# Call of the Divine Beloved

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Bahá'u'lláh, Call of the Divine Beloved, Bahá'í World Centre, 2019, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> The Call of the Divine Beloved
> Selected Mystical Works of Bahá’u’lláh
> 
> ***
> Preface
> Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (The Clouds of the Realms Above)
> The Seven Valleys
> From the Letter Bá’ to the Letter Há’
> Three Other Tablets
> The Four Valleys
> Notes
> 
> ***
> 
> Preface
> 
> “At one time We spoke in the language of the lawgiver”, Bahá’u’lláh writes in the Epistle to the
> Son of the Wolf, “at another in that of the truth-seeker and the mystic”. 1 The present volume
> brings together a selection of His Tablets which were revealed in the language of the mystic.
> Some are widely known; others are published here for the first time in English translation.
> Although most of the Tablets in this collection were revealed during Bahá’u’lláh’s sojourn in
> ‘Iráq (1853–1863), the first, the poem known as “Rashḥ-i-‘Amá”, was written in 1852 in the Síyáh-
> Chál and is among the few He revealed while in His native land of Persia, and in verse.
> Bahá’u’lláh recounts: “During the days I lay in the prison of Ṭihrán, though the galling weight of
> the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments
> of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a
> mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every
> limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man
> could bear to hear.” 2 The poetic reflection of that experience, as conveyed in Rashḥ-i-‘Amá, can
> perhaps never be adequately rendered into another language, yet the present translation is an
> initial attempt to impart a glimpse of its power and momentous themes.
> In ‘Iráq, during the two years Bahá’u’lláh sought seclusion in the mountains of Kurdistán, far
> from the malice and dissension that had blighted the Bábí community in Baghdád, word of His
> presence in Sulaymáníyyih attracted religious scholars and mystics of the region, including
> several prominent Ṣúfí shaykhs, to seek out the One Who dwelt as a humble dervish yet evinced a
> wisdom that was profound and a power of expression unequalled: “Through His numerous
> discourses and epistles”, Shoghi Effendi writes, “He disclosed new vistas to their eyes, resolved
> the perplexities that agitated their minds, unfolded the inner meaning of many hitherto obscure
> passages in the writings of various commentators, poets and theologians … ‘In a short time,’ is
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own testimony, ‘Kurdistán was magnetized with His love. During this period
> Bahá’u’lláh lived in poverty. His garments were those of the poor and needy. His food was that of
> the indigent and lowly. An atmosphere of majesty haloed Him as the sun at midday. Everywhere
> He was greatly revered and loved.’ ” 3
> When Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdád, His Kurdish admirers followed. The sight of ‘ulamá
> and Ṣúfí shaykhs flocking to visit Bahá’u’lláh astonished the religious leaders of the city, who also
> began to seek His presence—and became enthralled. Their esteem for Him in turn attracted
> others, from poets and mystics to government officials, and further spread His fame.
> This period, Shoghi Effendi tells us, saw an “enormous expansion in the scope and volume of
> Bahá’u’lláh’s writings … The verses that streamed during those years from His pen, described as
> ‘a copious rain’ by Himself, whether in the form of epistles, exhortations, commentaries,
> apologies, dissertations, prophecies, prayers, odes or specific Tablets” revivified and transformed
> the Bábí community. It was a period so prolific that, on average, the unrecorded verses He would
> reveal in a single day and night equalled in number those of the Qur’án. “As to those verses which
> He either dictated or wrote Himself, their number was no less remarkable than either the wealth
> of material they contained, or the diversity of subjects to which they referred.” 4
> Among the “priceless treasures cast forth from the billowing ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s
> Revelation” in those days is Bahá’u’lláh’s “greatest mystical composition”, the Seven Valleys,
> which “describes the seven stages which the soul of the seeker must needs traverse ere it can
> attain the object of its existence.” 5 Writing years later in ‘Akká, He explained:
> 
> This treatise was revealed in the language of the people, in the days prior to Our
> Declaration. The occasion for its revelation was the receipt of a letter addressed to the Most
> Holy Court in ‘Iráq from a man of Sunní persuasion, who was both a scholar and a mystic.
> This treatise was therefore revealed, in accordance with divine wisdom, in the manner that
> was current amongst the people. However, in this day, every soul who hath fixed his gaze
> upon the Supreme Horizon, and hath recognized the one true God, hath verily attained unto
> every one of the seven valleys or seven stations mentioned therein. 6
> 
> Like the twelfth-century poem by ‘Aṭṭár, Manṭiqu’ṭ-Ṭayr (The Conference of the Birds), the
> Seven Valleys describes a journey through seven stations in quest of the Divine. However, the
> quest in the Seven Valleys is also one undertaken in a context defined by the imminent dawning
> of the new Revelation—and indeed the presence of the Beloved Himself.
> That the mystic journey cannot be reduced to a fixed scheme, nor the search for the Divine
> Beloved to a series of discrete stages, is highlighted in a number of other Tablets, four of which
> are included here. The volume closes with the Four Valleys, an epistle addressed to one of
> Bahá’u’lláh’s devoted admirers from Kurdistán. Rather than describing a progression through
> stages, it elaborates four different paths of approach to the Divine.
> The current renderings of the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys are based on the
> translations by Marzieh Gail, in consultation with Ali-Kuli Khan, published in 1945. While those
> earlier translations contain many exquisite, inspired passages, some changes were required for
> clarity and accuracy.
> May the publication of this volume contribute to a deeper appreciation of the mystical
> dimensions of Bahá’u’lláh’s Message and inspire a greater zeal and fervour in raising the celestial
> call of the Divine Beloved: “For whereas in days past every lover besought and searched after his
> Beloved, it is the Beloved Himself Who now is calling His lovers and is inviting them to attain His
> presence.” 7
> 
> Rashḥ-i-‘Amá
> (The Clouds of the Realms Above)
> 
> 1    ’TIS FROM Our rapture that the clouds of realms above are raining down; 8
> ’Tis from Our anthem that the mysteries of faith are raining down.
> 
> 2    Upon the Eastern wind Cathay’s entrancing musk doth waft;
> This sweetly scented breeze from Our curling locks is raining down.
> 
> 3    The day-star of adornment hath dawned forth above the face of God;
> Behold that mystic truth which from His Countenance is raining down.
> 
> 4    The sea of purity hath from the wave of true reunion surged;
> This precious, rare bestowal from our rapture is raining down.
> 
> 5    The treasuries of love lay hid within the very heart of Fárs;
> From out this treasure trove the pearls of faithfulness are raining down.
> 
> 6    The splendour of the rose doth bring the ecstasy of choicest wine;
> This subtle music from the ringing tones of Lordship is raining down.
> 
> 7    The trumpet-blast of Judgement Day, the joyful bliss of heaven’s call—
> Both at a single breath are from the firmament now raining down.
> 
> 8    The Day of “I am He” is made to shine resplendent from Our face;
> The Age of “He is He” from out Our flowing cup is raining down.
> 
> 9    From out the fountain of Our heart hath God’s celestial river flowed;
> This cup of honeyed nectar from Our ruby lips is raining down.
> 
> 10   The Day of God hath been fulfilled, for lo, the Lord hath been unveiled;
> This wondrous message from the melody of Ṭá’ is raining down.
> 
> 11   Behold Bahá’s outpouring grace, the bounty of the clouds above,
> Which, merged into a single song, in God’s own voice is raining down.
> 
> 12   Behold the Lord’s leviathan, behold His sacred countenance;
> Behold the blessings of the heart that from His throne are raining down.
> 
> 13   Behold the Palm of Paradise, behold the warbling of the Dove;
> Behold the glorious hymns that in the purest light are raining down.
> 
> 14   Behold the soul-entrancing song, behold the beating of the drum,
> Behold the sacred rhythms that from Our hand are raining down.
> 
> 15   Behold the Countenance Divine! Behold the Maid of Paradise!
> Behold the grace upon the world from Our own presence raining down.
> 
> 16   Behold the everlasting Face! Behold the chalice-bearer’s charm!
> Behold the crystal draught that from Our brimming cup is raining down.
> 
> 17   Behold the fire of Moses, see His hand that shineth white;
> Behold the heart of Sinai—from Our hand all raining down.
> 
> 18   Hear ye the sotted lovers’ sighs, behold the garden blooming fair;
> Behold the bliss that from His presence in your midst is raining down.
> 
> 19   Behold the radiant face of Há’, behold the beauteous robe of Bá’;
> Behold the Lordly grace that from Our Pen is raining down.
> 
> 20   The vessel of the Advent this, the clouds of limpid waters these;
> The trill of songbirds this, from Our fleeting Wellspring raining down.
> 
> The Seven Valleys
> 
> An exposition of the mysteries enshrined in the stages of ascent for them that seek to journey unto God,
> the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving
> 
> IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE!
> 
> 1   PRAISE BE to God Who hath made being to come forth from nothingness; graven upon the tablet of
> man a measure of the mysteries of His eternity; taught him from the storehouse of divine
> utterance that which he knew not; made him a perspicuous book unto such as have believed and
> surrendered their souls; given him to behold, in this dark and ruinous age, a new creation within
> all things; and caused him to speak forth, from the midmost heart of eternity, and in a new and
> wondrous voice, embodied in the most excellent Temple. 9 And all to this end: that every man may
> testify, in himself and by himself, before the Seat of the revelation of his Lord, that there is none
> other God but Him; and that all may reach that summit of realities where none shall contemplate
> anything but that he shall perceive God therein. This is the vision of the splendours which have
> been deposited within the realities of all things; for otherwise He, exalted be His glory, is entirely
> sanctified above being seen or witnessed: “No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He
> is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving.” 10
> 2        And I praise and glorify that primal Sea which hath branched out from the ocean of the
> unseen Essence, and that primal Morn which hath broken forth upon the horizon of Singleness,
> and that primal Sun which hath risen in the heaven of everlasting splendour, and that primal Fire
> which was kindled from the Lamp of eternity within the Niche of oneness: He Who is called
> “Aḥmad” in the kingdom of the exalted ones, and “Muḥammad” amongst the concourse of the
> favoured ones, and “Maḥmúd” in the realm of the sincere; 11 and in the hearts of the knowing,
> “whichsoever ye call upon, most beauteous are His names.” 12 And upon His kindred and His
> companions be abundant, abiding, and eternal peace!
> 3        To continue: I have hearkened to the song of the nightingale of knowledge upon the twigs of
> the tree of thine inmost being, and to the cooing of the dove of certitude upon the branches of the
> bower of thine heart. Methinks I inhaled the fragrance of purity from the raiment of thy love and,
> in perusing thy letter, attained thy very presence. I noted, moreover, thine allusions to thy death
> in God and thy life through Him, and the love thou dost cherish for the beloved of the Lord and
> for the Manifestations of His names and the Exponents of His attributes. I have purposed,
> therefore, to acquaint thee with holy and resplendent tokens from the realms of might and glory,
> that haply they may draw thee nigh unto the court of holiness, nearness, and beauty, and draw
> thee to a station wherein thou shalt see naught in all existence but the hallowed Countenance of
> thy Beloved, and wilt behold all of creation as a day wherein none was deemed worthy of
> mention. 13
> 4        Of this did the nightingale of oneness sing in the garden of his mystical treatise, 14 saying,
> “And there shall appear upon the tablet of thine heart an inscription of the subtle mysteries of the
> verse ‘Fear ye God; God will teach you’, and the bird of thy spirit shall recall the sanctuaries of
> ancient splendour, and soar upon the wings of longing into the heaven of the command ‘Walk the
> beaten paths of thy Lord’, and partake of the choice fruits of communion in the gardens of the
> utterance ‘Feed, moreover, on every kind of fruit.’” 15
> 5        By My life, O friend! Wert thou to taste the fruits of these verdant trees that spring from the
> soil of true understanding, once the effulgent light of His Essence hath been reflected in the
> Mirrors of His names and attributes, yearning would seize the reins of patience and restraint from
> out thy hand and stir thy spirit into commotion with the splendours of His light. It would draw
> thee from this abode of dust unto thy true and heavenly habitation in the midmost heart of mystic
> knowledge, and raise thee to a station wherein thou wilt soar in the air even as thou treadest
> upon the earth, and wilt walk upon the water even as thou movest over the land. Wherefore, may
> it rejoice me, and thee, and whosoever mounteth into the heaven of knowledge, and whose heart
> hath been revived by the breezes of certitude that waft from the Sheba of the All-Merciful upon
> the meadow of his inner being. Peace be upon him who followeth the way of guidance! 16
> 6         And further: the stages that mark the wayfarers’ journey from their mortal abode to the
> heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have referred to them as seven valleys, and others,
> as seven cities. 17 And it is said that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self and traverseth these
> stages, he shall never attain the ocean of nearness and reunion nor taste of the matchless wine.
> 7         The first is THE VALLEY OF SEARCH. The steed of this valley is patience; without patience the
> wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal. Nor should he ever become
> downhearted: If he strive for a hundred thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the
> Friend, he should not falter. For those who seek the Kaaba of “for Us” rejoice in the tidings “In
> Our ways shall We assuredly guide them.” 18 In their search, they have stoutly girded up the loins
> of service and at every moment journey from the plane of heedlessness into the realm of search.
> No bond shall hold them back and no counsel deter them.
> 8         It is incumbent upon these servants to cleanse the heart, which is the wellspring of divine
> treasures, of every marking; turn away from imitation, which is following the traces of their
> forefathers; and shut the door of friendship and enmity upon all the people of the earth.
> 9         In this journey the seeker reacheth a station wherein he seeth all created things wandering
> distracted in search of the Friend. How many a Jacob will he see searching after his Joseph, how
> many a lover will he behold hastening towards the Well-Beloved; a world of adoring souls will he
> witness tracing the path of the Adored One! At every moment he findeth a weighty matter, in
> every hour he becometh aware of a new mystery; for he hath severed his heart from both worlds
> and set out for the Kaaba of the Beloved. At every step, aid from the invisible Realm will attend
> him and the fervour of his search will grow.
> 10        One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnún of love. 19 It is related that one day
> they came upon Majnún sifting the dust, his tears flowing down. They asked, “What doest thou?”
> He said, “I seek for Laylí.” “Alas for thee!” they cried, “Laylí is of pure spirit, yet thou seekest her
> in the dust!” He said, “I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her.”
> 11        Yea, though to the wise it be shameful to seek the Lord of Lords in the dust, yet this
> betokeneth intense ardour in searching. “Whoso seeketh out a thing and persisteth with zeal shall
> find it.” 20
> 12        The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and the sincere lover hath no
> desire save reunion with his beloved. Nor shall the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all
> things. That is, whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood—all he must set at naught with
> “no God is there”, that he may enter into the realm of the spirit, which is the city of “but God”. 21
> Labour is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardour is needed, if we are to drink the nectar of reunion
> with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.
> 13        On this journey the wayfarer dwelleth in every abode, however humble, and resideth in every
> land. In every face he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in every region he searcheth after the
> Beloved. He joineth every company and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that haply in some
> heart he may discern the secret of the Beloved, or in some face behold the beauty of the Adored
> One.
> 14        And if, by the help of the Creator, he findeth on this journey a trace of the traceless Friend,
> and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph from the heavenly herald, he shall straightway
> step into THE VALLEY OF LOVE and be consumed in the fire of love. In this city the heaven of rapture
> is upraised, and the world-illuming sun of yearning shineth, and the fire of love is set ablaze; and
> when the fire of love is ablaze, it burneth to ashes the harvest of reason.
> 15        Now is the wayfarer oblivious of himself, and of aught besides himself. He seeth neither
> ignorance nor knowledge, neither doubt nor certitude; he knoweth not the morn of guidance
> from the night of error. He fleeth from both unbelief and faith, and findeth in deadly poison his
> heart’s relief. Wherefore ‘Aṭṭár saith:
> 
> For the infidel, error—for the faithful, faith;
> For ‘Aṭṭár’s heart, an atom of thy pain.
> 16        The steed of this valley is pain, and if there be no pain this journey will never end. In this
> plane the lover hath no thought save the Beloved, and seeketh no refuge save the Friend. At every
> moment he offereth a hundred lives in the path of the Loved One, at every step he throweth a
> thousand heads at His feet.
> 17        O My brother! Until thou enter the Egypt of love, thou shalt never gaze upon the Joseph-like
> beauty of the Friend; and until, like Jacob, thou forsake thine outward eyes, thou shalt never open
> the eye of thine inward being; and until thou burn with the fire of love, thou shalt never find
> thyself in true yearning’s embrace.
> 18        A lover feareth nothing and can suffer no harm: Thou seest him chill in the fire and dry in
> the sea.
> 
> A lover is he who is chill in hellfire;
> A knower is he who is dry in the sea. 22
> 
> 19        Love accepteth no existence and wisheth no life: In death it seeth life, and in shame it seeketh
> glory. To merit the madness of love, one must abound in sanity; to merit the bonds of the Friend,
> one must be free in spirit. Blessed the neck that is caught in His noose, and happy the head that
> falleth on the dust in the path of His love. Wherefore, O friend, renounce thy self, that thou
> mayest find the Peerless One; and soar beyond this mortal world, that thou mayest find thy nest
> in the abode of heaven. Be as naught, if thou wouldst kindle the fire of being and be fit for the
> pathway of love.
> 
> Ne’er will love allow a living soul to tread its way;
> Ne’er will the falcon deign to seize a lifeless prey. 23
> 
> 20        Love setteth a world aflame at every turn and layeth waste every land wherein it raiseth its
> banner. Being hath no existence in its kingdom; the wise wield no command within its realm. The
> leviathan of love swalloweth the master of reason and slayeth the lord of knowledge. It drinketh
> the seven seas, but its heart’s thirst is still unquenched and it asketh, “Is there yet any more?” 24 It
> shunneth its own self and draweth away from all on earth.
> 
> Love’s a stranger to earth and heaven too;
> In him are lunacies seventy and two. 25
> 
> 21        Love hath bound a myriad victims in its fetters and pierced a myriad wise men with its arrow.
> Know that every redness thou seest in the world is from its wrath, and every paleness in men’s
> cheeks is from its poison. It yieldeth no remedy but death and walketh not save in the valley of
> extinction; yet sweeter than honey is its venom upon the lover’s lips, and fairer its deadly sting, in
> the seeker’s sight, than a hundred thousand lives.
> 22        Wherefore must the veils of the satanic self be burned away in the fire of love, that the spirit
> may be cleansed and refined, and thus may apprehend the station of Him but for Whom the world
> would not have been created. 26
> 
> Kindle the fire of love and burn away all things;
> Then set thy foot into the land of the lovers. 27
> 
> 23        And if, confirmed by the Creator, the lover escapeth the claws of the eagle of love, he will
> enter THE REALM OF KNOWLEDGE and come out of doubt into certitude, and turn from the darkness of
> wayward desire to the guiding light of the fear of God. His inner eye will open and he will privily
> converse with his Beloved; he will unlock the gates of truth and supplication and shut the doors
> of idle fancy. He in this realm is content with the divine decree, and seeth war as peace, and in
> death findeth the meaning of everlasting life. With both inward and outward eyes he witnesseth
> the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and in the souls of men, and with a
> spiritual heart apprehendeth the wisdom of God in His endless manifestations. In the sea he
> findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.
> Split the atom’s heart, and lo!
> Within it thou wilt find a sun. 28
> 
> 24        Gazing with the eye of absolute insight, the wayfarer in this valley seeth in God’s creation
> neither contradiction nor incongruity, and at every moment exclaimeth, “No defect canst thou see
> in the creation of the God of mercy. Repeat the gaze: Seest thou a single flaw?” 29 He beholdeth
> justice in injustice, and in justice, grace. In ignorance he findeth many a knowledge hidden, and in
> knowledge a myriad wisdoms manifest. He breaketh the cage of the body and the hold of the
> passions, and communeth with the denizens of the immortal realm. He scaleth the ladders of
> inner truth and hasteneth to the heaven of inner meanings. He rideth in the ark of “We will surely
> show them Our signs in the world and within themselves”, and saileth upon the sea of “until it
> become plain to them that it is the truth”. 30 And if he meeteth with injustice he shall have
> patience, and if he cometh upon wrath he shall manifest love.
> 25        There was once a lover, it is said, who had sighed for long years in separation from his
> beloved, and wasted in the fire of remoteness. From the rule of love, his breast was void of
> patience and his body weary of his spirit; he reckoned life without her as a mockery, and the
> world consumed him away. How many a day he found no respite from his longing; how many a
> night the pain of her kept him from sleep. His body was worn to a sigh, and his heart’s wound
> had turned him to a cry of sorrow. A thousand lives would he freely have given for one taste of
> the cup of her presence, and yet even this was not within his reach. The doctors knew no cure for
> him, and companions avoided his company; yea, physicians have no remedy for one sick of love,
> unless the favour of the beloved deliver him.
> 26        At last the tree of his longing yielded the fruit of despair, and the fire of his hope fell to ashes.
> Then one night he could bear life no more, and he left his house for the marketplace. On a
> sudden, a watchman followed after him. He broke into a run, with the watchman in swift pursuit;
> then other watchmen came together and barred every passage to the weary one. And that
> wretched one cried from his heart, and ran here and there, and moaned to himself, “Surely this
> watchman is ‘Izrá’íl, my angel of death, following so fast upon me, or he is a tyrant of men,
> prompted by hatred and malice.” His feet carried him on—that hapless one bleeding with the
> arrow of love—while his heart lamented. Then he came to a garden wall, and with untold pain
> and trouble he scaled it. He saw that it was very high; yet, forgetting his life, he threw himself
> down into the garden.
> 27        And there he beheld his beloved with a lamp in her hand, searching for a ring she had lost.
> When the heart-surrendered lover looked upon his ravishing love, he drew a great breath and
> lifted his hands in prayer, crying, “O God! Bestow honour upon the watchman, and riches and
> long life. For the watchman was Gabriel, guiding this poor one; or he was Isráfíl, bringing life to
> this wretched one!”
> 28        Indeed, his words were true; for he had found many a secret justice in this seeming tyranny
> of the watchman, and had seen how many a mercy lay hid behind the veil. In one stroke of wrath,
> the guard had joined one who was athirst in the desert of love to the sea of the beloved, and
> dispelled the darkness of separation with the shining light of reunion. He had led one who was
> afar to the garden of nearness, and guided an ailing soul to the heart’s physician.
> 29        Now if the lover could have seen the end, he would from the beginning have blessed the
> watchman, prayed God on his behalf, and seen his tyranny as justice; but since the end was veiled
> to him, he lamented and made his plaint in the beginning. Yet those who journey in the garden
> land of true knowledge, since they see the end in the beginning, behold peace in war and
> conciliation in enmity.
> 30        Such is the state of the wayfarers in this valley, but the people of the valleys above this see
> the end and the beginning as one. Nay, they see neither “beginning” nor “end” and witness
> neither “first” nor “last”. Nay rather, the denizens of the city of immortality, who dwell in the
> celestial garden, see not even “neither first nor last”: They fly from all that is first and repulse all
> that is last. For these have passed over the worlds of names and, swift as lightning, fled beyond
> the worlds of attributes. Thus is it said: “The perfection of belief in Divine Unity is to deny Him
> any attributes.” 31 And they have made their dwelling-place in the shadow of the Divine Essence.
> 31       Wherefore Khájih ‘Abdu’lláh 32 —may God the Most High sanctify his blessed soul—hath
> made, in this connection, a subtle point and spoken an eloquent word as to the meaning of “Guide
> Thou us on the straight path”, 33 which is: “Show us the right way; that is, honour us with the love
> of Thine Essence, that we may be freed from occupation with ourselves and aught else save Thee,
> and may become wholly Thine; that we may know only Thee, and see only Thee, and think of
> none save Thee.”
> 32       Nay, they would even soar above this station, as it is said: “Love is a veil betwixt the lover and
> beloved.” “More than this I am not permitted to tell.”
> 33       At this hour the morn of true knowledge hath dawned and the lamps of wayfaring and
> wandering have been quenched.
> 
> Veiled from this was Moses too,
> Despite His virtue and His light.
> Then thou who hast no wings at all,
> Abandon any hope of flight! 34
> 
> 34        If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar upon the wings of assistance from the holy
> ones, that thou mayest behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain the lights of the Beloved:
> “Verily, we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.” 35
> 35        After passing through the Valley of Knowledge, which is the last station of limitation, the
> wayfarer cometh to THE FIRST STATION OF UNITY and drinketh from the cup of oneness, and gazeth
> upon the manifestations of singleness. In this station he pierceth the veils of plurality, fleeth the
> realms of the flesh, and ascendeth unto the heaven of unity. With the ear of God he heareth; with
> the eye of God he beholdeth the mysteries of divine creation. He steppeth into the inner
> sanctuary of the Friend and, as an intimate, shareth the pavilion of the Well-Beloved. He
> stretcheth forth the hand of truth from the sleeve of the Absolute and revealeth the mysteries of
> divine power. He seeth in himself neither name nor fame nor rank, but findeth his own praise in
> the praise of God, and in the name of God beholdeth his own. To him “all songs are from that
> sovereign King” and every melody from Him. He sitteth on the throne of “Say, all things are of
> God” 36 and reclineth upon the seat of “There is no power nor strength but in God alone.” 37 He
> looketh upon all things with the eye of Unity, and seeth the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth
> shining from the dayspring of the Divine Essence upon all created things alike, and beholdeth the
> lights of Unity reflected upon all creation.
> 36        It is known to thine eminence that all the variations which the wayfarer in the stages of his
> journey beholdeth in the realms of being proceed from his own vision. We shall give an example
> of this, that the meaning may become fully clear. Consider the visible sun: Although it shineth
> with the same radiance upon all existence, and at the behest of the Lord of Revelation bestoweth
> light on all things, yet in each place it becometh manifest and sheddeth its bounty according to
> the potentialities of that place. For instance, in a mirror it reflecteth its own disk and shape, and
> this is due to the clarity of the mirror itself; through a crystal it maketh fire to appear; and in
> other things it showeth only the effect of its shining, but not its full disk. And yet, through that
> effect, by the command of the Creator it traineth each thing according to the capacity of that
> thing, even as thou dost observe.
> 37        In like manner, colours become visible in each object according to its nature. For instance, in
> a yellow glass the rays shine yellow; in a white glass they are white; and in a red glass red rays
> are visible. These variations proceed from the object itself, not from the light. And if a place be
> shut away from the light, as by walls and a roof, it will be entirely bereft of the light of the sun
> and deprived of its rays.
> 38        Thus it is that certain feeble souls have confined the wide expanse of knowledge within the
> walls of self and passion, and beneath the cloak of ignorance and blindness, and have thereby
> veiled themselves from the light of the mystic Sun and the mysteries of the eternal Beloved. They
> have strayed far from the gem-like wisdom of the resplendent Faith of the Lord of the
> Messengers, 38 have been shut out of the inner court of the All-Beauteous, and have been banished
> from the Kaaba of glory. Such is the worth of the people of this age!
> 39       And if a nightingale soar beyond the clay of self and dwell in the rose bower of the heart, and
> in Arabian melodies and sweet Persian tones recount the mysteries of God—a single word
> whereof quickeneth anew every lifeless form and bestoweth the spirit of holiness upon every
> mouldering bone—thou wilt behold a thousand claws of envy and a myriad talons of hatred
> hunting after Him and striving with all their power to encompass His death.
> 40       Yea, to the beetle a sweet fragrance seemeth foul, and to the man sick of a rheum a pleasant
> perfume availeth naught. Wherefore hath it been said for the guidance of the ignorant:
> 
> Cleanse thou the rheum from out thine head
> And breathe the breath of God instead. 39
> 
> 41        In sum, the differences among objects have now been made plain. Thus when the wayfarer
> gazeth only upon the place of appearance—that is, when he considereth only the glass—he seeth
> yellow and red and white. And so it is that conflict hath prevailed amongst men, and a darksome
> dust from limited souls hath settled over the world. Others gaze upon the effulgence of the light,
> while yet others have drunk of the wine of oneness and see naught but the sun itself.
> 42        As the wayfarers traverse these three differing planes, their understanding and their words
> differ accordingly, and hence the sign of conflict hath ever appeared on earth. For there are some
> who dwell on the plane of Divine Unity and speak of that world, and some inhabit the realms of
> limitation, and some the grades of self, while others are completely veiled. Thus do the ignorant
> people of the day, who have no share of the radiance of the divine Beauty, make certain claims
> and, in every age and cycle, inflict upon the people of the ocean of Divine Unity what they
> themselves deserve. “If God should chastise men for their perverse doings, He would not leave
> upon the earth a moving thing! But to an appointed time doth He respite them.” 40
> 43        O My brother! A pure heart is as a mirror; cleanse it with the burnish of love and severance
> from all save God, that the true sun may shine therein and the eternal morning dawn. Then wilt
> thou clearly see the meaning of “Earth and heaven cannot contain Me; what can alone contain Me
> is the heart of him that believeth in Me.” 41 And thou wilt take up thy life in thy hand and with
> infinite longing cast it before thy newly found Beloved.
> 44        Whensoever the light of the revelation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the
> heart and soul, His radiance becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time, the
> mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in
> prayer until I answer him, and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth
> …” 42 For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the
> dwelling are ashine with His light. And as the action and effect of the light are from the Light-
> Giver, so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. This is that wellspring whereof the
> near ones drink, as it is said: “A fount whereof they who draw nigh to God shall drink”. 43
> 45        However, let none construe these utterances to imply the incarnation or descent of the
> worlds of God into the grades of His creatures, nor should they lead thine eminence to such
> misapprehensions. For God, in His Essence, is sanctified above all ascent and descent, egress and
> regress; He hath through all eternity been exalted beyond the attributes of His creation, and will
> ever remain so. No man hath ever known Him; no soul hath ever fathomed the nature of His
> Being. In the valley of His knowledge every mystic wandereth astray; in the comprehension of
> His Essence every saint standeth bewildered. Sanctified is He above the understanding of the
> wise; exalted is He beyond the knowledge of the knowing! “The way is barred and all seeking
> rejected. His proof is His signs, His evidence His being.” 44
> 46        Wherefore the lovers of the countenance of the Beloved have said, “O Thou Whose Essence
> alone can lead to His Essence, and Who transcendeth all likeness to His creatures”. 45 How can
> utter nothingness spur its charger in the arena of eternity, or a fleeting shadow reach to the
> everlasting sun? The Friend addressed by the words “But for Thee” hath said, “We have failed to
> know Thee”; and the Beloved alluded to by the words “or even closer” hath said, “nor attained
> Thy presence”. 46
> 47        Indeed, the references that have been made to the degrees of mystic knowledge pertain to the
> knowledge of the effulgences of that Sun of Truth as it becometh reflected in various mirrors. And
> the effulgence of that light is present within the hearts, yet it is hidden beneath the veils of selfish
> desires and earthly attachments, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the
> cover is lifted doth the light of the candle shine out.
> 48        In like manner, when thou dost strip the veils of illusion from the face of thine heart, the
> lights of Oneness will be made manifest.
> 49        It is clear, then, that even these rays are not subject to egress or regress—how much less that
> Essence of existence and longed-for Mystery. O My brother, consider these matters in the spirit of
> enquiry, not in blind imitation. A true wayfarer will not be deterred by the impediment of words,
> nor daunted by the sway of insinuations.
> 
> How can a curtain part the lover from his love,
> When Alexander’s wall cannot keep them apart? 47
> 
> 50        Secrets are many, and strangers are myriad. Volumes will not suffice to hold the mystery of
> the Beloved, nor can it be exhausted in these pages, though it be no more than a word, no more
> than a sign. “Knowledge is one point, which the foolish have multiplied.” 48
> 51        Infer, then, from this the differences among the worlds. Though the worlds of God be infinite,
> yet some refer to them as four: the world of time, which hath both a beginning and an end; the
> world of duration, which hath a beginning but whose end is not apparent; the world of primordial
> reality, whose beginning is not to be seen but which is known to have an end; and the world of
> eternity, of which neither the beginning nor the end is visible. Although there are many differing
> statements as to these points, to recount them in detail would result in weariness. Thus some
> have said that the world of primordial reality hath neither beginning nor end, and have equated
> the world of eternity with the invisible, inaccessible, and unknowable Essence. Others have called
> these the worlds of the Heavenly Court, of the Celestial Dominion, of the Divine Kingdom, and of
> Mortal Existence.
> 52        Moreover, the journeys in the pathway of love have been reckoned as four: from the
> creatures to the True One, from the True One to the creatures, from the creatures to the creatures,
> and from the True One to the True One.
> 53        There is many an utterance of the sages and mystics of former times which I have not
> mentioned here, since I mislike copious citation from the sayings of the past; for quotation from
> the words of others betokeneth acquired learning and not divine bestowal. Even so much as I
> have quoted here is out of deference to the wont of men and after the manner of the learned.
> Further, such matters are beyond the scope of this epistle. My unwillingness to recount their
> sayings is not from pride; rather, it is the manifestation of wisdom and the revelation of bounty.
> 
> If Khiḍr did wreck the vessel on the sea,
> A thousand rights are in this wrong concealed. 49
> 
> 54        Otherwise, this Servant regardeth Himself as utterly lost and non-existent, even before one of
> the beloved of God, how much less in the presence of His holy ones. Glorified be my Lord, the
> Most High! Moreover, our aim is to recount the stages of the wayfarer’s journey, not to set forth
> the conflicting utterances of the mystics.
> 55        Although a brief example hath been given concerning the beginning and ending of the
> relative and contingent world, yet a further illustration is now provided, that the full meaning
> may become clear. For instance, let thine eminence consider his own self: Thou art first in relation
> to thy son, and last in relation to thy father. In thine outward appearance thou tellest of the
> appearance of power in the realms of divine creation; in thine inward being thou revealest the
> hidden mysteries which are the divine trust deposited within thee. And thus firstness and
> lastness, outwardness and inwardness, are, in the sense referred to, all true of thyself, so that in
> these four states conferred upon thee thou mayest comprehend the four divine states, and that the
> nightingale of thine heart, warbling on all the flowering branches of the tree of existence, whether
> seen or unseen, might cry out: “He is the First and the Last, the Seen and the Hidden!” 50
> 56        These statements are made in the sphere of that which is relative. Otherwise, those souls who
> with but one step have traversed the world of the relative and the conditioned, and dwelt in the
> court of independent sovereignty, and pitched their tent in the realms of absolute authority and
> command, have burned away these relativities with a single spark, and blotted out these words
> with a mere dewdrop. And they swim in the sea of the spirit, and soar in the holy atmosphere of
> light. Then what existence have words, on such a plane, that “first” and “last”, or other than these,
> should be mentioned or described? In this realm, the first is the same as the last, and the last is the
> same as the first.
> 
> In thy soul, of love build thou a fire
> And burn all thoughts and words entire. 51
> 
> 57        O My friend, look to thyself: Hadst thou not become a father and begotten a son, neither
> wouldst thou have comprehended these words. Now forget them one and all, that thou mayest
> learn from the Master of Love in the schoolhouse of Divine Unity, mayest return unto God,
> forsake the land of unreality for thy true station, and dwell beneath the shadow of the tree of
> knowledge.
> 58        O thou dear one! Impoverish thyself, that thou mayest enter the lofty court of riches; and
> humble thy body, that thou mayest drink from the stream of glory and attain to the full meaning
> of the poems whereof thou hadst asked.
> 59        Thus it hath been made clear that these stages depend on the attainment of the wayfarer. In
> every city he will behold a world, in every valley reach a spring, in every meadow hear a song.
> But the falcon of the mystic heaven hath many a wondrous carol of the spirit in its breast, and the
> Persian bird keepeth in its soul many a sweet Arabian melody; yet these are hidden, and hidden
> shall remain.
> 
> If I speak forth, many a mind will shatter,
> And if I write, many a pen will break. 52
> 
> 60        Peace be upon him who concludeth this exalted journey and followeth the way of truth by
> the lights of guidance.
> 61        The wayfarer, after traversing the high planes of this supernal journey, entereth into THE CITY
> OF CONTENTMENT. In this valley he feeleth the breezes of divine contentment blowing from the plane
> of the spirit. He burneth away the veils of want, and with inward and outward eye perceiveth
> within and without all things the day of “God will satisfy everyone out of His abundance.” 53 From
> sorrow he turneth to bliss, and from grief to joy, and from anguish and dejection to delight and
> rapture.
> 62        Although, to outward seeming, the wayfarers in this valley may dwell upon the dust, yet
> inwardly they are throned in the heights of mystic meaning; they partake of the eternal bounties
> of heaven and drink of the delicate wines of the spirit.
> 63        The tongue faileth in describing these three valleys, and speech falleth short. The pen
> steppeth not into this arena, the ink leaveth only a blot. In these stations, the nightingale of the
> heart hath other songs and secrets, which make the heart to leap and the soul to cry out, but this
> mystery of inner meaning may be whispered only from heart to heart, and confided only from
> breast to breast.
> 
> The bliss of mystic knowers can be only told from heart to heart,
> A bliss no messenger can bear and no missive dare impart. 54
> 
> How many are the matters I have out of weakness left unsaid;
> For my words would fail to reckon them and mine every effort would fall short. 55
> 
> 64        O friend, till thou enter the garden of these inner meanings, thou shalt never taste of the
> imperishable wine of this valley. And shouldst thou taste of it, thou wilt turn away from all else
> and drink of the cup of contentment; thou wilt loose thyself from all things and bind thyself unto
> Him, and lay down thy life in His path and offer up thy soul for His sake. And this, even though
> in this realm there is no “all else” that thou needst forget: “God was alone; there was none else
> besides Him.” 56 For on this plane the traveller witnesseth the beauty of the Friend in all things. In
> fire he seeth the face of the Beloved; in illusion he beholdeth the secret of reality; in the attributes
> he readeth the riddle of the Essence. For he hath burnt away all veils with a sigh, and cast aside all
> coverings with a glance. With piercing sight he gazeth upon the new creation, and with lucid
> heart he graspeth subtle verities. The words “And we have made thy sight sharp in this day” 57 are
> a sufficient proof of this assertion and a befitting description of this state.
> 65        After journeying through the planes of pure contentment, the traveller cometh to THE VALLEY
> OF WONDERMENT and is tossed upon the oceans of grandeur, and at every moment his wonder
> increaseth. Now he seeth the embodiment of wealth as poverty itself, and the essence of
> independence as sheer impotence. Now is he struck dumb with the beauty of the All-Glorious;
> again is he wearied out with his own life. How many a mystic tree hath this whirlwind of
> bewilderment snatched by the roots, how many a soul hath it worn out and exhausted. For in this
> valley the traveller is flung into confusion, albeit, in the eyes of him who hath attained, such signs
> are esteemed and well beloved. At every moment, he beholdeth a wondrous world and a new
> creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe before the new
> handiwork of Him Who is the sovereign Lord of all.
> 66        Indeed, O brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad consummate
> wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths. One of the created phenomena is the
> dream. Behold how many secrets have been deposited therein, how many wisdoms treasured up,
> how many worlds concealed. Observe how thou art asleep in a dwelling, and its doors are shut;
> on a sudden thou findest thyself in a far-off city, which thou enterest without moving thy feet or
> wearying thy body. Without taxing thine eyes, thou seest; without troubling thine ears, thou
> hearest; without a tongue, thou speakest. And perchance when ten years have passed, thou wilt
> witness in this temporal world the very things thou hast dreamt tonight.
> 67        Now there are many wisdoms to ponder in the dream, which none but the people of this
> valley can comprehend in their reality. First, what is this world where without eye or ear or hand
> or tongue one can put all these to use? Second, how is it that in the outer world thou seest today
> the effect of a dream which thou didst witness in the world of sleep some ten years past?
> Consider the difference between these two worlds, and the mysteries they conceal, that, attended
> by divine confirmations, thou mayest attain unto heavenly discoveries and enter the realms of
> holiness.
> 68        God, the Most High, hath placed these signs in men so that veiled minds might not deny the
> mysteries of the life beyond, nor belittle that which hath been promised them. For some hold fast
> to reason and deny whatever reason comprehendeth not, and yet feeble minds can never grasp
> the reality of the stages that we have related: The universal divine Intellect alone can comprehend
> them.
> 
> How can feeble reason embrace the Qur’án
> Or the spider snare a phoenix in its web? 58
> 
> 69         All these states are to be found and witnessed in the Valley of Wonderment, wherein the
> wayfarer at every moment seeketh for more and is not wearied. Thus the Lord of the first and the
> last, 59 in setting forth the grades of contemplation and expressing bewilderment, hath said:
> “Increase my wonder and amazement at Thee, O God!” 60
> 70         Likewise, reflect upon the perfection of man’s creation, and that all these planes and states
> are folded up and hidden away within him.
> 
> Dost thou deem thyself a small and puny form,
> When thou foldest within thyself the greater world?
> 
> 71       We must therefore labour to destroy the animal condition, till the meaning of humanity
> cometh to light.
> 72       Likewise, Luqmán, who had drunk from the wellspring of wisdom and tasted of the waters of
> mercy, in proving to his son Nathan the planes of resurrection and death, advanced the dream as
> evidence and example. We relate it here, that through this evanescent Servant a memory may
> endure of that youth of the school of Divine Unity, that elder of the realms of instruction and
> detachment. He said: “O son, if thou art able not to sleep, then thou art able not to die. And if thou
> art able not to waken after sleep, then thou shalt be able not to rise after death.”
> 73        O friend, the heart is the dwelling-place of eternal mysteries: Make it not the home of fleeting
> fancies. Waste not the treasure of thy precious life occupied with this swiftly passing world. Thou
> comest from the world of holiness: Bind not thine heart to the earth. Thou art a dweller in the
> court of reunion: Choose not the homeland of the dust.
> 74        In sum, there is no end to the description of these stages, but because of the wrongs inflicted
> by the peoples of this age, this Servant is disinclined to continue:
> 
> The tale remaineth yet unfinished and untold;
> Forgive me, then, for weariness hath taken hold. 61
> 
> 75        The pen groaneth and the ink sheddeth tears, and the river of the heart surgeth in waves of
> blood. “Nothing can befall us but what God hath destined for us.” 62 Peace be upon him who
> followeth the way of guidance!
> 76        After scaling the high summits of wonderment, the wayfarer cometh to THE VALLEY OF TRUE
> POVERTY AND ABSOLUTE NOTHINGNESS. This station is that of dying to the self and living in God, of
> being poor in self and rich in the Desired One. Poverty, as here referred to, signifieth being poor
> in that which pertaineth to the world of creation and rich in what belongeth to the realms of God.
> For when the true lover and devoted friend reacheth the presence of the Beloved, the radiant
> beauty of the Loved One and the fire of the lover’s heart will kindle a blaze and burn away all
> veils and wrappings. Yea, all that he hath, from marrow to skin, will be set aflame, so that nothing
> will remain save the Friend.
> 
> When once shone forth the attributes
> Of Him Who is the ancient King,
> All mention Moses burned away
> Of every fleeting, transient thing. 63
> 
> 77        Whoso hath attained this station is sanctified from all that pertaineth to the world.
> Wherefore, if those who have reached the ocean of His presence are found to possess none of the
> limited things of this perishable world, whether earthly riches or worldly opinions, it mattereth
> not. For that which is with His creatures is circumscribed by their own limitations, whereas that
> which is with God is sanctified therefrom. This utterance must be deeply pondered, that its
> purport may be clear. “Verily the righteous shall drink of a cup tempered at the camphor
> fountain.” 64 If the true meaning of “camphor” become known, our true intent will become evident.
> 78        This station is that poverty of which it is said, “Poverty is My glory.” 65 And of inward and
> outward poverty there is many a stage and many a meaning which I have not thought pertinent
> to mention here; hence I have reserved these for another time, dependent on what God may
> desire and fate may seal.
> 79        This is the station wherein the multiplicity of all things perisheth in the wayfarer; and the
> divine Countenance, dawning above the horizon of eternity, riseth out of the darkness; and the
> meaning of “All on the earth shall pass away, but the face of thy Lord” is made manifest. 66
> 80        O My friend! Listen with heart and soul to the songs of the spirit, and treasure them as thine
> own eyes; for heavenly wisdoms, even as vernal showers, will not rain forever upon the earth of
> men’s hearts, and though the grace of the All-Bounteous One is never ceasing and never stilled,
> yet to every time and era a portion is allotted and a bounty assigned, which is vouchsafed in a
> given measure. “And no one thing is there, but with Us are its storehouses; and We send it not
> down but in settled measure.” 67 Indeed, the clouds of the Loved One’s mercy rain only on the
> garden of the spirit, and bestow this bounty only in the season of spring. Other seasons have no
> share in this supernal grace, and barren lands hold no portion of this bounteous favour.
> 81        O My brother! Not every sea hath pearls; not every branch will flower, nor will the
> nightingale sing thereon. Then, ere the nightingale of the mystic Paradise repair to the celestial
> garden, and the rays of the morn of inner meaning return to the Day-Star of Truth, make thou an
> effort, that haply in this dust-heap of a mortal world thou mayest catch a fragrance from the
> everlasting rose-garden and live in the shadow of the inhabitants of this everlasting city. And
> when thou hast attained this highest plane and most exalted degree, then shalt thou gaze on the
> Beloved and forget all else.
> 
> The Friend, unveiled, doth shed the splendour of His light
> Through every door and wall, O ye endued with sight! 68
> 
> 82        Thou hast given up the drop of life and drawn nigh unto the ocean of the Well-Beloved. This
> is the goal thou didst seek; God grant thou mayest attain thereunto.
> 83        In this city, even the veils of light are rent asunder and vanish away. “His beauty hath no
> veiling save light, His countenance no covering save revelation.” 69 How strange that the Beloved
> is as visible as the sun and yet the heedless still hunt after tinsel and base metal. Yea, the intensity
> of His revelation hath veiled Him, and the fullness of His shining forth hath hidden Him.
> 
> Even as the noontide sun
> Hath the True One brightly shined,
> But alas that He hath come
> To the city of the blind! 70
> 
> 84        In this valley the wayfarer passeth beyond the stages of the “unity of existence” and the
> “unity of appearance” and reacheth a unity that is sanctified above both of these stations. 71
> Ecstasy alone can encompass this theme, not utterance nor argument; and whosoever hath dwelt
> at this stage of the journey, or caught a breath from this garden, knoweth whereof We speak.
> 85        In all these journeys the wayfarer must stray not a hair’s breadth from the Law, for this is
> indeed the secret of the Path and the fruit of the Tree of Truth. And in all these stages he must
> cling to the robe of obedience to all that hath been enjoined, and hold fast to the cord of shunning
> all that is forbidden, that he may partake of the cup of the Law and be informed of the mysteries
> of Truth.
> 86        If any of the utterances of this Servant be not understood, or lead to perplexity, the same
> must be enquired of again, that no doubt may linger, and that the meaning may shine as
> resplendent as the face of the Beloved dawning from His “Glorious Station”. 72
> 87        These journeys have no visible ending in this temporal world, but the detached wayfarer—
> should invisible confirmation descend upon him and the Guardian of the Cause 73 assist him—may
> traverse these seven stages in seven steps, nay rather in seven breaths, nay even in a single
> breath, should God will and desire it. This is “a token of His grace vouchsafed unto whomsoever
> He pleaseth.” 74
> 88        They who soar in the heaven of Divine Unity and attain the depths of the sea of detachment
> reckon this city—which is the station of life in God—as the loftiest state of the mystic knowers
> and the furthermost homeland of the faithful lovers. But to this evanescent One of the mystic
> ocean, this station is the first gate of the heart’s citadel, that is, man’s first entrance to the city of
> the heart; and the heart is endowed with four stages, which would be recounted should a kindred
> soul be found.
> 
> Shattered was the pen at once,
> Rent and torn in twain the page,
> When the pen did reach the point
> Of depicting such a stage. 75
> 
> ***
> 89       O My friend! Many a hound hunteth this gazelle of the desert of oneness; many an eagle
> pursueth this nightingale of the garden of eternity. Ravens of hatred lie in wait for this bird of the
> heavens of God, and the huntsman of envy stalketh this deer of the meadow of love.
> 90        O Shaykh! Make of thine effort a glass, that perchance it may shelter this flame from contrary
> winds, albeit this flame doth long to be kindled in the lamp of the Lord and to shine in the niche
> of the spirit. For the head that is raised up in the love of God will assuredly fall by the sword, and
> the life that is aflame with longing will assuredly be extinguished, and the heart that cleaveth to
> the remembrance of the Beloved will assuredly break. How well hath it been said:
> 
> Live free of love, for its peace
> Is grief and sorrow at each breath.
> It starteth but with ache and pain;
> It endeth but with loss and death. 76
> 
> Peace be upon him who followeth the way of guidance!
> 91        The novel thoughts thou hast expressed as to the symbolism contained in the word “sparrow”
> were considered. 77 Thou appearest to be well grounded in mystic truth. However, in each realm,
> to every letter a meaning is allotted which pertaineth to that realm. Indeed, the wayfarer findeth a
> secret in every name and a mystery in every letter.
> 92        In one sense, these letters refer to the states of holiness. The first meaneth “Free thyself from
> the promptings of self, then approach thy Lord.” The second meaneth “Purify thyself from all save
> Him, that thou mayest offer up thy life for His sake.” The third meaneth “Draw back from the
> threshold of the one true God if thou art still possessed of earthly attributes.” The fourth meaneth
> “Render thanks unto thy Lord on His earth, that He may bless thee in His heaven, albeit in the
> realm of His unity His heaven is the same as His earth.” The fifth meaneth “Remove from thine
> eyes the veils of limitation, that thou mayest learn that which thou knewest not of the stations of
> holiness.”
> 93        Wert thou to hearken unto the melodies of this mortal Bird, then wouldst thou seek out the
> eternal and undying chalice and renounce every fleeting and perishable cup. Peace be upon him
> who followeth the way of guidance!
> 
> From the Letter Bá’ to the Letter Há’
> 
> IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE MOST EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH!
> 
> 1        I ADDRESSED UNTO THEE aforetime an Epistle in the lucid Arabian tongue, and I now reveal for
> thee this Tablet in wondrous Persian prose, that thou mayest hear, in the glorious accents of the
> Nightingale of ‘Iráq, the sweet melodies of the nearness of the heavenly Paradise that had, ere
> this, been intoned in the language of Ḥijáz. 78 Perchance thou mayest become pure spirit; attain,
> without taking a single step, the loftiest stations of mystic ascent; and explore, without leaving
> thine outward habitation, the furthermost reaches of the worlds of inner significance. Thereupon
> wouldst thou, with a divine rapture, experience true spiritual attraction, lay down thy life in the
> path of the Friend, and sacrifice thy soul in the wilderness of His love. This indeed is the meaning
> of stillness in flight and flight in stillness, of fluidity in solidity and solidity in fluidity.
> 2        To continue: It is clear that the wayfarers in the wilderness of search and longing, of
> attainment and reunion, have numerous degrees and countless stations. Some, after spiritual
> struggle and physical toil, ascend from the lower reaches of “no God is there” to the lofty bowers
> of “but God”, 79 flee from the shadow of negation to abide in the limitless realm of affirmation, and
> abandon the privation of a transient existence for the bountiful assemblage of reunion. This is the
> uttermost limit of the realm of effort and striving.
> 3        Others, without receiving the least intimation of “no God is there”, pass beyond the highest
> horizon of “but God”; without even tasting a dewdrop of the degrees of self-surrender ascend unto
> the kingdom of life everlasting; and without partaking from the wellspring of utter abnegation
> quaff the wine of the Ancient of Days. These souls, as they traverse the stages of wayfaring and
> ascend unto the stations of reunion, walk a different path and occupy a different rank.
> 4        Still others, without having perused a single letter of the kingdom of names or acquired the
> faintest intimation from the realm of attributes, which pertaineth to this world, dawn above the
> invisible horizon of eternity and return again thereunto. A hundred thousand seas of glory surge
> in their luminous hearts, and yet to outward seeming their lips are parched; a myriad rivers of
> holiness stream within their breasts, and yet no trace thereof is to be seen; the books of God’s
> consummate wisdom are recorded upon the tablets of their hearts, and yet they breathe not a
> word thereof in the world of appearances. They dwell in the Egypt of certitude and journey in the
> lands of resignation. They are intoxicated with the beauty, and entranced by the glory, of Him
> Who is the All-Glorious. Heart to heart they whisper hidden secrets; soul to soul they unfold
> abstruse matters. The mysteries of the Divine Essence glow upon their brows, and the lights of
> Divine Unity shine from their peerless faces. They clothe themselves in the robe of concealment
> and cast their sleeves over both this world and the world to come. Without wings they soar,
> without feet they walk, without hands they grasp and hold. They speak an unknown tongue and
> observe an unseen grammar, of which all the world’s inhabitants know not a single letter, save
> those whom thy Lord hath willed. Unto each hath a share been vouchsafed in His Book, and they
> shall all attain unto that which hath been destined for them.
> 5        It is clear and evident that, in this Dispensation wherein the banner of utterance hath been
> raised aloft and the candle of discernment hath been lit, there is no Lord but the Exalted One. 80
> He it is Who is one in His essence and one in His attributes, single in the kingdom of names and
> peerless in the realm of actions. It is by virtue of His blessed name that the seas of Divine Unity
> have been made to surge; it is through the power of His resistless command that the immutable
> decrees of destiny have been enforced; it is through the potency of His sovereign might that the
> dictates of fate have been fixed. Who hath the power to soar in that exalted atmosphere or to
> cherish another beloved than Him? We all abide beneath His shadow and seek our portion from
> the ocean of His grace. However far the gnat may fly, it can never traverse the length and breadth
> of heaven, and however high the sparrow may soar, it can never attain the tree of immortality.
> 6        But since all do not possess the same degree of spiritual understanding, certain statements
> will inevitably be made, and there shall arise, as a consequence, as many differing opinions as
> there are human minds, and as many divergent beliefs as there are created things. This is certain
> and settled, and can in no wise be averted. Now, it is clear that some are virtuous, others are
> sinful, and still others are rebellious. One must call the people to love and faithfulness, to zeal and
> contentment, that the sinful may be admonished and the ranks of the virtuous may swell. Nor is it
> possible that there be no sinners: So long as the name “the Ever-Forgiving” shineth resplendent
> above the horizon of existence, there will be sinners in the world of creation, for the latter cannot
> appear without the former and the former cannot exist without the latter.
> 7        Our aim is that thou shouldst urge all the believers to show forth kindness and mercy and to
> overlook certain shortcomings among them, that differences may be dispelled; true harmony be
> established; and the censure and reproach, the hatred and dissension, seen among the peoples of
> former times may not arise anew. Perchance they may be educated and, in the latter
> Resurrection, 81 inflict not upon that cherished Spirit and Essence of existence, that exalted and
> subtle Reality, the least of that which the Point of the Bayán was made to suffer.
> 8        Moreover, a reply to thine enquiries was sent aforetime. It is evident that whatever question
> is asked will be answered through the ocean of eternal grace, but such questions also add to the
> burden of duties imposed upon the servants. That which hath been recorded at God’s behest in
> the Persian Bayán is indeed sufficient unto all, and none will be held to account for what it hath
> not commanded. Consider how numerous were those in the early days of the Revelation who
> obeyed, without the slightest deviation, every least one of its injunctions and yet reaped no
> benefit therefrom. The beginning of religion is love for God and for His Chosen Ones, and its end
> is to manifest that love to His servants.
> 9        I swear by God! Whoso faileth to obey the commandments of God can in no wise be
> numbered among His loved ones, for among the conditions of His love is to follow His
> commandments and observe His prohibitions. But since these are the days of concealment, and
> the Sun of eternity remaineth hidden beneath the horizon of being, one must gather together
> everyone with love and protect them. The time for the completion of the commandments and the
> perfection of deeds will assuredly come.
> Three Other Tablets
> 
> ***
> 
> IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, THE MOST EXALTED, THE MOST HIGH!
> 
> 1         O FRIEND! Many a day hath passed, and still the sweet fragrance of thy faithfulness hath failed
> to reach Us. Hast thou forgotten the One Who forgetteth thee not, and forsaketh thee not, and
> neglecteth thee not, even as thou hast forgotten, forsaken, and neglected Him?
> 2         We have heard that sorrows have compassed thee round in these days. Thy sorrow hath
> grieved Us, and that which hath befallen thee hath touched Us with bitter pain and anguish. But
> at this moment, O friend, the Herald of eternity announceth unto thee, by the robe of faithfulness,
> His joyful tidings and bestoweth upon thee this emerald-green Tablet. Set out, then, from thine
> abode, take thou seven steps upon the earth, and with each step complete a stage of the journey.
> 3         With the first, enter the ocean of search and seek God, thy Lord, with thine inmost heart and
> soul.
> 4         With the second, enter the ocean of love and make mention of God, thy Lord, in the
> transports of thy longing and the ecstasies of thy rapture.
> 5         With the third, tread the paths of detachment; that is, sever thyself from thine idle fancies
> and walk in the ways of thy Lord.
> 6         With the fourth, enter the fathomless depths of oneness and the billowing seas of eternity.
> Cover thy face in the dust before the Lord of Lords, and sanctify thy self and thy spirit from all
> departure and return, that thine inmost heart may be freed from all things in the kingdoms of
> creation.
> 7         With the fifth, ascend unto the heaven of wonderment, that thou mayest taste the goodly
> fruits of this blessed realm, lose thyself in bewilderment before the power of thy Beloved and the
> dominion of thy Creator, and proclaim that which the King of existence and the Goal of all desire
> hath proclaimed: “Increase my wonder and amazement at Thee, O God!” 82
> 8         With the sixth, soar upon the wings of submission and contentment unto the cities of the
> Unseen, that thou mayest enter the expanses of utter nothingness wherein thou shalt die to thy
> self and live in Him Who hath fashioned thee.
> 9         With the seventh, drown thyself in the depths of eternity, that death may not overtake thee,
> and that thou mayest abide forever in the shadow of the everlasting Face of God. Thereupon shall
> the fragrance of the All-Glorious be diffused from the realm of the All-Merciful, and thy heart
> shall grieve no more over the vicissitudes of a fleeting life and the turns of a transient fortune.
> 10        When once thou hast privily completed these journeys, place this robe upon thy sightless
> eyes, that the eye of thine inmost heart may be opened. By God, O My friend! Wert thou to attain
> unto this station, thou wouldst find wondrous worlds; discover heavenly bowers, celestial
> gardens, and transcendent realms; and unravel the secrets of the progress of the souls of men
> through the atmosphere of eternal holiness and the heavens of imperishable glory. Thou wouldst
> so rejoice within thy soul as to cause the signs of joy and gladness to appear throughout the
> whole earth. Thereafter, sorrow would never again hold sway over thee, nor would grief ever
> seize thee in its grasp, for thou wouldst abide in the heaven of holiness amidst the concourse of
> the blissful.
> 11        Know thou, moreover, that in the sight of God thou holdest a lofty rank and an exalted
> station. Remove not thyself from the company of His servants; rather do thou gather them
> together in the Cause of God and admonish them in His days. Rely upon God in all thine affairs.
> He, verily, shall suffice thee in all things, shall protect thee from the followers of the Evil One, and
> shall cause thee to enter the everlasting Paradise, wherein thou shalt be numbered with the
> blessed. Convey, then, Our greetings unto those who follow thee in the Cause of thy Lord, and
> summon them unto the Straight Path.
> 
> IN THE NAME OF THE PEERLESS AND EVER-LOVING LORD!
> 
> 1        O SHAMS! Hearken with all thy heart unto the nightingale song of the Beloved, that perchance
> thou mayest abandon the habitation of self and desire and step into the placeless realm of eternal
> glory, forsake thine own life, and commune with Him Who is the life of thy life. Wert thou to
> traverse the limitless reaches of the spirit, thou wouldst of a certainty rend asunder the garment
> of patience and forbearance, hasten to offer up thy soul, renounce the dross of this fleeting world,
> and find repose upon the throne of ancient glory.
> 2        Each thing must needs have an effect and each sign reveal a secret. Not until the worldilluming sun hath shone can the east be distinguished from the west, nor the blooming garden
> discerned from the barren waste. Heavenly strains compare not with earthly clamours, and the
> croaking of the raven can in no wise be confounded with the song of the nightingale. For the
> latter bespeaketh the land of the Beloved and increaseth life, whereas the former telleth only of
> the city of the blind and causeth faith to wither.
> 3        One must step forth and raise aloft the banner of earnest striving. By God! Wert thou to
> hearken unto the heavenly words of this evanescent Servant that have been raised in this mystic
> Tablet, thou wouldst assuredly take to the desert of self-surrender, turn aside from thine own
> heart and soul, and cast thy head at the feet of the Friend. How high is the soaring flight of the
> phoenix of love, and how low the requisite measure of our yearning! Strive but a little to soar,
> that, by the grace of Him Who is the eternal King, thou mayest ascend from the dust-heap of utter
> non-existence unto the loftiest heights of ancient glory. Give wings to thy celestial spirit and lend
> strength to thy mystic soul, that haply it may take flight in the atmosphere of divine nearness and
> attain the ultimate and invisible goal.
> 4        This profitless world produceth naught save deadly poison, and its ephemeral dregs can never
> yield the everlasting cup. Were the Jesus of the spirit to give ear to the call of holiness from the
> Falcon of the realm above, He would assuredly cry out from His inmost being and be seized with
> fervid longing even as the lover’s soul. It is through that call that the Moses of eternity was
> dumbfounded; it is by its virtue that the Abraham of faithfulness shattered the idol of the mortal
> body. Shatter then, in turn, this idol, that thou mayest take up thine abode in the land of the
> Beloved; and forsake all desire, that thou mayest take flight unto the Egypt of imperishable glory.
> Sanctify the city of thine heart, that thou mayest behold the beauty of the Divine Essence and be
> quickened to a new life through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
> 5        No melody remaineth that was not intoned upon this branch; no song remaineth that this
> Nightingale hath not warbled. A thousand Arabian ears are powerless to fathom this Persian
> lament—nay, none but an embodiment of divine virtues can grasp this subtle mystery. Well it is,
> then, with the one who attaineth this ocean and drinketh therefrom the draught of life!
> 
> O thou lion-hearted soul,
> Even as a lion roar,
> That thy roaring may perchance
> To the seventh heaven soar! 83
> 
> 2        PRAISE BE to Him Whose Essence is immeasurably exalted above the strivings of human hearts,
> however pure, to soar into the atmosphere of His nearness, and Whose Being is immensely
> sanctified beyond the exertions of human minds, however lofty, to ascend unto the heaven of His
> presence. From time immemorial He hath been exalted above the description of aught save
> Himself, and He will forever continue to be sanctified beyond the praise of all created things. The
> hearts of them that have recognized Him are sore perplexed before the tokens of His everlasting
> handiwork, and the minds of them that have attained His court are bewildered by the wondrous
> evidences of the Revealers of His oneness. He, verily, is the All-Possessing, the Almighty, the
> Most Glorious, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
> 3        O friend! Thine epistle was received. It told of naught save the fire which hath been kindled
> in the tree of human reality, and bore no message but that which bestoweth a new life upon
> enlightened hearts. Well is it with him that hath been set ablaze by the fire of thy love, and who
> hath quaffed the water of life from the cup of thine affection. “The righteous shall drink of a cup
> tempered at the camphor fountain.” 84
> 4        To continue: Thy letter, which was a repository of the pearls of celestial knowledge, was
> brought before this Exile. God be praised, it rolled up the scrolls of separation and remoteness and
> spread out in their stead the realms of nearness and reunion. Methinks through the water of thy
> longing the fire of separation was changed into “coolness and safety”. 85 In truth, a perfect meeting
> was attained through thy letter, and, through thy mention of the stations of Divine Unity and the
> signs of pure abstraction and oneness, it lifted from the world the veils of limitation. And this,
> notwithstanding that even the limitations of the world of existence are praised and cherished by
> the wayfarer, for he seeth all things in the mirror of the verse “No defect canst thou see in the
> creation of the God of mercy”, and at every moment he heareth with his inner ear the tongue of
> the Holy Spirit uttering the words “Seest thou a single flaw?” 86 In faithlessness he beholdeth the
> secret of fidelity, and in deadly poison he tasteth the sweetest honey. Even vengeance is embraced
> in this state; nay more, the true lover welcometh the betrayal of the beloved.
> 
> Thy faithlessness I cherish more
> Than every gift that life can give.
> To suffer at thy vengeful hand—
> How much dearer than to live! 87
> 
> 5        Thus do the wayfarers in the wilderness of solitude and search experience events and
> conditions which, though to outward seeming be a mortal poison, are inwardly a wholesome
> draught, and though in appearance a passing mirage, are in reality pure and refreshing waters.
> Were I to attempt a full description of this station, neither could I express it nor the hearer grasp
> it. And whoso observeth with the eye of innate knowledge will confess, openly as well as privily,
> the selfsame truth.
> 6        As to perceived differences, these can be attributed to the divers stations that have been
> attained by them that tread the path of search and mystic knowledge. Thus, at one time the
> wayfarer beholdeth the lover hastening in search of the beloved through the wilderness of
> desolation, and at another he seeth the beloved yearning for the lover across the wilds of longing
> and devotion, or wandering, aimless and bewildered, the wastes of love in his pursuit.
> 
> “O for a drop to drink!” the thirsty soul doth groan;
> “O for a thirsty soul!” the spring in turn doth moan. 88
> 7         From yet another vantage he perceiveth that the lover and the beloved are one and the same,
> and that the seeker is himself the very object of his search. “How can the lover from the loved one
> ever part?” 89 So it is that, at times, the lovers of the celestial Beauty sound the clarion of “Say: All
> things are of God”, while, at others, they raise the call of “It is from thyself.” 90
> 8         Some have related the aforementioned stages to the inner and outer journeys of the soul,
> which is the station of “the knowledge of certitude”, whilst others that have quaffed the wine of
> reunion regard each and every stage as relating to that knowledge, and consider the two stations
> of “the eye of certitude” and “the truth of certitude” as being exalted above and sanctified beyond
> these realms and all that pertaineth unto them, even as hath been clearly affirmed by that mystic
> knower. 91 For in all these stages the mirror of the wayfarer’s heart may bear the reflection of
> shadowy desires, wayward thoughts, and worldly attachments. Wherefore hath it been said that,
> in these stations, at one time the hosts of reason are triumphant and, at another, the armies of
> love prevail. At one time, the clouds of affliction and sorrow conceal the heavens of gladness and
> joy; at another, the eternal leviathan of love devoureth, in one fleeting moment, all manifestations
> of sadness, anguish, grief, and dejection, and the morn of divine guidance dawneth forth with the
> joyful tidings of “despair not of God’s mercy”, 92 and the gentle breezes of His providence dispel
> every vestige of torpor and estrangement. These tidings, however, are not constant and
> immutable in these stations, and the wayfarer remaineth confined between the right hand of faith
> and assurance and the left hand of denial and despair.
> 9         Some wayfarers remain forever veiled in these stages. Others are assisted by invisible aid
> from the Source of unfailing grace, whereat the hosts of the Realm on high raise the tabernacle of
> divine power, and the ascendency of “and verily Our host shall conquer” 93 is manifested,
> obliterating the signs and standards of every worldly attachment and limitation, even as alluded
> to by some who have attained this station. At such times, the ascendancy of God’s names and
> attributes will so surround a soul as to leave it no place either to stay or to flee. This station,
> however, hath its own obscurities and impediments, for they that journey towards the land of
> Divine Unity and detachment are still wrapt within the confines of names and attributes, and take
> delight in their gardens and bowers. Thus it is that, in describing these stations, some have made
> reference to the “unity of existence” and the “unity of appearance”. 94 By this is meant that the
> seeker will close his eyes to all save his Beloved and open them to naught but His beauty. He will
> pass beyond the mortal world and approach the everlasting realm. He will see no beauty but the
> Beloved’s and hear no utterance but His praise; that is, he will avert his gaze from aught save His
> beauty and refuse to hearken to any melody but the sweet accents of His voice. Howbeit some are
> led astray even in this station; for no sooner do they inhale the fragrance of reunion, and hearken
> unto the voice of the doves of heavenly grace, than they imagine themselves to have attained
> perfection and wander lost in the wilderness of self-conceit, thus depriving themselves of the soft-
> flowing stream of divine providence and the ethereal cup of heavenly delight.
> 10        Yet others, assisted by the grace of the everlasting Friend, consume these veils with the fire of
> His love and step into the meads of ancient glory. That is, forsaking the wilderness of the “unity
> of existence”, they attain unto the ultimate abode of the “true appearance of the Divine Unity”. So
> clearly will they witness in this stage God’s all-encompassing mercy that in every created thing,
> both in the world and in the souls of men, they will behold Him Who hath been interpreted as the
> Holy Outpouring. No longer will they close their eyes to any beauty, nor stop their ears from
> hearkening to any voice. For there is no prohibition in this stage and no debarment, inasmuch as
> in all things they will discern, with both their outer and inner eyes, the revelation of the signs of
> Him Who is the King of all names and attributes, and in every atom they will find a door that
> leadeth to the garden of Divine Unity and the city of pure abstraction. “Where’er I turn my gaze,
> ’tis Thee Whom I behold.” So entirely will the hearts of the wayfarers be transported by longing
> for the ecstasies of this station that they will come to conceive no stage apart from this stage, to
> see themselves as abiding within the court of the Beloved and circling round His sanctuary, and to
> consider it as the ultimate abode of them that search and the uttermost station of such as have
> attained.
> 11        A myriad names and attributes have been ascribed to these degrees and stations, which I am
> disinclined to mention here. It is, indeed, solely because of thy longing and devotion that I have
> engaged in such ephemeral and limited topics. And this, notwithstanding that speech is the
> greatest evidence of the worth of the speaker and guideth unto the recognition of the source of
> guidance, for no more complete and enduring proof hath been or will be vouchsafed unto man
> from the empyrean of everlasting glory than words and utterance. This, verily, is a self-evident
> truth, for the braying of the donkey can never compare with the cooing of the dove. Never wilt
> thou hear from the raven the melodies of the nightingale, nor inhale from the abject beetle the
> fragrance of eternity.
> 
> The Four Valleys
> 
> HE IS THE EVER-LIVING.
> 
> O light of truth and sword of faith
> And soul of generosity!
> No prince hath sky or earth begot
> Who fain could hope to rival thee! 95
> 
> 2       I KNOW NOT why the tie of love was so abruptly severed and the firm covenant of friendship
> broken. Did ever, God forbid, My devotion lessen or My sincere affection fail, that I came to be so
> neglected and forgotten?
> 
> What fault didst thou observe in me
> That made thee cease thy tender care?
> Is it that poverty’s our lot
> And wealth and pageantry thy share? 96
> 
> 3       Or is it that a single arrow hath driven thee from the battle? Hast thou not heard that
> steadfastness is the prime requisite of the mystic path and the means of admittance to His holy
> Court? “They that say ‘Our Lord is God’, and continue steadfast in His way, upon them, verily,
> shall the angels descend.” 97
> 4       Likewise He saith, “Be thou steadfast as thou hast been bidden.” 98 It followeth that they that
> abide in the court of reunion must needs conduct themselves accordingly.
> 
> I do as bidden and convey the message,
> Whether it give thee counsel or offence. 99
> 
> 5       Though I have received no reply to My letter, and it would be unbefitting, in the eyes of the
> wise, to express anew My devotion, yet this new love hath annulled and effaced all the old rules
> and ways.
> 
> Tell us not the tale of Laylí, nor speak of Majnún’s woe—
> Thy love hath made the world forget the loves of long ago.
> When once thy name was on the tongue, it reached the lovers’ ears
> And set the speakers and the hearers dancing to and fro. 100
> 
> 6       And as to divine wisdom and heavenly admonitions:
> 
> Each moon, O my belov’d,
> For three days I go mad;
> Today’s the first of these—
> ’Tis why thou seest me glad. 101
> 
> 7       I hear that thou hast journeyed to Tabríz and Tiflis to engage in debate and instruction, or
> hast set out for Sanandaj to scale the heights of knowledge.
> 8       O my eminent friend! They that seek to ascend to the heaven of mystic wayfaring are of four
> kinds only. I shall describe them in brief, that the signs and degrees of each may become plain and
> manifest to thee.
> 9       If the wayfarers be among them that seek after THE SANCTUARY OF THE DESIRED ONE, this plane
> pertaineth to the self—but the self which is intended is “the Self of God that pervadeth all His
> laws”. 102 In this station the self is not rejected but beloved; it is regarded with favour and is not to
> be shunned. Although at the beginning this plane is the realm of conflict, yet it endeth in the
> ascent to the throne of glory. As it hath been said:
> 
> O Abraham of the Spirit and God’s Friend in this day!
> Slay! Slay these four thieving birds of prey! 103
> 
> that after death the mystery of life may be unravelled.
> 10        This is the plane of the soul that is pleasing unto God, whereof He saith: “Enter thou among
> My servants, and enter thou My Paradise.” 104
> 11        This station hath myriad signs and countless tokens. Hence it is said: “We will surely show
> them Our signs in the world and within themselves, until it become plain to them that there is no
> God save Him.” 105
> 12        One must, then, read the book of one’s own self, rather than the treatise of some grammarian.
> Wherefore He hath said, “Read thy Book: There needeth none but thyself to make out an account
> against thee this day.” 106
> 13        The story is told of a mystic knower who went on a journey with a learned grammarian for a
> companion. They came to the shore of the Sea of Grandeur. The knower, putting his trust in God,
> straightway flung himself into the waves, but the grammarian stood bewildered and lost in
> thoughts that were as words traced upon the water. The mystic called out to him, “Why dost thou
> not follow?” The grammarian answered, “O brother, what can I do? As I dare not advance, I must
> needs go back again.” Then the mystic cried, “Cast aside what thou hast learned from Síbavayh
> and Qawlavayh, from Ibn-i-Ḥájib and Ibn-i-Málik, and cross the water!” 107
> 
> With renunciation, not with grammar’s rules, one must be armed:
> Be nothing, then, and cross this sea unharmed. 108
> 
> 14        Likewise He saith, “And be ye not like those who forget God, and whom He hath therefore
> caused to forget their own selves. Such men are the evil doers.” 109
> 15        If the wayfarers be among them that dwell in THE COURT OF THE ALL-PRAISED, this is the station of
> the Intellect, which is known as the messenger of the realm of the body and the most great pillar.
> That which is intended, however, is the universal divine Intellect, whose sovereignty fostereth the
> growth of all things, and not every vain and feeble mind. Thus hath the wise Saná’í written:
> 
> How can meagre reason comprehend the Book,
> Or the spider trap a phoenix in its web?
> Wouldst thou that the mind not hold thee in its snare?
> Seize it and enrol it in the school of God instead!
> 
> 16         On this plane, the traveller meeteth with many a trial and reverse. Now is he lifted up to
> heaven, now is he cast into the depths. As it hath been said: “Now Thou drawest me to the throne
> of the realms above, again Thou scorchest me in the fire of hell.” The hidden mystery of this
> station is divulged in the following blessed verse from the Súrih of the Cave: “And thou mightest
> have seen the sun when it arose, pass on the right of their cave, and when it set, leave them on
> the left, while they were in its spacious chamber. This is one of the signs of God. Guided indeed is
> he whom God guideth; but for him whom He misleadeth, thou shalt by no means find a guardian
> and guide.” 110
> 17         If a soul could grasp the allusions that lie hid in this single verse, it would suffice him. Such
> indeed are those whom He hath extolled as “men whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile
> from the remembrance of God”. 111
> 18         This station is that of the true standard of knowledge and the final end of tests and trials. Nor
> is it needed, in this realm, to seek after knowledge, for He hath said concerning the guidance of
> wayfarers on this plane, “Fear ye God; God will teach you”, 112 and again, “Knowledge is a light
> which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.” 113
> 19         Wherefore, one must make ready the receptacle and become worthy of the descent of
> heavenly bestowals, that the all-sufficing Cup-Bearer may give one to drink of the wine of bounty
> from the crystal chalice of mercy. “For this let the striving strive!” 114 And now do I say, “Verily,
> we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.” 115
> 20       If the lovers be among them that abide within the precincts of THE ABODE OF THE LODESTONE OF
> HEARTS, no soul may dwell on this kingly throne save the countenance of love. I am powerless to
> describe this station or to depict it in words.
> 
> Love shunneth this world and that world too;
> In him are lunacies seventy-and-two.
> The minstrel of love harpeth this lay:
> Servitude enslaveth, lordship doth betray. 116
> 
> 21        This plane demandeth pure love and unalloyed affection. In describing these companions He
> saith: “They speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His commandment.” 117
> 22        In this station, neither the reign of the intellect is sufficient nor the rule of self. Thus one of
> the Prophets of God asked, “O my Lord, how shall I reach Thee?” And the answer came: “Leave
> thy self behind, and then approach Me.”
> 23        In the estimation of such souls, to be seated amidst the sandals by the door is the same as to
> abide at the place of honour, and in the path of the Beloved the retreats of earthly beauty differ
> not from the field of a battle waged.
> 24        The dwellers of this abode know not the destination, yet they spur on their chargers. They
> see naught in the Beloved but His very Self. They find all words of sense to be meaningless, and
> senseless words to be full of meaning. They cannot distinguish head from foot or one limb from
> another. To them the mirage is water itself and departure is the mystery of return. Wherefore
> hath it been said:
> 
> The story of Thy beauty reached the hermit’s dell;
> Crazed, he sought the Tavern where the wine they buy and sell.
> The love of Thee hath levelled down the fort of patience;
> The pain of Thee hath firmly barred the gate of hope as well. 118
> 
> 25       In this station, both instruction and apprenticeship are assuredly of no avail:
> 
> The lovers’ teacher is the Loved One’s beauty,
> His face their lesson and their only book.
> Learning of wonderment, of longing love their duty;
> Not on learned chapters and dull themes they look.
> The chains that bind them are His musky hair;
> The Cyclic Scheme, to them, is but to Him a stair. 119
> 
> 26       Here followeth a supplication to God—blessed and glorified be He:
> 
> O Lord, O Thou Whose grace fulfilleth every need!
> To mention aught before Thee would be sin indeed.
> Allow this mote of knowledge hidden in my soul
> To free itself of lowly clay and reach its goal.
> And grant this drop of wisdom that
> Thou gavest me To be at last united with Thy mighty sea. 120
> 
> 27        Thus do I say: There is no power nor strength except in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-
> Subsisting.
> 28        If the mystic knowers be among them that have attained THE BEAUTY OF THE BELOVED, this station
> is the throne of the inmost heart and the secret of divine guidance. This is the seat of the mystery
> “He doeth what He willeth, and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” Should all that are in heaven and on
> earth attempt to unravel this exalted allusion and subtle mystery, from now until the Day
> whereon the Trumpet shall sound, yet would they fail to comprehend even a letter thereof, for
> this is the station of God’s immutable decree and His foreordained mystery. Hence, when asked
> regarding this matter, He made reply: “It is a bottomless sea that none shall ever fathom.” And
> when the question was repeated, He answered: “It is the blackest of nights through which none
> can find his way.” 121
> 29        Whoso comprehendeth this station will assuredly conceal it, and were he to reveal but the
> faintest trace thereof, they would assuredly hang him from the gallows. And yet, by God, were a
> true seeker to be found, I would divulge it to him; for He saith: “Love is a distinction never
> conferred upon a heart possessed by fear and dread.” 122
> 30        In truth, the wayfarer who journeyeth unto God, who treadeth the snow-white Path and
> turneth towards the Crimson Pillar, will never reach his heavenly home unless his hands are
> empty of such worldly things as are cherished by men. “And he that feareth not God, God shall
> make him to fear all things; whereas all things fear him who feareth God.”
> 
> Speak the Persian tongue, though the Arabian pleaseth more:
> Love indeed doth have a hundred other tongues in store. 123
> 
> 31       How sweet in this connection is the following couplet:
> 
> Our hearts will be as open shells
> Should He the pearls of grace bestow;
> Our lives will ready targets be
> Were He to hurl the darts of woe.
> 
> 32        And were it not contrary to the commandment of the Book, I would surely have bestowed a
> part of My possessions upon My would-be murderer, and given him to inherit Mine earthly
> goods, and rendered him a myriad thanks, and solaced Mine own eyes with the touch of his hand.
> But what can I do? Neither have I any wealth, nor hath the Lord of destiny so decreed.
> 33        Methinks at this moment I perceive the musk-scented fragrance of the garment of Há’ from
> the Joseph of Bahá; verily He seemeth near at hand, though ye may think Him far away. 124
> 
> My soul doth sense the fragrant breath
> Of a well-beloved soul:
> The fragrance of that kindly friend
> Who’s my heart’s desire and goal.
> 
> The duty of long years of love obey,
> And tell the tale of blissful days gone by,
> That land and sky may laugh aloud today,
> And it may gladden mind and heart and eye. 125
> 
> 34        This is the realm of pure awareness and utter self-effacement. Not even love can find a way to
> this plane, nor doth affection have a place therein. Wherefore is it said: “Love is a veil betwixt the
> lover and the beloved.” Here love becometh but an obstructing veil, and aught save the Friend but
> a curtain. Thus the wise Saná’í hath written:
> 
> None may approach that well-belov’d
> Who harboreth his own desire;
> None may embrace that beauteous form
> Who’s burdened with his own attire.
> 
> For this is the realm of God and is sanctified above every allusion of His creatures.
> 35        Abiding in the court of rapture, the dwellers of this mansion wield with utmost joy and
> gladness the sceptres of divinity and lordship; and, established upon the lofty seats of justice, they
> exert their rule and bestow upon every soul its due. Those who drink of this cup abide beneath
> the canopy of glory, above the throne of the Ancient of Days, and dwell upon the seat of grandeur
> beneath the tabernacle of majesty. These are they that “know neither sun nor piercing cold”. 126
> 36        On this plane the highest heavens are neither opposed to, nor distinguished from, the lowly
> earth, for this is the realm of divine favours, not the arena of worldly contraries. Albeit at every
> moment a new condition be displayed, yet that condition is ever the same. Wherefore He saith in
> one instance, “Nothing whatsoever keepeth Him from being occupied with any other thing.” 127
> And in another He saith, “Verily, His ways differ every day.” 128
> 37        This is the food whose savour changeth not and whose colour altereth not. Wert thou to
> partake thereof, thou wouldst assuredly recite the verse “I have turned my face to Him Who hath
> created the heavens and the earth, following the right religion and submissive before God. I am
> not one of those who add gods to God.” 129 “And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the
> heavens and of the earth, that he might be stablished in knowledge.” 130 Wherefore, put thy hand
> into thy bosom, then stretch it forth with power, and behold, thou shalt find it a light unto all the
> world.
> 38        How clear this crystal water that the enraptured Cup-Bearer passeth round! How exquisite
> this pure wine that the intoxicated Beauty doth proffer! How pleasing this draught of joy that
> floweth from the Heavenly Cup! Well is it with him who drinketh thereof, and tasteth of its
> sweetness, and attaineth unto its knowledge.
> 
> No more than this will I impart to thee:
> The riverbed can never hold the sea. 131
> 
> 39        For its mystery lieth hid in the storehouses of His inviolable protection and is laid up in the
> treasuries of His power. It is exalted above the highest essence of utterance and sanctified beyond
> the subtlest mode of explanation.
> 40        Astonishment here is highly prized, and utter poverty greatly cherished. Wherefore hath He
> said, “Poverty is My pride.” 132 And again: “God hath a people beneath the canopy of grandeur,
> whom He hath concealed in the garment of poverty to exalt in rank.” 133 These are they who see
> with His eyes and hear with His ears, as hath been recorded in the well-known tradition. 134
> 41        Concerning this realm there is many a tradition and many a verse, whether of general or
> specific import, but two of these will suffice, that they may serve as a light for knowing hearts
> and bring delight to longing souls.
> 42        The first is His statement “O My servant! Obey Me, that I may make thee like unto Myself.
> For I say ‘Be’, and it is, and thou shalt say ‘Be’, and it shall be.” And the second: “O son of Adam!
> Seek fellowship with none until thou hast found Me, and whensoever thou shalt long for Me, thou
> shalt find Me nigh unto thee.”
> 43        Whatever high proofs and wondrous allusions are recounted herein concern but a single
> letter and a single point. For such is God’s method, and no change canst thou find in His mode of
> dealing. 135
> 44        I undertook to write this epistle some time ago in thy remembrance, and, since thy letter had
> not reached Me yet, I began with a few words of grievance and reproach. Now, thy new missive
> hath dispelled that feeling and hath caused Me to send thee this letter. To speak of My love for
> thine eminence is needless. “Sufficient witness is God unto us.” 136
> 45        As for his eminence Shaykh Muḥammad—may God, the Exalted, bless him!—I shall confine
> Myself to the two following lines, which I request be delivered to him:
> 
> I seek thy nearness, more desired than heaven in mine eyes;
> I see thy visage, fairer than the bowers of Paradise.
> 
> 46       When I entrusted this message of love to My pen, it refused the burden and swooned away.
> Then, coming to itself, it spoke and said, “Glory be to Thee! To Thee do I turn in penitence, and I
> am the first of them that implore Thy pardon.” 137 All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!
> 
> Let us tell, some other day
> This parting hurt and woe;
> Let us write, some other way,
> Love’s secrets—better so.
> Leave blood and noise and all of these,
> And say no more of Shams-i-Tabríz. 138
> 
> Peace be upon thee, and upon them who circle round thee and attain thy presence.
> 47        That which I had written ere this hath been eaten by the flies, so rich was the ink to their
> taste, even as Sa‘dí hath said:
> 
> I write no more, beleaguered by the flies
> That my sweet words have drawn about the page.
> 
> 48        And now the hand can write no more, and pleadeth that this is enough. Wherefore do I say:
> Far from the glory of my Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His creatures affirm of Him!
> Notes
> 
> 1 Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (trans. Shoghi Effendi, Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1988),
> p. 15. ↩
> 2 Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 22. ↩
> 3 God Passes By (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1974, 2018 printing), pp. 192–93. ↩
> 4 God Passes By, p. 216. ↩
> 5 God Passes By, pp. 217 and 220. ↩
> 6 From a previously untranslated Tablet. ↩
> 7 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CLI, ¶ 2. ↩
> 8 “‘Amá’ is defined as an extremely thin and subtle cloud, seen and then not seen. For shouldst thou
> gaze with the utmost care, thou wouldst discern something, but as soon as thou dost look again, it
> ceaseth to be seen. For this reason, in the usage of mystics who seek after truth, ‘Amá’ signifieth
> the Universal Reality without individuations as such, for these individuations exist in the mode of
> uncompounded simplicity and oneness and are not differentiated from the Divine Essence. Thus
> they are individuated and not individuated. This is the station alluded to by the terms Aḥadíyyih
> [Absolute Oneness] and ‘Amá’. This is the station of the “Hidden Treasure” mentioned in the
> Ḥadíth. The divine attributes, therefore, are individuations that exist in the Essence but are not
> differentiated therefrom. They are seen and then not seen. This, in brief, is what is meant by
> ‘Amá’.” (From a previously untranslated Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.) ↩
> 9 The Manifestation of God. ↩
> 10 Qur’án 6:103. ↩
> 11 Aḥmad, Muḥammad, and Maḥmúd are names and titles of the Prophet derived from the verb “to
> praise”, “to extol”. ↩
> 12 Qur’án 17:110. ↩
> 13 Cf. Qur’án 76:1. ↩
> 14 Literally, “in the garden of Ghawthíyyih”. The Risáliy-i-Ghawthíyyih is a mystical treatise by
> ‘Abdu’l-Qádir-i-Gílání (ca. 1077–1166). The sentence that follows is a quotation from this work.
> ↩
> 15 Qur’án 2:282, 16:69. ↩
> 16 Qur’án 20:47. ↩
> 17 ‘Aṭṭár (ca. 1119–1230) in his Manṭiqu’ṭ-Ṭayr (The Conference of the Birds) has elaborated seven
> valleys through which the birds pass in search of their king. Bahá’u’lláh refers to ‘Aṭṭár’s scheme
> of the valleys. Rúmí (1207–1273) alludes to the “seven cities of love” crossed by ‘Aṭṭár. ↩
> 18 Qur’án 29:69. ↩
> 19 Majnún means “madman”. This is the title of the celebrated lover of ancient Persian and Arabian
> lore whose beloved was Laylí. Symbolizing true human love bordering on the divine, the story
> has been the theme of many Persian romantic poems, most famously that of Niẓámí, written in
> 1188. ↩
> 20 Arabic proverb. ↩
> 21 A reference to the Islamic profession of faith: “No God is there but God, and Muḥammad is the
> Messenger of God.” ↩
> 22 Saná’í (ca. 1045–1131). ↩
> 23 Saná’í. ↩
> 24 Qur’án 50:30. ↩
> 25 Rúmí. ↩
> 26 An allusion to the Ḥadíth in which God is said to address the Prophet Muhammad in these words:
> “But for Thee, I would not have created the spheres.” ↩
> 27 From a poem of Bahá’u’lláh. ↩
> 28 Hátif-i-Iṣfahání (d.1783). ↩
> 29 Qur’án 67:3. ↩
> 30 Qur’án 41:53. ↩
> 31 From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 32   Shaykh Abú Ismá‘íl ‘Abdu’lláh Anṣárí of Hirát (1006–1089), a Ṣúfí master, poet, and scholar. ↩
> 33   Qur’án 1:6. ↩
> 34   Rúmí. ↩
> 35   Qur’án 2:156. ↩
> 36   Qur’án 4:78. ↩
> 37   Qur’án 18:39. ↩
> 38   The Prophet Muḥammad. ↩
> 39   Rúmí. ↩
> 40   Qur’án 16:61. ↩
> 41   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 42   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 43   Qur’án 83:28. ↩
> 44   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 45   From a prayer of Imám ‘Alí. ↩
> 46   “But for Thee” refers to the Ḥadíth quoted in note 26. “We have failed to know Thee” alludes to a
> prayer attributed to Muḥammad that says, “We have not known Thee, O God, as Thou oughtest to
> be known.” “Or even closer” alludes to Qur’án 53:9. ↩
> 47   Sa‘dí (ca. 1213–1292), author of the Gulistán and other poetical works. ↩
> 48   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 49   Rúmí; a reference to Qur’án 18:71. ↩
> 50   Qur’án 57:3. ↩
> 51   Rúmí. ↩
> 52   This refers to Bahá’u’lláh Himself, Who had not yet declared His mission. ↩
> 53   Qur’án 4:130. ↩
> 54   Cf. ‘Aṭṭár. ↩
> 55   Ibn-i-Fáriḍ (1181–1235). ↩
> 56   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 57   Cf. Qur’án 50:21. ↩
> 58   Saná’í. ↩
> 59   The Prophet Muḥammad. ↩
> 60   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 61   Rúmí. ↩
> 62   Qur’án 9:51. ↩
> 63   Rúmí. ↩
> 64   Qur’án 76:5. ↩
> 65   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 66   Qur’án 28:88. ↩
> 67   Qur’án 15:21. ↩
> 68   Hátif-i-Iṣfahání. ↩
> 69   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 70   Attributed to Rúmí. ↩
> 71   A reference to two Ṣúfí concepts. The doctrine of the unity of existence is commonly ascribed to
> Ibnu’l-Arabí (1165–1240), that of the unity of appearance to Aḥmad Sirhindí (1564–1624). See
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, chapter 82. ↩
> 72   Qur’án 17:79. A reference to the station of the Manifestation of God. ↩
> 73   “The word ‘Guardian’ in the Seven Valleys has no connection with the Bahá’í Guardianship.”
> (From a letter dated 8 January 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi.) ↩
> 74   Qur’án 2:90. ↩
> 75   Rúmí. ↩
> 76   Ibn-i-Fáriḍ. ↩
> 77   In what follows, Bahá’u’lláh interprets the meaning of each of the five letters comprising the
> word “sparrow” (gunjishk) in Persian. ↩
> 78   The recipient of this Tablet was Mírzá Hádí Qazvíní. ↩
> 79   Allusions to the Muslim profession of faith. See note 21. ↩
> 80   The Báb. ↩
> 81   An allusion to Bahá’u’lláh’s approaching declaration. ↩
> 82   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 83   Rúmí. ↩
> 84   Qur’án 76:5. ↩
> 85   Qur’án 21:69. ↩
> 86   Qur’án 67:3. ↩
> 87   Rúmí. ↩
> 88   Rúmí. ↩
> 89   Rúmí. ↩
> 90   Qur’án 4:78–79. ↩
> 91   A reference to the three levels of certitude in the Islamic mystical tradition. ↩
> 92   Qur’án 39:53. ↩
> 93   Cf. Qur’án 37:173. ↩
> 94   See note 71. ↩
> 95   Rúmí. Bahá’u’lláh is here comparing Shaykh ‘Abdu’r-Raḥmán, the recipient of the Tablet, with
> Ḥusámu’d-Dín Chalabí, to whom Rúmí dedicated his Mathnaví. Ḥusámu’d-Dín means “sword of
> faith”. ↩
> 96   Sa‘dí. ↩
> 97   Qur’án 41:30. ↩
> 98   Qur’án 11:112. ↩
> 99   Sa‘dí. ↩
> 100   Sa‘dí. ↩
> 101   Rúmí. ↩
> 102   From a prayer attributed to Imám ‘Alí. ↩
> 103   Cf. Rúmí. Here Rúmí tells a story of four evil birds which, when put to death, changed into four
> birds of goodness. The allegory refers to subduing evil qualities and replacing them with good. ↩
> 104   Qur’án 89: 29–30. ↩
> 105   Cf. Qur’án 41:53. ↩
> 106   Qur’án 17:14. ↩
> 107   Famed writers on grammar and rhetoric. ↩
> 108   Rúmí. ↩
> 109   Qur’án 59:19. ↩
> 110   Qur’án 18:17. ↩
> 111   Qur’án 24:37. ↩
> 112   Qur’án 2:282. ↩
> 113   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 114   Qur’án 83:26. ↩
> 115   Qur’án 2:156. ↩
> 116   Rúmí. ↩
> 117   Qur’án 21:27. ↩
> 118   Sa‘dí. ↩
> 119   Rúmí. A reference to the Cyclic Theory of Avicenna (Abu-‘Alí Síná [980–1037]). ↩
> 120   Rúmí ↩
> 121   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 122   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 123   Rúmí. ↩
> 124   An intimation of Bahá’u’lláh’s imminent Manifestation. ↩
> 125   Rúmí. ↩
> 126   Qur’án 76:13. ↩
> 127   A famous adage cited in many Islamic sources. ↩
> 128   Qur’án 55:29. ↩
> 129   Cf. Qur’án 6:79. ↩
> 130   Qur’án 6:75. ↩
> 131   Rúmí. ↩
> 132   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 133   From a Ḥadíth. ↩
> 134   See the Seven Valleys, ¶ 44. ↩
> 135   Cf. Qur’án 35:43, 48:23. ↩
> 136   Qur’án 4:166. ↩
> 137   Cf. Qur’án 7:143. ↩
> 138   Rúmí. Shams-i-Tabríz was the Ṣúfí who exerted a powerful influence on Rúmí, diverting his
> attention from science to mysticism. A great part of Rúmí’s works are dedicated to him. ↩
> 
> This document has been downloaded from the Bahá’í Reference Library. You are free to use its content subject to the terms of use found at www.bahai.org/legal
>
> — *Call of the Divine Beloved (Used by permission of the curator)*