her aid; and ordain for whomsoever
> cometh to visit her the good of this world and of the next and all that hath
> been decreed for those of thy creatures who are near unto Thee and those of
> Thy servants who are wholly devoted to Thee. Verily Thou art the King of
> Kings and One whose mercy is bestowed upon the down-trodden. In Thy
> grasp are the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Thou doest as Thou willest.
> None other God is there but Thee, the Lord of the Throne on High and of the
> earth below; the Lord of this world and of the next.
> 
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> 296      Gloria Yazdani                         Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> Holy and sanctified art Thou, O my God. I entreat Thee by the
> Manifestation of Thine Own Self -- the Exalted, the Most High -- and the
> revelation of Thy wondrous signs; and by Thy manifold evidences which
> have encompassed heaven and earth, and by this grave which Thou hast
> designated as the home of Thy love and the resting place of a leaf from the
> leaves of Thy Tree of Revelation, not to turn me away from Thy Gate and
> not to deprive me of that which hath been decreed for Thy chosen ones.
> 
> O God, I beg of Thee by Thy Name, and by her name, and by the revealers
> of Thy Names not to leave me to myself and not to number me amongst
> those that have turned aside from Thee and repudiated Thee on the Day
> Thou didst seat Thyself upon the Throne of Thy Mercy and revealedst
> Thyself with all Thine attributes unto all created things.
> 
> Give me to drink then O my God from the soft-flowing waters of Thy
> knowledge and the heavenly rivers of Thy loving kindness, so that I may
> become independent of all things except Thee and turn towards the
> Sanctuary of Thy divine presence and nearness. Thine is the authority to do
> as Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the
> Almighty, the Most Bountiful.
> 
> O God, I beg of thee by the fire which was set aflame in the heart of this
> handmaiden -- who was stirred by the breezes of Thy Will and gave
> utterance to Thy praise -- to set ablaze the hearts of Thy servants by the fire
> of Thy love; that they may sever themselves from those who are numbered
> amongst the infidels and may turn towards Thy Countenance.
> 
> Send down then O God upon me and upon those of Thy servants who are
> detached from all things and are Thy steadfast friends, the good of this
> world and of the next.
> 
> Forgive us then and forgive our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and our
> dear ones; and forgive those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs,
> have testified to Thy Oneness, have acknowledged Thy Unity, have obeyed
> Thy behest and have spoken out in Thy praise.
> 
> Verily Thou art Him who hast been from everlasting and wilt ever be the
> Supreme Ruler. No name shall ever hinder Thee from another name and no
> attribute from another attribute. All names serve Thine own Self, circle
> around Thy Holy Threshold, are submissive to Thy Sovereignty, are lowly
> before the revelation of the evidences of Thy Might, and humble before the
> glimmerings of the light of Thy Countenance.
> 
> Verily Thou hast forever been and wilt forever be sanctified from Thy
> creation and Thy servants. And to this beareth witness my soul, and every
> atom of my being and that of all who are between heaven and earth. There
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies   296                              1 (2007)
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> 297      Gloria Yazdani                       Tablets to Maryam: Introduction
> 
> is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most-High, the Most-Exalted,
> the All-Bountiful.
> 
> OJBS:Online Journal of Bahá‟í Studies   297                            1 (2007)
> © 2007 Gloria Yazdani
>
> — *Baha'u'llah's Four Tablets to Maryam (Used by permission of the curator)*